Chapter Six
Earth Alliance – Sol star system
Earth - Geneva
Earth Force - Headquarters
October 18, 2245
The meeting between the Joint Chiefs, Admirals and Generals had been going on for hours. They had been discussing the general strategy to be used against the Minbari. The Battle at VCB-37 had demonstrated that even though the Minbari were extremely more advanced, if the proper tactics were employed, they could be beaten. It also showed that the EMS/STL (Electromagnetic Spectrum / Search, Track, and Lock) system along the particle canons were particularly effective against the two known Minbari units. But it was also clear that creating another ambush scenario for the Minbari to fall in would be practically impossible to achieve, at least when a considerable number of units were involved. It was very unlikely that they would allow the Earth Alliance to achieve tactical superiority again.
The talk centered around the incapability of the current ship designs to engage the Minbari at ranges exceeding a few hundred kilometers when the two sides engaged with equal numbers, at least in Fleet actions. So it was left clear that any future fleet engagements where it couldn't be guaranteed that Earth Force ships fought at close range, the only units to be involved would have to be the Nova III.
The Hyperions had completed their sensor's upgrades, and the Novas were about to, but the program to convert Nova II's into III's had not yet started as the shipyards had been used for the previous sensor modification program on the Hyperions and Novas. The actual state of upgrades was such that it was needed to find a way to slow the Minbari advance even further. The last battle had certainly achieved that objective, but even more time was needed. Small scale engagements against their reconnaissance ships were deemed necessary. When fighting against single units, Earth Force could force a fight with superior numbers. They could even create less complicated ambushes to employ hit and run tactics. But it was the proposal from the head of EFNI, Admiral Roger Donovan, that was currently being analyzed.
"We have used special forces since the nineteen hundreds, I don't know what is so difficult to understand about my proposal. I just want to apply that in ship level operations. I want vessels to be specifically assigned to Special Operations Command to do the same in space. We need to send ships into Minbari space not only to reconnoiter, but to hit their supply lines, beacons, and to force them to use assets and resources to hunt our spec-forces. If we are able to do so, it may strain the Minbari logistical train to allow our fleets back home to overwhelm what forces they deploy here. Not to mention that it's imperative that we gain sufficient intel on their war capabilities: Shipyards, supplies, colonies, defenses. If we do that, we'll be able to move our forces with fleet strength to attack one of their colonies in a hit and run operation. The fear of losing a colony will force them to re-deploy assets that could certainly be deployed in our space." stated Donovan.
Admiral Ferguson sighed. "We do understand your proposal, Roger. We did that to the Dilgar. But there are several concerns with the Minbari that have to be taken into account before we even consider creating a dedicated Naval Special Forces Fleet under EFNI (Earth Force Naval Intelligence) command:
"First, the unexplored space between the Earth Alliance and Minbari is even bigger than that between Altair and Omelos. We'll need to deploy a redundant and none-interdictable array of beacons to be able to transit to their space. Second, the range of our older units would be barely enough to reach Minbari space, and will require a strong logistical effort from our part to keep up. Third, those units would be unable to fight the Minbari in anything other than asymmetrical warfare. If they are found, they would certainly be destroyed, and I'm not willing to send people on a mission unless they have good odds in accomplishing it, otherwise it would only be a waste of life and resources. Fourth, we don't have enough people trained for this kind of operation to be able to send a big enough force to accomplish what you are proposing, and we'll require at least a year to train them. Otherwise we'll be forced to send ships with the crews they actually have, and while I'm confident in their abilities, it would be better to have people specifically trained for this."
"There are ways we can accomplish all of that with little effort." stated Donovan.
"I'm all ears, Roger."
"As you all know, the Nova IV is less than a year away from deployment. The main upgrade for that unit is a hybrid particle-ion cannon to replace the dual plasma turrets of all of our Novas. We could install them to every single one of our jump capable units. That will allow us to fight a one on one engagement with the Minbari, even with an Oracle..."
One of the Admirals interrupted him. "The Oracles and the other older units don't have the reactor strength to operate those weapons. They are only second in power to our main particle cannons. They are even stronger than the plasma mortars..."
"I'm aware of that, but while they are too powerful to operate continuously with the reactor strength those units have, we can at least have the weapons capacitors charged up to at least fire once. If we use the Oracle which is our weakest unit for comparison, we could mount it with sufficient weapons that if they all strike a target at the same time, the target would be destroyed. The upgrades would be relatively inexpensive, and if that allows every single of our units to stand a chance against the Minbari, then I think its worth it, and that would solve Donald's concern about our units being only able to fight asymmetrically." replied Donovan.
Donald Ferguson half raised his hand, "That still means we'll be able to start operations in Minbari space in almost a year if we take into account the time those weapons will become available and to upgrade those units with the new systems. What about my other concerns?"
"Not necessarily. We can start immediately to deploy beacons from the New London Beacon Cluster and skimming Centauri space to avoid a direct link to our space from that vector, and at the same time upgrade the turret mounts of our units and build those extra mounts needed so that when that hybrid particle-ion cannon is ready, we'll only have to mount them. We may be forced to operate without those weapons for just a few months, and we could make those initial missions relatively safe. Maybe just intel gathering, or a few hit and run attacks with missiles or fighters."
"About your other concerns, The Oracles, Sagittarius, and Avengers have at least a shuttle grade hangar, leaving only the Hyperion to require a small hangar upgrade to be able to mount a shuttle. If we deploy fuel harvester shuttles to every ship, we could move independently from our logistical train as they could harvest fuel from gas giants. We'll only need food supplies and spare parts, and if we stack those ships high with them, we could operate for years behind enemy lines. The refueling operations would be a slow process, but will allow us to avoid sending transports to Minbari space considerably reducing the chances of Minbari interdiction."
"About crew special training, I'm afraid that's something we'll have to cope with, but with the time it'll take to upgrade ships and deploy beacons, we should have the crew ready for deployment." finished Donovan.
General Kiew Wong spoke for the first time "If I may speak?"
"Of course, General." replied Donovan.
