Changed Circle
by Warringer
Chapter Eighteen
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"Whadda ya mean, Refit to Block 2?"
Sheridan just nearly stared at Brigadier General Alexander Doors.
"Exactly that," Doors said with a sigh," Since all future Ticonderoga's are build as Block 2, we will refit Lexington to Block 2."
Doors thought that it was the logical thing to do. Block 2 incorporated some of the minor technologies gained from salvaged from Minbari ships. Added to that was the fact that salvaged weapons managed to fill a few holes in newly developed weapons.
"Lexington isn't much more than a space frame at the moment. We have removed everything that was damaged during Zendamor. The armor, the weapons, nearly everything. We don't even know how you managed to hold that ship together. No to mention that the ships was to be modified for the new resident AI. The computer may be able to hold an AI, but a few minor changes in the computer outlay have to be done."
Sheridan sighed. That would hold Lexington even longer in dock.
"And than there is the new Avatar system and docking ports for four Phalanx Drones."
Sheridan blinked a few times.
"Avatar system? Phalanx Drones?"
Doors sighed. It figured that he had to explain it to someone. He was just glad that he was an engineer and never had fought anywhere.
"The Avatar system is a system Anaheim Electronics brought out a year or so ago. Essentially its a robot, linked to a computer, commonly an AI. The AI can control the robot and it acts as a form or material body. I've heard that the AIs using Avatars send 'Thanks' email to Anaheim en mass. Rumors are that their mail server crashed three times because of that."
Sheridan shook his head and snorted.
"Well, anyway. Most AIs are able to control multiple Avatars. In your case Rommel requested two customized Avatars."
Sheridan nodded again.
"And the Phalanx Drones are also a new development. They proved to be combat worthy during the battle yesterday. We wanted to install them before anyway. They are autonomous vehicles able to track, attack and destroy several targets at the same time. I can give you the specs later."
"Okay, how long until we can leave dock?" Sheridan finally asked.
"Now that's the good news. Three weeks."
Again Sheridan stared at Doors who shrugged.
"Well, it seems that someone in the Pentagon decided that he or she, likes you and ordered me to get your ship back together ASAP. That means that we are using parts what were intended for a newly build Block 2 Ticonderoga and since we refit your ship, we are going to use those parts. Its even cheaper than a normal refit."
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G'Kar sighed as he looked at the swirls of jump space. Back to Earth and its strange inhabitants.
He still wondered how so many different sentient species could evolve on the same planet. Well, it was either that or the humans had used genetic modifications to create these 'Morphs'. Well the humans certainly had the technology to do so.
They even managed to get from a rather primitive race to being just one step below the Minbari, technology wise, in less than about three hundred years. And they possessed technologies that wasn't even thought of by other races.
But he had to say that he rather liked the humans. They lacked the generally xenophobic view of other races and an honesty that was refreshing. Well, they wouldn't work as a society if it wasn't that way, thanks to the Morphs. About ten percent of the population were Morphs after all, not included the about ten percent of people possessing different traits of Morphs, be it just a tail, other formed ears or one of those cat girls, the Terran Ambassador on Narn, Tokomo, was so obsessed with.
His thoughts went towards the talk he would hopefully have with the Terran President. He knew that the humans had tried to talk to the Minbari, telling them that the attack on the Valen'sha had been a, what had they called it? Ah yes, a misunderstanding. Quite an understatement.
But maybe it wasn't trying to make talks but rather the Angla'shok talking to the other Castes besides the Religious Caste. The Warriors where loosing one battle after the other and would want revenge and the Workers were mad at the bombardment of Minbar and the destruction of factories, at least according to his old friend.
"Time will tell," G'Kar muttered and sighed.
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"What are you saying?" Lord Refa asked and glared at the messenger.
"The Narn are to make contact with the Terrans," the messenger said, standing straight as if he had a stick up his behind, trying not to look nervous," The spies don't know why, but they have seen G'Kar with a Minbari."
Refa narrowed his eyes.
"Get out," he hissed," I need to think."
The messenger removed himself from the room as fast as he could and Refa looked down at the glass with Terran wine.
Refa was a man with visions. He was the power behind the Emperor and with a few pulls in the right direction, he would be Emperor. He couldn't need the Terrans making peace with the Minbari. That war was the only thing that kept the Terrans from advancing more than they already did.
They had surpassed the Centauri already, technology and other wise. And he as an Emperor couldn't need something like that. The Centauri needed to be the strong ones in Known Space. It was their destiny.
He had already pulled some strings. Raiders had been payed to take on Terran ships, bringing them to a dock controlled by the Refa family and into the waiting arms of the scientists. It would only be a matter of time until he possessed the secrets of the Terrans. Of cause his ships had also taken a look at the systems attacked by the Minbari, taking Minbari and Terran ships with them.
He couldn't need peace between the Terrans and the Minbari. They had to destroy each other in this war, so that he, Emperor Refa, could rule the Republic and the rest of Known Space. He would bring a Second Golden Age of Conquest and the Narn would be the first.
A plan formed in his mind and he started to laugh at his own brilliance.