NOTE: So this chapters a little longer but most of it is dialog between kosh and Zeraus... The Vorlon planet killers can damage the Ancient shields however ancient drone weapons can wipe out Vorlon ships so it's going to be interesting if the shadows and vorlons tag team the Olympus... But we will see what happens.
LOCATION: Babylon 5
PLACE: War Council briefing room.
Delenne stood before the gathered representatives of the non aligned worlds.
'After the appearance of the Vortex a Minbari patrol vessel in the beta-durani system, launched a series of stealth probes to each of the new worlds. They revealed something very disturbing…' she placed a data crystal into a nearby data port and a view screen appeared in space before her.
'This is a visual report sent to us by one of the stealth probes in orbit of Beta-Durani 7. Five days after the alien craft began terra forming the energy shields surrounding each planet began to dissipate. The probes sensors were able to detect what can only be described as a paradise world. Oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, many rich and exotic minerals in the crust, and several plant and animal species that we are not familiar with. As the protective shielding began to collapse, the patrol ship detected 8 rather large vessels break away from the alien city-ship. Each of these vessels were approximately 1 kilometer long and a hundred meters in height.' The projection changed to reveal an image of an Orion class destroyer in the center of a group of smaller construction vessels and transport vessels.
'The cruisers each traveled to a planet or moon, and began construction on this' the image of a large tower partially completed filled the screen.
'What are they?' Ambassador Milari questioned.
'We do not know' Delene replied, 'but what we do know is that shortly after completion a very powerful energy field went up around the planet, blocking all future scans'
'Then the tower must be a shield generator of some kind?' Ambassador G'kar stated.
'We cannot confirm this as the tower was not the only structure to appear on the planet.' The image changed to a view of a stargate standing just outside the entrance to the tower. 'This device is unknown to us, but clearly very powerful. Shortly before the energy field was erected we detected a massive power surge from the object. These power levels overloaded the probes scanners, and before they could reset them the shield was in place.'
'Then these rings are the source of the shields… it is a very interesting technology and I am sure the Centauri Republic would pay any price for such a device. A diplomatic envoy must be dispatched immediately!' Malari announced.
'We have already attempted to make contact with them!' Sheridan piped in, they told us to leave their planets alone and promptly ignored us. 'When the Earth Force ships attempted to fire on them…' Sheridan placed a crystal in the data port 'This happened'
The assembly watched as what looked like stars erupted from the city ship and tore through the earth force armor as though they were made of paper, disabling all the ships without destroying them. What came next was met with gasps from the ambassadors as a very small craft approach the entire fleet and enveloped them in an energy field and promptly disappeared into a hyperspace window with the fleet in tow.
'From our contacts in earth force we discovered that the entire fleet was towed back to the Beta-Durani station in a matter of seconds. The window you saw was a form of jump point except the principles behind its use are unknown to us…' Sheridan turned to ambassador Kosh of the Vorlon Empire 'Could they be one of the first ones?'
Kosh, who had been staring avidly at the viewing hologram turned to face the human 'No' he uttered in the semi melody infused reply.
'Will the Vorlon empire approach them on behalf of this league? They may aide us in the coming shadow war.' Delene urged.
'No' Kosh replied.
'But with their help we could destroy the shadows once and for all!' Sheridan stated.
'The circle must not be broken' Kosh uttered before turning to the door and storming out.
Kosh made his way to his quarters and sealed it, he flung off his encounter suit and reached out with his mind to contact the Others… they had to know who these aliens were that so threatened the balance.
'They are not of the first ones!' a voice filled his consciousness, a voice that came from the heart of Vorlon space.
'You must travel to this system and talk with these newcomers, their presence here threatens the circle' another voice floated in.
'Their technology and power is unknown to us, they may protect the humans when the time comes for us to make our move against the shadows' another voice stated.
Kosh felt trapped, his own heart felt remorse for what his people would soon unleash upon the galaxy, yet he could not betray his people. Then a thought occurred to him, one he kept out of the commonality. If he could convince these new comers to protect their words with these shields, his people could do nothing. 'I will travel to the alien ship and make contact with them.'
'Good' another voice reverberated in his mind.
'A planet killer and its escorts will stand by in hyperspace. If these aliens decide to intervene, they will be wiped clean from this galaxy!' the first voice stated.
'I understand' Kosh replied, then severed his telepathic link. Then a fierce thought struck him, these aliens were an unknown entity, what if their power could defeat the Vorlons? He quickly buried that thought, comforted with the thought that only a First One could harm a Vorlon, and these beings were certainly not of the First Ones.
LOCATION: Beta-Durani 4
SHIP: Alterian City-ship Olympus
Olympus had settled into orbit of the 4th planet because it was the closest planet to the Vortex. Shuttles now passed between the vortex and Olympus, using Olympus's stargate to travel to the newly created worlds. Ring transports on the primary planets were used to transport the Furlings to the Moon colonies. Everything appeared to be going harmoniously until a jump point opened very close to Olympus.
'What is it?' Zeraus asked, as a green squid looking object exited the vortex.
'It appears to be a biological vessel' his science officer responded with much enthusiasm. The Alterians had known of biological technology and in fact delved into that technology hundreds of thousands of years ago. The technology was abandoned shortly afterwards as the technology was found to be sentient, and as such the council would not stand for the enslaving of sentient beings. 'I am detecting 3 separate life signs aboard the vessel, however, all 3 appear to be connected neurologically'
'How so?' Zeraus questioned.
