************** CHAPTER FIVE ****************
INTERSTELLAR ALLIANCE HEADQUARTERS; TUZANOR, MINBARFEBRUARY 1, 2272, 09:01 EST
****************
Gazing out of the many wide windows in the headquarters of the Interstellar Alliance across the vast, beautiful city of Tuzanor, his arms crossed, Jerry Barnes continued to wonder exactly why he was there. Since last week when President Sheridan had first mentioned to him this gathering of Alliance leaders and the need for a representative from his command to be present, he had been lobbying Vice Admiral Taylor for the job, Mike being far more comfortable with the political game than he. Sheridan believed however that it would be better for Barnes to attend and there was little arguing with the President once his mind had been made up.
Despite the President wanting him here, he still saw little need for it. Sheridan only wanted him there to give a single address during the weeklong conference between him and heads of state from all the member worlds, an address detailing the needs for continuing increases in their White Star Fleet construction efforts. He had delivered the address to the gathered leaders two days ago but the President had insisted he stick around for the remainder of the conference rather than returning immediately to Babylon 5, believing some of the leaders may wish to speak with him. Now, he had found himself aimlessly wandering the halls of the headquarters building for the past two days. He considered journeying out into Tuzanor but deciding against it, believing he had seen as much of the city as he could during his three years living on the planet.
The plus side of it was, he was not exactly needed on Babylon 5 at the moment. The past few weeks had been marked by virtually no activity on any front. Since the successful attack by the Victory against the enemy staging area, there had been no additional contact with those aliens by any Alliance member world. After one week of no additional attacks, Barnes had proposed sending scout ships further into what they believed to be the enemy's territory but President Sheridan ruled against it, saying that he would rather wait for them than to provoke an attack by sending ships deeper into their territory.
Without the alien threat looming on the horizon, there had been little for him to worry about. The Narn fleet returned, as ordered, to their own territory where Warleader Na'Goth was sanctioned but not removed from command of their forces, despite lobbying by several Alliance officials to do so. Barnes knew, removing him from command would take the chains off and allow him to publicly announce that the Kha'Ri had sanctioned and approved of the attack against the Centauri. Therefore, he was left in command to perfect his plan for war against the Centauri, to prepare to carry it out another day.
Barnes was confident in their ability to keep the Na'Goth in check but was still unsure about those who had attacked the Seventh Fleet. During the past weeks, he had considered it a possibility that the destruction of their base by the Victory had been enough of a show of force to convince them to abandon their plans for the Alliance but he somehow doubted it. As much as he considered it, he could offer no real explanation for the sudden disappearance of the new threat. Though many believed the speculation that they had simply decided the Alliance was not worth the trouble, Barnes knew they would be seen again, with the precision of their first few attacks, he knew whatever plans they had were not yet abandoned.
He was however thankful for this pause in the attacks against the Alliance. The Army of Light along with the member worlds were well on the way to rebuilding their forces with increased vigor under the direction of Admiral Barnes. Even Earth Force, who suffered the tremendous loss of the Seventh Fleet, estimated that they could have their forces restored to full strength in less than six months. The rest of the member worlds were rapidly rebuilding their forces, despite their beliefs that it was unnecessary to be producing ships at such a rapid rate.
Jerry Barnes considered returning to his quarters for the day, having a mass of reports that required his attention but, for an odd reason, those did not seem quite as important today. He did not feel as though his time would be best spent working through paperwork, that he would be needed elsewhere today. Then again, he also considered that it was a convenient excuse to get out of doing paperwork.
Sounds of footsteps against the wooden floor resonated from the down the corridor, drawing Barnes' attention away from the window and towards the sound. A figure, clad in the black robes of the Anla'Shok, approached from an open doorway at the far end of the hall, walking with a graceful stride. The figure maneuvered alongside him, removing the black cloak, revealing the face of a beautiful young woman, a face Barnes had seen only once before but could not forget.
"Val'Na Johnson," Barnes said, cocking his head towards her, pleased at seeing the young Ranger. He recalled, after the resolution of the Narn incident, hoping to have the opportunity to meet her one-day.
"Admiral Barnes," she said with a smile and a bow of respect to him.
"I was not aware you were on planet," Barnes said, turning away from the window and facing solely towards her. Though he reviewed their fleet deployments daily, he realized that it was not feasible for him to know where all of their ships were at all times.
Another grin from the young woman as she answered. "The Night's Eye returned from its patrol earlier this morning, the council wanted to debrief us on the situation with the Narns last months and also to verify that our long range sensors didn't record anything from when their fleet was attacked."
"By the way," Barnes continued. "I don't believe I ever had the chance to personally commend you on the actions of you and your crew during the incident with Na'Goth. If you hadn't been there, the resolution to that crisis might have played out very differently." Projections had shown that if the Night's Eye had not located the Narn fleet, they would have made it all the way to their target before being located, meaning the Alliance would have been at war.
"Thank you Admiral, though the official Alliance commendation was more than enough credit." By the expression on her face as she accepted the praise, one could tell she was not used to receiving such often. "But I can't take all the credit. You were the one who knew how to handle Na'Goth, you knew how to outsmart him and you knew how to beat him."
Barnes' smile diminished, shaking his head, believing he was being given more credit than was deserved. "I took a gamble," Barnes opposed. "And it paid off. I can't lie and say I was sure about how Na'Goth was going to react. If there's one person in this galaxy who isn't predictable, it's Warleader Na'Goth."
"I take it you've ran into him before?" Natalie asked the obvious question.
Barnes nodded, experiences he would rather have forgotten. "More than anyone rightfully should in their lifetime." The two shared a reserved laugh at the Admiral's dry joke. His look of seriousness quickly returned as the Admiral continued. "Na'Goth is the type who tries to get what he wants and doesn't care who he pisses off or has to knock down in order to get what he wants."
Johnson accepted his answer with a nod of her own. "Well, I for one am glad that your bluff did pay off. I personally wasn't looking forward to engaging a few hundred Narn cruisers." She paused slightly, looking into the Admiral's eyes, as he seemed to be thinking. "Out of curiosity Admiral, would you have ordered us to attack Narn the fleet had Na'Goth not backed down?"
Barnes grinned. "Do you really believe I would have ordered you to your deaths in such a way?" He asked, a dry, sarcastic tone to his voice as he began walking, leading their way down the hall.
"I suppose that answers my question," Natalie replied, displaying her youthful enthusiasm as she laughed with Barnes. "But seriously Admiral, I wanted to thank you for the commendation for my crew. In the wake of the loss of the Seventh Fleet and the other attacks, it did a lot to boost moral, made everybody feel like they're doing something right."
