All characters except those I created belong to whosoever owns them. Please try to remember and not sue me for attempted theft as I am only borrowing these people in order to fill my otherwise empty life with more tales of the wonderful worlds which have unfortunately been brought to a close or set aside by their rightful owners.
This is short, but I hope it's good.
STORY STARTS HERE
I was coming off my shift on the bridge when it happened. I saw it clear as if I was there. My father, sitting alone in his seat of his ship, staring into space as he waited for the end. I saw the appearance of an alien I had never seen, yet always known. I heard the voices repeating questions asked of beings around the galaxy in the years before my birth.
'Who are you?'
'What do you want?'
'Why are you here?'
All spoken in voices I may never have heard myself, yet who's owners were known to me. Kosh, Morden, Lorien. I heard others I didn't know answer those questions. Lando Mollari, Mike Garibaldi, Marcus Cole, and thousands more. I heard my father telling them what he thought.
'Get the hell out of my galaxy, the both of you!'
Other words and images flashed through my mind. Images of the Battle of the Line and the destruction of the BlackStar. Images of my mother's training for the Grey Council and the death of the greatest of leaders. Images of Valen in his life as Jeffrey Sinclair. I watched as the battle between my mother's fleet and Earthforce came to a climax and heard her speech.
'Only 1 human captain has ever destroyed a Minbari vessel. He is behind me. You are before me.'
I felt the pain and sorrow they felt as they witnessed the travesties performed by the Shadows and their allies. I could almost see the bonds of love grow between them, despite the resistance initially offered by my father, and surprisingly, by my mother. Her confusion about whether she could still be Minbari after the Chrysalis and her efforts at learning to control her new body. The joy they felt in my birth, and the pain at knowing my father would not live to see my life unfold beyond childhood.
I stood in the hall, tears streaming my face as I witnessed my father's last moments in this universe. Sorrow filled me as I thought of all the things he would miss, and the things I would miss sharing with him. I wondered what he'd say if he'd been able to learn that soon he would be a grandfather? I knew he'd be happy for me, and for Kahlenn, but he'd also worry about the possible problems our child would suffer due to the combined heritage it would inherate. We'd likely argue playfully with my mother and Kahlenn on whether it would be a boy or girl, and refuse to allow Uncle Stephen to tell us in advance. He'd spend hours of time and credits purchasing or building things for the baby, only to receive a shock if it turned out we were wrong. Not that it would matter to him, or to myself, but I knew he'd secretly hope for a girl as much as I am.
I knew the one true regret, the one thing my father wanted more then anything, was to be able to provide my mother with a daughter. A carbon copy of his perfect wife for the next generation. Someone who I would look out for and look after and who would tease us mercilessly about my life. I knew it bothered my mother too, at times, that she had not been able to have another child, and I could feel her now, wishing more then anything that at this moment, she could have another child to remember her beloved husband as he passed beyond the veil.
I felt a second spark of life coming from my mother and realised that at least part of their regrets would be put to rest. My child would grow up with it's aunt and my mother and I would regale the pair with stories of my father's exploits, both public and private. We'd share chuckles over the appalling lack of culinary skill he displayed and take pride in his accomplishments as a diplomat, despite his long stated belief that he was a soldier first, and diplomat second. We'd dissuade them from the nearly mythic awe which was fast becoming common place and tell them of the real man who had wanted nothing more then to bring peace to his people and live his life quietly with his family.
My mind was drawn back to Lorien and my father as they stood. I witnessed the light increasing on the bridge of his ship and in the last moment before they dissapeared, I saw my father look me in the eyes across the vastness of space and heard his voice in my mind.
"I love you David. Tell your mother how happy I am and tell my daughter the truth about her father."
Before the light grew too bright and I was forced to draw my mind away. When I looked back, all I saw was the empty ship, it's systems closing down and the organic components dying. The ship had been my father's personal ship ever since it was commissioned and in it's own way, it was honoring my father by putting itself to sleep and allowing it's soul, if a ship could be said to have one, to join my father's in the great beyond.
I came back to the present when I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to look into my new wife's eyes. I didn't need to say anything, for she could see in my eyes that what had happened. Having no secrets from her, I opened my mind and let her see everything I had witnessed and felt, sharing with her my grief and pride. She embraced me, and we held each other tightly, the slight buldge of her stomach reminding us both of our responsibility to the future. My father might be dead, but his death was a fitting end to the growing legend surrounding him and would puzzle scholars and newscasters for generations. It was up to me, and soon, my child and my sister to make sure the truth behind the legend of John Sheridan was not lost.
It was our task to ensure that people did not only remember the great, wondrous things he was responsible for, but also recalled what had been trully important to him:
Family.
With my arm around my wife, I strode back onto the bridge, knowing that my mother would need us soon and that we had best finish out exercise as fast as we could and return to Minbari.
It was time for the Sheridans to gather and say their farewells.
AN:
So, what do you think? A good end? Or do you want more.
As you might have noticed, the story is called INTRODUCTIONS (where I introduced the characters) and FAREWELLS(where we say goodbye to John and see how David reacts).
As for the plotline of the Consortium introduced in the previous chapter, I am willing, should people ask for it, to write about the search for it's members and the results of the possible conflict. So, please, if you want more, please review or email me.
