Suspicions and Things Unsaid
Admiral Tardan Billanii
strode down the bridge of the Centauri Republic's Royal Navy Ship Glory.
The Glory was the pride of the Centuari military boasting some of the most
powerful weapons in all Centauri space. And yet he still stood amazed
by the massive Drakh Mothership that lay before him. It stretched
out for several kilometres and Billanii new that within its bulk there
were dozens of Cruisers and Raiders.
No one panicked on
the Glory, they all knew what was coming.
Billani moved into
the visual field of the main monitor and signaled the Drakh ship.
"This is Admiral Billanii of the Centauri Republic to the Drakh vessel.
Please responded."
"Admiral," a gravely
Drakh voice said speaking in Centauri, "Report on the status of your government."
Billanii paused for
a moment, "The Emperor is unwilling to commit our forces to front line
positions. He does not want to provoke the Narn and the others into
striking prematurely. The Centaurum is supporting him for now but
it has warned him that he had better act decisively should the Narn attack."
"Good," the Drakh voice
said, "How do your preparations proceed?"
"I have enough ships
to begin the fight if you are there to back me up, otherwise it will fail."
"We will be there,"
the voice told him.
"Excellent," Billanii
said, "When do we move?"
"In the fullness of
time Admiral," the voice said before cutting off the transmission.
"Welcome Ambassador,"
Delenn said as Na'Toth entered the room, "I am pleased that you chose to
see me."
"You are the President
of the Alliance, Delenn," Na'Toth told her, "How could I refuse this invitation."
Na'Toth moved closer
as Delenn offered her a seat, she did not sit. Delenn sat, "Can I
offer you some refreshment?"
Na'Toth shook her head
negatively but did sit down.
"I understand your
government has been building up military forces along the Centuari border
along with the Drazi and a few others. I also understand that your
government has authorized the use of deadly force against any Centauri
ship that ventures too close to the border. I will tell you this
once Na'Toth, the Interstellar Alliance will not support you should you
go to war with the Centauri. In fact I have prepared executive orders
requesting all members to refrain from getting involved should hostilities
breakout. Now the question is, do you understand what is happening?"
"The Centauri destroyed
my home twice," Na'Toth told her, "During the last occupation that killed
my entire family because they were too 'aggressive' to be left alone.
They burned our cities with fire, tortured my people, and caused the deaths
of millions. Now you want me to trust them, now you want me to let
them get away with more needless death? I understand what you say
Delenn, but my people will not, can not allow the Centuari to hurt us again."
"The Centauri will
crush you Na'Toth," Delenn said plainly, "Their forces will walk all over
you until nothing survives. Can you risk that? Do you want
to risk that on something that may not even be the Centauri's fault?"
"They are at fault,"
Na'Toth said, "Even if the were not directly involved they were behind
it."
"Listen to yourself.
You speak with the voice of hatred, not reason or understanding," Delenn
said, "You want to hurt the Centauri because they hurt you. You want
revenge."
"And what is wrong
with that?" Na'Toth asked, "Everyone is entitled to their revenge."
Delenn stood, "If your
forces do not withdraw from the Centauri border in one standard week, we
will begin laying sanctions on you for violations of the Declaration of
Principles."
"Good day, Ambassador,"
Delenn said as she walked of into an inner room.
Na'Toth left Delenn's
home feeling very disturbed. Her mentor and friend G'Kar had written
the ISA's Declaration of Principles, how could she let the Narn people
abandon it. The Centauri were evil, pure evil, she hated them on
principle. But who was to say they couldn't change. "Be kind
to one another," the word rang over and over in her head. On paper
they seemed so easy to follow. Now as the Narn fleet lay poised to
strike at the Centauri she wasn't so sure.
She returned to her
office, the decision made. She would have her government call of
the fleet. She sat at her desk about to make the call when a priority
message flagged her attention.
She listened;
We have engaged the Centauri, losses are heavy casualties mounting they
are getting support from the AHHH........."
Then static as the
transmission died. She was to late it had already begun.
The EAS Damocles drifted
alone in hyperspace for nearly a week. No support, no way of reestablishing
the beacon. Captain Fisher stood alone on his bridge looking out
into the red and black haze that was hyperspace.
Cmdr. Cone walked up
behind him. "Sir we've got the communications system back online
we can try to send a transmission to Earth now."
"Alan," Fisher started,
"You know as well as I do that we're to deep into hyperspace to get a transmission
out."
"We can still try sir,"
Cone said.
"No, what we can do
is jump out of hyperspace and hope we come out somewhere near an inhabited
system that can help."
"David, that is a huge
risk," Cone reminded him, "We have no idea where will end up."
"True," Fisher said,
"But I would rather die among the stars than in hyperspace. Wouldn't
you."
