Chapter 17
"What do you think? I think I burnt me finger."
USAF Achilles.
The damaged battlecruiser had pulled out of the engagement with the Minbari. Its power systems and shielding had been stressed close to burnout the hour of combat had strained both the ship and its crew to their limits with no end in sight.
"Sir, we're out of Minbari effective weapons range."
"Keep us away, drop shields and reset weapons for long range counterfire."
"Shields are down, Sir. All shields generators are recharging. We're resetting. Weapons are set for long range, at this speed we're should stay out of range of the Minbari weapons fire for a few minutes," Davis told her
"Power reserves?"
"The constant regeneration of the shields and the use of the Asgard weapon have drained reserve and main power systems to low levels. We've power for full sublight and shields but I don't know how much more the shield will take before burnout," replied the weapons Officer.
"Time to regeneration."
"With shields down it's at two minutes."
"Can we keep out of Minbari range?"
"No, Sir. Enemy ships are going for englobement; they'll be in range pretty soon
"Time to nearest intercept?"
"One minute, forty seconds. We've a large enemy fighter concentration coming in at full speed."
That meant raising the shields at only seventy or so percent of full power or attempting to evade for those last twenty seconds, with so many ships coming in it was a toss up if either would be of any use.
USAF Prometheus
Achilles Rift
Twelve hours post rift:
The Prometheus and its escort of the Ha'tak 'Freedom's Choice sat close to the rift that had brought the Centauri warship to their area of space, another four allied Free Jaffa pyramid ships had arrived from their Search and Rescue duties to assist with the Centauri.
Several dozen more Jaffa had gone aboard the Primus class vessel to help the first search parties that had already been aboard. Once again the patrols split up to check every room, corridor and cargo bay the ship had.
The discovery of a young Centauri of a 'House Mollari.' had been of immense help. Once he had been persuaded that they were not invaders, finally he had believed that all they were trying to do was discover any survivors of the ride through the anomaly and their transition into normal space. More rooms were searched and many more dead were found in the areas closest to the hull and the main systems such as engineering and environmental systems, etc. The search had uncovered almost one hundred twenty survivors before the search parties made it to the bridge.
The bridge was a wreck, the systems had blown out all across the deck. And crewmen had been thrown around, most killed by impacts against walls, bulkheads and consoles. One brave soul was found still in his restraints his hands still covering his controls; this one man was responsible for the arrest of the ship's uncontrolled tumble. He had died before the search crews had even come aboard, his internal injuries and cranial trauma was too severe for anything short of a sarcophagus or Asgard medical technology. There were no other survivors anywhere on the bridge or in the surrounding areas.
"Colonel, the Jaffa patrols have reported in-all areas have been checked and cleared. Total survivor count of one hundred sixty seven crew members."
Ronson stood up from his sat and looked over the scanner console, the ship was still in bad shape. If the Jaffa were right the internals were in such a bad shape that that ship may not fly again.
"Have them transfer the survivors to the Ha'taks and see if they can link their tractor beams. Let's see if we can take this ship with us, it might come in useful."
"Aye, Sir."
"What do we know about that ship?"
"With their systems down we've got a pretty good view of their internals. Ion based weapons, particle beams and some form of torpedo or missile system. It has heavy Anti-fighter capability and what seems to be a form of passive gravitic shield assembly, inferior to our own but useful for deep space travel and lighter weapons."
"Anything else?"
"Apart from the fact it carries fighters and troops, no Sir, that's it. We'd need an engineering crew to go through the ship in order to get any more."
"Good work. I'll be in Sickbay we've got some guests to greet."
"Aye, Sir."
"You have the Bridge Lt."
Sickbay
USAF Prometheus
The sickbay aboard the small battlecruiser had a number of Centauri survivors inside. A few of the least injured had been transferred there to get immediate attention. The original survivor found by the first search team was amongst them.
"Lt Mollari?"
"Good Evening, Yes ,I am Lt Carn Mollari, Centauri Royal Navy."
