The Minbari rout at Jericho
Shai Alyt Haran pulled himself off of the deck. The entire bridge was little more than unidentifiable wreckage, a testament to Minbari engineering that his unshielded vessel had even survived such an attack. Superior engineering or not, his bridge crew had been chewed up, most of them were dead or severely injured. Shattered instrumentation was thrown everywhere. The 3-D viewer flickered. A second later, there was a noise followed by a deep rumble as main power died. Secondary power activated and fed a bit of energy to the screen. The survivors scramble around trying to determine the extent of the damage and maintain what little life support was left.
Behind him there was a gurgled groan as one of his warriors slowly drowned in her own blood. There was nothing he could do but watch as the crew member died in front of his eyes. The hissing sound that slowly grew louder indicated that the hull was breeched, but he didn't care. His eyes were glued onto the screen dazed at the numbers of Minbari ships of all types, floating in front him. Many ships smoldered, as metal, heated to the temperature of plasma slowly cooled in the emptiness of space. A year ago, if someone had told him that the Minbari would be slaughtered with such ease, he would have thought them mad. Now, all he could do was to wait for death at the hands of the Humans.
"Have we any weapons?" he screamed. Surprisingly someone answered.
"Main weapons are off line," someone from engineering responded. "We have enough power for a few short bursts. Our missiles have been expended. Life support is threatening to fail throughout the ship. One of the fusion power plants is going critical. We can't stop it. It must be ejected. The singularity power is unstable. We must abandon ship."
"There's no where to go," he replied. "If we cannot win, then we will show them what it means to die as Minbari. Overload the engines and prepare for ramming speed. To all ships prepare for self destruction. We will not allow these creatures the…"
"To all ships, this is Shai Alyt Takkal. Ignore those orders. I am giving the order to surrender. Your deaths will not honor what has been done this day."
"No!" Haran bellowed to communications. "Ignore that coward. We are Star Riders! Wind swords! We bow to no one!"
"Shai Alyt," his communications crewperson said. "The other ships are powering down. They're surrendering!"
Engineering broke in. The warrior speaking was exhausted. "We've stabilized the singularity, but we don't know for how long. We can jump, or we can make our stand here. What are your orders?"
"My orders stand," Haran replied.
"The night is long," Takkal said. "Death is forever. Do not destroy what's left of your crew. Live. Our time will come again."
There is no honor in surrendering," to these animals.
"Honor is not served by being the instrument of slaughter for our own people. This is over for us. I will not be the one who explains to the universe why I brought my people to become one with it before their times simply because of pride."
"I'd rather die."
"Do what you must, but do not force those under your command to follow your example."
USS Sumatra
"All ships accounted for and standing by for orders, Admiral. We're ready for our next attack run."
"Admiral to fleet command. Use photon torpedoes only. I will not waste any more lives of my crew in a direct assault."
"Acknowledgement across the board, Admiral."
"Good," she said. Tricobalt would be even more effective in this type of attack, as the Admiral was well aware of. However, the effect in hyperspace by the warheads gave her pause to reconsider using them en mass. Because of that reasoning, she preferred not to use it now, even while in normal space until its effects were known and better understood.
"Admiral!"
The crew watched in shock as one ship generated a jump point. Instead of the crisp, clear funnel shape characteristic of a normal opening, this one was distorted. The rim of the jump point shimmered violently and changed colors as the aftereffects of the tricobalt still interacted with j-space. Ships near the jump point rocked violently and a couple of them in close proximity to the event exploded
"They couldn't be that stupid!" the navigator, an Atosian said out loud, shock at what he was seeing.
Ships and debris were either pushed away or dissolved by the distortional energy. The lone ship that entered was pulled uncontrollably into the vortex. The jump point abruptly closed in a manner that reminded one of an explosion more than anything else. For a few seconds afterwards there was a borealis effect saturating local space. The Admiral and other senior officers watched the scene in sadness and anger. Whoever decided to jump had no regard for the others of their fleet who had just been sacrificed in order to make good their escape. If the survivors chose not to surrender then she would honor their request. "All ships, fire on my command," she ordered.
"Admiral, we're receiving communications, tachyon-based. It's the Minbari."
