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 Twenty-Four

SDF-1

Jericho System, Earth-Minbari Border Region

Sometime Later

Captain Henry Gloval calmly watched as a Minbari transport, carrying their delegation, accompanied by a pair of Niall fighters slowly crossed the distance between a newly arrived Minbari war cruiser and the SDF-1. The Earth Alliance had asked him if he would host the peace talks between them and the Minbari Federation aboard his ship and he had agreed to the request, folding the SDF-1 to the closest Earth Alliance system to the Minbari border after picking up the Earth Alliance delegation being led by President Elizabeth Levy herself.

Inwardly he shook his head still somewhat amazed by just how quickly things had changed in the last few weeks. Just two weeks ago they had been engaged in pitched, life-or-death with the Minbari fleet. Until that was abruptly the Minbari fleet turned about and withdrew from the still unnamed system near the hyperspace anomaly that the Earth Alliance had taken to calling the Maelstrom. An apt name given its nature as a nexus of powerful hyperspace storms, though he was grateful that the Maelstrom didn't affect space folding technology as they exploited a different hyperspace domain. Four days after the withdrawal, and for the first time since the entire war had begun, EarthGov had been contacted by representatives of the Minbari.

If that hadn't been surprising enough, though very welcome at the same time, what the Minbari had wanted was. The Minbari had asked for a formal cease fire pending the beginning of negotiations to end the war. They had given no reason or explanation for their sudden change of heart, as previously they had only been willing to talk with their neutron cannons, only that they wanted to end the war and were willing to discuss just how to do that. Not willing to push the issue, being more relieved that the killing could finally be about to end for good, EarthGov had agreed and then the first round of talks had taken place over stellar-comm.

While the bulk of the issues had been dealt with over the stellar-comm system there were still a few outstanding issues and a few diplomatic niceties to observe. Things that could only be done in an actual face-to-face meeting, hence the meeting that was about to take place. If everything went right, for a change, then in a few hours to a day at the most the war would finally be over and a period of healing and reconstruction for all involved could begin.

And we could begin building our own new future, he thought to himself thinking about the pressing issue facing the SDF-1 and the seventy thousand Macross Island refugees still aboard her. Since it didn't look like they would be able to get back to their own reality they needed somewhere here where they could settle down and begin creating a new future for themselves. Earth had already offered to let them settle on a planet in their territory though neither he nor anyone else aboard – including Mayor Luan representing the civilian population – were that enthusiastic about that idea. Few if any of the worlds currently colonised by the Earth Alliance were really that habitable – really on Proxima and the colonies on Deneb III and Deneb IV had breathable atmospheres and compatible biospheres – relying on domed cities for survival.

They were also heavily controlled by the various corporate interests in the Earth Alliance, with many treated more like personal fiefdoms by those modern descendants of multi-national corporations than anything else. If they settled on any of those worlds – even if they built their own artificial biosphere dome which they easily had the technology to do – then it was inevitable that the mega-corps would start interfering with their lives. Not to mention they had already noticed, or been quietly informed by EarthForce, of manoeuvres in the Senate by the corporations' pet senators to bind them to the Alliance and allow the corps to pillage all their advanced robotechnology for their own ends.

Something that he and the other leaders aboard could already tell would not be a good thing.

Thus, it was obvious that they really needed to do their own thing, strike out on their own to be sure to build a future that greedy Earth Alliance mega-corps executives couldn't interfere with. Thankfully they did have an advantage to help them decide what to do in the AI version of young Mr Hunter. An AI whose help had already been invaluable as without him they certainly wouldn't have gotten either the fold drive or the defence barrier working properly if at all. He and the others, including Mayor Luan, already planned to talk to the AI later to see what it would recommend based on avoiding the terrible fate that had apparently befallen most of them in a previous iteration of this timeline.

The sight of the Minbari transport landing brought him out of his thoughts. He straightened himself up and watched as the arranged honour guard moved into position. For a few more moments nothing more happened then the door to the transport's interior opened and the first Minbari stepped out.

