Chapter 23.
"I like the Quiet."
Freedom's Choice
'Anubis' Class refit Ha'tak
Cargo Bay Three/Centauri Barracks
Several hours later
The barrack room was in chaos as the Centauri survivors squabbled amongst themselves about what was happening. The senior of the Officers, Lt Mollari had come before them and informed them of what had happened to them any their ship.
The uproar had been predictable as the crewmen started to shout and complain that what he was saying was impossible. Some were scared of the Jaffa, while others were convinced that the humans were just attempting to lure them into a trap and take their ship and its technology to use against the Minbari.
Mollari had pointed out that the technology used by the Jaffa and these humans was simply not any form of technology available to them, or indeed any race in the Orion arm themselves included. The slightly hysterical members of the group had refused to bow to Mollari's seniority and so demanded they be allowed to leave, that they attacked the Jaffa guards.
Six unconscious Centauri, by way of a Zat blast each, stopped the attempted rebellion before it really began. A dozen staff weapons powering up from the other side of the barracks halted the remaining Centauri in their tracks. Outgunned and out manoeuvred the survivors soon quietened down. Within a few minutes the stunned Centauri were starting to come around after being moved the empty bunks.
"Finished Petty officer?" Carn Mollari asked.
"Sorry Sir, I'll admit I'm scared Sir, but you're right. No human has this technology."
"It may be a cliché Petty Officer, but it's alright to be scared. The Gods know I am and I've been briefed completely about this area of space."
"So we can't go home?"
"Not at the moment Pennari. The 'Resplendent' is too badly damaged to make it home and we are too few to man her even if we could move her."
Another crewman spoke up. They had been told they had taken immense losses in the accident that had brought them through the rift but they did not know the true extent of their losses. They wanted to know.
"Sir? How many of us are left?"
"Colonel Ronson has in formed me just before this meeting that the total estimated surviving crew will be sixty two Centauri."
"Sixty two?"
The shock was palpable as the crewmen around him realised that out of the combined crew and fighter wing only they had survived. Few of the survivors were skilled naval personnel as such; many were conscripts or volunteers from the streets willing to serve in the naval forces.
Several of the crew simply stood up and walked out of the room and into one of the other bays around their own barracks space simply to be alone while others sat in shock on their bunks. A few of the more senior had seen this before but even they were stunned at the losses that had been caused to their crew and their ship.
"How many officers, Sir?"
"Three of us, Sergeant. Myself, Ensign Hetta from stores, and Lt Commander Singletti third shift commander and several of the senior crew survivors will take temporary ranks for the duration."
"Will you be taking command of the ship and crew Sir? I mean you are the only surviving crewmember from the house, Sir."
"For now I will. If Singletti survives I will offer it to him."
"Aye, Sir."
One of the senior crewmen, the current defacto chief engineer and brevet officer, one of the surviving engineering crew came up to the Lieutenant.
"How bad is the damage to the 'Resplendent' Sir?"
"Very bad Chief Engineer. While the external hull is totally intact much of the armour and weapons mounts are gone. The hull won't take another trip through the rift and has no chance of combat. The worst damage is in the internal hull; the hanger is all but ruined as is much of the crew quarters. The engine room is still inaccessible and we don't know why either."
"What about the bridge and defences?"
"The bridge was destroyed and the shield emitters, generators and ECM systems were all crippled by the destruction of the outer layers of the hull. The only systems working are emergency life support and the galley of all things. The food stores are also intact allowing us to eat. We find too much of the human food in inedible to us."
"We really can't get back can we?"
"I don't know my friend, but there is a chance."
"How so, Sir?"
"Do you remember the information that filtered through the fleet grapevine a few days ago about someone helping the humans with their war against the Minbari?"
"Umm, yes. Some ship was supposed to be able to hit the Minbari and the Minbari couldn't stop them."
"Well it's possible that ship belongs to the humans of this place and if so it means that their ships can survive the journey."
"Will they take us back?"
"I really don't know, I think they would but apparently our physiology suffered badly when going through the rift. Even the shielding of their warships may not keep us safe."
"Understood. This isn't going to be easy, Sir."
"This isn't going to be easy."
"They've lost a lot of people in the last few days, more if we can't reverse whatever happened to those people in the Infirmaries. Any luck on getting anything out of some of them?" Jack asked his younger friend.
