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 Eighteen

Minbari War Cruiser Drala Fi

A Short Time Later

Sitting behind his desk in his quarters Alyt Traka scowled as he read through the communique that had just arrived from Minbar. To see he was shocked by its contents would have been an understatement, they were being recalled to Minbari space with immediate effect. Something that was honestly quite puzzling as while he had to acknowledge that there forces had taken a severe beating at Altair a few weeks ago – thanks to the intervention of a previously unknown power whose solo warship not only demonstrated unprecedented destructive power but had given the humans, at least the ones there, the ability to penetrate their stealth technology – there had been no sign that the Grey Council and the Council of Caste Elders would want to recall them to Minbari space.

Unless something else has happened, he thought as he began reading more of the communique and felt like a river of liquid nitrogen had just run down his spine and congealed into a thick knot of dread in his stomach. Indeed something else had happened, the unknown ship and the humans had, taking advantage of a new and previously unknown form of FTL travel that completely bypassed all their early warning systems, attacked their main supply and staging area, and destroyed everything there. Thousands of warriors and workers, dozens of warships of all sizes from small patrol ships all the way up to Shagotti battlecruisers like his fine ship as well as support craft like heavy transports, and a truly colossal amount of supplies and equipment had been destroyed in the attack, swept from the universe in a nuclear firestorm.

Unlike some in his caste, some of them quite high up in their ranks, he was not blind to the importance of logistics. Thus he knew that the loss of the staging and supply hub was an utterly devastating blow, something that was further reinforced by the news that was as shocking and as terrifying as it was unbelievable. That news being that between the complete destruction of the supply base and the losses sustained at Deneb and Altair the expeditionary forces assembled by the Minbari to wage their just and holy crusade of vengeance in the name of Dukhat against the Humans had been to all intents and purposes completely destroyed.

It was the biggest setback the warrior caste, and indeed the Minbari people in general, had suffered in nearly a thousand years. Not since the war against the Garmak just after the end of the Great War against the Shadows had they sustained such a loss.

It was also not one that could be quickly recovered from. While the worker caste was doing an admirable job in getting their mothballed ships out of storage it was a slow and delicate process, you could only power up things like gravitic reactors at a certain speed without risking something … ugh quite unpleasant – happening. It certainly wasn't as easy as pushing a few buttons as some of his younger brothers and sisters in arms liked to think. Time and quite a lot of resources were needed to bring ships back to life from storage – especially if they had been in shut down for a while as while Minbari technology was highly durable even there systems could degrade due to the ravages of that greatest of all equalizers, time – resources that were proving increasingly troublesome to transport due to human raiders hitting their shipping lanes and causing absolute havoc. Something that would only get worse now with the loss of over a hundred of the largest cargo transports to be found in the whole of the Federation. Not to mention the lost of the specialist crews for those transports.

Putting the tablet displaying the communique down Traka leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. He could well understand in the light of this disaster why all there remaining forces were being recalled to Minbari space. The loss of the expeditionary forces had blown a sizeable hole in their mobile defence capabilities and the damage to their logistical support systems was borderline catastrophic. They now had no real choice but to establish new lines of defence and hope that the occasional raid would be enough to keep the humans off balance while they rebuilt their forces.

Somehow Traka didn't think that the Humans would be that inclined to give the Minbari the time that they would need to recover and resume their offensive into Human space. He certainly wouldn't if he had been in their position, he would begin launching offensive operations against his enemy as soon as possible. And with the Humans that would be possible sooner than anyone in my caste would think or like, he thought recalling some of the things he had learned over the last few weeks while the Drala Fi and her escort of three Sharlin-class war cruisers and twelve Tinashi-class war frigates had been scouting a route that they had 'acquired' from the Vree. A route that according to the Vree trader, who had surrendered it to them at the point of their neutron cannons, led into the very heart of Human space and Earth itself. It was a route that the Vree had apparently used for centuries to travel to the Human homeworld for both scientific purposes and to play some pranks on the inhabitants.