"What do they have to say?"
"They're surrendering, unconditionally, Ma'am."
The Admiral, known throughout Starfleet for her coldness, smiled.
"Jericho's Aftermath-Dark Territory"
Chapter 5 of ATV-Supplements
In the ruddy murk of hyperspace, a Sharlin warcruiser tumbled aimlessly and slowly. On board, Shai Alyt Haran thought he was having difficulty breathing. That meant one thing: the recyclers were running down. It was then that the full horror of it all hit him.
They were going to die out here.
The Minbari on the Shaidar were of the Warrior Caste and as such, expected to die as warriors. They certainly didn't expect to die of hunger, thirst or suffocation. But that was exactly what was going to happen. The food stores would run out eventually even if they rationed it carefully. The water could only last so long with the recyclers and rationing. The same was true for the air.
The warriors who died in battle back at Jericho were lucky. Haran hesitated to call the warriors who died of vacuum exposition in hyperspace lucky. Spacing, no matter in normal space or hyperspace, was a most horrific way to die. Unless they did something, the Shaidar would soon become a ship of ghosts forever voyaging in hyperspace, never to be known by other Minbari again.
Haran had learned that they were nearing one of the larger gravity echoes. This meant there was a star or planet outside of hyperspace. Any star system would serve if they could replenish their stocks and take their bearings, however remote that chance was.
He turned to his Rii. "Engine status?"
"Repairs are still ongoing, Shai Alyt." The warrior watched her commander with respectful concern.
Haran sighed slowly, feeling his contamination of the precious air. Ritual suicide could be done but no other Minbari would ever know this and the Shaidar's crew would never be honored this way. Death didn't hold terrors for Haran or his fellow warriors. How could it when joining with the Oversoul and eventual reincarnation was the fate of every Minbari? It was only the manners of death that Haran didn't want.
Starvation. Thirst. Suffocation. Spacing.
To make matters worse, they were lost. The UFOper warheads had damaged the engines and when the Shaidar fled into hyperspace, the remaining side-effects of the warheads threw it far off the jump routes so that even the beacons were lost to them.
If only they could die in battle.
Did they all die the moment the Ancient Enemy lured the UFOpers into the war and they didn't know it? Haran wondered. He shivered. He didn't like the thought. Dead Minbari walking.
A squawk sounded over the communicators at the rii's station. The warrior turned to Haran with excited hope. "Shai Alyt! They've restored the jumpengines!"
Haran was jolted into action by the news. "Jump!" It didn't matter where they would come out, only that they be out of hyperspace and take their bearings. If they came out inside a star, so be it.
Duty is heavier than a mountain, Death is lighter than a feather.
A vortex formed in front of the slowly tumbling warcruiser. It formed more slowly than usual and electrical discharges appeared to be arcing throughout the vortex, making it appear unstable. But form it did. The Shaidar was seized by the jumppoint's mysterious properties and it was swallowed and slung out into normal space.
Haran looked at the holodisplay. They had come out in orbit of a planet. A thin coating of blue atmosphere, complete with clouds, protected the muddy-looking surface from the vacuum of space. "What kind of planet is that?"
The command center's crew worked to answer the simple, but important, question. Their survival depended on the answer.
One of them found it. "The planet's atmosphere is nitrogen-oxygen, though the oxygen is lower than what we're used to. Organic molecular spectra. Water." She looked up, visibly excited. "We're saved!"
Haran smiled out of relief. Perhaps the universe still found favor in the Minbari after all.
-+-
"Omet'igal to all fighters." The voice of the commander of the squadron of attack ships droned out of the com system. "New orders. Set course for the Yaderan System. We are to crush the Zalimun fleet at Yadera Prime."
Etana'kan nodded to his attack ship's pilot who set the new course on cue. Through the eye-piece of his virtual display device, he could see the other ships in the fleet. Scarab-shaped attack ships outnumbered the larger cruisers with their distinctive X-shaped hull. Grunting with satisfaction at the sight, the warrior paced around the bridge until he was face to face with a man who was not of his race.
"What are the Yaderans?"
