CHAPTER SIX: Shadow's Of A Distant Past

Sector 14, year--unknown at this moment. As the Invincible begins setting the magnetic discharger to go off in four minutes by radio switch the Invincible is not alone, a half a dozen White Stars enter the sector they are demanding the Invincible to surrender. "Unidentified vessel you're in a restricted area—turn over your vessel to command."

Nanette looks at the ships and listens to the audio. "Who is this?"

"This is Captain John J. Sheridan of the Space Station Babylon 5, who's this?"

Nanette freezes for a second, then a rush of energy hits her, the curse from Iris. As Nanette brushes it off, she gains control. "Captain Nanette of the Invincible, Earth Force!"

Captain John Sheridan looks at the Shadowy vessel. "Earth Force, that ship is not Earth Force protocol."

Nanette looks at the Vorlon-Minbari hybrid vessel in front of the Invincible. "Neither is your vessel captain."

One thing Captain John Sheridan hates most is a smart butt individual who acts stupid when you have your weapons pointed straight down their foredecks. "What is your purpose here in Sector 14?"

Nanette shakes her head and chuckles a little. "You would not understand, or you just would not want to listen to the truth!"

John stands up from his chair. "Try me!"

Nanette looks at Charisma, Charisma shrugs his shoulders. "Well okay, we come from the distant future to the distant past to close this rift before the Liberator's come through."

John stops walking. "Who are the Liberators?"

Nanette at first was going to say Shadow's, stopped herself, but the temptation to ass a little more truth is always more satisfying! "The ancients of X'ha'dum we believe they want to seek their vengeance with the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum."

There is a deafly silence over the com, but Delenn breaks this silence. "You know about Z'ha'dum?"

Nanette hears the new voice and is puzzled how John changed his voice from male to female. "Yes, the once powerful ancient enemy—they're older then even the ancient Vorlon's by at least 1,000 years. The Shadow's cast out the Liberator's because they were older then the Shadow's themselves—rumor has it that the Liberator's were known as the "Right Hand of God", and the "Ancient Darkness". It wasn't till the end of the Great War when the ancients were driven to Sigma 1257KX19."

Delenn interrupts Nanette. "Not to disrespect you, but the Minbari have been as space bearing race much longer then the Humans, we have no such sector called Sigma 1257KX19."

Nanette chuckles, "Of course not, it lied in the rim energy field—created as an isolation sector for the Shadow's worse enemy—the Vorlon's, but the Shadow's figured out that the Liberators are much dangerous then the Vorlon's and sealed them away. It wasn't till 3261 when we went in search of the ancients while whole sectors were being wiped out by the Hand of Thirdspace."

Delenn persuades the statement. "Do you have proof?"

Nanette looks around. "No, unless our transformation is enough evidence for you?"

John interrupts Delenn. "Transformation?"

Nanette looks at her hands, all scaly, but also flesh covered. "Yes, half was due to survive the Hand and the other half was due to the Liberators."

John continues. "What is your crew size?"

"I believe eleven, we have three Minbari, two Epsilon 3, two Asmaraqua, one from Earth Colony, and two from the Vorlon Empire."

John looks up from the floor. "The Vorlon Empire?"

Nanette smiles remembering the Vorlon's. "Yes, Kosh Nanarke and Ulkesh Kosh."

On White Star #1, John Sheridan replies back quickly. "Kosh Nanarke was killed by the Shadow's!"

Nanette nods, "I know, but it might be a trick."

Sheridan goes back to his com. "Follow us."

Nanette knowing that her ship could take them on, decides to follow, five White Stars is to many she wishes to fight. "Yes."

