"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants."
—Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, 1801-1809
1USS Excelsior
The list of casualties made Sulu wince. So many dead for one lost captain, killed by that Shadow ship at Mars. The Springfield, the Archer, the Eagle, the Ahwahnee. If there were any doubt about the Shadow threat at Starfleet Command, this incident would erase that now.
A bosun's whistle announced the activation of the ship's intercom system. "Bridge to Captain Sulu."
The captain activated the intercom in his office desk, recognizing Janice Rand's voice. He hoped it wasn't more problems with towing the surviving disabled ships. "What is it?"
"Sir, Ambassador Miranda has just informed us that EarthForce is sending ships to seize Babylon 5."
Sulu jumped up from his chair with alarm. "Red Alert! Order the fleet to go to maximum warp!"
EAS Agrippa
Captain Dexter Smith watched the roiling red swirl of hyperspace without seeing it. He thought it was a good thing that jumpgates were such complex and difficult machines. It took a day to power down a gate and another day to power it up. If they did somehow shut down the gate, they would be cutting off their main evacuation and escape route, which was insane. Besides, Sheridan and his ilk didn't know his force was coming. At least they shouldn't know.
Sheridan's secession from the Earth Alliance played directly into Clark's hands. The President could use the secession, and the Narn and Federation involvement, to paint a picture of an alien-supported military coup against a legitimately elected civilian government, further proof of the need for martial law, the NightWatch, and other draconian measures needed for planetary security. No doubt, that would solidify the loyalty of true humans to EarthGov, as it should be.
Perhaps Clark was right in giving NightWatch jurisdiction over all external affairs.
Dexter knew that he wasn't a perfect son of Earth, but it was enough that he knew the need to keep the Earth Alliance safe from alien influences. Neither was Sheridan, but he betrayed Earth and renounced his citizenship the moment he rebelled. Traitors and patriots. These two labels denote the difference between those who are loyal to Earth and those who spinelessly opened Earth to alien influences in the name of safeguarding Earth. The Minbari War had taught that to Captain Smith. Talks of unconstitutionality were worthless when Clark's actions were not specifically and explicitly forbidden by the Constitution and were for the good of Earth. Wasn't rebellion and secession blatantly unconstitutional?
He remembered the oath he swore when he joined EarthForce: 'I, Dexter Smith, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Earth Alliance against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the Earth Alliance and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.'
John Sheridan broke the faith and allegiance. Sheridan disobeyed the President, his Commander-in-Chief. By doing so, he broke the regulations and the military code of justice. Also, by doing so, he became an enemy of the Constitution, both foreign and domestic–domestic because he was an Earther, foreign because he dared to rebel and to use Narns and those alien Federation mercenaries against his fellow citizens. John David Sheridan, Hero of the Black Star, had a lot of explaining to do to the Senate and people of Earth, and to the appropriate military tribunal, of course.
But, as far as Dexter was concerned, they didn't need a trial to prove Sheridan's guilt.
The Agrippa's navigator spoke up, bringing Dexter out of his thoughts. "Sir, we're approaching the jumpgate."
The captain heard no emotion in the navigator's voice. Good. Everyone was still operating on military professionalism. Being emotional is always messy in these affairs. He nodded for his executive officer to begin preparing the fleet for the jump to normal space and to begin launching fighters. For now, the trial of fire that would soon erupt around Babylon 5 would have to do in lieu of a tribunal. It would be an ugly and awful affair, because it guaranteed casualties...but what war doesn't?
All too soon, the six Earth warships leapt out of the jumpgate with gunports open and fighters already launched, a mixture of starfuries and the new thunderbolts.
The Clarkist captain nodded for communications to begin broadcasting his ultimatum.
"This is Captain Dexter Smith of the Earth Alliance Destroyer Agrippa to Babylon 5 and renegade ships! You are ordered to surrender your commands and prepare to be boarded! This is your only warning! If you do not surrender, we will be forced to initiate deadly force!"
Almost immediately, a response came from Babylon 5. It was the traitor Sheridan.
"This is Captain John Sheridan, Babylon 5. You are executing an illegal order in violation of the Earth Alliance Constitution! These orders have forced us to declare independence in order to ensure the safety of this station! We don't want a fight! But if you attempt to carry out these orders, we will defend ourselves."
Captain Smith scoffed. Who did Sheridan think he was? Violation of the Earth Alliance Constitution? Rebellion and breaking the chain of command are violating the Constitution! Ensure the safety of the station? His acts of sedition were endangering the station! Sheridan may claim to not want a fight, but his actions were sure begging for a fight!
"Come on, Captain, you must see these orders are wrong! Leave while you still can!"
Wrong? Dexter was now mad. Wrong? While he might not be completely comfortable about attacking fellow Earthers, Sheridan was sure more in the wrong than Dexter or Clark for his blatant actions!
"Tachcomms, break contact! Furies, go on attack vector!"
The captain sat back in his command chair and watched the cloud of starfuries and thunderbolts fly out in advance of his six warships. Mixed in with the fighters was a breaching pod, designed to clamp onto an enemy's hull, cut through and deliver a boarding party.
