Sisters Under Their Skins: Part Ten
Heroic Hearts
Standard disclaimer applies; not my characters or settings or backgrounds. But they are my words.
Geneva, Earth, end of April 2261
Work is going well. Meeting lots of new people.
Anna crumpled up yet another sheet of paper and threw it to the floor. The succession of small nameless hotel cubes in which the underground placed her were equipped with only the bare necessities. Her current bleak surroundings were reflected in her carefully worded compositions. It was harder than she had thought, communicating without actually saying anything.
My new insight into people scares me.
That was probably too specific. Holding her pen between her teeth, and bending down she searched through the discarded draft letters in the trash and picked out an earlier version.
I am seeing things I never thought I'd see. It has changed how I view people; both new friends and old. My job will be done soon, or so I hope. Then I want to return to you and see the view from where you are.
Anna tore that one right down the middle. John would think she was planning on resuming their relationship where it had ended. That one word...'ended'...brought her up short. Leaning her chin on her hand, looking out from her desk through the small square window that showed a slice of deep blue sky, she wondered why it hadn't occurred to her before. Death was an end, although the feelings remained, muted with time and new experience. And she had died, and that had been the end; a long dark nightmare with brief awakenings to torture for her, a long drawn-out and painful adjustment for John. But if their marriage had ended on Z'ha'dum, a new relationship could still arise from its ashes.
Taking up the blank pad of paper she began again.
J-I am doing my best to help with our current project. It's scary and exhausting, but it's good to be working and I'm glad to be here. I left your father in good health but I don't expect to see him again soon. I hope you are well, and your partner is too. Tell her I miss her, and know that I miss you too. A.
That will have to do, Anna thought as she sealed the edges and slipped the folded page into a plastic envelope. Dimming the lights with a wave of her hand, she left for the coffee shop where she left her messages in a bottle.
It was dusk in Geneva and the streets were clearing of people on their way home from work, and filling with those who were going out afterward. Slipping into the coffee shop, she took her customary table in the front, to the side of the plate glass window in a darkened corner. From there, she could see everyone who entered but wasn't easily seen herself.
"Mrs. A?"
The voice came from her left side, from a figure that had suddenly appeared beside her, seated on the bench that ran the length of the wall.
"That's right," she replied, after turning to see a light-haired man with a trimmed beard sporting a dull black cape. He had quickly turned over the lapel to reveal the Ranger pin. "Pick up only?"she asked.
"Not this time," the man said, and taking the envelope she held on her lap under the tiny round table, he replaced it with a thin packet.
Flushing with pleasure, she looked up to thank him and saw he was gone. Examining her treasure she saw the usual note on the front. Thursday week, 8 pm local. That would be the next rendezvous. They had told her it would be erratic, every week sometimes, once a month at others, depending on the situation. There were no permanently stationed Rangers on Earth, but they had couriers who dropped down from Mars, carrying legitimate business mail and extras.
Taking her time to finish her coffee and order a pastry to go, Anna left as quietly as she had come, returning to her dim spare room to read between the lines.
A-Not much time and the post is waiting. Thanks for letting me know about Dad. Must have been hard to see him again after such a long time. Wish I could have been there. Our mutual friend has had to go home for a little while. Miss her, miss you. J
Short and sweet, John's letter was as terse as his verbal communications. Still Anna thought they were communicating better in her absence than they had been on the station. His first note had been frankly judgmental of her decision to leave the station; at least she thought she read that in the few lines he'd scrawled.
Turning to the other enclosure she found a piece of thin creamy paper with a tear at the top right corner. Anna thought Delenn must have stationery with some identifying mark or title on it since every note had a similar tear. Why the Minbari woman didn't use different paper Anna didn't know. She supposed it was a tradition that had to bend to the realities of their situation. Given the current xenophobic attitudes on Earth it was just as well she was under orders to destroy the letters after she read them. Anything that linked her to the station in general or to the Minbari in particular was best not discovered.
A—It was so good to hear from you, and I rejoice that you have settled into your new position. I am certain that you are where the Universe wants you to be and yet I wish you had not had to leave us. I am writing this while on a journey, one that I hope will have positive results. It is not as urgent a matter as it might once have been but still I face questions. You are familiar with that position I believe. Someday you will visit my home with me, and that is something for us both to look forward to. D.
Anna put down both pages and smoothed them together, then held them up by one corner. Taking a flashlighter from the narrow desk drawer, she held it against the papers and watched them flare and dissolve to dust on the scarred wooden desktop. Blowing on the fine remains, she watched them circle in the rays of the setting sun that momentarily pierced the gloom. A knock at the door startled her, and she slid to one side, removing a compact stunner from her jacket pocket.
"Who's there?" she asked, heart pounding even as she acknowledged the ridiculousness of her position. Xeno-anthropologist and Super Psychic Spy—that's a diverse portfolio!
"Cincinnatus," came the gruff reply.
Relaxing a bit, she opened the door, still holding the stunner at her side, ready to raise it in self defense if necessary. A slight young man in a grey down parka entered the room. "Ready?" was all he said.
"Yes," replied Anna, shoving the gun deep in her pocket.
The young man caught her arm. "We're going in deep tonight, to the Senate chambers. They scan for weapons, even the route we're taking. Best leave it behind."
Anna swallowed. She'd gotten fond of the feeling of protection provided by the small device, although realistically she knew it didn't afford much protection against elite military guards and the occasional presence of PsiCorps. "All right," she said reluctantly, and hid the stunner deep in the one carryall she kept packed at all times. The rebellion moved her around a lot. Dropping it back on to the bed she left, walking behind her guide.
