Chapter Fourteen
"Like Scattered Flowers"
One hour later:
"Captain on the Bridge!"
Captain Sandra Hiroshi and Commander Riker stepped onto the command deck of the USS Yeager. She saluted sharply as Captain Ben Sisko returned the acknowledgement. She was rather impressed at the overall configuration of the small warship named after the first Human test pilot to break the sound barrier in the year nineteen forty-seven. The name Yeager was comforting in itself since it confirmed that these transplanted colonials were indeed from Earth even if their engineering did take a radical turn.
The smoothness of the shuttle from the Ambassador to the Yeager was just as amazing. She still had not gotten used to shuttles with artificial gravity. Each day seemed like a revelation.
"Welcome to the Yeager," Sisko said. "It's a little cramped when you compare her to the others, but she's a good ship and we intend to do her proud."
In fact the modified Saber-class warship was smaller in size than the White Star. Designed as a heavy-duty scout class vessel it supported a crew of ninety-seven as opposed to its normal compliment of one hundred and two, to make room for its modified type VIII-B phaser array and extra photon torpedo tubes. Maximum speed was warp nine point two for twelve hours. There were only a few engineering and science labs; the others removed to make room for the extra weaponry. The Yeager was highly maneuverable and boasted the ability to get out of trouble faster than it could get into it.
Despite her enthusiasm on being onboard a tiny version of these amazing ships, she was concerned about Commander Riker. Command should have been offered to him since the man was senior officer of the Enterprise. He should have been disappointed, but he wasn't. In fact, William seemed genuinely pleased that Commander-now Captain-Sisko had been offered the Yeager. He had told her that his place was on the Enterprise and during these perilous times it was far more important being first officer than to be in charge of another ship, even if it did mean command. So agreement with the decision was without reservation.
Captain Hiroshi didn't really believe him at first, but now watching him, she was convinced and therefore content, more or less. The two of them had become very close in the last few weeks as she recovered from her injuries. As she recovered in sickbay, he constantly visited her and surprisingly, she had found herself very attracted to William and the two of them were almost inseparable. If the man wanted to stay on the Enterprise, so be it. Now that she was fully recovered, the woman was itching to get back to work.
The three of them and the bridge crew consisting of four additional members were transfixed now by the main view-screen. Babylon Five Command and Control operations were transmitting results of the running battle between the Vorlon fleet and the Shadow raiding party that had been caught completely unawares. In fact several of the spider-like ships had been blown out of space before they even knew they were under attack.
Sandra saw Riker smile grimly as the battle continued.
"Did you notice?" he asked Sisko.
Ben was stroking his beard while nodding. "Yes. Either they seem to have a blind spot to their rear or their sensors were tightly focused forward. The Vorlons were almost on top of them before they even knew they were there. Their effective weapons' range is less than I thought it would be."
"I noticed," Riker agreed. "We haven't been able to analyze their beam weapons yet. But we know they aren't some type of laser or phaser. Very likely it's some type of focused particle beam, very, very powerful. Their targeting mechanisms seem very good also."
"We're continuing our analysis onboard both ships," Ben said, still looking at the slaughter onscreen. "Hopefully our shields should offer some protection. If we can discover the frequency of their weapons, then the shields will be more effective. But, I'm more concerned with their cloaking abilities."
That had bothered Sandra also. Being able to target a Minbari ship was next to impossible unless you were in point blank range. The ability of your enemy to become invisible at a whim was downright depressing. "Is it a true cloak or are they actually moving in and out of jump space?"
Ensign Crusher had brought that point up earlier during his work on Babylon Five with their scientist onboard. The Klingons had even done a little study of the problem also. So far no one had a concrete answer.
"We're working on a way to allow the phasers and weapons to transition hyperspace to hit their targets. Initial studies seem positive but were still learning about hyperspace physics."
This brought up another question that Hiroshi knew literally everyone in Starfleet was asking. "Can you use warp drive in hyperspace?"
"The short answer is 'theoretically yes'," Captain Sisko answered. "The long answer is-we'll have to test it to see. Both faster–than-light methods use radically different techniques to achieve their goals. To keep it simple we'll call it the active-warp drive-verses passive-jump space."
"In order to side-step Einsteinian physics, we literally create a bubble of subspace around our ships using our matter-antimatter distortion nacelles. But this bubble is only created when we are moving. We're in essence 'surfing' on waves of subspace distortion. This form of propulsion allows us to travel FTL without temporal distortions, however the instant we stop, the surrounding field collapses and we're back in normal space. When traveling inside the warp field, our ships don't approach anywhere the speed of light, but any incremental change in our relative speed is reflected directly by the subspace bubble, which increases our warp speed accordingly."
