Interlude: ISN 1

ISN Broadcast Centre

Geneva, Earth

That Same Time

Ben Shaw awkwardly adjusted his tie as he waited for the film crew to indicate that he was live on air, broadcasting not just to Earth but to every world in the Earth Alliance. To say he was nervous was an understatement as he was not the normal anchor for ISN, but with Anita off on compassionate leave - her father having suffered a fatal heart attack two days ago - and Daniel and Jordan both down with the flu he was the only presenter available.

Which was nerve wracking in itself as he had only been with ISN for two years presenting sports hour - a field he had a lot of knowledge of having been a professional sportsman, specifically a rugby player, until a nasty injury ended that career - which was very different to being the general news anchor. Especially for a special report like the one they had to deliver after their contacts in EarthForce Command and Earth Dome had smuggled them news that was shocking and something that the people of the Earth Alliance desperately needed to know.

"You alright Ben," the producer asked from where he was standing behind the camera drones, operating them remotely.

"Yeah I'm fine," he replied, doing his best to appear nonchalant. Unfortunately the other man could tell otherwise.

"You'll do fine," he told him, "this is not really different to presenting sports hour."

"Well aside from the fact that I look like a penguin," Ben replied, not really comfortable in a suit as formal as the one he was wearing though he admitted it did look good on his six foot two hundred thirty-five pound frame. He just wasn't one for wearing things so fancy, something his husband could well attest to but then they both preferred t-shirts and jeans to suites let alone one from the Armani fashion house.

The producer chuckled. "Downside of promotion I'm afraid," he replied. "Keep that sense of humour up and we'll be fine."

"Okay boss."

"That's the spirit. Brace yourself, we go live in ten seconds, the sponsor message is almost finished."

Ben nodded and summoned up the same focus and determination to succeed that had served him so well on the rugby pitch - and which had gotten him nicknamed Bulldozer Ben on more than one occasion - ready for what came next. The producer smiled at the display and pressed a control that lowered the screens that gave the illusion of the anchor desk, and the person sitting in it, the appearance of being alone on a pedestal in a vast empty space. Mentally Ben counted down the seconds till the on-air light lit up and the familiar ISN jingle - along with the whole galaxy's most important network speech - filled the air.

"Good afternoon welcome to this ISN Special War Report. I'm your host Ben Shaw," Ben said in greeting before launching into the report. "At two pm yesterday Earth Standard Time the Minbari launched a major offensive against the colonies in the Altair System and the midrange military base over Altair III. The assault failed and the Minbari forces were driven back with heavy casualties. Our war correspondent Kara Mollet has this report live from Earth Dome."

As he spoke one of the monitors lit up and brought in an image of Kara Mollet standing on the shores of Lake Geneva with Earth Dome in the background, the setting sun bathing the whole area in a brilliant golden hue. Kara Mollet was a short woman well into her fifties though still with a toughness to her that could compel all but the strongest willed senators and generals to stop and answer her questions.

"Yes thank you Ben," Kara said as the transmission switched to her. "As indicated at fourteen hundred hours yesterday Earth Standard Time a Minbari fleet totalling sixty-six warships - confirmed to have been a mixture of frigates and cruisers - attempted to attack the fleet base at Altair III and the 22nd Frontier Defence Fleet commanded by General Kyle Bradshaw that is based there.

"While the reports on the exact course of the battle are currently fragmentary, we know that the Minbari attack went disastrously wrong for them," Kara continued. "Over a period of no longer than ten minutes almost the entire Minbari assault fleet was destroyed for the loss of five EarthForce ships and damage to several more. We here at ISN extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of those brave EarthForce personnel injured and killed over the course of the short but fierce battle."

"This is extraordinary news Kara," Ben replied, "do we have any information on just how our forces were able to defeat the Minbari so quickly and decisively we have never been able to do that before."

"I can indeed, Ben. We have a new ally in our battle with the Minbari," Kara continued, "our contacts in EarthForce and Earth Dome indicate that an alien vessel referred to as the SDF-1 was instrumental in turning the battle in our favour. Not only did they join the battle alongside our forces and in one shot destroyed a full third of the Minbari fleet and over half of their fighters but they gave our ships the ability to penetrate the Minbari stealth technology allowing, for the first time since this war began nine months ago, our ships to lock onto and accurately fire upon the Minbari warships.

"And that is not the most astonishing and bewildering part of the story," Kara continued, "it appears that the alien warship, SDF-1, is crewed by humans… who come from another universe."

President's Office

Earth Dome

That Same Time

President Elizabeth Levy stared at the ISN feed being displayed on one of her office monitors. To say that she was shocked by the news report would have been understatement. She was both shocked and horrified by the report as they had wanted to keep the existence of the SDF-1, its human crew and their origin in another reality a secret for as long as possible. Now because someone, either here in Earth Dome or at EarthForce Command, had leaked the information to ISN as a result the whole of the known galaxy now knew - or would soon know - the truth.

Which brought its own set of problems, both real and potential.

Pushing down her anger she glanced over at the other two people in her office with her. The Secretary of Defence Angharad Falkland and General Simon Fontaine. Both looked about as pleased by the media report as she was.

"How the hell did they find out?" she demanded to know.

"It's obvious that someone between here and EarthForce Command leaked it to ISN," Fontaine said, sounding quite unhappy. "Either that or ISN has some spy programs in our computer networks that alert them to anything that they would consider interesting. Probably a combination of the two would explain how they always seem to know things before anyone considers briefing the media."

"Well they've gone too far this time," Levy replied, letting some of her annoyance at ISN's obvious contempt for Earth Alliance national security show. "General Fontaine, I want you to coordinate with the intelligence and security services. Find out just how ISN found out about the SDF-1, find the leaks and seal them."

"And if ISN complains about the freedom of the press," Fontaine asked. "We will certainly have to interview them all to find their sources."

"If they complain, remind them that under the law the freedom of the press is limited in times of war."

"Yes madam president."