Minbari Transport

A Few Minutes Earlier

Delenn would, if asked, admit to feeling more than a little nervous as the heavy transport ship slowly crossed the distance between the Valen'tha and the SDF-1 which was hanging stationary over the site of the former Jericho IV colony. A glance around the compartment showed that Coplann and Karenn – who like her had removed the grey and black robes of their office as Satai and replaced them with the traditional garb of high-ranking members of their respective castes – were equally nervous though were doing their best to hide it.

She supposed that it was understandable that they were so nervous. After all just two Earth weeks ago, or three and a half in Minbari terms, the extra-universal warship had been tearing their warships apart with an ease that was as terrifying as it had been contemptuous. The way its powerful beams had torn through their ships, overwhelming armour designed to offer some protection against Shadow weapons, had sent more than a few waves of fear through both the worker and warrior castes. Of course, out of that battle had also come the revelation that had shaken every Minbari, in both the Grey Council and the Council of Caste Elders, who knew about it to the very core.

The revelation that Humans, or at least some Humans, had Minbari souls.

Initially there had been the hope that the Human who had Valen's soul was a one off, some kind of cosmic fluke, but that had not been the case. In the last month or so of the war the Anla'shok had taken over a dozen Humans prisoner and, after being informed of it they had tested them with the triluminary in front of both parts of the leadership of the Minbari. The result had been both conclusive and emotionally devastating as out of the Humans tested twenty-four had been shown to have either hybrid or complete Minbari souls. If those numbers were replicated on a larger species wide scale, then the number of their own souls that they, in their grief and madness following the death of Dukhat, had hurt did not bare thinking about.

It had however made everyone who knew, regardless of clan or caste, determined to end this war now. So, they had reached out to the Humans and asked for peace talks. Somewhat to their surprise the Humans had been beyond receptive to the idea and had even been extremely reasonable in what they wanted for peace. They hadn't even asked for reparations or anything for the war, though the Minbari had not asked for their captured ships back seeing it as a fair loss, all they wanted was for the killing to stop, diplomatic relations to start and them to commit to a project that some in the Human government had been quietly working towards for over a decade. A plan to build a place, a space station, where everyone could meet and work to prevent wars such as the one that had just raged between their two races from ever happening again.

Surprised, but also quietly more than a little relieved, at how reasonable the Humans were being they had agreed. Now all that was needed to do was formally sign the treaties between their two races, which would naturally involve a few speeches and other diplomatic ceremonies being followed, and all would be done.

Which was why they were here now.

"Are you alright Delenn," Coplann suddenly asked, he had been watching the younger Minbari closely and he could see that she was quietly quite disturbed by all of this. He could understand as this whole thing had been shocking and emotionally very distressing for all of them, it had started more than one member of his caste – those in the know at least – wondering what it said about them as a people that they would engage in such a wanton slaughter. Many did not like the answers they were coming up with, which in the longer term could well turn out to be a good thing as it would let them expunge the darkness that had clearly slowly crept into them without anyone even realizing it.

"I am fine Coplann," Delenn replied, "I am just a bit nervous. I also cannot stop thinking about all of this, all that we have done and how surprisingly reasonable in their demands for ending this whole thing the Humans are being."

"You are not the only one Delenn," Karenn answered, "there is a lot of soul searching going on amongst our people now."

"Indeed, this war has made us all look in the mirror," Coplann admitted, "and we don't like what we see. The clan elders are already drawing up new training methods and codes of conduct for our warriors, we have drifted too far from what we should be."

"It is just as well as if Valen's prophecy is true then we do not have long until the Shadows return," Delenn commented.

"If true then it is a good thing that the deficiencies in our logistical support networks and the fact that my fellow warriors have largely forgotten the importance of logistics were revealed now," Coplann pointed out, "but we should table this discussion for later we are coming into dock."

Both female Minbari nodded in agreement as a momentary shiver ran through the deck as they passed through an atmospheric containment field. Simultaneously weight returned to their limbs, as not even they could generate artificial gravity on something as small as a transport shuttle, as they entered the influence of the SDF-1's artificial gravity field. A moment later another shiver ran through the deck as they set down. The three Satai exchanged a look before undoing their restraints and standing up, it was time to finally end this war.

