TITLE: Babylon4ever
AUTHOR: Cris Wilson.
Season 1- Episode 5
RATING: None
DATE FIRST POSTED: July 9 2000
DISCLAIMERS: Babylon 5 and all related material belong to JMS, Time-Warner and Babylonian Productions. Anything connected to THHGTTG belongs to DNA and anything else belongs to me.
AUTHOR NOTES: Most AU B5 stories deal with the aftermath of the Minbari winning the war at The Battle of the Line, but what if a change in the time line occurred a thousand years ago. This is what I think may have happened if such a thing did happen, and how the future history of the B5 universe was changed and yet somehow not changed!
Since these stories are set in another dimension I'm only narrating the changes. To understand the stories better you have to watch the episode in question than see my stories as overlays. So whatever is going on in the backdrop of the story even if it doesn't get a mention is still going on in the background.
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Extra Note.
This story is primarily based on Babylon Squared even though it has some scenes that have been taken from War Without End Parts 1 and 2.
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Douglas Adams "There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."
Babylon4ever.
Opening narrative (spoken) by Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Sinclair.
It was the dawn of the third age of man. Ten years after the Earth- Minbari war. The Babylon Project was a dream given form.
Its goal was to be a place where Humans and Aliens could work out their differences peacefully.
A port of call, a home away from home, for diplomats, hustlers, wanderers, traders and Space Command. Humans and Aliens wrapped up in eight miles of floating ship, all alone in the night.
It can be a dangerous place, but it was our last best hope for peace.
This is the story of the Greatest of these stations, and the people whose lives were shaped by it.
The name of the place was Britannia 7.
Part One
"We'll swing back this way in a month," John Sheridan, Captain of the Earthforce ship Agamemnon said, swinging his chair round to look at the whole of his bridge area. "If those hijackers so much as blink in your direction, yell, and we'll be back in an instant!"
"Roger and thanks!"
"Agamemnon out!" Sheridan stood up and sighed. This raider problem appeared to be spreading and the Earthforce fleet seemed helpless to stop it! He looked at Corwin, a young Lieutenant, who somehow reminded him of himself when he was younger. "Initiate jump point into hyperspace!" he ordered.
"Jump point initiated sir. Coordinates?"
"Good. Set coordinates for Britannia 7." He smiled slightly. "I think they will be quite surprised to see us exiting their jump gate!"
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Harrington was more than a little irritated with his opposite number, Group Captain Catherine Meredith. For the last twenty-four hours she'd cordoned off the garden and let no one in but the gardeners, both Minbari and Colithian. He was sick of the complaints about it, even one from the Marach Ambassador Kal-Trango, which certainly surprised the Human, who didn't even know the Marach had returned after fleeing the Station during the Soul Hunter incident!
A smug looking Cath Meredith was waiting for them outside the main door to the Garden talking to Corinth. Sinclair was talking to Susan Ivanova and Garibaldi was just being Garibaldi!
As Harrington walked towards them, Delenn moved out of a side corridor and greeted him. "Commander Harrington, I think we will be impressed with whatever the Group Captain has to show us," the female Minbari said.
"And what makes you say that?" he asked, stopping for a moment while watching what the two Colithians were doing. They were talking in Minbari, which always made him suspicious, wondering what it was that they didn't want the Humans to know about.
"When a Worker will not tell a fellow Minbari what he is doing, and has sworn himself to silence in Torrac's name, then whatever he is doing is important. And I have spent a lot of time in the Garden watching whatever it is being built. Therefore whatever the Workers have been building will be very impressive." Which seemed Double-Dutch to the Human but obviously made complete sense to the Minbari.
Cath broke off her discussion with Corinth and gestured to everyone to gather around her. "As you probably know, I have been unavailable for a while, locked away in the Garden." She glanced at around at the pained looks on everyone's faces, conscious of the complaints they'd all had to deal with while she had managed to hide in the garden. Corinth had once again proved her worth, keeping the Group Captain up to date on the chaos her absence was causing, without even Garibaldi getting suspicious. "Well I'm going t'show you what both the gardeners and I have been planning for the last few months!"
"Oh good!" Garibaldi frowned. "Wondered when we'd find out!"
"You have to remember that in a few days time we are having a good will visit from the Agamemnon." She threw a filthy look at the Human security officer that shut him up before he could go on any further. "And since Tannia 7 is only a bog standard run of the mill mobile command centre, and the Agamemnon is one of Earthforce's flag ships, I thought I may as well do something spectacular with the Garden!"
"So what have you done then?" Susan inquired, keeping her own sarcasm under control.
"Follow me and you'll find out if you're desperate t'know!" Cath said, obviously not keeping her sarcasm under control and tapping an access code into the lock. The door opened and the party moved in to be confronted with a line of smiling Minbari. Jerrat, the Minbari head gardener gestured them to follow him.
They followed Jerrat and looked up to where he was pointing. "Oh my god!" Harrington was more than impressed, and so was everyone else if the other verbal responses were anything to go by.
"It's meant t'represent the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Jeff gave me the idea. I thought the Agamemnon's lot should be impressed!" the Colithian explained, grinning from ear to ear.
Now that the scaffolding was down, the covers off, and the planting complete, the whole effect was plain to see by everyone. The structure was sitting at a steep enough angle to appear to be a rock face studded with both Minbari crystalline rock and Colithian red granite/quartz. From behind the crystalline rock light shone through, giving the whole thing in effect a slightly surreal look.
But it was the plant life trailing down from where they had been planted, that was the most spectacular. Rare Minbari, Colithian and Earth plants appeared to cascade down the rock face to form waterfalls of colour. The plants twisted around strategically placed rocks to give the feel of movement, and the smell seemed as important in the overall plan as the colours themselves. The Humans could smell honeysuckle and roses; Delenn could smell Nethai, that rarest and most delicate of all Minbari perfumes!
It was Ivanova who finally dragged herself away from the new exhibit and looked at the Colithian in a new light." It's impressive, did you design it yourself?"
The Group Captain nodded. "As I said t'Michael once, a long time ago, when I retire I would like t'take up gardening!" She finished just as her watch buzzed. "Meredith!" Cath sighed.
"Commander!" It was Appleton's voice. " Could you come t'the control room please?"
The Colithian acknowledged him before glancing at the garden again. She shrugged at Harrington before moving off to find out what her 2IC wanted her to sort out this time!
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Grateful to escape, but worried about the current problem, the Group Captain made her way to the Control Room where Craig Appleton was waiting for her. Quickly he briefed her. "The tachyon signals are getting stronger, I suggest we send someone out to investigate?"
"Send a Fury out. If it's anything important then it'll look good if an Earthforce fighter finds the reason," the Group Captain agreed, and watched as Appleton sent out the orders.
Space was a strange place to live in she thought, full of anomalies and mysteries that were not even comprehensible, let alone vaguely understandable. Even her father had hinted of strange life forms beyond the stars, some who had been around since before time began! Maybe this was somehow connected with 'them'?
Then again, knowing her luck, it wasn't! But she could still remember her father coming back from a scouting mission and hugging her, and then telling her he loved her! The child had thought that the remark was incredibly stupid at the time. If her father didn't love her, why was she living with him and not her mother? Then slowly, over the years, her father had dropped hints of what had happened on that particular mission. Not deliberate hints of course, just in general conversation, but the mystery had stuck in her mind--
"Hungry?" Appleton's words cut into her thoughts.
The Group Captain's words made her think about food, and it didn't surprise her that she'd not eaten for almost twenty-four hours. The fasting had mucked her system up, and putting the last few touches to the garden had driven the hunger feeling away as well. If Ashe suddenly decided to give the Colithian a mini check-up then Cath knew she'd be back in the de-tox room faster than the speed of light!
The Colithian nodded. "Hungry? I think I'm meant t'be starving. You know, I just feel like tucking into a Spaghetti Bolognaise, followed by a Knickerbocker Glory!"
"You pig!" Appleton exclaimed, not actually knowing what Spaghetti Bolognaise was, but it sounded interesting.
Grinning at her Second in Command, the woman slipped her arm though his, and pulled gently. "Come on, I'll treat you to a Spag-boll. You can blame Garibaldi for this. It's his fault, keeps cooking absolutely fabulous Earth food!"
"You mean Earth food is edible!"
"I'll tell him that next time I see him if you want!"
"I'd rather just eat!" the man laughed. "And it's my treat this time."
"Well I'll buy the beer then!"
"Now that's the best idea I've heard in ages!" Appleton replied, glancing around the Control room for one last time, before allowing himself to be lead away from his work place, and moving in the direction of the Kendalian for a pint!
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"How's the reccie getting on?" Susan Ivanova asked the moment she came back from her lunch break. Squadron Leader Julian Sutherland slipped in just behind her, trying not to look impressed at the speed which the Human had picked up the Colithian's vocabulary. It seemed the Human-Colithian phrase book he'd once caught her reading in the sly was having an effect, at least they were all speaking the same technical language now.
Appleton looked up from his console and nodded. " Nothing yet, but it's only just over an hour and a half since Alpha VII left. The problem with Furies, you know, is that they are so slow compared to a Harrier, or even a Rover, that it takes them twice as long t'go anywhere fast!"
"Message coming through from Fury." A voice reached them before Ivanova could defend the reputation of the Earthforce craft. "Am putting it on audio."
"No! That's not possible! That can't be, it just can't be!" the pilot was screaming in desperation. The effect on the people in the Control room was instant, many of them had worked in this job throughout the time When the Sky was Full of Stars, and some had worked in these jobs in another conflict. They became quiet and a few looked at Appleton for guidance.
"Maintain contact!" Appleton informed his staff as Ivanova instantly raised her watch to her lips and called Harrington.
"No, no it's not possible, please say --," and the panic in the man's voice was evident. He carried on speaking gibberish for a few moments more. Than the only thing that could be heard was a silence.
Craig Appleton walked over to one of the consoles. "Scramble a rescue team, link to computer coordinates I'm sending, launch when ready!" He informed Eyeball of the latest launch while Susan Ivanova ordered the Colithians to keep trying to re-establish contact, and then went on to contact Harrington about the current situation.
Within minutes Tannia 7's Commander appeared, followed by the Colithian Group Captain, and Susan quickly briefed them on the strange events. "Another signal being patched through via the IG unit, seems they picked it up when Alpha VIII was transmitting, taken them a few moments to translate it!" Appleton had his hand on his ear again.
"Patch it through then!" Cath's voice sounded around the room.
"They're coming for us, repeat they're coming for us--." The voice seemed to be Susan Ivanova's, but the sounds surrounding her indicated the station was being attacked, and more importantly, destroyed. "This is ISA Station Britannia 7, sending out a general SOS. Repeat--."
Another voice behind her shouted, "Shuttle leaving docking bay 2L---."
"Thank god they're getting away! Right, target anything tha'st going to get in their way, or looks as if it's going to stop them from escaping. Lets give them the chance to get away in one piece." For a moment Susan's voice seemed calmer and then just as she began to send out another SOS, an explosion could be heard reverberating around the Control room and the transmission ceased.
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The Harrier sped through space towards Sector 14. Delta Relay followed the coordinates given by the Control room, and while still keeping in contact with the OP's room the pilot finally located the disabled Starfury. Swinging round to investigate, the pilot could see no signs of life and sent his report back to the station. One thing of interest he did notice though, the Starfury was on automatic and heading back to Britannia 7 under it's own steam!"
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The shocked look on Susan Ivanova's face said it all. "What was all that about?
"Don't know, but what I do want to know is, what is an 'ISA'?" Cath said.
"Sounds like a savings plan of some sort?" Appleton said, equally stunned, he was sure it sounded like his voice in the background. "Check voice recognition program, see if we can identify the speakers."
"Voice recognition confirmed," the computer told them. "Lieutenant Commander Susan Ivanova and Group Captain Craig Appleton."
"Computer can you date the transmission?" Harrington inquired, knowing all Earthforce transmissions were date coded.
"Transmission date unknown, time date is scrambled due to faulty program."
"Times like this I wish I'd listened t'what my mother used to say," the Group Captain sighed when the computer finished its analysis.
"Why? What did she say?" Ivanova asked curiously, expecting Cath to utter some interesting Colithian words of wisdom.
"I don't know, I didn't listen!"
They were interrupted by a voice from one of the consoles. "Alpha VIII coming into range, no life forms detected!"
"Double check that!" Appleton instructed his staff.
"Confirmation from Matrix, no life forms detected!"
"Put it on automatic landing program."
"Automatic landing program initiated, tractor beam activated."
Having kept quiet while the experts went about their jobs, Harrington decided it was time he took over. "Susan make sure that Doctor Franklin is ready in Med Lab just in case!" He turned to look at the Colithian Commander who was now looking decidedly worried.
"I'm sorry, I sent him out, and I'm responsible--!"
"Don't blame yourself Cath, You couldn't have known. Look, it was a good thought but he was Earthforce and knew the dangers of space."
"I hope Earth Central is as understanding as you are then," she finished, moving towards her office. "Keep me informed of anything else that crops up."
Harrington followed the Colithian into her office and watched as she made a brew. As she sat down, while looking at him as if he'd grown two heads, he began to speak. "Look Cath, I know you're under a lot of pressure at the moment, what with this 'good will visit' and the audit I know you've got coming. But if the roles were reserved than I'd have done the same as you."
"Tom, I overstepped the mark, I sent a Human out to his death. He was Earthforce, not Space Command; I had no jurisdiction over him. I may as well have shot him myself!"
"Hell Cath, you're my chief liaison officer, my unofficial second in command, and you're as experienced as anybody I know. If I didn't think you were capable of doing this job, well I --."
"Words of honey Tom?" The Group Captain stood up. "No matter who I know in Command and no matter who I mix with, the buck stops with me. I stand alone, by myself. But," she smiled, "thanks for your words of comfort." Cath took a sip of tea before carrying on. "I've come to believe that our two races can work together to sort problems out you know," the woman finished with a smile.
"That's the spirit. We'll work this out, and don't worry too much. Remember worse things happen at sea!"
Cath looked at the pile of paperwork that had been dumped on her desk in her absence and sighed. "Don't know about that, seems it happens in space as well!"
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Babylon4ever
Part Two
Na'toth had informed G'kar that the Colithian he wanted to see was in one of the small cafés that lead off from the main Zocalo area. Making his way there he paused for a moment to study his subject. It was hard to believe that this woman was an Ambassador. The woman was sitting quietly by herself reading some paperwork and drinking tea. Her clothes were not what he'd come to expect an Ambassador to wear either, a trouser suit made of something he'd heard Humans describe as denim, and a light blue T-shirt. At least she wasn't wearing one of those infernal back to front headbands a lot of her people seemed to think was de-rigour. Instead her long brown hair was swept up into a high ponytail and finished of with a light blue scrunchy.
"Ambassador Richards, may I speak to you privately?" he asked in his friendliest voice. The woman looked up from her paperwork and gazed at him for a moment as she tried to recognise the Narn facial markings. Oh G'Quan he thought. If he didn't know better he'd have said he was talking to Corinth Richards, the two women looked so alike, even down to the colour of their eyes.
"If you wish Ambassador G'kar," Sphere Richards voice cut through his thoughts. "I must apologise if I don't seem t'wish to leave this table, but I'm waiting for Corinth to join me. Besides, what is so important the you need t'talk to me in private?" She clearly looked and sounded puzzled.
Shrewd enough to know he wouldn't be able to get the woman to move away he sat down opposite her. Refusing her offer of a pot of tea he went on. "Ambassador my government feels it is time they began to negotiate some trade treaties with your people. The Narn are particularly taken with the red, granite/quartz your planet has in abundance--."
The Colithian held up her hand to stop him. "Before you go on Ambassador G'kar, I am not an Ambassador, only an aide--."
"But you are the Government representative of your people, you deal with their affairs don't you?" The woman's words had managed to throw the Narn off his thread and he wasn't happy about it.
"You are right Ambassador, I am here t'help my people with any problems they may encounter, but Delenn, as the Minbari Ambassador, is the one you must deal with if you wish t'sort out any kind of trade deal. She is after all the head of 'our' diplomatic section."
"Deal through the Minbari Delenn?" This was not the answer the Narn had expected.
"Yes the Minbari Delenn. At least this morning she was my superior, unless she has been replaced, if not then you will still have t'deal with her tomorrow as well!" The Colithian looked thoughtful for a moment, "I know we have a trade delegation who would be more than ready to go to the Narn Homeworld to begin negotiations, and of course you could also contact Commander Meredith and ask for her advice as well!"
The Narn sensed he was being laughed at with the Colithian's last remark. He remembered quite vividly the way the Group Captain had cornered him and spat him out of her presence. Knowing he wasn't going to get any further with this conversation, he decided to ask a question that had been nagging him and his government for some time. " Miss Richards, in all the years our people have known about yours, why do your people hide behind the coat tails of the Minbari?"
The Mayji's eyes narrowed slightly. G'kar felt an incredible feeling of fear build up inside and discovered he'd just said the wrong thing, to the wrong person, at the wrong time. "Ambassador G'kar understand this, we are free people who walk where we wish. We left out Homeworld to escape the chains of an alien government; we are bound by belief and prophecy, not necessity. Do not mock the friendship that exists between Valen's two peoples, or one day you - lost, alone and a slave again, you will wish you had heeded my words and the words of G'Quan." The Colithian glanced over the shoulder of the big Narn and saw Corinth just entering the room looking for her. "Now if you will excuse me, my sister is here which is why you were able t'find me so easily!"
The Narn was glad of the chance to escape the Colithian Mayji, who just by looking at him had scared the Narn witless. Whatever a Mayji truly was, it was frightening. From now on, he decided, he was going to make sure he did not get on the wrong side of that one again!
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"So you're an Ambassadorial aide now are you?" Corinth queried, as she slipped into the seat the Narn had just vacated
The Mayji smiled at her sister's remark. "It was necessary to for me have a reason for being here and it was the best one we could think of!"
"So go on then, tell me, why are you here? And I don't mean as a diplomatic aide."
"I was chosen and sent by Elizabeth, as for the rest I don't know." The dark haired Colithian poured the freshly delivered tea into the two cups on the table. Corinth accepted hers with obvious pleasure and waited for her sister to carry on speaking. "I wish I was still at the Citadel though, I'm finding it hard living here, there is so much sadness, hatred and fear in this place. I think it was a bad idea t'bring so many different races together. Most of them that are here hate each other's guts. At least at the Citadel I could find some quiet in the garden. Here there are too many signatures to pick up and to many dark visions to see!"
"I wish I could see into the future, maybe if I could I wouldn't have ended up on Earth in the position I was!" the Squadron Leader sighed, sipping the tea and letting the tension seep out of her body. "Friendless, alone and helpless."
"But you weren't on your own on Earth, I was with you," the Mayji said refilling her cup. "I helped you through the pain and fear, and I saved you life once!"
The blonde haired Colithian snorted slightly, before dunking a ginger nut into her tea to soften it. "Were you and did you?" She laughed softly, the disbelief clearly showing in her gesture.
"On one occasion you almost died, but you didn't. Don't you remember?" Corinth shook her head in amazement. "Good!" her sister went on. "But that is because I was able t'hide the memory, but I'll tell you anyway. They beat you up, broke bones, than they strapped you to a chair. For five days you were kept awake, but you still refused to help. So they stopped feeding you intravenously, but they did allow you to sleep--."
"That happened on more than one occasion, so what's so different about this one?"
"That was the point where I was able t'help. You were still being stubborn, so after yet another failed telepathic scan, you were locked in a dark room with nothing to sustain you.
"I vaguely remember the incident, I seem t'remember waking up in the Medical centre being fussed over."
"That's the one." Sphere pointed a finger at her sister. You were starved, and without any covering you had been thrown into a cell and left. Except that it was a week before you were dragged out, badly dehydrated and in a coma, barely alive. When they came t'get you, they found you were dying and they panicked. You were taken to a medical centre of some kind and nursed back t'heath. But for me being with you, you would have died at that point!" The Mayji stopped speaking while she studied the surprised look on her sister's face. Reaching out to touch her sibling's hand, she went on. "Corinth, you are what you are, just as I am what I am, but you are still my elder sister and nothing can change that either!"
"So what does that make me, a piece of shit on the toe of destiny?" Corinth asked then paused in full sentence, and glanced at her sister. Sphere was no longer maintaining eye contact. The Mayji always looked straight at people almost as if she could read their minds, but now she was glancing away, glancing at everything including her feet, but not at her sister.
For a moment Corinth seemed puzzled, then it began to dawn on her and the truth hit her full in the face. "You knew didn't you? You weren't just with me, you knew before me! You keep saying we're more than just sisters right? So why didn't you tell me, forewarned me of what I was going to go though so I could have avoided the last ten years?" Anger boiled over in the woman's mind, one simple word from her sibling would have stopped her living hell. "You bitch, get out of my life and never come back! I don't want t'see you ever again!" Corinth was shouting now and she didn't care if everyone heard what she was saying. Fighting back the tears she pushed the chair back, spilling some of the tea in the process, and ran off leaving the Mayji on her own.
The Mayji cursed herself in Morrell's name. It had been a mistake telling her sister she'd been with her. Of course she'd known, well before Corinth had deserted she'd known all about her sister's future actions. And it had caused her many a sleepless night!
There had been a meeting in the Citadel, questions had been being asked, and one of them was aimed at her. Sphere's response had been so bad the group had asked if there were any problems going on in their companion's life they should know about? Unable to lie in front of the gathering she told them of what she knew. "So what's your problem?" the group had asked. "You stand on Elizabeth's prophases don't you? You have vowed never to use your 'Gifts' for personal gain!" Sphere had agreed but in the end had insisted on seeing Elizabeth herself.
The ancient prophet had listened and said exactly the same as every one else, "So what's the problem?" When the Mayji had tried to explain, Elizabeth had held her hand up and spoke about a long ago time. "Valen too knew about the future, a letter could have changed it, stopped a war between Human and Minbari. But did he inform Dukhat or Delenn? No, because he knew better, he knew it would change the future forever and that was always his greatest fear, changing what will be!"
So that was it, bound by vows, tied by her beliefs and crippled with fear, Sphere had not said a thing, in fact she'd cancelled the last meeting the sisters were to have for almost fifteen years, so she couldn't 'accidentally' betray her knowledge. Then word had come back to the Citadel about Corinth's desertion, and the Sphere been overcome with anguish. Eventually an idea had formed, if she couldn't tell her sister of what was in store for her, and then she could at least use her 'gifts' to help Corinth through the times ahead!
It had worked, but the cost to the Mayji had been high, and when Corinth was released into Harrington's care, Sphere had promised herself that she would never put herself in that position again. And it was a promise she intended to keep.
Leaving the café, the Mayji was halfway to Paul Bremner's quarters when the vision struck her. It was stronger this time, strong enough for her to gasp slightly. She had prayed it wasn't true, but in the end she could not deny what she was seeing. This was going to be awkward. The Group Captain had asked if she could be with the Agamemnon welcoming party, but this was more important than that. It was no good, the Mayji decided, she would have to return to the Citadel as soon as she had seen Bremner and whether she liked it or not, this vision was just to important to keep to herself!
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Harrington returned to his quarters and was met by the sight of his fiancée crying her eyes out on the sofa. Reacting to something he hadn't seen for a long time he sat down next to her. Immediately she wrapped her arms around him and continued to cry on his shoulders. "What's up honey?" he asked, wondering what had upset her this time.
Between sobs the Colithian explained what had passed between her and her sister. "--she could have stopped me from leaving for Earth and going through what I did. She could have--!"
"And if you'd returned back when you were ordered what would have awaited you then?" Harrington stated. "A Court Marshall for striking a superior officer? And what about the charge of desertion, what would they have done to you then?"
Sitting upright Corinth wiped the tears away; her fiancé's question had made her stop and think. " Look, at the most they'd have had me dishonourably discharged --."
"And at the very least?"
"At the very least I'd have spent a few years slogging my guts out doing hard labour at Haverigg and then I'd have probably been discharged. But at least I'd still have had my nationality, which would have meant I could have drawn on my people's help as and when I needed it!"
"But you'd not be with me!" the Human stated, slipping his arms around the woman and felt her beginning to relax at last. "And you wouldn't have been in Earthforce, I doubt if you'd have been able to rejoin and then what? Admit it Corinth, what brought you to Earth, brought us together, and what you went through kept us together, this has to be your Is'til'zha!" He stroked her hair. "And don't think you suffered alone either, in my own way I was living the same hell with you. One moment we were happy together, talking about marriage and the next you were dragged from our bed and yanked out of my life. I was frantic with worry trying to find out where you'd been taken, I made enemies I'd never even heard of. With Jeff's help I found out where you were being held and managed to get a pass to see you. When I saw the condition you were in I wanted to kill Scarface myself and when you were posted back to me, I felt I should personally hunt down all those who'd hurt you. Each time I looked at you for the first few years and thought about what you must have gone through I died a little inside. And when Jeff hurt you during the Martian food riots I was ready to kill him as well, the only thing that stopped me was your express wish I should leave things be!"
His words seemed to have the desired affect; Corinth sat up and dried her tears, "There! Isn't that better? Anyway you can't be all red-eyed at the Fresh Aire in half an hour!" he finished, as he managed to untangle himself from his fiancée's arms and stand up.
"Valen shan taa, I forgot it was our anniversary. I'm sorry Tom, I haven't got you anything!" the Colithian seemed to panic a bit
"Then you can show me how much you love me when we get back!" the Human reassured her grabbing her hand to pull her up as well. "Go and get ready, I'll get the reservation put back half an hour!"
"Will they do that?" Corinth inquired, mindful of the fact the Fresh Air had a 'No Time Change' rule and they always kept to it regardless of the excuse. Basically it went, 'miss your slot, miss your meal' as Garibaldi had once put it.
"It's one of the privileges of being Tannia 7's Commander that I can book and change my reservation with very little notice."
"Then how about a bit of desert before we go for our meal?" the woman said seductively, rubbing her body gently against his.
"Pudding first, desert later!" Harrington informed her sternly, but a smile crept into his eyes. "Now go and get yourself ready or we'll be late!"
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Sinclair watched Harrington and Corinth take their places in the Fresh Air restaurant, then returned to the conversation he was having with his fiancée Catherine Sakai,
"I don't know whether to keep my own surname, add Sinclair to it, or just go for Sinclair!" the Oriental woman went on. "What do you think?
"Well it's up to you, but how serious are you about getting married, I mean how much are you going to commit to our union?" he finished, looking at Corinth handing the menu back to the Head Waiter before breaking out in a fit of giggles at something her fiancé had said.
Catherine Sakai glared at her companion. "Are you trying to wriggle out of our engagement?
"Oh no Catherine, don't get me wrong," Sinclair sounded horrified at her interpretation of his comments. "I love you and I want to commit myself, it's just that Colithian women change their surnames to match their husband's, just like they used to do on Earth, it's a kind of commitment for them."
"So you're saying I should adapt another culture's ideas?"
"No, but I think Catherine Sinclair sounds a lot better then Sakai-Sinclair any day."
The small Oriental woman turned his words over in her mind then broke out into a big smile. "Catherine Sinclair, yes it sounds very good. Thanks Jeff," she raised her glass and Sinclair did the same. "To us then, Catherine and Jeffrey Sinclair."
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The dead body of Alpha VII's pilot was transferred from the autopsy unit to the Cryo unit. Franklin had no problems getting access this time, there was no great hulking brutes guarding the unit. But the result was the same, investigating and reasoning all he could to discover why the pilot had died, the end results more than surprised him. Still in shock, he contacted Garibaldi.
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The Colithian Group Captain took her best uniform out of the Wardrobe and looked at it. It needed another ring put on the sleeve, but at least she wasn't as bad as Craig Appleton. Her Second-in-command was having to have a new uniform made in double quick time. It had been so long since he needed to wear his uniform he'd actually lost track of it. Even Angela, his wife, currently serving in Trainer Command while their children grew up, had to confess to her frantic husband she didn't have it!