The short of stature but wise General of Chinese descent, who was the current Joint Chief of the Army addressed the assembly "The Dilgar War changed our concept of ground warfare. We used to have huge armies to protect Earth and its colonies. None can survive without orbital superiority as they can be destroyed by precision orbital strikes. We changed our doctrine by creating space capable fighter garrisons instead of troop garrisons. The current size of the Army is almost 20 percent in manpower of what it was after the Dilgar war, but it is far more powerful due to the addition of the Starfury in its core elements. We have kept a dedicated ground combat capability to allow us the possibility of invading a planet in case we find ourselves in the position we had during the Dilgar War, but while we still have dedicated armor and mechanized units, their numbers have been considerably reduced."
"That has been repeated with our special forces, and we have struggled to keep those units in operations. The smaller specialized spec-forces have been easy to keep on payroll, but in the case of the Rangers, the justification for keeping them fielded in such strong numbers is only due to their name. But support in quickly fading, and I'm afraid that we'll be losing strength in such a prestigious unit. The Navy has been given a stronger role after the Dilgar War, and even though I don't like the consequences to the Army, I support that decision. But I would like all of you to consider using the Rangers for this task."
"The Rangers?" asked Admiral Ferguson.
"Yes, the Rangers." reaffirmed General Wong. "They are highly trained in spec-force operations, and as you know every member of that unit is hand-picked from other Army units. The majority of those units belong to fighter garrisons, so again the majority of Ranger personnel are highly skilled pilots, and with lots of knowledge about starship operations. We may still have to keep some bridge and specialized engineering crew, but the rest of the positions could be fully filled by the Rangers."
"These new and evolved Rangers could handle every special operations assignment thrown to them. From deploying intelligence operatives on civilian freighters, psychological operations, space interdiction and boarding actions, long range reconnaissance, combat search and rescue, infiltration, and the list could go on and on. They have the training infrastructure so that we don't have to start from scratch, and that would require little modifications to add starship operation training. If we want people trained in special operations then the Rangers are the best option, and would allow us to justify their presence with our new doctrine. We can merge EFNI's smaller spec-forces in to it, and the increased highly skilled manpower will also allow EFNI the increased freedom of operation they are seeking." finished Wong.
"I actually find that option highly appealing. The Rangers have always been at the forefront of special operations. This will give them the chance to be the primary force for the protection of the Earth Alliance, and would make EFNI the independent force I'm seeking it to be. We'll just need the ships." He turned to Donald. "Admiral Ferguson, what do you think?" asked Roger Donovan the EFNI Admiral.
Ferguson shrugged and frowned at the same time while saying. "It could be."
"We need this, Admiral, and we need those ships." added Donovan.
Ferguson sighed. "The war has just started, and the technological gap is huge. We'll need every ship we have available if we want to stop them..."
"We'll give you more time, Donald. We'll keep the Minbari busy hunting us on their own space for our industry to help us make a difference." added Donovan.
"How many ships?" asked Ferguson, sighing again.
"Three percent of the Fleet, counting losses. That way we won't be a strain for fleet operations."
"Explain that."
"If we have 10,000 ships, then 300. If our fleet receives losses and has 5,000 ships left, then 150. We'll always keep the EFNI fleet to three percent of the active Fleets."
"OK. But as your missions will mostly be based on stealth, you'll get the oldest vessels. We'll keep our strongest units in the Fleets."
"Could we get some of the newer Novas for some heavy hitting requirements?" asked Donovan.
"No. If we need to hit a hard target, that will be a Fleet operation. But you'll get your three percent, and if losses mount beyond what we can replace with the Hyperions then you'll get Novas, but not before."
"But..."
"No buts, Roger. You have your three percent. Take it or leave it."
Roger nodded. "I'll take it, Admiral."
Admiral Ferguson then turned to General Wong. "Make the arrangements to transfer Ranger operational control to EFNI. Any asset that is not required for their new mission, have it reassigned to other Army units."
"I'll do that immediately. Thank you, Admiral. It's good to know that the Rangers will still be leading the way." replied Wong.
"About that." said Ferguson while turning to Donovan. "I have no problem with the Rangers' creed, but their motto will no longer apply. Find one that suits them. They'll be evolving, so should their motto."
"It's a strong moral boost, Donald. That motto has been with the unit for centuries. We should keep it." stated General Wong.
"I'm not against their current motto, Kiew, but the moment they make the transition from ground warfare to space and ground is the moment that they became a new unit. Their motto must reflect their new mission. I'm sure Roger will find one that suits them well, Now to other matters..."
Earth Alliance – Sol star system
Earth - Geneva
EFNI – Headquarters
Command and Control
October 18, 2245
a few hours later...
Hundreds of individual stations, distributed in a semicircular way from the entrance were monitoring the thousands of EFNI operatives and operations. Many of those operations were ongoing, and several were in a dormant state in a way that they were not showing interesting stuff. There were several secondary bigger screens on the wall at the end of the semicircle where the officer in command could highlight certain operations, but there was a huge main screen in the middle of that wall, and a big and powerful 3D emitter right in front of the commanding officer's station and before the semicircle deployed stations.
Seated at the center was Commodore Thomas Jankowski. He was close to forty, black-brown hair, blue eyes, and very tall. During the Dilgar war he was a member of a SOG (Special Operations Group) unit that was partly operated by EFNI. As Captain Jankowski, he lost most of his crew when after several months of successful operations, the Dilgar became fed up and assigned a stronger force to hunt down his search and destroy unit. When his underpowered detachment, consisting of just two Hyperion and four Olympus ambushed a Dilgar supply convoy from hyperspace, they found, to their shock, five Dilgar pentacans waiting for them, each lead by a Mishakur class dreadnought.
The commanding officer of the EA detachment chose to fight it out in complete trust in the demonstrated superiority of EA ships over Dilgar ones. But if not for the quick thinking of Captain Jankowski who immediately, and after the first salvos, ordered the activation of his ship's tachyon beacon to attract near allied forces in a counter order from the detachment's CO, and if not for the very near presence of more ships form the same SOG unit in hyperspace, the entire detachment would have been annihilated. In the end his ship was destroyed, and few crew members were rescued from the wreckage.
After a two month trial for insubordination, he was found surprisingly not guilty. The analysis of the battle and the idiocy of his CO helped a lot with his exoneration. He left the Navy as a ship Captain, and for the last 13 years worked as an analyst for EFNI where he was promoted to Commodore. On the eve of the Minbari crisis, he was instrumental on determining Minbari ship capabilities and tactics through the use of simulators.