"Nothing yet Jack. Some of the few I've talked to talk about legends and myths surrounding what they call the 'first ones' but nothing concrete yet."
"First ones? Kinda like the Ancients and your meaning of life stuff?"
"I don't know. As I said there's not much they can tell me but from what I got from them there is one race there called the 'Vorlons' that don't get involved in the lives of other races."
"Sounds like the Tollen."
"These Vorlons are said to be a race millions of years old. No one has seen one and no one who enters their space comes out again."
"Xenophobic or just people that want to keep their hands close to the chest."
"I really don't know, but it would be fascinating to find this out though."
"If we get permission to, I'm going to send the Prometheus and two Free Jaffa ships through the rift. If that Primus class ship can get through without shields and a rickety hull there is a good chance our own ships will be able to get through the rift intact and alive."
"You're going with them?"
"No, I have to get back to the SGC or the President might get slightly annoyed at me. Sam and Teal'c are coming back as well. What about you?"
"I'm not sure yet; give me a few hours to think about it."
"Take your time. It'll be a few days before the mission leaves if it does."
"Fine, so what now?"
"Carter's taken a group over to the Centauri ship to have a look around. I'm going with the next team to have a look around see exactly what these Centauri are made of."
"Ok. I'll keep trying to find out more about these 'First Ones'; see if there's anything like the Four Races Alliance in their history."
"Keep me apprised Daniel and don't give up too much to these guys. We don't really know anything about their beliefs or anything we don't want a war on our hands."
"I'll try."
Anla'Shok Vessel Sha'mak
Sharlin Class Battle Refit
Same time.
The Flagship of the Small Anla'shok division of the Minbari Naval forces entered the system that the Centauri Primus Class vessel had last been seen in by its escort ships. The Sharlin started a full scan of the system in order to find what the Centauri ship had been so interested in that they would leave their escorts behind.
The scanners of the Minbari ships were much more advanced than any others in the known worlds and the Anla'shok's own ships were more advanced again than the normal warships of the Minbari fleet.
These scanners stretched out across the entire system scanning and analysing everything they could see, the Sha'mak quickly and easily scanned the system in multiple sections, finding nothing. Fighters had been launched as well to assist with the scan, the fighters finally turned up what could only be described as a rip in space. The tear was emitting energy waves unfamiliar to the Minbari aboard.
"Entil'zah, we are reading slight debris readings from the surrounding area. The readings are equivalent to hull and weapons components of a Centauri ship. However there is insufficient debris that would constitute a complete destruction of a capital ship."
"Anything from the rift?"
"Negative, the rift is absorbing, or retarding every scanner we have at this range however short range scans should penetrate the rift and allow us to see through to the other side."
"Do we have anything that matches the rift in our records?"
"Negative, the rift has some variances that look like hyperspace emissions as well as some form of high band radiation but nothing that can penetrate our hull."
"Take us in closer and keep scanning the rift, let me know when we are able to pick up anything from the other side."
"Yes Entil'zah."
USAF Prometheus
Same time.
"Sir, emissions from the other side are way up."
"Source?"
"Unknown possibly another ship."
"Recall the patrol flights and contact General O'Neill and get one of the Centauri up here."
"Aye Sir."
"Scans are gaining in strength, same signal type as the Centauri ship just much more powerful."
"So not another one of their ships?"
"Not that I can see, Sir."
"Sir the scans have just ripped right off the Centauri's level and are increasing, looks like they want to know what's on this side of the rift."
"Can we see anything?"
"Not much there seems to be something interfering with the scans."
"The rift?"
"I don't think so, Sir. The rift has settled. It looks like it's coming from that side."
"Some kind of ECM?"
"The Minbari?"
"Red Alert all hands to battle stations, repeat all hand to battle stations. Contact General O'Neill and Colonel Ronson have them return ASAP."
"Aye, Sir."
"Sir, all ships in system have gone to full alert," the Scanner operator said. "Look's like they've seen it too."
"Anything else from that ship?"
"No, Sir. I'm not sure they've even seen us yet this far from the rift."
"Keep all sensors on that signal."
"Aye, Sir."
"Sir Comms Replied. "Colonel Ronson and General O'Neill are returning to the Prometheus, ETA three Minutes."