Cath touched each rank ring in turn remembering each and every promotion. From the empty sleeve of a cadet, to the single broken ring of a pilot officer, through the first full ring of a flight office and then the added broken one of a Flying officer. Eventually she wore the twin rings of a Flight Lieutenant, followed much later by the twin rings and single broken ring of a Squadron Leader. Then promotion and posting to Britannia 7 and the three rings of a Wing Commander. And now the soon to be added broken ring of a Group Captain! She should have had it put on when the Minbari delegation came with Lennon's body, but she'd not had a chance to do it. This time though there was no excuse, not when the orders came from the C-in-C Linda Tate herself. Laying her uniform carefully over her arm the Group Captain made her way to the tailors, then cursed when her watch beeped.
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Captain John Sheridan carefully took his uniform out of its protective wrapping and checked it closely for damage. It had been a while since he'd had to wear it, and like the rest of his uniform it had to be 'just right'.
Which brought him back to the problem of whom he should include in the command party and that made him think of Corwin again. The young man had the potential to go far, if he had the right training. Yes, it would be a good idea if Corwin was involved in this 'good will' visit, but Sheridan would have explain to the young man some things about the protocol involved in this situation. When he was next on duty Sheridan decided to inform the young Lieutenant of his decision and Corwin's reaction would be interesting to say the least.
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"There was no damage to the body, no shock, no trauma. Everything points to death by natural causes," Garibaldi explained to the command group gathered together at the emergency meeting in Cath Meredith's office.
"So what are you trying to say?" Cath inquired. "That the man died of old age?"
"Looks that way," the security officer agreed. "Steven's report says that nothing was obvious on the outside of the body, but when he opened the body up, well the internal organs were like that of a man three times his real age!"
Susan Ivanova interrupted the conversation. "Sir, I recommend we send a team to investigate this phenomena."
"And I don't agree Susan, at least not yet, not until we have a better idea of what we're facing. Meanwhile, Jeff I suggest we have all traffic re-routed around sector 14, so you see to that." Harrington went on handing his orders out. "Michael I want you to make sure any fuss is kept to a minimum, ditto Corinth, we know something fatal happened out there, and I want to find out what, but I don't want any panic to spread around the station. We all remember what happened when we had a Soul Hunter on board."
"I'll contact Command and tell them of your orders," Cath stated, getting up and nodding in the direction of the Colithian Security officer. "Meanwhile I'll see if I can find out anything else for you."
"Do that, and let's try to keep everything in proportion, the 'Good Will' visit occurs in two days time and I want it to go as smoothly as possible!" Harrington emphasised just before the group filled out of the room.
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Babylon4ever
Part Three
"I met your mother once," Sheridan said casually, as they stood on the promenade overlooking the garden. He was impressed with it, but then again he was impressed with the whole station. It remanded him of the 'Pandora's Box' story his mother used to tell him as a child.
When he'd first brought the Agamemnon, the pride of Earthforce, into line with the Colithian station, Britannia 7, he'd been unimpressed. After all it looked like a long rectangular worm, with one bit twice as large as the rest. In actual fact, it didn't even seem possible that the station should be able to have any gravity because it didn't revolve.
That had been the first of many surprises for the entire Agamemnon crew. A quick tour of the station by both the Agamemnon and the Britannia 7 command staff had brought them to the Garden. Sheridan had heard a great deal about it, but until he was actually looking at it, he'd thought it was an over exaggeration caused by the Colithians wanting o create a greater impression than could be anticipated. In fact he was wrong, the garden was more impressive than he could ever personally have anticipated.
The Colithian Commander, Group Captain Meredith, stood next to him, her blue/grey uniform almost seemed plain in comparison to his. Yet she was the equivalent in rank to him, if he had the Command structure right.
Cath turned to look at him with a puzzled look on her face. "You've met my mother?" her voice echoing her bewilderment. Cath wasn't even aware that her mother had even been to Earth, let alone met this Human!
"Yes, I was there when she received the token Battle of the Line medal on behalf of your people. I see you're wearing it. Is it customary to hand such medal honours down the female line?"
"No," maybe her mother had met this talkative Human, but a long ago memory had begun to peep out of its hidey-hole and trigger Cath's own memory for her.
"It's strange really, she didn't seem impressed with all the ceremony, just like you," this was one observation he'd made about the Colithian and he could sympathise with her. "And after it was over I met her on the veranda overlooking Earthdome, and I tried to ask her questions about herself and her people. I think it's important that we get to know the differences in out two cultures, may save another war. I'm trying to think what she said to me --."
"Do you always babble on a lot, or is it part of your Earthforce training?"
Sheridan burst out laughing. "Yes, come to think about it, that's what she said!"
"My mother is fine and I was the poor sod who had to be put though the mill to satisfy diplomacy. And I see you still can't shut up!"
Sheridan knew he should have been insulted by the Group Captain's words, but the Colithian was smiling in such a way that he found he had to laugh with her! "It was you?" The revelation that the woman he'd met all those years ago was standing next to him made him go quiet for a moment. "But that was over ten years ago and you don't look ten years older." Sheridan looked more closely at the Group Captain. He'd heard of the longevity of the Colithian race, but had put it down to them having a shorter year. Now he wasn't so certain!
"You do though," the Colithian countered, "and I can assure you that I was sixty-six at the time and a Squadron Leader. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life having to receive this!" She pointed to the medal on her chest. "If Earth Central hadn't kept pestering our government to award our people some form of decoration, I'd have never been dropped in it from a great height! But that's life and life must go on."
Sheridan laughed to himself. Yes the Group Captain was straightforward and forthright, yet her big brown eyes and childlike face softened the effect. It seemed the woman was one of those people you could never really get angry with, and in truth he sensed he would be able to get along with her just fine.
Over the Colithian's shoulders he saw Harrington gesturing them to move on. The next part of the itinerary was a dinner in honour of the joint project they were moving through. Touching the woman's shoulder, he nodded in the direction of the retreating party. The Human held his arm out politely, and getting the message the Group Captain nodded and linked her arm through his while trying to ignore all the questions he was firing at her. If only he would give her chance to answer!
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Fred the Streeebe was looking out of the observation window, its head cocked to one side in apparent contemplation.
"I see a new star forming, and yet passing in the night.
Time is a loop; we stand at the join.
What is-was, what was - will be, what will be- is now."
The Streeebe turned to the party as they made their way to the function room, its strange black eyes seeming to look into their minds.
"The star will fade, the faith continues,
The change begins, the truth revealed.
Destinies will be revealed, Catherine Meredith,
You and others in Valen's Name!"
It fixed its gaze on Sheridan, "We have waited for you to fulfil your destiny, begin now or the past will fade and die, and all that is, will be lost!" Fred smiled at the Group Captain before finally loping away in the opposite direction.
"What was all that about?" Sheridan asked in amazement. As aliens went the Streeebe seemed about as alien as you could get!
"I don't know," the Colithian confessed shaking her head, "but between the Vorlon and the Streeebe, well truth be told, I think they're both in need of a large dose of plain English."
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The meal had progressed well. At first it seem stilted and false, but as the evening progressed the atmosphere began to thaw out. Sheridan's main observation was the way the Colithians ate with their cutlery, using with practised ease their knives and forks in the opposite hand to him, almost like the Europeans did. The Earthforce Captain had also briefed his staff on what could be classed as taboo subjects, but this was a military gathering and inevitably the talk turned to military matters and eventually fighting tactics.
Cath took a sip of wine and went on. "So there I was, flying as fast as I could, being chased by this prototype Minbari fighter and Max telling me we're going fast. So I say that the only thing keeping us alive at the moment was the speed we're flying and it was also stopping the Minbari from flying up our rear end!" This last remark caused the party to break out into a fit of laughter. "At this point he tells me the bleeding obvious, that our left engine had just flamed out and the other is about to." She paused while she smiled herself, and then went on. "So I said, how about finding us some nice hilly area, or something? This bugger was getting too close for comfort. So using the satellite we'd bunged into orbit, Max managed to find a lake up ahead surrounded by mountains, so I told him we're going t'head there and ditch. See, the Minbari was following us move for move, so I gambled that if we suddenly changed the angle of descent, we could catch him off guard and he'd hit the water. Boom." She flung her hands up slightly. "Mind you Max, great navigator that he is, sussed out what I was planning, wasn't happy with my decision and told me so! To which I replied keeping my eyes on the controls, "If you're not careful Max you're going t'die of old age!"
Sheridan thought it was funny and couldn't stop laughing, He gestured to a waiter and had his glass refilled, and then told the rest of the party a story about a cat!
Corwin kept glancing at the Group Captain, fascinated by the woman's war stories. He'd seen the medal ribbons on her chest and one in particular caught his eye. Finally when Sheridan had finished the cat story and everyone had calmed down he spoke, "I see you're wearing the Battle of the Line medal. I was too young at the time but it must have been exciting ---."
"I don't know about exciting, but I didn't do much, not to deserve this," she pointed to the medal ribbon. "I got a confirmed, a possible and a probable, but my main memory of the time when The Sky was Full of Star consists of being ordered to dive into the atmosphere and down a Marach bomber determined to wipe out the Earth government. Beyond that nothing--."
Sheridan threw an angry look at his young crewmember. This was what he'd personally told his crew not talk about, but obviously it hadn't sunk into the young Lieutenant's memory. He was about to apologise when an orderly moved silently across the floor to the Group Captain's side and whispering something into her ear.
The Colithian nodded, then looked to the rest of the party, "Look, something's come up, I'll be back shortly," she apologised. "Sorry about this!" Putting her napkin onto the table she stood up and left the room.
Something about her manner made Harrington suspicious. "I think now is a good time to finish this meal, Captain Sheridan," he went on, getting up and holding his hand out. "You have my permission to give your people shore leave and I will see you before you depart. Feel free to explore the station. If you get into anything you're not meant to, don't worry, the Colithians will tell you!"
"Commander Harrington," Sheridan stood up and moved towards the speaker. "With all due respect, I'm not blind and I have sensed something wrong all day, will you tell me what's going on?"
"I think the best way of explaining what's going on is for you to see for yourself. And if it's what I think it is then I think you will be very interested. Jeff, Corinth, Michael and Susan come with me. Everyone else is dismissed"
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"The tachyon particles are still increasing, and now a long range probe has detected a 'something'?" Appleton explained in Minbari.
"Can we see it on screen?" the woman replied in the same language, just as some members of the dinner party entered the control room.
"The signals coming in are both audio and video," Appleton confirmed.
"Ok, patch Eyeball visual through, we'll sort it out from here!" Cath said taking charge of the situation. This was her territory and she was glad Harrington wasn't interfering with it.
One of the tec's nodded, typed something into the computer, and waited. Sheridan watched as the large flat open space in the middle of the Command centre shimmered and came to life. After a moment it threw up a 3D picture of the 'something'!
"Oh my god, it's Babylon 4!" Sinclair stated, staring at the 'something.' At least to him it looked the same as the computer generated pictures of the station.
Susan Ivanova's mouth fell open in amazement at the display; this was something that Appleton hadn't told her about in all the time he'd been training her up. She decided to have words with him later and find out what else he wasn't telling her about the Control room's functions!
"Check for recognised squawk!" the Group Captain said in English, not certain if she'd heard her friend properly.
"Squawk detected," a pause then, "squawk unknown!"
"Look, there has to be some way of checking t'see if it is real or not!" Cath said, beginning to sound exasperated.
"There is," Sinclair confirmed. "Can you retrieve the secure code for the station from the memory banks?" he finished, remembering that Command had insisted on downloading a lot of Earthforce records 'just in case' and this seemed to be one of those moments now.
"How so?" Sheridan butted in, finally tuning his attention from the hologram to the conversation. Just how advanced were the Colithians he wondered, and what else were they capable of showing him?
"Ever since the Trade War, every Earthforce Command and Control centre was configured to broadcast its ID code on a sub-channel," Sinclair explained.
"That was to prevent counterfeit orders being sent by the enemy and interpreted as real," Garibaldi finished, and watched a slight smile creep over Harrington's face at the double act.
Absorbing the new information with interest the Colithian turned to one of the tec's and nodded. "Check Earthforce archives!"
"Archives being checked, - checking for Babylon 4 now -." A Colithian Flight Sergeant was working on this one. "Archives have result. Unknown squawk is recognised!" The woman turned in her chair to look directly at Sinclair. "Unknown squawk is Babylon 4?"
Appleton had his hand on his ear, evidently listening to something. "Audio signal coming though," he informed the stunned room as his expression changed from shock to surprise!
Cath had seen her 2IC's expression change and was curious to find out what had caused it. "Patch it through then!"
The signal was weak and seemed to break up easily. After some fiddling around by a corporal, the words became clearer. As the message filled the control room, all the Colithian's in the room began to look in Catherine Meredith's direction and stared opened mouthed at her. Cath went as pale as a sheet and looked equally stunned as what appeared to be a message in Minbari.
"Van'torlacc ragel da Valen shan taa, shel Is'til'zha yan'tel."
Sheridan couldn't understand why the Colithians were just staring at their commanding officer and wondered what the contents of the message were. "What do they mean?" he finally asked Corinth Richards who now stood by his side, looking equally as stunned as everybody else.
The Colithian shook her head slightly, looked at him than began to explain, "Chosen of Valen, In Valen's Name, come and seek your future-destiny!"
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The Vorlon moved from the Alien sector into the Diplomatic area. It paused outside the Minbari Ambassador's quarters and activated the doorbell.
Delenn opened the door and looked surprised as the Vorlon entered. After a moment's hesitation the Sati nodded, and as the Vorlon turned to leave, she was already beginning to compose a letter to the Grey Council.
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"Valen's shadow! " the Colithian in question said, after the words had finally sunk in! She was being invited to board a station that had never been built. And yet she somehow knew she should be doing as the message had said. Finally she came to a decision. With a mischievous grin on her face she looked at Appleton. "Ok then, sort me out a Harrier, I'll go and find out what this is all about!"
"You mean your going to investigate it by yourself?" Sheridan asked.
"Yes, why?" The Group Captain was at a loss to understand the question. The message was directed at her and her alone. So what did it have to do with this Human?
"Because it may affect the security of the station, which is still the responsibility of the Colithians!" Harrington explained before Cath could open her mouth again. "And I agree with the Group Captain, I think we should investigate the," he pointed to the hologram, "station. But I think we should get a group together for safety reasons, rather than you risking your life on your own. After all, we don't know what to expect do we, and it may be a Marach Trap!"
The argument was good and the Colithian nodded. She knew Harrington had been briefed by the C-in-C about the previous Marach assassination attempts and other 'accidents' in her life. "Ok Craig, sort me out a Rover and I'll take a Fish as well."
"I'm volunteering to go!" Sinclair exclaimed. "I'm not going to loose you that easily," he finished, remembering the effort he'd had to put in keeping her safe in the lead up to the Acceptance ceremony, and didn't want it to go to waste so soon. "And I think Garibaldi would like to go as well."
The Human security officer nodded, but the Colithian security officer shook her head. "I've got things to do!" she admitted and the Group Captain nodded.
"OK then! Well," Cath turned to face the small group, "I'll meet you all in the Rover hanger then. And Jeff, will you be my co--."
"Permission to accompany you on the mission?" Sheridan broke in. "Look I'd like to go with you, to observe how your people handle these situations. And maybe --."
"Spy on us?" Cath laughed.
"With all due respect Group Captain, I thought we could use this situation to try and develop closer working relationships between our two peoples, but I'm no spy and --."
The Colithian had already looked at Harrington who shrugged. The message he'd sent was clear, it was up the Group Captain who she took with her. "Yes, go on then!" she sighed. "But you'll need to change into something less formal. I mean I'm not going dressed up like a dog's dinner!"
"Commander!" Appleton broke in. "The 'rift' is producing tachyon particles. Science has always had us believe these are connected with time travel, and the info we have t'date backs this up."
"Meaning?"
"Watch you don't bump into yourself coming back!" he warned, but a smile crept over his face as he made a joke of the situation.
Laughing, the Colithian turned to one of the operatives. "Will you take Captain Sheridan first to the Agamemnon and then onto the Rover hangers?" she asked. The man nodded and gestured to the Earthforce officer to follow him.
"One last thing Susan, Appleton," Sinclair cut in, "if you don't hear from us in eight hours time then contact both Earth Central and GCHQ and tell them everything you know, but do not send out any more ships!"
"Good idea Jeff!" Cath agreed, and looked at her 2IC mooching around at his console.
Appleton reached into his desk drawer, "You said you were going to use a Fish." He handed her a small dark thumbnail piece of light brown putty.
Breathing gently onto it, the Colithian pushed it carefully into her ear, feeling it shape itself in her ear cavity. After a moment she heard the mainframe computer going through the opening checks and when it had finished she nodded. "Connected."
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"What's that thing, the thing in your ear?" Harrington asked, as the party walked towards their quarters. They had all decided to change into something more comfortable.
"Oh you mean the Babel Fish? Well it's a translation device and it doubles up as a connection to the mainframe. That means I can get continual updates without anyone else finding out!"
"Handy if you're hiding something?" he suggested
"Depends on what you're hiding!" she retorted, as they came level with his quarters. "See you later then!"
"So what are you hiding Catherine Meredith?" he asked himself once he was safely in his quarters. "Just what are you hiding?"
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Sheridan had returned from the Agamemnon in his normal attire, glad to be out of the impressive, but restrictive, dress uniform. Following his guide, he found himself in the designated hanger and watched the normal activity around him with interest. What shocked him at first was that the outer launch doors seemed to be missing and he had a clear view of the stars through the gap. More interesting was the fact that the hanger wasn't suffering any kind of decompression and people were even walking in front of the gap without any ill effects. Deciding it was safe to walk about, he did a quick reconnaissance of the hanger and was impressed at its size. Garibaldi joined him a few minutes later with Harrington in tow. Now all they had to wait for was the two pilots.
Sinclair reached hanger 12A before the Group Captain. He was talking to Sheridan when he noticed Cath slowly walking towards them, talking to a Maintenance Engineer. The woman was dressed in flight overalls, her wings clearly visible over her left breast, and her rank was shown on her epaulets.
Signing the man's clipboard and retrieving what looked like a small black briefcase off the Engineer, Cath was looking extremely pleased with herself as she walked towards the boarding party. Then something caught her eye, the Colithian paused, looked to her right, and with a puzzled look made her way over to where the Minbari Ambassador emerged from between two other shuttles.
Sheridan's eyes followed her, watching her speaking to Delenn. "I wonder what they're saying?" he said loud enough for Jeffery Sinclair to hear.
"I think Delenn's asking Cath if she can come with us!" Sinclair explained as Delenn's voice easily carried though the hanger.
"How do you know that?" The Earthforce Captain was genuinely surprised his companion could understand the language.
"I'm in the process of being taught two different dialects," Sinclair explained with a straight face, "ancient and modern, and you have to be careful you don't get them mixed up, or you end up thinking you've paid a compliment to someone when you've actually started the next war!"
Sheridan thought about Sinclair's words for a moment then laughed. "Your sense of humour's not changed much has it?" the Agamemnon's Captain went on, remembering the first dry joke he ever heard from the other. It was on a railway station during the Marach Trade War. Sheridan was going home to see his parents and Sinclair was heading in the opposite direction to where the Earthforce pilot's pool was being formed. It had been a few years before they'd been able to meet again, and since then Sinclair's humour hadn't improved one jot.
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Babylon4ever
Part Four
"Commander Meredith may I speak to you?" Delenn bowed and Cath looked at her curiously. It wasn't like Delenn to act so formally around her now.
"Delenn!" the Group Captain answered with a nod.
"I need to come with you, I need to be on the ship in sector 14!"
The Colithian shook her head, astounded that the Minbari actually knew where they were going. "I'm sorry Delenn, I can't let you come with us. It's just too dangerous."
"Why not? Captain Sheridan's going with you." Delenn pointed out.
"I'm military, it's my job Delenn," the Colithian explained. "I signed my own death warrant when I joined up and so did he. You're only a civilian. Besides, I don't want to be responsible for another war if you end up getting killed!"
"Cath," Delenn put her hand on the Colithian's arm, "I have told Lennier and I have informed the Grey Council of my intentions, if I die then there will be no repercussions on Command."
"No Delenn, I'm sorry. I'm not taking the risk, no matter how slight, you stay here and pray for us!" Cath informed her, turning to move towards the flight party.
In desperation Delenn said the only thing she could think of that might just grab the Colithian's attention, "Cath'ha'hean!"
It worked, the Group Captain turned round. "What have I ever done to you to deserve that name from you?" She looked and sounded hurt.
"I need to go onto the ship." Delenn was pleading now. "Please Cath, its part of my Is'til'zha!" For the first time in her life the Minbari woman said the most sacred word in the Colithian language.
Seeing how desperate the Minbari was the Colithian came to an instant decision, and nodding she gave her answer. "Come if you wish. But understand this, if anything goes wrong, then let it be it on your head Delenn, let it be it on your head."
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Delenn had settled herself in one of the seats facing Harrington, Garibaldi was sitting next to him. Though there were other spare seats Sheridan asked if he could sit next to her. Surprised that a Human, and an Earthforce Captain should make such a request the Minbari hesitated.
Sheridan smiled and apologized for interrupting her, "The war is behind us Ambassador, and maybe it is time to build bridges."
"I know," Delenn admitted, and the Minbari came to a decision that would set the pattern for her future life. "I'm sorry Captain, but I'm not normally asked such things by people I don't know. If you don't mind sitting next to me I'd be honoured."
The Minbari smiled, and as Sheridan sat down beside her, the Human found himself captivated by her brilliant green eyes!
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Sinclair settled himself into the co-pilot's seat as Cath began the pre-flight checks. Getting permission from 'Eyeball', Foxtrot Delta took off, passing though the membrane, and past a Centauri freighter that was manoeuvring into position so it could dock, they set off. Cath asked the passengers if they'd like to see out and the reply had been. "Yes."
Jeffery Sinclair watched a mischievous grin split Cath Meredith's face as she switched on the internal cameras allowing her to see what was going on in the cabin. He guessed that some poor sod was going to be on the end of one of her practical jokes!
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"Captain Sheridan would you like to see how we fly the Rover?" the Group Captain's voice came over the intercom. "If you would, can you make your way up t'the flight deck now please?"
Sheridan looked at Harrington who nodded. The Human stood up and took a pace forward and thought his world had come to an end. The sides of the ship suddenly vanished and so did the floor. Screaming in horror Sheridan grabbed the seats to stop himself from being pulled out with the decompression. For a moment he was sitting on the floor still clutching the chair and then the floor became solid again.
He was conscious that the Minbari was laughing and the Humans were trying not to break out into laughter themselves. Finally Harrington got himself under control. "I'm sorry I should have warned you, Cath has a mean sense of humour and is not adverse to using Colithian technology to help her play jokes on people."
"The Colithians have the ability to make solid objects transparent," Delenn explained, "but I think she was sincere in asking if you wanted to see the flight controls for yourself."
Sinclair walked into the passenger area and nodded to the Captain, "Sorry about that, but Cath does out rank me, but she is waiting for you."
"No, I think I'll give it a miss for the moment. I'll wait until you're ready to land and then I'll watch, at least I'll feel safer," Sheridan explained to the co-pilot, settling down into the seat again, his body held in place by normal gravity. Somehow he wasn't surprised the small transporter had normal gravity.
"Well if that's how you feel I think I'll pay her a visit myself," Garibaldi stood up. "And leave you two to talk over old times!"
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Cath was bored. The take off had been simplicity in itself, and waiting for the updates through the Fish wasn't particularly mind-boggling. So putting the Rover on autopilot, she retrieved a book from her side pocket and began to read it.
"So what are you reading?" Garibaldi asked, slipping into the co-pilot's seat.
"Tennyson, Jeff gave me a copy," the woman explained. "He said I was always badly misquoting it so much that I may as well learn the proper version if I was going t'quote it at all "
"I didn't think your people had even heard of Tennyson, let alone read him." The Human shook his head in mock horror.
"We haven't, but for some reason Jeff keeps saying things such as "to reach out, to conquer and strive and yet t'fail," is a misquote. So t'keep him happy I'm reading the book he gave me, it's interesting though I must admit," she admitted sheepishly and watched the security officer role his eyes. "So are you here just t'pester me or what?"
"Thought I'd keep you company and find out how you fly one of these--?" The Human was cut off in mid sentence when Cath suddenly touched her ear.
"Wow! Say that again?" she said to nobody in particular, but her finger was firmly set on her ear.
"What's up?" her companion inquired guessing something important was being said.
"Tachyon levels are still rising. The Matrix had detected a flux field of some kind, and it estimates the tachyon particle increase is going t'be at least fifty per cent."
"Can we get visual yet?" Garibaldi asked, watching the woman fiddle around with some sort of touch pad in front of her.
"Can you get Jeff up here now? I think I'll be needing him sooner than I thought!" Cath's voice sounded urgent and the security officer called Sinclair forward.
Apologising to Delenn and following Sinclair to the cockpit, Sheridan was surprised to see how big the control area really was. Quietly settling himself down in one of the seats behind the Colithian, the Human decided to absorb all the information he could.
Cath was now speaking to Sinclair in Minbari, and it surprised the Earthforce Captain just how fluent Sinclair had become. In fact, the Colithian was using the situation to force her friend to speak the archaic dialect, believing the current situation made a good training ground.
"We're close enough t'get a visual if you want?" the woman informed them, mindful of the Agamemnon's Captain sitting behind her. For the moment this fact made her return to using English.
"Go on then," Garibaldi agreed," but I still don't believe it's Babylon 4 though!"
The moving star pattern that could be seen through one of the Rover's windows changed, faded and blurred, then it refocused to be replaced by flat picture of a cylindrical green ship that still reminded Sinclair of the unbuilt space station.
"How soon before we get close enough to observe it in real time?" Sinclair asked, and watched as Cath tapped something into the touch pad.
After a few moments the onboard computer voice came to life. "Real time visual will be in twenty minutes time, would you like me to inform you of any updates?"
"No, just inform us when we come into docking range," the Group Captain told the computer, then glanced up at the men. "Tea anyone?"
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Corinth watched the shuttle leave for Babylon 4 from one of the many viewing windows all over the station, wishing that she was going as well. But the Squadron Leader was glad in a way that this 'something' in sector 14 was causing 'whatever problems' it was. The Colithian didn't like doing what she was going to do next, but a chance had arisen and she'd grabbed it with both hands. Satisfied everything was going to plan, and Harrington was going to be away for quite a while, she turned and headed towards their quarters.
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The computer woke up and informed the party they were coming into range of the target. Garibaldi had left the cockpit and sat with Delenn in the passenger area, so Cath opened all the 'windows' to let everyone see where they were going and the 'something' was shown all its glory.
"Valen shan taa!" the Group Captain's mouth fell open. Never in her life had she seen anything so beautiful, it even rivalled the Minbari War Cruisers in its loveliness, even the green colour it was partly covered in made it seem imposing. If this was what Jeff had meant to command then she was extremely jealous of him. Compared with the ugly grey rectangle that comprised the Britannia station, Babylon 4 was a dream given form! Deciding to investigate further, the woman spiralled around the ship twice before retreating to a safe distance.
Sinclair felt a lump rising in his throat. So this was what he should have commanded! It was one thing seeing some computer generated holographic images, it was something else seeing it in real time.
"So how do we land, I mean that thing is rotating!" the Colithian stated, cutting into his thoughts. "And the Tannia stations don't rotate if you haven't noticed."
