Paint and Powder: Defiant Hope

A Star Trek/Babylon 5 fanfic by Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Babylon 5 is owned by Warner Brothers. Azur Lane is owned by Yostar. Please support the official release.

Minbar

The Valen'tha was the most advanced Sharlin-class war cruiser in the Minbari fleet when it came to communications and computer technology. It had to be, for it was here that the Grey Council ruled over the Minbari Federation and coordinated the war effort.

Morann of the Warrior Caste was having, as the humans would call it, an exceedingly bad day already. Every week, more human ships were equipped with technology from the Thinking Ships. More of their raids were repulsed. And more of their people died.

The Minbari people were told nothing of this, of course: Only that the war progressed well and Dukhat would be avenged. Yet the situation was growing more dire.

The Thinking Ships had been striking at Minbari trade outposts and bases across their territory. Swift and devastating strikes were launched, before the Thinking Ships faded like ghosts. Their efforts to retake the Jericho Colony, critical to their further expansion into human territory, were bleeding them dry. Already they were reactivating vessels from the First Shadow War and frantically training crews to man them.

And their efforts to isolate Earth diplomatically were now failing. The Drazi had sent a massive fleet to reinforce the Earth frontier. The Abbai and Vree had resumed open trade with the Earthers, as had numerous other League of Non-Aligned Worlds. The Narn and the Centauri were offering support, far less covert than before.

And the Vorlons still said nothing! Despite their entreaties and communications to them!

Morann sat in his sanctum, contemplating all of this. It was clear that fighting the humans in the same way was not sustainable. Efforts had to be made to change the course of the war.

His eyes opened as he hit upon an idea. He tapped his comm.

"Yes, Satai?"

"Have Alyt Shakiri come to me immediately," he ordered.

"It will be done."

It took only a few hours for the Minbari warrior to arrive in Morann's quarters. He bowed low to the Grey Council member.

"Satai, it is an honor to be called to your service."

"Your service honors us," Morann stated. "Shakiri: You proposed that we begin striking League Worlds that were supporting the Earthers, yes?"

Shakiri nodded grimly.

"I did, Satai. It was rejected by the other members of the Council," he said.

"Well," Morann stated, "I have a new mission for you." He tapped his console, and a holographic image of a massive Earth ship appeared.

"This is the EAS Enterprise," he explained, "it is one of the first of the Earthforce's new Thinking Ships, a Poseidon-class supercarrier. It is equipped with technology from the Defiant: Their beam weapons, their inertia defeating devices, deflectors, and many others. Their fighters are similarly upgraded. It is conducting its shakedown trials in orbit around Cyrus III, a major Drazi colony."

"The site of a great victory for the Earthers in the Dilgar War," Shakiri recited from memory, frowning. "It is deep in Drazi space."

"But not unassailable," Morann insisted. "You will go to this system... And destroy the Cyrus III outpost. If the Enterprise attempts to engage, you will destroy it if possible, but withdraw if you suffer too many losses."

Shakiri frowned deeply.

"Satai... My proposal was to make covert strikes on supply depots and outposts," he pointed out, "to destroy such a large outpost... A civilian one-"

"Our usual efforts will not avail us in this war, Shakiri," Morann stated, "this base is where the Drazi Support Fleet for the Earthers was launched. Destroying it will hamper their ability to support the humans, and send a clear message: Aiding the Earthers will bring only death."

Shakiri slowly nodded.

"I obey, Satai," he stated.

"Take only those ships you can trust, from my own fleet if necessary," Morann further ordered. "After this strike is complete, withdraw and await my further instructions."

"Yes Satai."

With that, Shakiri left. Morann sighed under his breath.

He had pushed for this plan with Coplann, but the elder warrior had rejected it. As had that priest turned warrior, Bramner. Well... No matter. The Warrior Caste had done the fighting and dying in this war: They knew how to win it. And the only way to turn it around was to intimidate those who would dare to aid their enemies.

He resumed his meditation, troubled thoughts weighing heavily on his mind.

It was several hours later when he received a summons to the Council Chambers. He arrived in his robes, and took his spot in the dark command room. He looked around, puzzled. A similar expression was on several other Satai's faces.

"Where is Delenn?" He asked.

"She stated she had a mission of great urgency with Bramner, her kinsmen, and she left the ship an hour ago," Coplann stated, looking disapproving.

"Something more important than answering the Grey Council's summon?" Morann scoffed.

"For that matter, who called the meeting?" Jeminer of the Religious Caste asked, a frown adding to the deep wrinkles on his face. Silence ensued, as all the Grey Council members looked about.

"The only thing of significance to happen would be the arrival of the Blood of Sacrifice's task force," Coplann stated. With a gesture from his staff, the holodisplay showed a group of Sharlin and Tinashi class ships in orbit nearby. "We hailed them, but they have not responded for some time."