In a few hours they arrive top the Minbari homeworld. Delenn needs to pick up a few items. As the mighty Invincible is stationed about two miles behind the White Star fleet a Minbari personal flier departs for Minbar. As the flier is out of sight the space ripples near the Invincible and a Liberator vessel appears. It fires and rips the Invincible half way because of the organic technology, but the pressure was strong enough to push the Invincible towards Minbar. As the vessel falls it is burning and looks like a glob of shifting metal. When the Invincible hits twenty miles outside of Yedor, the explosion is seen for hundreds of miles. Inside the vessel a metal slab covers Rama. As Delteine looks upward there is a hole in the roof and she can see yellowish-blue sky—the same as to Minbar. As Delteine thinks to herself she remembers the time flux, she remembers everything thing, as she turned a metal beam hits her in the head and knocks her out. As Nanette scurries to Charisma, a metal sheet has knocked out Charisma. Nanette tries to lift the metal off, but it is to heavy, so she opens the door to find Iris or Gram. As Nanette finds Gram he is fine. Casthmatic and Arimira find Nanette and say that they have seen Jake and Delteine, but then tell that Delteine and her son Rama are disabled. So Nanette tells Jake and Casthmatic to go the mess hall to stay with Delteine and Rama, as Nanette and Gram go to help Charisma there are already Minbari removing the metal slab. As the injured and others are either carried or walked out the healers take the injured to Yedor. As Nanette keeps walking she passes out from tremendous pain.

Delenn goes to a healer. "I don't recognize any of their species."

The healer looks at the crew of the Invincible. "Neither do I ambassador, but I have complied a few ideas."

Delenn looks at the burning wreck. "What do you have?"

The healer looks at Delenn then at the injured. "Their species does not entirely exist yet."

Delenn is unsure what this means. "Exist yet—I am afraid I don't understand."

The healer looks at Delenn. "It's quite simple, they're hybrids."

Delenn looks at the healer, she knows that she should be the only hybrid. "Hybrids—how?"

The healer shakes his head. "I don't know, if I knew I would tell you ambassador."

Delenn slightly smiles and bows. "Thank you healer."

Delteine looks at Delenn. In tight airy words Delteine speaks." Hello, I knew you would come."

Delenn walks slowly to Delteine. "What's your name?"

Delteine looks at Delenn, who she wishes she could gaze upon the face of the chosen one, and now she can. "Delteine, and my son is Rama, we are of the Religious Caste."

Delenn looks at Delteine. "What happen to the rest of the crew Delteine?"

Delteine looks at the metamorphosed individuals. "Two ancients did it."

Delenn wonders, "Ancients, you mean the Vorlon's?"

Delteine ignores Delenn's question fatigue and pain only drive her to stay awake. "They were not what I had in mind; neither are the Shadow's."

Delenn's eyes widen at the wearing of the name. "Shadow's, you mean light reflection?"

Delteine looks at Delenn and shakes her head lightly. "No, Shadow's like the ones that come straight from your worse nightmares!" Delenn looks at the healer with concern, Delteine thinks she has angered her. "I'm sorry Isil'zha Na, I offended you."

Delenn looks down at Delteine and smiles. "No it's all right." Delenn seems puzzled by Delteine's last selection of words. "Do these ancients have a name Delteine?"

Delteine looks at Delenn, tired she speaks. "Yes, the first one would be from Thirdspace, I was not there, but I did eavesdrop on their name, the Hand. The second ancient is from a dead planet called X'ha'dum; it is home to the Liberator's, the parents of the younger Shadow's. We came from 3261 to 2261 to stop the Liberator's from destroying the Shadow's and Vorlon's. Lets just say that the Liberator's are upset with us, did the Invincible kill anyone?"

Delenn looks at the meadow. "Not what I know, the ship did destroy an entire city, but that is only speculation."

Nanette wakes up, she sees Delenn.. "Hello Delenn Sheridan."

Delenn is trying to stay ahead of the crew. "Hello, you are"

Nanette looks at Delteine whom is hurt badly then looks at Delenn. "My name is Nanette, the once captain of the Invincible, attached to the Earth alliance."

Delenn looks at the scales, and fins that cover Nanette's body. "You don't look like a Human?"

Nanette smiles slightly, it hurts to do so. "I was transformed by Kosh Nanarke to defeat the Hand."