Visualising the plans in his mind, Sinclair searched for the answer and found it. "If you move to the command and control area at the front of the ship, and you come in from that direction, then you should have no problem entering the station, the gravity might be a bit low but--." He paused, looking out through the window as the Colithian swung the Rover round and into position. "Look, there's a docking bay door opening. It's almost as if we're being invited in?"
"O well, in for a penny, in for a pound!" Cath laughed as she moved the stick forward slightly.
Listening to all the instructions Sinclair was delivering, the woman lined the Rover up and just at the right moment fired the retro rockets. With an ease that amazed Sheridan, but not Sinclair, the Rover moved through the docking bay entrance and came to land in one piece near the far wall. Behind them two huge pressure doors closed, sealing the Rover in the bowels of the big station.
"Computer, life sign and atmosphere?" the Group Captain asked, noting they were sealed in.
"Launch doors are shut, two life forms are detected, atmosphere and gravity in suitable tolerances," the computer informed them.
Pushing her pilot's chair back slightly, the Colithian swung out of her seat and into the passenger area. "Well gentlemen, Delenn, let's go and investigate. We may find out what in Valen's Name is going on!"
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Walking up to Catherine Meredith's quarters, the Squadron Leader paused outside the door and without even looking to see if she was being observed, slipped her ID card into the slot and tapped in an access code. Corinth needed to use the computer in her commanding officer's room, and she was acting as normal as she could to avoid suspicion.
Cath had cats, the cats needed feeding, and feeding the cats was the excuse Corinth needed. Being tripped over by them wasn't what she needed though, but once the food was on the floor they kept out of her way.
Settling herself into the computer chair, the Colithian removed Harrington's journal from the bag, opened it, started the computer up and began to tap in the last few entries her fiancé had made. It constantly amused her that Harrington thought she didn't know what he wrote in the book.
Once, while searching for something Harrington had misplaced, the woman had found the book, and a bit of research had told the Colithian the language was Latin. From time to time she'd managed to write down what he'd written and then spent a long time struggling to translate it into English. Now though, she had access to a secure computer and the translation was easier, especially if she used one of the JMS's she knew Cath had on her computer.
As the computer translated the Latin into English, the Colithian was able to read what he had said, and the results fascinated her. They also began to confirm something that had been slowly becoming obvious to her for the last few years, in the form of Harrington's strange dreams. But these dreams had become more vivid since he was posted here and they were beginning to seem more than real to the Squadron Leader!
Saving the last few pages to disk, she decided to look back further. This was going to be a long job, but for the first time in ages she finally had the chance to sort the contents of the book out in peace, and she was going to use the time to the best of her abilities.
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The White Star entered through the open docking bay door and when the atmosphere had been stabilized the passengers disembarked. A small funny looking alien was the first out, followed by Delenn and Sheridan, then a tall, cloaked figure dressed like a Minbari, hovered around two others, also dressed in high ranking Minbari clothes. A sense of sadness hung over the group, intensified when the last members of the party emerged. They were all here for one thing and one thing only, to finish what Valen had started a thousand years before.
Sheridan and Delenn paused for a moment while they watched the interaction between the other members of the party before heading off in the direction of the Garden. They had other more pressing reasons for being here, and the Vorlons weren't renowned for their patience at the moment.
"Stop it Marcus!" Valen Sinclair ordered, but he knew why his companion was acting the way he was.
"I worry that's all. If only you'd let me accompany --." A southern English style accent emerged from the tall hooded figure. He pulled his hood off to reveal the bearded visage of a Human with long dark hair, tinted slightly grey with age, and a concerned, hooded expression.
"We all worry Ranger Cole!" Cath said softly, watching the strange looking little alien seem to begin to panic. "You keep an eye on the Entil'zha and I'll go and see what's wrong with Zathras."
"Yes Anla shoc Na," the man said respectfully, and turned his attention to the Entil'zha. "Nobody argues with the Anla shoc Na," the Human shook his head sadly.
Valen Sinclair grinned. "Even I don't argue with her that much. But Catherine worries too much Marcus, it's her way of saying she cares for me." He stopped for a moment and moved to the other's side and put his hand on the Ranger's shoulder. " Promise you'll look after her for me Marcus. She trusts you, and I know for a fact that Catherine will not look after herself when I'm not around to bully her."
"You have my word, Entil'zha. I promise you in Valen's Name."
Sinclair smiled and let go. Marcus Cole's word was all he needed, turning around he began to walk in the direction his wife had just taken.
Zathras was babbling frantically, trying to remember where he was going. Smiling wearily, Cath guided him through the maze of corridors until they finally came to their destination. Zathras nodded sighed, "Not good, but Zathras say good."
"It's where you told me you needed to plant the time slip, drop point, effort thing!" The woman gestured to the mechanical device the little alien held in his hands. "And if it's not good enough then it's your fault!" the woman explained, and smiled softly again when Valen Sinclair slowly walked into the room.
"Is everything all right?" the man inquired, pulling the hood off his head before leaning on his wife's shoulder for support.
"Zathras is just being Zathras, but what's new?" the woman said. Looking at the tired worn face of Valen Sinclair, she twisted slightly, her hand brushing the scar on his cheek, and sighed. Soon she would have to say the last goodbye and it was killing her. Already the Anla shoc Na could feel a great sadness beginning to form in her soul. Dragging herself back to the present, the woman moved over to Zathras' side. "Will you be alright installing this?"
The strange little alien looked at her, then at the Entil'zha and just sighed. "Nobody listens to Zathras, nobody have faith in Zathras. Zathras not have faith in Zathras if Zathras not careful!"
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Piling out of the Rover, the group stopped and gazed around them, once again Sinclair thought he was looking at a holographic image. They seemed to be in a hanger housing maintenance bots.
The Group Captain suggested they find an empty room and use it as the centre of operations. Harrington agreed and the group made their way out of the hanger, but it was Delenn who discovered the logo painted on the walls.
This was getting to be too much for Sinclair. "It's the Babylon 4 logo. Each of the stations had an individual icon designed for it which incorporated the number of station, in this case 4, When the team was toying with building Babylon 5 someone came up with the idea of an upright flaming sword with the five superimposed over it!"
Sheridan had wandered off and began to peer into the different rooms in the area. Most of the rooms seemed to be storage areas for different things. He even noticed a pilot's locker room, but then he found a room with only a table and a chair as furniture. From the way it was laid out it seemed to be an interrogation room. "Will this do?" he shouted.
Cath moved to his side at her normal fast pace, looked around the room and nodded. "Yes this would do just fine." The Colithian waited until the group had followed Harrington into the room, then she opened the briefcase to reveal that it wasn't a briefcase after all but a small computer.
"What is it?" Sheridan inquired, watching the woman typing in some sort of code. The screen suddenly became alive and a view of the Control room appeared on the small screen dominated by Appleton's face.
The Colithian began to speak to the Human without looking up. "A mobile communications transmitter, it allows those of us wearing watch/communicators t'use them as if we are on Tannia 7!"
"Everything's set up and running this end Commander," Craig Appleton's voice sounded around the room. "Will keep you informed via the Fish of anything else. One thing though, we are detecting an instability in the rift, at the moment it's nothing to flap about, but as it weakens the Matrix has informed us you may experience time quakes. If it gets too much I'm going to pull you out ASAP!"
"Wilco - Meredith out!" The woman stood up and looked at Harrington. "Well the ball's in your court, what are you going t'do now then?"
"I suggest we split up into three groups. Since neither Delenn nor Captain Sheridan have a communicator on, I suggest they stay with those of us who have!"
"I'd like to work with the Group Captain, if you're agreeable that is?" Sheridan added, looking in the direction of the small Colithian, and watching her nod in agreement.
"I would like to stay with Commander Sinclair." the Minbari replied, moving to Sinclair's side.
"So it looks like everyone's sorted then and you're with me then Michael!" Harrington stated. "So I suggest we move off and see if we can find anything. If you do find anything contact the rest of the party immediately - OK?"
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The hooded figure moved around the station until it came to the room where Cath Meredith had left the laptop. He paused for a moment and then smiled to himself, so they were where he had expected them to be. He had one last job to do before this part of his life was over, one more person to meet and one last thing to attend to, and he knew exactly where he should be going!
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Babylon4ever
Part Five
Garibaldi moved down the corridor still not able to accept that this was Babylon 4. Pushing a door open at random, he noticed he was looking into a pilot's recreation room. Chairs and tables were neatly laid out and on the walls was some horrible blotchy coloured picture that made him feel sick. He turned to leave the room when a flash of light blinded him.
Time Flash****************************************
Garibaldi found himself walking into a room that seemed familiar. A much older Lyta Alexander was sitting cross-legged on a large couch and concentrating on the book in her hand. Behind her there were two sets of double doors, one set of them closed. In the background but coming closer, he could hear Franklin's voice moaning that he was getting too old for this.
"And who said that the young of today have no goals in life? Mary's goal seemed to be wearing me into an early grave!" he finished, looking at Garibaldi as the pair of then came into view.
"Dad!" Mary looked at her father for support and found none. Shrugging, she sat down next to her stepmother.
"Oh stop moaning Steven, she just needs to use up excess energy!" the telepath smiled as a red headed child toddled up to her, calling "Mama!" Mary helped the child climb up onto the couch and hugged her close.
Franklin reached down and picked her up. Mary reluctantly allowing her stepsister to escape, and the child began playing with his hair. "Interesting book?" he asked looking directly at Lyta.
"The ISA President's life story, and he says some good things about both of you!"
"I'm surprised, considering what we went through together," Garibaldi confessed, moving towards the couch. Catherine Meredith had given him and Lise her specially built five-seater sofa as a wedding present when she'd finally left Command, soon after he and Lise had been married on Britannia 7. And not for the first time since then, had he found he was glad of it, especially with his ever-growing family.
An aide had entered through the open set of double doors looking aggravated. "Sir there is some one who insists on seeing you."
"Yeah?" Garibaldi looked at Franklin and then Lyta, an odd feeling creeping over his body. Behind the aide another man dressed in Minbari clothes walked though the doors and moved to face the Human.
"Sir he insisted on barging in," the aide protested. "I tried to find out how he got around the security --."
"I've told you before if a Ranger shows up then he is to be given immediate access to my presence, now get out before I decide to review my staff payroll--." He let the threat hang and the man hurriedly departed.
The Ranger spoke. "I have a message for you." He extracted a brown envelope from one of his pockets and held it out. "From Minbar!"
"Who is the letter from?" Lyta found herself asking, a quick probe had revealed the Ranger to be a Colithian.
"Catherine Sinclair!" the Ranger stated before bowing and leaving the room, relieved in a way that his task was now completed.
"Is it -?" Franklin asked, almost afraid to finish the sentence.
Garibaldi nodded. He didn't need to open the letter to know its contents; after all he'd been there when it was written. "He's dying, and wants us to come to Minbar for one last meeting ---," he trailed off.
Lyta stood up. "It's been along time since I visited Minbar. I'd like to see Catherine Sinclair again. I'll book a flight for two--," she looked at Franklin who nodded. "Three then!" the telepath finished as she retrieved her daughter from the doctor. The child clung to her mother and felt such overwhelming sadness that she began to cry softly.
End of Time Flash******************************************
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Exploring the hangers, Harrington felt the hair on the back of his neck rise slightly. It was a sensation he'd often had during the Trade War. Something or someone was in the room and they shouldn't be there. Raising the communicator watch to his lips, he whispered to Garibaldi, "I think one of the detected life forms is in this hanger."
Garibaldi relied just as softly. "I know, I can feel it as well. Look, I'll meet up with you and then we'll split!" he explained, still trying to understand what had just happened and was glad for the diversion.
Harrington nodded, recognised the manoeuvre the security officer was mentioning. "Michael have you noticed these Furies seen different to the ones we use?" he called out, his voice travelling to the furthest reaches of the hanger. He wasn't lying though; the furies were slightly different in shape and apparent firepower. A few even appeared to look something like the Colithian Nimrods, but they had a definite Earthforce logo painted on their wings!
Garibaldi moved towards Harrington making sure he was heard. Once the man was level to him he turned off to sneak behind the fury Harrington was standing by. It worked; there was movement of something seen diving out of the door. Instantly the two men ran after the intruder and a second flash suddenly blinded Garibaldi----.
Time Flash *********************************************
Garibaldi knelt down. Turning the body over, he stared in horror at what was left of Corinth Richard's face, one eye was closed, the other badly gashed, blood poured from a smashed nose and one ear was partly hanging off. Her body lay limp in his arms. In the dim light he smelt burnt flesh and noticed part of her scalp had been burnt off. He ran his hands over her body and found a gash on her spine. The Human rolled the Colithian into his arms, calling into his communicator for help, not caring if the urgency in his voice carried. "For god's sake get here quick, she's badly injured!" he screamed.
"I'm dying!" the injured woman croaked. "The pain, I can't feel my legs--."
"Hush, don't say anything!" he gathered her up in his arms as he'd once seen Harrington do years before. "You'll be all right once we get you to Med Lab,"
"Michael!" the Colithian gasped, "I need to say something --."
"Quiet!"
"No, I'm no traitor or a spy," she coughed bloody saliva up, staining Garibaldi's tunic. "But I need to tell you what I've done--." The Colithian was determined to tell him no matter what. Pressing his ear close to her face he listened, hearing her whisper weakly, and then her head lolled to one side and she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Corinth!" he shouted, shaking the lifeless body. "Corinth!"
End of Time Flash **************************************
The intruder was small and remarkably light on his feet, easily evading the two men. A few times they were almost within touching distance, but the strange alien managed to avoid being caught. With one last effort Harrington gathered himself together and threw himself at the intruder's legs. The rugby tackle worked, as both bodies hit the ground. The intruder tried to wriggle free, but it was not as nimble as it thought. Garibaldi leapt over Harrington and grabbed the intruder by what seemed to be his hair.
The intruder squealed and tried to kick the security officer. Harrington staggered up to his feet, grabbed his PPG and held it to the alien's head. "I will use this if I have to!" he exclaimed softly, and his world exploded into a bright light
Time Flash *******************************************
Harrington found himself sitting in what looked like the cockpit of some kind of alien spacecraft, but of a type he'd never seen before. The whole of the cockpit seemed to missing, giving them the impression they were floating in space. The three hundred and sixty degree view they were afforded showed a planet, and as it came into view, the Britannia 7 station.
Besides him he noted a strange but familiar alien, or least he somehow thought he recognised it as a Streeebe, but he'd never seen a Streeebe like this one!
It appeared to be a female with medium length whitish hair, partly held back with what looked like a crest of some sort. No - more like a normal headband worn back to front. The crest started at the bridge of the nose, and extended quite elegantly back over where in a Human the eyebrows should be, and seemed to disappear into the light coloured hair just above the point the ears would have been. On closer inspection Harrington noted the alien's ears certainly looked Human and in the right place. Taking everything into account, Harrington wondered if this was a Human/Minbari hybrid of some kind and not a Streeebe!
Her skin colour was sallow and her eyes were catlike, but more of a blue colour than catlike green he noted, when she turned to look at him. Familiarity showed clearly in her eyes. The woman reached out and touched his hand, "Almost time!" Her voice was soft with a little trace of an accent Harrington couldn't identify.
"Time for what?" he asked, but somehow guessing he should already know the answer.
"Time to die!" The alien seemed puzzled at the remark, which seemed incredibly strange given the events of the last few months. She let her mind touch his, and found the real reason. Mentally she understood.
"Will it hurt?" Harrington found himself asking.
"Only for a moment, then nothing." She squeezed his hand gently. She was guiding a blind man through his last moments as she had been guided once herself. It had been scary for her then as well. This time she was ready, but she'd never fully been sure if Harrington's sacrifice was from the heart or just a way of saving his wife's life. "Remember, I've done this once before, I know what it is like to die!"
"And Corinth?" Harrington found he had to say it, if he was going to die he had to make sure she was safe.
"She'll be safe. They will look after her, I promise!" the alien said reassuringly as the Human caught a bright light heading towards them from the direction of the station, and the moment the flash engulfed him --.
End of Time Flash **************************************
Harrington found himself back in the corridor with Garibaldi; now with the strange little alien firmly in his grasp. "Are you all right?" Garibaldi inquired, beginning to move in the direction of the temporary ops room.
"I think someone just walked over my grave," Harrington explained, re-holstering his PPG and following the Human security officer. "Or at least tried to. I think I just saw my own death!"
By now they had moved into the room and dragging one of the chairs up to the table Harrington gestured to the little alien to sit down. Looking menacing, Garibaldi pushed his face close to the intruder and spoke, "Who are you, and what the hell is happening here?"
"Zathras my name, but not always, sometimes Mush. Sometimes she called me other names too hard for Zathras to understand, but understand Mush! You have travelled in time. We are in time rift, backwards, forwards, all time shown as one," the strange Alien muttered. "Past, present, future, all at the same time. All of us in rift. Rift closing behind us, opening in front of us--."
"Look, I can either make this easy for you or I can practice some pain therapy--," Garibaldi began.
"What Michael means is that you can answer the questions we ask or I will just walk out of this room and leave you two together--." Harrington went along with his companion. "So tell us why is it that an unbuilt station seems to be a reality?"
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Sinclair had made his way to the Command and Control area with Delenn following him. It still seemed strange that they were actually walking on something that should have been a simple holographic image on a data crystal.
"Where are we going?" the Minbari asked, equally amazed at what her companion had told her about the apparently as yet unbuilt station, and yet here it was built and functioning properly!
"To the C and C - the Command and Control area," Sinclair explained. "If this is Babylon 4, then I think we may find some answers there!"
"But what makes you think the answers can be found there?"
"Delenn, I helped to design B4's defence system. It was all linked together so that it could be run from the C in C. If there is going to be any information about this place, then I would expect it to be accessible from there!" He stopped by a door and studied it for a moment, then moved forward and put his hand on a palm plate. The door opened to reveal a lift. "Well do you want to come with me or what?"
"What is it?" she gestured to the extremely tiny room.
"Well, it should be an elevator, and if it is then it should take us to the C in C!"
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then we will just have to walk won't we?" Sinclair smiled, just as the elevator door opened.
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Still following Sinclair, Delenn found herself in the C in C area and the Minbari noticed the huge difference between this and Britannia 7's control room. First of all, it was smaller and darker, with a well in the floor filled with computer monitors. The other thing she noted was the small window that looked out into space!
Jeffery Sinclair was busily trying to find the access code to open the memory banks. If the elevator was capable of working and it had terminated the journey where he'd expected it to, then this should work as well, if only he could find the right code! The console layout was the same as the standard Earthforce configuration, which had been on the plans for B4. But for some reason there seemed to be some form of disruption in the access code sequence!
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Delenn move towards the second door leading out of the room, then he was running to her side as she stumbled and fell, screaming in panic!
Time Flash *********************************************
Delenn found herself standing in Catherine Meredith's office. The lights were on low, indicating the Group Captain was working late into the Colithian night. The Minbari knew she was waiting for something to happen. Absently she picked up a snow scene and looked at it. It consisted of a house set on a hill, the whole set into a strange plastic frame.
The Communicator buzzed, and Cath answered it and nodded. She looked up, threw her pen onto the desk and slumped back in her chair. "You know you're having problems adjusting to your new state - well I think I've got the answer!"
The door opened and a tall cloaked and hooded figure entered. The figure sat down on the chair opposite the Group Captain. Delenn, intrigued at the Colithian's words, smiled as the hooded figure pulled its hood down, revealing a woman with piercing green eyes and short curly blond hair. The Minbari's eyes were dragged to the woman's hair and her eyes opened in horror.
Delenn dropped the snow scene and the trinket hit the floor, smashing into a thousand pieces. "No, no, no!" she screamed running out of the door leaving a shocked newcomer and an amazed Group Captain behind.
Running blindly away, Delenn didn't see Sheridan walking down the corridor towards her until she collided with him. Quickly the Human recovered his balance and his dignity and was conscious of the Minbari's distress when he spoke softly, "Delenn, what's wrong?"
"It was horrible, unnatural, disgusting!" she cried.
"What was?" It was clear Sheridan didn't know what she was going on about.
"The woman's - she-." and then Delenn glanced at herself in one of the mirrors lining the corridor and fainted.
End of Time Flash *************************************
"Are you all right?" Sinclair asked after finally calming the hysterical Minbari down.
"I think I saw a vision of the future and it was horrible!" Delenn exclaimed. Allowing her companion to guide her to a chair and she gratefully sat down. Instinctively she began to do some mediation breathing exercises to bring her breathing under control.
"Appleton did warn us about some possible time distortion effects."
"Yes but I never thought it was possible--." The female Minbari paused for a moment. "Jeff have you found out what you wanted yet?" she inquired changing the subject.
"No, not yet, still working on it. But I have an idea!" He turned back to the computer console. "Hello old friend!" he managed to say and a white light blinded the world around him--.
Time Flash ********************************************
"Jeff, they've burned through levels seven and eight, can't stop them, they're everywhere!" Garibaldi shouted over the noise of battle. All around him people were moving about, some going to Garibaldi's aid, others panicking to get away. Sinclair noted his friend was wielding a large weapon of a type he didn't recognise. In front of Garibaldi someone or something was burning a hole in the station's wall. "Jay's rigged the fusion reactors, but he can only control it for so long. Go on! Get away Jeff! I'm done for!" he shouted out, determination etched on his face. "Go on, get going, take Cath with you, I'll hold them off as long as I can!" He fired at the enlarging hole. "It's okay Jeff. I finally understand, this was the moment I was born for!" Snarling at nothing in particular, Garibaldi suddenly moved to one side, pushing Sinclair into the river of moving people.
"Come on Jeff, the Flyer's ready and waiting for us!" Cath shouted over the sounds of battle all around them. Glancing at her grubby face he saw dried blood over her left eye and her arm was in a makeshift sling. Other Colithians seemed to materialise around them, almost as if they were trying to protect him.
Garibaldi's form appeared to change completely and he became a Minbari and dressed like a warrior. He was firing in the same direction as he shouted out. "Go on Valen! Get yourself out of here and take Torrac with you. We were wrong about her; she is worthy enough to be your aide. Go on, get out while you still can. Remember the future!"
Sinclair glanced down to where Cath Meredith should have been only to see a tiny Minbari with an overlarge crest and childlike eyes looking at him in shock. Coming to a decision he grabbed the girl's wrist and began to run, pulling her along with him---.
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Another flash of light found him standing on a hillside. The cold weather was biting into him, but he found he could tolerate it. By his left side stood a small fat Minbari who looked uncomfortably pregnant. The Human recognised her as the girl he'd dragged way a moment ago, could this be Torracmir, the Religious born Worker?
Glancing around, he noticed a single figure stood a little away from him, dressed in a long robe, the hood pulled well over its face, acting as if the cold was getting to it. There was something incredibly familiar about the way the figure was standing that Sinclair knew he should recognise!
His attention was drawn back to the Minbari by his side. Her eyes had been searching the skies and now she was being rewarded for her diligence. Suddenly a bright light flashed in the sky that lasted for a few moments before fading and leaving a small metallic dot behind. The female Minbari pointed to the dot excitedly, "Look Valen, look, the Streeebe were right. It is here, the ship is here!"
End of Time Flash *************************************
"Jeff, Jeff!" Now it was Delenn's turn to panic. Sinclair had gone pale and was shaking slightly.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine." He looked at the Minbari, trying to match the face of the Minbar he'd seen in his 'visions' and the Minbari in front of him and failed. So it wasn't a vision of Delenn he'd seen, even though her name had been mentioned.
Delenn took a deep breath and began to speak. "I haven't told anyone about this, I have not even told the Van'torlaac, and I will have to rectify that oversight as soon as I can. But before I left the station I checked up with Minbari records. You must understand that much was destroyed during a great war being fought at the time. But legend says this time rift appeared the exact moment Valen came to us, and has fluctuated in strength since then!"
Sinclair looked disapprovingly at the Minbari woman. "Why didn't you tell us about this earlier then?"
"Would you believe me if I confess I had forgotten?" Delenn whispered.
The Human shook his head at Delenn while mumbling, "Do I really have any other choice?"
Returning his attention back to the console. Sinclair noticed the last access code had worked and the computer was indicating a message was being down loaded. Finally it came though "Michael ##," the message was scrambled and kept breaking up. "### Watch ### I ### back ######." Delenn saw the look of frustration form on her friend's face as he tried to get the message to sound clearer, and then watched as he thumped the console in frustration.
That was it. It seemed that nothing was going to work and that was all the message he was going to get! And then his watch buzzed, "Sinclair!" he almost yelled, then the Human remembered where he was and calmed down. "Sinclair here."
"Jeff, are you all right?" Garibaldi inquired, taken a back by at his friend's tone of voice.
"Yes sorry, just had a argument with a computer and lost!"
"Ok. Can you and Delenn find your way back here? We've found something that may just interest you. I've told Cath and Sheridan and they're making their way back as well!"
"Will do - Sinclair out!" The Human glanced at the Minbari and smiled. "Tell the rest of the party what you told me," he reminded her. Delenn smiled back and nodded as she watched Sinclair activate the direction finder part of his watch, so they could get back to the rest of the group.
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Babylon4ever
Part Six
Moving in the opposite direction of Sinclair and Delenn, Catherine Meredith and John Sheridan walked through what could only be described as the station's living quarters. Like the rest of the station they'd managed to see so far, it was pristine!
"This is unbelievable!" the Colithian exclaimed, as they emerged from what Sheridan had described as a Baseball field. He'd tried to explain the game to the Colithian, but the Group Captain didn't seem to understand what a 'foul ball' was.
They came to another group of doors marked 'Recreation - Store rooms.' The Human smiled and nodded in the direction of the doors. "Left or right?" he offered her the choice.
"I'll take the left side, you take the right." Cath laughed and the sound echoed down the corridor. As Sheridan moved down to the right the Colithian noticed one of the doors was ajar. Moving forward to investigate closer, the woman gently pushed it open. Something moved, a slight motion in the room and the image caught in the corner of her eye. Carefully the Group Captain moved forward, her senses alert for danger. Moving slowly into the room the Colithian paused and a slight sound caused her to freeze. It was the woman's biggest mistake.
A hand grabbed her torso pulling her backwards, and another hand gently clamped itself on her mouth, at the same time her captor whispered. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you Van'torlaac."
The Minbari words caused her to stop struggling, the voice sounding familiar to her. Instinctively Cath stood still, she felt something being attached to her chest and the lights were called for. When she was released she turned to face her captor.
He towered over her, a Minbari style robe covered his body and the hood totally obscured his face, and it helped to disguise voice as well, the woman surmised. "Who are you and why have you called us here?" The questions may have sounded strange, but they seemed right for this situation. The Group Captain looked down, something small and metallic had been pinned to her chest. She made to remove it, but the man's hand gently pushed hers away.
"The badge on you chest is a time stabiliser," he explained, "and you're in a time rift, that's why you and the rest of the party keep having both flashbacks and visions of the future." The man paused for a moment leaning against the wall for support. "I have to talk to you Cath. I have stopped Babylon 4 because I have to see you personally, I am here because I know I must be here. You have already told me and you will tell me again. I have seen it for myself." He pushed himself away from the wall and towards her, stumbling slightly, but quickly regaining his balance.
He was close enough to gaze at her now; he wanted to keep this moment firmly fixed in his mind forever. He could still see the innocence and the zest for life in her eyes, he was glad the Colithian was ignorant of the future, of the pain and despair she would face. He would never forget the day he came to collect her. He'd found her moments after Byron's death. The woman had stood in the middle of the room, totally crushed by circumstances beyond her control, and everything leading up to that moment had almost destroyed her.
"I have to thank you for all your help. I couldn't before because you said you already knew! Take this," he pushed a small box into her hand. "When the time is right you will return it to me, and you'll know when." The man paused and pointed his finger at her hand. "The ring on your finger, the one your father gave you, please give it to me."
