Roads Paved in Shadow

CHAPTER 36

Sol System

EAS Comanche

"On behalf of the civilians and military officers, and crew, I thank you for allowing us admittance into your territory, and I thank you for the assistance you're giving us at this time. We have many people who are in desperate need of medical help. Our weapons are inactive, as are our sensors. We are peaceful and are asking for asylum from our enemies and yours. I am in possession of vital information concerning my government's intentions. Earth Alliance, under the authority of President William Morgan Clark, has declared war against your world and your allies. He is assembling a war fleet. It will be used to attack and destroy your world and take technologies denied when your people were on our Earth almost fifteen years ago. As you know, talks broke down and then Senator Clark was almost imprisoned for his role in the attempted acquisition of your ships."

Ex-senator David Sheridan was sweating, and it wasn't just because of the temperature on the ship. Equipment was slowly breaking down. But the condition of the ship wasn't as important as the communication he was in the middle of now. The last time he spoke to the Tau'ri, things hadn't gone well.

EarthDome, the governmental seat of Earth Alliance, had attempted to forcefully acquire their technology during the first and last official meeting between the two governments. General Jack O'Neill had broken off talks, much to the chagrin of the Senators and high-ranking military officers of the EA. What happened next wasn't David's fault but he was part of EarthDome and, as such, also responsible.

Things went from bad to much worse when covert elements of his government attempted to take over their ships and kidnapped the crews. Those crews would have been interrogated, stripped of every bit of knowledge they possessed and their bodies discarded in jump space if Clark and his associates had gotten their way. The technology of those ships would have belonged to Earth Alliance and the powering their entire sector of space would have changed. Not only would the Minbari have been stopped in their tracks, but Earth Alliance would have become an undisputed power, feared by everyone.

In response to the EA's attempted hijacking, O'Neill terrified the seat of government of Earth Alliance by threatening to detonate several enhanced nuclear missiles over EarthDome's head, which would have destroyed a significant portion of Earth's surface. The attempted hijacking want sanctioned, but the damage was done, and the Tau'ri left, or escaped, depending on one's point of view. All talks ended, communications severed. Now he and his friends were here, essentially begging for asylum from people who didn't necessarily like them.

The response he waited for came through a few moments later.

"This is the UCW command. Your request was forwarded to us by our ally. Our civilian contact person, Richard Woosley, will address you shortly."

That answer produced a wide smile from David and the rest who heard the transmission. "On behalf of myself and those under my responsibility, I thank you for your generosity. We will be waiting for Mr. Woolsey to contact us." The man blew a sigh of relief. The first part was over. They hadn't blown his ships to perdition. He honestly could not say if his own people would have done the same, if the situation was reversed. Next to him stood Senators Peterson and Mander, both of whom were looking apprehensive yet relieved. Events have gone better than expected.

Captain John Sheridan looked relieved as well. The trip that brought them here had unnerved him. He never saw the vessel that transported them to the system, and the aliens who did so weren't very interested or forthcoming as to who they were. But he had found out some things. The Tau'ri were part of an organization called the United Coalition of Worlds, and judging by the power that one ship, this organization, and its people were a significant force. But he was still unsure if they could handle the amount of Earthforce ships that would be arrayed against them in the coming future. The vessel that brought them here was frightening, but he wondered if even that ship could handle what was coming? For now, he was content to wait and see what had developed in the next few minutes.

"Senator Sheridan?"

"Yes, I'm here. Thank you for speaking with me," he politely answered. "Mister Woosley, to put it simply, we are all ho remains of the resistance formed to defy the totalitarian regime of President William Clark. The story is complicated, and it continues after your people left our Earth."