Delenn does not settle with this too well. "Kosh was killed by the Shadow's!"

Nanette seems puzzled. "No the Vorlon does exist!"

As Delenn continues arguing, Kosh Nanarke steps out of the Shadow's also with Ulkesh Kosh. Delenn looks at the Vorlon's, her mouth almost drops. Wonder if it was an illusion, Delenn walks slowly up to the two Kosh's. "Kosh! We thought you have died?"

"YES." Says Kosh Nanarke.

Delenn looks at Ulkesh Kosh. "Who are you?" Directing the question to Ulkesh Kosh.

Ulkesh Kosh looks at Delenn, he knows that she does not know him--yet! "KOSH."

Delenn looks at both Vorlon's. "You both are Kosh?"

Kosh Nanarke looks at Delenn. "WE ARE ALL KOSH."

Delenn is still shocked to see Kosh alive. "But the Shadow's killed you Kosh, we saw your encounter suit, or what was left of it?"

Kosh Nanarke nods, "YES."

Delenn is extremely puzzled. "But how?"

Kosh Nanarke answers one last time. "WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE."

Both Vorlon's leave the room. Delenn is lost in transitions and ties her attention to the injured fish looking species. "Now captain, explain to me if you can," Delenn walks over to Nanette and touches Nanette's hand to feel the slimy scales and flesh. "what is your race, you have resemblements that of the Anterians, they are the only group that somewhat resembles fish."

Nanette looks at her hands, "The species I share is a young race called Asmaraqua, native to the planet Anterian. You see, most of my crew has somewhat Asmaraqua in them because the species genetics is actually ours. We have found that only a few races can be breed with Asmaraqua—races that have water on their homeworld and races with double helix DNA strains like the Humans, Minbari, and once the Vorlon's."

Delenn looks at the slimy scales. "How suitable?"

Nanette rest her tired hands down and looks at Delenn. "Well quite, in Anterian history they battled the Asmaraqua's for years. It was latter found that one hundred Anterians would battle fifty Asmaraqua's, 15 Anterians would die, but seventy would just simply disappear—no body—no evidence. When the Anterians battled the Asmaraqua's over 500 years ago, there was 30 million Anterians, and one million Asmaraqua's, when the war ended 1 million Anterians died and 20 million Anterians disappeared. When the count was concluded there was only nine million Anterians left on the planet and there was 21 million Asmaraqua's left on the planet."

Delenn looks at the crew. "Are you sure about your statistics?"

Nanette nods, "Yes."

Delenn thinks of the mathematics. "If there were only one million before the war, where did the other 20 million come from?"

Nanette looks off in the distance. "They were transformed."

Delenn looks back at Nanette. "How?"

Nanette looks at Delenn, "The blood of a 'pure' Asmaraqua has the capability to transform one other."

Delenn looks at the blood on Nanette's own uniform of the Earth government. "Can you transform others?"

Nanette shakes her head gently. "No, I'm a hybrid, not a 'pure' breed."

Delenn sits down and ponders on genetics. "So they have the ability to spread their species?"

Nanette nods, "Correct, so the Anterians had a master plan. It was to use nuclear weapons against the ocean to destroy all life in the ocean to kill all Asmaraqua's. When all nuclear weapons went off, the ocean seemed to only warm to about 70 degrees and reflects the deadly radiation and blast cloud over the surface of the entire planet and cook the atmosphere. The radiation caused non-stop rainstorms and the temperature melted all the glaciers and ice fields. The sea level rose non-stop in one day from sea level, which are zero feet to 30,000 feet covering all land except for four 32,000 feet mountains. To this day the Anterians are extinct and the Asmaraqua's are the dominating species."

Delenn looks over to the healer, and she gets up. "Thank you captain."

Delenn walks out of the Med Lab to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In the ICU Charisma lied on the table with a 20 percent chance of living. Delenn knew that Charisma would not survive so she wants to make a deal with Nanette. "Nanette?"

Nanette looks at Delenn, wondering why she returned so quickly. "Yes Delenn?"

