Thank for the reviews every one, a couple of people suggesting that I use a spell check, which I AM doing, its set to UK settings not USA. Seeing that I'm from the UK it makes more sense to have it set that then USA. I'm glad most of you like the story in a whole, and I hope you like the rest of it. Solair!
Chapter 9
Welcome to Babylon
As both federation vessel exited slip stream, they were on the edge of the Epsilon system, under cloak the vessels were invisible to sensors or praying eyes.
Onboard the Illustrious Commodore Rothchild was seated at his station watching the view screen and the readings on his consoles.
"Helm, take us in to visual range."
As the Illustrious and the Astex slowly made their way closer to the station, the bridge crew on the Illustrious were astounded by the sheer size of this Babylon 5. Judging by the rotating nature of the main body of the station, like the destroyer, they had no artificial gravity to speak of.
"Commander" Nathan said slowly as he looked towards the strange set of devices that hung in space, they consisted of four long rail-like spine structures positioned parallel to each other, "have you even seen anything like this before. Or can you speculate about their nature?"
"No sir, not at this time, I would however like to run scans to find out more information about the devises."
"Agreed commander, if you would……."
As the view screen displayed the view screen energy pulsed from each rail as it started to form a vortex, blue in colour, something could plainly be seen traversing through it, once through the vortex collapsed.
"Sir the vessel exiting the vortex is 1,400 meters long and 600 meters wide; the ship itself is powered by nuclear Fusion" Ensign Richard Tailor said as he monitored his reading carefully.
The long elongated elaborately marker vessel, red and black in colour looked like a hunter, a true warship.
"This vessel, like the Thunderchild has no shield generators to speak of, and I would hazard a guess that like the Thunderchild would use armour plating sir."
"Ensign Tailor, get me Captain Folds"
A few moments later the bridge of the Astex filed the view screen.
"Commodore, what can I do for you?"
"Take the Astex as close as you can to that station monitor communications, and the craft that are patrolling this area, stay under cloak and deploy your armour."
"Understood Commodore" Captain Folds replied, "Astex out"
The Astex deployed her armour and made her way to a point 3,000 meters above the main observation dome of the station.
Captain Folds looked round at her crew, "Helm, keep an eye on things, I don't want to be caught out here."
As the Astex slowly arrived at her destination and started monitoring the com chatter from the station, the first thing that was recorded was the two large blue craft that had large fins, two below and one above, making the vessel look like a feared predator. The two vessels gracefully patrolled the area around the station, as did the two wings of fighters that also patrolled the area.
"Lt T'lork what can you tell me about the two large vessels?" Captain Folds asked, look towards the two vessels which gracefully patrolled the around the station.
"From our passive scans, I can tell little, save for that the ships seem to be powered by Artificial singularises, similar to those used on Romulan Vessels, they seem to be heavily armoured."
"Interesting lieutenant, send our readings back to the Illustrious, now what readings are we getting from the fighters?"
After a few moments the Vulcan looked up from his console, the fighters have two weapon ports on the front of the vessel, they are extremely manoeuvrable, they've no artificial gravity, and one of them has just sent out a distress signal."
The three Starfurries had passed by on one of their waypoints when one of the craft slowed and started to spin out of control. Inside the craft the onboard computer was speaking.
"Warning, Engine catastrophic failure imminent, Eject, Eject, Eject"
"C'n'C I reporting an emergency, I have engine failure, ejection systems failure and the engines are about to blow, get me out of here!"
"STAY CALM Lt. Pearce, we've dispatched rescue shuttles, try and power down the engine."
"You think I haven't tried that already commander! No can do, SHIT, this is no good I'm about to become space dust!"
In CnC on Babylon 5 Commander Ivanova was listening to the Lieutenant, when all com's went dead.
"Reading massive build up in the engine core, I would say we're looking at a total loss of pilot and starfurry." An officer at one of the station called up to the Commander "Oh shit, this is all we need" looking quickly at her own readings she was forced to concur. Then thing out of the ordinary happen, a strange energy reading enveloped the cockpit of the starfurry, after that there was no life readings within the fighter. "What the hell" the commander spat, as she watched the engines overload and the ship explode in a fireball.
Onboard the Astex in transported room one, a startled looking Lt Pearce appeared on the pad, looking at him as he materialized was a human male, he was dressed in a uniform that the Lieutenant couldn't identify, more to the point at this time he didn't care for he was alive, and that was all that mattered.
"Lieutenant Pearce, welcome on board the USS Astex, Captain Folds, has asked that I take you to her ready room, where she will Answer any questions that you have."
