Chapter 19

"Oh give a home where the buffalo roam and I'll show you a house with a very messy carpet."

Durani Station Two

Beta Durani

One Day Later

On the outer reaches of the Beta Durani station a group of smaller fleet ships were repairing and updating the long-range scanner systems. Both the normal space and hyperspace capable scanners were under reconstruction by the Earth Alliance warships still combat capable and online. The Olympus class ships and the few Cotton Class tenders were assigned this work while shuttles and construction pods were reconfiguring the inner system scanner grids. The updates would hopefully allow the scanners to see the Minbari ships in both hyper and normal space.

The redesigned and rebuilt Tau'ri based scanners were the basic parts of the newly built additions to the defensive line. Several small railguns were also being added to satellite and asteroid listening posts scattered around to assist the Standard particle beams that were part of the defensive systems already assigned to the satellites.

"Sir, message from the Corvette Eclipse."

"Go ahead."

"Sir, the last of the scanner packages are in place on the outer system stations. They're being placed on the shipyard perimeter as well. The entire refit should be ready in about two hours."

"Good work, Eclipse. Let us know when the entire system is online and we'll do a run up and test."

"Aye, Sir. Eclipse out."

"Looks like things are coming together XO," said the General

"Aye, Sir. The scanner systems should let us see any attacking ships without need of an SWACS ship. Apparently Proxima and the rest of the Midrange posts are also setting up their own scanner systems based on ours."

"Best to have the infrastructure of our stations intact than not. Once the scanners are set up XO increase production of ship based systems. We want the entire fleet equipped within the next month."

"We'll try Sir, but we're low on some of the necessary supplies needed. We might get two dozen or so ships refitted but without resupply from Logistics command, we won't get many more done."

"Do what you can XO. I'll talk to Earthdome try to get supplies diverted here."

"Good luck, Sir."

"I'm gonna need it, Xo."

The General stalked away from this command station. The XO knew that it would be like pulling teeth to get more supplies to their base. The entire Human race was at war for their very existence and the bean counters and head-up-their-own-arse Senators claim things are too expensive. The thought of many of the people on the front lines were 'What the hell use is money going to be if there's no Human race or Earth left to use it'. The REMFs had no clue about the real cost of the war or the fact that unless the frontlines got what they needed there would be no chance of getting through this war intact.

"Commander, we've been going over the active ship lists for the surrounding sectors. We're still taking serious losses all along the front. The best bet we have is once the first two-dozen ships are ready, scattering them to the local fleets may be the best use of the ships we have."

"Agreed. The main scanner refits to the station are almost done. Once the first twelve vessels are done ready them for dispersion once EarthForce gives us orders."

"Aye, Sir."

"What's the timetable for the refits?"

"Most of the refit ships are those coming off the slipways. It's an extra week for all the ships to be refit to the new specs, both scanners and weapons are being constructed as quickly as possible. The entire squadron should be finished by the end of next week to ten days from now."

"The rest?"

"The rest of the ships will be under refit when the docks are cleared. We've too many ships in the docks to do more than the few we are doing."

"Too many ships in a system; never thought I'd hear that during this war."

"It wouldn't be if we didn't have the assistance of the Achilles Sir. Most of the survivor crews are gonna be upset to see them go."

"They're not the only ones, without that ship I doubt any of us would be left alive here to say goodbye. We were damned lucky they appeared when they did.

The Achilles and its escorts were only an hour or so from their voyage away from the system. With the amount of technology shared between the Alliance and the Achilles there was little reason for the ship to stay when they would be safer and more secure in the very heart of Earth Alliance space. Still, as the officer at Durani base had mentioned, the crews of the ships that had survived the three major battles alongside the Achilles were disheartened to find that their erstwhile allies and friends would be leaving the system quite soon. The crews of the ships, indeed the station and shipyard personnel as well, all knew they owed the crew of the Achilles after the attacks by the Minbari had been destroyed by the help of the Prometheus vessel.

It was quite amazing just how many drinks can be bought for one crew of one ship by the many people they had saved over the course of their time there. It was just as well there was a limit on alcoholic consumption while aboard EarthForce holdings, or the Achilles crew would have been dead of alcohol poisoning before the next morning.

