Chapter 13

Returning Home and Cleaning Up The Place


On board EDS Yamato

February 5, 2271

4:30am

Derek Wildstar and his crew were just coming out of warp when the first shot hit the port side of their ship. They were on their last warp to Earth, and things were delicately planned out. Federation ships Enterprise-E, Hercules and Wildstar, along with Earthforce ships Titans, Excalibur, Freedom and Liberty, along with a plethora of Whitestar ships, Minbari war cruisers and fighters, and a potluck collection of ships from other races. ISA President Sheridan had managed to put together the force literally overnight, and they were poised to attempt to have the Cosmo DNA rid Earth of the Drakh plague.

"Nova, who's attacking us," asked Wildstar as he was trying to get a firing solution on one of the ships.

Nova looked down at her console and found the profiles of a fleet of Drakh ships, "Confirmed, Drakh ships off the port bow. They'll intercept us in one minute."

Homer piped over a message from the Wildstar, "Yamato, this is Ashcroft. Don't worry about those ships. We're on an intercept course and we'll hit them in thirty seconds. Follow the Hercules to Earth."

Derek spoke to Homer, "Tell them we're staying on course. Let them know if they need out fighters."

The Wildstar flew across the bow of the Yamato and headed right for the fleet, trailed by a plethora of Whitestars. Five Defiant-class ships detached themselves from the back of the warp drive section of the Wildstar and surrounded the ship, and the ship also launched all of her fighters. Their fighters-small, three-person shuttlecraft-were loaded with phasers and quantum torpedoes, and were breaking off to attack the smaller Drakh vessels. They took out two ships almost immediately, while the Whitestars went after the larger vessels. Wildstar went after the largest vessels, firing off her phaser banks and torpedoes.

Meanwhile, Yamato was sandwiched between Enterprise-E and Hercules, and was making ready to enter the atmosphere. He gave an order to Venture as they began to feel the turbulence from falling into the Earth's skies, "Prepare to deploy the wings!"

"Aye, sir.," replied Venture, and he began to press buttons in addition to keeping one hand on the main control for the ship. Derek turned around and looked back at his crew, who were decked out in space suits to prevent the plague from entering their bodies. The ship was also remaining at space status, which meant the ship was airtight, not letting in any of the air from the outside into the ship.

Hollifield sat to the left of Wildstar at the auxiliary station, watching as they approached the European continent. He tabbed a button on his wrist, activating a comm link. "Reece, tell the Pope that we're ready for her."

Reece Fitzsimmons, Hollifield's chief of staff back on Earth, confirmed it and went to tell the assembled religious leaders. Hollifield leaned back in his seat and sighed, "Well, we're in it now. Sandor, are we ready?"

Sandor looked over and said, "Yes, Mr. President. The Cosmo DNA's ready when you are."

Hollifield nodded his head in his suit, then smiled and said, "OK then.We'll take our cue for Her Holiness."

St. Peter's Square

The Vatican

6am

Pope Bernadette II was splendid in her papal vestments, but underneath them was a white turtleneck and tight sweatpants to help keep the chilly, rainy winter weather at bay. She walked out with the religious leaders assembled. She looked over at the Patriarchs of the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches and smiled, and they smiled and nodded back. She spoke out to the two Swiss Guards and they opened the doors for her, and she was immediately met by the site of hundreds of thousands of souls, all of them looking at her and her assembled religious colleagues for guidance.

The mass had just been completed and she walked up to the lectern. She was a short, Austrian woman who was more a bookworm than a vibrant, charismatic leader. However, having learned the lessons of her predecessor, Bernadette I, from the dark days of the Minbari War, she was able to lead the Holy Roman Catholic Church in an outreach to help those struggling with the effects of the plague. There were whispers that she would become a saint when she went to meet God, but she knew it wouldn't matter if she were elevated to that position if the ten billion souls on Earth were lost.

So this was the Hail Mary, an analogy from, of all things, American football. Leave it to them to screw up a perfectly good game, she thought as she put down her prepared speech on the podium. Vid cameras floated nearby to send her image around the world and across the galaxy, which was important for what was to come.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I greet you all with the love of the Father and the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave birth to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we have a chance at redemption. A chance at salvation from the plague that has afflicted us at the hands of the Drakh."

As she continued on, she could hear the crew of the Yamato in the earpiece she was wearing. They would give her a signal and she would then direct all those to imagine the world free of the plague. As strong as her faith was, it was hard to believe that God would deliver into their hands a miracle like this. But, then again, God does work in mysterious ways, she thought.

The signal came from Homer, the communications officer, and she nodded, then addressed the flock, thinking back to the works of predecessors Pope John Paul II, Pius XV, Benedict XVIII, John XXV, and Bernadette I. She remembered a similar service held by her mentor and predecessor when it looked like the Minbari were going to break through the last line of ships defending Earth, and learned later that she had a vision of a beam from a Minbari Cruiser coming down upon the Eternal City and turning it into a slagheap of glass.

She shook off that mental image and found the strength of her faith again, raising her hands to her flock and saying, "Now, my children,
think of our Earth healed of this plague, like when our Savior, Jesus Christ, healed the blind man and allowed him to see. This of our world as it once was: living, vibrant, and beautiful."