Cath gasped unbelievingly. "I can't, it's mine. It's all I have left of him!"
"You have him in your heart don't you? I will return it to you as a sign, a sign that tells you that it is time to move on Chosen of Valen."
Deep within her soul Cath felt a stirring, again that feeling of knowing this man, just as she kept getting around Sinclair! Almost hypnotised, she removed the ring from her dress finger and held it out. The man took it gently, slipping it onto his little finger. Then he moved forward, slipping his arms around her shoulders he hugged her affectionately. Bending down he whispered, "I will never forget you my forever friend."
"What do you look like?" His words had driven all sense of fear away, she felt as if she should recognise the voice. The feeling for something stirred within her soul, and she remembered in the vision of Valen, he had also called her his forever friend!
"I knew you'd ask!" He removed the time stabiliser from her tunic and backed away, "Move towards the door and wait," he spoke softly, almost respectively. Obediently she did as she was told then turned and waited. The man took hold of his hood his hand ready to lift it up and acted as if he was waiting for something. "Remember," he told her, "the sky is full of garden!"
"Where's the garden?" the question seemed dragged from her lips as if by someone else.
"You'll remember. Don't worry about that. Just follow your instincts!" the hooded man reassured her, but the Colithian could detect a hint of sadness in the voice. The lights dimmed almost on cue as the man began to lift his hood. At the same moment the floor shook, catching the woman off balance. Reeling and stumbling out of the door, Cath only caught a very brief glimpse of the stranger but it was enough. The man's image burned itself forever into her mind.
Time Flash ********************************************
The child sat bolt upright; the bed covers falling away. Something had disturbed her sleep. Glancing around in the dark she noticed her bedroom door was open a crack, the light cutting like a knife into the darkness. Slipping out of bed her foot touched something soft and furry. Reaching down, she picked what she recognised as Bruno, her musty smelling, but much loved, ted bear. Holding Bruno protectively to her chest, the girl made her way over the door, pausing to listen to the voices coming from the living room.
The child heard her father's familiar deep voice speaking to someone, then the other person replied. "Don't worry Andrew, your daughter's future destiny will help save the past!"
She heard her father say something, and then his familiar footfalls heading towards her door. Terrified of being told off for being out of bed when she should have been asleep, the girl turned and fled back to her bed.
End of Time Flash ************************************
The upheaval sent the Group Captain sprawling through the door. Sheridan caught her, as she regained her balance she looked shyly at him. The Human grinned back. Their eyes met for a split second and then moments later her eyes had changed and so had the scene.
Time Flash ******************************************
They were in the control room on Britannia 7 and the Group Captain was standing five feet away, directly in front of him. She was holding what looked something like a PPG in her hand pointing directly at his head.
The room was quiet with anticipation. Something was going on and it seemed to centre on the small Colithian. "Hold that Order!" Cath said, her eyes firmly fixed onto Sheridan's face. Over her shoulder he could see Corwin, standing directly behind her with a PPG in his hand, the gun aimed at her back.
"Put the gun down Commander or I'll shoot!" the younger man said.
The Colithian's eyes were steady and her arm was unwavering. "The blood of a thousand Minbari stain my hands, do you think the blood of one Human will make any difference?" She seemed to speaking to Corwin, but the gist of the statement was aimed at Sheridan.
"You won't shoot me!" Sheridan said calmly.
"Want t'bet?" the Group Captain said equally calm, and as she seemed to pull the trigger, the light hit Sheridan in the eye.
End of Time Flash *************************************
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Jayson Meredith staggered back to the Group Captain's quarters, his face hidden under the Minbari style cloak his people often wore. It was not the first time he'd found himself grateful for the dress sense of his adopted culture. When Corinth had contacted him about the blind spot, he'd promised to sort it out, and he had. Now he had to rest for a while to get himself back to normal.
Opening the door he was surprised to see Corinth Richards sitting at the computer, messing around with it. Caught in the act, the Squadron Leader instinctively picked up Harrington's book, shut it, and dropped it in the bag by her foot, while trying not to look embarrassed at being caught at her friend's computer.
"Was just checking up on something. I don't want Tom to find out and I know about the 'extra' programs you've put on this one!" she explained hurriedly, and switched the computer off. "Tea?" she suggested as a get out solution.
Jayson nodded and sat down. Pulling the hood off his face to reveal his dark moustache and shoulder length dark hair, and a hooded expression. He began to breath steadily while he gathered his wits together. The Matrix had drained him again. One day he knew he'd over do it and end up dead if he wasn't careful, and while he thought on, Corinth's suggestion of a nice hot mug of tea was exactly what he needed at this moment in time.
Returning from the kitchen with the tea, the woman handed her companion the mug, and sat down next to him, and managing to hide her astonished look. Jayson Meredith looked old and haggard, and it was hard to believe he was five years younger then Cath!
Her casual actions didn't deceive Jayson though, he knew her well enough not to be fooled by the way she was acting, "This is what happens when you interface directly with the Matrix; it always takes away part of your life force. One day I'll do it once to often, and then I'll find myself waking up dead!" he joked and watched a smile creep over his friend's face. "Seems the Matrix has a mind of it's own," he went on, "but on this occasion it rejected that part of the station, 'cos it was told to."
"Don't you mean someone forgot to program it properly?" the Squadron Leader asked, her detective head on.
"No, I mean it was told not to. I don't know by who, but the Matrix was a bit confused over the issue itself. The only reason that area functioned normally was 'cos the Matrix knew it was there, and rather than have a big hole in the life support system, it decided to continue as normal."
"So who could have done that then, and more importantly why?"
"Corinth luv, I'm not an oracle, and even the Matrix wasn't able to answer that question when I asked it"
"Seems you know the Matrix intimately." The woman smiled, seeing a little life returning to her companion's eyes.
"The Matrix is Streeebe technology, and even I don't fully understand how it works. None of us do. But I can tell you this if you're interested, this is not the first time it's thrown a wobble, it's done it before you know."
"The Matrix has thrown a wobble before? When?"
Jayson yawned. The tea had helped him to gather his wits together, but he knew he needed to sleep, and soon, which meant getting rid of his friend. "It was during the time when the Sky was Full of Stars." He yawned again. It was no good, he could feel sleep trying to bash his brains out. "Corinth luv, I'm sorry, I'm knackered. Look, I'll talk to you later about it!" he put the mug down and stood up. Nodding to the woman, he staggered to the bed and crashed out without even getting undressed.
Picking her bag up and quietly leaving her Commanding Officers quarters, Corinth began to walk back to her quarters to replace Harrington's journal. Something Jayson said had begun to niggle. Brushing the thought to one side, she decided to go and see what Zack Allen was up to.
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Time Flash ******************************************
He was in a dark room. It felt like a prison and he felt like he'd been interrogated. His body ached and the stale air made breathing difficult. The door opened and someone or something was flung at his feet. Sheridan sensed movement and a voice spoke calling his name. "John?"
"Delenn?" This was ridiculous. It sounded like the Minbari female, but how the hell did they get here? It was even stranger when the Minbari ran up to him, clinging hungrily to him as if she knew him intimately. Now in the dim light that shone through the small grill in the wall he saw something else, this Delenn had hair and a much smaller crest; in fact she looked almost 'Human' - as if she was some kind of genetic freak.
"Delenn, what are you doing here?" Sheridan asked, going along with her and prying her body away from his.
"I didn't tell them anything, they tried to make me, but I didn't tell them!" It was clear to the Human that Minbari had been interrogated, and if the bruise on her face was anything to go by, none to gently either. "There is nothing they can do to me, they know that now. They have said we can have one last moment together before--." Delenn trailed off for a moment and then she smiled, almost triumphantly. "But at least the children are safe!"
"What children?" He and Anna didn't have any children.
"Catherine and Jeff's son, and our son David." Again the strange Delenn looked into his eyes, seeing something she'd not seem for a long time. "In Valen's name it's true isn't it? I never believed you until now, but you are trapped in a time rift. You have just been on Babylon 4!" Delenn's voice was filled with despair. "Oh Valen! You don't know what has happened?" She looked away, this man, the one with grey hair and a neatly trimmed beard was not her husband, but a man she'd first met before she'd changed. "Maybe it is best if you don't know, but listen John, listen well and keep this memory close to your heart. Do not go to Z'ha'dum. Do not go to Z'ha'dum!"
End of Time flash ***********************************
A flash of light and Sheridan was back in the present. Cath looked at him inquisitively. "You've just had a vision of some kind haven't you?" she asked.
"How did you know that?" the Human Captain asked, still reeling from the vision with another Delenn.
"I've been told that's all. Look, I've got to find the garden!" and the Colithian turned on her heels and moved off.
Deciding that being left on his own on a strange Earthforce station wasn't a good idea, Sheridan decided to follow her. Then found he had to run after the fast moving Colithian to catch up with her. "What do you mean you've got to find the garden?"
"I have to see the garden!" The Colithian was definitely confused, but instinctively she knew where she was going. They eventually came to where two corridors crossed. The Group Captain paused for a moment to get her bearings, and somehow she knew she'd been here before, and yet it seemed so long ago! Moving slowly down the left corridor she paused again. "And I think I've found it!" the woman said, standing in front of a door simply marked 'Garden'.
Hesitantly Cath moved towards the door and it opened for her. Taking a deep breath, the Group Captain moved through the doorway followed by the Human.
The sight that met them took their breath away. They were in a garden, but one so completely different from anything she'd ever seen before that Catherine Meredith just stood in amazement at the view. Instead of being flat like the garden on the Britannia station, this one encircled the entire hull, making the sky appear to be green. "And the sky was full of garden!" she whispered, instinctively making her way over to a bench. Still in awe of the scene, she sat down.
Again the familiar feeling swept over her, the bench felt as if this was her seat. She sat on it still gazing up at the garden in the sky. Sheridan sat next to her, sensing her bewilderment and awe. They sat in silence until the Colithian's communicator watch broke the silence with a buzz. She touched her watch face. "Meredith!"
"We've found something interesting. I think you'd better come and see for yourself." Garibaldi's voice cut thought the stillness. Reluctantly dragging herself from the garden, she set her direction finder to return the two of them back to the rest of the party.
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"Just found this character, said his name is Zathras!" Garibaldi explained to the first people back to the rendezvous point, Delenn and Sinclair. "But how he got aboard, and what he's doing here he won't say," the security officer explained as they entered the room and stared at a weird looking and very scruffy alien sitting on a chair muttering apparent gibberish to himself.
Something made Zathras look up, just as Sinclair walked in, followed by Delenn. He looked surprised at what he saw!" Oh. No. Not possible!" Then his expression changed to horror as Cath swung into the room slightly breathless followed by Sheridan.
For a moment the Colithian leaned on Sinclair to catch her breath. She glanced at the strange alien and looked equally horrified. She'd never seen a Zathras in real life, but there was a statue of him on Colithia! Not wishing to look a fool in front of the rest of the party, she controlled her emotions and didn't tell them what she already knew.
"No, not the One. None of you are the One. The One not warn Zathras, the One cruel to Zathras."
"Who do you mean by the One?" the Group Captain asked, glancing at Delenn who looked equally perplexed at the strange alien's words. To both of them 'The One' meant Valen.
"Not The One, can't talk, not talk, not The One!" Zathras shook his head then pointed a finger in the Colithian's direction. "They tell Zathras not to talk, Zathras listen, Zathras do as they tell him." He nodded to himself. Sinclair shook his head and Zathras fixed his gaze on the Human. "No one listen to Zathras, even Zathras not listen to Zathras! But that is life." He shrugged to himself and pointed to Sinclair. "Great war, but great hope of peace. Need place, to gather, to fight, to organize!"
Sheridan cut in. "You need Babylon 4 as a base of operations in a war, is that it?"
The alien now turned his attention to the Earthforce Captain and nodded. "To help save Galaxy on the side of light. So they tell me, must use. She builds for The One. Many years in progress, great progress, serve The One well. Must be done they tell Zathras, or it is the end of all. The One leads us, The One tells us to go, we go. Maybe they raise statue to Zathras, maybe Zathras great hero, maybe--."
Getting bored of the whole situation Garibaldi made his way over to the door and absently looked out and something caught his eye. "Hey, come and look at this?"
As the party exited into the hall, Zathras made good his escape. Slipping from the room he rounded a corner and slammed into the legs of the hooded figure Cath had met earlier. Zathras backed off slightly, feeling the man's eyes boring into him." Did you try to warn them?" the voice inquired.
Zathras shook his head. "Not tell."
"Liar. I was there - remember!" The man stated. "Now forget them. Come on, if I don't get into the Chrysalis in the next half hour you can forget them and the future."
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The party saw what Garibaldi had dragged them out to see. It was a small hooded figure that was standing still and it appeared to be studying a piece of paper. It looked up at them, stopped for a moment then began to walk slowly towards the group. Delenn recognised the clothes as Minbari, but of a style that was over a thousand years old.
The figure suddenly stopped, its head jerking round as if someone was calling it. It seemed to glance at them, and then it turned and walked away and vanishing round the corner.
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"Did you see them? " Valen asked Torrac.
The tiny Minbari nodded. "Who are they?" she inquired.
"Your future and my past. Come, we have a visitor to greet, he has asked to see you and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." The tall Minbari smiled at his aide before he spun round and moved off.
Thrusting the paper into her pocket Torrac shook her head. Valen had been in an odd mood for the last few days. Maybe it was something about the coming battle, maybe it was something else. It was bad enough being ordered from the building project the Entil'zha had entrusted her with. But then to be called to his Ship, given a map by Zathras and told to follow it to a pre-ordained designation where Valen would be waiting, was almost childish.
The map was also written in a language the tiny Minbari couldn't understand and she had twice had to double back on herself when she found she'd got lost! Whatever was bugging Valen, she would be glad when he finally worked it out of his system. Discovering she was on her own and in unfamiliar territory, the young Minbari found she had to run to catch up with the Entil'zha.
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Babylon4ever
Part Seven
"I tried to warn them!" Valen Sinclair said softly, recounting to his wife the way things had been the first time he'd come on the station. "But it happened just the way I remember it."
"So you keep saying." Catherine Sinclair smiled and touched him on his shoulder. "Now it is time, you know we have to go, everyone is waiting for us." She touched the scar on his cheek for a moment, then spun on her heels and walked away.
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Babylon 4 was beginning to be rocked by explosions, and the shudders were starting to tear the station apart. Sinclair cursed that the only proof they had of anything was the strange little alien who called himself Zathras and he'd escaped. And the last report from Britannia 7 hadn't been too inspiring either, so Harrington had decided it was better if they left now, while they still had a chance.
As they made their way back to the hanger where they'd left the Rover, the ceiling began to crash around them and a large pipe fell into the middle of the party. It just missed Sheridan who put his arms around the Minbari. Delenn screamed in surprise and clung the Human in terror. Instinctively the Human wrapped his arms around Delenn to protect her, whilst he guided her away from the danger area.
"Thank you Captain Sheridan," Delenn whispered after she'd finally coughed the dust up from her lungs. Somehow it seemed to remind her of the explosion in the IG unit.
"Think of it as bridge building exercise!" Sheridan laughed, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that this felt like the same woman he'd held in his vision. The way the hybrid 'whatever' had clung to him in the cell was the same as the Minbari had in the corridor! "Would it be easier for you if I carried you?" he asked, noticing that Delenn seemed a little unsteady on her feet.
The Minbari shook her head. "No I am capable of walking, but thank you for the offer!" she added, seeing the slightly hurt look appear in his eyes. For some reason she was beginning to find this Human attractive!
"Are you two love birds going to coo all day or are you going to join us?" Cath's sarcastic comment reached them. Whatever the Colithian meant passed over their heads. However it did the trick and gave the pair an escape from the conversation without getting too embarrassed about it. Even so, Sheridan still took Delenn's hand while he guided her over the debris littered corridor.
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Zathras looked at Catherine Sinclair and seemed to panic. "Leave you must, finished you are. Leave or you will be trapped in time!" Delenn nudged Sheridan and glanced at Cath, it was time to give them a few minutes on their own, so they could share the last few moments of their life together.
For a moment they stood close together, then Catherine Sinclair reached out and touched the Entil'zha's hand. No words were needed now; so much had passed between them over the years. Then finally Valen Sinclair nodded, "It's best if you leave now, thanks for everything!"
His wife nodded. "I love you and I always will, what was - is, what is - will be, what will be - was!"
"I love you too!" he replied before turning away, trying to disguise the tears forming in his eyes. They'd both known for a long time they'd end up parting this way, tried to prepare themselves for this moment, but when the moment had finally come they were still finding it hard. Controlling his emotions he turned round to see Cath Meredith still standing in the room.
"Didn't you hear what Zathras just said? Gods sake Cath, I don't want you trapped in time with me!"
The Colithian moved to stand in front of him. "Not until you've given me a proper goodbye." She placed one hand over her heart and held the other out. Smiling and nodding the Entil'zha understood, and repeating her movement he placed his outreached hand on her heart as she did on his. They bowed and she spoke, "In Valen's Name -."
"And that of his Shadow, Torrac," he finished the Colithian phrase. It was something he knew he'd never get used to, blessing himself in his own name.
"Keep her safe for me!" the Colithian said, and the Entil'zha nodded again.
"I will!" he reassured her, and then he watched as she left the room, walking out of his life for good.
The strange little alien put his hand on the Entil'zha's arm, "Zathras' place is with the One Who Was, as is Torrac," he sounded as sad as Valen Sinclair felt. "Torrac waiting for you, new life, new starts, new love!"
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Valen Sinclair gazed at the Chrysalis. Already the cocoon was forming, and soon it would be time to enter and be changed again. He cast his mind back to everything that had led up to this point, and now he knew there had been no other path for him to follow. This time he would be on his own, except for Zathras already fussing around him, but he also knew that he carried their blessing in his heart.
Taking a deep breath he stood up and closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself down. Making his way over to the Chrysalis the Entil'zha sat on the stool Cath had provided. He smiled at her efficiency. It seemed she'd remembered his discomfort the last time. Doctor Vivian Ashe had offered him some painkillers this time, to help him through the ordeal, but he'd refused, but only because he didn't know what effect painkillers would have on the change. With one final deep breath he sat on the stool, and when the cocoon formed around him and began its task, it all became too much for him and he fainted from the pain!
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The Rover shot out of the launch bay just as the hanger bay doors were beginning to close, something the Colithian pilot was finding extremely irritating and primitive compared to the Britannia 7 membrane. The time quakes had become suddenly extremely strong and, as he had promised, Group Captain Craig Appleton had pulled them out.
As the Babylon 4 Station receded into the distance and then vanished in a flash of light, Harrington made his way to the cockpit and sat down behind Sinclair. "Now that we are safely off Babylon 4 Cath, you can answer a question that has been bugging both of us," he gestured to Sinclair. "When Zathras said that Jeff wasn't 'The One', you and Delenn exchanged strange glances, what were you two thinking about?"
Cath looked up from the touch pad, thought for a moment then began to explain. "Valen was 'The One'. He taught us that he was the One Who Was, but he also told us he would return as the One Who Is, and then he would become The One Who Will Be! But then again Valen wasn't often very clear with some of his statements," the Group Captain admitted. "He always insisted he was The One Who Was, but he also said that when he returned, The One Who Is will marry The One Who Will Be and have a child. He even insisted this 'One' thing extended to three different races and even three different time periods as well. Valen once said that Torrac was like him, warrior, worker and religious, but that circle could only be completed when he returned."
"So that's it then? The mystery solved?" Sinclair asked, adjusting one of the sensors.
"Well no not really, you see Valen could predict the future so accurately that some have said that he must have come from the future. If that is so then what Zathras said would have made complete sense!"
"So do you think that bit was true then about a Great War and Babylon 4 being a base for somebody to bring peace to the galaxy?" Sinclair went on, as Cath reached over and touched a button and instantly the sensor shut down, which was what he was trying to do in the first place.
Sitting back in her seat the Colithian twisted to look at Harrington. "I don't know, but it would make a lot of sense because Valen, so the legend goes, appeared with a large ship as a gift to the Army of Light, but he never ever mentioned where it came from."
"But if this legend is true then I wish them luck. The station was part of a project designed to create peace," Harrington said. "Maybe now it will do so in a way that nobody ever expected it to, but never the less, it's still on the same peace mission."
"Which still leaves one very important unanswered question," the Colithian pointed out. "Just who in Valen's Name built it in the first place?"
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As the White Star pulled away from Babylon 4 the time rift closed and vanished, never to return. The event that had opened it a thousand years earlier had also closed it and nothing else, would ever travel that way again. On the White Star's bridge the two most important women in Sinclair's life watched the great ship slip into the time rift as it began its journey back a thousand years.
It was all too much for Catherine Sinclair. Collapsing into Delenn's arms she began to sob, "I've lost him, I've lost him again!"
Marcus turned away it was too much to bear. Like everyone else on the bridge he knew exactly what Sinclair's wife meant, and he too shed a single silent tear for his own lost love.
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That night Catherine Meredith picked up Bruno. She put her Ted Bear to her nose, drinking in the musty smell that still impregnated the bear since well before her mother had given her it. Along with its smell, she felt the gentle arms of her father hugging her reassuringly. Donning her pyjamas she slipped into bed, hugging Bruno to her as she'd done as a child, protecting him from danger as her parents had done for her. For the first time in years, Cath dreamt of Buttercups and Unicorns and her father's arms holding her safe.
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Sinclair sat up for a while contemplating what had been seen and heard that day before finally slipping into bed beside the warm body of his fiancée. Had he really seen Torrac and why had the two Minbari referred to him as Valen?
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Zathras was curled up on a make shift bed in the same room as the Chrysalis. As the strange little alien slept two Vorlons stood guard over the Chrysalis. They stood close together, revelling in their own presence. Kosh Naranak and Tullant Kosh had been apart for along time and they both had a lot catch up on.
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When he finally got back to the Agamemnon and off duty, Sheridan found he couldn't sleep at all. All he could see was the Group Captain's brown eyes and the gun she'd held to his face. It was her eyes that haunted him. They were cold, hard eyes, the eyes of someone who was quite capable of carrying out exactly what she had said. And by morning he knew that the Colithian officer wasn't all she seemed.
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The dream was more vivid this time. The darkness was becoming more intense and the fear almost overwhelming, when out of the darkness a light appeared, growing brighter as it came towards her. From out of the brightness a shape began to appear, forming into a body. The body became solid, its features forming into a face that the dreamer knew only to well. Then an arm reached out as if trying to touch her--.
"Valen!" Torrac sat up. Instantly awake, she threw the bed covers back, swung off the bed, and was out of the room, and half way down the corridor when Taylon caught up with her. He caught her just as her leg gave out and she collapsed sobbing into his arms.
He picked her up and, ignoring her feeble struggles to be put down, he carried her back to her bed. "Have you gone mad?" he said angrily, struggling to hold her down.
"He's here, Valen's here, he's come to us. I need to meet him, to see him," she babbled on.
"Are you sure?" he asked, guessing she'd had one of her visions.
"Please I need to see him!" Torrac pleaded, her eyes filling with tears of frustration.
"Stay still, I've got to check something. If you're right, I'll personally take you to him. But stay still or else," he warned her. Torrac surrendered to her mentor. More to the point, her leg was starting to hurt again so she called for pain relief and was glad when it began to work.
Taylon returned about an hour later with confirmation of what she'd said. He sighed deeply after he'd told her everything he knew about the new visitor. "They're going to take him to the Elders meeting room. I'm sorry little one, even I with all my influence cannot get you into that room."
Torrac looked at him. Serenely she spoke. "You don't have to."
"But you said--."
"You just have to let me sit out side the Elders door. Valen will do the rest," she laughed softly.
Taylon frowned at her. "Then I will sit with you, and I'll speak to this Valen first."
"No Taylon." She placed her hand on his chest. "I must do it alone, I know I must meet Valen on his terms. If you are with me--." She trailed off.
Taylon raised his hands in surrender and silently wished his ward wasn't so stubborn. "All right, all right you win, but on condition that Savet takes you, and I will check up on you from time to time."
Torrac reluctantly accepted Taylon's advice, even despite the fact that it was embarrassing being carried to the Elders door in the giant Minbari's arms. Once there she dismissed Savet and settled down for her vigil, grateful for the extended pain relief the healers had insisted she take. She pulled her hood over her head and began to try to meditate.
For a while nothing happened and Torrac began to worry she'd missed him, then suddenly there was a flurry of activity. A wave of people flowed passed and for a brief moment Torrac was sure she saw him. Her spirit rose and excitement flowed into her soul.
For three days she sat in the same place, the doors to the Elders room remained stubbornly shut. Whatever was being discussed was taking a long time to sort out. Her guardian and her brother Aavan brought her refreshments and pain relief, and still nothing happened. By now Taylon was beginning to worry about Torrac's health, but she just shrugged his fears off, confidant in her own faith.
On the evening of the third day the door opened and both the Elders and their many followers left the room. They walked past Torrac, ignoring her as if she didn't exist. However from the way they were talking they were all in agreement about something, but try as she might she couldn't see the one she was after.
Disappointment flowed over her body, tears began to fill her eyes, and for a moment she began to doubt herself. Was she wrong? Was the universe, through the visions, playing games with her? Then she was aware of a pair of legs standing in front of her.
"Have you been sitting out here for the last three days?" A rich deep male voice spoke to her, a voice that seemed to start around his ankles. Torrac nodded slightly, fear rising into her throat. "Speak child, I won't hurt you," the voice reassured her.
"Yes," the girl said as bravely as she could, trying to swallow the fear away.
"What is your name?" the voice asked.
"Torrac," she paused. "Torracmir," she finished, hope beginning to overcome the fear.
"Stand up Torrac!"
She tried, but her bad leg had become stiff. The girl stumbled back, a cry of frustration torn from her throat. Two hands reached down, strong hands, that gently took hold of hers, and pulled her up. Torrac noticed a ring on the man's smallest finger. Once on her feet she concentrated on looking down at his feet.
"Take your hood off and let me see your face," the voice insisted.
Nervously Torrac pulled her hood down revealing her large crest, small face and big eyes. The man looked at her, taking in her features and the scar running down her crest. He was amazed at how like another she looked.
"Look up at me," he commanded softly
Torrac shook her head slightly, overwhelmed by the man's personality. "I can't!" she whispered. It felt as if this man not only knew who she was, but could see into her very soul.
"Look up at me Torrac, look into my face," the Minbari spoke again. "Besides I can't have an aide who only looks at the floor, or they'll keep bumping into things!" He laughed slightly at what was obviously a private joke. He put his hand under her chin, gently lifting her head to look at his. "Do you know who I am?" he inquired.
"Yes, your name is Valen," Torrac explained hesitantly.
"How do you know that?"
"I have seen you - in visions and dreams," she explained, feeling a little braver now.
"And you know why I am here?"
"You have come to save us from the darkness, to save the future." Torrac paused, gazing into the dark eyes of Valen. Suddenly she understood another dream she'd had. Her eyes opened wider in wonder. "You are the One!"
He smiled at her. "Yes. I am Valen. I am The One, and you will walk by my side as my aide." He let go of her face and went on, "And as my aide, the first task you can perform is to arrange some decent accommodation for us while I'm on Minbar."
Torrac nodded, bowed and turning, limped off, joy overflowing in her heart. She knew her destiny now lay with this strange Minbari called Valen.
Valen watched Torrac limp away and smiled to himself. She would not only be his aide, and she would follow him into darkness and death, literally. He turned to the funny looking alien who skipped to his side. "So what do we do next?" he asked.
"Wait here for Zathras. Zathras look after you till she return, not be long. Zathras settle you in, told you Torrac was waiting!"
Valen sighed. He'd never get use to his strange companion. He walked over to the window and looked out, drinking in the familiar, yet unfamiliar, Minbari landscape.