She again displayed that she was not used to receiving any form of praise. "It was more than deserved Val'Na," the two rounded a corner into an adjoining corridor populated by a dozen other humans and Minbari. "If not for the actions of you and your crew, finding Na'Goth's fleet, the Narn Regime and the Centauri Republic would be at war with each other and the rest of the Interstellar Alliance would be stuck somewhere in the middle."
"Do you really think it would have come to full scale war?"
Barnes considered the question for a moment. It seemed obvious that if the Centauri were attacked, they would respond in kind and the Narns would continue their offensive, leading to a war. Then, he considered the situation the Alliance was in with their enemy. The Alliance was attacked, the Alliance responded and now there was nothing but waiting. "I don't know," Barnes admitted he could not predict every occurrence the galaxy, despite his many attempts to do so. "The Narns and the Centauri go through an endless cycle of hatred and violence with each other. It never ends, it never will end, it only pauses. The only thing that is never determined about that cycle is when it continues and when it pauses."
She measured the Admiral's words against what her Ranger training had taught her, that there was a possibility for peace in the galaxy. "You sound so confident about that. People can change Admiral." She addressed the larger issue Barnes brought with his statement.
"Do you really believe that Val'Na?" Barnes asked, the demeanor in his voice noticeably changing as the conversation moved from casual to more of a debate as she challenged his assumption. "Do you really believe hate can disappear? That passion can fade? That love can die? People can change, their beliefs can be tainted, their perceptions can be altered, but what defines people, the qualities that they are made of cannot be changed. Part of what makes the Narns is their hate for the Centauri. Part of what makes the Centauri is their need for glory. Those can't be changed."
Natalie thought for a moment, bearing in mind what the Admiral had said. She had long been a fan of history and could not deny Barnes' observation was historically accurate since the two races had been in contact with each other. "Perhaps you're right Admiral but I'd like to still believe that there's some hope for peace in this galaxy, even if that hope is against the odds."
"Believe me Val'Na, I hope and pray for peace everyday," Barnes abruptly stopped walking, turning and looking into the young woman's eyes. She was so young, innocent, Barnes wondered if he ever had that look in his eyes when he was her age. "But, with my job, I can't afford to let my guard down blindly hoping for peace. If I ever do start believing in peace, people die."
It was then that Natalie realized exactly the depth of responsibilities Admiral Jerry Barnes was burdened with. She had never thought of the Admiral's position in such a context. She also considered that he probably had a great deal to be attending to. "Well Admiral, I'm sure you have a lot to do and I have my own duties to attend to." They stopped as she gave another bow of respect in parting.
"Take care of yourself Val'Na Johnson."
"You as well Admiral Barnes," she said, rising from the bow.
She turned around, proceeding back down the corridor from which they came. Watching her glide down the dark wooden hallway, Barnes had a thought and took only a moment to come to a decision. "Val'Na Johnson!" The Admiral all but ran to catch up to her as she stopped and turned towards him, raising her eyebrows in curiosity at his sudden movement. "As commander of the Army of Light, I have the privilege to conduct inspection tours of our warships and, it has been several years since I've been onboard one of our strike cruisers."
"I know," she commented with a smile and a nod. "The last time, as I recall, was in mid-2268 when you paid a brief but eventful visit to the IAS Shard of Night." She cleverly danced around the subject hinted at by Barnes.
"You heard about that?" Barnes asked, beginning to wonder where the limits to Natalie Johnson were. "Exactly how much do you know about me Val'Na Johnson?"
"I'm something of a fan of history Admiral and you can't study history without studying the people who make it." Barnes became somewhat embarrassed at the comment. He had never considered or tried not to consider, that history would remember him in any way, let alone that he would be the subject of history.
"I can't say I'm proud of whatever history I've made," Barnes commented dejectedly. Too many events in his past had been marked by blood, the blood of his enemies, his friends and those caught in the middle.
Seeing the mournful expression that had found its way to the Admiral's face, Natalie gave a glowing, forgiving smile. "You should be proud of what you've done Admiral. Not many people can take credit for stopping as much evil as you have. No roads are easy and sometimes we fall along the way but you have to accept that you do the best you can and that the consequences are the best they could have been."
Barnes needed to take no time to consider what she had said, her words sunk in immediately. "Thank you Val'Na Johnson." A glimmer of hope returned to his face and eyes. "Now, about that inspection tour," he took the opportunity to return to the original subject.
"One hour?"
"One hour."
***
In hyperspace, unbeknownst to those on Minbar, a dark cruiser, its shape that of four elongated, double-pointed daggers, one in the center with one on each side and one below, a weapon in all senses, slid through the red void of hyperspace, the lights being absorbed into its hull. Gazing into the nothingness through a large window on the bridge of the ship, a tall figure stood motionless. He was covered entirely in pure black robes with dark red and blue markings upon the shoulders, chest and sleeves, marking his status of Narcon.
Another figure slid behind him, clad in heavy black armor marked on the neck and shoulders with gold and dark blue. His face, blue skinned with a v-shaped, ridged forehead, bumps along the edges and small, deep red eyes that almost glowed, was uncovered. He looked to the Narcon; unsure of the mission they had set out upon. He had trained for many years to kill their enemies; he did not like the idea of a mission into their territory to do anything aside from that.
"You are troubled," the Narcon spoke, raising his hand towards the other figure.
"I am."
"Why?"
He became frustrated, his breathing increased and his red eyes glowed with fire. "We have proven we can kill them. There one attack against us was nothing but a fool's showing. We should strike at them now with all force and bring them to their knees!" He clenched his fist as his voice became alive with fire. "We both know there is little time left." He brought up the most poignant point he could in the debate.
"Indeed," the Narcon answered smugly, still not giving him the recognition of turning away from the window to face him. "Our last estimates gave the planet five more years, maybe less, maybe more but that does not mean we can act foolishly. Indeed, it means we must proceed more cautiously. The Kaishar briefed you on our plans of action and you accepted them. Why now do you debate it?"
"The Kaishar is a young fool!" He hissed in reprise. "One who is leading our empire to death."
"Then why do you not oppose him?" The Narcon asked calmly, unfazed by the verbal contest from him. "As Executor of our forces you command a great deal of respect and a great deal of power. If anyone is properly equipped to oppose the Kaishar, it would be you." The Executor took a moment to think and before he could answer, the Narcon continued. "I will tell you why. It is because you know it is your duty to follow him. You know, as we all do, that any distraction from the cause with so little time remaining will only serve to make us weak when the time comes. You know that we must stand to oppose the destruction that is to come and that there is no time for such internal disputes."