Delenn looks at the area where Charisma is dying called ICU. "You know of your Human?"

Nanette looks at Delenn, "Yes, Charisma how is he?"

Delenn shakes her head. "Not well, he is dying, so is Rama."

Nanette's heart just drops, her second adopted child, dying, the other, an autistic. "What do you want me to do?"

Delenn lowers herself down to Nanette's bedside. "Let's try a chrysalis with Minbari and Asmaraqua DNA to repair them."

Nanette looks at Delenn, "Would it work?"

Delenn does not know. "I am not sure, but if nothing is done they will die."

Nanette thinks to herself them makes a decision. "I say yes for Charisma, but you need to talk to Delteine about Rama."

Delenn looks at Delteine and nods, "Okay Nanette." Delenn gets up and walk to Delteine's bedside. As Delenn goes to Delteine, Delteine is resting and as Delenn's shadow covers Delteine, Delteine opens her eyes. "Delteine I need to speak to you."

Delteine looks at Delenn, "Yes?"

Delenn takes a chair and sits down next to Delteine. "It's about your son Rama…he is seriously injured and dying; I think it would be wise to use a chrysalis to help him recover."

Delteine pauses for a second...a chrysalis is a holy object that only a selected few get to experience and Delteine's son has been chosen, but not because of prophecy, but because of the fact he is dying. Delteine looks at Delenn and nods her head, choking on her own words, the words to change Rama's future. "I believe it is necessary, do it!"

Delenn nods. "All right Delteine, you rest you need it."

Delteine closes her eyes, "Thank you." Delenn heads back to the ICU where she tells the Healer to get the triluminary and goes to Nanette to have her and her own DNA to be the chemical. When the collection is finished Delenn is ready to begin the chrysalis for Charisma and Rama.

Nine months later—Minbar, Yedor

Enigma Letter Scroll of Darwinism

By: Charisma, Navigator of the once Earth Force vessel Invincible

Note: the "Enigma Letter Scroll of Darwinism" is the note is new species introduced. It is a well-described, characteristic, detailed spread chart of the new species.

Asmaraqua: Home world is Anterian. The species is only 500 years old (As of 3261). The characteristic's of the Asmaraqua is as added: live to 100 years, there bone structure is massive, 200 extra bone then the average Human. The respiratory system is also highly advanced; the lungs are covered with a oxygen rich sputum to prevent particles impacting the lungs. Above the lungs are 12-gill slits within both bronchioles. The science behind this chemical action is quite complicated! The flesh is replayed with scales over as much as 80 percent of the body. The main language is English above the water, but ESP while under water. There main food supply is small fish and plankton. On land they eat regular food. There the only species to have hair underwater, although they keep it neck length. Seeing and hearing is extremely advanced because water enhanced most scenes. Diseases are rare an illness is uncommon. Reproduction is basic. As for emotions they have expressions for love, compassion, anger, and frustration. The Asmaraqua's culture is complex is complex, even though they have scales the culture wears clothes that are made of a material that is scale, and skin tight and made of Earth like plastic. As for the planet it is mostly covered by water. The most biodiversity is also underwater because the four islands are to radiate to support life.

Thanks to Casthmatic and Jake for there insight of information to compile this report.

Asmaraqua hybrid: I can vouch for this; one of my DNA is Asmaraqua. An Asmaraqua hybrid looks like an Asmaraqua only more flesh and less bone. Scales range to 50 to 60 percent of the body, the respiratory track is advanced highly also, the gills are internal as that with the Asmaraqua, the only difference is the water cycle. We have to breathe in and out of our mouth, when the Asmaraqua's breathe it's through their neck, they really have no need for their mouth. The bones do not protrude over the face; plates are usually internal through out the entire body. Average life span is unknown, but will be hopefully calculated. Diseases are rare. Reproduction is also unknown; this is in fact a rare species.

Thanks to Charisma, Jake, and Casthmatic for there insight of information to compile this report.