"Contact the ships of the task force and let them know that their orders are in effect they are allowed to leave at any time."

"Aye, Sir."

"Addendum to Achilles, we still owe you one Achilles. Just call and we'll be there."

"Aye, Sir." The officer smiled.

Senators Offices

Earthdome

That day

The offices of the members of the Senate were all but silent with the Senate out and many of the Senators away from the Dome itself. Only a very few were still around the Dome going through the duties as befitted their rank and responsibilities. The Offices of Senator Clark were more alive than most with the Senator meeting with his agents once again.

"So the pilot met with Santiago earlier on?"

"Yes Sir. Santiago and Silverston met in his offices and proceeded to go for a walk. Our agents watched the two but were unable to make out what they were talking about. Some of it seemed to be about the fact that they had both been pilots in their respective militaries during wartime."

"And that's it?" Clark Snarled. "Get out, I despise incompetence."

The soldier left the room a look of disgust on his face at the actions of his 'benefactor'. Many in the military hated the Senator. Unfortunately, the Senator was also shrewd and capable of doing much to people that he wanted out of the way.

Inside the office Senator Clark sat fuming at the so-called incompetence of his paid agents. The pilot that he alone was supposed to know about, let alone have access to, was now meeting with other Senators. They should mind their own business, especially that waste of space Santiago and his 'military' way of seeing things

That damned Santiago was all but rendering Clark's efforts to control things in the military and civilian arenas moot. The technology that was needed from these Humans, Humans that should be under their command as the Earth Alliance, should have been HIS ticket to control of Earth Alliance.

From behind him his associate moved up and sat in the chair opposite. Bester was his link into the Psi Corps, and one of the best and most ruthless of the telepaths. He was perfect for Clark's use much as Clark knew he was used by the Psi-Cop.

"Anything?"

"No the telepath used against the Pilot was one of my own highly trained and quite brilliant. However it seems that the 'White Noise' at it has been termed was still quite evident inside this man's brain. It caused immense pain and profuse bleeding from his nose and eyes to the extent he has had to be restrained and sedated in order to relax him and allow us to help him."

"Dammit, this man is more trouble than he's worth."

"It is extraordinary that such an ordinary man could be such a closed book to my most talented people. Perhaps we need to examine him find out who he really is and why he's so resistant to our probes."

"NO, I will not allow your confusion to risk the potential benefits that we will receive from this Alliance. They may not wish to succeed to the rightful authority of Earth, but we'll get what we need out of them one way or another eventually. DO NOT MESS THIS UP BESTER, the first sign that any of their crew are compromised by our people, I will shut you down and make damn sure they know who did it."

"Don't threaten me Senator. You have as much to lose as I do perhaps more."

"I seriously doubt that Mr Bester. Now please leave I have work to do.

"As you wish, Senator."

The Psi cop removed himself from the office of the Senator and quickly walked down the corridors of the dome. He was intercepted quickly by two of his telepaths he had been in contact with throughout the 'meeting with Senator Clark."

"Clark is making a mistake."

"Yes."

"The two of you are to make your way to Io station, watch this pilot I don't want him left alone for a moment. The second he becomes superfluous to the Alliance take him, preferably alive but do what you have to. Make it look like an accident. I want to know why he seems to be immune to our scans. I will not let some mind blind military loser to stop us getting what we need."

"Yes, Mister Bester."

"Stop off at Sylvium Planetia and use the EarthForce technician identities as well, no point tipping our hand too quickly."

"Yes, Mr Bester."

USAF Achilles

Omega Dock Six

Elsewhere in the Durani system, the Achilles sat awaiting the last of the extra stores to be secreted aboard the warship. With the only real station that could assist with the repair and refit of the Achilles, Durani station had worked overtime to increase the Prometheus class ship's stocks of perishables, life support systems and most importantly the weapons stockpile of nuclear weapons and projectiles for their railgun systems.