The crowd murmured as the waves began to course through the square. It was an unusual feeling, and a small part of her faith slipped momentarily, but she found it again when a vision came to her. It was of the ancient pope John Paul II, whose visage was before her. He said not a word, but gave her a blessing and smiled at her. She looked at him and tears came to her eyes. She continued, "Think of our world as whole again. Think of our world as free from the bonds of the evil doers and saved by the blood of our savior, Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins so long ago. Think of him as we pray for the Yamato to help cleanse our world."

The other officials were also up and giving their prayers as the waves continued to wash over them. It was if they were in some kind of light show, all consuming and blurring out the lovely skyline of Rome, one in which she loved and took comfort from. She looked up at the saints surrounding the square in statues, and noticed that they were alive, and giving their own blessings.

Then, Pope John Paul II, along side her mentor, Bernadette I, came before her and said, "Be well, my child. God is with you, and God loves you, as he loves this world, for he gave his only begotten son for its salvation." She closer her eyes and continued to pray.

Geneva, Switzerland

February 5, 2271

7:30am

Dr. Stephen Franklin walked out of the Foundationist church, where he had attended the service to help the Yamato cure the world. His scientific mind scoffed at the idea, but his heart had clung to it and held on like his life was depending on it. In a way, it was.

It was lightly snowing against the backdrop of the massive and imposing structure that was EarthDome, home of the government of the Earth Alliance. He was walking back to his office and looked at the fir tree that had been dying for weeks. Or, as he looked stunned, it had been dying. The yellow branches of the tree were back to the glorious dark green color they had been months before.

Dr. Ashwari Shaheen came dashing out of the building, looked around and spotted him, then ran over to him at full sprint. "STEPHEN! STEPHEN," she yelled as she made her way to him, tripping and falling into his arms as she held tight to the paper in her hand.

"What is it, Shaheen," Franklin asked, surprised at this excited expression from one of his chief assistants.

"It worked, Stephen! In Allah's name, it worked! The data's coming in and the nanovirus is GONE,"

Franklin couldn't believe it. He took the paper from her hand and looked over the numbers. "Are you sure this isn't a problem with the readings?"

Shaheen rolled her eyes and said, "Yessssss, Stephen, we checked, and rechecked, and checked again. We used three different pieces of equipment to check the readings, and they all came up the same: the virus is gone! The plague is gone!"

Hours later, Franklin was in his office, with President Hollifield by his side. "It's confirmed. The plague is gone. No sign of it. I don't believe it!"

Hollifield nodded and got up and walked to the window. "It worked all right. Not only did it cure the plague, it rid the skies of centuries of pollution. Before I got here, I read a news story that the mayor of Los Angeles fainted when she saw that the smoggy skyline that had been around since the early twentieth century was gone, and another about the mayor of New York exclaiming about the Hudson River being blue instead of brown."

Franklin shook his head, "You know, I went through the Shadow war and thought I'd seen it all. But this...this is just too much."

"I know. It's amazing. Let's just say that I'd better tell the Quartermaster over at Earthforce Logistics to get a good bulk rate on medals, because I'll be handing them out by the barrel full."

"Care to give me one," Franklin joked.

"Oh, you've got several coming, don't you think that I haven't forgot all the twenty-four hour days you've put in. I've got to head back to the 'Dome and get settled in. Catch ya later.," said Hollifield, who stood up and then shook hands with Franklin, then left the room.

Franklin laughed and turned off his computer, then headed out and did something he hadn't done in years: enjoy a night on the town. And from the way the streets of Geneva were packed with partying souls, he wasn't the only one by a long shot!

Royal Palace

Centuari Prime

February 7, 2271

Centauri Emperor Londo Mollari was in a position that would have been astonishing to his people: on the ground, clutching his neck and gasping for air. The Drakh, Shiv'kala, was taking out his frustration at the fact that the plague unleashed on Earth had been cured by some strange vessel. The Drakh Entire was stunned and shocked by the news, and they were reeling. The unknown forces had decimated their fleet that the Earthers had allied themselves with, and they were planning to hurry the new Centauri fleet along so that they can get their revenge on the Earthers for foiling their plans.

But tonight, Shiv'kala took his rage out on Londo. He wouldn't kill him, of course, because they had plans for him. Long term plans for him. And it would result in the final humiliation of Londo Mollari and the destruction of Centauri Prime.

He eased the constriction that the keeper embedded upon Londo's neck had on him, and let him breathe again. "Why...did...you...do...this," gasped Londo.

"It is a reminder of who's in charge here, Mollari. The Earthers got lucky, but they will not stop us from our revenge. Whomever these people are that helped them, we shall destroy them too. Sheridan and Delenn ran our masters, the Shadows, out of the galaxy, and we intend to take up where they left off."

He leaned down at the prone Centauri emperor and said, "And you will be helpless to stop it all from happening, Mollari. For when we are done, the forces of light shall be sent to their graves! I know you've been trying to defy me and the Drakh. But, resistance is futile, and you should give up on it." The Drakh then left the room and allowed himself to be engulfed by the shadows of the evening.

Mollari, knowing that he could die if the Drakh heard him, nevertheless whispered, "It is never futile."