'The vessels pilot appears to be interfaced with another being that serves as the vessels primary nervous system. Then there is the ship itself, who's consciousness is being suppressed by the second being' the science officer stated.
'We are being hailed sir' the communications officer informed.
'Lets here it' Zeraus replied.
A visual window opened before him, revealing an alien being incased in some kind of armor. 'I am Kosh' the being stated 'What are you?'
'I am Zeraus, commander of the Alterian city-ship Olympus. These planets are under our protection, leave us alone and we will leave you alone' Zeraus stated sternly.
'A war will come to this Galaxy, you must not interfere!' the Kosh alien stated.
'We have no intention of interfering with a war!' Zeraus replied.
'My kind will purge all that the shadow has touched' Kosh stated, and as he spoke he stared right into the commanders eyes, the iris of his encounter suit dilated and all of a sudden Zeraus found himself in Kosh's mind.
The others must not know what I say here! Kosh whispered.
Why have you brought me here? Zeraus replied, some of his people had managed to unlock their telepathic abilities but unfortunately he was not among them, and could do little to resist Kosh.
You are human? Kosh stated, clearly startled.
Of a kind… why can't your kind know about this?
I sense your evolution is far beyond that of the humans, yet you are human… how can that be?
Look, I'll answer your questions if you answer mine… Why have you brought me here?
To ask for your help
Help in what? We will not interfere with a war in this galaxy!
It is not a war, it is genocide!
Genocide?
All that the shadow's have touched will be destroyed, and all that has been touched by my kind shall perish. All the young shall perish.
Who would do such a thing?
The shadow will destroy what is ours, and we shall destroy what lies in shadow. I fear for the younger races, I fear for my kind, I fear for the shadows. We have overstepped our boundaries as guardians and you must stop us not matter what the cost!
Why can't you stop it?
I am but one voice in a chorus, a pebble in an avalanche, there is nothing I can do.
Even if I chose to intervene, how can we hold back a tide that would annihilate an entire galaxy?
Your shields are powerful
Yes
Give them to the young
I can't, even among the alliance of my own people we cannot share that level of technology. They would destroy themselves.
Then they will perish at our hands.
So be it, now return me to my mind
No
Why not?
I have answered your questions, now you must answer mine
Fine
Where are you from
Earth
Then you are human
No, we are Alterians.
But you share the same physiology as the humans
Yes
How can this be?
We come from another universe
Why?
To save the Furlings
How?
In our universe a plague now ravages every inhabited star system. It is our fault the plague has spread as far, and as quickly as it has.
How so?
We created a network of gateways between every inhabited planet in our galaxy. It was through this network that the plague spread. There are four major species in our galaxy, the Furlings, the Nox, and the Asguard. The Nox is amongst the eldest of the alliance races, they existed before we even arrived in the galaxy. Many of our scientists believe that the Nox may even be a part of our species.
More humans?
To a degree, you see our history goes like this. Our people were traveling through space when we came upon a group of planets and settled there. We lived in harmony for eons until we discovered a creature that appeared to be comprised of pure energy. From it we discovered that with enough power we could shed our physical being and exist as pure energy. This caused a rift between our people. Some believed that through religion we could walk the path to enlightenment, those were called Ori. The others, my own kind, believed that through science and evolution we could ascend to this realm. A war was fought between the factions, and we decided to leave Avalon and find our own world. That is when we happened upon the Milky way. After our encounter with the Nox, the scientists believed that this was the very galaxy from which our ancestors first struck out amongst the stars.
What has become of the others?
The Nox managed to see the plague coming and buried their stargate before their world could become infected. They then used their powers to hide their entire planet from the universe.
And the Asguard?
The Asguard had become a technologically advanced civilization with many space vessels and stations. With our help they managed to insolate their ships from infection, and with the aide of our city-ship Celestria, the Asguard are currently on their way to a new galaxy to call their own. The galaxy is far away, and will take many years for them to reach without our engines, but they will survive far longer than those that remain in the galaxy.
Why have you not evacuated the Furlings as you did the Asguard?
The Furlings are a young race, there are many of them that survived among the protection of our shielded outposts. We do not have the resources or time to build fleets to evacuate them to another galaxy.
So you built the gateway to this universe?
Yes
Why did you not have time to build a fleet, yet had the time to construct such a gateway?
Because, in a couple of months a device will be activated to wipe out all traces of the plague in the galaxy.
How?
The device reduces all matter into it constituent atoms, it will wash away not only the plague, but all life and man made structures, everything not made of our technology will be destroyed.
And what of the Nox?
The device uses the gateways, the Nox having buried theres and will not be affected.
I understand.
Good, now let me go!
As you wish
Zeraus was suddenly pulled back into his mind, and just as suddenly he heard Kosh's voice over the communications link. 'You will not interfere!' He asked.
'No' Zeraus replied.
'Good'
The link terminated and Kosh's vessel returned to hyperspace.
'Sir, I'm detecting a massive fleet of Vorlon ships through his jump point, I believe an entire armada was waiting in Hyperspace for him' the tech stated.
'No doubt if I had agreed to interfere, they would have attacked us… what would our tactical situation have been?'
'Our drones could have destroyed their ships very easily, but… their weapons are fairly powerful, they could have damaged our shields in the process.'
'I see… how long was I out by the way?'
'Out?'
'Yeah, I was in some kind of telepathic link with Kosh for at least ten minutes'
'Sir, you only spoke with him for less than a minute!'
TBC...
Im thinking of having Kosh leave a piece of himself inside Zeraus like he did with Sheridan and having this part of him bring the ancients into the war... any suggestions on how to go about that?