Close to the Omega docks the four ships that were to escort the Achilles to Earth itself were awaiting their charge. The pressurised dock was the largest and most comprehensive dock the Alliance was able to construct and as such it also took time for the dock to power down and allow the ship inside to leave its confines.

Now the dock itself had powered down but the pressurised atmosphere was still being discharged back into the holding tanks scattered throughout the station as quickly as it could without the risk of explosive decompression, which could damage both the dock and the ship.

"Achilles of Omega command, we're ready to leave. Thanks for your hospitality."

"Omega Command, your welcome Achilles. And from those of us still around thank you all for your help."

"We did what we had to Omega. Watch out for yourselves and get that Nova back up she's an impressive piece of hardware."

"Will do Achilles, Good luck and God speed. Omega Out."

The Achilles pulled away out of the opened dockyard, its rear brought up by the large corvette still sequestered inside the dock behind them. The two small ships broke from their berths and moved towards the four warships awaiting their presence, Three Hyperions and a Nova in escort formation moved towards them, the Achilles and the Olympus class ship taking their positions inside and to the rear of the procession.

The small task force turned in space towards the jump gate when the Achilles' crew noticed something they were not expecting. Lined up on both sides just outside the range of the jump gate, twenty ships- every one of them survivors of the Achilles' battles of DSR4, Beta Durani and what was now known as 'The Ambush' to the surviving crews- awaited in space.

The twenty ships of the honour guard watched as the Achilles and consort flew between the two lines, running lights flashed from every ship and the massive groups of Starfuries that ran the lines. A salute from one group of warriors to another. The men and women of the Earth Alliance Navy watched and bid farewell to the Achilles, a ship that meant much more than any of them could have believed.

"Nautilus to Achilles."

"Achilles, here."

"Ready for jump to hyperspace?"

"Ready when you are."

The small force entered the Beta Durani jump gate and jumped into the blood red realms of hyperspace. Aboard the Achilles the crew were all at their stations strapped down into their seats or beds for the off duty crew as the small vessel was cast about by the gravitational eddies of hyperspace itself. The ship swung slightly, the thrusters of the Achilles holding it in place while the computers and engineers reprogrammed them to assist the main engines to hold the small warship on course.

The systems finally went into balance as the ship corrected its course enough to stop the ship's shaking. The few bumps and slews the crew still would have felt was easily covered by the ship's gravity and inertial systems allowing the crewmen to unbuckle themselves from their berths.

"Status Report."

"Scanners, Aye."

"Engines, Aye."

"Communications, Aye."

"Defensive systems, Aye"

"Weapons, Aye."

"Fighter Ops, Aye."

"All sections. Aye Colonel," Major Davis told the Colonel.

"Thank you Major. All sections continue to watch all systems, scanners keep an eye out for Minbari. The Alliance ships have the sensors but ours are better with a longer range."

"Aye, Sir."

"Major with me, time for a little inspection tour."

"Aye, Sir."

Leaving the bridge in the hands of the shift's officer of the deck, the two most senior of the ship's offices took to the corridors of their vessel. The ship seemed quieter somehow before the realisation that almost a third of their entire ship's crew strength had been killed in less than a month of active service.

The immense damage they had taken in that time had been repaired to the best of the abilities of both their own crew and the technical crews of the Omega bays at Beta Durani. However much of the internal damage was still evident, entire walls and bulkheads were missing as their metal was used to reinforce the outer hull and breaches that had been caused by the Minbari warships.

"A month out of dock and this is what happens, I never thought I'd say it but I'd prefer to be back fighting pyramid ships and death gliders," Davis mused.

"At this rate Paul we won't have much of the original ship left, half the systems are Alliance tech and most of the armour is refitted from their shipyards."

"True. I suppose we're lucky that we've enough vacuum bulkheads left to keep the inhabited areas of the ship intact. Hell without them we'd be in it right royally."

"Right royally?"

"Ahh hell, my ex husband was English. I guess I picked up some of his expressions."

"Indeed. Joanna what do you think this with the Alliance is really about? We were safe enough at Beta Durani as it was, the Minbari would have had a hell of a fight from the EarthForce warships already in the system. More so now they can see the Minbari ships."