The Executor was forced to admit he was correct, with the time they had remaining, power struggles could not be afforded. Though he did not agree with the Kaishar, he could not argue that his plan would eventually bring a victory, though it was not with the speed he would prefer. Still, he could not go against the order of things, the Kaishar was meant to rule, he was meant to follow and command. "But afterwards?"
"Afterwards," the Narcon turned to face him for the first time, pulling his robe down, revealing his own face, blue, ridged with red eyes but with signs of more age than that of the Executor. He placed his right hand on the cold black armor of the Executor. "Afterwards, after our great crusade to solidify our place in the galaxy is complete, I will join you Tari'Kan. Join you in placing a ruler on our thrown worthy of the great, historic title of Kaishar."
The sound of metal on metal sounded as another armored figure, his armor marked with a single dark blue emblem upon the left shoulder approached. "Your pardon Executor," he spoke with nervousness in his voice, not accustomed to addressing the Executor or being the presence of a Narcon. "We are approaching their territory, it will not be long before their hyperspace scanners lock onto us. The Kantarh has ordered our jamming systems brought to maximum so as to avoid detection for as long as possible."
"Very good, tell the Kantarh to slow to one third speed and approach along standard hyperspace routes. You will advise me immediately if any of their ships approach us." He nodded in response and quickly disappeared into the blackness of the interior.
"Approaching along the normal routes? They will see us in moments."
"Is that not the idea?"
***
"And as you can see Admiral, the recently installed enhanced cooling systems allow our molecular pulsars to fire with almost a sixty percent greater efficiency than previously by dispersing the heat outputted from the weapon discharge along a wider area, allowing for the weapons to fire at a faster rate without fear of overheating." Val'Na Johnson pointed out the cooling statistics displayed on the tactical screen in front of Admiral Barnes. In the ninety minutes he had been onboard the ship, she had showed him every major feature of the warship, many of the minor ones and had moved on to discussing relevant yet utterly uninteresting points about the design and function of the Night's Eye.
"Quite impressive Val'Na Johnson," Barnes said, as he rose from the console and surveyed the bridge where the crew dutifully attended to their assigned tasks. "You have a fine crew and a fine ship," the Admiral announced, taking several steps towards the center of the bridge.
"Thank you Admiral, I'm quite proud of both." Johnson broke the few seconds of silence as Barnes continued to look around the bridge.
"How does she fly?" Barnes asked, vigorously clapping his hands together a single time.
"Quite well Admiral," she answered, smiling at the Admiral's sudden change in demeanor, not having anticipated he would want to see the ship in action. She also took advantage of the new opportunity to brag on her ship and crew. "She's one of the fastest cruisers in service. Three days ago we overtook the Night's Dagger during speed trials in the Alcadia system."
Barnes faced her. The bridge crew had fallen silent as they waited for him to give an order. "Let's see how she handles; a quick run around the block perhaps." He suggested.
Natalie joined the Admiral at the center of the bridge near the command chair. "Engineering, activate gravitic propulsion, bring us to full power. Helm, prepare to ease us away from planetary orbit, ahead one quarter."
She was prepared to issue the departure order when an alarm chimed at the communications stations. Both Barnes and Johnson quickly looked to Makeel who was already working his panel in response to the signal. "Val'Na, incoming signal from the Minbari cruiser Leshann. Priority is marked as urgent, the Captain says he needs to speak with you immediately."
"On screen."
The image of an aging Minbari of the warrior caste faded onto the screen, both Barnes and Johnson turning to face it. He spent several seconds looking both of them over with reservation before speaking. "Val'Na Johnson," he said with a nod to her and then turned to Admiral Barnes. "Admiral Barnes, I was not aware you were onboard the Night's Eye."
"Inspection tour." It was a simple explanation.
He seemed to accept the explanation as he looked back to the commander of the Night's Eye. "Val'Na Johnson, our mid-range hyperspace probes have picked up something on approach to the planet. They are unable to get an exact fix or classification but we are most definite that it is some kind of large ship." He hesitated, not positive the decision their leaders had made in regard to this matter was correct, giving such an important assignment to such a young human. "Odds stand that it is nothing but with all the leaders of the Alliance gathered on Minbar, we can take no chances. The Minbari fleet is mobilizing, as is the White Star Fleet, however, Vice President Delen has directed that an Anla'Shok ship enter hyperspace in front of our forces to identify the ship. She suggested that your command would be the choice for that mission. We are transmitting the coordinates to you now."
Johnson did not seem to understand the disconcerted tone of the Minbari's voice. Though there was cause for concern with a mysterious ship on approach to Minbar, there were any number of possible reasons a ship could not be identified that did not involve something mysterious or evil. Still, she recognized the call of urgent duty. "Understood, we will be underway immediately." As each gave a bow of respect to the other, his less noticeable than hers, the image upon the screen faded. She faced away from the screen, snapping towards the helm. "Lay in the coordinates given to us by the Leshann and prepare to jump."
As he quickly went to work carrying out her orders, she turned back to Barnes he remained a statue at the center of the bridge. "Admiral, we can have a shuttle prepped to take you back to Minbar immediately.
"Why?" Barnes raised a single eyebrow to her. "I did say I wanted to see how your ship performed, what better time than the present."
She allowed a slight smile as she nodded and took her place in the command chair, Barnes taking a position behind her. "Tactical, activate darklight mode. Helm, jump when ready." On all sensor screens that watched, the Night's Eye vanished. A jump point formed and disappeared seconds later.
****************
CAPTAIN LOCHLEY'S OFFICE; BABYLON 5 FEBRUARY 1, 2272, 11:46 EST****************
"And tomorrow the Roosevelt is scheduled to drop-off replacements for the fighters Gamma Squadron lost last month. Once the new pilots have been oriented, we'll be able to place them back on the patrol schedule. Alpha, Delta and Zeta squadrons definitely won't mind the break from all this overtime they've been pulling lately." Though Gamma had not been completely annihilated when they joined Admiral Barnes on the mission to rescue the Michael, they had taken enough losses that it forced Commander Corwin to move them off the standard patrol schedule until they received replacements.
Captain Elizabeth Lochley rested her elbow on the surface of her desk, her face resting inside her hand as she listened uninterestingly to Commander David Corwin's daily status update, tapping a pen against her desk with her free hand. This meeting, that always took place immediately before they adjourned to lunch, either separately or together, had become a constant routine for the Captain and Executive Officer. Lochley, the past week, was beginning to see little point in them. When they first began this tradition, it had been as much about getting to know each other and talk about what was on their minds as it had been about discussing station status. Now, all it seemed to be was Corwin summarizing reports she had already ready and her issuing orders for the remainder of the day.