In front of him, the 3D emitter was projecting the holographic image of VCB-37IIIG. The fleet had retreated the day before, but two Minbari scouts in the form of Tinashi frigates had arrived several hours later to reconnoiter the area. For almost a day they had stood still far away from the gate, as if they were in fear of approaching. The huge amount of debris detected had probably shaken the commanding officer into approaching. Only two shuttles had been skimming the asteroid field probably searching for signs of an ambush.
Inside the asteroid field the remnants of the Minbari Fleet was neatly gathered under the watchful eyes of the Mark I GODS left from the last battle. The satellites had only been able to launch their missiles, but their short ranged plasma weapons had meant that they were unable to participate further into the battle. But before the Earth Alliance fleets left, they gathered the remaining Minbari wreckage in the middle of those satellites, which were at the same time covered wisely with the asteroids to avoid detection.
"Where's the Victory detachment?" asked Commodore Jankowski to one computer station operative."
"It's under electronic silence. It was approaching the beacon, and launching passive probes before we lost contact. They should be inside the system's boundary by now." answered the operative, keeping his eyes on the monitor in front of him.
"Are we detecting any uncommon emissions from the Minbari?"
"No, Sir. Both ships are operating their sensors at what we believe is their maximum power, but apart from that, the two shuttles they deployed are moving deeper into the asteroid field, and if they keep their current search patterns will likely detect our GODS in a few hours."
"OK. Keep me informed."
"Yes, Sir."
At that time the door to the Command and Control Center opened, and Admiral Roger Donovan came through approaching Commodore Jankowski.
"Thomas."
Thomas stood to attention and saluted the Admiral respectfully. "Admiral."
"At ease. Where is Daryl?"
"Rear Admiral Cellini is due to relieve me in less than an hour, Admiral."
"Good. Then I have a job for you."
"Eh! Yes, Admiral."
"The Rangers are getting assigned to EFNI, and I need a new motto for them that reflects the evolved status of the unit. We are getting a fleet of ships, and they'll become the main operators. That fleet will be assigned specially for special operations, so the motto must go accordingly. I don't have much time, but I want to get this done as soon as possible. I have to go with Dr. Shouri at research and development, so I'll like you to start working with the motto."
"A motto? Sorry, Admiral. But I don't think I'm qualified for that." stated Thomas who was secretly cursing his luck. Less than an hour and the job would have been Cellini's
"Don't worry, Thomas. I just want you to start searching for ideas regarding it. I'll join you at your quarters as soon as I'm finished with the Dr."
"At my quarters, Sir?"
"Yes. You need to be inspired, so it's better for you to be in a place you can relax. But if you want me to find you elsewhere, tell me."
"No, Sir, my quarters are fine."
"Good, as soon as Daryl arrives, please start working with that."
"Yes, Admiral."
"Before I go. What's new?" asked Donovan.
"The Minbari have two Destroyers scouting VCB-37-IIIG. The Victory detachment is positioning for a possible intercept. Fleet command is managing the operation. We have also detected jumps on two other systems in the Vega cluster at beacons 49 and 42. Admiral von Koester is preparing detachments of capable ships to start interdicting their penetration into the cluster."
"Good. Anything on the other borders?"
"We are picking up an increase in com chatter on the Signet beacon cluster from the Koulani border. The transmissions are emanating directly from Koula, and there are responses from ships operating close to our border. But the number of units have not increased. They are either preparing for something, or just intrigued by our beacon operation."
"What about the Ch'Lonas?"
"Ross 128 is reporting Ch'Lon quiet. No com traffic increase."
"And the other borders?"
"The same, Admiral."
"Good. Thanks Thomas. I'll see you in a few hours." finished Donovan.
Thomas stood to attention and saluted, and then Donovan left.
Earth Alliance – Sol star system
Earth - Earthforce Research and Development Division
Undisclosed location.
October 18, 2245
half an hour later...
Many years had passed since Dr. Masaru Shouri had become head of Earthforce Research and Development Division, and the years of stress were clearly showing on him. His hair was definitely whiter than before, and his face was full of wrinkles, but they were mostly laugh wrinkles. He was a man full of joy, and was always able to make people smile around him. He never faced a problem with desperation, but with a peaceful and cheerful determination. He was seated in a comfortable looking desk chair. His legs were swiveling the chair from side to side in a circular motion, while both his arms rested on the desk. He was browsing his datapad through the many engineering and status reports he had to keep track of everyday, when a beeping sound announced a call.
The doctor turned in his chair to face the video feed, and looked at a Gold Channel priority message display. He quickly ran the authorization code and the screen went live with the face of Admiral Roger Donovan.
"Masaru."
"Roger. Gold Channels? Is this necessary?" asked Dr. Shouri, a little taken aback by the security measures.
"I'm afraid so. I know you are busy, so I'll make this fast."
"No problem. Take your time."
"Thanks." said Donovan gratefully. "EFNI is being assigned ships for special operations behind enemy lines."
"Aha..."
"We are getting the oldest." stated Roger with a little disdain in his voice.
"Well, in a way it's understandable..." started Masaru.
Roger interrupted him. "But that doesn't reduce the risk my people are getting into. I can't... We can't depend on stealth, Masaru. I need those ships able to defend themselves, and we need them capable of operations at those distances without re-supply."
"Tough request."
"I know. But I have an idea that could work for us."
"Let's hear it."
"How's the new particle-ion hybrid coming?"
"Ah! I know where you are going. You want to mount those weapons on every ship. Don't you?"
"Yes. I know they don't have the strength of the main particle cannons, but they have the range and are strong enough in numbers to really hurt the Minbari."
"I agree with you in that, but there is also a reason for only the Nova, Nova II and III to be considered for upgrade to replace the dual plasma cannons, and we have a special design program to probably mount a couple on the Hyperions, and that is a big IF. The amount of energy required to operate that cannon is well above 10 Peta Watts. Not even the entire power output of a Hyperion can operate one continuously..."
"I know Masaru. I've seen the specs, but the Novas are still underpowered if you consider that we could operate a little more than four guns continuously, but the upgrade programs planned for the Nova, Nova II and III include replacing ALL guns."