End of the fifth story
1
AUTHOR: Cris Wilson.
Season 1- Episode 5
RATING: None
DATE FIRST POSTED: July 9 2000
DISCLAIMERS: Babylon 5 and all related material belong to JMS, Time-Warner and Babylonian Productions. Anything connected to THHGTTG belongs to DNA and anything else belongs to me.
AUTHOR NOTES: Most AU B5 stories deal with the aftermath of the Minbari winning the war at The Battle of the Line, but what if a change in the time line occurred a thousand years ago. This is what I think may have happened if such a thing did happen, and how the future history of the B5 universe was changed and yet somehow not changed!
Since these stories are set in another dimension I'm only narrating the changes. To understand the stories better you have to watch the episode in question than see my stories as overlays. So whatever is going on in the backdrop of the story even if it doesn't get a mention is still going on in the background.
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Extra Note.
This story is primarily based on Babylon Squared even though it has some scenes that have been taken from War Without End Parts 1 and 2.
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Douglas Adams "There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."
Babylon4ever.
Opening narrative (spoken) by Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Sinclair.
It was the dawn of the third age of man. Ten years after the Earth- Minbari war. The Babylon Project was a dream given form.
Its goal was to be a place where Humans and Aliens could work out their differences peacefully.
A port of call, a home away from home, for diplomats, hustlers, wanderers, traders and Space Command. Humans and Aliens wrapped up in eight miles of floating ship, all alone in the night.
It can be a dangerous place, but it was our last best hope for peace.
This is the story of the Greatest of these stations, and the people whose lives were shaped by it.
The name of the place was Britannia 7.
Part One
"We'll swing back this way in a month," John Sheridan, Captain of the Earthforce ship Agamemnon said, swinging his chair round to look at the whole of his bridge area. "If those hijackers so much as blink in your direction, yell, and we'll be back in an instant!"
"Roger and thanks!"
"Agamemnon out!" Sheridan stood up and sighed. This raider problem appeared to be spreading and the Earthforce fleet seemed helpless to stop it! He looked at Corwin, a young Lieutenant, who somehow reminded him of himself when he was younger. "Initiate jump point into hyperspace!" he ordered.
"Jump point initiated sir. Coordinates?"
"Good. Set coordinates for Britannia 7." He smiled slightly. "I think they will be quite surprised to see us exiting their jump gate!"
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Harrington was more than a little irritated with his opposite number, Group Captain Catherine Meredith. For the last twenty-four hours she'd cordoned off the garden and let no one in but the gardeners, both Minbari and Colithian. He was sick of the complaints about it, even one from the Marach Ambassador Kal-Trango, which certainly surprised the Human, who didn't even know the Marach had returned after fleeing the Station during the Soul Hunter incident!
A smug looking Cath Meredith was waiting for them outside the main door to the Garden talking to Corinth. Sinclair was talking to Susan Ivanova and Garibaldi was just being Garibaldi!
As Harrington walked towards them, Delenn moved out of a side corridor and greeted him. "Commander Harrington, I think we will be impressed with whatever the Group Captain has to show us," the female Minbari said.
"And what makes you say that?" he asked, stopping for a moment while watching what the two Colithians were doing. They were talking in Minbari, which always made him suspicious, wondering what it was that they didn't want the Humans to know about.
"When a Worker will not tell a fellow Minbari what he is doing, and has sworn himself to silence in Torrac's name, then whatever he is doing is important. And I have spent a lot of time in the Garden watching whatever it is being built. Therefore whatever the Workers have been building will be very impressive." Which seemed Double-Dutch to the Human but obviously made complete sense to the Minbari.
Cath broke off her discussion with Corinth and gestured to everyone to gather around her. "As you probably know, I have been unavailable for a while, locked away in the Garden." She glanced at around at the pained looks on everyone's faces, conscious of the complaints they'd all had to deal with while she had managed to hide in the garden. Corinth had once again proved her worth, keeping the Group Captain up to date on the chaos her absence was causing, without even Garibaldi getting suspicious. "Well I'm going t'show you what both the gardeners and I have been planning for the last few months!"
"Oh good!" Garibaldi frowned. "Wondered when we'd find out!"
"You have to remember that in a few days time we are having a good will visit from the Agamemnon." She threw a filthy look at the Human security officer that shut him up before he could go on any further. "And since Tannia 7 is only a bog standard run of the mill mobile command centre, and the Agamemnon is one of Earthforce's flag ships, I thought I may as well do something spectacular with the Garden!"
"So what have you done then?" Susan inquired, keeping her own sarcasm under control.
"Follow me and you'll find out if you're desperate t'know!" Cath said, obviously not keeping her sarcasm under control and tapping an access code into the lock. The door opened and the party moved in to be confronted with a line of smiling Minbari. Jerrat, the Minbari head gardener gestured them to follow him.
They followed Jerrat and looked up to where he was pointing. "Oh my god!" Harrington was more than impressed, and so was everyone else if the other verbal responses were anything to go by.
"It's meant t'represent the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Jeff gave me the idea. I thought the Agamemnon's lot should be impressed!" the Colithian explained, grinning from ear to ear.
Now that the scaffolding was down, the covers off, and the planting complete, the whole effect was plain to see by everyone. The structure was sitting at a steep enough angle to appear to be a rock face studded with both Minbari crystalline rock and Colithian red granite/quartz. From behind the crystalline rock light shone through, giving the whole thing in effect a slightly surreal look.
But it was the plant life trailing down from where they had been planted, that was the most spectacular. Rare Minbari, Colithian and Earth plants appeared to cascade down the rock face to form waterfalls of colour. The plants twisted around strategically placed rocks to give the feel of movement, and the smell seemed as important in the overall plan as the colours themselves. The Humans could smell honeysuckle and roses; Delenn could smell Nethai, that rarest and most delicate of all Minbari perfumes!
It was Ivanova who finally dragged herself away from the new exhibit and looked at the Colithian in a new light." It's impressive, did you design it yourself?"
The Group Captain nodded. "As I said t'Michael once, a long time ago, when I retire I would like t'take up gardening!" She finished just as her watch buzzed. "Meredith!" Cath sighed.
"Commander!" It was Appleton's voice. " Could you come t'the control room please?"
The Colithian acknowledged him before glancing at the garden again. She shrugged at Harrington before moving off to find out what her 2IC wanted her to sort out this time!
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Grateful to escape, but worried about the current problem, the Group Captain made her way to the Control Room where Craig Appleton was waiting for her. Quickly he briefed her. "The tachyon signals are getting stronger, I suggest we send someone out to investigate?"
"Send a Fury out. If it's anything important then it'll look good if an Earthforce fighter finds the reason," the Group Captain agreed, and watched as Appleton sent out the orders.
Space was a strange place to live in she thought, full of anomalies and mysteries that were not even comprehensible, let alone vaguely understandable. Even her father had hinted of strange life forms beyond the stars, some who had been around since before time began! Maybe this was somehow connected with 'them'?
Then again, knowing her luck, it wasn't! But she could still remember her father coming back from a scouting mission and hugging her, and then telling her he loved her! The child had thought that the remark was incredibly stupid at the time. If her father didn't love her, why was she living with him and not her mother? Then slowly, over the years, her father had dropped hints of what had happened on that particular mission. Not deliberate hints of course, just in general conversation, but the mystery had stuck in her mind--
"Hungry?" Appleton's words cut into her thoughts.
The Group Captain's words made her think about food, and it didn't surprise her that she'd not eaten for almost twenty-four hours. The fasting had mucked her system up, and putting the last few touches to the garden had driven the hunger feeling away as well. If Ashe suddenly decided to give the Colithian a mini check-up then Cath knew she'd be back in the de-tox room faster than the speed of light!
The Colithian nodded. "Hungry? I think I'm meant t'be starving. You know, I just feel like tucking into a Spaghetti Bolognaise, followed by a Knickerbocker Glory!"
"You pig!" Appleton exclaimed, not actually knowing what Spaghetti Bolognaise was, but it sounded interesting.
Grinning at her Second in Command, the woman slipped her arm though his, and pulled gently. "Come on, I'll treat you to a Spag-boll. You can blame Garibaldi for this. It's his fault, keeps cooking absolutely fabulous Earth food!"
"You mean Earth food is edible!"
"I'll tell him that next time I see him if you want!"
"I'd rather just eat!" the man laughed. "And it's my treat this time."
"Well I'll buy the beer then!"
"Now that's the best idea I've heard in ages!" Appleton replied, glancing around the Control room for one last time, before allowing himself to be lead away from his work place, and moving in the direction of the Kendalian for a pint!
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"How's the reccie getting on?" Susan Ivanova asked the moment she came back from her lunch break. Squadron Leader Julian Sutherland slipped in just behind her, trying not to look impressed at the speed which the Human had picked up the Colithian's vocabulary. It seemed the Human-Colithian phrase book he'd once caught her reading in the sly was having an effect, at least they were all speaking the same technical language now.
Appleton looked up from his console and nodded. " Nothing yet, but it's only just over an hour and a half since Alpha VII left. The problem with Furies, you know, is that they are so slow compared to a Harrier, or even a Rover, that it takes them twice as long t'go anywhere fast!"
"Message coming through from Fury." A voice reached them before Ivanova could defend the reputation of the Earthforce craft. "Am putting it on audio."
"No! That's not possible! That can't be, it just can't be!" the pilot was screaming in desperation. The effect on the people in the Control room was instant, many of them had worked in this job throughout the time When the Sky was Full of Stars, and some had worked in these jobs in another conflict. They became quiet and a few looked at Appleton for guidance.
"Maintain contact!" Appleton informed his staff as Ivanova instantly raised her watch to her lips and called Harrington.
"No, no it's not possible, please say --," and the panic in the man's voice was evident. He carried on speaking gibberish for a few moments more. Than the only thing that could be heard was a silence.
Craig Appleton walked over to one of the consoles. "Scramble a rescue team, link to computer coordinates I'm sending, launch when ready!" He informed Eyeball of the latest launch while Susan Ivanova ordered the Colithians to keep trying to re-establish contact, and then went on to contact Harrington about the current situation.
Within minutes Tannia 7's Commander appeared, followed by the Colithian Group Captain, and Susan quickly briefed them on the strange events. "Another signal being patched through via the IG unit, seems they picked it up when Alpha VIII was transmitting, taken them a few moments to translate it!" Appleton had his hand on his ear again.
"Patch it through then!" Cath's voice sounded around the room.
"They're coming for us, repeat they're coming for us--." The voice seemed to be Susan Ivanova's, but the sounds surrounding her indicated the station was being attacked, and more importantly, destroyed. "This is ISA Station Britannia 7, sending out a general SOS. Repeat--."
Another voice behind her shouted, "Shuttle leaving docking bay 2L---."
"Thank god they're getting away! Right, target anything tha'st going to get in their way, or looks as if it's going to stop them from escaping. Lets give them the chance to get away in one piece." For a moment Susan's voice seemed calmer and then just as she began to send out another SOS, an explosion could be heard reverberating around the Control room and the transmission ceased.
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The Harrier sped through space towards Sector 14. Delta Relay followed the coordinates given by the Control room, and while still keeping in contact with the OP's room the pilot finally located the disabled Starfury. Swinging round to investigate, the pilot could see no signs of life and sent his report back to the station. One thing of interest he did notice though, the Starfury was on automatic and heading back to Britannia 7 under it's own steam!"
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The shocked look on Susan Ivanova's face said it all. "What was all that about?
"Don't know, but what I do want to know is, what is an 'ISA'?" Cath said.
"Sounds like a savings plan of some sort?" Appleton said, equally stunned, he was sure it sounded like his voice in the background. "Check voice recognition program, see if we can identify the speakers."
"Voice recognition confirmed," the computer told them. "Lieutenant Commander Susan Ivanova and Group Captain Craig Appleton."
"Computer can you date the transmission?" Harrington inquired, knowing all Earthforce transmissions were date coded.
"Transmission date unknown, time date is scrambled due to faulty program."
"Times like this I wish I'd listened t'what my mother used to say," the Group Captain sighed when the computer finished its analysis.
"Why? What did she say?" Ivanova asked curiously, expecting Cath to utter some interesting Colithian words of wisdom.
"I don't know, I didn't listen!"
They were interrupted by a voice from one of the consoles. "Alpha VIII coming into range, no life forms detected!"
"Double check that!" Appleton instructed his staff.
"Confirmation from Matrix, no life forms detected!"
"Put it on automatic landing program."
"Automatic landing program initiated, tractor beam activated."
Having kept quiet while the experts went about their jobs, Harrington decided it was time he took over. "Susan make sure that Doctor Franklin is ready in Med Lab just in case!" He turned to look at the Colithian Commander who was now looking decidedly worried.
"I'm sorry, I sent him out, and I'm responsible--!"
"Don't blame yourself Cath, You couldn't have known. Look, it was a good thought but he was Earthforce and knew the dangers of space."
"I hope Earth Central is as understanding as you are then," she finished, moving towards her office. "Keep me informed of anything else that crops up."
Harrington followed the Colithian into her office and watched as she made a brew. As she sat down, while looking at him as if he'd grown two heads, he began to speak. "Look Cath, I know you're under a lot of pressure at the moment, what with this 'good will visit' and the audit I know you've got coming. But if the roles were reserved than I'd have done the same as you."
"Tom, I overstepped the mark, I sent a Human out to his death. He was Earthforce, not Space Command; I had no jurisdiction over him. I may as well have shot him myself!"
"Hell Cath, you're my chief liaison officer, my unofficial second in command, and you're as experienced as anybody I know. If I didn't think you were capable of doing this job, well I --."
"Words of honey Tom?" The Group Captain stood up. "No matter who I know in Command and no matter who I mix with, the buck stops with me. I stand alone, by myself. But," she smiled, "thanks for your words of comfort." Cath took a sip of tea before carrying on. "I've come to believe that our two races can work together to sort problems out you know," the woman finished with a smile.
"That's the spirit. We'll work this out, and don't worry too much. Remember worse things happen at sea!"
Cath looked at the pile of paperwork that had been dumped on her desk in her absence and sighed. "Don't know about that, seems it happens in space as well!"
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Babylon4ever
Part Two
Na'toth had informed G'kar that the Colithian he wanted to see was in one of the small cafés that lead off from the main Zocalo area. Making his way there he paused for a moment to study his subject. It was hard to believe that this woman was an Ambassador. The woman was sitting quietly by herself reading some paperwork and drinking tea. Her clothes were not what he'd come to expect an Ambassador to wear either, a trouser suit made of something he'd heard Humans describe as denim, and a light blue T-shirt. At least she wasn't wearing one of those infernal back to front headbands a lot of her people seemed to think was de-rigour. Instead her long brown hair was swept up into a high ponytail and finished of with a light blue scrunchy.
"Ambassador Richards, may I speak to you privately?" he asked in his friendliest voice. The woman looked up from her paperwork and gazed at him for a moment as she tried to recognise the Narn facial markings. Oh G'Quan he thought. If he didn't know better he'd have said he was talking to Corinth Richards, the two women looked so alike, even down to the colour of their eyes.
"If you wish Ambassador G'kar," Sphere Richards voice cut through his thoughts. "I must apologise if I don't seem t'wish to leave this table, but I'm waiting for Corinth to join me. Besides, what is so important the you need t'talk to me in private?" She clearly looked and sounded puzzled.
Shrewd enough to know he wouldn't be able to get the woman to move away he sat down opposite her. Refusing her offer of a pot of tea he went on. "Ambassador my government feels it is time they began to negotiate some trade treaties with your people. The Narn are particularly taken with the red, granite/quartz your planet has in abundance--."
The Colithian held up her hand to stop him. "Before you go on Ambassador G'kar, I am not an Ambassador, only an aide--."
"But you are the Government representative of your people, you deal with their affairs don't you?" The woman's words had managed to throw the Narn off his thread and he wasn't happy about it.
"You are right Ambassador, I am here t'help my people with any problems they may encounter, but Delenn, as the Minbari Ambassador, is the one you must deal with if you wish t'sort out any kind of trade deal. She is after all the head of 'our' diplomatic section."
"Deal through the Minbari Delenn?" This was not the answer the Narn had expected.
"Yes the Minbari Delenn. At least this morning she was my superior, unless she has been replaced, if not then you will still have t'deal with her tomorrow as well!" The Colithian looked thoughtful for a moment, "I know we have a trade delegation who would be more than ready to go to the Narn Homeworld to begin negotiations, and of course you could also contact Commander Meredith and ask for her advice as well!"
The Narn sensed he was being laughed at with the Colithian's last remark. He remembered quite vividly the way the Group Captain had cornered him and spat him out of her presence. Knowing he wasn't going to get any further with this conversation, he decided to ask a question that had been nagging him and his government for some time. " Miss Richards, in all the years our people have known about yours, why do your people hide behind the coat tails of the Minbari?"
The Mayji's eyes narrowed slightly. G'kar felt an incredible feeling of fear build up inside and discovered he'd just said the wrong thing, to the wrong person, at the wrong time. "Ambassador G'kar understand this, we are free people who walk where we wish. We left out Homeworld to escape the chains of an alien government; we are bound by belief and prophecy, not necessity. Do not mock the friendship that exists between Valen's two peoples, or one day you - lost, alone and a slave again, you will wish you had heeded my words and the words of G'Quan." The Colithian glanced over the shoulder of the big Narn and saw Corinth just entering the room looking for her. "Now if you will excuse me, my sister is here which is why you were able t'find me so easily!"
The Narn was glad of the chance to escape the Colithian Mayji, who just by looking at him had scared the Narn witless. Whatever a Mayji truly was, it was frightening. From now on, he decided, he was going to make sure he did not get on the wrong side of that one again!
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"So you're an Ambassadorial aide now are you?" Corinth queried, as she slipped into the seat the Narn had just vacated
The Mayji smiled at her sister's remark. "It was necessary to for me have a reason for being here and it was the best one we could think of!"
"So go on then, tell me, why are you here? And I don't mean as a diplomatic aide."
"I was chosen and sent by Elizabeth, as for the rest I don't know." The dark haired Colithian poured the freshly delivered tea into the two cups on the table. Corinth accepted hers with obvious pleasure and waited for her sister to carry on speaking. "I wish I was still at the Citadel though, I'm finding it hard living here, there is so much sadness, hatred and fear in this place. I think it was a bad idea t'bring so many different races together. Most of them that are here hate each other's guts. At least at the Citadel I could find some quiet in the garden. Here there are too many signatures to pick up and to many dark visions to see!"
"I wish I could see into the future, maybe if I could I wouldn't have ended up on Earth in the position I was!" the Squadron Leader sighed, sipping the tea and letting the tension seep out of her body. "Friendless, alone and helpless."
"But you weren't on your own on Earth, I was with you," the Mayji said refilling her cup. "I helped you through the pain and fear, and I saved you life once!"
The blonde haired Colithian snorted slightly, before dunking a ginger nut into her tea to soften it. "Were you and did you?" She laughed softly, the disbelief clearly showing in her gesture.
"On one occasion you almost died, but you didn't. Don't you remember?" Corinth shook her head in amazement. "Good!" her sister went on. "But that is because I was able t'hide the memory, but I'll tell you anyway. They beat you up, broke bones, than they strapped you to a chair. For five days you were kept awake, but you still refused to help. So they stopped feeding you intravenously, but they did allow you to sleep--."
"That happened on more than one occasion, so what's so different about this one?"
"That was the point where I was able t'help. You were still being stubborn, so after yet another failed telepathic scan, you were locked in a dark room with nothing to sustain you.
"I vaguely remember the incident, I seem t'remember waking up in the Medical centre being fussed over."
"That's the one." Sphere pointed a finger at her sister. You were starved, and without any covering you had been thrown into a cell and left. Except that it was a week before you were dragged out, badly dehydrated and in a coma, barely alive. When they came t'get you, they found you were dying and they panicked. You were taken to a medical centre of some kind and nursed back t'heath. But for me being with you, you would have died at that point!" The Mayji stopped speaking while she studied the surprised look on her sister's face. Reaching out to touch her sibling's hand, she went on. "Corinth, you are what you are, just as I am what I am, but you are still my elder sister and nothing can change that either!"
"So what does that make me, a piece of shit on the toe of destiny?" Corinth asked then paused in full sentence, and glanced at her sister. Sphere was no longer maintaining eye contact. The Mayji always looked straight at people almost as if she could read their minds, but now she was glancing away, glancing at everything including her feet, but not at her sister.
For a moment Corinth seemed puzzled, then it began to dawn on her and the truth hit her full in the face. "You knew didn't you? You weren't just with me, you knew before me! You keep saying we're more than just sisters right? So why didn't you tell me, forewarned me of what I was going to go though so I could have avoided the last ten years?" Anger boiled over in the woman's mind, one simple word from her sibling would have stopped her living hell. "You bitch, get out of my life and never come back! I don't want t'see you ever again!" Corinth was shouting now and she didn't care if everyone heard what she was saying. Fighting back the tears she pushed the chair back, spilling some of the tea in the process, and ran off leaving the Mayji on her own.
The Mayji cursed herself in Morrell's name. It had been a mistake telling her sister she'd been with her. Of course she'd known, well before Corinth had deserted she'd known all about her sister's future actions. And it had caused her many a sleepless night!
There had been a meeting in the Citadel, questions had been being asked, and one of them was aimed at her. Sphere's response had been so bad the group had asked if there were any problems going on in their companion's life they should know about? Unable to lie in front of the gathering she told them of what she knew. "So what's your problem?" the group had asked. "You stand on Elizabeth's prophases don't you? You have vowed never to use your 'Gifts' for personal gain!" Sphere had agreed but in the end had insisted on seeing Elizabeth herself.
The ancient prophet had listened and said exactly the same as every one else, "So what's the problem?" When the Mayji had tried to explain, Elizabeth had held her hand up and spoke about a long ago time. "Valen too knew about the future, a letter could have changed it, stopped a war between Human and Minbari. But did he inform Dukhat or Delenn? No, because he knew better, he knew it would change the future forever and that was always his greatest fear, changing what will be!"
So that was it, bound by vows, tied by her beliefs and crippled with fear, Sphere had not said a thing, in fact she'd cancelled the last meeting the sisters were to have for almost fifteen years, so she couldn't 'accidentally' betray her knowledge. Then word had come back to the Citadel about Corinth's desertion, and the Sphere been overcome with anguish. Eventually an idea had formed, if she couldn't tell her sister of what was in store for her, and then she could at least use her 'gifts' to help Corinth through the times ahead!
It had worked, but the cost to the Mayji had been high, and when Corinth was released into Harrington's care, Sphere had promised herself that she would never put herself in that position again. And it was a promise she intended to keep.
Leaving the café, the Mayji was halfway to Paul Bremner's quarters when the vision struck her. It was stronger this time, strong enough for her to gasp slightly. She had prayed it wasn't true, but in the end she could not deny what she was seeing. This was going to be awkward. The Group Captain had asked if she could be with the Agamemnon welcoming party, but this was more important than that. It was no good, the Mayji decided, she would have to return to the Citadel as soon as she had seen Bremner and whether she liked it or not, this vision was just to important to keep to herself!
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Harrington returned to his quarters and was met by the sight of his fiancée crying her eyes out on the sofa. Reacting to something he hadn't seen for a long time he sat down next to her. Immediately she wrapped her arms around him and continued to cry on his shoulders. "What's up honey?" he asked, wondering what had upset her this time.
Between sobs the Colithian explained what had passed between her and her sister. "--she could have stopped me from leaving for Earth and going through what I did. She could have--!"
"And if you'd returned back when you were ordered what would have awaited you then?" Harrington stated. "A Court Marshall for striking a superior officer? And what about the charge of desertion, what would they have done to you then?"
Sitting upright Corinth wiped the tears away; her fiancé's question had made her stop and think. " Look, at the most they'd have had me dishonourably discharged --."
"And at the very least?"
"At the very least I'd have spent a few years slogging my guts out doing hard labour at Haverigg and then I'd have probably been discharged. But at least I'd still have had my nationality, which would have meant I could have drawn on my people's help as and when I needed it!"
"But you'd not be with me!" the Human stated, slipping his arms around the woman and felt her beginning to relax at last. "And you wouldn't have been in Earthforce, I doubt if you'd have been able to rejoin and then what? Admit it Corinth, what brought you to Earth, brought us together, and what you went through kept us together, this has to be your Is'til'zha!" He stroked her hair. "And don't think you suffered alone either, in my own way I was living the same hell with you. One moment we were happy together, talking about marriage and the next you were dragged from our bed and yanked out of my life. I was frantic with worry trying to find out where you'd been taken, I made enemies I'd never even heard of. With Jeff's help I found out where you were being held and managed to get a pass to see you. When I saw the condition you were in I wanted to kill Scarface myself and when you were posted back to me, I felt I should personally hunt down all those who'd hurt you. Each time I looked at you for the first few years and thought about what you must have gone through I died a little inside. And when Jeff hurt you during the Martian food riots I was ready to kill him as well, the only thing that stopped me was your express wish I should leave things be!"
His words seemed to have the desired affect; Corinth sat up and dried her tears, "There! Isn't that better? Anyway you can't be all red-eyed at the Fresh Aire in half an hour!" he finished, as he managed to untangle himself from his fiancée's arms and stand up.
"Valen shan taa, I forgot it was our anniversary. I'm sorry Tom, I haven't got you anything!" the Colithian seemed to panic a bit
"Then you can show me how much you love me when we get back!" the Human reassured her grabbing her hand to pull her up as well. "Go and get ready, I'll get the reservation put back half an hour!"
"Will they do that?" Corinth inquired, mindful of the fact the Fresh Air had a 'No Time Change' rule and they always kept to it regardless of the excuse. Basically it went, 'miss your slot, miss your meal' as Garibaldi had once put it.
"It's one of the privileges of being Tannia 7's Commander that I can book and change my reservation with very little notice."
"Then how about a bit of desert before we go for our meal?" the woman said seductively, rubbing her body gently against his.
"Pudding first, desert later!" Harrington informed her sternly, but a smile crept into his eyes. "Now go and get yourself ready or we'll be late!"
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Sinclair watched Harrington and Corinth take their places in the Fresh Air restaurant, then returned to the conversation he was having with his fiancée Catherine Sakai,
"I don't know whether to keep my own surname, add Sinclair to it, or just go for Sinclair!" the Oriental woman went on. "What do you think?
"Well it's up to you, but how serious are you about getting married, I mean how much are you going to commit to our union?" he finished, looking at Corinth handing the menu back to the Head Waiter before breaking out in a fit of giggles at something her fiancé had said.
Catherine Sakai glared at her companion. "Are you trying to wriggle out of our engagement?
"Oh no Catherine, don't get me wrong," Sinclair sounded horrified at her interpretation of his comments. "I love you and I want to commit myself, it's just that Colithian women change their surnames to match their husband's, just like they used to do on Earth, it's a kind of commitment for them."
"So you're saying I should adapt another culture's ideas?"
"No, but I think Catherine Sinclair sounds a lot better then Sakai-Sinclair any day."
The small Oriental woman turned his words over in her mind then broke out into a big smile. "Catherine Sinclair, yes it sounds very good. Thanks Jeff," she raised her glass and Sinclair did the same. "To us then, Catherine and Jeffrey Sinclair."
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The dead body of Alpha VII's pilot was transferred from the autopsy unit to the Cryo unit. Franklin had no problems getting access this time, there was no great hulking brutes guarding the unit. But the result was the same, investigating and reasoning all he could to discover why the pilot had died, the end results more than surprised him. Still in shock, he contacted Garibaldi.
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The Colithian Group Captain took her best uniform out of the Wardrobe and looked at it. It needed another ring put on the sleeve, but at least she wasn't as bad as Craig Appleton. Her Second-in-command was having to have a new uniform made in double quick time. It had been so long since he needed to wear his uniform he'd actually lost track of it. Even Angela, his wife, currently serving in Trainer Command while their children grew up, had to confess to her frantic husband she didn't have it!
