Into The Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and universes that I am about to mangle around for my own amusement - sadly all Robotech and Babylon Five characters remain the property of Harmony Gold, Babylon Productions Inc and Warner Brothers respectively - I am merely borrowing them and make absolutely no profit from their use. As a result, please keep the legal attack dogs - also known as lawyers - firmly muzzled and on a leash as I have no money to give to anyone.

Chapter Fifteen

President's Office

EarthDome, Geneva

Sitting behind her desk President Elizabeth Levy was experiencing a myriad of different and sometimes contradictory emotions as on Gold Channel One her secretary of state filled her in on the developments at Altair. In addition to netting them the sensors that would let them see through the Minbari stealth technology – amazingly Captain Gloval was not only providing them with the units, making several hundred in foundries aboard his ship every two days, but he was also willing to give them the theory behind how they worked if not the blueprints – David had uncovered information that she really, really should have been made aware of a very long time ago.

Ever since this war had really begun when the Minbari attacked the fleet base in the Jericho system, destroying the entire fleet and the base itself in mere minutes, she and other political leaders here in EarthDome had been led to believe that the other races – fearful of drawing the wrath of the Minbari to them – had more or less abandoned them to die. That the goodwill they'd earned in the blood and pain of the Dilgar War had been ignored just because the Minbari told them to. That for the same reason the other races – even the Centauri who to be fair had tried to warn them to be careful when approaching the Minbari – had torn up all the trade deals and mutual defence treaties established after that war and thrown them onto the fire. Now it appeared that that was not, and never had been, the case.

While it was true that none of the other races had openly sent warships to help them – though there was a rumour that the Drazi had attempted to only for the fleet to be destroyed in hyperspace – they had not abandoned them. Instead, they had been frantically trying to talk the Minbari down with even the Centauri Emperor getting involved and personally offering to oversee diplomatic talks between Earth and Minbar to end the war. They hadn't gotten anywhere with the Minbari even going so far as to directly threaten the Centauri. If the Minbari thought that the threat would cow the Centauri into obeying them then the arrogant creatures had badly miscalculated. Instead incensed by the arrogant presumption the Centauri had marshalled the other races and we're now placing an economic blockade upon the Minbari with every race – even the Narn – agreeing to it for the duration of the current war.

The fact that she hadn't known this, hadn't known about the other races frantic efforts to make the Minbari see sense, was absolutely infuriating. There intelligence services should have easily spotted all this activity and reported it to her, yet for some reason they hadn't. Which meant either someone, or rather multiple someone's, were not doing their jobs or that someone was deliberately concealing information from her and the government for their own reasons. Her ire on it was instant but cold and she silently vowed to get to the bottom of it and ensure that some heads would roll for this utterly unforgiveable failure.

"I will deal with this David," she said at last, letting some of her anger at being apparently deliberately kept in the dark on this issue show on her face. Oh yes someone was going to pay big time for this.

"I hope so Elizabeth as it was beyond embarrassing to have no knowledge of all this going on," David answered, "though thankfully Envoy Jaddo was too polite to say anything as was the Narn representative Ambassador Ch'tor surprisingly for a Narn. Though speaking of the Narn ambassador he has brought us some very valuable intelligence that could enable us to really turn the tide of this war with the Minbari. On top of the other races mounting an economic blockade it might be enough to force them to the negotiating table."

"We can but hope," Elizabeth replied, she would like nothing better than for this war to come to an end. The people of the Earth Alliance had already paid a terrible price for their hubris in ignoring the Centauri's warnings about the dangers of approaching the Minbari and doing so with an officer who was known to be something of a glory seeking loose cannon. Tens of thousands of their people had died in this war to date, billions of credits worth of damage had been done to their economy due to the disruption of trade with the other worlds – only the fact that they quickly transitioned to running a wartime economy had prevented the Alliance from falling into recession – surely, they had paid enough for their mistake. Surely the Minbari had avenged their leader Dukhat – killed when the Prometheus opened fire on his ship - enough by now. "What intelligence is this?"