Trial by fire, indeed.
Raghesh 9, Centauri Republic
"Are you sure this is necessary?"
The Centauri matron, swaddled in thick furs, looked down her nose imperiously at the nobleman. "No, Lord Trego, it is not. But we have decided."
"I-I must protest, Lady Morella! You must be tired from the trip to Raghesh 3 and you still have that goodwill visit to Brackesh 9."
Morella's eyes became as cold as the outdoors. "Seers and prophetesses are all outside government and guild control. We go where we please and answer to no one, not even the Emperor himself. Would you care to change that?"
Lord Trego shrank away from the former empress' look. He glanced out of the window to the view of the underground city in its ice cavern to avoid those imperious eyes. The look of a woman could cut deeper than a knife. He thought that the look of a queen or empress could as hard as a PPG. Out of loyalty to the late Turhan, he still had to steer Morella away from danger. Besides, Morella, as the Voice of Turhan, was almost the only way to balance out the Emperor's power. "What about Cartagia?"
Morella sniffed and looked away from him. "That child should have been exposed at birth."
The nobleman blanched at the statement.
"Now, Trego," said Morella, looking back at him. She was feeling satisfied at putting Lord Trego in his place, but she softened her tone at the nobleman. "We will go where we please. There's no need for further discussion. You have served me well, Lord Trego. Good-bye"
USS Excelsior, en route to Epsilon Eridani
"Long range sensors are detecting weapons fire."
Captain Hikaru Sulu tensed. Were they too late? "How many?"
The Vulcan science officer checked his long range sensors. "The space station has itself and two warships against six Earth capitol ships. I'm detecting at least two vessels the size of a shuttlecraft and an undetermined number of one-man crafts. I cannot attain clearer readings than that at this distance."
"Thank you, Ensign Tuvok." Sulu gripped the arms of his chair hard, wishing that his will was enough to push his starship to higher speeds. The fleet intended to rescue Kirk was keeping up with the Excelsior, but one ship already had to fall back due to damages to its warp coils. The damaged ships being towed by tractor beam had to stay behind in the interstellar void until this engagement was finished. Sulu was now left with a fleet of five starships. "Mr. Tiffe, what's the ETA?"
"Fifteen minutes at warp 8."
It might have been quicker if Sulu used hyperspace, but he couldn't risk exposing damaged ships and injured crewmen to the violence of that dimension. If he ordered the Excelsior to its maximum warp, he would be able to half that time. However, he would then have to allow several more starships to fall behind. The heavier cruisers like the Constitution class starships would be able to keep up, but the lighter ones didn't have that kind of power. An army, or rather a fleet, is as fast as its slowest soldier or ship. He needed all the power he could get to keep Babylon 5 from falling.
"Ms. Rand, inform all ships to stay together. Battle stations."
Babylon 5, Brown 95
Michael Garibaldi and his troops reached their defensive position.
"All right, take your positions! We'll cut 'em off right here!"
The armored Earthers hefted their PPG's and PPR's while the red-shirted Starfleet officers in their newly induced into the station's security set their phasers on wide dispersal fire. Mike Garibaldi could see the irony of the situation: the Starfleeters wore red shirts just as the thousand volunteers did for his Italian ancestor, Giuseppe Garibaldi. He hoped that his forces would be as successful as the Garibaldi Redshirts in the Italian Wars of Unification.
While they searched for cover, the Narns who followed them swept right through and kept on going. Garibaldi's plan to use the bottleneck to cut down the Clarkist boarders went down the drain very quickly.
"Nuts! Let's go!"
The defenders ran in pursuit of the Narns while the Starfleeters hurriedly reset their phasers to narrow fire.
Far ahead, the Clarkist boarding party had burned through the outer hull of the space station and was now blasting a hole through a wall. EarthForce marines charged through the opening. They met the onrushing Narns who stormed them, heedless of their own losses. The marines mowed down most of the Narns, but were answered with retaliatory fire from the Garibaldi's forces. PPG bursts and phaser bolts lit up the corridor and quickly died down as the Clarkists rushed the defenders for hand-to-hand combat in order to force each other to not use their energy weapons.
Up in C&C, David Corwin shouted, "Sir! There's another breaching pod coming in!"
"Hell!" Sheridan gripped the rail. There were just too many attacking Babylon 5. Already, the Alexander was taking heavy damages.
He hoped they would hold the fort.
EAS Evanston, Hyperspace
Captain Terrell Drake hoped he was in time for the pacification of Babylon 5. The orders from Earth Central had forced him to divert his flotilla to the Epsilon Eridani System. It was all very last-minute and there was no time to coordinate with the ships that were already on the way to the traitor space station.
Everything was becoming a mess. Mars, Orion 7 and Proxima 3 were subverted into rebelling and other colonies on the verge of giving in to alien subversion themselves. He'd heard that the extra-universal aliens had closed Mars off from Earth. Whatever was happening, Babylon 5 seemed to be at the heart of everything.