'Cincinnatus' led her into tunnels which ran under the Senate chamber, then up back stairs and through corridors that were sparsely guarded. Some of the guards they hid from and others they exchanged secret signs with; Anna was always amazed at how many people were on the side of the rebellion. It seemed to her that there would soon be a critical mass of rebels who could overthrow the government. Surely they were getting close to that flashpoint, but from her vantage point in the trenches she didn't have a good overview of the situation.
When they finally reached the top level, they were waved into the back of the gallery overlooking the chamber. The Senators were all seated in a semi-circle of wooden pews, half-shrouded in darkness. A central light shone on a dull metal podium. A tall dark-haired female Senator was giving an impassioned speech, criticizing the new and even harsher restrictions on media. Anna listened with interest; Senator Crosby represented the NorthAmerican Federation.
Her guide leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Anyone showing up on your radar?"
Anna retorted in exasperation, "You know I can't do anything at this distance! I have to get closer."
Cincinnatus, or whatever his name was, gave a sly smile. "We'll be in the crowd at the exit, along with the press, such as it is. I've got press passes for both of us. Just mark anyone who's suspicious and we'll identify them later. Also, once this session's over, we've got a meeting set with Senator Crosby. She's been reaching out to the more visible parts of the rebellion, and I'm to make preliminary contact. You can scan her up close and personal."
"How did you manage a meeting?" asked Anna.
"It's been set up as an interview for one of the netzines. You're the photographer. There's a manual digicam in my bag. They don't allow the robotic ones in this building for security reasons. If you find she's clear, I'll sound her out. You won't have to say a word." The agent called Cincinnatus patted her arm reassuringly.
Anna looked away, her lips thinned in anger. Sometimes she felt the rebellion would have preferred a bloodhound, something they could order around and keep in a kennel when not being used. She smiled tightly at her handler. That was pretty much what they had in her. "Sure. Good plan."
The session wound on, but after Senator Crosby's speech, the rest was platitudes and the twisted logic that passed for politics these days. She stood in the hallway afterward, partially obscured by Cincinnatus, who had pulled a recorder from his shoulder bag and was asking questions along with the rest. She felt the tingle at the back of her neck and the burning ache in her temples only a few times but each time she dutifully recorded the face of the person who brought forth the feeling. At the same time she indicated them to Cincinnatus; it was good to have back-up identification in case one of them got caught. When the questions died down, her guide held out his hand for the digicam, stuffed it in his bag, and they headed to their meeting.
Senator Crosby had apparently left by another exit, but since they had an appointment they didn't worry too much. Flashing their passes, they wended their way by guards and aides to a central area in the complex where the senator's offices were located. Anna felt the odd random buzz from someone she passed, but never anything strong enough to indicate any one that had had prolonged contact with the Shadows. There hadn't been too many flashes here on Earth, even in Geneva, and she was beginning to suspect that the Enemy had worked through layers of proxies and that her mission was largely a futile one. As a scientist she knew all information, even negative data, was valuable, but the danger might outweigh the benefit in this case.
Finally they reached the heavy wooden door, dark with age, and showed their identification to the guard who was patrolling the corridor. Cincinnatus thumbed the pad activating a doorchime and they waited for permission to enter. The door opened, and the guard waited until they were inside before resuming his patrol.
The senator was seated behind a large desk strewn with paper. She had been writing, longhand, with a smoothly turned wooden pen. Anna approved, and warmed to the other woman immediately. Her guide gave her a sidelong look and she shook her head slightly. No warning heat, no buzz; only a quizzical look at their interchange which had not gone unobserved by the alert subject.
"You're from New York?" the senator queried. Rising as she spoke, she came around the desk and extended her hand to Anna. "I'm Patricia Crosby. And you are...?"
"Jake Weldon," came Cincinnatus' reply. Easier to think of him as Jake, Anna thought, wishing he'd mentioned their cover names before they'd gotten inside. "This is Ann Sullivan, she'll be taking some photos to accompany the article, with your permission." He fumbled inside his bag for the digicam.
Senator Crosby raised one eyebrow and gripped Anna's hand tightly. "A photographer that doesn't carry her own equipment? That's odd." Gesturing them towards two upright wooden chairs, she waited until they sat down. Standing in front of the desk, she leaned back against the edge and observed them closely. "You two aren't reporters. What exactly do you want? Who are you?"
Anna jerked slightly at the form of the questioning, which brought her back to darkness momentarily. She stared at Jake/Cincinnatus, but only saw old horrors as she waited for him to speak.
He examined the senator, eyes hard and flinty grey. "You've been heard to wonder whether there's anyone out there." He waved a hand in the air, as if indicating someone outside the walls of the governmental compound.
Her eyes met his, unflinching yet wary."I don't know what you mean," Senator Crosby replied coolly.
"Anyone at all," Jake continued. "Anyone who wants a change."
She nodded, then held one finger to her lips. Turning to her desk, she pulled forward a square squat box and pushed in two buttons, one centered in the top, the other a bar across the left side. Anna flinched as a sub-current of white noise made her teeth clench and her head ache.
Senator Crosby went back to the padded leather chair behind the desk and sat down. "You can speak freely now. I assume you're from the rebellion?"
Jake smiled wolfishly at her. "That we are, ma'am." He nodded at the box. "I only hope that's not a recorder."
"And I hope that equipment you carry isn't recording my own treason," replied the senator. "We must hang together, sir..."
"Or assuredly, we must all hang separately," chimed in Anna.
Jake laughed. "More likely than not we will hang," he said. "Now, down to business." He quickly sketched out a plan for future contact and gave her a few code words and a drop where she could leave word of any new crackdowns or upcoming repressive legislation. They talked quickly and quietly and to the point, and Anna sat in silence.
After a few minutes, Senator Crosby turned to her and asked, "And what is your purpose here? I assume you have one or they wouldn't have risked getting you in here."