"Yes. It will give our dreadnoughts great damage redundancy and a hell of an Alpha strike..."
"Bingo! You now got my point. I want every ship equipped with those weapons to give the Minbari a hell of an alpha strike to deal with."
"Roger, are you taking into consideration the amount of energy required to charge a single of those weapons? We are talking about 14.4 Peta Watts for a continuous operation, or 28.8 Peta Joules for a full capacitor charge. An Oracle will take more than 9 minutes to do so, and that's just for a single weapon. One will only damage a Minbari destroyer."
"That's not new to us. An Oracle requires a far greater amount of time to recharge their jump capacitors. I know they'll be combat ineffective in a fleet engagement. But if they are able to keep their weapon capacitors charged, then they'll be able to fire an alpha strike powerful enough to destroy a Minbari unit. If our calculations are correct we would need between 4 to 8 guns to do so. Now the question is. Can we mount them?"
Masaru chuckled. "You always get what you want, don't you?"
"As a boy, I used to cry and scream to get what I wanted. Do I have to do the same now?" the Admiral added with a serious face.
Masaru burst out laughing, and then added. "I'll see what I can do." he sighed. "I don't think we'll be able to do much with the Olympus..."
"Forget about the Olympus and Artemis. Focus only on jump capable vessels."
"OK, then. With the Oracles and Sagittarius I can't promise much, but I'll see if we can at least mount four. For the Avengers I don't see much of a problem, other than the mentioned recharge times, For the Hyperion ..."
"Ah! Yes the Hyperion. About them. Admiral Ferguson is unwilling to part with some Novas. So we'll not get their hard hitting power as long as there are other ships available. I need firepower, and only the Hyperion has enough growth potential to give me that. I need any upgrade to consider an increase in missiles and fighters, as well as mounting the greatest number of the new guns possible. I don't care if you move fire arc and replace all of the older turrets. I want them to be ship killers, and a great multipurpose platform, one I can depend for every operation."
"I'll see to it. About the other requirement. You want ships able to operate behind enemy lines without re-supply? I can get my people to work in a solution, but I believe you already have one. Are you willing to share your thoughts on the matter?" Masaru asked, half-joking.
Roger chuckled. "Well, for the Hyperions, we could replace their smaller tanks for bigger ones, and then add some extra more. It's got enough space to do so. About the others, including the Hyperions, we'll need to deploy fuel harvesting shuttles. The Oracles and Sagittarius are able to carry one each, while the Avengers could carry at least a couple in the frontal hangar, but another modification required for the Hyperions would be the installation of a Hangar able to mount them. That way we should be able to refuel from gas giants."
"What about spares and food?"
"We have enough space for food so that's not a big concern, but spares, we'll have to fill every available space with them, and hope they are enough to last. Can it be done?"
"Building conduits and mounts, and mounting cannons are not problems, but the modifications required for the Hyperion will be a little more difficult. I'll get a team assigned immediately."
"Great!"
"You do understand that we'll be able to do so until the new cannons for the Nova IV become available, right?"
"Yes, but I would like to have all the engineering work done by the time the cannons are ready, so we'll only be required to mount them. But if the Hyperions are able to be fielded with increased fighter and missiles capacity before the guns are available, will give us a greater chance against the Minbari."
"Good, then. As soon as the upgrade designs are ready, I'll let you know. You'll have to work with fleet logistics to handle the upgrades."
"Thanks, Masaru. I'll wait for your designs."
"Unofficially I'll start immediately. But you know the bureaucracy. Just send me all of this in writing, and with Ferguson's authorization so that I can start working on it officially."
"I'll do that immediately. Thanks again, Masaru."
"Don't mention it."
Earth Alliance – Sol star system
Earth - Geneva
EFNI – Headquarters
Commodore Jankowski's quarters
October 18, 2245
a few hours later...
Thomas had been breaking his mind trying to come up with a new motto. He was lying in bed with a paper notepad. He had his back resting in a very comfortable set of pillows, and was currently drawing all kind of rubbish on his current sheet of paper, his mind completely blank. The floor was full of paper balls in the direction of a waste basket. The basket was empty.
He picked his datapad and read again what was displayed on it.
Ranger Creed:
Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of the Rangers.
Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, air, or space. I accept the fact that as a Ranger, the Alliance expects me to move further, faster, and fight harder than any other soldier.
Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.
Gallantly will I show the Alliance that I am a specially selected and well trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress, and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.
Energetically will I meet the enemies of the Alliance. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass the Alliance.
Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.
Ranger Motto:
Sua sponte! Rangers lead the way!
He sighed, still thinking. 'At least I don't have to change the creed.' and then placed the datapad on one side. He tore the last sheet of paper from his notepad, made a ball of it, and threw it towards the waste basket. The paper hit the wall, bounced back and scratched the border of the basket to land happily besides all his other brothers: on the floor.
"Damn! I'm getting rusty."
He sighed again, Rested his head on the pillows, closed his eyes, and for the next couple of minutes he just relaxed.
When his stress had receded, he opened his eyes, stood up and approached the computer terminal saying. "Display all reference material relating to Army Rangers."
"Processing..." replied the computer.
Endless lines of information appeared with no clear order. He tried everything: From Rangers motto; how to write mottos. The list was endless. But on one of his motto writing queries, he saw that while a motto needed to be awe inspiring, and in consequence needed a lot of imagination to create. They were mostly created through the use of well known sources like: books, movies, series, games, and even real life experience, so he said. "Display Ranger in Science Fiction. Include only books."
The list was very long, again.
"Cross reference results that have the same subject in both books and movies."
The list was still long but far shorter.
"Order list by success."
"Please specify success." replied the computer.
"The ones that sold more books and had the greatest income in movies."
On top appeared: Lord of the Rings.
"Seek entries for Rangers in Lord of the Rings."
"Two matches." replied the computer.
"Display them."
The computer screen showed:
-Rangers of the North.
-Rangers of Ithilien.
"Give me a small summary of both."
-The Rangers of the North, also known as Watchers or simply Rangers, were the last remnant of the Dúnedain who had once populated the Northern-kingdom of Arnor.