This was why Babylon 5 had to remain in Earth control and why aliens had to be cleaned out of it, and why the neutral space around the station had to become Earth territory. As a major center of trade, Earth could remain on top of things while cleansing itself of all alien influences and use it to get respect for humanity from other powers. Including those damnable interfering Federationers.
It wasn't enough that Earth had defeated the Borg which no other power like the Centauri and Minbari had done. No, humanity must show its strength and flag to everyone to gain respect in the galaxy. President Clark was just the man for that. Leaders reflect the people, and by seeing how a certain leader behaves, an entire people would be judged. Let humanity be judged through Clark and be respected for it.
"Captain, we're approaching the jumpgate."
"Very good, navigator. Order the Nimrod and Olympic to form up with us and we'll jump through."
Once through the jumpgate, they were appalled at the devastation. The Agrippa and the Roanoke were gone. Debris of fighters was everywhere. At least one rebel ship was gone and the other rebel ship looked like it wasn't in a condition to fight on.
Enraged and saddened by the sight, the captain ordered the communications officer to open a link to the space station. "This is Captain Drake to Babylon 5. You are ordered to surrender and prepare to be boarded, by order of President Clark!"
The response was quick in coming, but its content was unexpected.
"Took your time, didn't you, Captain? This is the Earth Alliance Destroyer Ares, Laurel Takashima commanding. We have Babylon 5. Repeat, we have Babylon 5."
Drake perked up at the message. "Repeat that, Captain. Babylon 5 has fallen?"
"Not quite. We have boarded the station and we are meeting resistance in the Red and Blue Sectors, we've taken prisoners in the medlabs and we're trying to get into Command and Control. But with your reinforcements, it's as good as fallen."
Terrell Drake swelled with pride at Laurel's words. It was over. Even so, he felt slightly disappointed that he wouldn't take part in the battle.
Babylon 5, C&C
John Sheridan could see the second wave of Clarkist ships approaching. It was over. The smell of ozone was everywhere; sparks flew from consoles which were not yet deactivated by emergency measures while smoke wafted slowly from others. Several technicians were fighting a fire near the door. Ivanova was still floating somewhere in an ejected fighter pod. Dr. Franklin and Dr. McCoy were being held in the medlabs by the boarders. Ambassador Miranda Jones and Captain Areel Shaw had taken refuge in the Alien Sector along with many other people, knowing that the boarders wouldn't risk fighting in that environment. Perhaps it was a mistake to not use Draal's help in the defense.
What about Kosh? Where was Kosh during all this? He hadn't heard a peep from the Vorlon ambassador in spite of the importance that the Vorlons seem to be attaching to Babylon 5. That was worrying.
"Where are they?"
David Corwin looked up from the pit, appearing stressed out. Sheridan hadn't meant to say that out loud, but Corwin thought he was asking about the intruders. "They're trying to break into the transport tube up to here."
"Garibaldi?"
"Unknown. Last contact was in Red Sector."
Sheridan took a deep breath. At least Delenn was safe back in Minbari space. "And the docking bay?" If that part had fallen, the Clarkists could send shuttles full of reinforcements into the station.
"Still holding. I have reports of several ships actually opening fire inside the docking bay."
The station commander grunted his approval. "Good. As long as they don't punch a hole through the hull." Then he added under his breath. "But still..." He looked up at the dark-robed Spock.
Spock arched an eyebrow, recognizing Sheridan's need for advice and seeing the similarity to Jim. "Last stands are vain, futile and wasteful. As such, they are not logical."
The wind went out of Sheridan. He knew he was beaten and that the Vulcan was right. The galaxy's best hope for victory against the night was gone. If Babylon 5 was a dream given form and the Earth Alliance had the potential to be so much more than it has become, and the two parted ways, then the dream has been severed.
No more. He wasn't about to selfishly waste more lives in fighting the Clarkists. The Alexander had announced its surrender and it was now Sheridan's turn.
"Lieutenant."
"Sir?" said Corwin.
"Order everyone to fall back to the docking bay. Seal the transport shaft. Now."
Far below the observation dome, explosive charges blew, putting the transport tubes out of commission. Sheridan could feel the controlled explosions through the deck. It was only a delaying tactic, he knew. By now, all station personnel and civilians would be making for the ships and shuttles in the docking bay. He wasn't sure that the Clarkist forces wouldn't shoot them down as they fled for the jumpgate or elsewhere, but they should have the chance to try. The captain stood taller and clasped his hands at his back.
"It is now a matter of time," Sheridan announced to the C&C crew. "The intruders will breach that door in an hour or less. I cannot, with a clear conscience, force you to sell your lives. I recommend you make a decision here and now. Stay and fight or..." His voice almost choked on the next word. "Surrender."
A heavy silence met Sheridan's words. Spock stood with him and turned to face the sealed entrance with a phaser in his hand. The Earther studied the Vulcan's impassive angular face closely.
"I thought last stands are not logical, Spock?"
"If I was human, I would say...'To hell with logic.'" Seeing a smile form on Sheridan's face, Spock added pointedly, "If I was human."