Cath touched each rank ring in turn remembering each and every promotion. From the empty sleeve of a cadet, to the single broken ring of a pilot officer, through the first full ring of a flight office and then the added broken one of a Flying officer. Eventually she wore the twin rings of a Flight Lieutenant, followed much later by the twin rings and single broken ring of a Squadron Leader. Then promotion and posting to Britannia 7 and the three rings of a Wing Commander. And now the soon to be added broken ring of a Group Captain! She should have had it put on when the Minbari delegation came with Lennon's body, but she'd not had a chance to do it. This time though there was no excuse, not when the orders came from the C-in-C Linda Tate herself. Laying her uniform carefully over her arm the Group Captain made her way to the tailors, then cursed when her watch beeped.
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Captain John Sheridan carefully took his uniform out of its protective wrapping and checked it closely for damage. It had been a while since he'd had to wear it, and like the rest of his uniform it had to be 'just right'.
Which brought him back to the problem of whom he should include in the command party and that made him think of Corwin again. The young man had the potential to go far, if he had the right training. Yes, it would be a good idea if Corwin was involved in this 'good will' visit, but Sheridan would have explain to the young man some things about the protocol involved in this situation. When he was next on duty Sheridan decided to inform the young Lieutenant of his decision and Corwin's reaction would be interesting to say the least.
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"There was no damage to the body, no shock, no trauma. Everything points to death by natural causes," Garibaldi explained to the command group gathered together at the emergency meeting in Cath Meredith's office.
"So what are you trying to say?" Cath inquired. "That the man died of old age?"
"Looks that way," the security officer agreed. "Steven's report says that nothing was obvious on the outside of the body, but when he opened the body up, well the internal organs were like that of a man three times his real age!"
Susan Ivanova interrupted the conversation. "Sir, I recommend we send a team to investigate this phenomena."
"And I don't agree Susan, at least not yet, not until we have a better idea of what we're facing. Meanwhile, Jeff I suggest we have all traffic re-routed around sector 14, so you see to that." Harrington went on handing his orders out. "Michael I want you to make sure any fuss is kept to a minimum, ditto Corinth, we know something fatal happened out there, and I want to find out what, but I don't want any panic to spread around the station. We all remember what happened when we had a Soul Hunter on board."
"I'll contact Command and tell them of your orders," Cath stated, getting up and nodding in the direction of the Colithian Security officer. "Meanwhile I'll see if I can find out anything else for you."
"Do that, and let's try to keep everything in proportion, the 'Good Will' visit occurs in two days time and I want it to go as smoothly as possible!" Harrington emphasised just before the group filled out of the room.
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Babylon4ever
Part Three
"I met your mother once," Sheridan said casually, as they stood on the promenade overlooking the garden. He was impressed with it, but then again he was impressed with the whole station. It remanded him of the 'Pandora's Box' story his mother used to tell him as a child.
When he'd first brought the Agamemnon, the pride of Earthforce, into line with the Colithian station, Britannia 7, he'd been unimpressed. After all it looked like a long rectangular worm, with one bit twice as large as the rest. In actual fact, it didn't even seem possible that the station should be able to have any gravity because it didn't revolve.
That had been the first of many surprises for the entire Agamemnon crew. A quick tour of the station by both the Agamemnon and the Britannia 7 command staff had brought them to the Garden. Sheridan had heard a great deal about it, but until he was actually looking at it, he'd thought it was an over exaggeration caused by the Colithians wanting o create a greater impression than could be anticipated. In fact he was wrong, the garden was more impressive than he could ever personally have anticipated.
The Colithian Commander, Group Captain Meredith, stood next to him, her blue/grey uniform almost seemed plain in comparison to his. Yet she was the equivalent in rank to him, if he had the Command structure right.
Cath turned to look at him with a puzzled look on her face. "You've met my mother?" her voice echoing her bewilderment. Cath wasn't even aware that her mother had even been to Earth, let alone met this Human!
"Yes, I was there when she received the token Battle of the Line medal on behalf of your people. I see you're wearing it. Is it customary to hand such medal honours down the female line?"
"No," maybe her mother had met this talkative Human, but a long ago memory had begun to peep out of its hidey-hole and trigger Cath's own memory for her.
"It's strange really, she didn't seem impressed with all the ceremony, just like you," this was one observation he'd made about the Colithian and he could sympathise with her. "And after it was over I met her on the veranda overlooking Earthdome, and I tried to ask her questions about herself and her people. I think it's important that we get to know the differences in out two cultures, may save another war. I'm trying to think what she said to me --."
"Do you always babble on a lot, or is it part of your Earthforce training?"
Sheridan burst out laughing. "Yes, come to think about it, that's what she said!"
"My mother is fine and I was the poor sod who had to be put though the mill to satisfy diplomacy. And I see you still can't shut up!"
Sheridan knew he should have been insulted by the Group Captain's words, but the Colithian was smiling in such a way that he found he had to laugh with her! "It was you?" The revelation that the woman he'd met all those years ago was standing next to him made him go quiet for a moment. "But that was over ten years ago and you don't look ten years older." Sheridan looked more closely at the Group Captain. He'd heard of the longevity of the Colithian race, but had put it down to them having a shorter year. Now he wasn't so certain!
"You do though," the Colithian countered, "and I can assure you that I was sixty-six at the time and a Squadron Leader. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life having to receive this!" She pointed to the medal on her chest. "If Earth Central hadn't kept pestering our government to award our people some form of decoration, I'd have never been dropped in it from a great height! But that's life and life must go on."
Sheridan laughed to himself. Yes the Group Captain was straightforward and forthright, yet her big brown eyes and childlike face softened the effect. It seemed the woman was one of those people you could never really get angry with, and in truth he sensed he would be able to get along with her just fine.
Over the Colithian's shoulders he saw Harrington gesturing them to move on. The next part of the itinerary was a dinner in honour of the joint project they were moving through. Touching the woman's shoulder, he nodded in the direction of the retreating party. The Human held his arm out politely, and getting the message the Group Captain nodded and linked her arm through his while trying to ignore all the questions he was firing at her. If only he would give her chance to answer!
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Fred the Streeebe was looking out of the observation window, its head cocked to one side in apparent contemplation.
"I see a new star forming, and yet passing in the night.
Time is a loop; we stand at the join.
What is-was, what was - will be, what will be- is now."
The Streeebe turned to the party as they made their way to the function room, its strange black eyes seeming to look into their minds.
"The star will fade, the faith continues,
The change begins, the truth revealed.
Destinies will be revealed, Catherine Meredith,
You and others in Valen's Name!"
It fixed its gaze on Sheridan, "We have waited for you to fulfil your destiny, begin now or the past will fade and die, and all that is, will be lost!" Fred smiled at the Group Captain before finally loping away in the opposite direction.
"What was all that about?" Sheridan asked in amazement. As aliens went the Streeebe seemed about as alien as you could get!
"I don't know," the Colithian confessed shaking her head, "but between the Vorlon and the Streeebe, well truth be told, I think they're both in need of a large dose of plain English."
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The meal had progressed well. At first it seem stilted and false, but as the evening progressed the atmosphere began to thaw out. Sheridan's main observation was the way the Colithians ate with their cutlery, using with practised ease their knives and forks in the opposite hand to him, almost like the Europeans did. The Earthforce Captain had also briefed his staff on what could be classed as taboo subjects, but this was a military gathering and inevitably the talk turned to military matters and eventually fighting tactics.
Cath took a sip of wine and went on. "So there I was, flying as fast as I could, being chased by this prototype Minbari fighter and Max telling me we're going fast. So I say that the only thing keeping us alive at the moment was the speed we're flying and it was also stopping the Minbari from flying up our rear end!" This last remark caused the party to break out into a fit of laughter. "At this point he tells me the bleeding obvious, that our left engine had just flamed out and the other is about to." She paused while she smiled herself, and then went on. "So I said, how about finding us some nice hilly area, or something? This bugger was getting too close for comfort. So using the satellite we'd bunged into orbit, Max managed to find a lake up ahead surrounded by mountains, so I told him we're going t'head there and ditch. See, the Minbari was following us move for move, so I gambled that if we suddenly changed the angle of descent, we could catch him off guard and he'd hit the water. Boom." She flung her hands up slightly. "Mind you Max, great navigator that he is, sussed out what I was planning, wasn't happy with my decision and told me so! To which I replied keeping my eyes on the controls, "If you're not careful Max you're going t'die of old age!"
Sheridan thought it was funny and couldn't stop laughing, He gestured to a waiter and had his glass refilled, and then told the rest of the party a story about a cat!
Corwin kept glancing at the Group Captain, fascinated by the woman's war stories. He'd seen the medal ribbons on her chest and one in particular caught his eye. Finally when Sheridan had finished the cat story and everyone had calmed down he spoke, "I see you're wearing the Battle of the Line medal. I was too young at the time but it must have been exciting ---."
"I don't know about exciting, but I didn't do much, not to deserve this," she pointed to the medal ribbon. "I got a confirmed, a possible and a probable, but my main memory of the time when The Sky was Full of Star consists of being ordered to dive into the atmosphere and down a Marach bomber determined to wipe out the Earth government. Beyond that nothing--."
Sheridan threw an angry look at his young crewmember. This was what he'd personally told his crew not talk about, but obviously it hadn't sunk into the young Lieutenant's memory. He was about to apologise when an orderly moved silently across the floor to the Group Captain's side and whispering something into her ear.
The Colithian nodded, then looked to the rest of the party, "Look, something's come up, I'll be back shortly," she apologised. "Sorry about this!" Putting her napkin onto the table she stood up and left the room.
Something about her manner made Harrington suspicious. "I think now is a good time to finish this meal, Captain Sheridan," he went on, getting up and holding his hand out. "You have my permission to give your people shore leave and I will see you before you depart. Feel free to explore the station. If you get into anything you're not meant to, don't worry, the Colithians will tell you!"
"Commander Harrington," Sheridan stood up and moved towards the speaker. "With all due respect, I'm not blind and I have sensed something wrong all day, will you tell me what's going on?"
"I think the best way of explaining what's going on is for you to see for yourself. And if it's what I think it is then I think you will be very interested. Jeff, Corinth, Michael and Susan come with me. Everyone else is dismissed"
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"The tachyon particles are still increasing, and now a long range probe has detected a 'something'?" Appleton explained in Minbari.
"Can we see it on screen?" the woman replied in the same language, just as some members of the dinner party entered the control room.
"The signals coming in are both audio and video," Appleton confirmed.
"Ok, patch Eyeball visual through, we'll sort it out from here!" Cath said taking charge of the situation. This was her territory and she was glad Harrington wasn't interfering with it.
One of the tec's nodded, typed something into the computer, and waited. Sheridan watched as the large flat open space in the middle of the Command centre shimmered and came to life. After a moment it threw up a 3D picture of the 'something'!
"Oh my god, it's Babylon 4!" Sinclair stated, staring at the 'something.' At least to him it looked the same as the computer generated pictures of the station.
Susan Ivanova's mouth fell open in amazement at the display; this was something that Appleton hadn't told her about in all the time he'd been training her up. She decided to have words with him later and find out what else he wasn't telling her about the Control room's functions!
"Check for recognised squawk!" the Group Captain said in English, not certain if she'd heard her friend properly.
"Squawk detected," a pause then, "squawk unknown!"
"Look, there has to be some way of checking t'see if it is real or not!" Cath said, beginning to sound exasperated.
"There is," Sinclair confirmed. "Can you retrieve the secure code for the station from the memory banks?" he finished, remembering that Command had insisted on downloading a lot of Earthforce records 'just in case' and this seemed to be one of those moments now.
"How so?" Sheridan butted in, finally tuning his attention from the hologram to the conversation. Just how advanced were the Colithians he wondered, and what else were they capable of showing him?
"Ever since the Trade War, every Earthforce Command and Control centre was configured to broadcast its ID code on a sub-channel," Sinclair explained.
"That was to prevent counterfeit orders being sent by the enemy and interpreted as real," Garibaldi finished, and watched a slight smile creep over Harrington's face at the double act.
Absorbing the new information with interest the Colithian turned to one of the tec's and nodded. "Check Earthforce archives!"
"Archives being checked, - checking for Babylon 4 now -." A Colithian Flight Sergeant was working on this one. "Archives have result. Unknown squawk is recognised!" The woman turned in her chair to look directly at Sinclair. "Unknown squawk is Babylon 4?"
Appleton had his hand on his ear, evidently listening to something. "Audio signal coming though," he informed the stunned room as his expression changed from shock to surprise!
Cath had seen her 2IC's expression change and was curious to find out what had caused it. "Patch it through then!"
The signal was weak and seemed to break up easily. After some fiddling around by a corporal, the words became clearer. As the message filled the control room, all the Colithian's in the room began to look in Catherine Meredith's direction and stared opened mouthed at her. Cath went as pale as a sheet and looked equally stunned as what appeared to be a message in Minbari.
"Van'torlacc ragel da Valen shan taa, shel Is'til'zha yan'tel."
Sheridan couldn't understand why the Colithians were just staring at their commanding officer and wondered what the contents of the message were. "What do they mean?" he finally asked Corinth Richards who now stood by his side, looking equally as stunned as everybody else.
The Colithian shook her head slightly, looked at him than began to explain, "Chosen of Valen, In Valen's Name, come and seek your future-destiny!"
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The Vorlon moved from the Alien sector into the Diplomatic area. It paused outside the Minbari Ambassador's quarters and activated the doorbell.
Delenn opened the door and looked surprised as the Vorlon entered. After a moment's hesitation the Sati nodded, and as the Vorlon turned to leave, she was already beginning to compose a letter to the Grey Council.
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"Valen's shadow! " the Colithian in question said, after the words had finally sunk in! She was being invited to board a station that had never been built. And yet she somehow knew she should be doing as the message had said. Finally she came to a decision. With a mischievous grin on her face she looked at Appleton. "Ok then, sort me out a Harrier, I'll go and find out what this is all about!"
"You mean your going to investigate it by yourself?" Sheridan asked.
"Yes, why?" The Group Captain was at a loss to understand the question. The message was directed at her and her alone. So what did it have to do with this Human?
"Because it may affect the security of the station, which is still the responsibility of the Colithians!" Harrington explained before Cath could open her mouth again. "And I agree with the Group Captain, I think we should investigate the," he pointed to the hologram, "station. But I think we should get a group together for safety reasons, rather than you risking your life on your own. After all, we don't know what to expect do we, and it may be a Marach Trap!"
The argument was good and the Colithian nodded. She knew Harrington had been briefed by the C-in-C about the previous Marach assassination attempts and other 'accidents' in her life. "Ok Craig, sort me out a Rover and I'll take a Fish as well."
"I'm volunteering to go!" Sinclair exclaimed. "I'm not going to loose you that easily," he finished, remembering the effort he'd had to put in keeping her safe in the lead up to the Acceptance ceremony, and didn't want it to go to waste so soon. "And I think Garibaldi would like to go as well."
The Human security officer nodded, but the Colithian security officer shook her head. "I've got things to do!" she admitted and the Group Captain nodded.
"OK then! Well," Cath turned to face the small group, "I'll meet you all in the Rover hanger then. And Jeff, will you be my co--."
"Permission to accompany you on the mission?" Sheridan broke in. "Look I'd like to go with you, to observe how your people handle these situations. And maybe --."
"Spy on us?" Cath laughed.
"With all due respect Group Captain, I thought we could use this situation to try and develop closer working relationships between our two peoples, but I'm no spy and --."
The Colithian had already looked at Harrington who shrugged. The message he'd sent was clear, it was up the Group Captain who she took with her. "Yes, go on then!" she sighed. "But you'll need to change into something less formal. I mean I'm not going dressed up like a dog's dinner!"
"Commander!" Appleton broke in. "The 'rift' is producing tachyon particles. Science has always had us believe these are connected with time travel, and the info we have t'date backs this up."
"Meaning?"
"Watch you don't bump into yourself coming back!" he warned, but a smile crept over his face as he made a joke of the situation.
Laughing, the Colithian turned to one of the operatives. "Will you take Captain Sheridan first to the Agamemnon and then onto the Rover hangers?" she asked. The man nodded and gestured to the Earthforce officer to follow him.
"One last thing Susan, Appleton," Sinclair cut in, "if you don't hear from us in eight hours time then contact both Earth Central and GCHQ and tell them everything you know, but do not send out any more ships!"
"Good idea Jeff!" Cath agreed, and looked at her 2IC mooching around at his console.
Appleton reached into his desk drawer, "You said you were going to use a Fish." He handed her a small dark thumbnail piece of light brown putty.
Breathing gently onto it, the Colithian pushed it carefully into her ear, feeling it shape itself in her ear cavity. After a moment she heard the mainframe computer going through the opening checks and when it had finished she nodded. "Connected."
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"What's that thing, the thing in your ear?" Harrington asked, as the party walked towards their quarters. They had all decided to change into something more comfortable.
"Oh you mean the Babel Fish? Well it's a translation device and it doubles up as a connection to the mainframe. That means I can get continual updates without anyone else finding out!"
"Handy if you're hiding something?" he suggested
"Depends on what you're hiding!" she retorted, as they came level with his quarters. "See you later then!"
"So what are you hiding Catherine Meredith?" he asked himself once he was safely in his quarters. "Just what are you hiding?"
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Sheridan had returned from the Agamemnon in his normal attire, glad to be out of the impressive, but restrictive, dress uniform. Following his guide, he found himself in the designated hanger and watched the normal activity around him with interest. What shocked him at first was that the outer launch doors seemed to be missing and he had a clear view of the stars through the gap. More interesting was the fact that the hanger wasn't suffering any kind of decompression and people were even walking in front of the gap without any ill effects. Deciding it was safe to walk about, he did a quick reconnaissance of the hanger and was impressed at its size. Garibaldi joined him a few minutes later with Harrington in tow. Now all they had to wait for was the two pilots.
Sinclair reached hanger 12A before the Group Captain. He was talking to Sheridan when he noticed Cath slowly walking towards them, talking to a Maintenance Engineer. The woman was dressed in flight overalls, her wings clearly visible over her left breast, and her rank was shown on her epaulets.
Signing the man's clipboard and retrieving what looked like a small black briefcase off the Engineer, Cath was looking extremely pleased with herself as she walked towards the boarding party. Then something caught her eye, the Colithian paused, looked to her right, and with a puzzled look made her way over to where the Minbari Ambassador emerged from between two other shuttles.
Sheridan's eyes followed her, watching her speaking to Delenn. "I wonder what they're saying?" he said loud enough for Jeffery Sinclair to hear.
"I think Delenn's asking Cath if she can come with us!" Sinclair explained as Delenn's voice easily carried though the hanger.
"How do you know that?" The Earthforce Captain was genuinely surprised his companion could understand the language.
"I'm in the process of being taught two different dialects," Sinclair explained with a straight face, "ancient and modern, and you have to be careful you don't get them mixed up, or you end up thinking you've paid a compliment to someone when you've actually started the next war!"
Sheridan thought about Sinclair's words for a moment then laughed. "Your sense of humour's not changed much has it?" the Agamemnon's Captain went on, remembering the first dry joke he ever heard from the other. It was on a railway station during the Marach Trade War. Sheridan was going home to see his parents and Sinclair was heading in the opposite direction to where the Earthforce pilot's pool was being formed. It had been a few years before they'd been able to meet again, and since then Sinclair's humour hadn't improved one jot.
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Babylon4ever
Part Four
"Commander Meredith may I speak to you?" Delenn bowed and Cath looked at her curiously. It wasn't like Delenn to act so formally around her now.
"Delenn!" the Group Captain answered with a nod.
"I need to come with you, I need to be on the ship in sector 14!"
The Colithian shook her head, astounded that the Minbari actually knew where they were going. "I'm sorry Delenn, I can't let you come with us. It's just too dangerous."
"Why not? Captain Sheridan's going with you." Delenn pointed out.
"I'm military, it's my job Delenn," the Colithian explained. "I signed my own death warrant when I joined up and so did he. You're only a civilian. Besides, I don't want to be responsible for another war if you end up getting killed!"
"Cath," Delenn put her hand on the Colithian's arm, "I have told Lennier and I have informed the Grey Council of my intentions, if I die then there will be no repercussions on Command."
"No Delenn, I'm sorry. I'm not taking the risk, no matter how slight, you stay here and pray for us!" Cath informed her, turning to move towards the flight party.
In desperation Delenn said the only thing she could think of that might just grab the Colithian's attention, "Cath'ha'hean!"
It worked, the Group Captain turned round. "What have I ever done to you to deserve that name from you?" She looked and sounded hurt.
"I need to go onto the ship." Delenn was pleading now. "Please Cath, its part of my Is'til'zha!" For the first time in her life the Minbari woman said the most sacred word in the Colithian language.
Seeing how desperate the Minbari was the Colithian came to an instant decision, and nodding she gave her answer. "Come if you wish. But understand this, if anything goes wrong, then let it be it on your head Delenn, let it be it on your head."
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Delenn had settled herself in one of the seats facing Harrington, Garibaldi was sitting next to him. Though there were other spare seats Sheridan asked if he could sit next to her. Surprised that a Human, and an Earthforce Captain should make such a request the Minbari hesitated.
Sheridan smiled and apologized for interrupting her, "The war is behind us Ambassador, and maybe it is time to build bridges."
"I know," Delenn admitted, and the Minbari came to a decision that would set the pattern for her future life. "I'm sorry Captain, but I'm not normally asked such things by people I don't know. If you don't mind sitting next to me I'd be honoured."
The Minbari smiled, and as Sheridan sat down beside her, the Human found himself captivated by her brilliant green eyes!
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Sinclair settled himself into the co-pilot's seat as Cath began the pre-flight checks. Getting permission from 'Eyeball', Foxtrot Delta took off, passing though the membrane, and past a Centauri freighter that was manoeuvring into position so it could dock, they set off. Cath asked the passengers if they'd like to see out and the reply had been. "Yes."
Jeffery Sinclair watched a mischievous grin split Cath Meredith's face as she switched on the internal cameras allowing her to see what was going on in the cabin. He guessed that some poor sod was going to be on the end of one of her practical jokes!
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"Captain Sheridan would you like to see how we fly the Rover?" the Group Captain's voice came over the intercom. "If you would, can you make your way up t'the flight deck now please?"
Sheridan looked at Harrington who nodded. The Human stood up and took a pace forward and thought his world had come to an end. The sides of the ship suddenly vanished and so did the floor. Screaming in horror Sheridan grabbed the seats to stop himself from being pulled out with the decompression. For a moment he was sitting on the floor still clutching the chair and then the floor became solid again.
He was conscious that the Minbari was laughing and the Humans were trying not to break out into laughter themselves. Finally Harrington got himself under control. "I'm sorry I should have warned you, Cath has a mean sense of humour and is not adverse to using Colithian technology to help her play jokes on people."
"The Colithians have the ability to make solid objects transparent," Delenn explained, "but I think she was sincere in asking if you wanted to see the flight controls for yourself."
Sinclair walked into the passenger area and nodded to the Captain, "Sorry about that, but Cath does out rank me, but she is waiting for you."
"No, I think I'll give it a miss for the moment. I'll wait until you're ready to land and then I'll watch, at least I'll feel safer," Sheridan explained to the co-pilot, settling down into the seat again, his body held in place by normal gravity. Somehow he wasn't surprised the small transporter had normal gravity.
"Well if that's how you feel I think I'll pay her a visit myself," Garibaldi stood up. "And leave you two to talk over old times!"
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Cath was bored. The take off had been simplicity in itself, and waiting for the updates through the Fish wasn't particularly mind-boggling. So putting the Rover on autopilot, she retrieved a book from her side pocket and began to read it.
"So what are you reading?" Garibaldi asked, slipping into the co-pilot's seat.
"Tennyson, Jeff gave me a copy," the woman explained. "He said I was always badly misquoting it so much that I may as well learn the proper version if I was going t'quote it at all "
"I didn't think your people had even heard of Tennyson, let alone read him." The Human shook his head in mock horror.
"We haven't, but for some reason Jeff keeps saying things such as "to reach out, to conquer and strive and yet t'fail," is a misquote. So t'keep him happy I'm reading the book he gave me, it's interesting though I must admit," she admitted sheepishly and watched the security officer role his eyes. "So are you here just t'pester me or what?"
"Thought I'd keep you company and find out how you fly one of these--?" The Human was cut off in mid sentence when Cath suddenly touched her ear.
"Wow! Say that again?" she said to nobody in particular, but her finger was firmly set on her ear.
"What's up?" her companion inquired guessing something important was being said.
"Tachyon levels are still rising. The Matrix had detected a flux field of some kind, and it estimates the tachyon particle increase is going t'be at least fifty per cent."
"Can we get visual yet?" Garibaldi asked, watching the woman fiddle around with some sort of touch pad in front of her.
"Can you get Jeff up here now? I think I'll be needing him sooner than I thought!" Cath's voice sounded urgent and the security officer called Sinclair forward.
Apologising to Delenn and following Sinclair to the cockpit, Sheridan was surprised to see how big the control area really was. Quietly settling himself down in one of the seats behind the Colithian, the Human decided to absorb all the information he could.
Cath was now speaking to Sinclair in Minbari, and it surprised the Earthforce Captain just how fluent Sinclair had become. In fact, the Colithian was using the situation to force her friend to speak the archaic dialect, believing the current situation made a good training ground.
"We're close enough t'get a visual if you want?" the woman informed them, mindful of the Agamemnon's Captain sitting behind her. For the moment this fact made her return to using English.
"Go on then," Garibaldi agreed," but I still don't believe it's Babylon 4 though!"
The moving star pattern that could be seen through one of the Rover's windows changed, faded and blurred, then it refocused to be replaced by flat picture of a cylindrical green ship that still reminded Sinclair of the unbuilt space station.
"How soon before we get close enough to observe it in real time?" Sinclair asked, and watched as Cath tapped something into the touch pad.
After a few moments the onboard computer voice came to life. "Real time visual will be in twenty minutes time, would you like me to inform you of any updates?"
"No, just inform us when we come into docking range," the Group Captain told the computer, then glanced up at the men. "Tea anyone?"
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Corinth watched the shuttle leave for Babylon 4 from one of the many viewing windows all over the station, wishing that she was going as well. But the Squadron Leader was glad in a way that this 'something' in sector 14 was causing 'whatever problems' it was. The Colithian didn't like doing what she was going to do next, but a chance had arisen and she'd grabbed it with both hands. Satisfied everything was going to plan, and Harrington was going to be away for quite a while, she turned and headed towards their quarters.
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The computer woke up and informed the party they were coming into range of the target. Garibaldi had left the cockpit and sat with Delenn in the passenger area, so Cath opened all the 'windows' to let everyone see where they were going and the 'something' was shown all its glory.
"Valen shan taa!" the Group Captain's mouth fell open. Never in her life had she seen anything so beautiful, it even rivalled the Minbari War Cruisers in its loveliness, even the green colour it was partly covered in made it seem imposing. If this was what Jeff had meant to command then she was extremely jealous of him. Compared with the ugly grey rectangle that comprised the Britannia station, Babylon 4 was a dream given form! Deciding to investigate further, the woman spiralled around the ship twice before retreating to a safe distance.
Sinclair felt a lump rising in his throat. So this was what he should have commanded! It was one thing seeing some computer generated holographic images, it was something else seeing it in real time.
"So how do we land, I mean that thing is rotating!" the Colithian stated, cutting into his thoughts. "And the Tannia stations don't rotate if you haven't noticed."