"Good, keep them apprised."
"Yes, Sir."
Aboard the small cargo ship the two high-ranking officers of the fleet were heading back to their command ship. The knowledge that more ships were arriving in the system through the rift was a cause for concern.
The continual problems with the remaining Goa'uld and the Wraith attacks on Atlantis Base were sapping the strength of the Allied forces human and Jaffa alike. Another hostile race was not something they wanted or needed at that moment in time with one warship missing in action and the second on the return leg from Atlantis Base. It's recall after the loss of the Achilles and finally the Prometheus on SAR and diplomatic duties, the defences of earth were critically depleted to bare minimum levels.
The newcomer could be another Centauri warship that may think they were responsible for the destruction of their ship, or worst-case scenario, it might be the arrival of one of those Minbari vessels they had been informed about by the Centauri officers.
If that was so then they could be in for some trouble if these Minbari were so gung-ho about killing every human that came across their paths. The Prometheus as a human only ship would be the first target but they had no idea about what would happen to the Free Jaffa ships in the squadron.
The Prometheus' resident diplomatic geniuses in the guises of Captain Robert Smith and Dr. Daniel Jackson believed that the Jaffa as an offshoot of the human race would be a viable target for the Minbari. They could very well be viewed as as a threat to the Minbari because of the pure size of their race as well as the numbers of ships under their control.
However, if the news was true and the missing Prometheus class ship had done that much damage to so many ships, then the numbers of fighters, bombers and capital ships in Jaffa hands would do immense damage to the Minbari ships with few losses. But for now until the actual contact with the Minbari Federation was made the ships of USAF Space Command would no longer be at the forefront of this mission until a consensus was met between the two powers.
The newest arrival was unidentified as far as they could make out. The ship through the rift and that ship's own ECM systems were most likely the aforementioned Minbari. And as such they were reluctant to allow contact between either side until some form of diplomatic rendezvous that didn't include the firing of weapons against the other side could be arranged.
The cargo ship turned in place and brought itself to one of the ship's outer airlocks in order to dock without having to depressurise the entire hanger deck. The three passengers transferred to the warship and headed for the ship's bridge in the centre of the command tower.
"Major what have you got?" Ronson asked as he took his command seat."
"Sir, the unidentified ship is closing with the rift."
"What?"
"I think they're trying to see what's on the other side. They seem to be following the path the Centauri took."
"What's the likelihood they'll see us?"
"Unlikely Sir. But if they continue in they may end up transferring through the hole if it expands again."
"What kind of damage are we looking at if they transverse?"
"With the damage taken by the Centauri ship as a template, even a few hundred years of armour and system advancement the Minbari supposedly have won't keep any ship that comes through from being crippled or destroyed. Their systems and crew will be decimated same as the Centauri were."
"Have Lt Mollari brought up here immediately"
"Aye, Sir."
The order was given to bring the Centauri officer to the Bridge. Minutes later, the smaller man was in front of the monitors that had brought up the recorded sensor scans of the unknown ship. For the Centauri the Silhouette was unmistakable.
"It's a Minbari warship Colonel. A heavy Ship of the line and she looks ready for battle."
"That ship is approaching the rift and fast Lieutenant. If we try to warn them would they listen to us?"
"No Sir. The Minbari hate the humans with a passion. Any attempt from a human to tell the Minbari where they can and can't go would only anger them. The Minbari are a slightly arrogant race when it comes to this."
"Right, if that's the case Lt, please take the command chair."
"Colonel?"
"If a human can't then maybe a Centauri survivor of a ship lost because of that rift may be able to change their minds."
"I'm just a junior officer-they wouldn't listen to me."
"Lt, the crew of that ship could lose as many of their fellows as you did when the 'Resplendent' came through the rift. Are you really willing to let that happen to another ship?"
"No Sir, but…"
"Please Lt, you yourself said that the Minbari would not listen to a human crew, however they would listen to a Centauri."
"I'll try Colonel; that's all I can do."
"Open a channel, Comms."
"Channel open; it's piercing the rift."
"Mr Mollari?"
"This Is Lt Carn Mollari ranking survivor of the Centauri Republic Warship Centauri Resplendent, do you receive us?"
