Part VII
Darkness and Fire
Matthew Gideon looked out at the distant spec of
light know as the Lyerdirnian star system. Within that star
system lay the ISA's Victory Class destroyer construction yard. Originally
the project had been undertaken by Earth, but after the Drakh invasion
and the chaos that threatened after the release of the Drakh plague, the
ISA had taken the project largely on itself.
Twelve of the new Victory destroyers had been completed
in the last few years, three more were under construction in the massive
shipyard facilities.
Those three ships were being protected by twenty
vessels from several fleets. Two ships were of the Minbari's mighty
Sharlin Class, there were several Whitestars, and half a dozen Narn Heavy
cruisers, there was also ships from Earth and the Vree. An impressive
display of firepower but somewhat less then the forty ships that had been
there a week before.
Then again, Matthew Gideon thought to himself, that
was the point, weaken the defenses enough to make the system a target but
not enough to arouse the suspicions of the Drakh invaders or their Vyron
allies.
Gideon waited patiently for the attack he knew would
come. The Drakh had in his experience never missed such an opportunity.
If they could destroy the shipyards they would.
"What is the status of the fleet Commander?" Gideon
asked.
"All six Victorys are here Captain," Commander Mattheson
reported, "as are the twenty-six Omega class destroyers, forty Sharlin
warcruisers twenty Centauri battle cruisers and the two dozen Drazi assault
ships. There are more Narn ships arriving in an hour."
"Very good," Gideon said, "We expect the Drakh to
strike soon. Have all ships prepare to jump on five seconds notice.
I want no mistakes Commander."
"Yes sir," Cmdr Mattheson responded.
Charged plasma, and high power particle beams filled
the darkness of space with light as the Earth ships began to open fire
on the Drakh fleet. The Drakh returned fire just as vigorously as
the human ships. Fighters from both sides locked in mortal combat
skittered through space while their motherships exchanged fire. The
Warlock Destroyer Starfire was struck by a massive broadside from a Drakh
cruiser. The ship burst into flame on its starboard side as the Drakh
continued to pour fire into the massive warship.
The other Earthforce ships continued on abandoning
the Starfire to its fate and trying to avoid their own. The Drakh
ships
laid down impressive fire but the Earth ships responded with deadly
desperation like a cornered beast ready to tear apart its enemy.
At first the Drakh lines held up against the onslaught destroying fighter
after fighter in the humans mad dash to flee. Soon the momentum changed.
"Continuous fire Lt. Cordane," Fisher ordered, "We
must get our ships out from inside this web."
"Aye sir," Cordane responded.
"There are too many sir," Cmdr Cone yelled, "Our
fighters are being pummeled."
"Captain, I've isolated the lead Drakh ship from
all the comm. traffic," the communications officer reported, "It is almost
directly in our path."
"Feed the position to the gun station," Fisher ordered,
"Fire the main cannons, destroy that ship."
"With extreme pleasure Captain," Cordane remarked
licking his lower lip, "Firing F/P cannons."
Dorack stood proud in command of his ship.
With the destruction of the Damocles he could avenge the Death of his son
and even secure even more power. He saw the Human vessels burn, dozens
of fighters fell prey to his might Raiders and several of the Earthforce
ships had been destroyed. He was heartened to see a Warlock destroyer
take a massive broadside but felt a tinge of disappointment when he realized
it wasn't the Damocles.
That is when he saw the Damocles herself bearing
down on his flagship. Before he could order his troops to destroy
her the Damocles opened fire with its forward weapons.
Dorack didn't even have time to scream before he
died in a massive ball of flame.
"We've destroyed the lead Drakh ship," Cone reported,
"Six other Drakh cruisers have been destroyed, we've lost two Omegas and
the Starfire is a fighting wreak."
"What about the other Drakh ships?" Fisher asked.
"Most of the remaining Raiders have withdrawn, our
fighters have been giving them quite a pounding in the last few minutes.
The Drakh cruisers are regrouping as we speak."
"Contact the Starfire," Fisher ordered. The
comm officer nodded when the channel opened.
"Karanja are you alive," Fisher said into the comm.
"Of course I am," Captain Karanja replied, "but
my ship is almost dead."
"Get your crew to lifepods and evac your ship."
"There's no time power cores already going critical,"
Karanja said as the ship began breaking up around him, "Now get lost before
they try to finish what they started."