Delenn took the lead – since diplomacy was always the purview of the religious caste – with Coplann and Karenn falling in to her left and right respectively. Then they made their way to the hatch as one of the warrior caste pilots opened it and stepped out onto the deck, the other pilot following a second later. Taking a deep breath and muttering a quick prayer for success – though everything had already been negotiated there was still the faint possibility that something could go wrong – Delenn stepped out of the transport.

To find herself facing two rows of armed and armoured Humans. They were standing in perfectly straight rows on either side of a red carpet that extended from the side of their transport to where a group of people were waiting for them. Someone shouted a command and the Human warriors straightened and moved their weapons into what was clearly a ceremonial position. The fact that they did it all in perfect synchronisation with one another was extremely impressive and Delenn didn't have to look to know that Coplann, being a warrior, was very impressed by the disciplined performance.

With a calmness she didn't really feel and doing her best to ignore the slightly uncomfortable warmth of the ship's interior, Delenn began walking towards the welcoming party. Coplann and Karenn falling into step with her. In no time at all they reached the welcoming committee including a Human in a dark blue uniform that they recognised from Anla'shok intelligence reports as being the commanding officer of the SDF-1. And the man who in one stroke had taken what was arguably the Minbari's greatest technological and strategic advantage over the other races, their ships stealth capabilities, away from them.

"Welcome to the SDF-1 ambassadors," Captain Gloval said in greeting as he eyed the quite odd trio in front of him. Two of the Minbari were female with the one in the middle wearing white and cream robes, while the one on the right wore practical looking clothing that was almost like coveralls. The other who was male wore the samurai-like uniform of a senior member of the warrior caste. "I am Captain Gloval, it is a pleasure to have you here."

"The pleasure is ours Captain Gloval," Delenn replied diplomatically, "allow me to introduce myself. My name is Delenn and in these final ceremonies I represent the religious caste. These are my colleagues Karenn of the worker caste and Coplann of the warrior caste. We thank you for being willing to host this meeting."

"It is no trouble," Gloval answered, "if you follow me, I will take you to where the Earth Alliance delegation and observers from the other local races are waiting."

"Then by all means lead on," Coplann said appreciating the fact that the other man was a fellow warrior and didn't want to really waste time with overly polite, meaningless diplomatic conversation.

"This way," Gloval said turning away and beginning to walk. The three Minbari followed closely behind heading deeper into the interior of the ship and the signing ceremony that would formally bring about the end of the Earth-Minbari War.

Civilian Sector

SDF-1

That Same Time

Lieutenant Commander Roy Fokker was puzzled as he arrived at the accommodation unit in the civilian sector that had been assigned to Rick. The civilian sector, really one of the ships central storage areas, had come quite a way since they had first found themselves transported to this reality a few months ago. It was no longer a city of tents but had become a series of temporary accommodation modules that had been laid out in a grid pattern similar to a city though they were also stacked on top of one another in order to save space.

He paused outside the small unit that was his little brothers hopefully temporary home. With the war ending they would soon be able to find someplace to settle down and begin building a new future for themselves and when they did, he would make sure that Rick got a far more comfortable place to live than a glorified rectangular metal box. Which was what this thing was.

He put aside those thoughts for now and touched the doorbell. For a moment nothing happened, beyond him faintly hearing the bell go off inside the module, then the door opened, and Rick smiled out at him.

"Hi Roy thanks for coming," Rick said in greeting, "come in."

"Your welcome Rick," Roy answered accepting the invitation to enter with Rick closing the door behind them. While he did so Roy looked around a little curiously as this was the first time, he had actually seen the inside of one of the accommodation modules they'd fabricated for the Macross Island refugees based off a design that General Bradshaw had given them for colonial emergency housing. They were currently standing in a short, relatively narrow hallway with a wall on one side which, if he remembered the design right, was the part that housed a small bathroom. The walls and ceiling were a plain as hell white and the floor a cream coloured, completely personality-less carpet even worse than the military issue carpet in the barracks. Sheesh this it depressing, he thought as the whole thing so far struck him as being somewhat, well, cold.

"Man, this place is cold," he commented.