Visualising the plans in his mind, Sinclair searched for the answer and found it. "If you move to the command and control area at the front of the ship, and you come in from that direction, then you should have no problem entering the station, the gravity might be a bit low but--." He paused, looking out through the window as the Colithian swung the Rover round and into position. "Look, there's a docking bay door opening. It's almost as if we're being invited in?"
"O well, in for a penny, in for a pound!" Cath laughed as she moved the stick forward slightly.
Listening to all the instructions Sinclair was delivering, the woman lined the Rover up and just at the right moment fired the retro rockets. With an ease that amazed Sheridan, but not Sinclair, the Rover moved through the docking bay entrance and came to land in one piece near the far wall. Behind them two huge pressure doors closed, sealing the Rover in the bowels of the big station.
"Computer, life sign and atmosphere?" the Group Captain asked, noting they were sealed in.
"Launch doors are shut, two life forms are detected, atmosphere and gravity in suitable tolerances," the computer informed them.
Pushing her pilot's chair back slightly, the Colithian swung out of her seat and into the passenger area. "Well gentlemen, Delenn, let's go and investigate. We may find out what in Valen's Name is going on!"
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Walking up to Catherine Meredith's quarters, the Squadron Leader paused outside the door and without even looking to see if she was being observed, slipped her ID card into the slot and tapped in an access code. Corinth needed to use the computer in her commanding officer's room, and she was acting as normal as she could to avoid suspicion.
Cath had cats, the cats needed feeding, and feeding the cats was the excuse Corinth needed. Being tripped over by them wasn't what she needed though, but once the food was on the floor they kept out of her way.
Settling herself into the computer chair, the Colithian removed Harrington's journal from the bag, opened it, started the computer up and began to tap in the last few entries her fiancé had made. It constantly amused her that Harrington thought she didn't know what he wrote in the book.
Once, while searching for something Harrington had misplaced, the woman had found the book, and a bit of research had told the Colithian the language was Latin. From time to time she'd managed to write down what he'd written and then spent a long time struggling to translate it into English. Now though, she had access to a secure computer and the translation was easier, especially if she used one of the JMS's she knew Cath had on her computer.
As the computer translated the Latin into English, the Colithian was able to read what he had said, and the results fascinated her. They also began to confirm something that had been slowly becoming obvious to her for the last few years, in the form of Harrington's strange dreams. But these dreams had become more vivid since he was posted here and they were beginning to seem more than real to the Squadron Leader!
Saving the last few pages to disk, she decided to look back further. This was going to be a long job, but for the first time in ages she finally had the chance to sort the contents of the book out in peace, and she was going to use the time to the best of her abilities.
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The White Star entered through the open docking bay door and when the atmosphere had been stabilized the passengers disembarked. A small funny looking alien was the first out, followed by Delenn and Sheridan, then a tall, cloaked figure dressed like a Minbari, hovered around two others, also dressed in high ranking Minbari clothes. A sense of sadness hung over the group, intensified when the last members of the party emerged. They were all here for one thing and one thing only, to finish what Valen had started a thousand years before.
Sheridan and Delenn paused for a moment while they watched the interaction between the other members of the party before heading off in the direction of the Garden. They had other more pressing reasons for being here, and the Vorlons weren't renowned for their patience at the moment.
"Stop it Marcus!" Valen Sinclair ordered, but he knew why his companion was acting the way he was.
"I worry that's all. If only you'd let me accompany --." A southern English style accent emerged from the tall hooded figure. He pulled his hood off to reveal the bearded visage of a Human with long dark hair, tinted slightly grey with age, and a concerned, hooded expression.
"We all worry Ranger Cole!" Cath said softly, watching the strange looking little alien seem to begin to panic. "You keep an eye on the Entil'zha and I'll go and see what's wrong with Zathras."
"Yes Anla shoc Na," the man said respectfully, and turned his attention to the Entil'zha. "Nobody argues with the Anla shoc Na," the Human shook his head sadly.
Valen Sinclair grinned. "Even I don't argue with her that much. But Catherine worries too much Marcus, it's her way of saying she cares for me." He stopped for a moment and moved to the other's side and put his hand on the Ranger's shoulder. " Promise you'll look after her for me Marcus. She trusts you, and I know for a fact that Catherine will not look after herself when I'm not around to bully her."
"You have my word, Entil'zha. I promise you in Valen's Name."
Sinclair smiled and let go. Marcus Cole's word was all he needed, turning around he began to walk in the direction his wife had just taken.
Zathras was babbling frantically, trying to remember where he was going. Smiling wearily, Cath guided him through the maze of corridors until they finally came to their destination. Zathras nodded sighed, "Not good, but Zathras say good."
"It's where you told me you needed to plant the time slip, drop point, effort thing!" The woman gestured to the mechanical device the little alien held in his hands. "And if it's not good enough then it's your fault!" the woman explained, and smiled softly again when Valen Sinclair slowly walked into the room.
"Is everything all right?" the man inquired, pulling the hood off his head before leaning on his wife's shoulder for support.
"Zathras is just being Zathras, but what's new?" the woman said. Looking at the tired worn face of Valen Sinclair, she twisted slightly, her hand brushing the scar on his cheek, and sighed. Soon she would have to say the last goodbye and it was killing her. Already the Anla shoc Na could feel a great sadness beginning to form in her soul. Dragging herself back to the present, the woman moved over to Zathras' side. "Will you be alright installing this?"
The strange little alien looked at her, then at the Entil'zha and just sighed. "Nobody listens to Zathras, nobody have faith in Zathras. Zathras not have faith in Zathras if Zathras not careful!"
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Piling out of the Rover, the group stopped and gazed around them, once again Sinclair thought he was looking at a holographic image. They seemed to be in a hanger housing maintenance bots.
The Group Captain suggested they find an empty room and use it as the centre of operations. Harrington agreed and the group made their way out of the hanger, but it was Delenn who discovered the logo painted on the walls.
This was getting to be too much for Sinclair. "It's the Babylon 4 logo. Each of the stations had an individual icon designed for it which incorporated the number of station, in this case 4, When the team was toying with building Babylon 5 someone came up with the idea of an upright flaming sword with the five superimposed over it!"
Sheridan had wandered off and began to peer into the different rooms in the area. Most of the rooms seemed to be storage areas for different things. He even noticed a pilot's locker room, but then he found a room with only a table and a chair as furniture. From the way it was laid out it seemed to be an interrogation room. "Will this do?" he shouted.
Cath moved to his side at her normal fast pace, looked around the room and nodded. "Yes this would do just fine." The Colithian waited until the group had followed Harrington into the room, then she opened the briefcase to reveal that it wasn't a briefcase after all but a small computer.
"What is it?" Sheridan inquired, watching the woman typing in some sort of code. The screen suddenly became alive and a view of the Control room appeared on the small screen dominated by Appleton's face.
The Colithian began to speak to the Human without looking up. "A mobile communications transmitter, it allows those of us wearing watch/communicators t'use them as if we are on Tannia 7!"
"Everything's set up and running this end Commander," Craig Appleton's voice sounded around the room. "Will keep you informed via the Fish of anything else. One thing though, we are detecting an instability in the rift, at the moment it's nothing to flap about, but as it weakens the Matrix has informed us you may experience time quakes. If it gets too much I'm going to pull you out ASAP!"
"Wilco - Meredith out!" The woman stood up and looked at Harrington. "Well the ball's in your court, what are you going t'do now then?"
"I suggest we split up into three groups. Since neither Delenn nor Captain Sheridan have a communicator on, I suggest they stay with those of us who have!"
"I'd like to work with the Group Captain, if you're agreeable that is?" Sheridan added, looking in the direction of the small Colithian, and watching her nod in agreement.
"I would like to stay with Commander Sinclair." the Minbari replied, moving to Sinclair's side.
"So it looks like everyone's sorted then and you're with me then Michael!" Harrington stated. "So I suggest we move off and see if we can find anything. If you do find anything contact the rest of the party immediately - OK?"
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The hooded figure moved around the station until it came to the room where Cath Meredith had left the laptop. He paused for a moment and then smiled to himself, so they were where he had expected them to be. He had one last job to do before this part of his life was over, one more person to meet and one last thing to attend to, and he knew exactly where he should be going!
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Babylon4ever
Part Five
Garibaldi moved down the corridor still not able to accept that this was Babylon 4. Pushing a door open at random, he noticed he was looking into a pilot's recreation room. Chairs and tables were neatly laid out and on the walls was some horrible blotchy coloured picture that made him feel sick. He turned to leave the room when a flash of light blinded him.
Time Flash****************************************
Garibaldi found himself walking into a room that seemed familiar. A much older Lyta Alexander was sitting cross-legged on a large couch and concentrating on the book in her hand. Behind her there were two sets of double doors, one set of them closed. In the background but coming closer, he could hear Franklin's voice moaning that he was getting too old for this.
"And who said that the young of today have no goals in life? Mary's goal seemed to be wearing me into an early grave!" he finished, looking at Garibaldi as the pair of then came into view.
"Dad!" Mary looked at her father for support and found none. Shrugging, she sat down next to her stepmother.
"Oh stop moaning Steven, she just needs to use up excess energy!" the telepath smiled as a red headed child toddled up to her, calling "Mama!" Mary helped the child climb up onto the couch and hugged her close.
Franklin reached down and picked her up. Mary reluctantly allowing her stepsister to escape, and the child began playing with his hair. "Interesting book?" he asked looking directly at Lyta.
"The ISA President's life story, and he says some good things about both of you!"
"I'm surprised, considering what we went through together," Garibaldi confessed, moving towards the couch. Catherine Meredith had given him and Lise her specially built five-seater sofa as a wedding present when she'd finally left Command, soon after he and Lise had been married on Britannia 7. And not for the first time since then, had he found he was glad of it, especially with his ever-growing family.
An aide had entered through the open set of double doors looking aggravated. "Sir there is some one who insists on seeing you."
"Yeah?" Garibaldi looked at Franklin and then Lyta, an odd feeling creeping over his body. Behind the aide another man dressed in Minbari clothes walked though the doors and moved to face the Human.
"Sir he insisted on barging in," the aide protested. "I tried to find out how he got around the security --."
"I've told you before if a Ranger shows up then he is to be given immediate access to my presence, now get out before I decide to review my staff payroll--." He let the threat hang and the man hurriedly departed.
The Ranger spoke. "I have a message for you." He extracted a brown envelope from one of his pockets and held it out. "From Minbar!"
"Who is the letter from?" Lyta found herself asking, a quick probe had revealed the Ranger to be a Colithian.
"Catherine Sinclair!" the Ranger stated before bowing and leaving the room, relieved in a way that his task was now completed.
"Is it -?" Franklin asked, almost afraid to finish the sentence.
Garibaldi nodded. He didn't need to open the letter to know its contents; after all he'd been there when it was written. "He's dying, and wants us to come to Minbar for one last meeting ---," he trailed off.
Lyta stood up. "It's been along time since I visited Minbar. I'd like to see Catherine Sinclair again. I'll book a flight for two--," she looked at Franklin who nodded. "Three then!" the telepath finished as she retrieved her daughter from the doctor. The child clung to her mother and felt such overwhelming sadness that she began to cry softly.
End of Time Flash******************************************
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Exploring the hangers, Harrington felt the hair on the back of his neck rise slightly. It was a sensation he'd often had during the Trade War. Something or someone was in the room and they shouldn't be there. Raising the communicator watch to his lips, he whispered to Garibaldi, "I think one of the detected life forms is in this hanger."
Garibaldi relied just as softly. "I know, I can feel it as well. Look, I'll meet up with you and then we'll split!" he explained, still trying to understand what had just happened and was glad for the diversion.
Harrington nodded, recognised the manoeuvre the security officer was mentioning. "Michael have you noticed these Furies seen different to the ones we use?" he called out, his voice travelling to the furthest reaches of the hanger. He wasn't lying though; the furies were slightly different in shape and apparent firepower. A few even appeared to look something like the Colithian Nimrods, but they had a definite Earthforce logo painted on their wings!
Garibaldi moved towards Harrington making sure he was heard. Once the man was level to him he turned off to sneak behind the fury Harrington was standing by. It worked; there was movement of something seen diving out of the door. Instantly the two men ran after the intruder and a second flash suddenly blinded Garibaldi----.
Time Flash *********************************************
Garibaldi knelt down. Turning the body over, he stared in horror at what was left of Corinth Richard's face, one eye was closed, the other badly gashed, blood poured from a smashed nose and one ear was partly hanging off. Her body lay limp in his arms. In the dim light he smelt burnt flesh and noticed part of her scalp had been burnt off. He ran his hands over her body and found a gash on her spine. The Human rolled the Colithian into his arms, calling into his communicator for help, not caring if the urgency in his voice carried. "For god's sake get here quick, she's badly injured!" he screamed.
"I'm dying!" the injured woman croaked. "The pain, I can't feel my legs--."
"Hush, don't say anything!" he gathered her up in his arms as he'd once seen Harrington do years before. "You'll be all right once we get you to Med Lab,"
"Michael!" the Colithian gasped, "I need to say something --."
"Quiet!"
"No, I'm no traitor or a spy," she coughed bloody saliva up, staining Garibaldi's tunic. "But I need to tell you what I've done--." The Colithian was determined to tell him no matter what. Pressing his ear close to her face he listened, hearing her whisper weakly, and then her head lolled to one side and she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Corinth!" he shouted, shaking the lifeless body. "Corinth!"
End of Time Flash **************************************
The intruder was small and remarkably light on his feet, easily evading the two men. A few times they were almost within touching distance, but the strange alien managed to avoid being caught. With one last effort Harrington gathered himself together and threw himself at the intruder's legs. The rugby tackle worked, as both bodies hit the ground. The intruder tried to wriggle free, but it was not as nimble as it thought. Garibaldi leapt over Harrington and grabbed the intruder by what seemed to be his hair.
The intruder squealed and tried to kick the security officer. Harrington staggered up to his feet, grabbed his PPG and held it to the alien's head. "I will use this if I have to!" he exclaimed softly, and his world exploded into a bright light
Time Flash *******************************************
Harrington found himself sitting in what looked like the cockpit of some kind of alien spacecraft, but of a type he'd never seen before. The whole of the cockpit seemed to missing, giving them the impression they were floating in space. The three hundred and sixty degree view they were afforded showed a planet, and as it came into view, the Britannia 7 station.
Besides him he noted a strange but familiar alien, or least he somehow thought he recognised it as a Streeebe, but he'd never seen a Streeebe like this one!
It appeared to be a female with medium length whitish hair, partly held back with what looked like a crest of some sort. No - more like a normal headband worn back to front. The crest started at the bridge of the nose, and extended quite elegantly back over where in a Human the eyebrows should be, and seemed to disappear into the light coloured hair just above the point the ears would have been. On closer inspection Harrington noted the alien's ears certainly looked Human and in the right place. Taking everything into account, Harrington wondered if this was a Human/Minbari hybrid of some kind and not a Streeebe!
Her skin colour was sallow and her eyes were catlike, but more of a blue colour than catlike green he noted, when she turned to look at him. Familiarity showed clearly in her eyes. The woman reached out and touched his hand, "Almost time!" Her voice was soft with a little trace of an accent Harrington couldn't identify.
"Time for what?" he asked, but somehow guessing he should already know the answer.
"Time to die!" The alien seemed puzzled at the remark, which seemed incredibly strange given the events of the last few months. She let her mind touch his, and found the real reason. Mentally she understood.
"Will it hurt?" Harrington found himself asking.
"Only for a moment, then nothing." She squeezed his hand gently. She was guiding a blind man through his last moments as she had been guided once herself. It had been scary for her then as well. This time she was ready, but she'd never fully been sure if Harrington's sacrifice was from the heart or just a way of saving his wife's life. "Remember, I've done this once before, I know what it is like to die!"
"And Corinth?" Harrington found he had to say it, if he was going to die he had to make sure she was safe.
"She'll be safe. They will look after her, I promise!" the alien said reassuringly as the Human caught a bright light heading towards them from the direction of the station, and the moment the flash engulfed him --.
End of Time Flash **************************************
Harrington found himself back in the corridor with Garibaldi; now with the strange little alien firmly in his grasp. "Are you all right?" Garibaldi inquired, beginning to move in the direction of the temporary ops room.
"I think someone just walked over my grave," Harrington explained, re-holstering his PPG and following the Human security officer. "Or at least tried to. I think I just saw my own death!"
By now they had moved into the room and dragging one of the chairs up to the table Harrington gestured to the little alien to sit down. Looking menacing, Garibaldi pushed his face close to the intruder and spoke, "Who are you, and what the hell is happening here?"
"Zathras my name, but not always, sometimes Mush. Sometimes she called me other names too hard for Zathras to understand, but understand Mush! You have travelled in time. We are in time rift, backwards, forwards, all time shown as one," the strange Alien muttered. "Past, present, future, all at the same time. All of us in rift. Rift closing behind us, opening in front of us--."
"Look, I can either make this easy for you or I can practice some pain therapy--," Garibaldi began.
"What Michael means is that you can answer the questions we ask or I will just walk out of this room and leave you two together--." Harrington went along with his companion. "So tell us why is it that an unbuilt station seems to be a reality?"
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Sinclair had made his way to the Command and Control area with Delenn following him. It still seemed strange that they were actually walking on something that should have been a simple holographic image on a data crystal.
"Where are we going?" the Minbari asked, equally amazed at what her companion had told her about the apparently as yet unbuilt station, and yet here it was built and functioning properly!
"To the C and C - the Command and Control area," Sinclair explained. "If this is Babylon 4, then I think we may find some answers there!"
"But what makes you think the answers can be found there?"
"Delenn, I helped to design B4's defence system. It was all linked together so that it could be run from the C in C. If there is going to be any information about this place, then I would expect it to be accessible from there!" He stopped by a door and studied it for a moment, then moved forward and put his hand on a palm plate. The door opened to reveal a lift. "Well do you want to come with me or what?"
"What is it?" she gestured to the extremely tiny room.
"Well, it should be an elevator, and if it is then it should take us to the C in C!"
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then we will just have to walk won't we?" Sinclair smiled, just as the elevator door opened.
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Still following Sinclair, Delenn found herself in the C in C area and the Minbari noticed the huge difference between this and Britannia 7's control room. First of all, it was smaller and darker, with a well in the floor filled with computer monitors. The other thing she noted was the small window that looked out into space!
Jeffery Sinclair was busily trying to find the access code to open the memory banks. If the elevator was capable of working and it had terminated the journey where he'd expected it to, then this should work as well, if only he could find the right code! The console layout was the same as the standard Earthforce configuration, which had been on the plans for B4. But for some reason there seemed to be some form of disruption in the access code sequence!
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Delenn move towards the second door leading out of the room, then he was running to her side as she stumbled and fell, screaming in panic!
Time Flash *********************************************
Delenn found herself standing in Catherine Meredith's office. The lights were on low, indicating the Group Captain was working late into the Colithian night. The Minbari knew she was waiting for something to happen. Absently she picked up a snow scene and looked at it. It consisted of a house set on a hill, the whole set into a strange plastic frame.
The Communicator buzzed, and Cath answered it and nodded. She looked up, threw her pen onto the desk and slumped back in her chair. "You know you're having problems adjusting to your new state - well I think I've got the answer!"
The door opened and a tall cloaked and hooded figure entered. The figure sat down on the chair opposite the Group Captain. Delenn, intrigued at the Colithian's words, smiled as the hooded figure pulled its hood down, revealing a woman with piercing green eyes and short curly blond hair. The Minbari's eyes were dragged to the woman's hair and her eyes opened in horror.
Delenn dropped the snow scene and the trinket hit the floor, smashing into a thousand pieces. "No, no, no!" she screamed running out of the door leaving a shocked newcomer and an amazed Group Captain behind.
Running blindly away, Delenn didn't see Sheridan walking down the corridor towards her until she collided with him. Quickly the Human recovered his balance and his dignity and was conscious of the Minbari's distress when he spoke softly, "Delenn, what's wrong?"
"It was horrible, unnatural, disgusting!" she cried.
"What was?" It was clear Sheridan didn't know what she was going on about.
"The woman's - she-." and then Delenn glanced at herself in one of the mirrors lining the corridor and fainted.
End of Time Flash *************************************
"Are you all right?" Sinclair asked after finally calming the hysterical Minbari down.
"I think I saw a vision of the future and it was horrible!" Delenn exclaimed. Allowing her companion to guide her to a chair and she gratefully sat down. Instinctively she began to do some mediation breathing exercises to bring her breathing under control.
"Appleton did warn us about some possible time distortion effects."
"Yes but I never thought it was possible--." The female Minbari paused for a moment. "Jeff have you found out what you wanted yet?" she inquired changing the subject.
"No, not yet, still working on it. But I have an idea!" He turned back to the computer console. "Hello old friend!" he managed to say and a white light blinded the world around him--.
Time Flash ********************************************
"Jeff, they've burned through levels seven and eight, can't stop them, they're everywhere!" Garibaldi shouted over the noise of battle. All around him people were moving about, some going to Garibaldi's aid, others panicking to get away. Sinclair noted his friend was wielding a large weapon of a type he didn't recognise. In front of Garibaldi someone or something was burning a hole in the station's wall. "Jay's rigged the fusion reactors, but he can only control it for so long. Go on! Get away Jeff! I'm done for!" he shouted out, determination etched on his face. "Go on, get going, take Cath with you, I'll hold them off as long as I can!" He fired at the enlarging hole. "It's okay Jeff. I finally understand, this was the moment I was born for!" Snarling at nothing in particular, Garibaldi suddenly moved to one side, pushing Sinclair into the river of moving people.
"Come on Jeff, the Flyer's ready and waiting for us!" Cath shouted over the sounds of battle all around them. Glancing at her grubby face he saw dried blood over her left eye and her arm was in a makeshift sling. Other Colithians seemed to materialise around them, almost as if they were trying to protect him.
Garibaldi's form appeared to change completely and he became a Minbari and dressed like a warrior. He was firing in the same direction as he shouted out. "Go on Valen! Get yourself out of here and take Torrac with you. We were wrong about her; she is worthy enough to be your aide. Go on, get out while you still can. Remember the future!"
Sinclair glanced down to where Cath Meredith should have been only to see a tiny Minbari with an overlarge crest and childlike eyes looking at him in shock. Coming to a decision he grabbed the girl's wrist and began to run, pulling her along with him---.
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Another flash of light found him standing on a hillside. The cold weather was biting into him, but he found he could tolerate it. By his left side stood a small fat Minbari who looked uncomfortably pregnant. The Human recognised her as the girl he'd dragged way a moment ago, could this be Torracmir, the Religious born Worker?
Glancing around, he noticed a single figure stood a little away from him, dressed in a long robe, the hood pulled well over its face, acting as if the cold was getting to it. There was something incredibly familiar about the way the figure was standing that Sinclair knew he should recognise!
His attention was drawn back to the Minbari by his side. Her eyes had been searching the skies and now she was being rewarded for her diligence. Suddenly a bright light flashed in the sky that lasted for a few moments before fading and leaving a small metallic dot behind. The female Minbari pointed to the dot excitedly, "Look Valen, look, the Streeebe were right. It is here, the ship is here!"
End of Time Flash *************************************
"Jeff, Jeff!" Now it was Delenn's turn to panic. Sinclair had gone pale and was shaking slightly.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine." He looked at the Minbari, trying to match the face of the Minbar he'd seen in his 'visions' and the Minbari in front of him and failed. So it wasn't a vision of Delenn he'd seen, even though her name had been mentioned.
Delenn took a deep breath and began to speak. "I haven't told anyone about this, I have not even told the Van'torlaac, and I will have to rectify that oversight as soon as I can. But before I left the station I checked up with Minbari records. You must understand that much was destroyed during a great war being fought at the time. But legend says this time rift appeared the exact moment Valen came to us, and has fluctuated in strength since then!"
Sinclair looked disapprovingly at the Minbari woman. "Why didn't you tell us about this earlier then?"
"Would you believe me if I confess I had forgotten?" Delenn whispered.
The Human shook his head at Delenn while mumbling, "Do I really have any other choice?"
Returning his attention back to the console. Sinclair noticed the last access code had worked and the computer was indicating a message was being down loaded. Finally it came though "Michael ##," the message was scrambled and kept breaking up. "### Watch ### I ### back ######." Delenn saw the look of frustration form on her friend's face as he tried to get the message to sound clearer, and then watched as he thumped the console in frustration.
That was it. It seemed that nothing was going to work and that was all the message he was going to get! And then his watch buzzed, "Sinclair!" he almost yelled, then the Human remembered where he was and calmed down. "Sinclair here."
"Jeff, are you all right?" Garibaldi inquired, taken a back by at his friend's tone of voice.
"Yes sorry, just had a argument with a computer and lost!"
"Ok. Can you and Delenn find your way back here? We've found something that may just interest you. I've told Cath and Sheridan and they're making their way back as well!"
"Will do - Sinclair out!" The Human glanced at the Minbari and smiled. "Tell the rest of the party what you told me," he reminded her. Delenn smiled back and nodded as she watched Sinclair activate the direction finder part of his watch, so they could get back to the rest of the group.
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Babylon4ever
Part Six
Moving in the opposite direction of Sinclair and Delenn, Catherine Meredith and John Sheridan walked through what could only be described as the station's living quarters. Like the rest of the station they'd managed to see so far, it was pristine!
"This is unbelievable!" the Colithian exclaimed, as they emerged from what Sheridan had described as a Baseball field. He'd tried to explain the game to the Colithian, but the Group Captain didn't seem to understand what a 'foul ball' was.
They came to another group of doors marked 'Recreation - Store rooms.' The Human smiled and nodded in the direction of the doors. "Left or right?" he offered her the choice.
"I'll take the left side, you take the right." Cath laughed and the sound echoed down the corridor. As Sheridan moved down to the right the Colithian noticed one of the doors was ajar. Moving forward to investigate closer, the woman gently pushed it open. Something moved, a slight motion in the room and the image caught in the corner of her eye. Carefully the Group Captain moved forward, her senses alert for danger. Moving slowly into the room the Colithian paused and a slight sound caused her to freeze. It was the woman's biggest mistake.
A hand grabbed her torso pulling her backwards, and another hand gently clamped itself on her mouth, at the same time her captor whispered. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you Van'torlaac."
The Minbari words caused her to stop struggling, the voice sounding familiar to her. Instinctively Cath stood still, she felt something being attached to her chest and the lights were called for. When she was released she turned to face her captor.
He towered over her, a Minbari style robe covered his body and the hood totally obscured his face, and it helped to disguise voice as well, the woman surmised. "Who are you and why have you called us here?" The questions may have sounded strange, but they seemed right for this situation. The Group Captain looked down, something small and metallic had been pinned to her chest. She made to remove it, but the man's hand gently pushed hers away.
"The badge on you chest is a time stabiliser," he explained, "and you're in a time rift, that's why you and the rest of the party keep having both flashbacks and visions of the future." The man paused for a moment leaning against the wall for support. "I have to talk to you Cath. I have stopped Babylon 4 because I have to see you personally, I am here because I know I must be here. You have already told me and you will tell me again. I have seen it for myself." He pushed himself away from the wall and towards her, stumbling slightly, but quickly regaining his balance.
He was close enough to gaze at her now; he wanted to keep this moment firmly fixed in his mind forever. He could still see the innocence and the zest for life in her eyes, he was glad the Colithian was ignorant of the future, of the pain and despair she would face. He would never forget the day he came to collect her. He'd found her moments after Byron's death. The woman had stood in the middle of the room, totally crushed by circumstances beyond her control, and everything leading up to that moment had almost destroyed her.
"I have to thank you for all your help. I couldn't before because you said you already knew! Take this," he pushed a small box into her hand. "When the time is right you will return it to me, and you'll know when." The man paused and pointed his finger at her hand. "The ring on your finger, the one your father gave you, please give it to me."