The pale yellow-skinned male alien tossed his flowing black hair. "What, not who?" The alien got no reply from the gray-skinned reptilian-looking soldier who had horns arranged in a row on his jaw-line and around his crown. He rolled his eyes at the warrior's laconic military attitude and wiped imaginary dust off of his red uniform. "The Yaderans are a neutral race. At least, they have been neutral in the war between the Drai Republic and the Zalimun Empire. I doubt that they would be willing to change that by supporting the Zalimuns now that we are allied with the Dominion."
The Jem'Hadar gave a short curt nod and moved on to another Jem'Hadar manning one of the consoles. "Status report," barked Etana'kan.
"No change, First," replied the Second.
The First grunted his satisfaction. He glanced at the Drai man watching it all.
"Can I make an observation, First?"
"You can, Second."
"We have served together in battle many months now. We have been victorious. Why do we have that Drai onboard?"
"Ours is to obey the Founders. We do not know this area of space. The Founders had not seen fit to order any scouting in this direction. The Drai Republic has benefited us with guides and navigators. That only adds to the glory of the Founders."
The Second, however, was still suspicious. "Perhaps the Drai are using Yadera Prime as a trap. I will scan."
"No, that will not be necessary."
The Second nodded. "You are my First and I will obey."
The com system spoke once more. "Omet'igal to all fighters. We have detected a spatial anomaly at Yadera II. Change course to intercept." On cue, the pilot corrected their flight pattern as the three Jem'Hadar attack ships formed a V and sped toward the anomaly, departing a larger Dominion fleet made up of attack ships and cruisers. Etana'kan turned his head toward his ship's stern, watching the fleet shrink to nothingness in his virtual display device.
A Vorta male entered the bridge, wearing a copy of Etana'kan's eye-piece. "First, why have we changed course? We're supposed to stay with the fleet!"
Etana'kan barely managed not to grimace at the arrival because the Vorta were the voice of the Founders, their gods. "We've detected an anomaly at Yadera II. It could be because of the Zalimun."
The Vorta nodded pensively. "Sensible. We don't want to be caught in a trap." He turned to the Drai, arrogantly dismissing the Jem'Hadar, causing Etana'kan to grimace at him this time. "The Founders have approved your government's request."
For the first time, the yellow-skinned alien looked delighted. "Finally! The Tosk will be worthy of themselves and of our Hunters. Thank you, Sejeel."
Sejeel bowed smoothly. "It pleases the Founders to deepen the alliance between the Dominion and the Drai Republic."
"You know, Sejeel, I've been curious about something. Why hasn't the Dominion scouted spinward? It had the time and resources to do it."
If a person got a god's-eye view of the top of the galaxy, he would notice that the galaxy appeared to be spinning clockwise, throwing its arms out like spinning water. So the clockwise is spinward while anti-clockwise is anti-spinward, And that person would also notice that almost 22,000 lightyears to the "east" of the Dominion and in another arm closer to the galactic core, the Vorlons had their empire and sphere of influence.
Totally unaware of the above, Sejeel smiled as if to soothe the Drai's non-existent worries. "The Dominion does not feel the need to explore in that direction. Only enough to satisfy our safety."
"But you've expanded in that direction…toward us."
"Only when implacable enemies force us. Like the Zalimuns are forcing us."
The Drai shrugged. "It's too bad that the Dominion has neglected expansion in our direction over the centuries. Otherwise, this damnable war with the Zalimuns wouldn't have happened."
For the first time, Sejeel frowned. But it was quickly erased as the Vorta's diplomatic instincts strode to the fore with a ready smile of friendship. "It is the will of the Founders. The Founders move in mysterious ways and we can only revel in them."
The Drai rolled his eyes at what sounded to him like a quote. "I wonder what the Founders worship."
The Vorta scoffed dismissively. "Impossible. Gods do not worship other gods."
The Third spoke up, interrupting the discussion occurring in the midst of the silent Jem'Hadar. "The sensors are detecting a vessel at the coordinates."
Both Sejeel and the Drai went over to the Third's console and checked the readings. The Vorta looked up at the Drai, his question unspoken but obvious.
"The shape of it is unknown to us."