Lochley looked up, for the first time during this meeting, at David. Despite the ten years they had spent, working side by side, she still often saw him as a young officer, still fresh and bright-eyed because, in many ways, Corwin had never lost those qualities, they had simply aged with the man he had become today. As she thought about how long it had been since she had first accepted the assignment on Babylon 5, she found herself wondering one thing.
"David, what are you still doing here?" She said, harshly breaking away from the subjects of their briefing.
Corwin recognized the question but did not want to address the issue. "Finishing the daily briefing Captain, like we always do." His answer was unsure and betrayed that he did not want to address this subject.
"You know what I mean," annoyed, Lochley persisted. "Barnes offered you the Iron Forge."
"He told you," Corwin was melancholic as he spoke. When Admiral Barnes had offered him the commission, he had asked that he not tell Captain Lochley about it, hoping to avoid a confrontation such as this.
Lochley slowly stood, circling around and moving in front of her first officer, sitting down on the other side of her desk. "He told me because he was worried, he also told me you turned it down," she said with concern, looking into his eyes, trying to get a feeling for what he was thinking right then. "David, it's the chance you've been waiting for," she threw her hands into the air. "Hell, it's the chance of a lifetime. The Iron Forge is the Alliance's newest destroyer; she's barely two weeks out of space dock, Barnes must have a list of people a mile long wanting to command that ship." She relaxed slightly, her voice mellowing from the height it had reached. "I guess I just don't understand."
"I could say the same thing about you Captain," Corwin hurriedly changed the subject to something he knew the Captain would not want to discuss.
Of all people, he was top on the list of people she did not want to know about that. "And what do you mean Commander?"
"I mean General Pack offering you one of the command positions in the Seventh Fleet once it's rebuilt. The EAS Angelus, the newest Warlock class destroyer under construction I believe and a promotion to General." She appeared stunned, having no idea how Corwin could have heard, thinking she and Pack were the only ones who knew and making a mental note not to underestimate her XO again. Upon seeing her expression, Corwin continued. "I have my sources Captain, I heard about it the other day."
"The difference is, I haven't yet declined the offer."
"But you will."
She leaned back further on her desk, conceding the brief confrontation. "This is my home David. I'm not young like you are; I don't need to be taking every chance for career advancement that comes around the corner. My career doesn't have much time left and I'm content to let the time there is left wind out here on Babylon 5." Seeing he was about to respond, Lochley continued. "But you're not me David. When I promoted you to Lieutenant Commander ten years ago, it made you the highest ranked officer in the Army of Light at the time. You helped build the Army of Light as a place for good soldiers that had nowhere else to go. You can't advance just sitting here and I think the station still might be able to manage without you."
"Are you telling me to leave Captain?"
She sighed. Despite ten years of working with each other, there were still some things they did not understand about the other. "I'm telling you to consider what you've done up until now and consider what you still can do. Jerry told me before he left for Minbar that the position is still yours if you want it. Just seriously think about it."
A grin as a thought came to him. "I'll tell you what Captain, I'll give Barnes' offer some serious consideration if you give Pack's offer some serious consideration."
"Deal." She dismissed him, saying there was no need to finish the briefing, that she already knew it all. They adjourned for the day. She settled back in at her desk, leaning back and picking up another report from the top of it. Waste management, it always seemed to be waste management when she was having a bad day. One time, four years ago, during another bad day when a waste management report was the first she found, she had actually conducted something of an investigation to determine if there was some great conspiracy behind it but soon dismissed it as an odd coincidence.
Barely making her way through two more reports, she soon became frustrated. The confrontation with Corwin echoed in her mind as she began to ask herself what she was still doing on Babylon 5. There was the obvious answer, despite the station losing some of its importance in the past ten years, with the Alliance government moving to Minbar, was that Babylon 5 was still considered at the top of the food chain as far as choice assignments went.
Then there was the less obvious of reasons. Though, after the Narn crisis, she and Jerry Barnes had decided it would be best to put their feelings for each other aside for the time being, part of her still hoped there was a chance for something in the future. With everything basically calming down for the Alliance, she considered that maybe that time would be sooner rather than later. She laughed at herself, as she considered exactly how silly she was being but the truth of it was, she was tired and wanted her life to settle down. She only wondered if she wasn't foolishly hoping for something that would not happen.
"Oh stop it Elizabeth," she scolded herself, running her fingers through her hair. She returned to work, wondering if this was still the place for her and if she had the courage to leave after all this time.
****************
IAS NIGHT'S EYE; HYPERSPACEFEBRUARY 1, 2272, 11:49 EST
****************
"Still nothing on sensors Val'Na," the report came from tactical station of the Alliance cruiser. Admiral Barnes nervously paced the bridge while Val'Na Johnson remained seated, motionless in the command chair. They had reached the coordinates given to them by the Minbari cruiser several minutes before and were still unable to detect any sign of a ship.
Johnson spoke as Barnes was beginning to. "Continue scanning, alter course to take us another two degrees off the coordinates given to us by the Leshann, advise engineering to reroute all available power to the sensors, try and increase resolution." Barnes nodded in approval as Natalie serenely issued her orders. She was handling this situation far better than he.
The search continued in this matter for several more minutes, tactical reporting no contacts, Natalie ordering minor course changes and increased power to the sensors and Barnes simply waiting. He was confident in the abilities of the crew of the Night's Eye and the ability of the Minbari fleet to fend off anything that came towards Minbar but he could not help but have a feeling of trepidation given this situation. It was not an everyday occurrence that an unidentified ship attempted to sneak up on then from the depths of hyperspace.
After several more minutes of unbearable waiting, a different sound finally emerged from the constant repetitive string of noises being emitted from the tactical station. The human Ranger quickly checked the display, rapidly pecking a series of controls as he analyzed the new data arriving on his console. "Val'Na, detecting an object not far from here. It initially showed up as nothing but a sensor echo," both Barnes and Johnson cleared a path across the bridge, standing over the shoulder of the young Ranger, studying his display as he reported on the sensor findings.
"But the sensors locked onto it and now we can definitely tell it's a ship. Unknown configuration," he gently tapped a series of three controls, changing the screen to display a wavering silhouette of the ship they were now tracking. "I've never seen anything quite like it before, doesn't remotely match anything in the ship's databanks." Barnes gazed at the screen, taken aback by the image upon it. Though he had not seen this particular design of ship before, the similarities in design to those that destroyed the Seventh Fleet, attacked the Narns and those MacDonald destroyed could not be missed. He surmised that this was some sort of heavy cruiser, a flagship of the enemy's fleet.
"Sound battle stations, go to red alert and advise the Minbari fleet we have incoming hostile," Barnes ordered, much to the surprise of Johnson and the rest of the bridge crew.