It was quite a convoluted route, one that took them past a number of spatial anomalies and hyperspace storms that were taxing even for them to safely navigate around. But it wasn't one that the Humans actually patrolled since they almost certainly didn't know it existed, especially as the hyperspace beacons that marked the path were old and used a frequency that was considered out of date by modern spacefaring societies. Despite the challenges of this route it had proven to be very informative as not only did it lead deeper into human space than any other path known to the Minbari but because of its secret nature it had let them learn a lot about how there enemy operated. Which was always useful for as Valen had said to destroy your enemies you had to first understand and know them.

What they had learned, what they had seen, was deeply worrying.

The Humans were heavily industrializing the fourteen different star systems that they controlled. Even systems where there was no actual colony the Humans would, if there were resources there, have a presence in the form of space stations. Space stations that served as work camps and hubs for entire fleets of mining vessels that constantly streamed back and forth between their hub and whatever resource they were tasked with mining. This and the fact that they had not seen any reduction in the number of human warships and other ships around – in fact that number of ships was increasing the closer they got to Sol and Earth – pointed to a obscene level of industrialization and a level of skill with logistics that was downright frightening.

With such skill behind them it was no wonder that the Humans had been able to defeat the Dilgar in less than a year. And not just defeat their fleets but liberate all the worlds that the cruel feline-like aliens had annexed until finally only Omelos and the original Dilgar colony worlds remained. Worlds where the Dilgar species would ultimately cease to exist when their home star went nova. With that level of industrial and logistical infrastructure behind them, none of which there attacks had really touched, then Traka honestly feared what could be coming for the Minbari especially if the alien technology that let them see through their stealth spread.

A crystalline chime from the desk comm unit brought him out of his thoughts. Sitting up he reached over and touched the offending device. "Yes," he asked.

"Alyt we're approaching the last hyperspace beacon in the sequence," his first officer reported from the bridge, "shall I order all ships to prepare to jump into normal space?"

Traka considered for a few moments how to respond. On one hand he knew that he should immediately give the order to turn around and retreat to Minbari space as ordered by the Grey Council. But on the other hand he knew that according to the map 'donated' by the Vree this beacon was the last one in the series that was intact – they'd had to destroy the one near Earth orbit after the Centauri contacted Earth – and would bring them into normal space near the fifth planet of the human home system of Sol – a by all accounts extremely majestic ringed planet called Saturn. Thus he had to wonder if it would be right to just turn around now without verifying that that was indeed the case as if this route map remained as accurate as it had so far been then he would have proof of a way into the very heart of Human space that was unguarded, which would let the warrior caste end this war with one single devastating blow.

He decided it was worth the risk.

"Order the fleet to jump into normal space," he ordered at last as he stood up, "I will be in the tactical centre momentarily."

"Yes Alyt."

Traka signed off and began making his way from his quarters to the tactical centre of the Drala Fi. He found himself wondering if he was doing the right thing by continuing with this mission and not immediately returning to Minbari space as the communique had instructed. By continuing with this mission he was technically committing an act of mutiny against both the Grey Council and the Council of Caste Elders. He knew he could defend himself by pointing out the advantages of knowing exactly where this hyperspace route came out, and if it indeed came out in the human home system, but it was a risk.

But then we will now not win this war without being prepared to take risks, he thought as he arrived at the tactical centre and went inside even as he quietly acknowledged the, somewhat painful, truth that the warrior caste especially had allowed themselves to become overdependent on their ships stealth abilities for defence – for not being exactly where incoming counterfire was going to land while their own weapons sliced the enemy apart – and that had informed all their tactics and strategies in the war to date. Without taking risks now they would have no chance of regaining the initiative in the war, something that they could not and must not give to the humans for too long. The sheer industrial and logistical might of the Earth Alliance would simply bury them if they did that of that he had no doubt and if Earth started to win against them then the other races from the Drazi to the Narn, the Vree to the Centauri would certainly join in to assist their friends in the hope of getting a seat at the victors table, assuming that was they didn't do to the Minbari what they would have done to them and burned them from existence.

They certainly hadn't hesitated to let the Dilgar die.