"It is, but it's warm and private at night which is better than what we had before," Rick commented as he slipped passed him. "This way Roy. There is someone I need you to meet and a decision I need you to help me with."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "What kind of decision," he asked curiously even as he followed him down the narrow hallway. He Wondered if Rick was thinking about joining the military. After months of not being able to fly, his little brother was probably starting to go a bit stir crazy, which would certainly make him think about it. Plus, even though the war with the Minbari that they had literally been dropped right into when they'd arrived in this reality, folding literally from the frying pan to the fire, was ending his skills as a pilot would still be extremely useful.

"I'll get to that bit shortly," Rick answered as they came to the end of the hallway and entered the main living area. It was about as cold and tasteless as the hallway with plain as hell furniture that was a pale grey colour on top of more of the awful cream coloured carpet. At the far end of the room was a small kitchenette and a door that he knew led to the bedroom.

Though what immediately grabbed Roy's attention was the figure sitting on the couch, nursing what looked and smelt like a cup of coffee. It was a somewhat portly, older man wearing two-toned grey robes that made him stand out like a sore thumb. Somehow, he knew that this person, this strange man was who Rick wanted him to see.

"Roy this is Alwyn," Rick said in introduction. "He showed up here a few days ago after looking for me for a few weeks. We have been talking ever since."

"I am pleased to meet you Commander Fokker," Alwyn said putting down the coffee that Rick had been kind enough to make for him. "I am sure you are very curious about all this."

"Well, I am a bit," Roy answered as he sat down in an indicated chair, with Rick sitting in the other, "what's all this about? What's your interest in my little brother Mister Alwyn."

"Please just, Alwyn and it is nothing malicious I assure you," Alwyn answered, "I have merely extended an offer to him, but he wanted to run it past you first. I agreed, especially since I am doing this without the knowledge of my order, and they would not consent anyway even if they did know."

"Your order?"

"I'm a technomage."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "What's that when it's about?" he asked.

Alwyn chuckled. "Somehow, I expected you to know as almost everyone in this reality knows about us even if we are rarely seen. Rick here was the same," he replied though he wasn't irritated at all as so many of his brethren would have been. It was quite refreshing to speak to people who, because they were from another universe, had no preconceived notion of them. "The poetic description is we are dreamers, shapers, singers and makers. We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, crystal and scanner, holographic demons and the invocation of equations."

"Which tells me nothing."

"Basically, Roy they're a real manifestation of Clarke's third law," Rick explained.

"So, you use very advanced technology to appear to use magic," Roy asked.

"Indeed, though few in the Order like to truly admit that fact to outsiders," Alwyn admitted, "we know many things, and have many abilities and knowledge. Far too many like the mystique of being strange space-wizards – and even address themselves as wizards – for my taste."

"Which brings me back to the question what is your interest in my little brother? Do you want him as an apprentice or something?"

"Well yes but for you to understand why I will need to fill you in on quite a few things," Alwyn admitted, "things that nobody outside the Order, and even inside it few indeed, know. About our origins, where the current technology behind our abilities comes from and the curse that comes with it. This knowledge could be very dangerous, and the Circle would certainly kill all three of us if they were to find out I told you."

Rick and Roy exchanged a look before Roy spoke again. "Tell us" he said suspecting that they were not in any real danger from the mages here on the SDF-1, that there was technology here that could neutralise most of their 'magic'.

"As you wish," Alwyn replied before finishing off his coffee.

Then he began his explanation starting with how over a thousand years ago, with the Vorlons increasing use of other races such as the Minbari as proxies against them the Shadows decided that they needed a new warrior tool. How said desire gave rise to the technomages, sentient beings implanted with far more advanced versions of Shadow technology than the arachnoid aliens normally provided to their thrall races. How the mages had rebelled against their creators and at least partially managed to slip their leash and go off and do their own thing. How their origin still haunted them with every mage having to constantly keep control of an impulse to cause the chaos they had been first made for. How they were to this day still partially bound to the Shadows with only the Shadows via their chief minion species the Drakh being able to supply them with the technology needed to make new technomages…

…until now.

He explained how some time ago he had received a transmission and learned of a new way, learned of robotechnology. How the technology on this ship, and the protoculture – which was somewhat toxic to Shadow biotechnology – could be used to create new chrysalis devices and new implants that would not only completely free them of their bonds to the chaos weavers but allow them to develop in ways that they had never been able to before. How his ship, which he had docked in one of the aft emergency bays without anyone knowing, had already made two of them and only needed a supply of protoculture to activate them. How one was meant to replace his own implants and how the other was meant for an apprentice.