Anna looked at Jake, who shook his head slightly. She bit her lip in frustration, then took a leap of faith. "I'm a Shadow watcher," she said firmly.
"And who, or what, is a Shadow?" asked the senator, her interest piqued. "And call me Pat, please. At least in private." She looked Anna up and down. "You look familiar. I've seen your face before, a long time ago." A chime began to ring incessantly, growing louder with each peal. As Jake's lurch to an alert and defensive posture, Pat laughed. "It's just an alarm. I have another meeting and I wanted to give you plenty of time to get out of here." She picked up a small plastic card and handed it to Anna. "Take this. It's a direct comlink and credit chit. I'd like to talk to you further about Shadows and other matters. Perhaps even offer you a job," she added thoughtfully. "I could use a personal assistant."
Jake began to protest, but the senator waved him down. "Ms. Sullivan's decision, surely," she said, closing down the discussion. Standing and going to the office door, she opened it and waved at the guard at the far end of the hallway. "You'd better go now. I'll be in touch." As Anna slipped by her, Pat laid one hand on her arm. "I know you've just met me, but try to trust me when I say I'm on your side. His," she nodded at Jake's retreating back, "and yours. These are perilous times, my dear. I could use someone to help me watch the gathering shadows."
Anna nodded and tucked the plastic card in her shirt pocket under her jacket, and hastened after Jake.
Geneva, Earth, May 2261
J-You'll be surprised to hear that I've taken another job. One that you would approve of, I think. I'd done all I could in the old position. My talents were no more use to them. I like my boss; she's tough and fair and too outspoken for her own good. Sound familiar? I was glad to hear that your partner got back okay. We don't hear much about her home here. Do you hear anything from the family? I can't really say I wish you were here, but it'd be nice to see you. A.
Anna's new position with Senator Crosby didn't put her in the public eye, for which she was thankful. She remained in the background, helping with the research and paperwork required of the Senatorial office. But Pat used her mainly as a resource and a sounding board. She vetted new employees and other Senators for her employer, who was building a cadre of what Pat laughingly called in private 'the loyal opposition.' Pat was used to assembling coalitions, slowly and over time, using persuasion and some good old-fashioned horse trading. She wasn't used to working in the shadows. Anna had told her boss all about the Ancient Enemy, and their history both old and new. She'd tried to be careful about revealing how she herself had come to know so much, but still she worried. The Senator was no fool.
Pat had long ago discovered a concealed door inside the closet in her office. Some predecessor had undoubtedly had it made for some clandestine purpose or another. Once open, it revealed a small cubbyhole, just big enough for a chair and side table. It had a low level of illumination, carefully shaded to not show outside the secret door. Anna would sit inside when Pat entertained visitors, politicians, lobbyists, and constituents, vetting them for Shadow taint and listening, always listening. The rebellion hadn't proven very interested in the fate of the other colonies or of Babylon 5, except in as far as it would affect their battle on Earth. Anna supposed that was only to be expected. With all the travel to and colonization of the Solar System and near-space, the long-haul missions to the edge of the known universe, the distant stellar outposts promoting commerce and offering protection, most of humanity still lived their lives out on the parental rock. But EarthGov considered the colonies and outposts vital interests, and they were deeply concerned at the failure of some to come to heel.
The door to the office opened and instinctively she retreated to the far wall and laid her hand on the closet door.
"Ann?" came the Senator's voice as the door opened. Pat Crosby entered, her suit as neat and sleek as her black hair. Her gait was quick and she closed the door behind her. "We've got company," she said, nodding in approval at Anna's position. "You may want to listen in on this one. It's Clark himself, and he's bringing one of his PsiCorp thugs. They always remind me of spiders somehow, all that black they wear I suppose. I had some psionic dampers installed in the closet walls, but try to stay on an even keel in there. I'm told telepaths can sense strong emotion before coherent thoughts." Anna froze for just one moment, the scurried into her hiding place at Pat's shoo-ing gesture. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she was sure it could be heard behind the walls. And she was deeply worried. If President Clark suspected Pat's involvement with the rebellion he might have her scanned, even though it remained illegal, so far, to do so without a court order. Then she recalled the national security exemption and broke out in a cold sweat.
"Mr. President."
Anna heard the sound of chairs being pulled across the hardwood floor. One person remained standing, pacing around the room. It was probably a security guard, or the PsiCorp rep, or the both in one.
"Senator. I wanted to speak with you regarding this bill you've introduced, relaxing the entirely sensible and necessary restrictions we've placed upon the free media. Of course it's important for them to do their job. It's a vital part of any democracy, the record of our combined political will. But in times like these, temporary sacrifices must be made."
Anna cringed at the obsequious tone in the voice of the most powerful man on Earth. But there was another sound she heard, the taint of fear. A second voice began to speak.
"Sir, perhaps you should inform the Senator of the Council's decision?"
This voice was low and subtly forceful. Anna had the distinct impression that this voice was the source of Clark's fear.
"Yes. Of course." Clearing his throat, Clark stated firmly. "The EarthGov Legal Council has ruled that due to the temporary state of emergency, it is within my power to continue the restrictions. There is nothing the Senate can do, and the bill has been taken off the Senate agenda." Anna realized in shock that the buzz and heat she was beginning to feel indicated one or both of the visitors had been in contact with the Shadows. From the growing strength of the indicators the contact hadn't been fleeting.
Anna could almost hear the sparks in her boss's voice. "With all respect, sir, you can't do that. It's against all protocol for the executive to interfere in the working of the Senate."