David smirk was somewhat predatory as he answered. "They've provided us with the location and a rundown on the defences of the primary staging and supply area for the Minbari expeditionary forces in our territory," he answered at the shocked look she shot him he smiled. "Yeah, that was my reaction as well."

"How the hell did the Narn get a hold of that information? Surely the Minbari are not so arrogant and careless as to leave it lying around for anyone to find."

At least she didn't think that the Minbari would be that careless. After all, while they were incredibly arrogant and overconfident – something that they had used against them in the past – the Minbari were not stupid. They would know that that information getting into the hands of the Earth Alliance could be an utter disaster for them as it would let them attack and destroy the staging and supply area severing the supply lines that were crucial for any military force to function for long inside enemy territory.

She listened intently as David narrated for her the story that the Narn ambassador had told them about how the Narn had found the information on the data crystal. She frowned when the fate of the Pak'ma'ra crew was revealed especially the fact that they had kindly stopped to assist what they thought had been a damaged vessel, something any other spacer would have done only to be callously murdered by a trio of Minbari warriors. Warriors who had then proceeded to take over the ship and begin using it for spying purposes.

"That's blatant piracy," she commented. "I cannot believe that even the Minbari would resort to something like that."

"Indeed. I spoke to Ambassador Ch'tor after our meeting with Captain Gloval ended and he clarified that the Narn are holding the three Minbari warriors as pirates. As for the Minbari from what Envoy Jaddo said the clan these three 'warriors' come from the drala'shai or night stalkers in our language is somewhat infamous among the warrior caste for such behaviour and are considered dishonourable as a result. I doubt that the Minbari will raise any fuss about the Narn treating these three as though they were pirates as a result."

"We can but hope. What of the intelligence provided by the Narn? What has been done with it?"

"General Bradshaw has it, I believe he has already sent a copy of it to General Lefcourt and the Joint Chiefs so they can plan what to do about it," David answered then paused, "I also know that Captain Gloval has been given a copy of it. From what I have been able to gather he might well be inclined to help us mount an attack on the staging area, especially as I overheard a Doctor Lang tell him that the SDF-1's FTL drives – something called fold drives – will be back online within at most eighteen hours."

"I see well that would be welcome," Elizabeth replied knowing that if the SDF-1 did intervene to help again then the Minbari would die given what even one shot from her massively powerful main gun – power that was frankly almost incomprehensible – could wipe out a sizeable chunk of a fleet as it had done at the Battle of Altair destroying or disabling a total of twenty-two Minbari warships in that one devastating opening shot. "What is your next move there David?"

"I am due to have another meeting with Envoy Jaddo and Ambassador Ch'tor in another four hours, apparently to discuss just how the economic blockade will be implemented and the part in it that we will need to play. Before that I'm going to get a bite to eat, shower and change clothes."

"Then I will not keep you any longer. Go and sort yourself out David. Get back to me as soon as you finish your next meeting."

"As you wish. We'll speak again in a few hours then well as long as it's not midnight or some other stupid hour there in Geneva."

"Agreed I would rather not be pulled out of bed if I can avoid it. Good luck with your next meeting David."

"Thanks Elizabeth."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled warmly at her old friend one last time then touched a control on her desk console closing down the communications link from her end prompting the screen that had been displaying David's image to go blank. She leaned back in her chair and thought for a moment about all she had just heard, all she had just learned. Then she straightened up and touched the comm control again.

"Mr Haster contact the Secretary of Defence, the Judge Advocate General and the heads of both Alliance Intelligence and EarthForce Naval Intelligence," she said, her tone telling her chief aide that she wanted this done as soon as possible. "Tell them I want to see them in my office immediately."

"Yes, madam president."

As soon as her aide signed off Elizabeth stood up and walked over to the window. A press of a button caused the blinds to open giving her a spectacular view out over the windswept waters of Lake Geneva. She sighed and let the sight of the rippling wind created waves calm and focus her mind preparing her for the conversation ahead.

It was going to be quite a doozy.

She was still standing there watching the world go buy when the sound of someone knocking the door caught her attention. She turned in place and looked at the two heavy mahogany wood doors for a few moments before calling for whoever was out there to enter. Immediately the doors opened a little and Haster stuck his head in.

