Interlude Number 2
"This calls for a subtle Blend of Psychology and Extreme Violence."

Minbar
Minbari Federation
Grey Council Chambers
That day:

The Chambers of the Grey council were active for the first time in many months. The council had been aboard the Valen'tha for much of the war, now with the war in full swing the modified Sharlin had returned to its home world and its very valuable cargo had been returned to their chambers in the old capital city.

"You have seen the reports from the Drala Fi."

"I have."

"What is your belief in this?

"The Humans have never had this ability before. Their technology is too far below ours to be a credible threat."

"However this new arrival, this 'Achilles' is more than capable of destroying our ships."

"It is one ship, it is of no consequence."

The hood of one of the seven Council members in session was pulled down. An attractive female face was under it. "But their technology may be," the woman said. "If the Humans are able to copy it in sufficient numbers then our ships may have a problem."

"Our ships are far too powerful for the Earth ships to do much to."

"Then what happened to the Drala Fi assault fleet?"

"A momentary problem, the destruction of the fleet was due to too many contributing factors, none of which will be a problem with the next attack."

"Their ability to scan our ships has brought them up to our level of ability, they have many ships, not as many as our own fleet but their tenacity may become a problem for us in the future."

"Then we do not allow it to get that far. Our Intelligence has pointed out that the entire group of ships refitted with these new technologies would be running through tests today, the Shala Fi assault fleet with a full squadron back up has been sent to destroy them. The Achilles and the Alliance ships will be destroyed."

"And if the Humans already have the technology engineered enough to add to the rest of their ships?"

"Then we destroy them all and leave no survivors no matter the cost."

"This is wrong. This is no longer vengeance."

"It is simple retribution, Delenn."

"No, it is not, Morann. The destruction of the Achilles may help us in the short run but what if more of their ships appear what will happen then?"

"We will destroy them."

"Do not be so flippant Morann. If they have any numbers of these ships they may do us more harm than we thought. Their shielding and sensors will allow them to destroy any ship we send."

"Their ships may become powerful and may have the chance against some of our ships but we have the numbers and weapons to destroy them and we will, for we must be ready for the possibility of the Shadows return."

"Morann is correct," Satai Sharonn the newest member of the council spoke up." We lost a great many ships to the barbarians. It is an insult to the warriors and Minbari race alike, for we are the chosen of Valen and the children of the Vorlons; we are in the right for this. The Humans will be destroyed as will all that help them."

"Everyone? What about the Narn and Centauri amongst others, both have helped the Humans. Are you willing to destroy them, then what if others decide to side with them? This is going too far and too quickly, this makes us no better than those we claim vengeance against."

"The Humans have killed some of our best and brightest. We will destroy them and their allies. We have the numbers and we have the warrior's true conscience. The Humans must be wiped out or we will have lost so much for nothing."

"I hope for the sake of our entire race that you are correct Sharonn or we will all pay the price for the warrior Caste's prideful actions."

"The Earthers are an aberration of the worst kind. What we know of their history is that of bloodshed and chaos, they willingly fight one another."

"Were we any different in our past, Morann?" The religious Satai asked. "We once fought amongst ourselves for control and until the coming of Valen we had no guide to follow."

"That was close to a Millennium ago. Our base desires no longer control our dealings with each other."

"But those desires are useful for dealing with those not of Minbari blood?"

"These Earthers have spilt that blood."

"Need I remind you that Valen himself was a Minbari not born of Minbari? He may have had Minbari blood but he was not born of Minbari blood. Would you be so willing to so such to him?"

Delenn of the Minbari Warrior caste returned her hood to its place and deactivated the light of her place in the circle. Walking away she returned to the thoughts that had been plaguing her. Such was her thoughts that she did not see the return of her old friend, the Enti'zah of the Anla'shok, the first one of the Rangers.

"Hello, Delenn."

"You scared me, Lenonn."

"That was not my intent."

"It is good to see you old friend."

"You as well. It has been quite a week."

"It has indeed. I assume the Anla'shok have been informed about the status of the Drala Fi."

"Indeed this is quite interesting. A single ship changed the tide of a battle that should have destroyed the entire Human mid range base at Beta Durani. The 'Achilles' I believe."

"The Rangers may be of help here."

"Indeed I have already ordered my people to gather intelligence about this new ship and its capabilities. From what little we have gathered the crew is all Human and the technology involved is not from this area of space."

"The Dark Ones?"

"No I don't believe so. The Shadows do not have this type of technology that we know of or they would have destroyed the Alliance of Light one thousand years ago. The defensive fields used by the races we know of are much different in output and technology than this one. However we also do not know for certain that they are not so we must be cautions at all times or we may fall into the hole that the warriors are carving."

"I agree. This war is taking a life of its own, in only one month we have lost in excess of one hundred and ten of our best warships. I do not expect the Shala Fi's task force to return intact. The power behind the Achilles and its technology may prove to be too much."

"Yes I saw the impact the energy weapon the Achilles has used one of our ships. If they are able to use that more than once, in a short time entire task forces would be in jeopardy."

"These Humans are tenacious, they cannot defeat us yet they try to stop us at every turn. I will admit I do admire the Humans for their wish to protect their own."

"The Humans are an adaptable species that much is certain. They have been in space less than a quarter of our own time yet they still fight on against odds that they have little chance again."

"Agreed, however these newcomer Humans must not be underestimated. Their assistance may do more to this balance of power than any that has come before, as such Lenonn I wish for your help."

"Ask and I shall try."

"I want you to take one of our ships whatever ship you can with a crew of trusted men and women and find out more of this ship and where it came from. The systems around where the Shal'avi was found has the best chance for us to find where they came from."