The human captain nodded with a grin. The grin quickly slipped off his face, however. He couldn't help thinking of the declining situation here. "Mr. Corwin, I think it's time for us to broadcast a distress call."
A grim response: "Yes, sir."
USS Excelsior
Janice Rand listened closely to the tachyon signals from all over the local sector. One particular signal attracted her attention. A voice out of the night under extreme stress. "Captain, listen to this."
"–coming through! Repeat, they're coming through! This is Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5! Can anyone help us? This is Captain John Sheridan of Babylon 5! To any ships in Grid Epsilon, we are under attack! Defense grid is down! They're boarding us! We've tried to evacuate as many as we can, and Garibaldi has rigged the fusion reactor, but–" A pinging alarm began to ring, interrupting the voice. "Oh my God! They're locking weapons! They wouldn't..." The tone of the alarm klaxon changed ominously. "Oh, hell! They've got weapons lock! They're actually going to do it!"
Sulu looked at Kruton Lojur. The helmsman looked back and shook his head slightly. The task force wasn't in range yet. Seeing this, Janice had to resist the temptation to bite her nails.
EAS Ares
Laurel Takashima had always wanted to go back to Babylon 5 ever since Earth Central reassigned her to the Rim. She wasn't sure why she had done the things she did when she was Commander Sinclair's deputy at the space station. Sure, the problem of being on the take at a Martian mining colony had followed her there. She was a little uneasy about being assigned to the seizure of Babylon 5, but she saw it as her chance to make amends and clean house at the station.
And now, Babylon 5 was as good as returned to the Earth Alliance's fold.
She was getting tired of the resistance that she was meeting on the station, so she ordered the remaining loyal ships to arm and lock weapons on Babylon 5. She wasn't about to shoot it out of the sky, only to shake the rebels into surrendering. If she needed to make her bluff more believable, she would shoot.
She waited. Let the rebels sweat and wonder if she would sacrifice some of her own people.
The rebels were taking too long to surrender.
"Weapons, you know the target. Fire."
The Ares' main laser cannon opened fire, slicing off one of the forward stabilizer booms at the front of the station.
Laurel nodded to herself. That should spook the rebels into surrendering right away. The boom could be repaired easily anyway.
"Sir!" shouted her executive officer, Reza Malin, in alarm.
Turning to see what was the matter, Laurel saw Reza pointing at a vidscreen. Her jaw dropped at the sight being recorded by one of the Ares' secure cams. She could see the flaring false stars that were a trademark of the Federationers' strange FTL drive. All too soon, five Federation starships were now sitting close by the space station where only a moment ago there was nothing.
A voice came over the speakers. "This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the Federation starship Excelsior and commander of the present Federation task force, Babylon 5 is under our protection. Stand down and vacate the premises or we will open fire."
"No!" Her chance of redemption at Babylon 5 was slipping away. She wasn't about to let the damned interfering Feds take that chance away. Scavengers! "All ships, lock weapons on these ships!" She harshly pointed at the communications officer to open a channel to the Federationers.
"Negative. This is Earth Alliance space. We have authority here! Do not force us to engage your ships!"
USS Excelsior
The atmosphere in the lead starship was tense. The Federationers were about to confront Earthers once more.
"This is becoming a habit," quipped Captain Sulu.
He could see the Earth destroyers and cruisers turning about to face the Starfleet task force. Since Babylon 5 appeared to be in Clarkist hands, except for a few areas where weapons fire were detected, he couldn't expect help from the station. And he was getting tired of battling stubborn people who could not defeat more advanced vessels except with superior firepower and number, both of which this Laurel Takashima didn't have. He didn't want to waste any time in this battle.
"Ensign Tuvok, do you know the Battle of Okardo?"
The dark Vulcan arched an eyebrow. "That battle was a defeat for Earth in the Romulan War."
"Yes, yes," said Sulu impatiently. "Do you know how the Romulans did it?"
A dawning comprehension came upon Tuvok's face. "Yes, Captain."
"Good." Sulu watched the Earth ships gather together to achieve the best firing solution at the Federationers. "Load three torpedoes. Time on target."
"Time on target, aye."
The Nimrod began to open fire with laser and plasma cannons at the shielded Saratoga which returned fire with phasers, scoring scorching marks on the gray armor. Sulu could see that Captain Marge Alexander was holding back the full power of her retaliation. Good.
"Fire."
EAS Evanston
"Captain! Energy spike!"
Terrell Drake anxiously looked at the vidscreen. He could see three flaring pulsing red stars shoot out of the largest white ship. If any of them were aimed at the Evanston, the interceptors would take them out as best as they could.
He frowned in confusion when he saw that the strange red flaring energy balls weren't aimed at any of the Earth ships.
Each of the torpedoes moved to between a pair of ships in the fleet of five Earth warships, looking as if they would keep going into the void. Were they supposed to be some kind of warning shot?
Then the Excelsior fired phasers. Not at the Earth ships, but at the torpedoes.