"I can, Senator, and I have," Clark replied. Anna thought he sounded more confident now, and wondered if it was due to the presence of the other man. Though why the President would need bucking up from a PsiCorp flunkie she couldn't imagine. She could hear chairs scraping back and footsteps approaching her hiding place along with the murmured sounds of coldly polite departures. The chime of a com halted the sounds, and Anna heard the Senator say, "Excuse me," and walk back towards her desk.
The two men paused outside Anna's closet. She could hear their voices, just barely, and she strained to catch their exchange.
"She will submit, for now. But you are right to suspect her. Her thoughts are shielded but she is clearly hiding something."
"Is she allied with the traitors, do you think?" The President's voice reeked of paranoia, which kicked into overdrive when he added in a hoarse whisper, "Or even the alien races?"
"She has no history of outreach to alien governments. But it seems likely she knows people in the rebellion. Who knows how far that conspiracy has spread? Mars has been subdued under martial law, but the resistance is still a problem, Proxima must be dealt with soon, and Babylon 5..." A grim tone entered Clark's voice. "They are isolated, but remain a powerful symbol."
"Sheridan is the key, and we have the key to Sheridan," declared the telepath with a dark confidence that made Anna shudder and strain to hear everything she could.
"Not yet," replied Clark. "But we will."
Anna was thinking hard through the return of Senator Crosby to her visitors, the studiously polite good-byes, and the final closing of the door. She didn't move even when the door to her hiding place opened, and her employer stuck her head in the door and said abruptly, "Come out here, I need you."
Standing slowly, using her hands to steady herself against the walls of the narrow space as she exited, Anna walked towards the desk and took her customary seat. Her mind was racing, sifting through possibilities.
"What are the President's plans for Babylon 5?" Anna asked, giving up on approaching the subject discreetly.
"I'm not sure," replied Pat. "The embargo has hit them hard, but they've managed to work around it with the support of the other races. They're starting to get their message out, and it's possible they will form the nucleus of the rebellion in the outer colonies." She had circled around the desk to take a seat behind it. Leaning forward, her elbows on the desktop, fingers interlaced, she examined Anna. "Is that why you took this job, Anna? To find out EarthGov's position on Babylon 5?"
Anna shook her head. In all honesty, it was not the reason; at least it had not been a conscious reason. Then her mind slotted in what Pat had called her. Raising her head to meet the Senator's eyes, kind but wary, she simply asked, "How long have you known?"
"Your identicard is a very good forgery, but DNA doesn't lie. I managed to get a sample soon after you started work, and had it run by a private service." She leaned back in her chair, crossing her long elegant legs as she did so. "Anna Sheridan, back from the dead."
Anna shivered inwardly. "That's more true than you know." She added, "Except for who I am, everything I've told you is true. About the Shadows and the war and my abilities, about what I'm doing here."
Pat looked at her for a long moment, then nodded her head as if coming to a decision. "All right. I believe you. What did you sense from those two?"
Anna answered bluntly, "They're both Shadow-touched, one more than the other, although I'm not sure which. If President Clark has been working with, or for, the Shadows, it explains a good deal. Their goal was to foment distrust and war, and xenophobia is an excellent tool. His policies effectively kept Earth out of the larger war as it raged across the galaxy."
Pat considered this. "Clark has always been paranoid about alien influences. He's a modern-day isolationist." She leaned forward and pinned Anna with her direct gaze. "Is there any basis to his fears? We've been crowding some of the other races out there, and Babylon 5's peace mission seems to have been aborted after the Narn-Centauri conflict. Clark hailed it as a peaceful end to centuries of distrust...the peace of the grave, from what I've heard."
Anna shook her head. "I literally only know what I've read in the papers. I lost three years to the Shadows, and the war was short-lived. From what I've read and what I've been told, it was horrific. The destruction of most of the Narn infrastructure and the incredible loss of life is only part of it. The dust and debris caused by the use of mass drivers have brought on major climate change. It may take eons to bring Narn back to self-sufficiency." She shuddered. "According to Delenn, the Shadows gave their aid to the Centauri. That's why it all happened so fast and was so terribly brutal. They were nothing if not efficient."
Pat sat a moment in silence. "That's Ambassador Delenn you're referring to, correct? How did you come to know her?"
"She was my first friend on the station," replied Anna. "She's an extraordinary person, kind and open...loyal and fiercely intelligent. She and John assembled an army to fight the Shadows. I still don't know how they did it. It was larger and more diverse than the alliance we assembled to fight the Dilgar."
"Does she have undue influence over Captain Sheridan? Are his interests still those of Earth's?" probed Pat.
"Influence yes, undue no. And John loves Earth. He'll fight to save it, although there are those who won't agree with his targets or his methods," Anna shot back.
Pat held up both hands. "Okay, I get that you think he's on our side. And a good thing too," she mused. "We need at least part of EarthForce behind us or this rebellion is dead from the start." She sighed deeply and started to shuffle the files on her desk. "Do you have a means of communication with Babylon 5 and Captain Sheridan?"
Anna paused, but only for a moment. "I do, but it's not regular and there are no guarantees of delivery."
"All right," replied Pat. "I have my own conduits of information." She looked at Anna with an odd expression. "You might want to know. There's something going on with the Minbari Federation, or their homeworld at least. We don't have an ambassadorial presence there any more, not since the disappearance of Ambassador Sinclair. Which the Minbari never satisfactorily explained, by the way." She gave Anna a piercing glance, then shook her head. "No, I suppose you don't know anything about that. Before your time, in a way," she added with a wry smile. "We still maintain a consulate there, mainly for trade issues and such. The staff there manages to get some news out through diplomatic channels. It looks very much as if the Minbari are gearing up for a civil war. Do you know anything about that?"
Anna blanched. The last message she had gotten from John flashed through her mind.