"As it shall be. Delenn be cautious the warriors and workers are pushing this war too fast. Do what you can to slow it down until our return."

"I shall try old friend. In Valen's Name."

"In Valen's Name."

Hanger 17
EarthForce Command
Earthdome
Earth Alliance
Six hours later

The atmospheric shuttle on loan from the Io transfer point pulled up from re-entry, its lower fuselage still glowing brightly from the heat of atmospheric insertion. Its atmospheric wings and undercarriage opened out for the shuttle's landing at the high security hanger close to Earthdome itself.

The shuttle's touchdown was swift and sure the pilot knowing the landing strip well, the passengers having little problem with the smooth ride as they came to a stop. The airlock depressurized and allowed them to exit into the terminal. There in front of them stood an honor guard of the Earth Alliance Marine Corps with a number of VIPs in front of them.

One balding and slightly smarmy looking man walked up to the two men looking them over.

"Welcome to Earth, Lt."

"Uhh…."

"its okay, Lt. I'm well aware that you are from the ship that appeared in our space recently."

"Sir."

"Please come with us, we have some things to talk about."

"Sir, I'm not diplomat. I'm a pilot. If you really want to talk you need to talk to my commander."

"Well your commander isn't here and you are. Besides this is just an informal chat, nothing more."

"I'll see you back at Io station in a week," said Commander Cole as he left.

"Say hello to Will and Marcus for me."

"Will do."

The Commander walked away from the Senatorial party and their guards leaving the Lt alone with the senator and his party. The rest of the group left the room in silence no conversation coming from anyone. The Lieutenant was more than a little wary of this small man in front of him, the little guy reminded him slightly of the snakeheads with his aura of self importance.

The senator and his party pulled up to a car outside the complex obviously to take them to the EarthDome senatorial offices, once inside however things changed.

"Lt, My name is William Clark. I am a Senator for the Alliance and head of R&D for EarthForce. It seems we have you and your ship to thank for the advances that have allowed some of our ships to go one on one with Minbari warships and do some damage."

"Lt Dennis Silverston United States Air Force, Space Command. Nice to meet you, Sir."

"It was lucky that you and your ship came to us when it did, otherwise we would be in much more trouble than we are against these Damn Minbari."

"Well Sir, we were willing to help. I'm going to assume that you have the full debriefings that myself and Colonel Taylor gave to your people at DSR 4 and Durani Station." The other man merely nodded. "We know what this war is doing to you people Sir. in the last eight years we have been at war with a race so far above us in technology it wasn't funny. With help and some of our own know-how we are now at a level where we can fight them."

"So you freely helped us with only requests for Materiel aid to keep your ship going."

He surreptitiously glanced at the woman in black at the back of the room and Silverston saw this but did not let the man know.

"Sir, if we saw what was going on we likely would have helped anyway."

Another glance.

"What would you need to persuade you to give us access to more of your technologies? There must be something that you and your crew would like?"

"I can't say, Sir. I'm not authorized to give away anything I know. The fighter that we brought with us is the upper limit of our technology, most of which you can likely develop better versions of as compared to our own."

"Why would you say that, you have much better technology than most of our ships?"

"Sir, my ship is from the year 2005. Our technology basis is more than two hundred years behind yours."

"2005?"

"Yes, Sir. I'm aware that it's 2245 here."

The woman in the rear was now just in the Lt's peripheral vision, she did not look at all well as if something was troubling her. Pale and sickly looking she did seem to be in quite some discomfort.

"That's amazing. There was nothing like these parasites in our history. Our first alien contact was with the Centauri one hundred or so years ago and we could have done with some of these advancements back during the Dilgar war as well.

"Well the sensors should help Senator. The rest will be useful but it will take time to engineer into your ships."

"Yes. Well we really could do with some of those shields and nukes you're carrying."

"I can't do anything about that, Sir. I don't have clearance for most of those systems and the Nukes are in short supply." The senator looked at the woman again, and again the Lt didn't let it show he saw. Something was wrong and he knew he was stuck right in the middle of it.

"Excuse me Sir, may I be excused," the woman said, looking back at her the USAF officer. The woman was sweating badly and was very pale, locking eyes with him she paled even further and ran out of the doors. As they closed the sound of retching could be heard from the woman.

"Well that was strange, poor dear can't be feeling well." The Senator smiled, "Well then, what can you tell me about your fighter then, it is quite a piece of equipment especially after the damage you and your cohorts did to the Minbari."

Dennis really didn't like this guy and he had a strong suspicion why he had been brought there, and he really didn't like it

Undetermined Location
Unknown space
Unknown time.

"These newcomers have tipped the balance between the Humans and the Minbari."

"Yes."

"Our children are now fighting on an equal level, something they have not seen in many years."

"The battles to come will redress this balance to one side or to the other."

"If that is so then we will need to be prepared. The Minbari have followed us for a great many years and as such will not defy us or ignore our requests."

"If the Humans hold the line against their enemies, we will approach them as we did the Minbari a millennia ago."

"Agreed, these newcomers will be of help against the Shadows, and if they defy us they will be removed from the equation."

"Yes."

"Then let us watch and learn."

"The circle stands as it is."

Elsewhere
Unknown Space
Same Time.

"The ancients are returning."

"Indeed the time is upon us all."

"The rules have changed. This new race the Humans are much more than we thought they would be."

"I agree. The assistance from their brethren from elsewhere has changed the rules of the war. Our agents within the Human's government have started to falter as the Minbari have gotten closer."

"The assistance from these newcomers may yet be of use to us, prepare a ship and Human agent. We will find out what these newcomers are and where they are from. They may yet allow us to turn the tide against the other side when the Great war begins anew."

"At once."

"With the master's return the time to strike will soon and with these Humans it will be much the simpler."