"Madam president the people you requested are here," he said politely even as he inwardly frowned. He could see that she had been standing watching the world go by outside – something that she really only did when she wanted to calm and centre herself for something – which immediately set a number of mental alarm bells ringing. He immediately resigned himself to the fact that it was going to be another long day, another of the many there had been since this war with the Minbari – well if you could call getting slaughtered without mercy war – had begun nine months ago.

"Ah good send them in," Levy answered as she returned to her desk and sat down though not before hitting the button to close the blinds again. "Oh, and Haster make sure we are not disturbed."

"Understood madam president," Haster replied before ducking back out the door. A few seconds later he was back pushing the doors wide open and stepping aside to let the requested individuals - in the form of Defence Secretary Amanda Hansen, Judge Advocate General Tobias Moorcroft, Director Angelo de Santez of Alliance Intelligence and Admiral James O'Reilly from EarthForce Naval Intelligence – into the room. Then he left firmly closing the doors behind him.

"Be seated ladies and gentlemen," Elizabeth said. She watched as they all carefully sat down in the seats opposite her desk. "I am sure you are all wondering just why I have asked to see you on such short notice."

"The thought has crossed our minds," Amanda Hansen replied even as mental alarm bells went off inside her head. She had worked with Elizabeth Levy for a long time and recognised a sign of extreme danger. Ugh oh someone has seriously messed up somewhere or something else has gone wrong with the war, she thought knowing that look meant that Mount Saint Levy was really building up to an eruption. "What's going on Elizabeth?"

"We have a problem. Director de Santez, Admiral O'Reilly were you both aware that there has been extensive diplomatic activity among the other races as they try to talk to the Minbari on our behalf. Very high level discussions at that with Centauri Emperor Turhan himself getting involved and offering to personally oversee peace talks between us and the Minbari?"

The leaders of the Earth Alliance's two primary intelligence agencies exchanged a puzzled glance though it was Admiral O'Reilly who answered. "Of course, we were madam president," he replied, "we would have had to have been deaf and blind not to have noticed. We have even been quietly encouraging it through various back channels. There is even a group among the Minbari who are pushing for a peaceful solution as well, a group referred to as the Anla'shok or in our language the Rangers."

"Then please explain to me admiral why this was not reported to me and the rest of the cabinet," Elizabeth answered, her voice deadly quiet while Amanda looked on in shock as stunned by this development as the president had been when David had dropped that particular bombshell on her.

"Madam president it was reported to your administration," de Santez replied sounding and looking both confused and concerned, "both of our agencies have submitted regular reports on the diplomatic maneuverers the other races have been making to be forwarded to the cabinet. Have they not been?"

"No. As a result, David was caught by complete surprise when it was revealed at a meeting with a special envoy sent by Emperor Turhan and a Narn representative called Ch'tor aboard the SDF-1. Along with a plan put together by Turhan himself to put economic pressure, in the form of a trade embargo, on the Minbari to try and force them to come to the table."

"That doesn't make sense those reports should have been forwarded," O'Reilly said with a scowl guessing that someone had deliberately intercepted or blocked those reports from reaching the president and the cabinet for their own reasons. Likely centred around making the government and the people believe that the other races had abandoned them in their hour of need. As he spoke, he saw de Santez take out a small tablet from his jacket and begin making frantic taps to check on what had happened.

After about a minute he slammed it down on the desk and began swearing loudly in a combination of different languages both human and alien as there were words in Spanish, German, Centauri and even Drazi in there. From the way both the president and defence secretary winced they recognised some of the more pungent curses.

"Enough with the cursing director what is going on," Elizabeth demanded knowing that if she didn't get de Santez refocused he would keep ranting in various languages until he tired himself out, his vocabulary getting increasingly foul the whole time.

"Sorry madam president. It's just some slimy bastard has placed a massive selective data block in the computer system," de Santez said. "It's been selectively filtering and blocking out intelligence reports to you. Someone has wanted the government and from there the people of the Alliance to believe that our allies have abandoned us just because the Minbari told them to."

"Who would do that," Amanda demanded just before Elizabeth could, her own anger at this issue now on full display.