"What the–"
The torpedoes exploded. The shockwaves buffeted the Earth ships. Captain Drake couldn't breathe as his chair harness hugged him tightly as his Omega destroyer tumbled out of control. The lights flickered and sparks flew from computer consoles. Screams, yells and grunts sounded throughout the bridge as the noise of metal ringing and tearing.
The captain felt, rather than heard, more explosions as fighters and missiles were ripped from their mooring and tumbled around in their parts of the ship. Alarm klaxons wailed their protest.
C&C, Babylon 5
The surviving rebels watched in wonder as Captain Sulu managed to inflict crippling hits on five Earth warships with just three torpedoes. Sheridan, amazed and horrified, could see the flames of damages and miniature explosions lick out of four of the ships.
"The Okardo Maneuver," commented Spock impassively, ignoring the noises coming from beyond the command center's sealed door. "A Romulan captain used this method to disable two Terran ships in a war."
All Sheridan could say was "uh-huh."
Lieutenant Corwin said, "The Olympic and the Evanston are coming about for a firing solution!"
"Oh, hell! Couldn't they give up?"
"Captain! Jumppoints forming right on top of us!"
Sheridan's eyes widened. More deaths! "How many?"
"Four!"
Four vortices formed very close to the station. Out of them came one, two, three Minbari warcruisers and the White Star. On the bridge of the Minbari-Vorlon hybrid frigate was a grim-faced Ambassador Delenn.
"This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari Federation. Babylon 5 is under our protection! Withdraw...or be destroyed!"
Then the voice of Captain Sulu: "Glad to see you, Ambassador."
"I apologize for my tardiness. Enemy vessels, you are stuck in the middle—they are in front of you, we are behind you. If you value your lives, be somewhere else!"
The ineluctable logic of Delenn's words was crystal clear to the attacking Clarkists. Without a word and without a shot, the Evanston, the Olympic and the Nimrod turned and ran for the activated jumpgate, surviving Clarkist fighters hurrying to follow them through. The Ares and the two Clarkist Hyperion cruisers were too damaged to flee, so they tendered their surrender.
A cheer went up in the station observation dome as Sulu spoke once more. "Captain Sulu to Babylon 5. We are beaming personnel over to help you recover the station."
Sheridan was relieved and grateful. The fight wasn't over, but Babylon 5 would stay under his command after all. It was too close, though. He had to admit that his station had fallen. Thanks to resistance and the Federationers, the fall was not complete. Still, he was shaken by the experience. "All ships, return to base."
"Captain!" shouted Corwin. "Jumppoint forming in sector 7!"
"Are they crazy? That's practically on top of us!" A flash of blue light came through the observation window, attracting the attention of Sheridan and Spock.
"Reading one Centauri battlecruiser!" reported Corwin. When was this going to be over? Babylon 5 had become something for vultures to circle around!
The Primus-class battlecruiser came to a halt right in front of Babylon 5. The weapons on the Minbari and Federation ships quickly trained themselves onto the Centauri ship.
Sheridan was having the same thoughts as Corwin's. He added one other thought: were the Centauri insane enough to take on three Sharlin warcruisers, the White Star and five Federation starships by themselves? He rushed over to the rail around the pit. "Are they arming weapons?"
Corwin looked confused. "No, sir. All gun ports are closed. Repeat, all gun ports are closed." A beep sounded from the lieutenant's console. "Getting a signal from the Centauri cruiser. They want to talk."
Now Sheridan was confused as well. "Open a channel."
On a vidscreen, he was expecting a Centauri captain with an appropriately high hair-crest. Instead, he got the no-nonsense face of a handsome woman used to the ways of command. He was also surprised to notice that Spock looked surprised. Did he know her from somewhere?
"I am Morella, daughter of Hudec, and widow of the divine Turhan, Emperor of the Great Centauri Republic. We've heard much about the...ah...the events that have been occurring here. We are looking forward to meeting you."
"Well...," began Sheridan, flabbergasted.
"But...we are surprised that there are armed ships targeting us."
Was Morella being naive? The Federationers and Centauri were never on good terms. "Ah...yes, well. We've just been attacked and we're jumpy. You understand."
The majestic Centauri lady nodded once. "We will shuttle over and our ship will leave Babylon 5 space." She abruptly cut the link.
"Nice lady," commented Sheridan dryly.
Spock only said, "Indeed." A faraway look was in his eyes.
Babylon 5, Customs
Flanked by two Royal Guardsmen, Lady Morella stepped into the Customs area. She could see injured people walking slowly around, lying on the floor or sitting on available seats. A few dead were among the injured. Morella clutched her dress with barely hidden distaste. She had never liked war, nor had her husband. The reality of war was nothing like the songs, ballads and stories told to children and young men. Blood and armor never shone as brilliantly as those shone in tapestries and paintings. She couldn't figure out why men are so easily taken in with the so-called glory of war.
Women were right to shave their heads and rise above the trappings of status, power and glory, she thought. It was an unfortunate truth that the men ruled the Republic but the women ruled the men.
Where were the Earth officials to meet her? She felt vaguely insulted. All that attention paid to the battle cruiser that brought her and nothing to her, a mere woman. Trappings of power, indeed.