"As it is to the Dominion. We need to know it." Sejeel nodded to Etana'kan. "Deal with the situation, First."
Etana'kan nodded his obedience and turned to his task.
-+-
Part 2
Haran was delighted when the news came that weapons and shields were back online, thanks to the repairs. The jump engines, however, were another story. That last jump had knocked them offline again. However, he was confident of its restoration.
Even if they were able to jump, where could they go? The Shaidar's navigator had determined that they were in an unknown part of the galaxy, likely far away from the stars known to the Minbari Federation. The strange properties of the UFOPers warheads in hyperspace had twisted the currents so much that they knocked out many of the war cruiser's systems and pushed it very far. She and her team were now analyzing the visible pulsars of the galaxy, hoping to identify the known ones with their frequencies and use them to triangulate the approximate positions of the Shaidar and of Minbar. Once they were calculated, the ship could make its way home.
The jumps that the ship would take had to be short because there were no beacons in this area of the galaxy, at least anything that could be recognized as a jump beacon. Each time they jumped out into normal space, the navigation team would have to make their triangulations all over again to make sure they remained on course. The voyage would be slow and long, possibly dangerous, taking many months or even years. They would be, in essence, treading where no Minbari had ever gone before.
The sooner they get home, the sooner they would join in the resisting the onslaught of Darkness. The thought that the Shaidar's crew would settle on some suitable planet and forget about the war simply never occurred to them. For them, duty was heavier than a mountain, death was lighter than a feather.
One of the command center warriors looked up, alarmed. "Shai Alyt, the scanners are detecting incoming ships. They're…using continuum distorters."
Haran's face darkened at the news. The only people to use distorters to travel were the UFOPers and their animals. The Ancient Enemy has done their work too well. The UFOPers were everywhere. They couldn't avoid them. Or was it just that they've accidentally stumbled into UFOP space itself?
However, he was delighted. This gave him and his crew the chance to die in battle as warriors should.
"How many?"
"Three."
"Activate the shields and power up all weapons. Launch all available fighters."
The Minbari warriors went smoothly into action, a form of action for which they were bred and trained. Haran still wondered. He'd heard of how outnumbered the UFOPers were in other battles and yet they won. He has learned of it to his sorrow at Jericho. This time, he was outnumbered by the UFOPers. Very well. They will make a good accounting of themselves for the Light. Duty is heavier than a mountain, Death is lighter than a feather.
They watched as three bright white flashes appeared and faded. One by one, three small and flat vessels slipped out of the signature distortion flashes and slowed to a halt before the Sharlin war cruiser and her Nial fighters.
Haran was puzzled. These vessels were nothing like any of those used by the UFOPers and their animals so far in the war. They made him think of insects that scrabbled in the sand. They had distortion nacelles that glowed purple, instead of the UFOPers blue. Another servant race of the Vulcans? Those Romulans he had been hearing about? One of the minor powers cowering in the shadow of the Federation?
"Rii Larann, contact them."
-+-
Etana'kan was about to issue orders for his fighter squadron to form up against the unknown alien. He could see it through his eye-piece. The ship was huge and looked aquatic. Small blue crystalline vessels were swarming out of it. They looked like darts going backward. They had to be the alien's version of fighters. Were they new allies of the Zalimun Empire? Were they new visitors to this sector of space? Clearly, they were prepared to do battle. That only made Etana'kan happy.
Suddenly, the hailing light blipped on the Second's panel. The Second and Etana'kan exchanged concerned glances. "The enemy is hailing us," announced Etana'kan, knowing that the Vorta covered diplomatic functions.
"Project to my eye-piece, First," ordered Sejeel.
Through the virtual display device, the Vorta could see what appeared to be a bald Humanoid with a spiky headbone structure on the back and sides of the head. If Sejeel didn't know better, the alien could have been a member of a species that was a distant cousin to the Jem'Hadar.
The alien appeared to be cautious, even wary or suspicious.
"I am Haran of the Star Riders clan of the Warrior Caste." Haran drew himself up proudly. "I am Minbari. Who are you?"
The Vorta bowed his head indulgently, hands open with palm facing the Minbari to show peace and respect. "Sejeel at your pleasure. You have violated space allied with the Dominion. Please explain why."