"And you want me to be that apprentice," Rick asked. "Why me?"

"You are the best option," Alwyn answered, "will you help me? Help me not only free my kind from the chains that the Shadows could still use to control us when they return but create a better future not just for the Order of Technomages but for everyone."

"If I agree to this what would be involved," Rick asked, "and would I still be allowed to fly?"

"Normally when an apprentice is chosen, they and their master go off somewhere secluded until the training and technology implantation is complete," Alwyn admitted, "however I will not do that to you. You will be able to remain in contact, and even on the same planet, as your loved ones and I will not do anything to stop you if you wish to fly.

"Regardless of what you decide I am very willing to help you all," Alwyn added, "while I was travelling here, I reviewed my ships navigational database. There are several habitable worlds that I know of that are extremely hard to reach via conventional hyperspace, but which will be easily accessible to you due to your unique method of FTL travel. I will hand over that data regardless of what you decide to do."

Rick frowned thoughtfully. He had to admit that it was something of a tempting offer. He looked over at Roy. "What do you think Roy," he asked.

Roy was silent for a few moments as he mulled everything over. "It's your life Rick," he said at last, "the decision is yours to make. I will support you whatever you decide to do. However, there is one thing that we would need to do as well, especially if you chose to do this. Especially if you and need a supply of protoculture."

"Which is," Alwyn asked.

"We will need to inform Captain Gloval about this."

Diplomatic Conference Room

A Short Time Later

Delenn carefully read over the document that had been presented to her. It was the formal text of the peace treaty that had been so painstakingly negotiated over the last fortnight. Once she, Coplann and Karenn signed this document, and signed the Humans copy, then the war between Earth and Minbar would officially be over. Which was why she was being so careful in her reading looking for anything untoward in the document and in the terms and conditions of the peace.

She was relieved to find that there were none.

Comfortable with what she was about to do she picked up the ceremonial pen that had been supplied for just this occasion. After a second or two she carefully signed the form in the section set aside for the religious caste before handing the pen and document over to Coplann. As she had Coplann reviewed it before resolutely signing his name in the correct location before Karenn did the same before handing the document back to Delenn.

Who then handed it over to the Human leader President Levy, who handed her the Human copy to sign. Again, the three Minbari signed the treaty before both sides were given their respective copies back. Levy held hers for a few moments, relieved that the war that had claimed so many lives on both sides – the result of terrible mistakes and misunderstandings on both sides – was finally over. She ignored the snaps of cameras from multiple races media groups as they beamed this moment out across the whole known galaxy.

Finally, she looked up and spoke knowing her words would be heard around the galaxy. "Three hundred and three years ago," she began, "at the end of another costly war a Human general said these words. Today the guns are silent, a great tragedy is ended. These words are as poignant now as they were then as the war a tragedy born out of ignorance and fear, hundreds of thousands on both sides have paid for those mistakes with their lives.

"We must do better in the future," she continued, "we must all understand that such failures to understand lead only to pain and death. It is my hope that we all learn from this and that such a war never happens again. To that end I wish to make an announcement. Before I came here the Senate of the Earth Alliance met in closed session and decided, funding had been approved for the Babylon Project

"This project is designed to build a place where all races can meet and resolve differences peacefully," she added, "it is we believe our best hope for peace in the galaxy. To that end when the station is finished, we invite all races to send representatives in the hopes that we can prevent a war like the one that just raged from ever happening again."

For a few moments there was silence from the gathered crowd, then first one person, the Centauri Imperial Special Envoy Urza Jaddo, started clapping in agreement and support. From there it spread like wildfire throughout the crowd of reporters and invited delegates from the other races. All showing their support and agreement with the goals of the Babylon Project.

Levy allowed herself a small smile. She knew that realizing the dream of the Babylon Project was not going to be an easy one, just building the station was going to be a challenge, but it was a dream that worth working towards. And if they succeeded, then maybe just maybe they would be able to rid the galaxy of the scourge of war.

It was a pleasant thought.