Seeing an aging man in a tunic the color of dark brivari, black pants and a light green turtleneck peeking out of the tunic. From the way he handled himself around the injured and deceased and the way he ordered others carrying stretchers and tending to other people, Morella surmised that he was a doctor. She walked up to behind the human.
"Doctor."
The Starfleet doctor turned around, looking annoyed. "I told you, I'll be–" The human stopped talking and stared at her with his mouth open and eyes wide.
"Christine...?"
Morella frowned. She was sure that she had never seen this man before, but clearly he thought she was someone he knew. "We know not of whom you speak, but I am Morella, daughter of Hudec. You will take us to your leader."
The middle-aged human's face darkened. "Now look here, lady. I'm a doctor, not an escort service!"
The former empress now looked amused. "Doctor, if I'm in the mood for an escort service, we would go to Centauri Prime, Immolan 5 or Centauri Beta and certainly not for specimens available on an Earth outpost. As it is, we are here. We have need to speak with your leaders."
The doctor chuckled, delighted at the lady's sense of humor. "I'm Leonard McCoy. Some call me a doctor, though I doubt they mean it. Come along, Lady. Captains Sheridan and Spock are in the main medlab."
Medlab 1, Babylon 5
Doctor McCoy and Lady Morella, followed by the two Royal Guardsmen, arrived at the entrance to the main medlab. The entrance was blocked by two Narns.
"Out of the way!"
The Narns, eyeing the Centauri noblewoman, didn't move. "I apologize, Doctor. We have strict orders."
"Dammit!" said McCoy. "I'm getting a cephalalgia from this woman's bilocation! Medical attention is required!"
The two Narn guards glanced at each other uncertainly. Morella only arched an eyebrow at McCoy's 'diagnoses'. The guards stepped out of the way.
"Doctor," said Morella, "what are…. What did you say?"
McCoy winked discreetly. "I'm getting a headache from your…" The doctor then appeared serious, eyeing Morella curiously. "Your appearing to be in two places at the same time."
Lady Morella slightly shook her head, not sure if she understood and how she should take it. Questions had to wait for later. She could see three men gathered around a fourth man lying on a table in the medlab, one of them with dark skin—a uniquely, therefore exotic, human characteristic. She recognized Captain Sheridan and the pointy-eared alien she had seen earlier on her ship's vidscreen.
The humanoid alien was the first to notice her. One of his slanted eyebrows rose up his forehead as he studied her. The alien's eyes shifted to Dr. McCoy.
The doctor clearly knew what he wanted to know. "No, Spock. She's Centauri through and through."
The dark-skinned human spoke up. "Doctor, the general's not going to make it. The middle meningeal artery's all torn up and he's hemorrhaging. I can't operate. The meningeal sac is too damaged for me to risk it. Isn't there anything you could do?"
McCoy grimaced and nodded. "Understood, Doctor Franklin." He quickly stepped over to a table covered with devices that Morella had never seen before in her life and that was saying a lot. Tons of doctors had seen her late husband, some even from Minbar itself."
Selecting one of the devices, Dr. McCoy returned to the unconscious gray-bearded human and placed the flat device on his forehead. Contoured to fit the shape of the skull, the device began to beep. Morella was puzzled to see the doctor stand by and do nothing. Was the device a form of advanced euthanasia?
The human general's eyes began to flutter.
The ex-empress was amazed. So the Federationers had automated medicine. Already, she could see all of the Great Houses of the Republic scrambling to either buy or steal the technology. It was one more reason for her regret of the path that the Republic was going down.
Sheridan said, "General? General Hague? How're you feeling?"
With a soft moan, the general said, "Like all the elephants in Africa had just held a tap dancing contest and they're holding the finals in my head."
"He's all right," said Dr. Franklin with a relieved chuckle.
General William Hague raised his head and looked around. "Status?"
"We're fine now," reported Sheridan. "Clark threw nine warships at us but they were repelled. Thank God for the Minbari and the Federation."
Hague dropped back onto his bed and grinned. "Never thought I'd hear those words from a human. Where's Major Ryan?"
Expressions of sadness came upon human faces. "Uh, the major died. The Ares scored a direct hit on the Alexander's bridge."
The general nodded, accepting the fact. "I know the captain. Laurel Takashima."
Spock said, "We beamed her into the brig on the Excelsior."
"I don't know this 'beaming', but it sounds all right." Looking directly at Lady Morella, Hague wondered aloud, "Did the Centauri help out?"
"No, sir," said Sheridan. Facing the lady directly, he demanded to know why she was here and why did she come in a battlecruiser.
Morella gave the Earther captain a withering look. "Captain, we knew that your situation calls for security. I am a Lady of the Royal Court and a widow of an emperor. Killing me, even by accident, would have started a war with Centauri Prime."
"But we're supposed to be allies!" sputtered General Hague.
The withering look shifted to the general, this time with a disdainful sniff. "The alliance between Earth and Centauri Prime was never my husband's plan for our people! He came to try to prevent the insanity he knew was coming. Instead…his death became the door through which all this pain has entered!"