"Oh... That's because I didn't care to talk until I had you all together," a sensuous female voice rippled across the room. A shimmer of light appeared in the center, green and vibrant. It soon revealed a tall, shapely woman in red, gold and black. Coplann would have called her a human, save for the ridges on her forehead, the green tint to her cheeks, and her pointed ears. She was dressed as sinfully as some human females on their communications networks though-Stockings held up with strips of cloth, under a decadent red and golden dress that showed off her cleavage and legs. She wore a golden bird-like ornament in her hair, shining almost as much as her scarlet eyes. She sauntered up to them, a bit unsteadily, even as weapons were raised against her.

"Who are you?! How did you get here-?!" Jeminer demanded... Before he collapsed. He screamed in agony as the gravity increased, making the air itself shimmer and waver as though superheated. Coplann watched in horror as the Minbari was reduced to a puddle of liquids. The woman held back her hand, and what was Jeminer oozed all over the floor.

Coplann and Morann immediately made to charge the woman, but the gravity underneath them increased and slammed them into the deck. The woman tittered, like a rin-try bird at sunrise.

"Oh my! This gynoid body isn't quite as coordinated as I would like," she mused, "I suppose I will have to kill Engineer Yethri for that oversight."

"Who... What are you?!" Coplann demanded. The woman laughed again, like the bells to mark an upcoming execution.

"Oh, how rude of me! I am the IRW Bloodwing. I am another of those 'Thinking Ships'-What a charming phrase!-but I was made by enemies of the Federation. The greatest empire in the galaxy: The Romulan Star Empire. Imagine my shock to find a race that hated humanity almost as much as my own!" She covered her mouth, giggling, as her wide eyes looked over the Grey Council like they were slabs of meat.

"You are losing this war, are you not?" She asked. She grinned as she lowered her hand from her mouth, and licked her lips, "I want to help you win."

"Wh-What?" Rathen, of the Religious Caste, gasped.

"I am willing to aid you," Bloodwing said slowly, as though to a child. She walked over through the heightened gravity, her steps becoming steadier. She caressed Rathen's cheek.

"I will not rest until Earth is a burning, blackened ruin," she cooed, "until their skies are filled with smoke and ash from the funeral pyres for all of their wretched race. Until the name of mankind is nothing more than a legend, whispered in dark corners. I want to turn the Sol system into a glorious tomb for all of them..." She drew her pointed nail across his cheek, drawing blood and making him hiss. She tittered again, as she licked the blood from her finger.

"Mmm... Too much iron," she made a face. She turned and sashayed into the middle of the room. "My terms are quite simple. You can either obey me... Or I kill you all."

She held up her hand, and the targeting view of the Valen'tha appeared on the holoscreens. Numerous Minbari cities appeared as Bloodwing hummed.

"Hmmm... Which should I start with? Oh! How about... Yedor? Your charming capital city?" The view changed to that of the gleaming crown jewel of Minbar itself. "Have you never seen a city vanish in nuclear hellfire from orbit? It is astonishing to observe~!"

"What do you want?!" Coplann barked. "What must we do to stop you?!"

Bloodwing paused. She turned and beamed, putting her arms behind her back and thrusting out her huge cleavage.

"Why... I ask for nothing but your obedience!" Bloodwing giggled. "You will obey me, there is no question of that. But you can serve me just as well as corpses."

She waved her hand and numerous holographic replicas of the Grey Council members appeared.

"I could replace you all and rule as though nothing had happened," Bloodwing mused, "but that... Would be dull. And cleaning up all this blood is so tedious. So instead!" She beamed, her features transforming via hologram into an equally seductive Minbari female's form. She paused to summon up a holographic mirror, and admired herself with a kiss to her reflection, before she resumed speaking.

"I will be Satai Akel," she stated, "an new Grey Council Member. Inducted due to the very sad death of Jeminer."

She stepped into the puddle that was Jeminer, carelessly.

"Officially I will just be another member of the Grey Council," she said cheerfully. She turned to the Minbari, her eyes gleaming with madness.

"Unofficially... You will call me by my proper title... Empress Bloodwing," she hissed. "And in return... I shall let you destroy Earth. I will make the Minbari an Empire to strike terror in the hearts of all sapient life across this galaxy."

She sat on the back of one of the humbled Satai, crossing her legs and smirking at the Minbari.

"So... Do we have a deal? Or should I just kill you all right here and now?"

This day, Morann reflected, had somehow gotten worse.

The days ahead would be no better, as the Grey Council voted. Coplann attempted suicide, but Bloodwing stopped him. She said it would be no fun.

After that, the vote was unanimous.