A—Yes, D has left again. Chasing down some reports of mischief around her old place. I wouldn't worry, she knows how to take care of herself. We've got many plans right now. Your new job sounds interesting. By all means, remember me to your boss. Love—J
The Rangers were the most tight-lipped group she had ever known, but she had gotten the distinct impression they were uneasy. That last messenger had hesitated over her most recent letter to Delenn, even going so far as to indicate it might take a while to deliver it. Anna had thought at first she meant the difference in distance between Earth and Babylon 5, and Earth and Minbar, but the woman had shaken her head when Anna ventured that as a reason. She merely indicated that Entil'zha would likely be on Minbar for a while, but gave no clear indication why. "No," Anna finally answered after a long silence. "I don't know anything about that."
"Well, I'll let you know the news as it comes in, if you'll do the same," suggested Pat. "We each have our sources, it seems. And I'll see what I can find out about Clark's plans for Babylon Five."
When Anna got back home, to a small apartment which the Senator had found for her just outside of the diplomatic sector of Geneva, she hurried to scrawl a quick note to John.
Dear J—My boss was glad to hear that you are doing well. She drug that whole story of how we met out of me! I gather D is gone for a while; that must be hard on you. My boss knows some people out there and says things are not going that well. I hope D is all right. She is also keeping an ear out for opportunities for you back here! Send my love to L when you can. I don't have any way to contact her and I'm getting a bit anxious for news.
The last day of May Pat called Anna into the office and shut the door. "I have some potentially bad news. From Minbar."
Anna sat down in the chair before the desk abruptly as the color fled her face. "Is it Delenn?"
Pat nodded, and took her normal seat. "We've had a report from the embassy. They've been holed up there ever since the war reached the capital. There are reports the war has ended."
"That's good, right?" asked Anna shakily. "And Delenn? What news there?"
"There is some. She was definitely involved in the resolution of the conflict, but the report says she was injured somehow." Pat leaned forward, clasping her hands and resting them on the desk. "Badly injured, the report said. Burns of some kind."
"Was Lennier with her, did the report say?" asked Anna. "Her aide?"
"I have no idea," replied Pat, surprise in her voice. "Why do you ask?"
"If he was there, nothing that bad could have happened to her. He wouldn't let it." Anna tried to sound confident, searching for a solid surface to place her hope. "Thank you for telling me. I'll see what I can find out."
J-Have you heard any news from D? I heard she was hurt.
Anna stopped writing and put her head in her hands. How crazy was this situation getting? She was frantic to find out what had happened to her husband's lover, and quizzing him in one of their few opportunities to communicate.
I am going to be traveling this summer and will be in touch as I can. Our mutual friends assure me they can find me anywhere. Let's keep each other informed of what news we hear.
Sighing, Anna set down the pen. This form of communication was proving wholly inadequate. She was tired of hiding her feelings, tired of running from who she was, or who she was going to be. There were moments she woke in her narrow bed, her body pressed up against the wall seeking the warmth of her husband. Senator Crosby was taking her on the campaign trail. They'd be gone all summer. The Senator's home district was in the Mountain West of the old United States, an area Anna wasn't familiar with, and that was probably just as well. That was another thing she was tired of- living in fear of running into someone from her past life, of having to explain why she was alive.
Denver, Colorado, NorthAmerican Federation, Earth, August 2261
The clinking of champagne glasses underlaid the chatter of the chattering classes. Journalists and politicians, upper-level military and business persons, all mingled and mixed like the rising bubbles. Anna kept to the shadows, enjoying the champagne, but wary of the carefully casual atmosphere. Pat was in the middle of everything, laughing and holding a drink she only occasionally sipped. Currently she was occupied with an older man in an EarthGov uniform. Anna sighed and slipped along the wall. It had been a long few months. The area formerly known as the United States had six Senators representing it in Geneva. They weren't chosen specifically from different territories; the vote was federation-wide. Regulations set the number of elected senators at six from the former United States, three from Canada, and one from Mexico. Senator Crosby campaigned across the Federation, but returned to her home base often for fund-raising, and now, to reach out to those she knew best, sounding out their views on the Clark administration. It was dangerous work, and only Anna knew how tight a rope Pat was walking.
"You hiding out here, too?"
The voice came from an alcove hidden behind a thick red curtain. Anna peered into the dim corner and saw an attractive young black woman in a stunning green dress, with a draped bodice and calf-length skirt. She had a tall glass of clear liquid, and gestured to the window seat. "I get so tired of these dog-and-pony shows, don't you?"
Anna smiled politely, then lapsed into a grin as she sat down thankfully next to the other woman. "I'm kind of new to them myself. Sounds like you've been on this merry-go-round before."
"The last year or so I've been standing in for my Mom at these official functions. She's not been well, and Dad likes to have someone accompany him to these things. He hates them as much as I do but it's part of his job to deal with the politicos."
"Your father? Which one is he?" Anna looked out over the crowd of well-dressed and influential people.
"That's him. General Richard Franklin, he's with Senator Crosby." The woman pointed at Anna's boss.
"Well, I work for the Senator," began Anna, then she stopped short, staring at the grey-haired man with a no-nonsense expression as he listened intently to what seemed fervent appeal from Pat. "Wait, did you say General Franklin?"
"That's my Dad," replied the other woman, twirling the stem of her glass between her long fingers. "I'm daughter #4, Sophie by name. And you are?" she questioned.
"Ann Sullivan," replied Anna quickly. "Administrative assistant and general dogsbody," she added quickly. Tearing her gaze away from Pat and the general, she examined Sophie. "I don't suppose you have a brother who's a doctor?"
"You know Stephen?" replied Sophie eagerly, an excited flush rising to her cheeks. "I haven't seen him in years! How is he? When did you see him? Was it on Babylon 5 or here on Earth?"