"All hands, keep out of the camera's view for as long as possible." Colonel Ronson added.
"Aye Sir," came a chorus of answers.
"We've got signal."
"Patch it through."
"Centauri Ship, this is the Minbari Expeditionary vessel Sha'mak. We receive you."
"Sha'mak, please to not approach any closer to the Rift. It is extremely hazardous."
"Explain," the voice ordered the young lieutenant.
"The rift expanded to encompass my ship and pulled it through to this side of the rift, it has sent us through to another area of space out of range of Centauri space. Our ship is heavily damaged and we have taken a great many casualties in the days since then."
"We understand. What is the current situation for your people."
"We are safe and the few survivors are recovering." The Centauri looked at the colonel who nodded, "a friendly power came across and offered assistance. The Jaffa were most cordial."
"We are not familiar with this race."
"Neither were we. They are unfamiliar with us and any of the races in our space."
"Understood, we shall contact Centauri prime and inform them about your predicament."
"Thank you, Sha'mak."
"Good luck Resplendent. Sha'Mak, Out."
"That was lucky," said the 2IC.
"Too much so. They were not the usual Minbari we know of."
"They did agree too easily."
"They're going to come through anyway aren't they?" asked the Colonel
"The Minbari do not trust many and do not listen easily," the young Centauri said. "This ship may not of the castes that we have most contact with."
"How do you mean?" asked the Colonel
"As I have mentioned before the Caste system is a system of three castes equal in influence to the others. However we have had little actual contact outside of the Warriors or the Religious. The ship could well be that of the Builders. The last is a group that have been rumoured to be a form of Intelligence gathering force from their populace, however it is all rumour and nothing has been confirmed."
"This forth Caste type, what do you know about them?"
"Nothing much, that's the problem with rumours."
"If they come through, we're gonna have trouble."
"The only way to stop them would be to scare them off and as far as I know the Minbari are not afraid of anything."
"Sensors keep an eye on the rift. If there is any sign that the rift is going to expand again inform us at once."
"Aye, Sir."
"Also keep an eye on the Minbari vessel. We may have more of a problem than we thought.
Warrior Satai Meeting Chambers
Minbar
Minbari Federation
Two days later
"They know."
"Yes all of them; every ship and every fighter in the Navy."
"How did they find out?"
"The return of the Drala Fi in its damaged state did not go unnoticed. Men and women from all castes were there to see her arrival and it was well known that the Drala Fi was on the front lines against the humans. The fact that she was the only one of her entire attack force to return and heavily damaged at that could only mean one thing. The knowledge that other ships had disappeared has only enlightened that fact. It was only a matter of time."
"What is the state of fleet morale at the knowledge that so many ships were destroyed by the actions of the Earthers?"
"The Fleets closer to Minbar are at heightened states of alert and across those fleets the entirety of the Warrior caste do not believe that such could have happened because of the humans. However those closer to and indeed on the front lines are more believing of such a feat. The remaining ships of our ambush on the humans in one of their former systems, has also let us know that the enemy ship has been repaired to full capability by the Earth alliance."
"You losses were slight compared to the number of their ships destroyed by our task forces."
"Then we are to continue on into their territory." It was not a question.
"Yes, we will continue. We still need to locate the Humans homeworld as soon as possible, otherwise this conflict may drag on and we will take more losses than we can afford with the next war approaching."
"Then you agree with the Religious caste that the Shadows are due to return soon."
"Indeed I do. The losses we have taken in the last few months have been more than we can sustain if we wish to have a viable war fleet in any form."
"We have lost many against this new craft and even with the little information we have gathered from the Anla'shok and from our agents within the League of Non aligned worlds, we are no closer to finding the true home of the Achilles or any way of getting to her and destroying her."
"The newcomer ship has left its former home at Durani Station has it not?"
"It has."
"Then it is only logical that they have sent this ship to their most fortified positions, they have returned it to Earth."
"We will be unable to destroy that ship before the humans can refit their ships with the newest of their stolen technologies."
"That may be a problem. We outnumber and outgun the Earthers by almost half again their number. However as has been noted by the warriors, we would need to pool a great many of our fleets together from all corners of the Federation to overwhelm and destroy the humans defences and their planets. The destruction of the first of their mid range bases is at hand and the loss of ships may become more of a problem the further in that the fleet goes."