Asmarminbari hybrid: This would be what I am called; the Asmarminbari hybrid is quite a strange species. They have characteristics of Asmaraqua's and Minbari including one additional species DNA other then Asmaraqua or Minbari. The key point characteristics are that of the Minbari bone crest with bone above the eyes and extending down to the cheekbone. Scales cover foot to waistline on the arms to the elbows and only bottom on the hands. Another feature is fins; there is one fin on the arm that extends from pointer finger and thumb about six inches down the bottom side of the arm. Another fin is on the outside of the legs; these fins are quite long due to their construction is made for water to swim quickly. All species of Asmaraqua's have the same fins hence it's the first to develop and prove to be useful if in water. Life average is unknown, same as with reproduction and culture for the race is only one year old. This race is extremely rare.

Thanks to Iris, Charisma, and Nanette for there insight of information to compile this report

Asmarvorlon hybrid: There is only one person that falls under this race, this person wishes not to have the race described in this report. Request has been respected

Liberators: The Liberators home world is X'ha'dum, a shadow of Z'ha'dum during Z'ha'dum's destruction at the turn of the Great War in 1261. The Liberators are seen with a transcendental view or thought to be god like—well their not! The Liberators or known as to the Minbari as the "Race of Darkness", or to other races as the "Ancients". Even the Shadow's are afraid of the supreme like race. The Liberators look almost alike that to their young beings, the Shadow's; the only external signal is the fused crest ridge around the head. They have an extremely lethal tempter if made mad. They have a well-developed government called the Shadow Council, that depends mostly on the reenactments that of the Human Judicial System. Do not out think the Liberator vessels. It is twenty time powerful then the average feared Shadow War vessel. We do not know how the Liberators reproduce, heck we don't even know their gender! To briefly describe X'ha'dum according to Nanette, the once captain of the once research vessel, Invincible. The planet itself is unreachable; it is concealed within a plasma rich environment in a sigma of its own. I can't give the dial number because it's too dangerous to even venture there. We can only tell you this—pray to whom you worship—you probably will soon meet them if you venture to close.

Children of Resperlizers: Little is known of this group. It was stated that this group was commissioned in the late 1930s as a genetically engineered Human to serve the United States CIA, now embellished, but served as co—ops for later empires. As empires grew—so did the Children of Resperlizers. The main safe place for this group is to live and survive in the aquatics with an alien race called Asmaraqua's during the Anterian war. Reason why most Humans are either hybrid of Minbari or Asmaraqua For years the Resperlizers depended on water for life, but new transformation brought on new changes. Now this species can live on land and under water. These people do not live by a government and only depend on one another. This race is now living free of shame and guilt and has successfully transformed most of the Human race into Hybrids. It is rare to see a "pure" Human.

Delenn in the other room packing up Charisma's stuff, wonders where Charisma is, "Charisma?"

Charisma closes his book. "Coming."

Charisma walks to the other room after leaving his book closed to not reveal his work to the others. In the other room are Delenn and John Sheridan with impatient looks on their faces. It takes Charisma awhile to walk over to Delenn and John because he has shrank in size and decreased in age about nine years old now. Second, if odds were against him, the transformation mutated his legs and the three species could not mix thus leaving him immobile on land, but not underwater. So the Minbari devised equipment to help him walk, but even the equipment was somewhat flawed. Charisma himself has somewhat transformed into a series of species that to the eye seem non-threaten! Charisma himself is more content with himself since arriving on Minbar. The Minbari have treated him well and Delenn and John have adopted him with loving care. This is the life he has dreamed about, no more running, he can rest—in peace. As Delenn looks at Charisma, they are in a hurry for the departure. "Charisma, Nanette has purchased a vessel and the crew is leaving, do you want to depart with them?"

Charisma is thinking deeply, the one question he does not really want to answer. "No, I have decided to remain here; I believe this is what my purpose is—to fight the darkness."

Delenn drops his stuff, this was not the answer she was expecting. "Are you sure, this may be your last chance to return to your time?"