Cath gasped unbelievingly. "I can't, it's mine. It's all I have left of him!"
"You have him in your heart don't you? I will return it to you as a sign, a sign that tells you that it is time to move on Chosen of Valen."
Deep within her soul Cath felt a stirring, again that feeling of knowing this man, just as she kept getting around Sinclair! Almost hypnotised, she removed the ring from her dress finger and held it out. The man took it gently, slipping it onto his little finger. Then he moved forward, slipping his arms around her shoulders he hugged her affectionately. Bending down he whispered, "I will never forget you my forever friend."
"What do you look like?" His words had driven all sense of fear away, she felt as if she should recognise the voice. The feeling for something stirred within her soul, and she remembered in the vision of Valen, he had also called her his forever friend!
"I knew you'd ask!" He removed the time stabiliser from her tunic and backed away, "Move towards the door and wait," he spoke softly, almost respectively. Obediently she did as she was told then turned and waited. The man took hold of his hood his hand ready to lift it up and acted as if he was waiting for something. "Remember," he told her, "the sky is full of garden!"
"Where's the garden?" the question seemed dragged from her lips as if by someone else.
"You'll remember. Don't worry about that. Just follow your instincts!" the hooded man reassured her, but the Colithian could detect a hint of sadness in the voice. The lights dimmed almost on cue as the man began to lift his hood. At the same moment the floor shook, catching the woman off balance. Reeling and stumbling out of the door, Cath only caught a very brief glimpse of the stranger but it was enough. The man's image burned itself forever into her mind.
Time Flash ********************************************
The child sat bolt upright; the bed covers falling away. Something had disturbed her sleep. Glancing around in the dark she noticed her bedroom door was open a crack, the light cutting like a knife into the darkness. Slipping out of bed her foot touched something soft and furry. Reaching down, she picked what she recognised as Bruno, her musty smelling, but much loved, ted bear. Holding Bruno protectively to her chest, the girl made her way over the door, pausing to listen to the voices coming from the living room.
The child heard her father's familiar deep voice speaking to someone, then the other person replied. "Don't worry Andrew, your daughter's future destiny will help save the past!"
She heard her father say something, and then his familiar footfalls heading towards her door. Terrified of being told off for being out of bed when she should have been asleep, the girl turned and fled back to her bed.
End of Time Flash ************************************
The upheaval sent the Group Captain sprawling through the door. Sheridan caught her, as she regained her balance she looked shyly at him. The Human grinned back. Their eyes met for a split second and then moments later her eyes had changed and so had the scene.
Time Flash ******************************************
They were in the control room on Britannia 7 and the Group Captain was standing five feet away, directly in front of him. She was holding what looked something like a PPG in her hand pointing directly at his head.
The room was quiet with anticipation. Something was going on and it seemed to centre on the small Colithian. "Hold that Order!" Cath said, her eyes firmly fixed onto Sheridan's face. Over her shoulder he could see Corwin, standing directly behind her with a PPG in his hand, the gun aimed at her back.
"Put the gun down Commander or I'll shoot!" the younger man said.
The Colithian's eyes were steady and her arm was unwavering. "The blood of a thousand Minbari stain my hands, do you think the blood of one Human will make any difference?" She seemed to speaking to Corwin, but the gist of the statement was aimed at Sheridan.
"You won't shoot me!" Sheridan said calmly.
"Want t'bet?" the Group Captain said equally calm, and as she seemed to pull the trigger, the light hit Sheridan in the eye.
End of Time Flash *************************************
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Jayson Meredith staggered back to the Group Captain's quarters, his face hidden under the Minbari style cloak his people often wore. It was not the first time he'd found himself grateful for the dress sense of his adopted culture. When Corinth had contacted him about the blind spot, he'd promised to sort it out, and he had. Now he had to rest for a while to get himself back to normal.
Opening the door he was surprised to see Corinth Richards sitting at the computer, messing around with it. Caught in the act, the Squadron Leader instinctively picked up Harrington's book, shut it, and dropped it in the bag by her foot, while trying not to look embarrassed at being caught at her friend's computer.
"Was just checking up on something. I don't want Tom to find out and I know about the 'extra' programs you've put on this one!" she explained hurriedly, and switched the computer off. "Tea?" she suggested as a get out solution.
Jayson nodded and sat down. Pulling the hood off his face to reveal his dark moustache and shoulder length dark hair, and a hooded expression. He began to breath steadily while he gathered his wits together. The Matrix had drained him again. One day he knew he'd over do it and end up dead if he wasn't careful, and while he thought on, Corinth's suggestion of a nice hot mug of tea was exactly what he needed at this moment in time.
Returning from the kitchen with the tea, the woman handed her companion the mug, and sat down next to him, and managing to hide her astonished look. Jayson Meredith looked old and haggard, and it was hard to believe he was five years younger then Cath!
Her casual actions didn't deceive Jayson though, he knew her well enough not to be fooled by the way she was acting, "This is what happens when you interface directly with the Matrix; it always takes away part of your life force. One day I'll do it once to often, and then I'll find myself waking up dead!" he joked and watched a smile creep over his friend's face. "Seems the Matrix has a mind of it's own," he went on, "but on this occasion it rejected that part of the station, 'cos it was told to."
"Don't you mean someone forgot to program it properly?" the Squadron Leader asked, her detective head on.
"No, I mean it was told not to. I don't know by who, but the Matrix was a bit confused over the issue itself. The only reason that area functioned normally was 'cos the Matrix knew it was there, and rather than have a big hole in the life support system, it decided to continue as normal."
"So who could have done that then, and more importantly why?"
"Corinth luv, I'm not an oracle, and even the Matrix wasn't able to answer that question when I asked it"
"Seems you know the Matrix intimately." The woman smiled, seeing a little life returning to her companion's eyes.
"The Matrix is Streeebe technology, and even I don't fully understand how it works. None of us do. But I can tell you this if you're interested, this is not the first time it's thrown a wobble, it's done it before you know."
"The Matrix has thrown a wobble before? When?"
Jayson yawned. The tea had helped him to gather his wits together, but he knew he needed to sleep, and soon, which meant getting rid of his friend. "It was during the time when the Sky was Full of Stars." He yawned again. It was no good, he could feel sleep trying to bash his brains out. "Corinth luv, I'm sorry, I'm knackered. Look, I'll talk to you later about it!" he put the mug down and stood up. Nodding to the woman, he staggered to the bed and crashed out without even getting undressed.
Picking her bag up and quietly leaving her Commanding Officers quarters, Corinth began to walk back to her quarters to replace Harrington's journal. Something Jayson said had begun to niggle. Brushing the thought to one side, she decided to go and see what Zack Allen was up to.
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Time Flash ******************************************
He was in a dark room. It felt like a prison and he felt like he'd been interrogated. His body ached and the stale air made breathing difficult. The door opened and someone or something was flung at his feet. Sheridan sensed movement and a voice spoke calling his name. "John?"
"Delenn?" This was ridiculous. It sounded like the Minbari female, but how the hell did they get here? It was even stranger when the Minbari ran up to him, clinging hungrily to him as if she knew him intimately. Now in the dim light that shone through the small grill in the wall he saw something else, this Delenn had hair and a much smaller crest; in fact she looked almost 'Human' - as if she was some kind of genetic freak.
"Delenn, what are you doing here?" Sheridan asked, going along with her and prying her body away from his.
"I didn't tell them anything, they tried to make me, but I didn't tell them!" It was clear to the Human that Minbari had been interrogated, and if the bruise on her face was anything to go by, none to gently either. "There is nothing they can do to me, they know that now. They have said we can have one last moment together before--." Delenn trailed off for a moment and then she smiled, almost triumphantly. "But at least the children are safe!"
"What children?" He and Anna didn't have any children.
"Catherine and Jeff's son, and our son David." Again the strange Delenn looked into his eyes, seeing something she'd not seem for a long time. "In Valen's name it's true isn't it? I never believed you until now, but you are trapped in a time rift. You have just been on Babylon 4!" Delenn's voice was filled with despair. "Oh Valen! You don't know what has happened?" She looked away, this man, the one with grey hair and a neatly trimmed beard was not her husband, but a man she'd first met before she'd changed. "Maybe it is best if you don't know, but listen John, listen well and keep this memory close to your heart. Do not go to Z'ha'dum. Do not go to Z'ha'dum!"
End of Time flash ***********************************
A flash of light and Sheridan was back in the present. Cath looked at him inquisitively. "You've just had a vision of some kind haven't you?" she asked.
"How did you know that?" the Human Captain asked, still reeling from the vision with another Delenn.
"I've been told that's all. Look, I've got to find the garden!" and the Colithian turned on her heels and moved off.
Deciding that being left on his own on a strange Earthforce station wasn't a good idea, Sheridan decided to follow her. Then found he had to run after the fast moving Colithian to catch up with her. "What do you mean you've got to find the garden?"
"I have to see the garden!" The Colithian was definitely confused, but instinctively she knew where she was going. They eventually came to where two corridors crossed. The Group Captain paused for a moment to get her bearings, and somehow she knew she'd been here before, and yet it seemed so long ago! Moving slowly down the left corridor she paused again. "And I think I've found it!" the woman said, standing in front of a door simply marked 'Garden'.
Hesitantly Cath moved towards the door and it opened for her. Taking a deep breath, the Group Captain moved through the doorway followed by the Human.
The sight that met them took their breath away. They were in a garden, but one so completely different from anything she'd ever seen before that Catherine Meredith just stood in amazement at the view. Instead of being flat like the garden on the Britannia station, this one encircled the entire hull, making the sky appear to be green. "And the sky was full of garden!" she whispered, instinctively making her way over to a bench. Still in awe of the scene, she sat down.
Again the familiar feeling swept over her, the bench felt as if this was her seat. She sat on it still gazing up at the garden in the sky. Sheridan sat next to her, sensing her bewilderment and awe. They sat in silence until the Colithian's communicator watch broke the silence with a buzz. She touched her watch face. "Meredith!"
"We've found something interesting. I think you'd better come and see for yourself." Garibaldi's voice cut thought the stillness. Reluctantly dragging herself from the garden, she set her direction finder to return the two of them back to the rest of the party.
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"Just found this character, said his name is Zathras!" Garibaldi explained to the first people back to the rendezvous point, Delenn and Sinclair. "But how he got aboard, and what he's doing here he won't say," the security officer explained as they entered the room and stared at a weird looking and very scruffy alien sitting on a chair muttering apparent gibberish to himself.
Something made Zathras look up, just as Sinclair walked in, followed by Delenn. He looked surprised at what he saw!" Oh. No. Not possible!" Then his expression changed to horror as Cath swung into the room slightly breathless followed by Sheridan.
For a moment the Colithian leaned on Sinclair to catch her breath. She glanced at the strange alien and looked equally horrified. She'd never seen a Zathras in real life, but there was a statue of him on Colithia! Not wishing to look a fool in front of the rest of the party, she controlled her emotions and didn't tell them what she already knew.
"No, not the One. None of you are the One. The One not warn Zathras, the One cruel to Zathras."
"Who do you mean by the One?" the Group Captain asked, glancing at Delenn who looked equally perplexed at the strange alien's words. To both of them 'The One' meant Valen.
"Not The One, can't talk, not talk, not The One!" Zathras shook his head then pointed a finger in the Colithian's direction. "They tell Zathras not to talk, Zathras listen, Zathras do as they tell him." He nodded to himself. Sinclair shook his head and Zathras fixed his gaze on the Human. "No one listen to Zathras, even Zathras not listen to Zathras! But that is life." He shrugged to himself and pointed to Sinclair. "Great war, but great hope of peace. Need place, to gather, to fight, to organize!"
Sheridan cut in. "You need Babylon 4 as a base of operations in a war, is that it?"
The alien now turned his attention to the Earthforce Captain and nodded. "To help save Galaxy on the side of light. So they tell me, must use. She builds for The One. Many years in progress, great progress, serve The One well. Must be done they tell Zathras, or it is the end of all. The One leads us, The One tells us to go, we go. Maybe they raise statue to Zathras, maybe Zathras great hero, maybe--."
Getting bored of the whole situation Garibaldi made his way over to the door and absently looked out and something caught his eye. "Hey, come and look at this?"
As the party exited into the hall, Zathras made good his escape. Slipping from the room he rounded a corner and slammed into the legs of the hooded figure Cath had met earlier. Zathras backed off slightly, feeling the man's eyes boring into him." Did you try to warn them?" the voice inquired.
Zathras shook his head. "Not tell."
"Liar. I was there - remember!" The man stated. "Now forget them. Come on, if I don't get into the Chrysalis in the next half hour you can forget them and the future."
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The party saw what Garibaldi had dragged them out to see. It was a small hooded figure that was standing still and it appeared to be studying a piece of paper. It looked up at them, stopped for a moment then began to walk slowly towards the group. Delenn recognised the clothes as Minbari, but of a style that was over a thousand years old.
The figure suddenly stopped, its head jerking round as if someone was calling it. It seemed to glance at them, and then it turned and walked away and vanishing round the corner.
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"Did you see them? " Valen asked Torrac.
The tiny Minbari nodded. "Who are they?" she inquired.
"Your future and my past. Come, we have a visitor to greet, he has asked to see you and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." The tall Minbari smiled at his aide before he spun round and moved off.
Thrusting the paper into her pocket Torrac shook her head. Valen had been in an odd mood for the last few days. Maybe it was something about the coming battle, maybe it was something else. It was bad enough being ordered from the building project the Entil'zha had entrusted her with. But then to be called to his Ship, given a map by Zathras and told to follow it to a pre-ordained designation where Valen would be waiting, was almost childish.
The map was also written in a language the tiny Minbari couldn't understand and she had twice had to double back on herself when she found she'd got lost! Whatever was bugging Valen, she would be glad when he finally worked it out of his system. Discovering she was on her own and in unfamiliar territory, the young Minbari found she had to run to catch up with the Entil'zha.
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Babylon4ever
Part Seven
"I tried to warn them!" Valen Sinclair said softly, recounting to his wife the way things had been the first time he'd come on the station. "But it happened just the way I remember it."
"So you keep saying." Catherine Sinclair smiled and touched him on his shoulder. "Now it is time, you know we have to go, everyone is waiting for us." She touched the scar on his cheek for a moment, then spun on her heels and walked away.
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Babylon 4 was beginning to be rocked by explosions, and the shudders were starting to tear the station apart. Sinclair cursed that the only proof they had of anything was the strange little alien who called himself Zathras and he'd escaped. And the last report from Britannia 7 hadn't been too inspiring either, so Harrington had decided it was better if they left now, while they still had a chance.
As they made their way back to the hanger where they'd left the Rover, the ceiling began to crash around them and a large pipe fell into the middle of the party. It just missed Sheridan who put his arms around the Minbari. Delenn screamed in surprise and clung the Human in terror. Instinctively the Human wrapped his arms around Delenn to protect her, whilst he guided her away from the danger area.
"Thank you Captain Sheridan," Delenn whispered after she'd finally coughed the dust up from her lungs. Somehow it seemed to remind her of the explosion in the IG unit.
"Think of it as bridge building exercise!" Sheridan laughed, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that this felt like the same woman he'd held in his vision. The way the hybrid 'whatever' had clung to him in the cell was the same as the Minbari had in the corridor! "Would it be easier for you if I carried you?" he asked, noticing that Delenn seemed a little unsteady on her feet.
The Minbari shook her head. "No I am capable of walking, but thank you for the offer!" she added, seeing the slightly hurt look appear in his eyes. For some reason she was beginning to find this Human attractive!
"Are you two love birds going to coo all day or are you going to join us?" Cath's sarcastic comment reached them. Whatever the Colithian meant passed over their heads. However it did the trick and gave the pair an escape from the conversation without getting too embarrassed about it. Even so, Sheridan still took Delenn's hand while he guided her over the debris littered corridor.
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Zathras looked at Catherine Sinclair and seemed to panic. "Leave you must, finished you are. Leave or you will be trapped in time!" Delenn nudged Sheridan and glanced at Cath, it was time to give them a few minutes on their own, so they could share the last few moments of their life together.
For a moment they stood close together, then Catherine Sinclair reached out and touched the Entil'zha's hand. No words were needed now; so much had passed between them over the years. Then finally Valen Sinclair nodded, "It's best if you leave now, thanks for everything!"
His wife nodded. "I love you and I always will, what was - is, what is - will be, what will be - was!"
"I love you too!" he replied before turning away, trying to disguise the tears forming in his eyes. They'd both known for a long time they'd end up parting this way, tried to prepare themselves for this moment, but when the moment had finally come they were still finding it hard. Controlling his emotions he turned round to see Cath Meredith still standing in the room.
"Didn't you hear what Zathras just said? Gods sake Cath, I don't want you trapped in time with me!"
The Colithian moved to stand in front of him. "Not until you've given me a proper goodbye." She placed one hand over her heart and held the other out. Smiling and nodding the Entil'zha understood, and repeating her movement he placed his outreached hand on her heart as she did on his. They bowed and she spoke, "In Valen's Name -."
"And that of his Shadow, Torrac," he finished the Colithian phrase. It was something he knew he'd never get used to, blessing himself in his own name.
"Keep her safe for me!" the Colithian said, and the Entil'zha nodded again.
"I will!" he reassured her, and then he watched as she left the room, walking out of his life for good.
The strange little alien put his hand on the Entil'zha's arm, "Zathras' place is with the One Who Was, as is Torrac," he sounded as sad as Valen Sinclair felt. "Torrac waiting for you, new life, new starts, new love!"
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Valen Sinclair gazed at the Chrysalis. Already the cocoon was forming, and soon it would be time to enter and be changed again. He cast his mind back to everything that had led up to this point, and now he knew there had been no other path for him to follow. This time he would be on his own, except for Zathras already fussing around him, but he also knew that he carried their blessing in his heart.
Taking a deep breath he stood up and closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself down. Making his way over to the Chrysalis the Entil'zha sat on the stool Cath had provided. He smiled at her efficiency. It seemed she'd remembered his discomfort the last time. Doctor Vivian Ashe had offered him some painkillers this time, to help him through the ordeal, but he'd refused, but only because he didn't know what effect painkillers would have on the change. With one final deep breath he sat on the stool, and when the cocoon formed around him and began its task, it all became too much for him and he fainted from the pain!
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The Rover shot out of the launch bay just as the hanger bay doors were beginning to close, something the Colithian pilot was finding extremely irritating and primitive compared to the Britannia 7 membrane. The time quakes had become suddenly extremely strong and, as he had promised, Group Captain Craig Appleton had pulled them out.
As the Babylon 4 Station receded into the distance and then vanished in a flash of light, Harrington made his way to the cockpit and sat down behind Sinclair. "Now that we are safely off Babylon 4 Cath, you can answer a question that has been bugging both of us," he gestured to Sinclair. "When Zathras said that Jeff wasn't 'The One', you and Delenn exchanged strange glances, what were you two thinking about?"
Cath looked up from the touch pad, thought for a moment then began to explain. "Valen was 'The One'. He taught us that he was the One Who Was, but he also told us he would return as the One Who Is, and then he would become The One Who Will Be! But then again Valen wasn't often very clear with some of his statements," the Group Captain admitted. "He always insisted he was The One Who Was, but he also said that when he returned, The One Who Is will marry The One Who Will Be and have a child. He even insisted this 'One' thing extended to three different races and even three different time periods as well. Valen once said that Torrac was like him, warrior, worker and religious, but that circle could only be completed when he returned."
"So that's it then? The mystery solved?" Sinclair asked, adjusting one of the sensors.
"Well no not really, you see Valen could predict the future so accurately that some have said that he must have come from the future. If that is so then what Zathras said would have made complete sense!"
"So do you think that bit was true then about a Great War and Babylon 4 being a base for somebody to bring peace to the galaxy?" Sinclair went on, as Cath reached over and touched a button and instantly the sensor shut down, which was what he was trying to do in the first place.
Sitting back in her seat the Colithian twisted to look at Harrington. "I don't know, but it would make a lot of sense because Valen, so the legend goes, appeared with a large ship as a gift to the Army of Light, but he never ever mentioned where it came from."
"But if this legend is true then I wish them luck. The station was part of a project designed to create peace," Harrington said. "Maybe now it will do so in a way that nobody ever expected it to, but never the less, it's still on the same peace mission."
"Which still leaves one very important unanswered question," the Colithian pointed out. "Just who in Valen's Name built it in the first place?"
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As the White Star pulled away from Babylon 4 the time rift closed and vanished, never to return. The event that had opened it a thousand years earlier had also closed it and nothing else, would ever travel that way again. On the White Star's bridge the two most important women in Sinclair's life watched the great ship slip into the time rift as it began its journey back a thousand years.
It was all too much for Catherine Sinclair. Collapsing into Delenn's arms she began to sob, "I've lost him, I've lost him again!"
Marcus turned away it was too much to bear. Like everyone else on the bridge he knew exactly what Sinclair's wife meant, and he too shed a single silent tear for his own lost love.
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That night Catherine Meredith picked up Bruno. She put her Ted Bear to her nose, drinking in the musty smell that still impregnated the bear since well before her mother had given her it. Along with its smell, she felt the gentle arms of her father hugging her reassuringly. Donning her pyjamas she slipped into bed, hugging Bruno to her as she'd done as a child, protecting him from danger as her parents had done for her. For the first time in years, Cath dreamt of Buttercups and Unicorns and her father's arms holding her safe.
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Sinclair sat up for a while contemplating what had been seen and heard that day before finally slipping into bed beside the warm body of his fiancée. Had he really seen Torrac and why had the two Minbari referred to him as Valen?
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Zathras was curled up on a make shift bed in the same room as the Chrysalis. As the strange little alien slept two Vorlons stood guard over the Chrysalis. They stood close together, revelling in their own presence. Kosh Naranak and Tullant Kosh had been apart for along time and they both had a lot catch up on.
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When he finally got back to the Agamemnon and off duty, Sheridan found he couldn't sleep at all. All he could see was the Group Captain's brown eyes and the gun she'd held to his face. It was her eyes that haunted him. They were cold, hard eyes, the eyes of someone who was quite capable of carrying out exactly what she had said. And by morning he knew that the Colithian officer wasn't all she seemed.
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The dream was more vivid this time. The darkness was becoming more intense and the fear almost overwhelming, when out of the darkness a light appeared, growing brighter as it came towards her. From out of the brightness a shape began to appear, forming into a body. The body became solid, its features forming into a face that the dreamer knew only to well. Then an arm reached out as if trying to touch her--.
"Valen!" Torrac sat up. Instantly awake, she threw the bed covers back, swung off the bed, and was out of the room, and half way down the corridor when Taylon caught up with her. He caught her just as her leg gave out and she collapsed sobbing into his arms.
He picked her up and, ignoring her feeble struggles to be put down, he carried her back to her bed. "Have you gone mad?" he said angrily, struggling to hold her down.
"He's here, Valen's here, he's come to us. I need to meet him, to see him," she babbled on.
"Are you sure?" he asked, guessing she'd had one of her visions.
"Please I need to see him!" Torrac pleaded, her eyes filling with tears of frustration.
"Stay still, I've got to check something. If you're right, I'll personally take you to him. But stay still or else," he warned her. Torrac surrendered to her mentor. More to the point, her leg was starting to hurt again so she called for pain relief and was glad when it began to work.
Taylon returned about an hour later with confirmation of what she'd said. He sighed deeply after he'd told her everything he knew about the new visitor. "They're going to take him to the Elders meeting room. I'm sorry little one, even I with all my influence cannot get you into that room."
Torrac looked at him. Serenely she spoke. "You don't have to."
"But you said--."
"You just have to let me sit out side the Elders door. Valen will do the rest," she laughed softly.
Taylon frowned at her. "Then I will sit with you, and I'll speak to this Valen first."
"No Taylon." She placed her hand on his chest. "I must do it alone, I know I must meet Valen on his terms. If you are with me--." She trailed off.
Taylon raised his hands in surrender and silently wished his ward wasn't so stubborn. "All right, all right you win, but on condition that Savet takes you, and I will check up on you from time to time."
Torrac reluctantly accepted Taylon's advice, even despite the fact that it was embarrassing being carried to the Elders door in the giant Minbari's arms. Once there she dismissed Savet and settled down for her vigil, grateful for the extended pain relief the healers had insisted she take. She pulled her hood over her head and began to try to meditate.
For a while nothing happened and Torrac began to worry she'd missed him, then suddenly there was a flurry of activity. A wave of people flowed passed and for a brief moment Torrac was sure she saw him. Her spirit rose and excitement flowed into her soul.
For three days she sat in the same place, the doors to the Elders room remained stubbornly shut. Whatever was being discussed was taking a long time to sort out. Her guardian and her brother Aavan brought her refreshments and pain relief, and still nothing happened. By now Taylon was beginning to worry about Torrac's health, but she just shrugged his fears off, confidant in her own faith.
On the evening of the third day the door opened and both the Elders and their many followers left the room. They walked past Torrac, ignoring her as if she didn't exist. However from the way they were talking they were all in agreement about something, but try as she might she couldn't see the one she was after.
Disappointment flowed over her body, tears began to fill her eyes, and for a moment she began to doubt herself. Was she wrong? Was the universe, through the visions, playing games with her? Then she was aware of a pair of legs standing in front of her.
"Have you been sitting out here for the last three days?" A rich deep male voice spoke to her, a voice that seemed to start around his ankles. Torrac nodded slightly, fear rising into her throat. "Speak child, I won't hurt you," the voice reassured her.
"Yes," the girl said as bravely as she could, trying to swallow the fear away.
"What is your name?" the voice asked.
"Torrac," she paused. "Torracmir," she finished, hope beginning to overcome the fear.
"Stand up Torrac!"
She tried, but her bad leg had become stiff. The girl stumbled back, a cry of frustration torn from her throat. Two hands reached down, strong hands, that gently took hold of hers, and pulled her up. Torrac noticed a ring on the man's smallest finger. Once on her feet she concentrated on looking down at his feet.
"Take your hood off and let me see your face," the voice insisted.
Nervously Torrac pulled her hood down revealing her large crest, small face and big eyes. The man looked at her, taking in her features and the scar running down her crest. He was amazed at how like another she looked.
"Look up at me," he commanded softly
Torrac shook her head slightly, overwhelmed by the man's personality. "I can't!" she whispered. It felt as if this man not only knew who she was, but could see into her very soul.
"Look up at me Torrac, look into my face," the Minbari spoke again. "Besides I can't have an aide who only looks at the floor, or they'll keep bumping into things!" He laughed slightly at what was obviously a private joke. He put his hand under her chin, gently lifting her head to look at his. "Do you know who I am?" he inquired.
"Yes, your name is Valen," Torrac explained hesitantly.
"How do you know that?"
"I have seen you - in visions and dreams," she explained, feeling a little braver now.
"And you know why I am here?"
"You have come to save us from the darkness, to save the future." Torrac paused, gazing into the dark eyes of Valen. Suddenly she understood another dream she'd had. Her eyes opened wider in wonder. "You are the One!"
He smiled at her. "Yes. I am Valen. I am The One, and you will walk by my side as my aide." He let go of her face and went on, "And as my aide, the first task you can perform is to arrange some decent accommodation for us while I'm on Minbar."
Torrac nodded, bowed and turning, limped off, joy overflowing in her heart. She knew her destiny now lay with this strange Minbari called Valen.
Valen watched Torrac limp away and smiled to himself. She would not only be his aide, and she would follow him into darkness and death, literally. He turned to the funny looking alien who skipped to his side. "So what do we do next?" he asked.
"Wait here for Zathras. Zathras look after you till she return, not be long. Zathras settle you in, told you Torrac was waiting!"
Valen sighed. He'd never get use to his strange companion. He walked over to the window and looked out, drinking in the familiar, yet unfamiliar, Minbari landscape.
End of the fifth story
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