"Your husband," Sheridan said placatingly, "was a great man. I was honored to know him."
"Yes. Yes, he was. But greatness is never appreciated in youth, called pride in mid-life, dismissed in old age and reconsidered in death. Because we cannot tolerate greatness in our midst, we do all we can to destroy it. You would do well to remember this, Captain Sheridan." Morella sighed before adding, "We are wasting time. You. You're called Spock, are you not?"
"Yes."
"We are pleased to meet you." She held out a limp hand.
Spock hesitated. As a Vulcan, he was not fond of physical contact except with close friends and lovers. He grasped Morella's proffered hand.
Morella took a quick sharp breath and closed her eyes at the physical contact.
A dead barren gray planet hung in space. Then a missile-like cylindrical object quickly flew at the planet. A massive fiery explosion fountained at the night side of the gray ball, converting itself into an expanding fire which quickly engulfed the entire world, turning night into day, even briefly making the planet look like a weakly burning sun. The fire faded. A blue-hued atmosphere slowly appeared on the dead world and bodies of water grew among the mountains and craters. Greenery reached out from the water to cover the land while snow appeared on high mountains. Soon, the gray dead barren planet became a living, breathing world very much like Centauri Prime.
One word: "Genesis."
Lady Morella's eyes flew open in shock. By all the 60 gods! The vision told her that the Federation had the power to create entire worlds, that it had harnessed the might of the Great Maker with its technological prowess! And this pointy-eared alien represented that power.
"Are you all right?" Dr. Franklin was already moving toward her. Spock jerked his hand back as if he had just touched a hot stove. Was he sensitive enough to know that something has happened?
Waving off the Earther's concern, she said, "Spock, when you are finished here, come see me in my quarters." With that, Lady Morella left the medlab.
"Like I said," quipped Sheridan, "Nice lady."
"Indeed."
USS Excelsior
Laurel Takashima hugged herself, shivering and slowly rocking back and forth. Her chance of redemption gone. Being taken apart on the quantum level, teleported and put back together like an alien version of Humpty Dumpty. Being imprisoned in a cell that appeared to be open to escape but was actually sealed by some kind of energy field.
She had tried to walk out when the red-uniformed guard left. The only warning she got was a feeling of static electricity making her skin tingle and her hair stand on end just before contact. The energy field had hummed and hissed, knocking her backward and leaving her feeling like she hit the funny bone in her elbow except it was all over her body.
If this unusually comfortable prison cell was this advanced, she didn't want to know what method of interrogation and torture the Feds employed. Would they use telepaths?
Perhaps she preferred telepaths to whatever advanced alien devices they might use on her.
The door to the detention center slid open. She tensed and stood up. Captain Sulu stepped through, flanked by a guard, and faced Laurel through the energy field. His face was grim.
"Captain Laurel Takashima. Are you comfortable in there?"
Should she say yes or no? Was this a preliminary test question? Was this the beginning of the interrogation? Why hadn't they dragged her out and pushed her into a chair first? Her eyes widened as a thought came to her. Did they have the ability to use various forms of gas for interrogation in this sealed cell? She decided to be honest and accept what may come.
"Yes and no. The bunk's good, the water and food dispenser's good. I don't like being in here, though."
Sulu nodded. It was a fact. "The Prime Directive forbids us to hold prisoners of a foreign power guilty of crimes against that power. It requires us to turn you over to Babylon 5. But Captain Sheridan is generous. You have a choice: stay here or go sit in a cell there. If you stay, we could move you to a more comfortable quarter and remain under house arrest there."
Laurel stared at Sulu. She knew that after this debacle, EarthDome would either send a large armada against the rebel space station and the Feds or agents provocateurs, assassins and saboteurs. If she were to stay on this starship, she would be out of reach of Earth and possible taken farther away when trouble comes. If she were to stay on Babylon 5, she would be within reach of Earth but exposed to the dangers of sabotage and battle. She also knew that Earth wouldn't be too happy with her performance here. She must get her freedom somehow. She had to test this Sulu.
"Can I decide later?"
The captain nodded. "I understand."
Weak. In spite of their marvelous technology and powerful ships, the Feds were weak. "Mark my word, Sulu. When EarthDome finds out about this, you will find yourself at war with the Earth Alliance."
A humorless half-smile: "Captain, after what we saw and did at Mars and Babylon 5, good relations with your government is the farthest thing from the Federation's mind." With that, he turned away from Laurel and walked out of the detention center.
Suddenly feeling weak, Laurel fell back on her bunk. Did things just suddenly blow up in the Earth Alliance's face? She hoped not.
Babylon 5
The door chirped for attention.
"Come," commanded Morella.
Captain Spock entered her quarters. The Centauri noblewoman had him seated on her couch. He knew that because of the odd mental contact in the medlab, Morella would be curious about him. She was hiding it well, but he could see it in her eyes. The Vulcan was determined not to let her touch him.