Anna laughed, and held up one hand. "Hold on, hold on. I saw Dr. Franklin on the station, yes. Six or seven months ago. He saved my life in fact." The laughter stilled as she reiterated the sentiment, "He did save me, literally. He's a good man, and a good friend."
Sophie nodded, smiling. "That's my brother. I miss him. We correspond semi-regularly, but I haven't seen him in years. Dad saw him out there a couple of years ago. I think they came to some sort of understanding. At least Stephen got back in touch with Mom after that."
Anna looked at her quizzically. "What stopped him before that?"
Sophie looked away, embarrassed. "Oh, he and Dad never saw things eye to eye. Mom understood, but she still backed Dad up. Dad wanted Stephen to follow him into the military. Stephen did, of course, but he did it his way, getting his medical degree first, then entering the officer corp. It never made any sense, Sheba's a colonel now, teaching at the Academy, and Sigrid's married to a major. She's a lawyer. Sonja's in the outer systems with the Space Marines. You'd think that would be enough Army for any family."
Anna laughed again, "Your parents must have liked the letter 'S'. Is it a family tradition?"
Sophie shook her head. "Our names were my mom's choices. She's a historian, and wanted to name her girls after queens and warriors. It was Dad's job to name the boys but he only got the one. Stephen is a family name, Dad's great-grandfather." She took a sip of the sparkling liquid in her crystal flute and added, "I'm another rebel, like Stephen in a way. I became a journalist. Worked for the Army Times for a while, but left it after some creative differences and went freelance. It also left me as the point child when Mom got sick. Easy for me to adjust my schedule, move home and do a little freelance work to keep my hand in. I didn't realize these social functions were to be part of my duties. Frankly, I think Mom was just as glad to give up this part of her job."
Anna's smile slipped a moment. Sophie was so open and friendly. Anna didn't dare reciprocate with any personal details. She wasn't yet used to this undercover life; this whole trip had been incredibly stressful. Pat didn't seem to appreciate that; maybe because politicians were used to presenting a facade to the world. "I knocked around quite a bit before starting to work for the Senator," she finally added vaguely. "It's nice to be back on Earth."
"Why were you on the station with Stephen?" asked Sophie. Her smile lit up her face. Anna found it contagious and returned it.
"Just passing through. I caught something, some sort of cross-species infection. He figured out what it was and got me over it with a minimum of fuss and a lot of charm. He works too hard though," Anna added soberly. "It's a big job. There are what, a quarter of a million beings living there? Plus all the transients like me."
"He was always interested in alien physiology. Dad never understood why he'd want to heal them when the military went to so much trouble to put then in the hospital." Sophie twirled her now-empty glass between two fingers. "It's harder to get in touch since the embargo. Last time I managed a voice-only call we got cut off just after hello. Some sort of security meeting, the man was hovering in the background, I could almost hear him breathing down Stephen's neck. Still, I got the impression Stephen's involved at the command level there, a high level. It seemed odd, even with his military training."
Anna knew Stephen had been involved in more military matters than Sophie could imagine. People on Earth remained largely unaware of the Shadow War. "If he was meeting with Mr. Garibaldi, I can imagine he had to run."
Sophie looked briefly puzzled. "It was a Chief Allan that was waiting. At least that's what Stephen said." She looked a bit wistful. "Stephen seems to be happy and fulfilled. I love my mom, and she needs me, but I miss my job."
Anna patted Sophie's arm. "You'll get back to it, your job, that is. You've only got one mother." It was her turn for sadness. "I miss mine every day."
"How long has she been gone?" asked Sophie with sympathy.
"Longer than I like to remember," answered Anna. She picked up two glasses from a passing waiter's tray and handed one to Sophie. "Let's toast mothers, yours and mine." Privately she added John's mother Miranda, who had stood in place of her lost mother ever since Lizzie had taken Anna home during a college break.
Sophie raised her glass and clinked it against Anna's. They both drank, matching smiles tipping over the edges of the crystal glasses. A broad smile broke across Sophie's face as she looked over Anna's shoulder. "Here comes Dad. I imagine he's had about enough of schmoozing tonight." The imposing man with a chest full of medals on an impeccably turned out formal uniform stopped in front of the two of them. "Hello daughter," he rumbled in a deep bass voice. "Will you introduce me to your friend?"
"This is Ann Sullivan, Daddy. She works for Senator Crosby. Ann, my father General Franklin."
Ann held out her hand and felt it gripped firmly. She wondered why Sophie hadn't mentioned her acquaintance with Stephen, but decided to follow her new friend's lead and not mention it.
The General examined her closely but only said, "Nice to meet you." Then he turned pointedly to Sophie and said, "Would you mind an early night? I have a lot to go over."
Sophie immediately set down her glass on a nearby table and put one hand on Anna's arm. "I enjoyed talking with you. Are you going to be in town long? Maybe we could have lunch?"
"I'd like that," said Anna. "I think we're here another week. You can reach me at the Senator's office."
Sophie nodded and took her father's arm as he led her in the direction of the cloakroom. Senator Crosby approached Anna as the Franklins exited the room, pausing to speak to various dignitaries on the way out.
"Ann, General Franklin gave me some disconcerting news, or at least a hint of some. They're calling in all ground troops from leave, re-assigning them to Earthbase, except for those already on Mars and the Orion satellites. The real news is that there's a contingent being prepared to ship out to Proxima. The colony has been under siege by the fleet for a while now. People are getting desperate, trying to get away. But it seems like the administration is tightening the noose. The situation is explosive." Pat's face was pale.
Anna choked on her initial panicked reaction, then caught her lip in her teeth. "Lizzie," was her first thought but the only thing she said was, "What can we do?"