"Signal all remaining ships," Fisher said after
a brief pause, "Jump to hyperspace."
As the Fleet left the Starfire exploded brilliantly.
Hyperspace churned and boiled around the Damocles
and its task force as the traveled back to Earth. Crews were assessing
damage on all the fleets ships. Captain David Fisher stood looking
out into the the great void considering the events that had just occurred.
Fisher could come to only one conclusion about those
events, General Raindeck had sold them out to the Drakh. The only
question to answer now was why. Raindeck had served Earth for decades
including the Dilgar and Minbari wars, it didn't make any sense for him
to have betrayed them.
The chime to his quarters sounded, "Enter," Fisher
said.
Cmdr. Cone entered the room and came to attention
behind Fisher.
"We have the damage reports for you sir," Cone said.
"How does it look, Alan?" Fisher asked.
"Not good sir, several of the ships wont make it
all the way to Earth without a stop over somewhere," Cone told him.
"Any suggestions Cmdr?"
"The Lyerdirian system is not far from here, their
is an ISA shipyard there where we can be sure to get help."
"Isn't the Earth outpost in the Vagros system near
here?" Fisher asked.
"Yes, sir," Cone said, "It is."
"I see. Set course for the Lyerdirian system
then," Fisher ordered.
"Aye, Captian," Cone said.
"Dismissed Commander."
"Goodnight sir."
Ivonava stood and watched as Colav sat out on the
balcony of his room. The guest rooms in the ISA headquarters were
said to be some of the best in the entire galaxy, but all the luxury seemed
to make this particular triple being somewhat uncomfortable.
"Hello Colav," Ivanova said, "May I speak to you?"
"Entil'Zha, welcome. Of course you may speak
to me," all three voices said.
"I'm afraid with all the questions we have asked
you about tactics, weapons, fleet strengths, that we missed the most important
question of all. What drives the Vyron," Ivanova told him, "So I
thougth I better ask before it is to late."
"They fear the return of the Shadows," one of the
three answered quietly. They always tried to speak one at a time
as to not through off those they spoke with but in this case the single
speaker added enormous weight to that statement.
Realization dawned on Ivaova's face as the truth
washed over her, "They don't know that the Drakh were minions of the Shadows.
If they fear the Shadows so much the Vyron would never work willing with
their ally."
Ivanova activated her link, "Prepare me a Whitestar
for immediate launch," she ordered. After the acknoledgement she
turned to Colav, "Thank you," she said.
"What are you going to do?" Colav asked.
"I'm going to save the Galaxy, I hope."
All was quiet on the bridge of the Excaliber, it
had been almost three hours since the entire fleet had arrived here at
the edge of the Lyderdirian system. When the Narn arrived three hours
earlier they brought a few surprises with them. The first surprise
were the two Bin'Tak Dreadnaughts the second surprise was the twenty Whitestars
that followed them in."
"Captian DeVries is aboard as you requested, sir,"
Cmdr Mattheson reported, "He is waiting in the briefing room."
"Thank you Commander, take the bridge," Gideon ordered.
"Well Steve, what was so important that twenty Whitestars
had to be sent at the last minute even though it could potentially ruin
or plan?" Gideon asked with annoyance.
"I'm not entirely sure Matthew," the Ranger Captian
answered, "We recieved a coded transmission from Ranger One ordering us
here immediatly. We meet up with the Narn fleet and came straight
here."
"Did she give a reason?"
"All she said was, 'We need as much Vorlon tech
out there as possible.'" Steven told him, "Not much to go on is it."
"Get back to your ship Steve. The Vyron could
show up at any minute."
"Yes sir."
Captian Corwin was waiting almost patiently in the
Command and Control section of the ISA's Victory shipyards. He stood
looking at his console remembering the days when he was junior officer
aboard Babylon 5. In those days it seemed like there was a new threat
every week and often there was little time to breathe.
He had done to much breathing in the last few years
he realized. In fact he found himself looking forward to the fight,
in a way returning to his glory days.
That feeling did not last long.
"Captian, multiple jump points opening," the duty
officer reported.
"How many?" Corwin asked.
"Over one hundred, sir."
"Send the distress signal," Corwin ordered.
"Transmitting now."
"What is the make up of the enemy fleet?"
"We are detecting Sixty Vyron battle cruisers, and
Nintey destroyers with fighter launched. There are also thirty Drakh
Incursion cruisers which are launching Raiders now."