The Lieutenant was dumbstruck, how did this person know his name, he started to remove his flight gear, then looked around shocked, where was this Atex, and how come this person new his name. His uniform had no Earth Force markings upon it.
"Who are you, you seem to know my name, but I don't know yours?"
"I'm Lt Commander Williamson, and that's all I can tell you at the moment, I apologise, but I'm under orders so if you would like to follow me this way."
The two men left the transporter room and made there way to the ready room.
Onboard Babylon 5 on the CnC deck Commander Ivanova was working furiously over her console, going back over the last few moments before the strange reading and the disappearance of the life signs of the pilot.
"Commander, what seems to be the problem here?" Captain Sheridan asked as he entered CnC.
Over the next few minuets she filled him in on the strange readings in the cockpit of the starfury and the engine failure.
"There bringing what's left of the fury in for examination and to see if the pilot vaporized for some reason, but until Doctor Franklin has been able to run test, we'll have no more idea.
An uneasy feeling started to cross John Sheridan's mind, could this be the shadows at work here, or one of there allies. He'd known that they had many races that worked along side them, but could this be one of them, and if so whom and why?
I want a full scan of that area carried out, ask the Minbari war ships to help as well, and keep me informed of your finding Commander.
Onboard the Astex Lt Commander Williamson left the turbo lift and entered on the bridge followed by Lt Pearce, he'd thought that this ship belonged to the rangers, but he'd seen no alien races he had recognized, and once he stepped on the bridge he froze for the moment when turning to look at him was an alien that was over seven feet in height, had long black hair that flowed down his back. Like the others he was in a similar uniform, but the thing that grabs his attention was this alien's forehead, the ridges, he couldn't help but stare at them.
The alien snorted at him, then spoke with a gruff voice "Welcome on board, the captain is waiting in the ready room for you"
A moment later he was within the ready room and seated looking at a human woman, she appeared to be in her 40's. Her hair was long black and pilled back in a tight pony tail.
"Welcome on board Lieutenant, I'm Captain Folds, I imagine you would have quite a few questions that you'd like to ask. I'll answer as many as I can, but first I will tell you as much as I can about the Astex. As you are aware we for the most may look like races you may known; at least some of us" she said slowly, as korf's flashed into her mind.
"We're not from this region of space, in a way we're lost and looking for away home, we found information about Babylon 5 and head this way to investigate and possibly find answers that could help us in out quest. We had been monitoring the Babylon 5 and the vessels patrolling that area around the station. When your craft started to get into difficulties, we have the ability to transport objects, from one point to another, and that's what happened to you."
"Am I a prisoner here, or am I free to return to Babylon 5?" the Lieutenant asked cautiously.
"At this time I cannot let you return to Babylon 5, however you're our guest and as such I have assigned quarters to you for the duration of your stay."
The Lieutenants face hardened; "Aye captain"
Captain folds stood up and walked over to the replecator; "Coffee black"
Looking at the replecator he watched the coffee appear out of mid air, from what he had seen on his way to the bridge and also here within the ready room, these people wherever they came from where highly advanced, in fact they could be just what was needed to tip the balance in the great war that was upon them.
An hour later Captain folds left the ready room with the Lieutenant, as she walked to the bridge and took her seat and the Lieutenant followed then stood besides her. He had started to tell the Captain all that had happened over the last few months the break away from Earth, the night watch and the shadow war that they were now in the midst's of fighting and by all accounts losing. The Vorlon's and how they were a feared and ancient space faring race. But how at this time, when the universe needed them to stand they were just sitting back and not getting involved as the galaxy around they erupted in flames.
"Ensign Hill, hail the Illustrious" Captain Folds barked.
A few moments later the Commodore appeared on the view screen.
"Yes captain what can I do for you?"
"Commodore we have rescued this young pilot, and have found out a brief back ground of the station, I feel the time is right for us to regroup and reviling ourselves to them."
"Captain I'll beam over and we can discuses our options. Helm set a course of the Astex. I'll beam over in five minuets Captain. Rothchild out"
"Captain, the area that we presently in is being scanned by the station, and the two vessels, it appeared as though they are using a typical search pattern."
On board C'n'C deck of Babylon 5 the scans had now been ongoing for over half an hour, all showing now signs of anything unusual. There was nothing there, and the tests on what was left of the starfury had shown no signs of human tissue or DNA of any type. It was as if he just was no within the craft when it has exploded.
"Captain," the Commands face looked confused, "we are getting strange readings from directly ahead of us."
"What sort of readings Commander" Captain Sheridan asked as he made his way to Ivanova's station.
"Specula distortions sir"
Looking out into space, both the Captain and Commander watched as two gleaming white ships appeared before them.
"Oh hell" Sheridan snapped.