Admiral O'Reilly sighed. "There are a number of different anti-alien so called Earth first groups who would love to pull something like this off," he said. "However, I can only think of one who would have anywhere near the resources to do something like this."

"You're not suggesting," de Santez said looking furious now.

"I am. They could and would do something like this and you know it de Santez. Both our agencies have crossed swords with them enough times in the last few decades to know just what that bunch of bastards are capable of."

"Who are you speaking about," Elizabeth asked. She had her suspicions who they were talking about and if it was them then they had really gone too far this time. She just wanted one of the two men to vocalise it.

O'Reilly sighed again. "Bureau Thirteen," he said at last. "There an extremist group, a coalition of dirty tricks groups and anti-alien fanatics."

"I know who they are," Elizabeth replied somewhat sharply as she was more than familiar with that particular bunch of xenophobic bastards. "And if it is them who are behind this then this time they have gone too far. Gentlemen I want you to conduct a full and complete investigation into this matter, if it really is Bureau Thirteen who is behind this find out just how they did it, how far those bastards have penetrated not just the networks but the staff here at EarthDome. And then I want you to burn them down."

"That won't be easy madam president," de Santez felt compelled to warn the president. "Bureau Thirteen has some very powerful and influential friends, especially among the mega-corps, and they are extremely good at hiding."

"I know it won't but this time they've gone too far, and they must pay for their actions," Elizabeth replied firmly.

"And we will take them down madam president," Admiral O'Reilly said, mentally rubbing in his hands in glee at finally having a chance to really go after Bureau Thirteen. They had caused him, Naval Intelligence and EarthForce in general considerable headaches and trouble over the years, and they'd been held back from really taking action against them by sympathetic to the organisation senators. However, with a presidential mandate to act against them… well he would enjoy giving the bureau some long overdue comeuppance.

"Make sure you do," Elizabeth answered, "they have been a thorn in our sides for far too long. It's time for Bureau Thirteen to fall."

"Yes, madam president."

Captain Gloval's Office

SDF-1, Altair System

A Short Time Later

Sitting, occasionally sipping from a small glass of traditional Russian vodka, Captain Henry Gloval frowned as he read through the report that Colonel Maistroff had submitted on what they had so far discovered in the previously hidden section of the SDF-1. His attention was especially focused on the artificial intelligence that appeared to be programmed with the appearance, personality and memories of a much older version of young Mr Hunter. An artificial intelligence that had apparently been installed when they'd been engaging the Minbari by an older version of said individual who had travelled back in time – even though he knew doing so would mean his death – to do just that.

The reasons given for the time travel by the AI were both shocking and terrifying. This entire region of space was being treated as a combination of a chess board and a petri dish by two ancient and immeasurably powerful races called Vorlons and Shadows. Both races manipulating the other much younger races into fighting a series of proxy wars all with the goal of determining which one of their philosophies of absolute order or absolute chaos was correct.

"Of all the stupid things to fight wars over," he muttered to himself as he continued reading and felt his blood turn cold when he read about the planet killers both ancient races had. He had thought that such engines of destruction were something that could only exist in science fiction as while robotech weaponry was in itself incredibly powerful even reflex weapons couldn't do that to a planet.

He put the report down for a moment and took a strong swig of vodka before leaning back in this chair and fingering his pipe thoughtfully. The report was clear that the Vorlons and Shadows were due to have another of their 'great debates' using the younger worlds as pawns within the next ten to twelve years. And according to what the Rick AI said they were going to find themselves in the very thick of it whether they wanted to be or not. I need to talk to this AI myself, he thought, ask it questions and get answers myself. Maybe then we can find a way to survive whatever is going to happen over the next few years and decades while we try to find a way home.

His decision made he was about to call the bridge to inform Lisa where he was going when the door hailer buzzed. Now what, he thought with a frown before putting his now mostly empty glass to one side and sitting up. "Come in," he called out. The door slid open, and he was somewhat surprised to see the woman he had been about to call on the other side.

"Captain Gloval, do you have a minute," Lisa asked.

"Of course, Lisa come in."

"Thank you, sir," Lisa replied stepping into the room, the door closing behind her and Gloval noted that she was holding a tablet in one hand.