"Colonel Ronson, United States Air Force Commanding officer of the Prometheus,"
"Ahh yes, thank you for your assistance Colonel without it we would have surely perished out here."
"Think nothing of it."
"What is this ship? Some new prototype the Alliance has against the Minbari?"
"Not quite, in our communications with your ship your Captain mentioned the Alliance and the Minbari and that the Centauri were allies of the Humans. What can you tell us about this?"
"Same as everyone else, that Earth is at war with the Minbari, and as a result there is immense damage being done to Earthers by the Minbari. The rest of known space is staying out of this war."
"Including the Centauri?"
"Yes, some of us believe we should intervene but the Centaurum refuse to."
"So why is this war going on, what started it?"
The Centauri Officer told the story of the death of Dukhat and the consequent insanity of the entire Minbari race and the decision to attack the Humans and to wipe them out to a man. The Minbari's years in space and their advanced technology that made them the most feared race in known space.
The colonel was horrified to learn that a race as supposedly advanced as the Minbari would be willing to destroy mankind due to an accident.
"There is something though, the Centaurum have released some information about a new Human warship, a ship able to see the Minbari and with firepower to destroy multiple ships."
Ronson sat up, this rift had been in the same area that the Achilles had disappeared into, the fact that the Centauri ship had come through one way may mean that the ships on this side could go through the rift to another universe.
"Lt, do you have a name for this ship?"
"No we don't we were lucky to find out what we could about this new ship."
"Thank you, anyway."
"You are welcome. Now what has happened to our ship?"
"The transfer through the rift has damaged it severely. It is unlikely it would survive another trip through."
"How many survivors?"
"A little over one hundred fifty."
"There were over fifteen hundred aboard."
"We've accounted for a lot of them. The engine room is impossible to get into. It's locked down with some kind of protocol-we believe the reactor's exposed."
"We use an antimatter spiked fusion reactor Colonel. If it had been exposed the ship and everything around her would have been destroyed. it's more likely damage to the coolant systems or a radiation explosion. If it's been cut off there's no chance of survivors."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Can you put us in touch with our government at all?"
"No not at the moment, we're still trying to understand what the rift is exactly."
"Can't the Alliance government let my people know what happened here?"
"Mr Mollari, this may take a while to explain…"
Earthdome-Senator's offices
Two hours later:
The Air Force Lt. had been removed from the Senator's offices and shown to the guest suites specifically put aside for diplomatic reasons. And in the eyes of many, there was not much more was diplomatic than hosting one of those responsible for the chance to save the entire Alliance.
However in the offices of Senator William Clark things were not as fine as they had seemed when the meeting had first happened. His ace in the hole, one of the Psi cops in his pocket had been there to scan the other-Human pilot. The fact that she had had to leave the room only a few minutes into the meeting and hadn't returned only added to the Senator's consternation. And William Clark did not take things lightly, especially concerning anything that could mess with his plans.
He needed time and space to do what he needed to do. This young man and his impressive fighter might come in useful in his political agenda. After all, once people realise how he and he alone managed to get use advanced technologies and defences to protect earth then he would be a hero.
However now was not the time for such proclivities, his time would come and when it did the newcomers would be the push he would need to increase his power, however Clark knew he was a patient man and he would wait and see what would come from this.
But until he could get that information from these newcomers he would have to play it nice and deal with these people.
Personal Diary
William Morgan Clark
Classification: PSC-777-491
The meeting between myself and this 'Lt Silverston' went ahead as planned. The fact that the man had been in military service for so long was annoying to an extreme. The fact that he is a military minded man made it quite easy for me to persuade him to come to Earth for a debriefing.
Military people are not the smartest I've ever met and this young pilot is not much better. However, I am slightly dismayed that the telepath I had here in order to pull as much information out of this Airman as I could, left after merely a minute or so in the prese4nce of this man.