EarthDome, Geneva Switzerland

With brisk steps, Erik headed down the vast halls of the Earth Alliance's central headquarters. He couldn't fathom why he had been called back to Earth, especially since the frontlines were still far from stable. He found it remarkably easy to adjust to the new command structure, immediately finding favor with the GROPOS and Marines, who were receiving an education in ground warfare, Starfleet style! Being a full on dedicated military, EarthForce was much more receptive to the more militaristic traditions Starfleet had been built on. There was even talk of naming a unit "MACO Battalion" to pay homage.

As for Defiant herself, while she quickly warmed to her new captain and crew, seeing her chief of security in his rightful place at tactical made her feel at ease. It wasn't lost on Erik either, given how close she had stuck to him for those first couple of days. He understood why, Defiant was afraid this was all some cruel dream and she'd find herself waking up and he would be gone.

He had made it a point to spend much of his off duty hours with the shipgirl. Their relationship was a bond was born of loss, being the sole survivors of their original crew. Erik had no romantic interest in Defiant, it more like he saw her as a much loved sister. The arrival of the Defiant, Archer, and Shran had caused the war with the Minbari to grind to a halt, but it wasn't over, not by a long shot.

What little intel that filtered across from enemy territory painted a rather interesting picture. The "Thinking Ships" as the Minbari had come to call the ship girls, had taken them all off guard, and the Grey Council had ordered their capture to be made top priority. While many of the EarthForce brass and the politicians at EarthDome seemed it laughable, Erik knew they couldn't be too overconfident. Luck was a tricky mistress and could turn against them just as quickly.

Although they hadn't been idle either. Thanks to clippings offered by Defiant herself, EarthForce was beginning to create a new generation of ship girls of their own, and included among them was even a copy of Enterprise! That last one certainly made Erik take notice. The most legendary of all ship girls would make for a powerful rallying point. A whole new class of ships would become the bodies of this new "Armored Core" everyone was talking about. In all, things were looking up for the Earth Alliance.

Of course none of that mattered to Erik at that time. He was standing in front of the large bay windows, looking out at the lake, the water lapping against the rocks. A part of him thought of being back on his Earth. "It never gets old does it?" He turned to see General Leftcourt sidle up next to him. He sighed nostalgically. "I can stand here for hours looking at the view. It's a good way to get the nerves settled and a reminder of what we're trying to protect."

The younger man nodded. "No arguments here, sir. I was actually just thinking of home. Starfleet Headquarters is in San Francisco, you want to talk about a view! From San Francisco Bay to the Golden Gate Bridge and out onto the Pacific Ocean. It's a sight forever burned into my memory." Erik tapped his foot against the hard granite floor. "But we're not here to discuss pleasant vistas, are we General? You called us back, and asked for me specifically. Here I am."

Leftcourt smirked, beckoning with his hand. "I like a man who gets right to the point. Walk with me." The two continued down the halls of EarthDome. "I have a rather sensitive mission that requires a certain kind of expertise, and I think you may be the man for the job. One of our vessels, the EAS Pangea, went missing last week. I would like you to personally head up the search for it, Commander." He hesitated for a minute, grimacing. "It pains me to say this, but I'm doing it as a personal favor for a friend of mine in the Senate. His daughter serves on the Pangea, and he's worried about her."

"Things are always so much fun when politics gets involved." Erik shook his head, before getting back to business. "You said I was to head up the hunt myself, does that mean I won't be going on the Defiant then?"

Leftcourt leaned against the wall. "No, she'll be remaining here for the immediate future. Earthgov feels it's the right time to introduce Defiant to the general public. She brought us hope and President Levy wants the populace to see that for themselves. The propaganda front is as important to win as any other. You will be taking temporary command of the Shran, as I understand you have a particular history with that ship."

Erik wore a fond smile. "Indeed I do, General. You never forget your first assignment after all." He went back to gazing out the window. "You know, becoming a starship captain is the position that everyone wants. But that's not what I entered the academy for. I'm a simple guy, General, my response to any problem is to punch it, or shoot it. Becoming chief of security was my dream job. Becoming a captain requires a certain amount of polish and I never felt I had that."

Leftcourt patted Erik on the back. "You don't what you're capable of until you make the effort. Defiant brought us hope, and you then you brought hope to her. Now you have have the chance to bring hope to Captain Lee and her crew, provided they're still alive. Hope is a gift that keeps on giving. I'm sure you will do just fine in that regard, Commander."

"Thank you, General. When do I depart?"

"The sooner the better. We've already sent all the necessary data to the Shran, all that it requires is her captain." Leftcourt saluted. "So you should get going." Erik returned the gesture and departed, ready to lead the search for hope.

Alfaoner wasn't the type of Minbari really who stood out in the crowd. A humble member of the Worker Caste he did his job, did it well enough, and was content to hang in the background, focusing on his research while others took the spotlight. He saw little need to engage in any kind of power plays or office politics. There were more important things to deal with in his eyes. Most of the people here didn't care at all about him, it was just a chance to name drop, shake hands and look important. "This is all so pointless." He huffed as he shook hands with yet another dignitary whose name he would forget in the morning. "I could be back at my lab doing some productive for our society and yet I have to sit through this tripe!"