Charisma nods, "Yes, I am positive."

Nanette is speechless but decides to grant Charisma's wishes. As Nanette and the crew board the new ship she is silent. Charisma looks as the vessel launches off, never to see it again. As the vessel nears towards the rift in Sector 14 Nanette is prepared to finish her mission. She sets the timer to the explosives to trigger the explosions. As the vessel goes through there is an explosion from within and the vessel is sent tumbling towards the right side of the rift. When Nanette looks to see what struck her it is to her surprises to see a massive Shadow vessel, which is usually much smaller, then the Liberators vessels. As Nanette watches the Shadow vessel foil out of view. She notices that the explosions are going off, so much electrical currents are hitting the ship that the one third of the crew disappear lost to an alternate space. As the doomed vessel plummeted to chaos everything was being thrown everywhere. As Nanette went to the barren console to reestablish her monitoring affords the ship emerges out of the time rift into an unknown dated space. The non-named vessel was now lost in time. As Nanette stabilized herself after the reaction of being in a clothes dryer, she called roll call, to see how every one is. "This is Nanette I am going to call out names please respond and state if you need medical attention. Delteine?"

Delteine looks around, her son is gone. "Here, but my son is missing he vanished in front of me."

Nanette missed the second part, and goes on with the second question. "Do you need medical attention?"

Delteine looks around, where is he at? "No I am all right."

Nanette goes onto Gram. "Gram?"

Gram goes over to the com, he is cursing at the engines. "Here, engines are down, but I will have them running within the hour."

Nanette replies hearing vulgar language in the background. "Are you injured?"

Gram patches in again. "No, just cuts and bruises."

Nanette goes to the next name. "Iris?" No reply. "Iris are you there?" No reply. Nanette patches to Delteine, who still is freaked about her missing child. "Delteine can you go to the Med Lab to check on Iris he is probably injured?"

Delteine looks around then presses the com, "Will do so." Delteine leaves to find Iris.

Nanette goes to the next name, "Arimira?"

Arimira presses the weapons com. "Here, I am fine, but the weapons systems have been seriously fried, it will take awhile to restart basic shields—so don't get into any firefights."

Nanette looks at the crisp bridge. "Don't worry I wont." Nanette goes on to the next name. "Jake?"

Jake patches, he too is freaked out at seeing the disappearance of Casthmatic, his friend! "Here, I am fine, like Rama, Casthmatic is gone."

Nanette looks at the papers of people who did not check in. "Gone, how?"

Jake patches in again. "I don't know?"

Delteine patches in. "This is Delteine, the Med Bay is a mess, but more disturbing is that Iris is not here he too is missing."

Nanette is thinking to herself. "Delteine, have you ever worked with navigation consoles?"

Delteine stops for a second, but answers. "Yes, I once served on the front lines."

Nanette nods. "Good I need you up here." Nanette meets Delteine as Nanette shows Delteine how to take over the console as Nanette goes to inspect the Med Lab for Iris, but finds nobody there. Nanette goes to her quarters to speak with the Vorlon's for assistance, but the Vorlon's are quite clueless at first what Nanette was asking them, then it make since. The blue Vorlon named Ulkesh with his sour personality stated that they are lost in an alternate time due to electric discharge within the rift. The brown Vorlon interrupts Ulkesh and states that we too are unstuck in time. The only possible way to open the rift is to go to Epsilon 3 to restart the Great Machine because the electrical discharge must have shortened the machine. Nanette leaves the Vorlon's and checks with Gram to see if the engines are up and they are, but weapons are still down. Nanette goes back to C&C where Delteine is awaiting further instructions. "Your ready Delteine?"

Delteine looks at all the buttons and screens. "Yes, as ready as I will ever be!"

Nanette goes over and sits down in her chair. "Good—then set course for Epsilon 3!"

Delteine looks at Nanette, "Epsilon 3, yes Nanette." The vessel now named Armada heads to Epsilon 3 without three of its crewmembers.