-The Rangers of Ithilien or Rangers of the South much like their distant cousins the Rangers of the North, were a military group whose purpose was to defend Ithilien, the gate to Minas Tirith, and to prevent Haradrim and Orcs from entering Mordor.
"Are there any mottos on them?"
"Negative." answered the computer
"Show me the movies."
"Select version" asked the computer.
-1978
-2001
-2067
-2144
-2211
"Reproduce the 2211 version."
"Unable to comply. Requires holographic display and telemetry body suit." replied the computer.
"What about the 2144 version."
"Requires holographic display."
"and the 2067 version."
"Requires flat 3D display."
"Does the 2001 version run on this pathetic computer com display?"
"Designation incorrect. The model of this display is QM-2239."
Thomas gritted his teeth, clenching his fist in frustration. "Reproduce 2001 version."
"Select movie."
-The Fellowship of the Ring
-The Two Towers
-The Return of the King
"Start with the first one." answered Tomas returning to his bed, and comfortably resting on his pillows.
The movie started. It was definitely old as it didn't have any special features as newer movies. It was just plain flat. But... it looked nice.
As the movie advanced, he started writing in his paper notepad. After several minutes a paper ball made its intercontinental flight to the wall, and an aborted landing near the international waste terminal.
The movie played forward for several minutes, and another paper ball made a hard landing.
"Creiban from Dunland!" Shouted Legolas in the movie just when another paper ball made it to the floor, this time not even getting near the basket.
A few minutes later the Fellowship was returning from the failed attempt at weathering Caradhras, when he wrote in his notepad: 'I am a Ranger.' "Good a first grader start." he said and then thought. 'How pathetic.'
Frodo stands up and looks at the writing on the gateway.
Frodo: "It's a riddle."
The water continues to ripple. The rest of the Fellowship watches.
Frodo: "Speak 'friend' and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?"
The water shivers again.
Thomas Jankowski tensed on his bed.
Gandalf: "Mellon…"
The stone doors slowly swing open, rumbling deeply. The Fellowship enters Moria.
Thomas knew what was coming, as he had seen the newer versions. But this movie was still a mystery to him, and the expectation had him tensed up. The entire scene of the Watcher attacking and the Fellowship defending unfolded, and once they were forced into Moria, he finally sighed in relief. He went back to his notepad and wrote: "We walk in the dark places no others will enter."
The paper now read:
I am a Ranger
We walk in the dark places no others will enter.
The movie played forward.
Boromir: "What is this new devilry?"
Gandalf does not respond for a moment. He closes his eyes, concentrating. The rumble is heard again.
Gandalf opens his eyes.
Gandalf: "A Balrog — a demon of the ancient world."
The thing growls, still hidden around a corner of the vast hall, throwing fiery light on the pillars. Legolas's eyes show fear.
Gandalf: "This foe is beyond any of you… Run!"
…
Gandalf: "Over the bridge! Fly!"
The Fellowship flees. Gandalf does not follow, but turns, looking into the wall of fire.
A great form of black shadow leaps through the flames, its eyes of white fire, great ash-black horns curling around a bull-like head.
It opens its maw, rippling heat pouring out with a rumble. Gandalf turns, running after the Fellowship. A great, black, cloven foot stomps down into the hall, bursting into flame. A narrow bridge of stone appears in the fiery light, and the Fellowship crosses the bridge. Gandalf turns to face the Balrog.
Gandalf: "You cannot pass!"
Frodo: "Gandalf!"
Gandalf: "I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor…"
Gandalf: "The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udûn!"
The Balrog strikes down on Gandalf, who parries the blow with his blade, shattering the Balrog's sword. Glowing embers run off the circle of light around the wizard. The monster bellows at the wizard. Frodo gasps. Aragorn runs forward.
…
Gandalf: "You — shall not — pass!"
Thomas quickly wrote as the scene unfolds: "We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass."
The paper now read:
I am a Ranger
We walk in the dark places no others will enter.
We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass.
The movie played forward.
Boromir: "No, no!"
Frodo: "Gandalf!"
The wizard grasps the bridge, looking into Frodo's eyes. He stops struggling.
Thomas knew all that Gandalf was doing, he was doing it for Frodo, so he wrote: "We live for the One,"
Gandalf: "Fly, you fools!"
Gandalf lets go of the stone and falls into the chasm, spreading his arms, the light of the Balrog glimmering far below.
Frodo: "No!"
Thomas continued writing: "we die for the One."
The paper now read:
I am a Ranger
We walk in the dark places no others will enter.
We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass.
We live for the One, we die for the One.
"Pathetic. Couldn't the Admiral had asked a professional?" he said out loud while tearing the piece of paper from the block, and crumpling it into a ball. Without looking or thinking, he threw the paper ball in the general direction of the waste basket, and it made a perfect parabolic flight into it.
"Now! You go in. Now! You go in." he said in frustration throwing the paper notepad towards the other side of the room. The movie continued playing, but he was no longer watching. He had smashed his head on the pillows, and was looking angrily towards the ceiling with both fists clenched, when the door chimed.
He jumped to attention expecting the Admiral, and saying. "Enter."
He barely became aware of the sea of paper balls when the door opened. He had no option but to stand firmly and salute. "Admiral."
"Commodore." he saluted back looking at the paper balls. "I see you are redecorating," he said, while his eyes took a glance towards the waste basket. "or were you practicing your throwing abilities?" he approached the basket, and looked inside. "Hmm. No. You were just redecorating." he finished with a laugh.
"I... I was..." Thomas answered, and then continued with a lower voice. "off angle."
"I'd presume." replied Donovan still chuckling. "So? All of this." he said referring to the paper balls. "means you were not successful?"
"I'm afraid so, Admiral. I'm just not good at this. You should find a professional, an advertising or marketing expert. Someone who could..."
"No time, Commodore. I know it's important, but I'm not going to waste my time with this when we have the Minbari on our door step." Donovan replied while bending to pick up the piece of paper in the basket. "This one is either the one selected by the Gods to be the new motto," he said chuckling. "or it's the one who really deserved to be in the trash."
"Oh! Not that one, Admiral, please." pleaded Thomas in shame.