I am not too worried yet as I will have more time in order to pull this information out of the boy's head. This entire war has messed up my timetable and as such I need something to assist me in returning things to their original line. That damned idiot Santiago hasn't helped in these matters and…
The Senator paused his diary entry as the small woman re-entered the office. The Air force pilot had left to 'freshen up' as it were, however the effects of her attempted and aborted scan was obvious in her face. She was extremely pale and looked quite sickly, a small rag pressed to her nose as blood dribbled out.
"My God! Are you alright?" Clark played his sympathy card as he cared little for the telepaths. But making it seem like he did would give him trust in their eyes. And they couldn't scan him without breaking the rules and regulations imposed on them, so he was safe.
"I will be Senator. Just don't ask me to read that man again."
"Did you get anything at all?"
"No, I didn't I couldn't read him properly."
"How can that be? You're a P12 right?"
"Yes, I'm one of the most powerful telepaths in the corps, but I could not read anything about this man or where he came from."
"So you got nothing from him at all?"
"No, Senator. I couldn't see anything, when I entered his mind it… it was like… it was as if someone had tied a loudspeaker to my mind and blared out White Noise at high volumes."
"White Noise?"
"Yes Sir. It was screening him completely, it's not like anything I have ever seen or felt before. Whoever he is, he's immune to telepathic scanning in some way."
"No Human can take that kind of deep scan and not even feel it."
"I never got to the deep scan," she told him. "Once I was in the white noise overwhelmed me. It was all I could do not to throw up immediately or pass out, once I was out of the room the Noise stopped and I could hear others thoughts again."
"And the nosebleed?"
"It just appeared Sir. Once the white noise diminished my nose started bleeding, it's possible it was a side effect of the aborted scan, I' don't know what it was I… I just don't know."
"Rest up then Hazel and we shall see how you feel in the morning."
"Thank you."
The young telepath left the room and headed out into the night, returning to her home at the Psi Corps compound. Inside the offices Clark merely sat back and looked at the visual scans of the Achilles and the F-302 currently in their hands at Io Base. From the shadow behind him a dark figure approached and looked at the picture.
"Interesting ships these newcomers have."
"She couldn't read him."
"Yes I know. I felt her distress from quite a distance way."
"Who the hell are these people?"
"I do find it strange that a normal human such as this man could possibly hold off a deep scan with such ease of effort, I am intrigued I will admit."
Clark turned to look at the telepath. The features were identical to one of the men involved in the attempted acquisition of shield technology during the Achilles repair and refit earlier in the month. The man merely looked at the screen with a neutral expression on his face. He cared little for the Senator as the man was just the means to an end. He also knew the Senator thought the same of him and the rest of the Corps.
"Can you scan him?"
"No, if Hazel was unable to pass a surface scan then I doubt I will have any chance at all."
"Hmm, see if you can gather multiple Psi Cops. Maybe enough of you at the same time could see what this man's plans are."
"Indeed, It would be interesting to see the effects on the man once he's forcibly scanned by several of my people. However the problem is getting my people close to him, our powers are capable through line of sight, however if you wish for more we would need to force out way in for that we would need a tactile sensation from the man, a full contact between the two involved."
"No, we won't go that far yet. The man is still of use to us first of all as a means to a cause with his ship, and later as a bargaining chip to get at that advanced technology they refuse to give us."
"Indeed, Senator."
"Thank you for your help."
"Yes Senator, Good night."
"Good Night Mr Bester."
Stargate Command-Cheyenne Mountain
NORAD
One hour after transition of Centauri vessel:
The easiest way to contact the SGC without actually opening the gate was the use of a retro-engineered Goa'uld communications system currently installed in the NORAD Communications Centr. As the SGC was technically under the auspices of Space Command and Homeworld Security any unexpected transmissions went immediately to the SGC command station Pentagon. An emergency message from the Prometheus was one such unexpected communication. The security level was that high that Sgt Walter Davis had put the entirety of the base on alert and patched directly through to the base commander.