"Please take a seat Lisa," Gloval said gesturing to the seat opposite him. The young woman immediately did so. "What can I help you with?"

"Sir I have been going over the information provided by Ambassador Ch'tor on the Minbari staging and supply area as well as the availability of EarthForce ships with sufficient long range weaponry and which have already been outfitted with our sensors," Lisa replied, "I believe that I now have a plan that – once our fold systems are fully restored in another couple of hours – will allow us to attack and destroy the base."

Gloval raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall asking you to come up with such a plan," he said as he knew he had only asked Lisa to review the information provided by Ambassador Ch'tor a copy of which had been given to them by General Bradshaw.

"I know sir," Lisa replied, "I started it as something of a thought experiment based on what information we know about EarthForce warships and weapons especially vessels like the Sagittarius-class missile cruisers of which four are here at Altair. It ugh kind of snowballed from there."

Gloval chuckled slightly at the slight embarrassed blush that appeared on Lisa's cheeks as she admitted that. He should have realized that something like this would happen when he gave Lisa the Narn information to look over, she was a Hayes after all and had a major love of war games and an almost instinctive grasp for strategy.

"I see," he said at last. "Very well show me what you've come up with."

"It's all here sir," she replied offering him the tablet.

Calmly he accepted it from her and began carefully reviewing the contents. Lisa was proposing that when there fold systems were fully back online they begin the complex sequence of calculations that would be required to jump from here to the normally uninhabited system that existed in the unclaimed region of space that lay between the borders of the Earth Alliance and the Minbari Federation. The calculations would be especially complex as Lisa was proposing that they take up to twelve EarthForce warships – all of which would need to have at least some long-range weapons like missiles or heavy railguns – with them to the system. Once there they would proceed to destroy all Minbari forces in the system with long range gunnery as well as long range missile fire before destroying all the supply dumps and mobile space docks.

Based on the information provided by the Narn and the knowledge of the range and capabilities of the nuclear missiles being used by EarthForce as well as their own weapons – which he noted with some surprise included the use of reflex missiles – Lisa estimated that it wouldn't take them more than half an hour between folding in and being ready to fold back out again.

All in all, it took him ten minutes to review the proposed plan. He especially scrutinised all the small details knowing that the smallest miscalculation or oversight could prove disastrous to the whole plan. He was pleased to see that Lisa really seemed to have thought of everything.

"It is a good plan," he said at last as he handed the tablet back. "Tell you what send a copy of this plan to General Bradshaw for his perusal along with my recommendation that we adopt it. It will be up to him and his superiors at EarthForce Command though if we proceed with your plan Lisa."

"Yes, sir I will go and do that right now."

"Very well you may go… oh and Lisa well done."

Lisa blushed. "Thank you sir," she said before standing and leaving the room. Gloval watched her go then leaned back again in his chair thinking this time about the plan that Lisa had just presented to him. As he had told her it was a very good plan, one calculated to destroy the target as quickly and efficiently as possible. The loss of the staging and supply post would also be a devastating setback for the Minbari and who knew on top of the other races planned economic embargo against them it might be enough to convince the Minbari to enter into talks to end this madness.

Even if it didn't it would force the arrogant aliens onto the defensive for quite some time. Something that would hopefully give them all the time they needed to complete the provision of the sensor suites to EarthForce. At least then there brothers and sisters in this reality would have a real, fighting chance against the Minbari instead of getting mercilessly slaughtered as they tried to get into range for pure visual targeting of their vessels to be successful. And who knew it might even enable them to defeat the Minbari if they refused to come to some form of negotiated settlement.

Whatever happened after the attack – as he already knew Kyle Bradshaw enough to tell that the other man would enthusiastically support the plan – would happen. He and the rest of the crew of the SDF-1, and the civilians who had been exiled to this reality with them, would face it together. Face and deal with it.

After all there was no other choice.

Authors Note: Well, another chapter bites the metaphorical dust. I hope you all enjoyed it, things are going to get even more interesting in the fic soon especially if the Minbar get treated to another display of the sheer destructive power of robotech weaponry. Until next time.