"Our war with the Minbari continued and, although the battle was close, we won. The technological innovations that you gave us helped us to survive long enough to achieve victory. The Minbari are no longer a threat. But from a political standpoint, we did suffer a lot because of the actions of General O'Neill," he added with a touch of bitterness. It wasn't against the man, but it was against the situation that occurred. "His actions in exposing the corruption within Earth Alliance created a firestorm that almost brought down Levy's presidency. The information concerning certain officials and the government rocked EarthDome to his core, and there was a major shakeup. The officials that were responsible for many of the incidents in the Minbari war, as well as the involvement in the attempted kidnapping and hijacking of the Achilles and the Prometheus, were caught, and prosecuted. Unfortunately, some of the most well-connected were able to escape serious prosecution. Some of the actions were swept under the rug, because of our continued war for survival against the Minbari. We did not know it then, but that was a serious error on our part. One of our officials, using all of his power and influence, managed to escape prosecution. He eventually won the vice-presidency, then inherited the presidency when Santiago died.

"We don't have tangible proof, but we believe the same individuals were responsible for the assassination of our previous president, President Santiago. Clark became president and with his power and influence, he and his cabal slowly turned Earth into a fascist state. He became president for life and with the aid of Psi-Corp and clandestine organizations, and to the extent, the mega-corporations, the Constitution was dissolved and Earth Alliance for all practical purposes is now an imperialist state."

On screen, Mr. Woosley looked shocked and disappointed at the outcome. He said nothing while continuing to listen to ex-Senator Sheridan's story.

"Many of our citizens resisted Clark's grab for power, but we were too few and too late. Over the intervening years, resistance was crushed. We are the survivors of that resistance. Earth Alliance's power grew to a point where none of the other alien governments could or would help us for fear of going to war against humanity. The technology and innovations that we stripped from the Minbari changed the balance of power in our region of space. We wanted to make sure that humanity will be strong enough to keep us safe from all outside alien influences." Shaking his head sadly, he continued. "We got what we asked for. Now, what's left of us is here with our families, our possessions, and what few members of the refugees who we could gather. Out of thirty surviving ships, we four are the last survivors we are aware of. We Knew what was coming. There was no other choice but to brave the rift and come here in hopes that we could find and warn you to prepare as best you could for what is coming."

Woosley was quiet, contemplating what was said by the elder Sheridan, the silence unnerving all three senators. When he did speak, the words were spoken in slow, measured tones. "Thank you for this information," he toldthem. "There is a beacon near Earth's moon. We don't use them for navigation. It's situated in your layer of higher-level space. I assume that Earthforce somehow placed it there?"

Captain John Sheridan frowned, shaking his head. "That's strange, sir," he interrupted. "According to our information, Earthforce didn't know where your system was located until very recently. We intercepted several transmissions, and according to them, your Earth's location was only discovered a week ago. According to our star charts, we are approximately four months away, at best speed, from the staging area. An Earthforce long-ranged vessel couldn't have discovered your world and placed a beacon so close without you and your famous sensors detecting it. There's no way the ship could have remained in jump space for the duration. It would have to return to normal space to take readings. This entire area of space is unknown. It would have taken months, if not longer, for one of ours to find and place a beacon here. The beacon is close to the moon. I can't see how you wouldn't have detected the ship that placed it there."

"It didn't get there by itself. I now have to assume if Earthforce didn't get here, then someone or something else placed it there."

"It doesn't appear to be a normal beacon used by Earth Alliance, or any of the known races in our… sectors of space." Those words made both men frown. For John Sheridan, it reminded him of rumors he'd originally dismissed. "The fact that Earthforce just learned of your location, and because there is a beacon already here..." He paused for a second. "One of the quiet rumors that continued in EF was that Clark had outside help…"

"Possibly the Vorlons?" Woosley asked, surprising the Earthforce personnel.

"I don't believe so. No one has heard from them in almost twenty years. But I do mean help from unknown sources, possibly alien," his father added.

"It's possible," John said. "There were things Earthforce couldn't account for like Santiago's death. Earthforce One blew up and we never officially discovered the cause. Then, there was the Centauri battle near Beta Durani. The Centauri attacked one of our bases, but every Centauri ship was destroyed by unknown forces. There were other things, strange sightings, unexplained events, all of them benefitting Clark."