"You know what that ship is?" Johnson asked, turning to face Barnes as all eyes on the bridge turned towards him.
"Possibly," Barnes said as he walked to the center of the bridge.
"Do it," Johnson ordered, quickly following Barnes' path. The lights on the bridge dimmed further, those on consoles becoming slightly brighter to allow for easier viewing in a battle situation, red klaxons dimly lighting the bridge from overhead. She came to Barnes' side as he stood beside the command chair, gaze fixed upon the screen in front of him as the Night's Eye slid through hyperspace. "Care to enlighten me Admiral?"
He bent down, whispering into her ear, not wanting to cause unneeded alarm to the rest of her crew with what was to be said. "The design of the ship is similar to those that destroyed the Seventh Fleet and those that Captain MacDonald attacked last month. If I'm right, then that is some sort of fleet command ship out there meaning there's probably more of their ships waiting that we haven't detected yet."
The gravity of the situation began to sink in with the young Ranger Captain. "Are you sure they're hostile? We don't know what their intentions could be."
"We can't take that chance," Barnes quickly countered. "If we attack them before they're ready, we stand a chance of taking them before the whole of their forces are prepared, we stand the best chance of destroying them." His mind had already been made and a plan of action decided upon.
Natalie Johnson however had not completely made her decision. Her training had taught her to keep an open mind in all situations, especially where it could involve preventing a fight where one was not needed. "Admiral, we don't know why they are here. As far as we know, they can't detect the Night's Eye while it's in darklight mode, I don't think it would hurt us to get a little bit closer, see if they actually are staging some kind of an attack force." She lowered her voice to a whisper as well. "Even if we fall, the Minbari fleet has already been alerted and they'll be able to repel any attack against the planet."
Though he did not like it, Admiral Barnes conceded that she was right. That was the differences in their beliefs that came with experience; he looked at many situations from the worst-case perspective, his experience having taught him to do so. While she was still young, lacking what he had experienced during his career, and looked at everything with openness in her mind, that it may not be exactly as it appeared.
He spent a second looking into her eyes that quietly waited for his order. His head snapped away from her and back towards the tactical station where the Ranger attending it also waited for an order from the Admiral. "Tell the Minbari fleet to hold back inside their system but maintain combat readiness. Advise that we will investigate that ship and report back if assistance is needed or if they appear to be hostile." A pause as Barnes considered that they might not be able to report back. "Also tell them, that if we don't report back in twenty minutes, to assume that there is a hostile fleet in hyperspace and take action accordingly."
"At once Admiral."
"Helm, lay in an intercept course," Johnson immediately followed the Admiral's orders with ones of her own. "One third speed, take us in nice and slow, let's see if we can't get a good look at that thing. Passive sensors only, we don't want to draw any undo attention to ourselves."
Slowly, the battle cruiser Night's Eye slid through hyperspace. After several minutes of penetrating through currents of energy, it emerged behind and on top of a massive black form. It hung still in the shifting tides of hyperspace, almost lifeless. No lights marked its black hull aside from a dim blue and white glow from two engines on each of the wings. The red light of hyperspace melted into the hull of the cruiser, not reflecting the dimension around it. The black form of the Night's Eye, still apparently undetected, settled in above the large, dagger-shaped ship.
Across the bridge of the Alliance warship, all stood and gasped as the enormous ship came into view. With the exception of the Victory destroyers, they had never seen a ship the size of this. While the destroyers were graceful, elegant in their design, a sign that they were bringers of peace, it was obvious the ship with which they were now faced was made for a single purpose, to bring death, destruction and to conquer its enemies.
For Admiral Jerry Barnes, there was no longer any denying it, this ship belonged to the race that had attacked the Seventh Fleet, the same race that had seemingly disappeared after Captain MacDonald had scored a victory against one of their bases. The only question to be answered was what one of their ships was doing on approach to Minbar. It was a question Admiral Barnes would answer with the utmost haste.
"Are we detecting any other ships?" The Admiral asked, keeping his voice quiet, an unnecessary habit he had developed when going into situations such as these, a representation of his desire to remain undetected.
The Ranger at tactical took his eyes briefly away from the screen to check the sensor display, quickly returning them to the cruiser once he had the information requested. "Just that one ship Admiral. We could switch to a more active scanning mode but the cruiser might detect us if we transfer any more power to the sensors then they are currently operating at."
"No unusual sensor readings of any kind that might indicate another ship or a fleet?" Johnson followed up on Barnes' question in an attempt to eliminate any doubt.
He checked the display again. "No other sensor contacts within range Val'Na."
"Any power signatures that would indicate active weapon or defensive systems?"
"Negative Val'Na."
"You're call Admiral," Johnson indicated, turning to face him while he still gazed at the black form hovering the middle of the screen.
Barnes took a deep breath and exhaled, his decision was made. "Maneuver us into a position directly in front of the cruiser, turn us to face them then prepare to deactivate darklight mode. As soon as you do, send a coded message to the Minbari fleet advising them of our situation. Hopefully they'll be more concerned with us rather than the transmission we're sending." He turned to tactical, meeting eyes with the young Ranger. "Be prepared to charge our weapons and defenses but do not do so until I give the order."
"Yes sir."
At his direction, the Ranger warship moved across the long, immense form of the black cruiser, positioning in front of the ship and pivoted in a half circle, coming to a stop facing the unknown cruiser. Within seconds, the Night's Eye became visible to the enemy cruiser that did not waver when faced with the smaller Alliance cruiser bearing upon it. On the bridge, once they were sure the cruiser had seen them, Barnes asked if they detected weapons charging, receiving a gratifying response that they were not. It also made his next decision a difficult one, one with which he needed to be cautious.
"Open a channel," the Admiral hesitantly ordered. "Send this message in interlac."
"Acknowledged Admiral," the Brakiri manning the operations station answered, swiftly running his fingers across the console. "Translating and transmitting message now."
Barnes straightened in his stance as he looked towards the screen. "This is Admiral Jerry Barnes of the Interstellar Alliance, speaking from the Anla'Shok cruiser Night's Eye. We mean you no harm. If you come in peace, please give us an indication." There was silence. Waiting several seconds, Barnes looked at operations where the Brakiri reported the message had been properly translated into interlac and sent to the cruiser. Barnes returned to looking at the cruiser and waiting for some kind of response.
As the seconds ticked by, he became greatly impatient. He began pacing, wishing they would offer some kind of an answer, preferring even that they fire on his ship rather than continuing to make them wait. At least having them open fire would be a clear sign rather than this indecision.
"Perhaps they didn't understand the message," Johnson offered bringing little ease to the Admiral's mind.