He passed through the active hologram curtain and nodded a polite greeting to his aide who was waiting for him in the room. Then he forced himself to pay full attention to the hear and now as around him the rest of his small, but elite, force hung in formation preparing to jump into normal space. Ahead of them jump points opened and through the event horizon/transition point of the vortex he could see normal space.

A faint jolt ran through the deck beneath him as his mighty Shagotti-class battlecruiser crossed the threshold between hyperspace and normal space. The rest of the fleet appearing from their own jump points all around him, filling space nearby with the beautiful and intimidating sight of a full Minbari battle squadron.

Around them was the sight of a truly majestic gas giant planet with an extensive ring system which was just below the cruisers and glinting in the distant light of the systems star. Ahead of them was a large moon with a thick, hazy atmosphere and several vessels of human design and manufacture – all of them non-military – in orbit seemingly taking on something from a platform orbiting the planet. A platform that looked like some type of refinery.

"Scan the system," he ordered knowing that the bridge of every ship would pick up his words, "let's see if we can determine if this is indeed the human home system. Launch alert fighters, tell them to target and eliminate that refinery and all the ships docked with it."

"Yes Alyt."

Situation Room

EarthForce Command, EarthDome

That Same Time

General Robert Lefcourt was slightly out of breath as he arrived in the situation room having run from his office the moment that he had received an emergency summons that Minbari warships had just jumped into Sol. Silently he was cursing the whole time, they weren't ready to face the Minbari here just yet the first shipment of sensor suites from the SDF-1 had only arrived two days ago and they were still in the process of installing them on all the Home Fleet's heavy ships especially the Nova's which had been shown to be powerful enough to kill even the largest Minbari ships.

"Report," he ordered as he stepped up to the command platform.

"Sir we have confirmed sixteen Minbari ships have just jumped in near Saturn," one of the operators reported, "war book identifies them as one Shagotti-class battlecruiser, three Sharlin-class cruisers and twelve Tinashi-class frigates. From the size of the fleet its likely to be a scouting or raiding party of some kind."

"Sir the hydrocarbon refinery over Titan reports they're under attack from Minbari fighters," a communications rating reported, "the refinery is breaking up."

"Damn them," Lefcourt cursed knowing there were nearly two hundred workers on that refinery platform, working tirelessly day and night to provide the whole of the Earth Alliance with highly useful, high-quality hydrocarbons from Titan's vast reserves. Two hundred people who would now be dead or dying even if they made it to their lifepods as the Minbari had shown time and again that they considered lifepods legitimate targets for destruction. "Where's the nearest squadron that have their ships outfitted with the new sensors?"

"It's the Lexington's squadron. Captain Sterns reports that they're currently breaking orbit of Jupiter sir and will jump to Saturn as soon as possible," a third rating answered.

"Good how many ships?" Lefcourt asked knowing the Captain Sterns fleet had been upsized from its original one Nova, two cruisers and four Olympus in recent months – as well as the old cruiser where Sterns still insisted on keeping his flag getting a much-needed overhaul and upgrade to her systems as well as the installation of the new sensors – but he couldn't remember its current composition off the top of his head.

"Two Nova-class dreadnoughts, eight Hyperion-class cruisers, six Artemis-class frigates and four Olympus-class corvettes," the rating answered, "both Nova's and the Hyperions have had the new sensors installed. They were training with them over Jupiter when the Minbari showed up."

"Good tell them they are authorised to engage the enemy as soon as they arrive. Burn those boneheaded bastards from our skies."

"Aye sir," the rating acknowledged even as President Levy arrived, looking a little out of breath herself having practically run from her own office as well.

"Report general," Levy demanded even as she glanced at the screens, frowning in a combination of concern and anger as she saw the Minbari warships over Saturn. "How the bloody hell did they get this far into our space without being detected?"

"I don't know madam president though I promise you that I will find out," Lefcourt replied before quickly filling his commander in chief in on the actions that were already being taken to deal with the intruding Minbari fleet.

"What about the fleets over Earth and Mars are they being mobilized," Levy asked.