Woosley stared at him. "You are implying that he had outside help, secret associates, as it were."

"Yes. But there was never any solid proof. The Presidency always kept information classified. Few people knew what was actually happening without Clark's cabal's permission."

"Maybe not," Senator Mander whispered. "General Bindley may know something. But in the state he's in…"

"We will attend to his medical needs," Woosley responded. "And your rumors concerning clandestine aggression from your government may have already been confirmed."

"What do you mean, sir?" asked John.

"Are you aware if President Clark has a hidden fleet that might be using this beacon?"

"Not that I know of," he answered. Then he paused, deep in thought. "Maybe I'm wrong. Something doesn't add up."

Again, he paused and Woosley recognized the signs. "I see we have a lot to discuss. And my government wishes you to open a jump point near the beacon so that we can destroy it. Will you do this?"

"Yes, we can. Just let us know when you are ready."

"We will prepare and let you know," Richard responded. "Naturally, we understand that this is a short postponement. We are assuming that the perpetrators must have a plan 'B' as backup, but the beacon's destruction should give them pause and give us a little more time. We will see you soon."

"I look forward to our discussion." More so than you know, he thought as he glanced at the Colonial fleet on screen in the distance. He grimaced, not wanting to bring the subject up so early, but the politician in him couldn't allow him to stall. "Mr. Woosley, I would like to know how long the Kobollians have been here in your star system?"

Richard looked surprised. "You know who they are," he said, his voice filled with suspicion.

"It is a problem I'm afraid that I am going to have to confront." The man looked horrified. "It won't be pretty. Again, please, how long have they been here?"

The urgency in his voice was undeniable and foreboding. Woosley immediately answered. "They arrived here a little less than two weeks ago. Why is that important?"

"Because they're not shooting at us," was the terse answer. When David looked into Woosley's eyes, he knew that the man knew, or at least suspected. "Earthforce explorers discovered the Kobollians and another government two years after we were able to safely transverse the rift. We were looking for your home world." Oh, how he hated saying that. "Clark immediately begin planning to invade the Colonies when he found out it wasn't the Tau'ri star system. He wanted to use it as a staging area. A month ago, Clark's forces attacked the Kobollians. The damage was massive, with at least two worlds completely destroyed."

David found himself unable to continue.

"My world's military forces killed several billion people on those worlds and decimated the Kobollian military," continued Senator Mander. "We used advances taken from the Minbari and Abbai, not to mention some of the technology you gave to us. The Kobollians didn't stand a chance. But they still have some fight left. But it's not enough. They are being stripped dry of everything. Military ships and assets, civilian vessels, equipment, everything. All of it is being sent back through the rift, back to our Earth. The alliance is becoming stronger, war with the other races is inevitable. Our president will never stop until humanity is supreme, and that means he will be supreme. That is why our forces are coming here. Revenge and the dreams of power."

Woosley could see the tears in her eyes as she spoke. She hated the actions of her government worse than Senator David or his father.

Richard's face was already sour. Now, it went blank. "How s Earth Alliance getting through the rift without being damaged?" asked a sober Woosley.

"We built a type of jump gate that allows ships and crews through without being torn apart. We also have energy shields similar to yours, obtained or rather stolen from the Abbai."

The Tau'ri was incensed. Earth Alliance was begging for war and now they wanted to spread it. That kind of thinking was stupid. Earth Alliance, namely Clark, had no idea what they were unleashing. What was the purpose of starting a fight that could unleash a galactic war? As for the refugees…

David looked disgusted. "The man is a megalomaniac. Clark doesn't believe that the people of this universe are real humans. This belief allows him to do what he wants. Years of indoctrination have created a whole new generation of Earthforce and civilians believing the same." He shivered as a wave of anger swept over him. "I am leaping to the conclusion that the Kobollian fleet doesn't know about this, or we'd be in a shooting battle right now."