"General O'Neill to the Gate room immediately. Repeat, General O'Neill to the gate room."
It took less than a minute for Jack O'Neill to make it to the Gate room. He was followed closely by the remaining members of SG1. Even with O'Neill's removal from front line service the four of them continued to spend much of their On- and off- duty time together.
"General we're receiving a Code three from the Prometheus."
"Code Three?"
"First Contact with advanced spacegoing race, Sir." Carter replied.
"Oh That Code three!" Jack responded "What's the report, Sgt?"
"The Prometheus while on S&R found a form of rift in space, contact was established with a ship on the other side belonging to a race called the Centauri. That ship was pulled through the rift, badly damaged, Sir. Survivors are being treated on the Free Jaffa ships of the S&R squadron."
"Any Sign of the Achilles?"
"The report indicates nothing but they may have gone through the rift. Two destroyed Ha'taks were found close to the system."
"Send a response to the Prometheus, all ships stay on station Diplomatic team and SGC team are on their way. Have a cargo ship prepped for launch, also ready a four man flight of 302s as escort."
"Aye, Sir."
"Sam, Daniel, Teal'c- you up for a little sightseeing?"
"Aye, Sir."
"You'll be accompanying the diplomatic team as soon as they are assembled."
"Jack, the cargo ships are all in use, aren't they?" Asked Daniel
"Not all. One was released to the SGC for emergency use. Besides it was either that or send a load of civvies through a Stargate, then get there via one of the Free Jaffa's ships. Believe me I wouldn't sic any of these guys on the Jaffa.."
"Well be careful, Sir."
"Dismissed."
The trio left the room leaving a thoughtful O'Neill behind. The Prometheus and Achilles were both under Space Command's control but he thought that a hand from a senior officer of the SGC may be of use in a time like this.
"Sgt."
"Sir?"
"Change Message, Commander SGC and SG team will be accompanying the first contact team."
"You sure about that, Sir?"
"Relax Sgt. What could go wrong?"
Engineering Room
USAF Achilles.
The entire engineering section rocked as a direct hit slammed into the shields of the warship. The engineering crew were doing everything they could to keep the ship intact and functioning as the systems shorted out from time to time. But the main breakers and quick fixes kept the systems in working order.
"Those bloody Minbari again."
"Chief?"
"I tell you Thompson, every time we get this thing back in some sort of shape those bloody Aliens come around and WHAM- more stuff for us to fix."
"That's officers for you Chief. They go into combat do a load of damage get praised and we get stuck with clean up."
"Tell you something though."
"What?"
"Those engineers at Durani know how to get the most outta something. The new railguns and missile launchers are pretty good considering they only had a week or so to build em."
"They work better than the originals in my book boss."
"Damn straight. Their computer systems have put most of our systems on overdrive as well. I tell ya summit Thompson, if we had the production capabilities like Durani station has we'd be churning out ships damned fast. Those bloody snakeheads would get a good old-fashioned kicking when they came knocking."
"Maybe they'll giver us a few of those Novas to refit once we find a way back home."
"Aye that would be useful. A load of the Asgard weapons and shields on one of those things and nothing short of the really big bastards would stand a chance."
"Well all things considered Chief I think we're doing alright. A kill record of fourteen ships in only a few weeks is pretty good."
"Maybe, ahh hell."
"Chief?"
"Bridge, Engineering, we're losing power from the secondary reactor."
"Why?" came a voice from the PA system.
"Not sure, possibly feedback from the shields or something's been knocked loose in the power train. We're gonna look. "
"Get moving, we need that reactor. We're coming up on the biggest number of Minbari ships we've seen and without that extra power the main weapon won't be of much use."
"We're on it, try not to get us killed boss."
"No promises, Chief. Just get the reactor assembly back in order."
"Wilco Boss."