"Not at this time madam president," Lefcourt replied, "we cannot be certain that this is not some kind of advanced force meant to draw our defenders out of position before a much larger fleet jumps in. The Minbari have used such tactics in the past."

"I see," Levy answered even as she nodded knowing that was true. The Minbari had been very fond of such games throughout the whole war, setting traps and ambushes – that took advantage of both their stealth systems and their far more advanced jump engines – for their forces allowing them to destroy them with ease. Thus Lefcourt was right to hold back the fleets stationed over Earth and Mars, just in case the Minbari squadron near Saturn was another such decoy.

"Sir we've received a message from the Lexington. They have jumped into hyperspace and moving to engage the enemy, ETA to the Minbari position five minutes," a communications rating reported, "we're receiving another message the Prometheus and her battle group have also entered hyperspace and are inbound to the Minbari position from near Uranus however Captain Chaffin reports it will be several minutes before they are in position to join the battle."

Lefcourt frowned thoughtfully. With two powerful task forces inbound – the Prometheus's force having been upgraded in size to the same as the Lexington's – he now had a few more options for dealing with this Minbari incursion. "What are the Minbari doing now," he asked as that would inform his decision on what to do next.

"There fighters have just destroyed the last of the hydrocarbon tankers over Saturn sir," one of the sensor operators reported, "the capital ships are now directing numerous long-range scans deeper into the system."

"So this isn't a trap but a reconnaissance force," Levy commented having clearly heard the report as well as Lefcourt had. Which wasn't surprising since she was kind of standing right next to him, her own eyes fixed on the screens which now showed the Minbari warships – all sixteen of them – sitting casually in orbit above Saturn's rings seeming without a care in the world. "They likely are here to confirm if this is our home system."

"Agreed which is why we cannot let them escape with that knowledge," Lefcourt replied. "Communications contact the Lexington, inform Captain Sterns not to jump in until the Prometheus group arrives. When they do both fleets will jump in on different angles to catch the Minbari in a crossfire."

"Aye sir."

"Will that work general," Levy asked.

"It should do madam president. Everything we know and have seen in the past makes it clear that our weapons are fully capable of blasting Minbari warships out of the stars we just could never see them to hit them before now. Sixteen Minbari warships shouldn't last that long under the guns of forty of our ships, especially given that all the Nova's and Hyperion's have had their weapons upgraded with our purchases from the Narn."

"I hope your right general."

"So do I madam president."

Minbari War Cruiser Drala Fi

A Few Minutes Later

"Alyt we have completed our analysis of our long-range sensor telemetry."

Still standing in the active tactical centre Traka turned to look at his aide. So far their presence in this system had largely gone unchallenged and aside from watching the hydrocarbon refinery and the tankers explode under the Niall's neutron cannons largely uneventful. He hoped that this didn't mean that this had been a colossal waste of his and the warrior castes time, if this turned out to be a prank on behalf of the Vree then they would pay dearly for it.

"And?" he asked.

"It has been confirmed that this is indeed the humans home system," the aide replied, glee in his voice at the thought that they at last knew the location of the home of the race who had dared to take Dukhat from them and who the Grey Council had decreed should die for that crime against the heart and soul of the Minbari. "Both the third and forth planets are heavily settled with large amounts of spacecraft traffic going out as far as the moons around the fifth planet. According to the Vree data the Humans refer to it as Jupiter."

"Poetic name," Traka commented before smiling. "Very well we have what we came for. Order all ships to charge their jump engines and prepare to return to hyperspace. We will return with our full might and finally have justice for Dukhat and revenge for the losses at Deneb and Altair."

"Yes alyt," the aide acknowledged and relayed the command to the bridge from a small comm device in one ear. Traka could have given the command himself through the fleet command network between the ships but he preferred to only use that when engaged in combat, an arena in which seconds could make the difference between life and death. Instead he turned to look back at the holographic display smiling as he imagined how the Grey Council and the Council of Caste Elders would react to the news of this systems discovery and the somewhat roundabout but unguarded hyperspace route to get here. It was almost a feeling of euphoria knowing that soon they would be able to end this and cleanse the universe of the plague of humanity.

