Chapter 87
Storming Babylon
Babylon 5 Space Station
Orbiting Episilon Eridani 3
August 4, 2271
The attack had come out of nowhere, and Captain Elizabeth Lochley was barely managing to contain the panic setting in among the command and control staff. Drakh ships had jumped out virtually on top of the station and began firing at will. There were many Whitestars as well as several other ships from a variety of races, but the attack had come so fast that the ships had very little time to respond. But that attack was not what concerned Lochley at the moment.
"Where are the Jem'Hadar soldiers now," she asked.
A shaky tech named Donna Moss looked at her display and responded, "Security reports that they are just now entering Gray Sector. Their breaching pods are still attached to the torus in Yellow Sector. We're trying to find out if they are attempting to do something to the reactor, but communications are out with that part of the station."
"Contact Earth Central. See if they can send us more Marines. It's a blessing we've got the ones here right now, in addition to the EDF Marines. If they weren't here, we'd be in real trouble," replied Lochley, who turned to see Sergeant Major Webb Knox come into the Observation Dome.
"Captain! I've got my guys armed and ready to rumble when you need us. We've gotten together with the Earthforce Marines and mapped out a plan to take them boys down. But if you can get us even more bodies, it'd go a long way to helping us out," said Knox.
"I understand, Sergeant Major Knox, and I'm working on it, but don't expect it. I'm calling in any Minbari and Narn troops available. Right now, they're still holed up in Gray Sector, but the security we have there can't last forever, and they're starting to burn through the containment doors. If they get into Green Sector..."
"Understood, Captain. If they make it there, we'll be ready for them. Any idea if and when we can move any civilians out?"
A blast shook the station and Lochley looked at him and said dryly, "I guess that answers your question. I think part of the reason the Drakh are attacking are to prevent us from evacuating the station."
"Yeah, that would seem their intention. We'll start heading down into Green Sector and get ready for them there. I'll see you on the flip side, Captain," said Knox.
"Good hunting to you, Knox," she said, and they exchanged salutes. Lieutenant Commander Corwin came up to her as she made her way back to the office section of the Dome. "Sir, we've just received word that Deep Space Nine is under attack as well. It seems from the reports we've gotten from the ships coming through sector 14 that it's an all out assault."
Lochley looked down and said, "Just when it looked like things were going our way." Another explosion rattled the station as a Starfury crashed into the station.
Knox met up with his main Earthforce Marine contact, and his current girlfriend, Sergeant Major Jean Laurence at the entrance to Down Below. The vagrants that usually lived there had been evacuated by station security, so they were free to move around unfettered in the undeveloped sections of the station. "Knox! There you are! We've just heard that they've broken through the last containment door in Gray sector! They should be here any minute now!"
"OK. I'll head off to lead my boys against them.," Knox started to turn away, but Laurence grabbed his arm.
"If we make it through this alive, I just wanted you to know that I want to be with you," she said.
Knox smiled and replied, "Jean, you just gave me the best damn reason to stay alive!" She smiled and let go of his arm, and he headed off. She suppressed down her worries that she might not see him again and got her rifle ready for battle.
From down the hall, a cry came, "Here they come!" She pointed her PPG rifle down the hall and waited until the Jem'Hadar appeared. Several station security members raced past as well as several marines, then, a moment later, the Jem'Hadar came around the corner and into the hall.
"Fire," she yelled, and blasted a hole through a Jem'Hadar soldier. The battle for the station had just begun.