Donovan uncrushed the piece of paper and read. "I am a Ranger, that's obvious. We walk in the dark places no others will enter. Hmm, special forces daily routine. We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass. I like this line. It gives an air of invincibility. We live for the One, we die for the One. The One? Who's the One?" Donovan asked.
"The Earth Alliance as a whole, Admiral, or any objective worthy of the attention of the Rangers." he answered shrugging on the last comment. "I'm sorry, but I was trying to get some inspiration by watching this movie, and when I saw Gandalf sacrificing himself for the Fellowship, for Frodo. It occurred to me that that is what the Rangers will be doing for the Alliance..."
Donovan turned towards the com screen. "Oh! The Lord of the Rings." He said with a smile. "I love it. You made all of these by watching that movie?"
"Only the last few, Admiral... including the one your are now holding."
"I like it. It's not bad. Tell me from which parts you got the inspiration for writing this."
Thomas made a short explanation about the parts of the movie from where he got each line, and the Admiral was fascinated.
"Entering the darkness of Moria." he nodded. "The bridge stand against the Balrog. That's one of my favorite parts. Now, it's got true meaning."
"Admiral?"
"Many admirals including some Chiefs of Staff, including Admiral Ferguson," he smiled "including myself, are Tolkien fanatics. They will love this, once I explain where you got it from."
"Admiral, please. It's a first grader work. I wouldn't ..."
Thomas tried unsuccessfully to change the Admiral's mind. But if there were any doubts anywhere in the universe about this new motto/creed ever becoming the new Ranger's will and bravery empowering mechanism, then one should only need to hear any member of the Minbari Anla'Shok whom had been reciting the same lines for a thousand years. Lines that unbeknown to them originated in the small quarters of Thomas Jankowski, and that was inspired by Tolkien's words.
"Nonsense. It's simple, to the point, and exemplifying the exact core activities the Rangers will perform. It's all a motto should be. It even has the length to replace the creed."
"I..."
"You should be proud, Thomas. Sometimes the simplest of things are the ones that work the best, and I believe this one to be that case."
Thomas sighed, and knew he wouldn't get anywhere, so he said. "Thank you, Admiral."
Donovan just nodded slightly. "I haven't gotten the chance to ask. How did the last battle go for you? I know everybody lost someone they knew."
"Not good, Admiral. I lost some friends, and a second cousin."
"A second cousin?"
"Yes, Captain Michael Jankowski."
"Hmm." replied the Admiral frowning. "I'm sure I've heard of him before..."
"The Omega incident at Markab..." stated Thomas with slight shame. "the one that forced us into early battle in that system, and that started our involvement in the Dilgar War."
"Oh! The Omega incident." replied Donovan awkwardly. "I'm sorry to hear that, Commodore. I lost track of him."
"He commanded the same Artemis Frigate. His ship was part of the second wave under Boyarskaya, and one of the first through. He never got a chance to fire."
"I'm sorry, Commodore."
"We were not close, Admiral. I feel the loss for my family, but we never had a good relationship. I know it doesn't sound good, but I actually feel more for the friends I lost than for him."
"It's understandable..."
Tr'Ess'Na system – Minbari Federation
Valen'Tha Sharlin class war cruiser - Grey Council meeting
October 19, 2245
Four jump points opened. Green beams slashed towards them destroying a few X shaped crafts. The area surrounding the ship burst to life with the glow of several hundred missile launches. Secondary fusion beams activated trying to bring down the small weapons when from the vortexes came four light gray vessels with blue markings that had not been seen before. Plasma pulses burst out from their heavy turrets. The Minbari ship responded with all forward weapons clawing one of the vessels, and destroying it after a second volley. The human ship was definitely stronger than the ones seen before. Plasma pulses from the remaining three struck the Tinashi and the image shook. Seconds later, the first of several hundred fighter launched missiles ended their trajectory, the image rippled in static before any fusion detonation could be seen, and then faded away.
Coplann cleared his voice before speaking. "That was the last of our reconnaissance party. We lost contact with those two Tinashis, and are obviously presumed destroyed. This last one took one of their vessels, while the one before did so with two. Their jump engines are not as precise as ours, but it's clear that they were perfectly able to detect our ships while plotting combat jumps to intercept them, even with our stealth systems on."
"How is that possible? All the reports indicated they were not advanced, at least not enough to pierce our stealth system. How are they doing so?" asked Satai Rathenn of the religious caste.
"You are correct. Human sensor emission analysis indicate their active sensors are neither powerful nor advanced enough to detect our ships with stealth systems active. Our guess is they are using passive sensors to do so. Those sensors are normally short ranged. How they are able to increase their sensitivity is still a mystery for us, but sensor linking is an option." answered Coplann.
"Sensor linking?" asked Rathenn.
"Passive systems work through emissions triangulation. To be able to precisely calculate degrees on an angle, you need the triangle sides to be sufficiently long for an angle to show with sufficient decimals. You either need a huge sensor to determine the location of ship grade targets at long ranges, or you need to use several sensors separated from each other, and linked them to do the same. Otherwise passive sensors are only good for detection but not for weapons tracking. I believe what Coplann is saying, is that the humans are able to precisely determine the location of our ship emissions by linking their passive sensors in that way." answered Satai Alnenn from the worker caste.
"Yes." replied Coplann. "It's a low tech solution, and doesn't have the precision of our active sensors, but it's still effective."
"That means our stealth systems are ineffective against them?" questioned Rathenn.
"Against single ships it's still effective, but more than one will nullify our stealth systems as they can link their sensors to increase the precision of the angle's calculation Alnenn just spoke about."
Delenn was expecting the worse. They had lost contact with their fleet, and Coplann was showing them the loss of just two reconnaissance units, and was talking about sensor capabilities instead of the main reason they were gathered there. She asked even though she could see the answer "The Fleet, Coplann. Where is the 1st Attack Fleet?"
Coplann sighed, and looked intently at Delenn before showing them another image. The field of vision switched to that of an asteroid field. In a small portion of it the scene looked like floating small grains of salt. The image zoomed to them, and the distinctive silhouettes of Minbari ships and parts could be discerned. The view switched again to that of the shuttles approaching the wreckage. The pieces were now clearly identified as Minbari.
