Chapter 99
To The End of the Beginning
Iscandar
Time Unknown
They all came to see them off. The Wildstars, Sheridans, Hollifields,Ashcrofts, and the rest. There was a sense of sadness among the younger races, as this was the passing of the torch, and the departure of a race that had been around since the virtual beginning of time.
All the Legendora has assembled here. There were not as many as there used to be, as the constant wars with the Ragendora had reduced their number to barely that of a small Earth city. Yet they still were able to help the younger races win the war, and for themselves the right to pass on.
Genon stood in the garden, surrounded by his brothers and sisters. The video link went to all the ships and they watched as the passing of the torch took place.
"We have been here since the first planets condensed in the first solar systems. We've seen stars come and go, civilizations rise and fall, galaxies form and fall apart.
"We were once like you: solid, corporeal, and emotional. We outgrew them as we became beings of energy, but we lost something along the way.
"To you, the younger races, we wish you well. You will still have the occasional war, because conflict is a part of the nature of all sentient life. But it also allows for forgiveness and atonement, and can only help you grow stronger.
"Know that you will make many mistakes on your own, but so long as you learn from them, you will be able to grow and mature. You are our children, and the time has come for you to become parents and guardians yourselves.
"May those who come after you remember you as well as you remember us. We are proud of you, and we shall wait for you on the other side."
The communication ended and the planet began to darken. It was hard to
see at first, but the planet began to phase in and out of being.
Finally, the planet faded away into nothingness. A peaceful way to pass
on the torch, and the younger races departed and went their various ways.
Starsha felt an odd sense of peace at seeing her homeworld disappear. She did not know for certain what lie beyond death, but she got the impression that her homeworld was once again alive with those of her race. She had not realized it until this moment that all she had done, and all her friends had done for her, had been to come to this point. She finally could make peace with the pain that losing virtually all of her race had caused her. She looked over at her daughter, Sasha, and smiled. For them, this was a new beginning, along with Sasha's father. They were heading with Derek and Nova to Minbar to live out their lives,serving the Interstellar Alliance.
She looked down from Yamato's bridge at the bow of the ship. Once it was finished with converting Mars into a habitable world in its old universe, it was destined to be permanently docked in Valendor, to serve as a museum to the war. She smiled, thankful that the great spirit that resided in the ship would still be around.
Her smile fell as she thought of the sacrifice of Deslok and the Gamilons. He had done so much evil, yet, at the very end, had atoned for all he had done. She hoped that he had finally found peace.
They came out of Sector 14 and into Babylon 5 space. She knew there was no way to seal the rift, but there was no need to. Draal, the Minbari who controlled the Great Machine on Episilon 3, would see to it that the rift would be used by only those who were approved to, and the prophets in the wormhole would do likewise on their side.
As the space station came into view, she smiled at the thought of meeting Captain Elizabeth Lochley again. She had just become engaged to her love, Matthew Gideon, and she was going to resign her commission and become a member of President Hollifield's government. All the engagements warmed her heart, and she looked forward to the weddings.
With that thought, she went back over to her husband and hugged him. Love, she thought, was why she had done what she did, and it had won the war.