His euphoria evaporated instantly as to each side of his fleet jump points opened and forty EarthForce warships – twenty of them heavy warships including four of the admittedly very impressive Nova-class dreadnoughts – emerged into normal space. They had his fleet in a perfect crossfire position and his eyes had just enough time to widen in sudden horror…

…before they opened fire.

From the EarthForce warships came an immediate storm of plasma bolts, beam laser fire and railgun slugs in a devastating wall of energized death. Immediately Traka felt the deck under him shudder violently as the Drala Fi took a number of direct hits – an alarming number at that as not one of the Human shots was going wide but were instead hitting their targets. Clearly the greatest nightmare of the warrior caste had come true and the technology from the unknowns who had intervened at Altair and helped destroy their supply base had spread to the wider Human fleet.

"They can see us," his aide exclaimed sounding shocked and shaken.

"I know," Traka replied as the Drala Fi shook violently again as she soaked up another volley of laser and plasma fire and this time he clearly heard the distant concussive rumble of internal explosions. On the holographic display he could see the rest of the fleet overcome their surprise at the accurate enemy fire and begin fighting back neutron beams and fusion cannon fire cutting deep, burning wounds in the flanks of the Human ships. Within seconds two of the smaller warships went up in fireballs as neutron beams impacted fusion fuel stores and pushed the gelled deuterium there to and past the point of fusion.

Still it was obvious that this was not a battle that they could win as a Tinashi broke apart and exploded under heavy fire from two of the Human cruisers. Plus one of his Sharlin, the Selentina, was clearly in severe trouble as her entire port flank was a mass of flaming wreckage trailing burning atmosphere and debris. A moment later a Human anti-ship nuclear missile slammed into the burning Sharlin sending her, and the hundreds of Minbari warriors aboard, to their doom in a brilliant acrid flash.

"Alyt Traka to all ships," he said as another blast shook the Drala Fi and the holographic screen momentarily flickered, silent but undeniable evidence of the damage that they were taking from the Humans perfectly executed crossfire. He had to admire the professionalism and precision of it, even as the Humans steadily began ripping his fleet apart. Another blast shook the ship and the holographic screen vanished, simultaneously there was a sudden feeling of lightness as the artificial gravity system went offline. Traka and his aide had barely left the floor when the backup engaged, yanking them painfully to the floor again.

"Alyt we've lost the fleet coordination system," his aide reported, "the bridge reports that main power is down all over the ship. We have hull breaches and fires on multiple decks. All the drive fins have been destroyed we are in a completely uncontrollable spin. Main engineering and the main hangar bay are both open to space."

"In Valen's Name," Traka breathed knowing what that meant, the Drala Fi was essentially dead in space helpless and would, certainly, soon be destroyed by the Humans. Once they finished taking apart the rest of his squadron. "Tell, the bridge to contact our remaining ships and order them to retreat immediately, this systems coordinates and the route to get here must reach the Grey Council that has to take priority over honour. Once that's done tell them to give the order to abandon ship."

"Yes Alyt," his aide acknowledged, looking like he had bitten something especially sour as he did so clearly having never expected this situation to occur. Which is going to be a problem for our entire caste, Traka thought even as the ship shuddered slightly from a distant explosion, likely one of his other ships going up under the lethal Human crossfire. For centuries now the warrior caste had believed themselves to be invincible with the possibility of being defeated in a battle having become so distant that it was considered virtually impossible. To the point that their invincibility had become a point of pride for every single warrior alive.

Finding out that they were not so invincible after all, and could be defeated, now that the Humans could see through their stealth technology was thus going to be a hard, bitter pill for the warrior caste to swallow. He was brought out of his thoughts by a melodic klaxon beginning to sound, the alarm in question being the one to tell the survivors of the Drala Fi to proceed to the lifepods and abandon the crippled, burning ship.

"Alyt the Yutana, Goonati and Sulana have been able to disengage and retreat to hyperspace. They have the information needed to bring our people here and end this war," his aide reported. "All our other ships are either destroyed or disabled. Strangely the Humans have ceased firing on us."

