Chapter 67
Methods to the Madness
Royal Palace
Queentown, Iscandar
Time Unknown
Earth Alliance President Garrison Hollifield walked into the room with a purpose. He had finally gotten off Earth after all the mess with the assassination of his vice president, Fabiana Santos, and he had been bogged down in political crap ever since. He managed to push through his choice of vice president, Senator Penelope Telez-Colon from Mexico, and managed to brief her on everything she needed to know about the job and for covering for him while he was away. He loved his staff, because they had been with him through the rise of President Santiago and his assassination, the brutal Clark years, and then rebuilding years under Luchenko and now himself. Loyalty was such a hard thing to come by, but he cherished the people he had covering his back in Earthdome.
Queen Starsha sat at her desk and looked over a report, not noticing who had entered the room. Hollifield wrapped on the back of a chair and startled her.
"President Hollifield! I'm sorry. I didn't know you had come in.," she said.
"No problem. Listen, I just wanted to check with you before the meeting about what the Legendorans are up to concerning the war."
Starsha nodded and gestured for him to sit down. "What would you like to know?"
"Basically why they wanted those telepaths that we had in stasis. I know somewhat about what they are doing with the former rogues, Borg, and technomages, but why did they want those telepaths? We've tried everything we could think of to revive them, even to the point of bringing in a couple of technomages to assist us with no luck."
"I wish I had some answers for you, Garrison. I really wish I knew, but I've grown to trust these people. They brought me back to life to serve them, and I am in their debt. Why should I question their motives?"
"Because, Starsha, it's always a good idea to question everything, even if only for argument's sake, says a wise and intelligent teacher I once had in high school."
Starsha stood up, looked out the window, and said, "I can see your point. I know that it seems like the Legendorans are like the Vorlons in the sense that they are in charge of the side of light. However, their intentions are much more nobler than those of the Vorlons."
"Care to let me in on them? Because I need to know what they want from us.," said Hollifield.
Starsha sighed and said, "They want to leave."
Hollifield looked nonplussed. "What do you mean by 'want to leave'?"
"They are a very old and tired race. The only reason they haven't left yet is because they didn't want to leave the Ragendorans here to create havoc all across the universes. They tire of the constant building of forces and maintenance and just the simple tasks of keeping their civilization going."
Hollifield got up and joined her at the window, looking out and contemplating what she said for a moment. He then said, "So, what do they mean by 'leaving'?"
Starsha said, "They want to die."
"What? I don't understand, Starsha. They have bent over backwards to help us, just so they can commit ritual suicide?"
"Yes. They have done all that can be done. They've traveled beyond the stars and galaxies, and beyond the realms of time and space. They are immortal, so to speak, but they wish to end that."
Hollifield walked back to his seat and sat down, looking at the floor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "All my public life, Starsha,has been dedicated to preserving life. Yes, I've had to take lives in battle and in other circumstances, but I've only done so as a last resort. There is a saying, 'Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved'."
"And that is what we must do for the Legendorans! They fear that the longer they go on, the more and more they will be tempted to go down the road of their prodigal descendants. They fear for their sanity, Garrison, and they want a release! All they ask for us is to help them achieve one last, complete victory over the Ragendorans. Sheridan knew the way with the Vorlons and the Shadows, as Delenn told me a while ago,but we must convince the Ragendorans to join their brethren on the other side of life."
"You mean part of this is to convince the Ragendorans to kill themselves as well? Starsha, this is madness! I can't even begin to tell you how puzzling this is to me," Hollifield said exasperatedly.
"Because they were affected by the madness of an overly long life. They gave into the temptations that infinite power has on beings such as they are, and they have done so much damage because all they seek is to be gods themselves. They did not create the universes, but they seek to fill the role of creator."
Entering the room was the Legendoran, Genon, and he bowed to Hollifield and Starsha. "What do you have to say about all of this, Genon? I am having a hard time coming to terms with assisting with this.," said Hollifield.
Genon replied, "I know it's difficult for the short-lived to understand the burdens of those of us who are long-lived. We've had to give up the simple emotions of life that you enjoy, and instead wandered time and space to help those of you who are young to become greater than you dare dream.
"But we have come to an end. More and more, my people are restless and tire of their task, and the constant battles with the Ragendorans sap our energy further. All we wish is to lay down our burdens and pass on the responsibility of looking after the younger races to those ready for the task. We feel that those of you, as part of this alliance, are up to the task."
Hollifield began to see some of the logic behind what Genon was saying, but still could not accept letting an entire race die. "How can I live with myself if I let all of you die?"
"There is a time when a child must accept the fact that his or her parents are not immortal, and that time is always the hardest. You're lucky, Garrison, to not have to face that fact. Yes, your father is mentally ill and is institutionalized and your mother is in prison for her crimes during her service in the Psi Corps, but they still draw breath.," Genon gently replied.
"So, when we win the war, how will you go about 'killing' yourselves," he asked.
"We will gather at the beginning of it all, and let the light within us fade out. I would like for you to be there, as well as many of the others who have helped us through all of this."
"Ok. I'll do it. But before you go, I want to know one thing.," said Hollifield.
Genon nodded and said, "Whatever it is, I will comply."
So Hollifield asked, and Genon answered. Finally, after struggling for so many years for understanding why he was who he was, and what role he was supposed to play in the greater scheme of things, he gained the clarity he long sought.
"Thank you, and now I am honor bound to help you.," Hollifield said soberly.
Starsha and Genon nodded, with the queen of Iscandar said, "The meeting is about to start. We need to get to the conference room."
The threesome left the office and headed to the meeting.