Chapter 48

Yamato Interregnum


Babylon 5 Space Station

April 24, 2271

Derek Wildstar looked out of the window in the Observation Dome, home of the command and control center of Babylon 5, and saw the ship he commanded, the EDS Yamato, being swarmed by maintenance bots from the station. They were installing new hull plating on the ship, courtesy of the Legendora. Other ships, including the Wildstar, Freedom, Excalibur, Enterprise-E and Yamato II, were also being refitted with the new technology. Their weapons systems as well as their energy reactors were being upgraded, and it seemed that the Legendora were also fitting on advanced communications equipment as well.

He had been working yeoman's hours to assist in the refit, but that was Sandor's specialty, so when Wildstar said that he was going to take a break and head over to the station, it seemed that his science officer's reaction was a little too enthusiastic to him. Instead of being mad about it, he chuckled and took off for the station for some well-earned shore leave.

Captain Elizabeth Lochley came into the dome, which served as the station's bridge. She walked up to Wildstar, who was leaning against the railing behind the main station, where Commander Moriyama was quietly assisting ships into the docking bay via the central computer.

"So what do you think of the place, Captain," she asked.

"Busy, that's for sure. I'm not sure if I could handle being in charge of a place like this. It's hard enough commanding the Yamato, let alone dealing with a quarter of a million civilians."

Lochley nodded her head and replied, "It's a challenge, but it's very fulfilling, in its own way. Sheridan commanded this place in a very turbulent time, and his experiences sort of make the last nine years seem mild in comparison. That's not to say we haven't had more than our fair share of crises here."

They soon made their way from the Blue Sector into the Red Sector, where they met Nova Forrester in the Zocolo, the main shopping center on board the station. Activity aboard the station was busier than usual, as people were still celebrating the fact that Earth had been saved from the Drakh plague. Wildstar tried not to notice, but he couldn't help but spot the shorter skirts and skimpier outfits that the Human women were wearing these days. However, his own love looked sleek in her tight-fitting uniform, while Lochley didn't look bad at all for a woman in her late 40s. Hell, he thought, she'd put women half her age to shame!

He shook his head and got back to the real world. They had exited the Zocolo and made their way into a transport tube. They soon were in Green Sector, and walking through the massive open space inside the station, called the Garden. It was here where most of the hydroponics and oxygen reclamation was taking place, as the interior of the main habitat module was covered with grasses and woodlands. There was limited farmland and woodlands, as well as a hedge maze, mosque, Zen garden, artificial lakes, and the main business district, where the commander of the station had her offices. Next door to the office was the War Room, which was their current destination.

President Hollifield had gone back to Earth, but his senior aide, Dan Tanner, had stayed behind to act as a liaison. With him, to the chagrin of Lochley, was Lyta Alexander, who studied the maps of the Cardassian Union that had been compiled with the help of the technomage Alwyn. ISA President John Sheridan, however, was there, and he looked displeased at what he saw.

"How the hell do we break through that defense perimeter around Cardassia? They must have...what?...a thousand? two thousand?...ships orbiting the planet.," said Sheridan.

Tanner calmly commented, "It'll be difficult, but the advanced weaponry we're getting from the Legendora will help. Their adaptability is impressive, to say the least."

Sheridan nodded his head and went silent again, and Lochley could tell that her former husband was deep in thought as to how to tactically approach the problem. Back when he was in Earthforce, he had gained a reputation of being able to take a tenable defensive situation and turning it into an effective offensive opportunity. Winning the Shadow War as well as freeing Earth from the fascist Clark regime had only garnished that reputation, and Sheridan's methods were already being heavily incorporated in the Earthforce Academy curriculum.

Wildstar asked aloud, "What's our next move?"

Sheridan sighed and replied, "That's to be decided. With this new development, we have much to discuss. Delenn is working with Emperor Mollari on a peace treaty with the Narn and helping the surviving Narn with their new homeworld on Volans. The Narn fleet is still relatively intact, and they are sending a few ships at a time, along with Centauri ships, to be refit with Legendoran technology. The other ISA worlds are sending whatever ships they can spare here, and all the Whitestars are scheduled for refit in the next few weeks."

Lochley added, "Yamato's refit will be complete in three months' time. The new wings and additional engines, along with the new main guns, are going to take some time to complete. The new fighter bays will accommodate not only the Black Tiger and Cosmo Zero squadrons, but the Thunderbolts that Earthforce have given to Yamato. Normally, this station would not be able to do such a complete overhaul, but the Legendora have made it a top priority and have sent us an orbital dry-dock to help."

Commander Moriyama came into the War Room and walked to the gathered officials at the round table, stating when she got there, "We've just received word that the Borg ships will be coming through Sector 14 soon. Draal says that he expects them to be here within the next 24 hours. How many they'll send through is unknown, because they've been busy with their own refits as well on the Borg homeworld.

"Also, Ashcroft just returned aboard Hercules and will arrive here shortly with Riker."

Sheridan asked, "How's his wife doing?"

Alexander interjected, "Deanna Troi was violated by Bester, and we don't know all the damage that's been done to her. According to my scans, it looks like she may have a sleeper program deep inside her mind, much like Talia Winters did. President Hollifield has requested that she be brought to Earthdome for treatment. As much as I hate to admit it, he's more powerful than I am and his abilities can do more to help her out than I can. Besides, the Borg will need me to assist them when they arrive."

Lochley's link beeped, and she answered it. "Lochley, go."

Lt. Waltrip spoke on the link, in a voice that sounded like trouble."Captain, we have ships coming through the time rift in Sector 14. They're not the Borg, or any Federation ships. According to the tracking system, they look to be Earth passenger cruisers."

Lochley shook her head, perplexed at the message. "Have you hailed them yet?"

"Confirmed, Captain. They sent back just two words: 'Remember Byron'. I think you know what that means, don't you?"

"It can't be him! He's dead," said Lyta Alexander.

Sheridan added, almost automatically, "So was Marcus, and we know how that turned out."