The Minbari commander appeared surprised that Sejeel wasn't familiar with the Minbari. Should he be? He was still suspicious. "Space allied with…you? Who?"
"An ally of the Dominion." Sejeel refused to give information to the alien. He wondered why the alien didn't react to the emphasis he made in the name 'Dominion' for the second time. Everyone knew the Dominion. Could it be that the Minbari came from very far away? Very far in the direction that the Founders were apparently not interested in? Sejeel remembered his conversation with the Drai guide. Though he had faith in his gods, he wondered why the Founders were so disinterested in sectors that clearly and desperately needed the order of the Dominion. "You have not explained your presence."
"We…came looking. We don't know your Dominion. Answer me this: who do you fight for?"
"The Founders, of course."
"Not the UFOPers?"
"I honestly do not know these 'UFOPers.' Are your people experiencing chaos?"
Haran gritted his teeth. Aha, a sensitive point. "The Light is all! The Light shall burn all before us! Order shall prevail!"
Interesting. So the Minbari were at war. A holy war, by the sound of it. Definitely not an orderly species. "Ah, so you have gods, like us." Sejeel thought it was important to establishment common points. If this went well, he might know more about parts of the galaxy even though the Founders weren't interested in them.
But Haran appeared insulted. "We do not have gods! We follow the Vorlons and they will cleanse the galaxy of its darkness and chaos! Oh yes, the Vorlons shall reveal their might and all shall bow before it."
Sejeel stiffened at the implications. "The Founders are our gods and it is they who give us true Order. We do not bow to false gods." The Vorta felt it was time to tie the conversation up. He wouldn't be able to get any more information this way except by getting it directly from the Minbari ship and its crew. And possibly get answers to the cause of the Founders' disinterest in the spinward direction. "This misunderstanding can be resolved by your withdrawal."
Haran's face then darkened as he came to a conclusion. He snarled, "We shall never withdraw. The Light shall prevail!"
"The Dominion does not tolerate threats," Sejeel said with a frown as a parting blow. It was clear that the negotiation—if it ever existed—was not going to work. The alien appeared to be working under the illusion that his devotion was truer than the Vorta's devotion to the Founders. He took an immediate dislike to Haran. He was glad that only he could see and communicate with the Minbari alien, for if the Jem'Hadar saw and heard him, they'd immediately destroy the Minbari ship.
When the eye-piece returned the view of Yadera II and the Minbari vessels to him, Sejeel turned to the Jem'Hadar First.
"Deal with the situation, First."
Etana'kan was overjoyed. "Obedience brings victory, and victory is life."
-+-
Haran saw that the alien didn't know anything about the Minbari. He claimed that he was violating space owned by someone allied with something called the Dominion. That ally could only be the UFOPers. The alien appeared strange: Humanoids with pale skin, black hair, lilac eyes, hair piled high on the head, and ribbed earlobes that elongated up the sides of the head. They appeared similar enough to the Humans that they could only be in their region of the galaxy. Furthermore, only the UFOPers had the damned continuum distortion technology and they shared it only with their allies and animals.
No matter. Battle was about to be joined. Duty was heavier than a mountain, Death was lighter than a feather.
"Target the lead ship. Fire."
-+-
Thick emerald beams slammed into the shields of Omet'igal's ship, causing it to tumble under the shock. Etana'kan peered at the Minbari ship through his eye-piece. They were reckless to blindly defy the Dominion.
Still, it was a powerful warship.
The alien vessel fired again. This time, they managed to weaken Omet'igal's shields enough for one beam to strike a purple nacelle which exploded. The lead fighter tumbled away, wounded.
"Pilot, evasive maneuvers. Hard about," ordered Etana'kan.
"Yes, First," replied the pilot.
-+-
Haran was highly satisfied when he saw the lead alien vessel being disabled. No one tangled with the Minbari without being burnt.
One of the alien ships fired a whitish purple beam at the Shaidar.
The Shai Alyt stumbled and fell to the deck. He was stunned. The beam had passed through the shields as if they weren't even there!
He was angry. The universe just kept throwing new problems at the Minbari! When would it stop doing it and start letting them breathe?!