"Perhaps they're waiting for us to let our guard down before they destroy us."
Several more minutes of silent awaiting onboard the bridge of the cruiser before an alert sounded at the operations station. "Admiral," the Ranger reported instantly as he quickly worked the console controls. "We're receiving a message from the cruiser, the message is in," he hesitated; startled by the information he was viewing. "The message is in English Admiral, they're requesting face to face communications with you sir."
Barnes and Johnson exchanged a long, odd look, both taken aback. Where they had both come here expecting a fight, it now seemed that a dialogue could be possible. Barnes composed himself an ordered a channel open on the main screen. The image faded into view, a black background with the sole figure in the foreground all that was visible. Dressed in black robes accented by dark blue and red marking, he was the size and build of an average human. His face was blue, scaly, an accented v-shaped forehead dotted by ridges. His eyes were red, small, set deep within his scull almost glowing as he focused solely on Admiral Barnes.
"Admiral Barnes," the figure spoke in perfect non-accented English, much to the surprise of all the non-human members of the crew of the Alliance warship. For many of them, learning English and how to properly pronounce and speak the language had been a difficult part of their training; it was astonishing to see someone accomplish it so easily. "I am the Narcon of the Keilmar Empire." He spoke proudly though his face betrayed no emotion, his black lips barely moving. "I come to you representing our Kaishar and bring for your President an offer of peace for the Interstellar Alliance."
Having in no way expected this, Barnes could not react without delay. "I," another moment of hesitation as the Admiral began speaking. "I am not authorized to speak for the Interstellar Alliance in such matters." He took a moment of consideration, attempting to study the reaction of the Narcon's face, failing to do so. "I will however offer you escort to Minbar where you can meet with President Sheridan and the rest of the Alliance council."
There was no hesitation from the Narcon, his response followed instantly. "I accept your offer Admiral Barnes, we will fall into formation with you for the journey. Perhaps you would contact President Sheridan and make my introduction, to pave the way for our meeting upon my arrival."
Barnes was unnerved at the cordial attitude displayed by the enemy whom he now spoke with. If his assumption was correct, this was the enemy, who only weeks before, slaughtered thousands of Earth Force officers with the complete destruction of the Seventh Fleet. Now, these two representatives of their respective races were exchanging an almost casual dialogue with each other as a prelude to an official meeting. Looking past his suspicions and seeing that the crew of the Night's Eye seemed to be eagerly awaiting his response, he decided to continue playing the game. "Of course, I will contact President Sheridan immediately. If you will follow us, we'll clear all the hyperspace lanes to make for a quiet journey to Minbar." Johnson picked up on Barnes' hidden order and discreetly made her way to communications where she issued the orders for the hyperspace lanes to be cleared, a precaution in case this still did erupt into a battle.
"Your cooperation and hospitality will be remembered Admiral," the image faded again replaced by that of the black cruiser.
Barnes stood, a silent statue all eyes on the bridge looked to him for direction. Throughout his life, he had been faced with many tense and difficult situations but never had one so quite unnerved him as the brief conversation with the representative from the race he now knew were called the Keilmar or he assumed that was their name. The rest of the crew seemed to be equally distressed from witnessing the brief exchange between the two. Everything about it seemed too simple and cordial given the circumstances. Still, Barnes decided to go along with this surprising turn of events, wanting to see where they might lead.
"Bring us about and set a course for Minbar. Advise the Minbari fleet and get me President Sheridan on a secure channel immediately. If we take these Keilmar to meet him, we're going to first make damn sure they don't try anything."
"What makes you think they would try anything Admiral?" Natalie protested. Though she could not deny the situation was still a precarious one, the Narcon did seem to be sincere enough as far as she could tell.
"How often to you take a ship that size to a diplomatic meeting?"
She did not respond.
"Get me the President," Barnes said softly, quickly turning and making his way off the bridge. With a short journey to Minbar, there would be much preparation needed and a very small amount of time in which to accomplish it. Taking a final look at the black cruiser as it sliced through hyperspace on the tail of the Night's Eye, he could only wonder with great misgivings about what would happen in the next few hours.
***
"Now just a damn minute!" President Sheridan shouted, leaping to his feet and slamming a clenched fist upon the surface of the table. The verbal exchange between the President and Narcon had been going on for several hours and had now reached its lowest point. "While you can get away with justifying the attack against the Seventh Fleet as defense of your territory, you can't try to tell me the other two attacks against our forces were anything but unjustified!"
Barnes sighed, hiding his face in the palm of his right hand. Seated at a circular table with Sheridan and the Keilmar Narcon, between the two of them, he had witnessed the entire verbal repartee between the two well-skilled diplomats, never interjecting a comment of his own. During those three hours, particularly now as he watched the conversation degrading even further, there had been little progress made. It had began with a peace offering from the Keilmar and over the course of slightly more than six hours it had degraded into both accusing the other of repeated territory violations and unprovoked attacks against the other.
"We considered the incursion of your fleet into our territory to be an aggressive move and attacked accordingly. We first believed your fleet's violation to have been a declaration of war and began suitable military action to respond, hence the other two attacks," the Narcon calmly responded, remaining seated, not rising to meet Sheridan. "Once we began to analyze your actions in response to our attacks, we realized that it was indeed a mistake and withdrew our forces from your territory." Though Sheridan was not pleased with the answer, he did seem to accept it as he again to his seat.
"I suppose mistakes were made by all," Sheridan admitted, his voice returning to its normal degree. "But just because we made mistakes then doesn't mean we have to make mistakes now." Barnes felt an air of uneasy serenity returning to the room with the President's statement. As was the case on the bridge of the Night's Eye, he was able to learn nothing from the expression of the Narcon. He was cold, unreadable and impossible to predict. The Admiral wondered if the rest of their race was so good at disguising their emotions.
Aside from the Narcon, the only Keilmar he had seen were those guards that landed with him on Minbar hours before. He was unable to see their faces however, as they were covered entirely in black armor, carrying large silver rifles. There had been a brief standoff as the guards refused to hand over their weapons but Barnes, with a detachment of well-armed security, was able to diffuse the situation. The guards then returned to the shuttle, waiting on a nearby landing pad, with the exception of one who took station outside the meeting room.
"I agree President Sheridan," the Narcon answered coldly. "As does the Kaishar, which is why he sent me with an offering of peace and friendship for the Interstellar Alliance. It is our hope that we can re-forge as friends what we nearly lost as enemies, peace between neighbors and throughout the galaxy." For the first time, Barnes heard a tinge of emotion in his voice; the difficult task was determining what the emotion was. "That is why, in addition to our friendship, we have much to offer you, including but not limited to our jump gate maps and maps of our territory. This in exchange for minor sacrifices from you."