Cone smiled, "Yes sir
I would. He walked over to the ships intercom and activated it, "All
hands prepare for emergency jumpout. Return to duty stations."
Soon the bridge crew
began returning from all over the rest of the ship and began taking their
stations.
"This is the Captain,"
Fishers voice came over the intercom, "We are preparing to jump out of
hyperspace, we don't know where we are or what will happen when we do.
All I know is that if we stay in hyperspace any longer we'll never get
out again. Mr. Cone, activate jump point. Jump."
The Damocles exited
hyperspace and directly before them was a large planet. It was blue
and Earth like but with larger continents and greener oceans near the coasts.
"Any sign of a jumpgate,"
Fisher asked?
"Aye sir," Cone said
with elation, " There is a jumpgate on the outer fringes of the planets
orbit."
"Any idea where we
are Cmdr.," Fisher asked?
"We are getting basic
telemetry from the gate now," Cone said. He studied the information
for a moment, "This is impossible," he said, "According to this data we
are somewhere on the far side of sector 900."
"Let me see that,"
Fisher said not able to believe it himself, "We must have traveled deeper
into hyperspace then any ship on record. That is the only way to
explain what happened here."
Fisher stopped for
a moment and then returned to the command chair. Sitting down in
it he asked, "How long will it take to complete repairs on the navigational
array?"
"A few hours sir,"
Cone replied.
"Get on it then," Fisher
ordered, "We have to get back to Earth space to warn them about the Drakh
and Vyron."
"David," Cone whispered,
"What if we're to late?"
"Then God help us all,
Alan."
"The Narn have attacked
our outposts along the border," Billanii reported, "we have taken some
loses, but they blame us for the destruction of a patrol group near sector
47."
"Were there any of
our forces in sector 47?," Emperor Cotto asked over the hyperspace link.
"Only myself and a
few other small ships," Billanii lied, "Not enough to do the damage they
claim."
Not without help at
any rate, the Drakh had played their part beautifully. The Narn ships
had blown up so very agreeably, he thought.
"Continue patrolling
the area," the Emperor ordered, "But do not engage the Alliance forces
unless attacked."
"Yes your highness,"
Billanii replied as the transmission ended. Fool, he thought, you
should round up the entire fleet and crush the Narn before they can strike.
But no you will play it safe, try for diplomatic solutions rather than
fight. That is not the way his Centauri Republic would be.
That is not the way his Centauri Republic will be when the Drakh make him
Emperor.
Vir was troubled by
the strange turn of events. If his forces had not attacked the Narn
who did? Billanii was a loyal son of the Republic, he could never
betray his own people. Or could he?
Things were rarely
cut and dry any more, Vir realized. Loyalties change, people sell
out. There was however no proof. He had checked into it himself,
Billanii had nowhere near enough ships to destroy the task force.
Nor could he have been responsible for the G'Daern.
There was something
that nagged at him about Billani though, but he couldn't quite put his
finger on it.
Vir looked at the time,
he was going to be late for a meeting with the leaders of the Centaurum.
Not that it mattered, they would wait upon his pleasure, but the situation
required immediate attention.
"Captain," Ranger Delarn
said, "We have been ordered back to Minbar. Reports say that the
Centauri situation is getting out of hand."
Captain Benjamin Goldstein
sat up in his command chair. "We might as well," he said, "We haven't
found anything of value out here anyway." He slumped back a
bit, "Lock in a course for Minbar and prepare to jump."
No sooner then he had
finished saying that half a dozen warships came flying out of the nebula
and began firing on the Victory. Disrupter blasts played out over
the hull as the Vyron ships came into range.
"Report," Goldstein
demanded.
"Sir, there are two
Battle Cruisers and four Destroyers inbound," Delarn reported.
"Activate defense grid,"
Goldstein ordered, "Cycle weapons between ion fire and standard.
Fire."
The Victory began answering
the fire of the Vyron ships. However the Vyron had the advantage.
The Victory could not keep up with the brutal assault the Vyron were delivering.
"Can we jump?," Goldstein
yelled over the sound of alarms and weapon strikes.
"Jump engines are off-line
Captain," Delarn reported, "We are losing life support, main guns are failing."
The Vyron ships closed
with the Victory. "They are charging their main guns," Delarn said.
Goldstein hung his
head, "We live for the One," he said firmly, "We die for the One."
The Vyron ships fired
their main weapons, six discharges of massive energy fired, one from each
of the ships. Each beam impacted the Victory causing it to explode.
The power of the beams left nothing distinguishable of the mighty warship.
The Vyron paused a
moment as if to revel in the destruction. Then they began to turn
around and returned hyperspace once more.
"DAMN!" Ivanova's voice
could be heard clearly through her office walls. She had just received
word of the destruction of the Victory. Ivanova paced through her
office and looked as though she wanted to tear the place to shreds.