"More jump points opening Captian... Its our fleet.
The Excaliber and its fleet jumped out of hyperspace
in position behind the enemy fleet. They came out firing every available
weapons they had. Centuari Ion cannons mingled with Narn Particle
beams while Whitestars and Victorys fire Quantum discharge weapons into
the enemy.
Every ship that could launched its fighters and
massive dogfights began as the fighters engaged in battle.
"All craft," Captian Gideon ordered, "Fire at will.
Keep the enemy away from the drydocks if possible. Good hunting."
The Damocles dropped out of hyperspace and into a
maelstrom of energy weapons fire.
"Battle Stations," Fisher ordered, "What the Hell
is going on."
"Shipyard C&C says they drew the Vyron into
a trap, they are offering to let us stay and fight if we want," Cone reported.
"To bad we didn't bring the rest of the task force
with us," Cordane said.
"Lt., have all gun stations lock on targets, activate
Ion to Standard fire rotation protocals and open fire on all enemy craft."
"Aye sir," Lt Cordane replied.
The Damocles drove hard through a group of Vyron
destroyers as it attempted to reach the Alliance forces. Dozens of
Vyron fighters moved to intercept as the mighty Warlock Destroyer hurled
itself through the enemy lines. Bolts of blue/green fire spewed forth
from the Damocles' forward weapons and ionized plasma bolts flung themselves
at the mighty enemy warships.
"Shields are buckling on several of the Vyron ships
Captian," Commander Cone reported, " The Drakh are backstopping the enemy
formations, letting the Vyron take the brunt of the attack."
"Sir, the Excaliber appears to be leading the attack,"
Cordane reported.
"Get me Captian Gideon," Fisher orderd.
"He is online now sir," the communications officer
reported.
"Matthew, sorry we came late to the party, where
do you want us," Fisher said.
"Good to have you here Dave," Gideon's voice came
back, "Its a free for all out there just pick a target and go."
"Understood," Fisher replied. He cut transmission
to the Excaliber and began to assess the battle situation.
"Lt. Cordane," Fisher began, "Lock all weapons on
one of the big Vyron ships and open fire."
"Aye Captian," Cordane replied.
"All fighter wings stand ready sir," Cmdr. Cone
reported.
"Launch all fighters," Fisher ordered.
Soon the Damocles began to shake with the power
of its own weapons fire as its energy weapons and missile launchers began
to speak. Drakh and Vyron fighters fell to the experienced flight
crew of the Damocles, as their motherships shied away from the massive
power of of the Damocles forward cannons.
The battle raged across the night of the Lyerderian
star system as the two fleets exchanged massed weapons fire at each other.
Debris from multiple warships spread out like a blanket across space as
the burning hulks of what were once proud warships spun out of the battle
zone, completly lifeless.
Drakh and Vyron ships continued their deadly duel
with the forces of the Alliance. Ship after ship took massive hits
from the opposing fleets and more and more died in horrible fire.
"Captian, we are taking fire from a Drakh cruiser
in are aft zone," Cmdr. Cone reported.
"Lock aft batteries on that ship and fire," Fisher
orderd, "Get us clear of that Drakh formation Cmdr."
"This isn't good sir," Cordane said.
"Entil'Zha," the Minbari operations officer spoke
up nervously, "We have arrived at the target system."
"Jump us out of hyperspace," Ivanova ordered.
Ivanova and the fifteen Whitestars she managed to
gather jumped out on the edge of the Lyerderian system, not far from the
battle now playing itself out.
"What do we have out there Lya?," Ivanova asked
of the powerful looking Minbari Ranger at the station next to hers.
"Most of the enemy fleet is made up of Vyron ships,
the Drakh appear to be hidding behind them," Lya answered.
"Bring the ships in, lets joint the fight." Ivanova
ordered.
Now all she had to do was figure out how to get
her plan to work.
"Captain Gideon," Matheson began, "Fifteeen more
Whitestars have jumped out of hyperspace. They are approaching under
the command of Susan Ivanova."
"Ranger One herself, heh," Gideon mused while the
battle continued around him in all its furry, "Send her my compliments
and tell her to get in the fight we need the help."
Gideon refocused his full attention on the battle
before him. Warship after warship on all sides were taking a major
beating as weapons fire was being exchanged between the fleets.
"Contact Captian Corwin," Gideon ordered, "Tell
him its time."