"Not a thing," said Pat grimly. "It's been set in motion already. We'll head back to Geneva and I'll see what I can find out. Pack up tonight. I'll arrange for the flight first thing tomorrow."
My dearest John, we have to find out what's happened to Lizzie. I don't think she's safe on Proxima any more. I'm not sure any one is safe anywhere any more. This situation is out of control and I wish I was there or you were here. How is all going to end? Will we ever see Lizzie again? Will I ever see you again?
Anna laid her head down on the paper, a stray tear or two smudging the ink. This was one letter she would never send, not that she had been contacted by the Ranger post since her return. Pat had hustled the two of them back to Geneva and then promptly disappeared into the corridors of power in an attempt to forestall the crackdown what was coming. There was not a thing that Anna could do: to help Lizzie, to help Earth, to help herself.
Sweeping aside the paper, she pulled a clean sheet towards her and began once again to write.
D, my new friend, I am scared witless about my oldest friend. J's sister and I met in college, we were room-mates and best friends and she introduced me to her older brother hoping we'd get together. L is a lot like J, brave and smart. She never met a challenge she didn't run at head on. I heard a little of what happened to you out there. Please take care. I've not been blessed with many close friends and can't stand the loss of any.
Folding the paper into a tiny square, Anna stuffed it into the pocket of her slacks and pulled on a jacket. The nights were chilly as the summer ended. She was going to visit every mail drop she'd used in Geneva until she spotted one of those Rangers.
It took a few nights of wandering but finally she located a short figure in the traditional gray half-cape in a cafe on the north side of town. It was only a few hours before dawn, but Anna ordered another coffee as she took the seat next to the Ranger. Might as well; it'd keep her going; she had to be at work early that day.
"Are you here long?" Anna broke the silence with the clatter of her cup on the counter top. "I need you to carry a message."
The older man looked at her from under thick brows, looming like cliffs over stone gray eyes. "I'm just passing through." He took a sip of his coffee and continued. "Mrs. A, is it? I've heard of you."
Anna nodded. "That's right. I want to start up the post again. Things are happening. Important things." She pulled out the square of paper and tapped it nervously against the rim of her cup. "This is personal, but there'll be more information, and soon. Can you set something up?"
The man reached over and took the paper from Anna's hand. He secreted it inside his jacket. "I'll see what I can do. Stop here day after tomorrow, around eight in the evening. Someone will be here and let you know when and where you can catch the next post." He gulped down the rest of his drink and stood up, leaving a few coins beside his cup. "Always like to leave the tip in coins, old habit. Who's the message for then?"
"Entil'zha," replied Anna shortly. He smiled and bowed slightly, then left without another word.
Things sped up after that. Messages passed back and forth between Anna and John on the station, and Anna and Delenn on Minbar. There was no word from Lizzie, although John had sent some Rangers in undercover on Proxima to check out the situation, which was growing grim. The populace was divided between EarthGov loyalists and rebels, and martial law had been declared. The whole planet was under embargo; the only shipments allowed in went to the loyalist government for distribution. Distribution was by no means fair and equal, and the people were becoming desperate.
Pat was tight-lipped about the military situation but let Anna know that things didn't look good. Anna passed the information along to John. Though Delenn seemed intent on her progress in re-building the Minbari government, Anna thought she also seemed anxious to return to the station. Anna let John know that and was amused at his awkward pleasure. It was an odd position to play, go-between for two people she loved.
Anna didn't know how to sort out the tangle of feelings in which she found herself. John was opening up to her, more and more, in his brief but poignant letters. The strain they'd labored under since her return was melting away in the warmth of their mutual concern for Lizzie and Delenn. Anna couldn't be sure how much John had learned of Delenn's encounter with the Starfire Wheel, but what details Pat revealed had chilled her blood. Anna agreed with John; the sooner Delenn was back on the station, safe at home, the better.
The senator was due back from a meeting any minute, and Anna was keying transcriber codes into Pat's tablet, propped on the Senator's desk against a stone owl, a gift from a constituent. The Resistance had stayed in touch, and sent coded messages occasionally when they had information or wanted some. A message had arrived today by courier, and the keys later and separately by special messenger. Anna was watching the words unfold, from code to meaning, not really reading carefully, when her attention was caught by a word she recognized. Tenasticin.
Leaning forward, she slid her finger across the screen to stop the transcription, then scrolled back to examine this part of the message. She hadn't got very far when Pat entered the room, a ball of controlled fury.
"They've done it, Anna! The troops have arrived at the jump point nearest to Proxima. The mission is to 'restore order' but there are no restrictions on how; it's left up to the field commander and he's a Clark loyalist. It's going to be ugly. The embargo's been tightened, not even passenger ships are allowed to leave now. He wants them all there, one big happy family kept in order by fear and intimidation." Pat was walking swiftly back and forth, gesticulating with swift, sharp hand motions.
Anna felt almost relieved. Clark's intentions towards Proxima were clear now. It wouldn't take long before there was an incident, and if there was an incident, John would act, she was certain of it. He would agonize over his conflicting oaths. He would strategize and work out the best plan of attack. He would prepare for anything, hoping that he would have to do nothing. But if it came down to protecting civilians, who were meant to be protected by their military, even from their own government, he would do what needed to be done.
Taking a moment between Pat's ranting, Anna spoke calmly. "It'll bring things to a head. John will act, and then we'll see. People will rally to him. They only need someone to set an example."
"A leader," said Pat flatly. She'd stopped pacing, but her hands remained clenched. "I thought I was doing the right thing, staying in the Senate, working to mollify Clark's rulings, remaining inside the system. Now I wish I'd left long ago! Some of us suspected Clark was involved in Santiago's death, almost from the beginning. Then Mars, Babylon 5, Orion...now Proxima? I should have pushed harder, challenged this insanity."