An experienced player of the Great Game played by Centauri noble houses where everyone had a hidden motive, every word had a hidden meaning and every action is believed to be a move to gain more power and strength, Morella could see that Spock didn't want to be touched in any way. She accepted this and began without preamble.
"What we are about to say is for your ears only, Captain Spock. We will not repeat it to anyone else and suggest you do the same. If it comes out, we will deny this conversation ever took place."
Spock quirked an eyebrow. "Intriguing. If I may ask, why do you speak in the plural?"
Morella said, "You do not know, of course. I forgive your ignorance. When the Emperor dies, it is custom for the royal consort to assume the spirit of her husband. Though the power has passed on to Emperor Cartagia, I speak for Turhan from the other side."
"Fascinating." He thought it was interesting, if slightly macabre. But then, it was presumed on Vulcan that specially selected priests spoke for great persons like Surak, Kiri-kin-tha and T'Plana-Hath.
"There is another thing that you may not know, Spock. It is not widely circulated, but I am a prophetess and a seer."
Spock wasn't sure what to make of that.
"You are someone who has been given second chances by the universe many times. You've even experienced death and resurrection. I can see that you are tied to the Pattern, the collection of events and lives woven to create history, universes and possibilities. You are a focus of the Pattern, something to which very few people in the entirety of history could lay claim. You are not supposed to be in this universe, which is why I am here."
"Truly?" Spock was only being polite. Again, he wasn't sure about Morella. Though, how did she know about his death and resurrection at the Genesis Planet?
"You are not supposed to be in this universe," Morella said again. "You must reunite your people or the stars will be rent in blood and fire. You must beware the man who remembers Surak's face." Sympathy softened her eyes. "If you would have your friend live, he must die."
"I…," Spock, frowning, whispered audibly, "do not understand."
"The future reveals itself only reluctantly, Captain. Take the sign for what it is. Look for it when it appears!"
Spock repeated what she said in his mind, memorizing it for later analysis. Was the friend she mentioned Jim? He felt uneasy about that one. "Are you speaking as a…prophetess?"
Morella could see the skepticism in Spock. "Among the Centauri, prophecies are believed and heeded, since they tell as much of what was as of what will be." She stood up, clearly ending the session.
Spock stood and thanked her. He was feeling confused and puzzled, something that was rare for the Vulcan man.
He didn't like that. He hoped it wouldn't happen to him frequently.
xxxxxxxx
"General Hague," Sheridan said, shaking hands with the tall man with the peppering close-trimmed beard. The Earther captain was out of his uniform. His conscience wouldn't allow him to wear it again until Earth's democracy has been restored. "It's good to see you up and walking, sir."
"A damn fine space station you have here, Captain Sheridan. Your people's performance was superb. You should be proud."
Sheridan looked around at his office, seeing Ivanova and Sulu. "I am. Proud of what we did, but not of the reason we had to do it." He paused to let that sink in. "You would be proud of Major Ryan, General."
"I am." Hague appeared sad for a while and then went back to his professional self. "As soon as I get back on the Alexander, we jump. We're both targets now. If we split up, it'll give them less incentive to concentrate their fire here. And there are still some ships out there who've signed on with us. We have to find them. Earth's in danger. Maybe the greatest danger since the last world war. Something has to be done about Clark." He looked at Sulu, nodding at the Starfleet captain. "Hopefully, with the help of the Federation, it'll be a little easier."
"I can't speak for the Federation Council and Starfleet Command," countered Sulu, "but I will do what I can to help."
"You have my gratitude, Captain Sulu."
"By the way, Captain," said Sulu, "did you really rig your reactor? We didn't detect any drastic change in the station's power reading."
Sheridan shrugged casually. "A bluff. I was hoping it would spook them away. Guess it didn't work." Seeing Sulu understand, he turned to Hague.
"Good luck, General." The station commander led the way out of his office. "I don't know how long we can hold the fort here, but as long as we can, you're welcome here!"
"Thank you."
As they walked down the corridor, they could see a NightWatch propaganda poster with a ragged strip torn out of the middle. It was clear that the poster used to say 'TRAITORS CAN'T HIDE'.
Sheridan, Hague and Ivanova expressionlessly exchanged glances while Sulu thinned his lips in sympathy. The poster was a reminder that victory still needed to be won.
"The human nations break and bend knee to the Shadows
Amid the wailing of lamentations and the gnashing of teeth,
The hidden fires swell, and serpents nestle in the bosom.
Storms rumble from the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the stars.
What was exalted is cast down; what was cast down is raised up.
Order burns to clear the path of the Light.
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, blood was, and blood shall ever be.
There is no hope without destruction,
For order rides a black horse,
And the name of it is Death.
Death shall sow, and the fires burn.
Death shall reap, and bodies fail.
The children slays ancient quarrel."
(From a much-disputed Tee'la poem by Shaal Mayan of Minbar, believed to have been published at the height of the Great War)
home song–a form of Minbari poetry that attempt to recall old memories and prompt new ideas –Encyclopedia Xenobiologica by Voltayre, Technomage, txt entry 2242.10272.X432.77