"Aye sir," Mattheson responded with a slight grin.
"Sir," the stations ops officer siad, "We are recieving
the go signal from the Excaliber."
"Do it," Corwin ordered.
With more important things on their minds the invading
forces of the Vyron and Drakh fleets had not made any more than superficial
runs at the shipyards facilities. Inside those shipyards three new
Victory class Destroyers were approaching completion. What the Drakh
did not know was just how close to completion those three ships were.
There moment of discovery was less than pleasant
as the three ships joined the fight adding their icrediable might to the
battle. Heavy fusion cannons and Neutron beams lanced out at the
attacking fleet while one of the massive ships charged its main guns and
fired its destructive energy at a Drakh cruiser.
Enemy vessels scattered at this new threat while
the ISA fleet continued the fight from all sides.
"Nice shooting," Corwin exclaimed as the three victories
began to take their toll on the invading forces. The increased power
of the Alliance forces seemed have shaken the Vyron and Drakh up substantially.
"Station defences are being overwhelmed," the stations
weapon master yelled.
"Contact the fleet, we're going to need help," Corwin
ordered.
"They 're pushing toward the main facility sir."
"Push them back," Corwin demanded.
The Damocles was baing rocked by powerful blasts
from from all sides. Drakh and Vyron vessels were pushing in around
the might warship moving in for the kill.
"We can't hold them back any longer," Cone reported,
"Defence batteries are failling. Missile tubes are offline."
"Continue firing," Fisher ordered with a odd calm,"
we have no other choice now."
Fisher turned his attention to the Drakh ship that
was preparing to finish the Damocles. As he watched the Drakh vessel
exploded in a spectacular fashion as the main guns of an uncompleted Victory
ripped the ship to peices. The rest of the surrounding vessels began
to pull away as half a dozen Whitestars plowed through the attacking formation.
"Transmission from the Whitestars sir. Ranger
One sends her regards," Cone reported with astonishment.
"Commander, get us out of here now," Fisher ordered
quickly.
"Aye sir. Setting course for the edge of the
battle zone."
"That was too close," Cordane sighed.
"Agreed," Fisher said quietly.
"We are in position now, Entil'Zha," Lya reported.
"Open a channal," Ivanova ordered.
Lya nodded and complied with the order openning
a channal to the Vyron fleet.
"I am Entil'Zha Susan Ivanova of the Rangers.
I stand here as an enemy of the Shadows and the Drakh. You have been
lied to and manipulated by a terrible enemy, an Enemy you fight beside
even now. One thousand years ago you fough against a race we call
the Shadows, you emerged from that war a great power but with little experiance.
When we drove the Shadow from this Galaxy more than twenty years ago the
Drakh, their dark servants remained."
"We have proof of all we say, from their using
a Shadow Planet Killer to attack my homeworld to using Shadow devices to
manipulate the Centauri. We have sent you all of our proof on a sub
channal."
"If you need more than scan the vessels of the Whitestar
fleet. You will see that these ships were built using Vorlon technology.
If we were allies of the Shadows why would we use Vorlon technology?"
Ivanova was holding her breathe as the battle continued
around the ship, but not as furiously as before.
"Do you think they believed you?" Lya asked.
"As long as they don't scan the Damocles I think
we will be okay," Ivanova told her, "Where is the Damocles?"
"On the other side of the battle zone driving hard
for the edge of the fight."
"Good then he understood, I thought he would," Ivanova
said.
"What do you mean?" Lya asked with clear confusion.
"Fisher knows damn well that I don't send Regards
to anyone. He figured something was wrong and I wanted him out of
the battle zone ASAP.
"Entil"Zha, the Vyron ships are disengaging, they're
leaving."
"Captian Corwin, the enemy fleet is leaving."
"I see it Ensign," Corwin told him, "We won."
"Matthew, they're pulling out," Cmdr. Mattheson reported
with astonishment.
"Yes they are John," Gideon said with a wry smile,
"What are the Drakh doing?"
"They are regouping and seem to be getting ready
to pull out of the system."
"Good," Gideon said, "Get me the Damocles."
"Matt, looks like Ivanova did it," Fisher said over
the comm."
"She sure did," Gideon responded, "I hope it lasts."
"Me to Matthew," Fisher said.
"They are jumping to hyperspace," Gideon observed,
"Its over."
"Good, than I can finally go home for a much needed
break."