Haran took a deep breath. That was for the Priests to find out. For now, they had these enemies to deal with.
"Fire at will!" he roared.
He flailed and threw out his hands for support as his war cruiser shook again under Dominion fire.
-+-
Sejeel looked at Etana'kan quizzically. "First, I instructed you to let us know this ship."
"They shot first!"
The Vorta rolled his eyes exasperatedly at the Jem'Hadar commander. "I know that, First. If you destroy them, we won't know them . If you didn't understand my instructions, then I have to be clear this time: capture that ship. Attend to the matter."
Etana'kan shot the Vorta a blank look. "I am doing that."
-+-
Shai Alyt Haran held onto his chair as the war cruiser endured more Jem'Hadar fire. There was smoke and fire. Consoles were sparking. It was all a repeat of Jericho. Worse, the shields were completely ineffective.
A soft whine sounded from beyond the circular door to the command center. That sound was definitely not normal on the war cruiser.
"Rii Larann, investigate."
The rii bowed and opened the door. There appeared to be nothing there. Haran let out a breath with relief. He had been afraid that the UFOPers used their teleporters to come aboard. He shook his head. That was an irrational thought. He had been told that shields prevent the Tainted Ones from teleporting. The Vorlons had to be right.
"Squadron Two, focus all weapons on an engine pod of your target," Haran ordered. He watched as the Nials of that squadron regrouped and ran at one of the dancing flat ships, their three neutron beams alternating at it.
One of the Shaidar's main cannon swung its beam around to contact the other ship, causing its shields to flare angrily. Another shield-penetrating bright purple beam sheared off a subsidiary fin of the war cruiser.
Haran struggled to stand. "The shields are a waste! Deactivate them and use the energy for weapons!"
It was then that aliens shimmered into view in the command center. The Minbari were highly surprised. Many of them fell immediately to Jem'Hadar rifles.
Personal cloaking devices!
Haran drew his Sha'ann PPG, screaming in defiance, and fired. One of the gray scaly aliens was thrown back onto the deck.
The black-clad and black-armored Minbari warriors regrouped around the four command staff and faced the de-shrouded Jem'Hadar. Haran shouted, "Ah hel!"
The order caused plasma pulses to burst into the enemy ranks. Several Jem'Hadar fell, wounded. Then the Minbari charged the Jem'Hadar, wielding pikestaffs and long machete-like daggers. Some of them fell to polaron rifle beams. When the range was too close for energy weapons to be used, the Jem'Hadar used their rifles as clubs and parried with the Minbari.
The two species clashed, turning the fight into a wild melee. Screams of rage and pain punctuated the noise of blades, rifles and pikes striking each other and on flesh. A young Jem'Hadar flailed when his ketracel-white tube was torn loose. He grunted and dropped like a stone when a Minbari stuck a Sha'ann PPG into his side and fired. In spontaneous vengeance, the Minbari shooter was brutally cut down by another Jem'Hadar's rifle to the head, splattering gray scale-armor skin and black-grey uniform with red blood. A pike crushed a throat, choking a Jem'Hadar long enough for him to be killed. A hand-weapon or two fired, briefly adding their brightness to the chamber's light.
Shai Alyt Haran struggled out of the melee and stood back. He aimed his Sha'ann and fired into the confusion of warriors. For his trouble, a polaron beam bit into an armored shoulder. He gritted his teeth trying to contain the pain.
The surprise gained by the shrouded Jem'Hadar had given the Dominion an advantage. Soon, the combat turned in their favor. Haran, bleeding from the wound in the shoulder, decided that too much honor has been lost. The Minbari had begun to die the moment the Federation entered the war and it was time for them to realize this. He viciously thrust his pike into a Jem'Hadar eye and kicked at another Jem'Hadar, giving himself space. He took out a communicator from within his armor and opened a link to the ship itself. He spoke a single word into it.
"Honor."
-+-
Sejeel anxiously awaited the results of the boarding action on the Minbari warship. Anytime now, Etana'kan would contact him with news. They would find out where the Minbari came from. If they were from very far away as the ignorance of the Drai and the Dominion seem to suggest, no matter. Even if they didn't find out the location, no matter. The Dominion won't actively look for it, but it will eventually find it as it expands even if it takes centuries. Sejeel was not a betting man, but he would bet that a Foundling was already in the region of the Minbari origin.