"That is why you wanted to know how long they've been here," Richard Woosley concluded. "This is going to be a problem. We will have to sort this out as soon as possible. I would suggest that you do not contact them or take any of their communications until we have this… discussion on the surface in a controlled environment. And a piece of advice."

"Yes?"

"Whatever you do, please do not tell them you are from a different universe. At least not yet. They are not ready for that revelation. Senator Sheridan, Captain Sheridan, please prepare your people to come to the surface. We have medical support and food for your people. I believe you need substance other than what you've been subsisting on."

"Thank you," answered both very grateful men.

"Please send representatives down as soon as possible. The representatives of the UCW and the visiting Kobollians will be present. Your people will undergo decontamination protocols. It shouldn't take more than an hour."

"But," Sheridan started. "We've been in contact with each other once before. Both sides didn't have any problems with cross contamination."

"True, but new protocols have been established for everyone's safety. Our procedures are used once, and the immunity lasts for an average of seven years. We don't want a case of the flu wiping out a population, as I am sure you understand."

"I agree. There will be no problems. I assume that you will have sufficient security there?" David Sheridan asked. "And I don't want us to start a battle near your planet's orbit if these talks go badly."

"Hopefully, it won't come to that, but we will ensure that security will be sufficient to keep things from escalating into violence."

New Tollania

The last orders of the Curia made the captain do something that he hadn't done before. He squirmed.

Second Lead Karatonia was in a heated argument with Administrator Narim about whether to destroy the ship and everything in it or preserve it for study. The commander had already decided on his action the moment his people were removed from the wreck. "Shields' to full. Lock on and destroy the ship!"

Those orders were never completed as the Ha'tak blew itself in a sub-nuclear detonation, taking everything within three kilometers with it.

The Tollanian frigate Guardian's shield held while the ground near the ship turned into molten sludge. The air around the explosion was superheated to almost four thousand degrees, effectively sterilizing the corresponding atmosphere. Hundreds of natural and imported plants and animals were wiped out and it was something the transplanted Tollanians could not tolerate. The damage triggered memories of the home world long gone, destroyed by natural causes, and the destruction of their replacement, destroyed by the Goa'uld. The conservationists were going to start restoring the damaged area as soon as was safe to do so.

Captain Burin was pleased that his squadron was safe. But he was disturbed by the fact that the organic based explosive appeared to be initiated after his people arrived at the bridge. It could have been something that the squad had triggered, or it was done remotely. As the commanding officer on-station, his was the responsibility to find out. There wasn't much left to examine, but he would continue. He gave the order for his subordinate to continue deep-scanning the area adjacent to the edge of the explosion.

The Soldier of Darkness hadn't expected the intruders to escape and survive so quickly. It-she-thing was aware of transport technology, but the ability to transport without the pads came as a surprise. It was an advantage that her masters were unaware of. The masters needed to know what she had discovered, but doubted if they would get the vital intelligence from her. Her wounds were serious, and it kept her from maintaining her phased state for long periods of time. The Tollanian scans were difficult to evade and almost impossible to do so if they were focused in her direction, even when in her phased state and uninjured.

With cold eyes, she watched as the vessel continued to scan the immediate area despite the fact that the transport ship was destroyed. They should have left, but hadn't. she couldn't enter the ship as long as their shields were up. Natural phasing was ineffective when confronted with shields. Not even the masters could do that, and their capabilities were superior to her own.

The humans onboard the ship started scanning beyond the area of the destruction. The soldier was forced to flee to avoid being detected. In her condition, the ability to sense those scans caused her pain. Her legs burned as she ran towards the human city some sixty kilometers distant. Under normal circumstances, the distance was inconsequential. But now it was a race against time. Her wounds were deteriorating her ability to complete her mission.

The unnatural, ugly green plants that extended into the sky provided excellent cover as it headed towards its destination. There were few humans around. These Tollanian humans did not like being away from their own kind in cities. But those that were here would be useful.

Phased, it began stalking as the need for substance became a priority.

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