The two engineers ducked into the reactor rooms to take a look at the damaged reactors. The triple in series Naquada cores were the most powerful conventional powerplants in the hands of the Human race. With the destruction of the Naquadriah reactor from the Prometheus and the lack of Naquadriah to build more, the generators had been upgraded and changed back to basic Naquada energy production. In addition, a third generator was installed. The assistance of the Asgard with their weapons and shields allowed the trio of generators to feed power into every system they had aboard. The main generator as the original twin system was known powered everything from the toilets to the shields while the third generator was dedicated to offensive and defensive systems. Now with the hyperdrive's destruction all the extra power that would have been used for travel between the stars had been diverted to the shields and weapons systems. Even so the third reactor was a necessity in combat. The Asgard weapon was a hungry beast after all.
"Ok Thompson take the port side check the power trunks, the breakers and the fuel rods."
"Got it."
The two men split up to check both sides of the reactor assembly. The massive reactor took up a large area of floor space. Close in size to a nuclear reactor it was also one of the most dangerous constructs ever built by Human hands. The reactor was intact and looked to be working fine, the power was still ticking over while the reactor controls were still locked into place.
"Thompson you got anything?"
"Bog all chief nothing on this side."
"Nothing on this side either."
"Could be in the transfer systems to the weapons systems, any break there would shut the system down completely."
"Take Hughes and Simpson up there and check it out, I'll keep an eye on this thing down here."
"Aye. Chief."
"Bridge, Engineering."
"Go ahead."
"The secondary reactor's in perfect working order. I've sent an engineering team up to the weapons power transfer systems. It could be a short we missed during repairs or a new one from combat."
"Got that Chief," the colonel responded. "Get the rest of your people on Damage control we've got more Minbari on our tails."
"That's all I bloody need."
"What was that chief?"
"Never mind bridge, we'll take care of it. Engineering out." Walking away from the reactor anyone listening would have head the chief mumbling. "They think the Minbari are bad; god knows but with that woman driving this damn bucket won't least another day."
EA Ticonderoga
Relief Fleet
Four minutes out from Achilles position.
A little over an hour ago the command station at Beta Durani had picked up an emergency signal from the advance fleet working up just outside of Alliance space. The four ships of the fleet had been attacked by a full attack fleet of Minbari capital ships.
Twenty five ships had been counted by the time the Alliance forces had been caught by the Minbari. Contact had been lost not long afterwards by Minbari jamming systems as the sensors may not have been affected. But the advanced communications of the Achilles' and her fighters had not yet been reverse engineered.
The last transmission sent to the Daedalus task force had been that they would receive reinforcements as fast as they could be assembled. The last of the Durani Fleet's sensor refit ships had to be one of those sent, without the sensors the reinforcements would not stand a chance against the Minbari warships.
Their orders had been clear, the Achilles and the Daedalus task force had to be brought back at all costs. They were too important to the war effort to be allowed to be destroyed by the Minbari fleet. With that in mind twenty warships of the Durani defence force broke dock and headed into hyperspace on a rescue mission that was desperately needed by the Daedalus.
The Daedalus herself had been recovered in Hyperspace barely ten minutes out from the battle field, its armour scored and burnt in a dozen places and its weapons turrets fused or destroyed the heavy cruiser was in bad shape. Its hastily transmitted report gave the reinforcement fleet the information that ha been lacking in the original report. That was the fact that the fleet had been ambushed by a force that seemed to know all about them and in particular to destroy the Achilles itself.
The relief fleet was now only minutes from jumping into normal space. Twenty two ships of all kinds had immediately volunteered for this mission. Humans had a way of showing that they looked after their own and after what the Achilles had done to keep them all alive they would pay back the battlecruiser's crew ten fold even at the cost of their own lives.
"Captain Coming up on the Beacon, ninety seconds to jump ."
"Signal the Flagship."
"Ticonderoga to Nautilus."
"This is Nautilus go ahead."
"We're coming up on the jump point, sensor systems are operational and we're ready for widescan broadcast."
"Good, all ships ready for jump, good luck Ticon."