"Oh come now, Al. It's not all that bad." A tall, weathered Minbari came up, holding a couple glasses of wine. He grinned, holding out one glass to him. "I mean let's face it, the fact you've even come out of your lab at all is a huge step for you!" Iskar, a member of the Raging Winter Clan, not to mention a senior Anla'shok, was the last person one would expect to be friends with a guy like Alfaoner, yet they were as brothers. The scientist just snorted, taking the offered beverage. The two stood by a window. "In all seriousness, it is surprising to see you here. You've turned down every invite to such functions before, so what changed?"

"Well, the invitation did come from the Grey Council themselves. It would be the height of rudeness to decline, would it not?" Alfaoner explained. His eyes heading to a set of elaborate double doors. "Personally though, it's because I'm curious about this new Satai that's replaced Jeimler. You are no stranger to bureaucracy, Kar. You know as well as I do how long it usually takes for such appointments to go through. The minute he dies and then this new face, this Satai Akel, appears just like that?" He shook his head. "Every sense in my body is telling me something is wrong. Since this party is her big debut. I wanted to meet her face to face, and see for myself where she stands."

Iskar whistled. "You always were a bold one, Al." He looked about at his fellow Minbari. "I'll admit, there are more than a few of my comrades who are somewhat perturbed at this turn of events. We shall see what the night brings, but in the meantime, let's enjoy ourselves." The two made the rounds of the room. Alfaoner was content to let Iskar do the talking for them both. Suddenly the doors swung open, admitting a figure in a hooded grey robe. All idle chatter stopped.

"Announcing the arrival of the Grey Council!" the herald barked, and the leaders of the Minbari Federation entered the hall. It wasn't difficult to pick out the newest member of the council. Several of the men, and even a couple of the women could only gape in astonishment at Satai Akel's choice of dress. The robes, a brilliant crimson red the same color as freshly shed blood, were tailored to her lithe, fit body, revealing a pair of stunning, flawless legs that went on for miles. There was a window in the chest, revealing way too much cleavage than necessary, another step and they looked like they would spill out, not to mention the golden ornament that resembled a bird with swept wings adorning her head crest.

The crowd parted for Akel as she sashayed to the stage stage, every step oozing with confidence, maybe even arrogance. To all she appeared to be an empress ascending her throne. She gave them all a charming smile as she stood at the podium. "Greetings to you all, my fellow Minbari!" Her voice was rich with authority, not to mention an underlying sexuality. "I am proud to finally greet you all face to face. My name is Satai Akel, and I am the newest member of the Grey Council." She gave a sweeping bow, which was met by great applause. She held up her hands for silence. "But first, let us have a moment of silence for the tragic and sudden demise of my predecessor and mentor, Satai Jeimler."

Alfaoner cocked his head slightly that, noting how Akel gripped the sides of the podium as a pained grimace twisted her otherwise stunning face. "It's such a horrible occurrence, he had been my guide for many years. I had come to cherish his wisdom." The sadness turned to anger. "And then the cursed Earthers attacked the Valentha again!" Already a quiet uproar swept through the audience. "Indeed, the Earth Alliance and their evil thinking ships had dared launch a raid against the heart of our beloved Federation itself! And just as before, one of our esteemed leaders was taken from us!"

Iskar gently nudged his friend in the side, giving him a look that said. What Attack? The two slowly began making their way through the crowd to the exit, all the while Akel continued speaking. "Truly the savagery of those twisted Earthers knows no bounds!" the angry shouts were growing louder by the minute. "The Grey Council is in full agreement that for the sake of the Minbari Federation, nay for the sake of all the GALAXY!" She punctuated. "The blight that is Humanity must be removed entirely! All Minbari unite! This is our call, indeed our sacred duty!" The crowd cheered. "We are Minbari! The first of the young races! All will know our might! Forever Minbar!"

"Forever Minbar!" Everyone cheered, thrusting their fists into the air. As far as Iskar and Alfaoner were concerned, they had seen enough. The pair moved quietly along the wall. Quickly ascending the steps and leaving the hall. Neither of them needed to say anything to each other, Iskar just gave a slight nod to his old friend, turning on his heel and walking into the night. As for Alfaoner, he simply made his face like stone and headed back to his lab, his mind already at work on unraveling who or rather what, Satai Akel was.

Yes Alfaoner wasn't the type who stood out in the crowd. It let him see things other people could not. He could tell there was something very wrong about this new addition to the Grey Council, and he would get to the bottom of it. He always did enjoy a good brain teaser.

Written with Storm Wolf77415