"Your approach is just the opposite," Ben continued. "Instead of surrounding yourself in subspace, you penetrate a stable dimension of what you call hyper or jump space. Hyperspace has specific characteristics of its own, just like normal space but the dimensional physics are different. It takes less time to travel from point A to point B because the distances are dimensionally shorter. Unlike us, you can stop movement for as long as you want. In many ways jump space is a lot closer to normal space than subspace, which requires us to be in motion. But you have to tear a way in and tear your way back out into normal space. With our navigational computers we can calculate where we are in relation to normal space. We should be able to do the same in jump space once the space-relation-dimensional-quantum-calculations are worked out."
"In your case you use stationary beacons otherwise you can get lost and you may not even be able to get out of jump space. There are eddies and currents…"
"Now before can we attempt warp travel in jump space we need to study it a little more. If they, subspace and jump or hyperspace are compatible, then it will open a whole new experience in travel. Theoretically we could navigate this galaxy in a matter of weeks instead of decades. Who knows how far this could go."
"William, you could get home," said an excited Hiroshi.
"Possibly," Riker said.
Sandra did not like the way the word 'possibly came out. Why did that sound so non-committal? That was one of her few pet peeves about the man. He never said exactly where they had come from. True, it could be a military secret, after all EarthGov would give their eyeteeth for information about their colony's whereabouts. Maybe one day he would trust her enough to tell her.
"The fight's over," William stated. Onscreen everyone saw the spider vessels attempting to flee. "The Shadow vessels are making a run for it. It's a nice victory for the Vorlon fleet. Everybody should be happy."
"Good for the Vorlons," Ben announced. "That little victory gives us a little time. Right now, we are getting ready from her first test run. After that we can certify her as shipshape. We're participating in the war games with several of the modified Thunderbolt Star Furies, Captain."
I am aware of that," Sandra said. "My flight officer Lieutenant Commander Gerald Higgins has been waiting for this seemingly forever. He'll be leading the modified fighter squadron against your battle group. I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform."
"Lieutenant Commander Higgins has got to be one of the more somber people I have met in a long time," said Riker. During their meetings, their conversations had been polite but relatively cool.
"Can you blame him?" Sandra understood him well enough. "His family is on Earth. Clarke is targeting all of our families of siding with Babylon Five. I imagine it's very hard for them right now."
Commander Riker could see the control Sandra had as she spoke. A true Captain, he thought. But he also saw the hurt and the gentleness of woman that he was coming to love.
"The polarized plating should give them a significant defensive advantage," Riker said moving away from that subject and back on the original one. "And the updated targeting systems should give them a much better stand-off-and-deliver capability."
"Agreed. Fighter pilots understand the importance of the first strike. It usually determines who lives and who dies."
"Well, we want our people to live."
"How long before Earth Force finds out about the Yeager?" Riker asked changing the subject.
They know about it already," Sandra answered. "I'll bet every Earth Force electronic satellite and optical observer within three light years is glued to B5. They're probably having fits right now."
This should have been a time of joy, a time of dancing, a time of happiness. And yes, it was for some. The Shadows had suffered their first major defeat and had run, hiding once again in their dark holes licking their wounds. In short, the Vorlons had handed their spidery hides to them and by their actions lifted the hopes and prayers of every race that the Shadows had abused. But the universe has a balance. It is as restless as the ocean, never still, always moving. It brought joy to some and to others a wretchedness that tore at the very soul.
Right now, the universe had decided to be malevolent towards Londo, or so one would think. In truth, the universe did not care about him; its attention was not even pointed in his direction. But you could not tell him that. And one could not tell Vir this, either. How could one be so happy one minute and so devastated the next?
Such a waste of flowers thought Vir as the bouquet dropped to the cold floor, the pedals scattering everywhere to be stepped on and discarded.
-Such a waste of life.
Vir watched from a slight distance as Londo fell apart before his eyes. Adira, one of the few people Londo could say that he loved, was dead. Poisoned, he suspected, as did the Ambassador and the medical team that took her body away. Her flesh was already cooling, that thing some called the soul long gone to wherever those ephemeral essences traveled to. He was heartbroken for the man, but he was afraid for him, too. Londo had many enemies. The Narns hated him, and representatives of the Royal Centauri Seat of power feared his influence, especially that madman on the throne, Emperor Cartagia. His once Human friends mistrusted him and even Mr. Morden seemed unhappy with his boss. Londo had begun to reap what he had so long sowed and like any corrupted harvest those around him were suffering first before the main event.
It was a while before the either of them built up the courage to enter the medical bay where the body was being kept. While Londo had long since stop crying, Vir discovered that his concern for his friend had turned into worry. Vir was present with Londo for less than a minute when he was ordered away. Clearly Londo's grief had begun to turn into rage. The first hint of danger Vir Cotto noticed was the way he was ordered away. Rage had turned to darkness and the darkness began with the simple word.
"Go."