The Drai guide, who had been observing the fights through sensor readings, took a sharp breath. "The enemy fusion reactors are going critical!"
Sejeel immediately knew what was happening. "Transporters! Take them now!"
The Vorta watched as the war cruiser eventually converted itself into a massive fireball and waves of debris buffeted the Dominion attack ships and Minbari fighters.
-+-
-+-
Haran felt pain throughout his body. Pain! That meant he was still alive! His eyes flew open.
All he could see was a dome that appeared to be built of glass and metal. Stars could be seen through the dome, but they didn't glitter as they would through a planet's atmosphere. A space station?
His head throbbed with an intense headache as he slowly sat up. Looking around, he could see other Minbari, some from the Shaidar, but mostly from the Nial fighters. Other than that, he could see unfamiliar aliens looking at them.
One of them was looking straight at Haran. The alien was Humanoid, tall and slender with black hair combed back over an unusually large head ridge that swept up from the nose over the head to the back. The ridge made his nose appear very large. The alien's eyes appeared to be full of pity as he slowly shook his head sadly.
Pity? Pity for him?
Anger rose within Haran. He would teach the alien to pity him!
A door opened and a group of soldiers marched through, bearing rifles. They were of the same species as those Haran and his crew fought back on the Shaidar. One of those purple-eyed Humanoids stood with them.
One of the Jem'Hadar stepped forward and said, "this is Internment Camp 147. You are here because you are enemies of the Dominion. You are free to move about the compound. But remember…beyond the atmospheric dome there's nothing but airless vacuum and barren rock. Leave the dome, even for an instant, and you die. There is no release, no escape…except death."
Haran screamed a primal scream as despair and loss of faith in the universe tore at him.
The Vorta camp overseer watched with feigned contempt as the screaming Minbari collapsed. Other Minbari moved to help him. Behind the façade of contempt, the overseer found them to be very interesting.
"Seems they are adjusting," he said. With that, he turned around and stepped back through the door. The Jem'Hadar followed.
He met the real camp overseer and his body's surface and clothes became molten wax and changed to the appearance of a female Changeling.
The real Vorta bowed with the palm of his hands turned upright, his face filling with worshipful awe. The Jem'Hadar merely stood in a protective circle around the Founder.
The female Changeling said, "Make no mention of my visit. You are not to change your handling of the camp because of it."
"Of course, Founder."
With that, she beamed off to a ship near the camp. Upon arrival, she ordered her Jem'Hadar to take her back to the Omarion Nebula and withdrew to her room. The Great Link would be very interested in her experience of the Minbari. Interrogations of several of the Minbari, including Haran, had revealed their point of origin. Naturally, none of them would remember the questioning.
The Founders had become interested in this latest batch of prisoners when a report came of the Minbari commander mentioning Vorlons.
Millennia ago, when the Changelings were being hunted down by solids fearful of their shape-shifting capabilities, beings of light appeared in bioships. They gave them refuge at a base on a rogue planet that was now in the Omarion Nebula. In gratitude, the Changelings allowed them to make genetic modifications, including the wonderful and euphoric gift of the Great Link to give them something of the Vorlon psychology. When the Vorlons left, they gave the Changelings free rein to do whatever they want to do but with the corollary that their attention be in all directions away from that of the Vorlon Empire.
Since then, the Changelings had set about building an imitation of the Vorlon Empire that was now the Dominion. They've even succeeded in using the genetic modification technology left at the Vorlon base to rein in the Vorta and Jem'Hadar for their project of imposing order on a chaotic universe.
Even as they were gods to the Dominion, the Founders always wanted to know more about the race that were more like gods than themselves but they had to obey the edict of not going in their direction. And no one must know about that as it would undermine the whole belief system of Founders being gods.
This was why the Minbari was a great opportunity to learn more of the Vorlons and their handiwork. The female Changeling hoped that one day the Vorlons would return and give the Founders an opportunity to repay the debt. According to the Minbari, they and the Vorlons were now involved in a devastating and losing war with other solids. They, and the female Changeling agreed, were confident that the Vorlons would end the war as soon as they unleash their fleets.