"You too Nautilus, Ticon out."
"Jump in twenty seconds."
"All weapons station to defensive posture. We're all that stands between the fleet getting it in the neck, or getting the Achilles out of there."
"Aye, Sir, all weapons to defensive. We've got four squadrons of 'Furies' taking up perimeter action station around us, looks like we're covered for now."
"Signal from Flagship, all ships Jump."
"JUMP!"
Four jump points opened up around the jump gate itself, spewing out almost half a dozen ships each. The fleet came under almost instant fire as the Minbari ships closest to them broke off the chase of the Achilles and attacked the Earth ships as they came out. Six Hyperions went down in flames before the fleet even knew where they were. Nova and Olympus ships returned fire slamming into the Tinashi and Sharlin class warships.
Nineteen Minbari warships were seen in system as the Earth Alliance ships formed up. The wrecks of a half dozen destroyed by the four ships of the task force lay strewn across the system. The Achilles herself was barrelling away from the encircling warships attempting a break out and retreat to the Alliance ships, the small warship lurched as twin neutron cannons reached out and slammed into the ship's shields.
In response, three bolts were fired from the very bow of the warship each impacting in the same area one after the other causing the massive warship to disintegrate under the immense energies released against it. The Achilles spun around and pushed its engines to maximum the remaining fighters of the Minbari ships coming after it. Railguns took out any that got close enough but the fighters were wise to the warship's weapons and few were willing to get into range.
The Minbari ships returned fire against both the Achilles and the Alliance ships. More and more ships from both sides went down under bombardment from fusion cannons, plasma bolts, missiles and neutron weapons fire.
Armour was ripped though and internal systems ripped apart as accurate firepower found critical junctures and crippled or destroyed enemy ships. The Minbari ships were much larger and as such easier to hit with the newest scanners that were installed aboard the Ticonderoga.
Fighters from both sides mixed it up in amongst the duelling leviathans of the two fleets, Nials and Starfuries were burnt down and blown out of the stars by the others. The outnumbered Nials used the defensive fire of their own capitals ships to defend themselves catching roving patrols in crossfire.
The ships of the Minbari were much more powerful and well armoured and for every hit the Earth forces could score on their hated enemies, three raked through the thick armour of the Alliance ships. A twenty two ship fleet had been reduced to eleven ships within minutes, half the fleet had been crippled or destroyed quickly and efficiently. The Earth forces had barely made a dent against the huge Sharlin warships and their escorts.
Two more ships, one Hyperion and a Nova Class warship went down under concentrated fire, their scattered weapons fire barely making a scratch against the Minbari's armour. The Achilles own weapons destroyed another Sharlin and crippled a Tinashi as it passed by into the midst of the Earth ships.
"Nautilus to all ships, Condition Rogue. Break off and JUMP."
The surviving ships of the Earth fleet turned tail and ran. The ships accelerated for the jump points opened by their ready ships and jumped into hyperspace leaving the dead and dying of both sides behind.
The cost of the battle had been monstrous for the Alliance forces. The fight had been expected to be an equal one for the first time in a fleet battle but they had been woefully wrong. Even with the accuracy of the targeting information from the Ticonderoga and the fact that they had outnumbered the Minbari ships, the EA fleet had been routed in the worst possible way- by the loss of sixteen ships to the Minbari forces.
EA Nautilus
"Fleet Report."
"Massive losses Sir, our ships couldn't take the Minbari on at close to point blank. Every ship that has survived the battle had been damaged in one way or another, Sir. The Achilles has lost primary power and its entire defensive grid is down they are on batteries only."
"Can we get a signal to them?"
"No Sir the ship's cold, nothing coming in or out, they're lifesigns but that's it."
"Dispatch a shuttle. We'll see if we can help them out."
"Aye, Sir."
"What were our losses XO?" asked Smith
"Sixteen ships Sir. We managed to retrieve about seventy percent of the Starfury squadrons. The Minbari were just too close Sir. The scanners couldn't see them until we were jumping out of hyperspace."