"…Yes, I called for you, Mr. Morden," Londo said to the sad-faced agent. "Some time ago I asked you to leave and not bother me again. I no longer wish that."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Londo," Morden responded with barely suppressed glee. "I am very glad you changed you mind, but I am curious as to why you have had this change of attitude?" He already knew since it was his plan that had worked so perfectly. The poisoning of Adira was his idea, which had been simplicity itself. All he had to do was kill the woman and lay the blame on Refa's doorstep, indirectly of course. After all, Londo was smart enough to understand that his woman was most likely poisoned by his enemy, but slow enough to be manipulate easily. Because of their past dealings Lord Refa was the perfect patsy. His eventual loss would be missed, but sometimes one sacrificed a Rook for a King.
"Those around me, those that I love, they die while my enemies relax in comfort until they are old and decrepit. That is about to change. In order for that change to happen, I need your help."
"I'll do anything I can to help Londo."
"Promise me that you will protect my people and allow no harm come to them." This promise did not extend to Lord Refa he thought bitterly. True, Morden and his associates had promised to protect Lord Refa and they did keep their promises so he would tread carefully before he had Refa butchered like cattle. Besides Cartagia might not like what he had planned for the man who currently held his ear.
"I promised," Morden sincerely lied. "But will you help us in acquiring the shield technology from the Federation ships?"
Was this a price of dealing with devils? Londo thought. So be it. "I will see what I can do. Perhaps I can secure a tour on their ship. Yes, the other races have in an official capacity."
Morden smiled brightly. If one of his associates accompanied him on that tour that would work out quite well. "That would do nicely. But I thought you liked them?"
"Love has been taken away from, Mr. Morden. Now I must be concerned with the safety of my people. That is my primary concern. For anything else, I say let the universe burn."
Morden could have danced a jig if he had been any happier. He could feel the dark joy of his masters next to him as he indulged himself with an expensive glass of Chablis. The plan had come together without a hitch with everything they had worked for all these years finally coming to fruition. Then there was the bonus of all that alien technology just waiting to be explored and exploited.
A moment later it came crashing down as a whispered message told him of a Shadow defeat, a defeat made possible by a Vorlon fleet actively destroying a Shadow raiding squad. Those creatures had snuffed out hundreds of shadow-lives with their sneak attack. HOW DARE THEY! Didn't they understand the rules?
Morden was fuming even as the triad raged. All of the were of a single mind. Revenge. The Vorlons had to made to pay-now. But, how? The triad made up its mind quickly. Kosh's life was now at an end. Then the rest of their hated enemy would pay accordingly.
Talking openly to the one called Guinan was a pleasure unforeseen by Kosh. It took his mind off that sense of despair that threatened to overwhelm him.
"The Q, as you call them, have passed beyond the rim. All but one." He suspected that she knew this and was pleased that his suspicions were confirmed when she nodded.
"I can guess which one, but I have not been able to contact him."
"He will not come. None of them will. You are here. You will not leave here with his help."
She slumped slightly. The woman knew full well that that the beings she called the Q would never help, but she tried anyway. They were as far above the Vorlons as the Vorlons were above Humanity and the Minbari, but the Q would not speak to them. At the same time, this woman possessed intelligence enough to point in the general direction to the way home, but she had chosen not too. Why? What was she hiding?
"One day I would love to visit your homeworld, Kosh."
Again the woman had changed the subject with almost impossible ease. Surely she understood that no one visited the homeworld unless specifically invited.
"Not possible."
"Anything's possible. I mean, look at this place, all the intrigue. I'm surprised that Babylon Five has survived a whole year let alone all this time. It's a miracle-a miracle that has been engineered by Humans. That is their strength. They have the ability to grow despite everything that happens to them. Setbacks don't stop them. Humanity will forge on no matter what. That is a uniqueness all to rare in this universe."
Kosh did not respond. There was no need to. He and his people had seen it also, even if they had ignored it. Or maybe they considered Humanity as not having of a kind of uniqueness but being more of a wild, unruly group of children rampaging throughout the galaxy without a clue as to what they were doing. The Vorlon people believed in order and Humanity was simply to chaotic let run around un-chaperoned. If that happened then their chances for long-term survival would be nil. Humans were almost completely destroyed during the Earth-Minbari war. They seriously needed the help of someone mature to guide them through these uncertain times.
"One day. Maybe." This was as much as he dared say.
But Guinan was no longer listening to him. Her persona had changed. Instantly, he understood. Something was at her door, trying to get in. The stench was unmistakable. Shadows and their boot-servant Morden were trying to get inside for revenge, insane enough to come here to achieve their wicked desires. His automatic defenses kicked in.
Harshly thru his translator: " Get behind me, now!" the Vorlon almost screamed.
Kosh saw Guinan eyes going wide as four intruders slide thru the open door. The Shadows were only interested in him, but Morden would leave no living witnesses behind. It was time to fight for his life. It was time to die.
Darkness descended.