So repaying the debt would have wait. It might be a century before the Dominion is called upon, but when it is, the Founders would be there waiting.
-+-
It had been several days since Haran found himself in the Dominion prison camp. Haran was finished bathing. It was difficult considering he had only two large bowls of water and a cloth but he managed. Larann, formerly his rii, came forward and held out a robe fashioned out of white bed sheets.
"Thank you, Larann."
"It was my honor," she said. She had managed to gather the sheets and use the crudest methods available to fashion the white robe.
Haran took out a strong string and went about tying his ankles together. Looking up, he saw that Larann was trying hard to appear impassive. He smiled and said gently, "remember our days in the education temple?"
Larann smiled in response. "Oh yes. We teased Lennier so much when he first came into the temple. He chose the Religious calling even though so many of his family were Warriors."
Haran was finished tying the string. "Did you know that I scorned him when he remained steadfast to his Religious calling when most of his family died on the Black Star?"
"I did not know that."
"Yes. Perhaps I was wrong to do so." He chuckled at the memory as he kneeled on the floor and sat on his heels. "Well, it was in a past life."
Larann brought two plates of food and set them on the floor. One was for Haran and the other was set for the spirit of Valen, wherever he may be. The former Shai Alyt looked at the food with concealed distaste. It wasn't his favorite food but prison didn't afford the luxury of following all the traditions. He ate silently with his fingers, meditating on each taste while Larann stood by, watching respectfully.
When he finished, he said, "do you remember when we listened to the one of the oaths that the Rangers took in the temple?"
"Yes."
He recited, "'Til shade is gone, 'til water is gone, into the Darkness with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Z'ha'dum's eye in the Last Battle.'"
Larann recited back to him. "'By my honor and the Light, my life will be a dagger against the Shadows.'"
He finished with, "'Until the Last Battle, to Z'ha'dum itself.'" Haran looked at the door leading to his cell. "Will he come?"
"Yes." Larann didn't feel like talking.
"It is amusing, is it not? That we must keep playing our parts in the dance of life? It is all a veneer, you know. Traditions. All a mask. Even the holy war."
Larann began to look stressed. "It…it is all we have."
"I apologize for stressing you. I won't say any more."
Finally, the door opened. It was the alien that Haran wanted to strike down for pitying him. The Karemma handed something wrapped in a white cloth to Larann. Haran bowed low to Valen's plate of food, paying obeisance to the memory of Valen and his promised return. He sighed and gave it to the Karemma as a bribe. Prison really didn't afford much room for tradition.
The alien left. Then many of the Minbari prisoners filed through the open door before shutting it. Larann placed the cloth-wrapped object on Haran's empty plate. He unwrapped the cloth, revealing a long bone. It came from a long dead prisoner and had been sharpened into a weapon. He laid the white cloth flat on the floor, pricked a finger with the sharpened bone, causing a bead of blood to appear and grow on the finger tip. Setting the pricked finger down to the cloth, Haran wrote:
Going, all is clear.
Autumn of the Circle's dance.
What, then, is the truth?
He had to squeeze his finger several times to continue writing and when he was finished, he bowed deeply to the assembled Minbari. He allowed his white robe to slip down off of his torso. Naked to his waist, Haran carefully tucked his sleeves under his knees and sat back on his heels. Deliberately and with a steady hand, he took the sharpened bone that lay on his plate. He looked at it wistfully, almost affectionately. It was fitting that a dead prisoner should assist a living one. He looked straight forward at the blank wall of the room beyond the other Minbari, imagining that his gaze was in the direction of Minbar. Setting his teeth in a supreme effort, he stabbed himself with both hands into the heart. Haran didn't move a muscle of his face. When he drew out the makeshift dagger, an expression of pain broke through his self-control for the first time but he uttered no sound. He fell forward dead.
Silence reigned. Larann, eyes wet, bowed deeply with the other witnesses and saw the end of the holy war in Shai Alyt Haran's death.
Vanity of vanities. All is vanity.