The image got blurred as the shuttle initiated evasive maneuvers. The debris field was suddenly filled with blue plasma pulses. The shuttle was able to move away towards the Tinashis to barely glimpse the opening of two sets of jump vortexes in the precise location of the frigates, when one plasma pulse was seen racing past the top of the cockpit, and then another, until the image was lost. The council chambers went dark again.
"All of them?" asked Delenn in near panic. Memories of Duhkat telling her that they needed the humans to fight against the shadows presented to her with the ominous meaning that they were not only fighting with whom should be their allies, but with whom Duhkat considered essentially strong to face a first one level race. Her blood run cold before Coplann answered. If Duhkat though they were that strong, had she voted in a way that will sentence her race to death against an unbeatable enemy? Had she sentenced both races to death when the shadows came knocking on their doors and found two weakened races? Or had she sentence her own race to death if they actually defeated their only possible ally?
All members of the council lost all pretenses and remove their hoods looking intently at Coplann.
The warrior's face was serious in a similar fashion from one who faced a problem expecting a solution and seeing another. He sighed. "Before we lost our reconnaissance party, we were able to detect the equivalent to 43 percent of the mass of the 1st Attack Fleet."
"What does that mean, Coplann? Speak without riddles." asked a furious Rathenn.
"43 percent of the Attack Fleet is in that debris field, the rest in unaccounted for." answered Coplann.
"What do you mean by unaccounted for? Were they able to escape? Are they possibly chasing the human fleet?" asked a bewildered Rathenn.
Coplann lowered his head and shook it in disagreement. "43 percent of the mass, but parts of nearly 80 percent of our ships were detected. If we were following their fleet, the humans wouldn't have had the chance to gather our wreckage below the guns of defense satellites."
"Defense satellites?"
"Yes, the ones that destroyed our two shuttles near the debris field. The only logical explanation is that the humans were able to move our wreckage away."
"That is impossible." shouted Rathenn. "Only once had we lost so many ships to an enemy in a single battle, and that was against the Shadows! The ships we used then were not as advanced as the ones we have now. You are telling me that the humans are comparable to a First One?" there was silence. "Answer Coplann!" he shouted in disbelief.
Coplann was part of the Grey Council, and as such he had the same rank as Rathenn and shouldn't need to cope with his shouting. But the fact that an operation handled by the warriors met such a devastating defeat, made him shy away and swallow everything that came his way. He sighed in frustration and answered. "Before we lost contact, our fleet had detected a strong human presence hiding behind asteroids. We were systematically destroying their cover when the human vessels launched a huge missile volley. Those missiles were half through the asteroid field when there was a massive outburst of energy that momentarily disrupted our communications with them. Everything returned to normal, but seconds later we lost all contact again. We can only guess what happened."
"And what is that?" questioned Rathenn.
"The massive energy outburst could only have come from hyperspace as there were no explosions detected in normal space. What was it? And why? We don't know. But the loss of communications a few seconds later could only be attributed to heavy jamming in hyperspace, and that only leave us with and option: Ships. Lots of them. How many? We don't know, but the human debris found by our reconnaissance Tinashis before being destroyed are consistent with at least a full fleet in strength, with the technology they have we believe far more than just one fleet."
"But what does that mean?" asked Rathenn again.
"That we were ambushed." added Delenn with a face lost in thought.
"Ambushed?"
It was very hard for Coplann to accept that as a warrior, but he could not hide what had happened and answered while nodding. "We believed so."
"How?"
"They lured us to that system, and were expecting us. How they managed to destroy our fleet, and how they did so without any of our ships retreating is something we have been unable to decipher. We momentarily regained contact with our fleet during the battle. At that time only 15 units were accounted for, but jamming was very heavy and communications extremely garbled. We don't know what happened yet, but we will, and we'll make it certain that it doesn't happen again." answered Coplann.
The discussion continued for a few more minutes before a relaxed Rathenn asked again. "What do we do now?"
Coplann answered with strength. "We strike them down. We make them pay for what they did."
"Let me remind you Coplann that that is exactly what the fleet we lost was trying to do." stated Satai Dhaliri from the religious caste. "I would recommend the warriors to smarten up, because this is not a race you can play with. They are not advanced that is clear, but they have proven themselves to be dangerous. Extremely dangerous. No one was able to beat the Dilgar, and they did so almost single handedly. After we analyzed their ships capabilities after the first engagement, we grew complacent, and look what has happened."
"We never expected them to beat our stealth systems. We could not have anticipated this." replied Satai Morann of the warrior caste.
"You had already lost contact with the Tinashi sent ahead to explore. You could have planned accordingly!" added Dhaliri. "Now! Returning to Rathenn's question. What do we do now?"
Delenn was torn apart. She wanted vengeance for Duhkat, but she also knew he would have disapproved. Not only that. He wanted her race to ally with the humans. So she said. "What if our rage has blinded us. What if the humans are correct, and this was all a misunderstanding..."
"Are you backing down Delenn? Might I remind you that you gave the vote that broke the impasse. Remember?" asked Morann petulantly.
Delenn looked as if she had been slapped in the face. She blushed but still answered. "All I'm saying is that it all could have been a misunderstanding."
"Too late for that, Delenn. We gave the order and with that, we set in motion a war that can no longer be stopped. My clan lost more than a quarter of its members. We are no longer fighting just to avenge Duhkat. The Wind Swords now demand retribution, and we'll not stop until every human ship has been destroyed, their colonies razed to the ground, and their population moved and imprisoned on their homeworld." Morann spat out.
Delenn was speechless. She was sworn to secrecy about what Duhkat had revealed to her. But in her rage she had help set in motion a war that would gain its own momentum if she didn't reveal her knowledge. In the end, and after the anger and fury she saw in each member of the council, she decided to keep things a secret, but still show a glimpse of what Duhkat wanted, so she added. "The Wind Swords suffered that loss because they were very eager to join the ranks of the 1st Attack Fleet. They put themselves in that situation. Their losses were terrible but were done so in battle."
Morann was about to refute, but Delenn stopped him by continuing with her talk in a forceful manner. "If this council was correct in its deliberation! and the humans are indeed shadow thralls! I will not condemn our course of action!" her voice lowered its tone. "But our decision was made in a moment of rage and sorrow. We must find proof. Irrefutable proof that they are what we believe them to be. Otherwise we may even be destroying our chances against the Shadows."