Anna looked on with sympathy. "You did what you thought was right. And you helped many people along the way. The government is a lot more than Clark's repression, and you've helped ameliorate some of that. You're on the side of the angels, Pat."
Pat had moved closer to Anna, reading the decoded message over her shoulder. At Anna's words, she reached out and squeezed her shoulder in gratitude. Suddenly, she said "That's odd."
"What's odd?" replied Anna, craning around Pat to see where she was pointing on the small screen.
"Tenasticin. It's come up before. The Drug Authority had it put on the proscribed list a few months ago. I wondered about it at the time. There's nothing dangerous about the drug. It's of alien origin, I suppose we thought it was all part of Clark's increasing xenophobia. Why's the Resistance interested?"
Anna's thoughts had been circling a memory, of both the recent and long past. "Pops," she whispered, then "John. They're after John."
Pat sat down behind the desk and examined Anna in her growing distress. "What do you mean?"
"David Sheridan, Ambassador Sheridan, John's father. He takes Tenasticin for a blood disorder. The can find him through the drug. Make it hard to get, limit the supply and it's easier to track where it goes. Eventually they'll catch up with him, and once they have him, they have a chance of coercing John."
"Coercing him to do what?" asked Pat.
"I don't know! Give up the fight, or stay out of it? It won't work, but I can see why they think it might." Anna was fighting back tears. "They burned the farm, Pop's been on the run for months. It's just evil, going after our family."
"Civil wars are all about family," replied Pat grimly. "Let's keep an eye on this. I'm on the Controlled Substances committee. I can request reports without too many questions being asked."
"They'll be watching, Pat. If you get too curious..." Anna wrapped her arms around herself, as if the room had grown suddenly colder.
"I'm known for my curiosity," laughed Pat. "I'll be careful and ask about many, many things. Tenasticin will be a tree in the forest." Then she sobered. "How did they know? Old medical records from the Ambassador's time in EarthGov? And how can they be sure that Captain Sheridan's father is the key to his cooperation? Who knows they are that close, besides you?"
Anna shook her head, but a suspicion planted long ago began to thrust pale tendrils up to the surface of her mind. She spoke slowly. "It has to be someone who knows John well, and who has access to information about his father." Someone who routinely accesses private information, someone whose job it is to know everything about everyone. Someone in charge of security, or who had been. 'Chief Allan', Sophie had said. Whatever happened to Mr. Garibaldi?
Pat nodded, but she was already reading the rest of the message, memorizing information and preparing a return message before wiping the transcript. "Get hold of the special courier. You know the one. I'll gather the data they need and get it encrypted."
Anna got up briskly and left the room to make the arrangements. She also sent a quick note to Delenn asking about Garibaldi, keeping her doubts under wraps for the moment. A brief reply confirmed that the Security chief had resigned after John and Delenn's return from Corianus Six. What was less clear, was why he had resigned. Anna had felt the shadow of a Shadow in Garibaldi's mind, not direct influence but something different. Her suspicions lingered and grew.
A few weeks later the news came in from Proxima. Captain Sheridan had made his move. EarthGov was in a ferment. Everyone had an opinion although many were afraid to voice it. Pat seldom left the Senate chambers or her office and Anna took to sleeping on the small couch there so she could help where she could. National security concerns kept the majority of the Senators in the dark as to war plans, but everyone knew they were in the works. The President's propaganda office was in overdrive, trying to quell the rumors. Sheridan is coming, that was on everyone's lips, but whether it was said in hope or fear depended on who was speaking.
One evening Pat came in with a white face and tight lips. "Anna," she said, flipping on the lights. Anna sat up, a soft grey throw sliding off the leather couch onto the floor.
"What is it?" Anna asked, concern quickly changing to fear. "Is Clark moving on the station?"
"No, it's not that. Remember that drug you, and the Resistance, asked me to keep an eye on? A report came across my desk. One I'm not sure I was supposed to see. Someone's put a tracer on every bit of that drug that is imported into Earth. I don't know who, but they say they'll have the elder Sheridan's location within the month. Of course the report referred to a 'person of interest' but that's who they meant." She leaned on the surface of the desk, palms flat against the surface. "Clark's people are desperate now to put a brake on John Sheridan's plans, whatever they are. They need to discredit him or co-opt him or pressure him into backing down. And they think his father's the key."
Anna sat very still. Her suspicions blossomed into a certainty of necessary action. "I have to leave. Now. John will walk into a trap, set by friendship and baited with family. I have to warn him."
"I don't think it'll be that easy to leave Earth, and it's almost impossible to get to Babylon Five" interjected Pat in surprise. "And you need to be careful. You're another pressure point that could be brought to bear on Sheridan." At Anna's expression of grim determination, she sighed and said, "Give me a day or two. Let me see what I can do."
Anna thought privately that the Rangers would find a way for her to reach the station, but all she said aloud was, "Thank you."
The Ranger she contacted actually advised her to take commercial transport, at least as far as Io. There she would pick up an escort who would take her roundabout to the station. Pat set up her flights, giving her diplomatic credentials for a fact-finding tour of the outer system. It took two agonizing weeks. Anna tried writing, giving John warning, but the message didn't get through. Besides, she knew him too well. John made friends rarely but kept them close in his heart, and he considered Michael Garibaldi a friend. No, to convince John that Garibaldi meant to betray him, that he was assisting in the search to capture David Sheridan, Anna had to confront her husband in person. It would take over a week to reach him.
Anna was three days out from the station when David Sheridan was captured and taken to Mars. When she arrived on Babylon 5, John was already gone.