"A moment please," the Admiral interjected into the conversation. The Narcon nodded.
Barnes leaned closer to Sheridan, gesturing with a single finger for him to do the same. "It would be a great benefit to us Mr. President to be able to get a detailed picture of their territory," the Admiral whispered into his ear while the Narcon waited patiently. "Not to mention their map of the jump gate system could be of great benefit in any future planning sessions."
"You're suggesting I go along with this?" Though Sheridan kept his voice as well at a low whisper, his astonishment at the Admiral's suggestion was clear. "They destroyed the Seventh Fleet, they tried to destroy the Narn fleet, they tried to kill dozens of Earth Force Generals, they tried to kill you and they crippled one of our destroyers. Do you really think these are the kinds of people we need to be trusting?"
"I'm not suggesting we trust them Mr. President, I'm suggesting we do what we need to do to buy ourselves some time and some information." Barnes, as always was thinking what would happen several steps down the road. He knew these Keilmar could not be trusted but he did see their plan as an opportunity for the Alliance to attempt a delaying maneuver. "If agreeing to this plan of theirs is the only way to prevent a full-scale war from happening right now then I say we do what we can to buy ourselves as much time as possible for when the war does come."
Sheridan considered the options before him, realizing that the Admiral had presented an easily convincing case. If war was inevitable and the Alliance was to survive, they would need time to prepare and this offering of peace from the Keilmar, empty as it could be, offered the most promise for giving them the time they needed. "The council isn't going to like it," Sheridan offered the one counterpoint he could determine would be an obstacle to pushing this uneasy peace with the enemy through.
"You have to convince them." Barnes returned to his position, as did Sheridan, his decision having been made.
"The Alliance, in principle, accepts your offer."
"Then perhaps we can discuss the details and have a conclusion soon that will please both of our peoples and usher in a new era of prosperity for the Interstellar Alliance and the Keilmar Empire." Jerry was finally able to determine what it was he was hearing from the Narcon's voice, the tone of someone trying with all their strength to sell someone else on a lie.
Barnes stood, excusing himself from the room. Now was a time for the diplomats to do what they did best. It was not a time where they needed a soldier to be present now that they had broken through the initial confrontation and reached the phase of negotiating and bargaining. After several hours of listening to their banter, though he saw the importance of it, he was tired and felt the need to be elsewhere.
He stepped out of the room, quickly making his way through the empty wooden corridor and stepping onto a large balcony, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths. The fresh evening air of Minbar filled his lungs, reviving his drained energy with every breath. After several seconds, during which he felt reenergized, his eyes popped open and he looked out upon the Tuzanor skyline. The sun was now setting over the horizon, casting brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow and the slightest purple on the ancient buildings of the city of sorrows. A light but steady stream of traffic flew below the high clouds, yellow and orange themselves, absorbing the sunset. This time of day, the ships would be commercial transport traveling between various cities on the planet or heading for space. The white and red glows from the engines of the ships further accented the brilliant view filling his eyes. The red light of the sun setting touched against the dark brown wood of the balcony on which he stood, bathing Barnes in a red shade.
Standing in silence for several minutes, becoming at peace with even his own thoughts, Barnes was pulled away, hearing a deep sound against the wood of the balcony. He turned to see a figure in the black armor of the Keilmar military. This armor, while being of the same basic design was slightly different, marked with gold and dark blue on several sections. He turned at the waste and looked over his shoulder at the face of the wearer. His face resembled that of the Narcon but even Barnes could tell this Keilmar was far younger. His face did not bear the wrinkles or number of ridges that of the Narcon did. The Keilmar began to circle Barnes, locking his eyes upon the Admiral. Though it was difficult to tell with the red hue of the sun upon his face, Barnes could also tell this face of this individual was a far lighter blue than that of the Narcon. He considered that the darkness of color could be some sign of their age. Barnes also took notice of his eyes, the same small deeply set red eyes that the Narcon carried but with a far more sinister quality to them as they also reflected the light of the sun along with their own faint glow.
Feeling like prey being circled by a predator, a feeling multiplied when he saw the slightest of grins creep onto the black face of the Keilmar, Barnes finally decided to break the silence. "Who are you?"
The Keilmar broke his circle and began moving in the opposite direction, met by mirror movement from Barnes who continuously turned to face him while keeping his position static. "Your counterpart Admiral Barnes," this Keilmar, like the Narcon, also spoke in perfect English. Hearing his voice, Barnes had the passing thought of likening it to having an almost Shakespearean quality about it. "I am called Tari'Kan," the Keilmar spoke again, offering additional exposition, as Barnes seemed to not totally understand his statement. "I am Executor of the Keilmar fleet, supreme command of our forces. As I said Admiral, your counterpart."
"What are you doing here?" Barnes asked, an air of hostility to his voice. The rest of the Keilmar were supposed to be waiting either on the Narcon's shuttle or on their cruiser in orbit. Even if this Executor had been granted permission to seek him out, the Admiral wondered how it was he seemed to freely roam the halls of headquarters, Barnes not noticing any Alliance guards accompanying him.
"I came to speak with you Admiral," he ceased his circling and took several steps towards Barnes, standing close enough for Barnes to feel the warm breath of the Executor upon his skin. "I speak to you, not with the authority or approval of my government but as a warrior to a warrior." Their eyes locked in a contest of wills as the setting sun rested at the horizon in the space between their faces. Knowing he had little time, he did not care to waste any more of it waiting for a response from the human. "Your Alliance is weak Admiral. In the years during which you have been fighting, Shadows, your own government, Centauri, Drahk and countless others, we have been doing nothing but preparing." His voice was calm yet filled with a maniacal passion that sent a chill through Barnes' spine. "Our purpose is great, greater and more dire than you can possibly realize. If we fail Admiral, the galaxy will burn.
"We have come a great way to realizing our purpose and being prepared for the death that is to come but there is still much to be done and there are still many obstacles in our path. One of the greatest is your Interstellar Alliance. We have spent many years watching you as we have prepared. You and I well know that your Alliance cannot stand under the pressure we would apply to it." He took another step closer, placing his face almost on top of Barnes'. "I ask you to not interfere with us Admiral. Do not stand in the way of our purpose, for if you do, not only will your Alliance fall but the galaxy will burn. We are superior and we are meant to rule." A barrage of loud footsteps approaching from the corridor indicated that his time was short. "Do not stand in our way Admiral, if you do, it will be the greatest regret of your life or, you will not live to regret it."