"What is the fleet's status?"
The third of the three Satai stood from his position and strode towards the large set of panels that made up part of the far wall. Activating it, a view of the entire Minbari Federation projected around their heads much as it would have done aboard the Valen'tha. All around them the hundreds of ships in the front lines were numbers. Those numbers identified the rest of the almost two thousand strong fleet of warships that made up the immense power of the Minbari military.
Hundreds of ships could be seen along the multiple sector line that made up the front against the humans. More and more could be seen in sectors behind them reinforcing and replenishing those forces that had lost ships in battle. Two entire sectors however were all but clear of their presence. The battles against Beta Durani and the Achilles Battle group had been costly to the surrounding lines. Only a few damaged and straggler ships patrolled the sectors, nothing that could hold again a determined attack by the Earthers armed with their newest scanners.
"The main battle fleets are holding the line several light years from the humans systems. Most of the task forces assembled are finding it as simple as always to destroy the Human ships. However, recently more and more human ships have seemed to see through our stealth systems and damage our ships, fortunately they are few in numbers and with their destruction the rest of the ships in their patrols have fallen quickly."
A gun camera view from the fore of a Nial class fighter came up around them, three Minbari ships nearby were burning while others were damaged, the outnumbered Minbari force concentrated fire on a few EarthForce cruisers causing them to explode. Seconds after the destruction of the closest of the Nova Dreadnaughts, the fire of the human ships had become erratic allowing the half dozen Sharlin Cruisers to annihilate the twenty ship task force within a few minutes.
"Much as the Achilles did at Beta Durani it seems the few ships they have modified are being used as a form of electronic countermeasures against our stealth. Their ability to scan us are transmitted to the other ships and are able them to destroy our vessels. However with the destruction of their command ship the humans fell quickly."
The scene ended with the escape of the last cruiser into hyperspace. The holographic system retreated into the ceiling of the command chamber above them leaving the chamber dark again with the three of them illuminated by their single floods.
"We have lost several ships up and down the front lines. Approximate losses are thirty one ships to the humans using their current methods. However as before most, of the human ships have been destroyed once their advanced scanner systems have been destroyed. The human fleet is still of little threat to us or our ships."
"Good, then continue with the assault on their mid range bases."
"What of their two upgraded stations?"
"Leave them as they are. Once we have destroyed the support structure from the inner Systems that support them they will fall without too much damage to our forces."
"This is the Station that is responsible for a great number of their ships being upgraded with their new scanners and weapons systems."
"I realise that Satai. However we have little choice. We do not have the numbers in the area to destroy that outpost without total losses to our fleet. Their upgrades will not save the human ships from overwhelming numbers that will lead to their destruction."
"Yes, Satai."
A Warrior attaché approached the trio and awaited orders from the senior most of the three,
"All forward fleets are to await reinforcements en route and in three days they are to attack every outpost along the front, destroy every ship and station they find. Have the second and third Centauri border Fleets head to the areas that our lines are most vulnerable,"
The Second of the three spoke up. "Also have the Workers begin reactivation of the Mothballed fleets here at Minbar and at the Warrior stronghold at Haza-Kinia."
The warrior bowed and left the room to distribute orders to the other warriors in the warrior compound, four separate warriors scattered to their duties.
"The Mothball fleets?" asked one of the Satai.
The second looked at his friend. "I have seen what these humans are now capable of. I do not believe our forces are quite as capable of wiping out the humans as they once were." He lowered his hood to reveal the face of Satai Sharonn. "So many losses in so little time for so few of the human's ships have been a stain on our honour."
"It is more than that." Coplann lowered his own voice. "The fleet know that the humans are rapidly growing in power in their weapons and their scanners. With this outside help from these unknown humans and their ship, we are going to meet an enemy capable of hitting us hard. We need this over with as soon as possible in order to be ready to assist the Vorlons when the time comes." He looked his fellows in the eyes
"The Shadow war is coming" Coplann continued. "Everything is coming to pass and we are now being tested to a degree we have not seen in one thousand years. These humans are not the Shadows or their ilk, nor are these newcomers anything to do with the Shadows. However we will come out of this war forged in steel and more powerful than we have ever been, the humans are the first step. When the shadows come we will be ready for them.