The Drazi had sent a patrol into the area and reported that the Victory
had been blown away. They said only minimal debris could be found
but that it had to be the Victory.
Ivanova stormed out
of her office. "I'm going to see the President," she said as she left the
headquarters of the Rangers.
"I understand your concerns,
Susan," Delenn said, "But you know as well as I do that it would be foolish
for the Centauri to get involved in a war with the Alliance. Their
is no way they could gain from it. No, there is something else at
work here."
"What would you like
me to do about it?" Ivanova asked loudly, "All evidence points to the Centauri.
The Narn and Drazi have been attacked by Centauri forces and are planning
a counter strike. It has to be the Centauri it is the only thing
that makes sense."
"No. You know
Vir, Susan. He not would allow these things to happen," Delenn said.
"You must discover who has done this and why. It is the only way
to prevent a general war with the Centauri and to end this foolishness."
"And if it is the Centauri,"
Ivanova asked?
"Then you must discover
that as well."
"The navigation array
is functional again Captain," Cone reported, "We can head back to Earth
space at any time."
"How long will it take
to get back at our best speeds Cmdr.," Fisher asked?
"About three weeks
sir," Cone told him.
"Sir," Cordane interrupted,
"We are receiving a transmission from the planet. A ship is launching
from the southern hemisphere and is approaching our position."
Fisher reviewed the
data and saw a small vessel of unknown design move quickly toward the Damocles.
The ship was no longer than 300 metres it was cigar shaped with two small
wings on top and bottom. The forward section appeared to house a
heavy pulse cannon but no other weapons were evident.
"Their transmitting
in interlac Captain," Cone reported, "they are asking who we are and what
we are doing."
"Open frequency," Fisher
ordered, "This is the Earth Alliance Ship Damocles. We are simply
trying to get home. There is no hostile intent."
Static answered Fisher
as the strange vessel seemed to consider what he had said. A loud
burst from the ships speakers caused Fisher to stager backwards.
The burst did not last long though and finally resolved itself into a voice.
"Damocles, this is
the Seekers of Light Ship Colavar," the voice said in passable English,
"We have heard of your people and will offer whatever assistance our rebellion
can provide."
"A rebellion, and they've
heard of us," Cone said, "I'm not sure if that is good or bad."
Fisher answered the
alien craft, "We would certainly be grateful for any help Colavar, but
perhaps you should tell us just who your rebelling against."
"We are those who fight
the Vyron tyranny," the voice told him.
A stunned look crossed
Fisher's face when the full force of what the alien had said. He
scanned the faces of his crew only to discover the same look in many of
their faces as well.
"Perhaps you would
like to come onboard," Fisher said, "We could learn a great deal from each
other."
"I will come," the
voice said before the transmission cut out.
"What do you think
Cmdr.," Fisher asked?
"If it is true we may
have just made a new friend," Cone replied.
"Agreed," Fisher said,
"Make preparations to receive guests."
Commander Cone had decided
to go all out for the Seekers delegation. Full Honour Guard, red
carpet and all the rest. As Captain Fisher walked into the hanger
section the deck officer called all present to attention. The rebel's
walked slowly toward their human hosts. There were three of them,
all of the same species, with light skin tone similar to that of human
whites. They had fur covered faces with a feline feel but their hair
seemed more like tentacles. They had four tentical-like legs but
as for the rest they looked like humans.
"Welcome aboard the
Damocles. I am Captain David Fisher, and this is my first officer
Commander Alan Cone."
"We are the Seekers
of Light, we welcome you to our territory, "the lead seeker said, "We are
Colav."
Cone seemed confused
by this but Fisher experience gave him a hint as to what this meant, "You
are all Colav?" he asked already suspecting the answer.
"Yes," they replied.
Fisher turned to Cone,
"A hive mind Cmdr.," he told him, "All three share the same thoughts have
the same feelings and are telepathically linked. Isn't that right?"
"Yes," they said again.
"Please walk with us,
time is growing thin and we need to talk in more private circumstances,"
Fisher said.
Fisher lead them through
the ship and into the briefing room.
"The Vyron appear to
be moving into position to attack my people," Fisher told Colav, "They
may have allied themselves with my peoples greatest enemy the Drakh.
We must get back to our space before they strike and warn our people of
the coming doom. Do you understand?"
"We understand," the
lead Colav said, "Feel free to go. We will accompany you. Our
ship will not go with but will remain here to defend our people."
"Are you certain,"
Fisher asked?
"We are," they replied
together. That had the effect of adding a great deal of certainty
to the words.
"Good," Fisher said.
Turning to Cmdr. Cone he ordered, "Return to the bridge, jump us into hyperspace,
but before you do download our entire tactical database on the Vyron to
the Colavar."
"Aye Captain," Cone
replied and left the room.
"Well Colav," Fisher
said, "We have a lot to talk about."