The door the corridor flew open, spewing forth several Rangers, Minbari and Interstellar Alliance security, training their weapons on the Executor. "We're sorry Admiral," one of the Rangers said as the Executor gave him a mocking glare. "We don't know how he got past security but we responded as soon as possible. We'll escort him back to the shuttle." There was no struggle as they formed a living barrier around him and began to lead him from the balcony; all the while the eyes of the Executor were fixed on Barnes.
Jerry Barnes could not understand the meaning of what he had been told. Not because he did not possess the knowledge needed, simply that it was beyond his capacity for understanding. Though the Executor gave him all the answers, from the Admiral's perspective, it was nothing but a string of cryptic riddles. Still, he saw an opportunity and shot for it. "You know we will oppose you if forced to but perhaps there is not a need for it. If there's something out there other than you that threatens peace, freedom and life in the galaxy then tell us now and we will fight it alongside you. Our peoples may have gotten off on a rough start but a lot of races do, that doesn't mean we can pull something out of this. Why don't you just come right out and tell me what this is about rather than playing these senseless, self defeating games." Barnes spoke with a passion, a fire that did not have any noticeable effect upon the Narcon.
The Keilmar halted and turned with his fully body back to Barnes, squinting as the last rays of the setting sun penetrated his eyes. Then, unpredictable to both Barnes and the security team, he simply laughed. "You do not understand Admiral but you will, years from now, you will." They led him away then without any further interruptions as the sun finally set on Barnes and the Alliance capital.
****************
IAS NIGHT'S EYE; HYPERSPACEFEBRUARY 3, 2272, 23:18 EST
****************
"So the Night's Eye is bringing you back to Babylon 5?" The image of Captain Lochley asked, looking at Barnes as he sat in his small yet comfortable guest quarters onboard the Alliance cruiser. Though Val'Na Johnson had offered to have something more than standard guest quarters arranged, he had insisted against it, tired of being treated differently than so many others.
Barnes gave an exhausted nod. The past two days on Minbar had seen a great deal of stressful work and a severe lack of sleep, something he doubted he would be able to rectify tonight. "She's the fastest Alliance ship we had at Minbar that wasn't immediately devoted to other duties and I need to get back to the station in a hurry, there's a lot we have to do and not a whole lot of time to do it in."
"Which is why you called," Elizabeth skipped straight to the point.
"Yes," Barnes admitted, wishing he could have called simply to see and speak with her but knowing his position did not allow him such pleasures, especially in times where the burden of his office was at the highest. He didn't like what he had to do but there was no other choice, she was the person he needed. "As I told you Elizabeth, as part of our recently signed treaty with the Keilmar, the Interstellar Alliance is to cede several systems along our border to their Empire so that they can create a buffer zone for both of us. The problem is that many of those systems are human refugee zones and the possibility of us being able to get them out in time is basically nil."
"So you're going to move the White Star Fleet into those systems to cover the evacuation and with any luck the Keilmar won't attack the transports because they won't want to risk a head on confrontation with your forces." Captain Lochley saw the Admiral's plan clear as crystal when she considered the limited options available to him.
"Exactly," Barnes said, impressed that she had determined the same course of action he had decided upon during his final meeting with President Sheridan just prior to his departure. Though both of them hoped the Keilmar were sincere in their offer for peace, both doubted the likelihood of them actually keeping their word. As such, they had to put together a plan to protect the Alliance and all of its citizens from Keilmar aggression. "And I need you to command the fleet Elizabeth."
This she hadn't seen coming. Through her command of Babylon 5, she had participated in many military actions, it had been a great while since she had actually led a large force of ships in any type of action, especially a large scale engagement. "I suppose I thought you would be placing Captain MacDonald in command of the fleet," she said nervously, not wanting to insult him by turning down his offer but also wanting to be cautious about accepting it.
Barnes shook his head. Though he had considered Captain MacDonald for command of the White Star Fleet during this mission, he had another purpose for the Captain of the Victory. "Captain MacDonald and the Victory won't be with the fleet, I'm giving them another assignment that will prevent them from being present during this fleet action." He abruptly stopped speaking, leaning forward and gazing into her eyes, they betrayed that she wanted to take this mission but was unsure of her abilities to do so. "I need you out there Elizabeth. I need someone to be my eyes and ears, someone who has the experience needed, someone who isn't afraid to fight if they have to and someone I trust. You're the person I need out there."
She dropped her head, feeling almost overwhelmed by the confidence Barnes was displaying in her. She wanted to do this and he knew it. "I'm sure Commander Corwin will be thrilled with the opportunity to run the station for a while." She managed to make some light of her accepting the dangerous assignment. "When do I leave?"
"As soon as possible," Barnes said, dropping immediately back into his tactical mindset. "Confer with Vice Admiral Taylor, he'll have a squadron of White Stars take you to the Valen's Hand. It is already en-route to the system we're making our staging area and you can assume command of the fleet from there. You'll be in charge of coordinating the evacuation with us on Babylon 5 along with the transports and people in those systems. We've got a little more than three weeks to get this accomplished."
"Not a lot of time," she pointed out the obvious. "But we'll get it done."
"I know you will Elizabeth," Barnes commented, the tone of his voice dropping slightly. Until that point, when he saw her face, he had not considered he would be sending her into danger, only considering that he needed her experience on the frontlines. It was the difference between his two different ways of thinking, one with his head and the other with his heart. He took a long hard look at her as she did him, both wondering when they would next be together, if ever again.
Elizabeth first decided to break the uneasy yet peaceful silence. "Is there anything else Admiral?" She wanted to bring the conversation to a close as quickly as possible. The last thing either of them needed was feeling they were trying to put aside getting in the way of their duties, now that the Keilmar threat seemed to be renewed.
"Just get yourself back safely."
"I'll try," she said somberly, trying to hide her emotions.
Barnes made no such attempt. "It's an order."
She smiled, feeling for a brief second that there may be no need to keep their feelings in check this one time. "I will, and I'll see you again." He wished her luck and her image disappeared, replaced by the ever-familiar emblem of the Interstellar Alliance.
Rising to his feet from the chair near the monitor and walking the short distance across the room, the Admiral fell into the bed, one of a human standard rather than Minbari. As he loosened the grip of his uniform shirt and closed his eyes, feeling the fatigue having finally broken through all of his defenses. For the first time since the arrival of the Keilmar in hyperspace near Minbar, when he closed his eyes, they were not the only things he saw.
To be continued ... Part Two: The Loss of Peace, Chapter Six - While Admiral Barnes struggles to prepare the Alliance for the war he believes to be coming, Captain Lochley faces a precarious situation as a Keilmar battle group takes position outside of the evacuation zone. Meanwhile, Captains McDouglass and Griffon engage a deadly raider group while Commander Corwin makes preparations for a possible defense of Babylon 5.