Why would they do that, Traka wondered, knowing a Minbari warrior would have continued firing until his enemy was reduced to burning space dust. Unless they want us as prisoners. I which case they'll likely capture our lifepods as they're launched. That or they don't see any honour in killing those who can no longer fight back.

"Whatever the reason they've stopped is it doesn't matter," Traka replied at last. "All that matters is we must leave before the fires reach our fuel stores or our magazines and the ship explodes."

Unable to really say anything, being still a bit too stunned by the fact that they had been defeated and defeated so quickly by Humans of all people to really speak, the other younger warrior just nodded in understanding and acceptance. Traka smiled and gave the other warrior a reassuring clap on the shoulder, then the two of them turned and made there way out of the silent tactical centre and into the chaos and the smoke that now filled the once pristine corridors of the battlecruiser that had, until today, been the pride of the Minbari Fleet and an uncertain future.

Situation Room

EarthForce Command, EarthDome

That Same Time

General Lefcourt allowed himself a slight smile as he gazed upon the shattered, air bleeding and in some cases like the biggest ship burning remains of the Minbari fleet. Captains Sterns and Chaffin had perfectly executed their attack on the Minbari fleet catching them in a viciously effective – in the way such things usually were – crossfire between their two fleets. Under witheringly heavy fire from multiple directions the Minbari had had no chance, especially as they no longer had the protection of their vaunted stealth technology.

The battle had not been entirely one sided though. The Minbari had been able to fight back and their weapons were as devastatingly powerful as ever with their neutron and fusion beam cannons claiming four of their ships and seriously damaging two more including the Lexington. It made the victory over Saturn somewhat bittersweet especially as three Minbari ships – one Sharlin and two Tinashi – had been able to escape to hyperspace no doubt carrying the news of this being their home system – and whichever route they had used to get here without being detected – back to their people.

"Sir we're receiving a message from the Lexington. Commander Sheridan is reporting that there are lifepods launching from the remains of the Minbari ships," communications reported, "he is asking for instructions."

"Commander Sheridan not Captain Sterns?"

"Sir Captain Sterns is apparently being rushed to the Lexington's infirmary with severe crush injuries after his command chair was hit by a falling support girder when they got hit by a beam from the Minbari flagship. Commander Sheridan has assumed command in the meantime."

"I see. Tell John to detain the lifepods as per normal protocol," Lefcourt ordered, noting that out the corner of his eye Levy was watching ready to intervene if he ordered anything other than that as she had made it clear that she supported and approved of General Bradshaw's stance on not destroying Minbari escape craft. Not that he would ever order such a thing he was a soldier not a barbarian. "Also tell both him and Captain Chaffin I want a full damage and casualty report from both their squadrons as soon as possible."

"Aye sir."

"Keep me informed."

"Aye sir."

Lefcourt turned to Levy a grim look on his face to find an equally grim look on her own face. They both knew that what the battle over Saturn had been a victory for their forces – and more proof that now that the Minbari stealth technology had been overcome thanks to their extra-universal cousins on the SDF-1 they could relatively easily kill Minbari vessels – it had also been a defeat. For one simple, one very devastating reason…

…the Minbari now knew the location of Earth.

Authors Notes: Well another chapter bites the metaphorical dust. I hope you all enjoyed it and yes the Drala Fi is the Black Star I just used her Minbari name – which we hear from Lennon when he meets with John Sheridan, Steven Franklin and G'Kar in In The Beginning – instead of the human name we hear all the time in the show. Also she had a squadron with her as when Sheridan first narrates the story of how he killed her in canon at the start of season two he says how it wasn't just the Black Star that was destroyed by his improvised nuclear minefield but two other ships as well before the rest could escape. I went with that interpretation instead of the one seen in the movie as that was likely Londo simplifying it for the sake of the two children he was narrating the story of the war to.

Finally this does mean that this particular story is entering its final phase with a cataclysmic final battle between the Minbari, that will make both sides want to end this war another way, and EarthForce on the horizon. Though that does not mean the story of this crossover universe will end when the war does, oh no it will merely be the end of book one. Until next time.