"If we are actually fighting a race that has shown at least to the League to have moral fiber and integrity, we could actually be fighting the only race that could ally with us against the Shadows. It's not the first time they have created situations to force races to fight between each other. They did so a thousand years ago and they could be doing the same now to weaken us."
Morann burst out in rage. "Are you out of your mind? We were not infiltrated by the Shadows! There was no political meddling! The humans fired deliberately against the Valen'Tha, and now they are trying to make us look the aggressors in the eyes of every other civilization. That's their play. I have no doubts in my mind that they are in league with the Shadows, and after this last battle in which they used deception to win, the few doubts I could have, had completely vanished."
Satai Shakat of the warrior caste spoke for the first time in this meeting. "I voted against this war not because I wanted peace, but because the humans are a new race to us, and I wanted to learn more about them before attacking. I agree with you Delenn that irrefutable proof has to be found, but I also agree with Morann in that this war has to continue until the humans are defeated or until the proof we talked about is found. The war with the Shadows as prophesied by Valen is at our door step. We can't risk having a potentially strong enemy rallying every race against us under Shadow banner, and while it'll be better having them as allies, the risk and danger of having them as enemies outweigh the benefits of an alliance. If every one agrees, then find that proof, Delenn. But what we truly need to decide now, is how to proceed with the war."
Everybody bowed their heads in agreement, including a slightly reluctant Delenn. She hated the humans for what they did to Duhkat, but the sting of Duhkat's memories still hung ominously in her thoughts.
Morann didn't lose time, and said. "We need at least two full Fleets to crush the humans swiftly..."
Solnier of the worker caste interrupted him. "We don't have the logistics yet to manage the resource requirements of two fleets operating so far away. We can only manage one for the moment."
"Morann is right. We need two fleets." added Coplann.
"Solnier is right. We can only keep one supplied." refuted Alnenn.
Dhaliri proposed a compromised. "We could send two fleets. One could guard our frontal base or bases, and/or captured human colonies, while the other handles combat and reconnaissance operations. That way only one will be a burden for logistics, and we can have a second fleet immediately available if the first needs assistance, and could also act as reserves for the first one."
"That sounds good. But we'll still require some time to reactivate two full fleets from our reserves..." replied Rathenn before being interrupted.
"We need them now, even if that requires reassigning defense fleets for offensive operations." stated Shakat.
"I agree." joined Morann.
"As do I." added Coplann.
"That will leave only four fleets for the defense of our space. Do we want that? The humans have shown capable of destroying almost one full fleet, and they were very aggressive with the Dilgar. They could be preparing an attack of our space for what we know." asked Rathenn.
"I agree." added Solnier. "Our economy is not yet geared for war. Many shipyards have been built and are working on bringing reserve ships on-line. But we just have less than 30 Sharlins being build from standard year to year contracts. The losses we sustained in that battle are comparable to more less 15 years of peace time ship building. We just can't keep up. We have enough ships in the reserve to manage the humans, but we need time. If we are attacked by the humans while having two defense fleets out, and our losses are similar or higher to the ones we suffered last battle, our defensive capabilities will be compromised. If the Shadows are out there, they could gather their forces and we may be caught spread thin. We could lose several colonies."
That last statement sent ripples through the Council. The humans had proven that they could beat them, but the fear of being attacked by the Shadows in a moment of weakness was worrying to say the least.
"How much time do we need to deploy a full fleet from the Reserves?" asked Shakat.
"We are building new shipyards, but all the new ones are being used to maintain ships from the defense fleets. The shipyards that were doing so were tasked in bringing reserve ships on-line. We need nearly a full month to complete the shipyards required for maintenance operations. In that time we could bring back to operation a total of 185 vessels from the reserves. From then on our rate will increase as new shipyards will start being assigned for that purpose. I expect taking into account new yards that we could have 729 ships to form a fleet in 75 days and a second fleet 45 days later." answered Solnier.
"How many ships are left from the 1st Attack Fleet?" asked Rathenn.
"6 Sharlins, and 52 Tinashis, with several ships en-route including the Drala'Fi." answered Coplann. "Not enough ships to hold the line if the humans attack in force. We can't wait 75 days."
"I don't think the humans will be able or willing to mount an attack on our space as long as we have ships in their space." stated Shakat. "We could deploy the 6th Defense Fleet, and then replace it by ships from the reserves after forming the 2nd Attack Fleet. That way we could keep our front strong and secured, and in four months we should have replaced the 6th Defense Fleet from our reserves."
"I agree." said Coplann. "The first five defense fleets are composed of 729 Sharlins each. They are very powerful. The 6th Defense Fleet has only 70 Sharlins, the remaining 659 are Tinashis that are in the process of being replaced by newly built Sharlins. That Fleet's strength will not be heavily missed in defensive operations, and will fully replace our lost strength in the front."
"I agree to that option." added Morann.
"How many fleets can we form from the reserves, Solnier?" asked Rathenn.
"We still have 228 Sharlins and 3,850 Tinashis, so more-less five and a half." answered Solnier.
"Then I also agree."Stated Rathenn. "We need one more vote for majority."
It was unanimous.
Author's Notes:
- The Rangers and their new motto from an EA perspective may sound strange, as we never saw this on the series as originating on an EA unit, but I wanted Valen to form the Anla'Shok from something tangible. I also want "The going into the past" thing to be managed by EFNI as part of a way of gaining intel on the Shadows and Vorlons. So in this story the Anla'Shok will originate from the EFNI Rangers. I have to accept that I'm not much of a fan of the Anla'Shok motto, but I decided to go with it to keep something to canon. I hope the way I made Thomas come up with it to be at least amusing.
- Special thanks for Zurvan for providing the wealth of information about B5 in pdf format. I'm not going to use the RPG sources as canon, but they do provide a huge amount of information not mentioned on the series and that I would have had to invent. I use the Minbari council members from those pdfs. I only changed Hedronn from the warrior cast for Morann to keep a little to canon, as Straczynski mentioned he was part of the council.
- As always, special thanks for my betas: Durabys and Susan Hilton for making this story possible.