"Too damn much XO."
"Alex, we've been lucky so far."
"I know Kat, I know. We just gotta hold on a while until the bigwigs back home can figure out the tech of the captured ships and the stuff from the Achilles. I can't believe it's only been a couple of hours since the distress call, feels a hell of a lot longer."
"That's what war does to you, makes you lose all sense of time."
"Thanks Kat. What's our own status?"
"Most of the weapons systems are still intact, we've lost about a third of our Starfuries. Armour and defence systems are compromised on both flanks and main power has dropped to barely manageable levels."
"Better than most, Commander."
"Only just Sir. Two of the surviving ships aren't fit for combat. The two will have to be scrapped for parts."
"Which ones?"
"Clarkstown and Hastings."
"Two ships directly off the slipways… unbelievable."
"The Hyperions aren't doing too well in this war Alex. To tell the truth I'm surprised that we've still got them on the frontlines."
"Yeah I suppose, I suppose so."
"A shit load of cruisers built over thirty years and only good for cannon fodder. Even the Novas are taking a pounding."
"Sir, we have signals coming in from ahead of us, IFF transponders are consistent with EA second and Home fleets."
A secondary reinforcement group fresh from the EarthForce fleet base at Proxima base. Sixty ships from the Proxima and Earth Fleets had been assembled to reinforce the outlying systems that were under siege by the Minbari encountered the remaining ships of the reinforcement fleet.
"Lexington to Nautilus, come in."
"We ready you Lexington. Nice to see you Captain Styles."
"What happened?"
"The Minbari overwhelmed us, we lost all but what you see here, the Achilles is intact but God knows we paid the price."
"We ready you and we've got your back. However we've been instructed to return with the Achilles to the Sol system, it's too dangerous out here to allow them to stay."
"We'll let them know, Lexington."
"The Nautilus, the Achilles and the prototype refit Hyperions are to return with us to Earth, The Lexington will accompany you while the rest of the ships reinforce the midrange defence posts."
"But the refits are the only ships that have been set up for SWACS, without them the rest of the ships are vulnerable until the scanner network is completed."
"I'm aware Captain but these are orders from Earthdome itself, Senator Clark's office."
"Him again."
"Yes 'him again' Captain. Apparently Earthdome consider the fact that so much damage has been done to the Minbari forces in the area that the Hyperions in service are needed elsewhere."
"The Scanner systems in system aren't ready and the Daedalus is in bad shape, she won't be able to make it to Earth or any other system until repairs are made. These may be orders from up high, Captain but as the Fleet Captain I will not allow my crews to be put in danger like that, not until the Daedalus is in condition to leave Beta Durani."
"I understand that Captain. It's possible that we can get EarthDome to back off for a few days citing the damage to the Daedalus but not much longer."
"What about the Achilles? Achilles does not answer to Earthdome as they are not under the Auspices of the Alliance. If they wish to stay at Durani there is little we could do to make them leave and I doubt many of the crews at the Station would be willing to force them to."
"Yes, I've been thinking about that. If the Achilles does not choose to leave we will not make them it is that simple. The rest of the ships will be removed to Earth and Proxima for immediate inclusion into the Local systems until the R&D guys get scanner units out to the fleet."
"Aye, Sir. Captain any news about the Wolf station? We've heard nothing for almost a week."
"Nothing, Captain. As such the surrounding stations have been reinforced and are being refitted with the first scanners out of the construction yards based on the designs fitted on the Daedalus."
"Do we know why?"
"No not yet, it's possible it has something to do with the massive Quantium forty deposits found in the Wolf System. It may be some kind of jamming but we've heard nothing. The Minbari usually leave a survivor to let us know how they've wiped out our people, but nothing yet."
"Thank you, Sir."
"All ships are returning to Durani base immediately. We'll contact Earthdome and explain about the Daedalus."
"Aye, Sir."
"Lexington out."