Title: Ship of the Line: Walk in Dark Places
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: General for Buffy and Babylon 5. Season 1 for Stargate SG1
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, Babylon 5 or SG1. I would buy them but I am broke.
Summary: Answer to the Ship of the Line Challenge on TTH. The Scoobies dress as people who walk in dark places and do what must be done.
"" denotes speech, '' denotes thought
The President moved back to behind his desk as General Hammond and the Joint Chiefs left the Oval Office. The proposal presented by General Hammond was something to think about.
"Mister President." His secretary said over the intercom. "Senator Kinsey is here to see you."
The President supressed a groan.
"Send him in." The President said, moving around to the couches in front of the desk. "Senator Kinsey."
The Senator shook the President's hand and sat across on the couch across from him.
"Mister President, why has nothing been done about the SCG? Colonel O'Neill and Captain Carter should be Court-Marshalled." Kinsey demanded.
"For what, exactly?" The President asked calmly.
"Those people are a menace, the worst elements of the Military. The project has produced no tangible benefits whatsoever." Kinsey ranted. "I shut down the project and gave them a direct order."
The President finally smiled at this.
"An Illegal Order." The President replied.
"I am a U.S. Senator." Kinsey shot back.
"Exactly." The President explained. "A Senator has no authority to give any member of the Military any order. The Chain of Command goes directly from the President, that would be me, to the Joint Chiefs to General Hammond. In addition, your mandate was to evaluate and report back, not to shut down the project."
"I am the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee." Kinsey blustered.
"Not anymore." The President countered. "I have spoken to both the Majority and Minority Senate Leaders. You are off the Senate Appropriations Committee and will not be allowed on any further Committees, ever."
"You will regret this." Kinsey said angrily. "I have a lot of friends."
"No, you don't." The President replied. "You had a lot of people who owed you favours or you were blackmailing. Both the Democrats and Republicans had party meetings, as they were informed you issued an illegal order that compromised National Security and threatened large numbers of Civilians. All Senators and House of Representatives Members agreed no favours to you will be honoured. Fifteen Members and Senators have come forward that they are being blackmailed by you. As none of the offences were criminal, just embarrassing, none are being charged but they have all agreed not to re-run for office."
"You will regret this." Kinsey threatened before he stormed out.
Heading back behind his desk, The President looked over the details of the proposal from the Anla'Shok to the SGC. The President had a sixteen year old son and a thirteen year old daughter, so they often spent evenings watching Babylon 5 and thus The President knew who the Anla'Shok were and what they stood for. His son loved the show for the explosions and firefights, but his daughter loved the strong female Characters like Delenn and Ivanova. The President himself liked the realism of the character and how real life problems like Alcoholism and Drug Abuse were not dealt with in a single episode and then forgotten.
Deciding the deal was reasonable, The President signed off on the deal. He also issued the order to set up a second Command, under General Hammond alongside the SGC, to develop and build the EarthForce Ships and the PPG's. He also wrote another order that was an extra bonus for the Anla'Shok.
Cordy watched the scattered pairs of Anla'Shok and Trainee around the hall. The first class of recently graduated Anla'Shok, except the wheelchair bound graduate who was now on staff, were given the choice of doing a scientific or academic project; or mentoring a Trainee.
It was no surprise that Jennifer Hailey, and most of the more academically inclined Anla'Shok, chose to do a project, with Hailey using high-energy particle physics to attempt to improve the efficiency of the White Star primary weapons, something even the Minbari and Vorlon had not managed to accomplish.
Faith had chosen to mentor a Trainee, as Xander had predicted. Xander had also predicted who Faith would choose to mentor, Helen Beckett. Cordy wandered around the hall. Most of the mentoring was what she expected. Tips for dorm living; assistance with classwork; how to properly train in order to do some of the more advanced Fighting Pike moves. When she reached Faith and Beckett it was not what she expected, at least not from Faith Lehane. But then again maybe it was, given the changes in the Boston native since she had arrived at the Academy.
"Yes, the classes on Combat and Science and Physics are all important, but without one simple aspect they are just a collection of skills. To be Anla'Shok is more. You need to find your Centre." Faith explained.
"We learn that in Denn'bok training." Beckett replied.
"Not your centre of gravity. Your Centre. Your Core." Faith continued. "The essence of who you are as a person. The most important classes in the Academy are the ones with Sister Li. Also, Lecturer Summers can help you, get you to sort out your feelings and motivations. With just the other courses, you can be a great Warrior and Spacer, but only when you find your Centre will you truly be Anla'Shok, and an Anla'Shok can do things no one else can. 'We walk in dark places that no one else will enter. We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass.' These are more than just words. To know yourself to the deepest core of your being, and to be willing to place yourself between evil and those in need, knowing it may cost you your life. To have the knowledge to know what is right, the courage to do what is right and the wisdom to remove yourself from the equation when calculating what is right."
"Remove yourself?" Beckett said confused.
"Yes. All too many people think that what is good for them personally is what is 'right'. An Anla'Shok must think of the greater whole and work to the whole's benefit even if it costs your own life. If you truly know yourself, you desires; your fears; your strengths; and your weaknesses, then you can recognise those influences and remove them from the equation and think clearly. It is the third principle of Sentient Life, the ability for self-sacrifice."
"So, all we are good for is to die for others?" Helen asked with a frown. "That doesn't seem… correct, given what everyone else has said here. Yourself included."
Cordy new the girl had almost said 'right' but had changed it to 'correct' given the current conversation.
"No, to die is not the goal." Faith said. "To complete the mission and do the right thing is the goal, to die may be necessary on occasion but should never be the first option. I am not explaining this well. Sister Li or Lecturer Summers would do a much better job. Explaining complex, abstract ideas is not one of my strengths. Ok, let's try this the way I understood it. I want you to research any historical society or group that, on the surface at least, seems like a parallel of the Anla'Shok. You don't have to simply research in books. The Academy has every cable channel and a lot of VHS tapes on a variety of subjects. Watch documentaries if you like, or talk to Doctor Giles, or however you best learn things."
"What am I looking for?" Beckett asked.
"How these groups are similar and how they are different to what you learn here and what their stated and actual goals were, as far as we can tell. It really helped me. Some offhand comments made by Doctor Giles and Sister Li got me on the trail. And don't bother asking what I found. This is to find answers that satisfy you, not the ones that satisfy me." Faith replied.
The bell rang and Helen Beckett quickly gathered together her stuff and headed off to her next class. Faith had no gear with her, so she slowly got to her feet, idly stretching before noticing Cordelia.
"Shok'na Chase." Faith said, giving her an Anla'Shok salute.
"Anla'Shok Lehane." Cordy replied. "Good work with Beckett."
"Thank you, Shok'na. Now excuse me, I have to get ready for the Colonel's class in twenty minutes. He want's me to play red team for the afternoon's wargame. I think I may be the entire red team though." Faith explained.
"Very well. Dismissed." Cordy ordered.
TBC….