"In my official and totally biased opinion?"

"Yep."

"Politics."

"Ahh, yes. I kind of guessed that myself."

"You would you're too damn embroiled in it. Although why you gave up such a cushy job at the Pentagon and come out here eludes me."

"A few years ago General Hammond when he was in charge of the SGC told me I had a lot to learn about the way things are done 'around here. My time working with Jacob Carter and SG1 as well as a few of the other SGC personnel allowed me to see what he meant. When the XO job for Achilles came up I applied."

"-And accepted by the commission. To tell the truth I wasn't sure what a Pentagon stooge could do here," she said with a grin. "I'm glad you were able to change my mind."

"Training can't really make up for combat experience. We were lucky we got out of the DSR system intact."

"You did good Paul. I've known officers that wouldn't have got the ship out of there."

"Thank you, I think the combination of diplomacy and combat duty will be beneficial in the end for the SGC and the entirety of Space Command."

"Better than O'Neill in any case."

"I'll tell him you said that."

The two had a slight chuckle. It had been a hard few weeks for them both with the constant repairs and refits of their vessel, and the slight humour was a balm for their darker thoughts and wary souls.

"So this entire thing is a set up Paul?"

"Yeah, the Senators that can claim they are responsible for our safety; and therefore the fact we are helping them would be an incredible boost for their political agendas, more so if they can get more out of us. Don't be surprised if we get more requests for technology."

"They'll be after the shields and weapons as well as the Naquada in the cargo bays."

"Hyperdrive as well, given the chance they may be able to reverse engineer it. They are much more advanced in engineering fields than we are."

"We've told them no and they will still make the attempt anyway."

"I think they already have. About a week ago the station had Psi Corps personnel aboard, apparently to read our very thoughts and if possible steal the technology from us so they wouldn't have to spend any more resources on us. They left not long after they arrived; apparently the General did something that got them spooked."

"I know I liked Hague for a reason. So you're expecting more of this as we go through Earth Alliance space?"

"More than likely Colonel. There will be those that will do just about anything to find out who we are and what we have. Any one of our Asgard systems will tip the balance in the Alliance's favour in this war, possibly across the entire known galaxy."

"That's one of the reasons I need to talk to you. I want you to work with the Chief and his crew. If at any time it looks as if the Alliance is going to make a grab at the classified system I want them slagged completely, leave nothing salvageable. Use anything you have to including the Naquada downstairs."

"You think it's that necessary?"

"War does funny things to people Major. Some will make the attempt to grab our ship and it's systems 'for the good of mankind'. They may possibly think that we should bow to the Alliance as it's Humanity's legitimate government."

"Not the first time Colonel, seems the phrase 'Bow to your God' comes to mind."

"You're right. I want the systems set for destruction and a way to wipe the entire contents of the computer and the control crystals in case we need to."

"Aye, Sir," he replied, he looked down at her. "The fact is Jo, we may have to consider that we will be stuck wherever this is indefinitely though. We may have to share some of our tech with the Alliance if we want to survive- enough Minbari ships and the Alliance will not be able to stop our destruction. The entire Human race in this universe is at risk. Even with the Asgard, treaty we may not have a choice."

"Paul, we have some advanced technologies that we won't even share with the rest of our planet. A few countries will have the technology thanks to the Asgard but not enough. The Alliance is at a point in their existence where they have fought two interstellar wars and had skirmishes with many more and from what I can tell many powers here are insular and Xenophobic. If the Earth Alliance gets our more powerful systems, there will be little to stop them. You of all people know what things get like when people believe technology is the be all and end all, Human more than others."

"The Tollan and the Aschen."

"Precisely. If the Alliance get a hold of anything, the possibility of 'Ethnic cleansing' is more than likely with the Minbari as the first in their sights. How likely is it that they would go after our Earth afterwards, to 'protect us' in their eyes."

"I see your point. We'll have the contingencies in place before we arrive at Io Station."

"Good, let me know when it's done. Have the system set at three minutes. You, myself and the chief are the only ones to have the set off codes."

"Aye, Sir."