2
New Kobe Shipyards
Proxima III
It was unbelievable to see so many ships in one place, row after row of grey Earthforce warships surrounded by a myriad of cargo haulers, tankers and tugs. Elsewhere alien ships mixed in with human ones, mainly lighter League vessels but standing proud at the periphery were a trio of Minbari Sharlin warcruisers, once the natural predators of human vessels. Permeating the entire region were constant fighter patrols, hundreds of small craft whizzing back and forth guarding the steady streams of shuttles and tenders.
This was the business end of the fleet, the intense but ordered activity which prepared the navy for the task ahead. While Earth made up the lion's share of the power here it was going to be a truly united effort drawing on all the allies humanity had made. Unfortunately, at least for now, there was nothing to direct that immense power toward. The Drakh had vanished as swiftly as they had appeared with only a few sightings since the raid on Earth. Nobody knew where they were based, where their homeworld was or if they even had one anymore. Earth was in a war with a ghost and for all its gathering might was unable to actually throw it at anything.
"It's a hell of a sight isn't it?"
General Tennant read her mind, the tall officer pushing up against the windows in the crew shuttle with the same enthusiasm as a six year old. She glanced quickly around identifying points of interest and calling them out for Akari.
"Vree saucers there, ever see them go all out? Just shower antimatter against a target, evaporates whole squadrons in one go."She tapped the window. "Plenty of Brakiri ships, a Drazi squadron, oh, look. A Bin'tak dreadnought! Pride of the Narn fleet! Only three of those in existence you know."
"So I heard." Akari was properly impressed, the Narn fleet was still significantly understrength after the Centauri largely annihilated it, to send a full task force built around such a major warship was a serious commitment. "Minbari too."
"Hard to say it but I'm glad to see them, those ships are still the Queens of space." Tennant was grudgingly forced to admit. "Happy they are on our side this time."
"I pity whatever gets in front of them." Akari spoke earnestly, everyone with more than two braincells still had a healthy respect for the Minbari fleet. Perhaps dread was a better word. "Sheridan's boys too."
"Ah yes, Ranger ships." Tennant peered around at the purple speckled hulls of a Whitestar group. "I'd love to take a look inside one, people say they were Vorlon built."
Their crew shuttle weaved past the assembled vessels and turned closer into the shipyards themselves, huge spindly structures filled with warships in various states of completion. At the centre was the main administration and coordination facility, a standard ring type station common to human territory. That though was not their destination, the shuttle flying straight past the bustling hub and zeroing in on another grid like structure.
"That's our dock, the first one made with full artificial gravity, brand new." Tennant pointed out. "First of many now we have the wrinkles ironed out."
Thanks to gravity manipulation the structure didn't need rotating sections like the older dockyards allowing a more efficient layered blocky design. Rectangular modules had been welded together as needed holding workers and vital supplies while the large struts and girders carrying cranes and construction machines sat out at the edges in neat grids.
The structure itself was fascinating, but it was the ships docked beside the station which really caught her attention. Five Warlock class destroyers laying side by side facing outwards, freshly painted and uniform awaiting the hunt.
"That one is yours." Tennant motioned at the nearest grey warship. "The Medea."
"Medea?" Akari shook her brain until a little bit of classical knowledge fell out. "Bit of an ominous name?"
Tennant grinned widely. "Only if you got on her bad side."
The Warlock was the current pride of Earth Force, nearly two kilometres long and bristling with weapons. It was not quite so boxy and square as its predecessors, though its angular hull offered precious few curved surfaces. Straight easy to manufacture lines dictated the design allowing Earth to mass produce these complex vessels at a respectably speedy rate, certainly an advantage after losing so many ships defending Earth.
The Warlock had three great advantages over previous generations of ships. The first and greatest was full artificial gravity vastly increasing the range and efficiency of the design in addition to giving it enviable speed for such a large unit. Second was a layer of artificial crystalline armour over the main hull based on reverse engineered Minbari technology. It was imperfect, vastly expensive and very dense which precluded using it across the entire ship, but it did protect the most vital spaces.
The third was armament, a host of heavyweight dual role laser/pulse cannon turrets commanded the profile along with a trio of twin rail gun turrets for long range engagements. Long range missile tubes stood off in pods on either side of the ship to supplement the standard horizontal launchers closer to the engine deck while point defence was handled by forty two light pulse cannon interceptors. The grandest of the weapons though were the pair of heavy particle cannons running down the spine of the ship and emerging at the bow, the same weapons used in the AEGIS defence satellites bringing unprecedented firepower to the human fleet. The package was neatly rounded out by twin energy mine launchers, the large oblong guns almost an afterthought compared to the immense particle cannons.
This then would be her command, a Barracuda looking ship of the line, possibly the most coveted and prized posting in the entire fleet, and someone had given it to her. It was almost criminally exciting and she was obviously not doing a great job of hiding her relish.
"Not bad eh?" Tennant couldn't help but pick up Akari's aura. "The middle one is mine, the Morgana."
Akari had to almost pull her gaze away from her own shiny new command to look where Tennant was indicating, an identical ship but with one huge difference, a bright shark mouth painted on the forward hull giving the impression of a huge ravenous predator maw open for the attack.
"You're kidding!" She blurted, quickly shooting a sideways look at her superior. "...Errr, General."
"Don't worry, exactly the reaction I want!" The older officer laughed happily. "I want people to know she's my ship, friend or foe. Being larger than life can be a useful tool to inspire others."
"Do I get to paint some nose art on my ship?"
"Sure, you just need to kill ten Drakh cruisers, that's my requirement." Tennant nodded as if it was the most reasonable task in the world.
"Just ten?"
"I did." She smiled. "Morgana was in the Vanguard over Earth, we took a few hits but she's got character, didn't let it slow her down."
Akari had a moment of recollection, her expression souring as she remembered the burning smell from within her ship, the acrid smoke, the shaking of the hull as secondary explosions and emergency venting overcame her stalwart little gunboat. It was part of the reason she was here, to exact a blood price from the Drakh, and while her rage had faded her desire to hit back had not.
"You fought them too, did your part." Tennant could read her expression. "How many people did you lose?"
"Less than I could have, more than I wanted."
"You're not the type to let emotion rule you." Tennant assessed. "Give you fuel, definitely, but not override your judgement. Not everyone is the same, plenty in the fleet are burning for revenge, or they are afraid for their families back on Earth. Rage, hate, fear, it's a dangerous mix."
"I can imagine."
"Might also be a few who resent being called up, people who fell out with the Force like you did but don't have quite your appetite for exploding things."
"That a compliment, General?"
"Damn right it is." Tennant nodded firmly. "Point is your crew is scraped together from wherever we could find them. They have experience but it varies wildly. Some are freshly recalled, some are on their first space going mission, some are pulled from other stations and facilities, some are survivors of ships lost over Earth. It is a hell of a mix and we don't have a lot of time to get them working together."
That was going to be a challenge. The finest ship in space was worthless with a poor crew, the men and women who directed the warship, maintained its systems, breathed life into it. A well trained crew honed to peak efficiency could achieve the impossible, a poor crew would get people killed, a lot of people. Having such a disparate set of personnel wasn't a great start, but at least they all had some sort of training and experience. She pitied the next batch of ships that would be crewed by green recruits and conscripted civilians.
"How is my XO?" Akari wondered about her Executive Officer, her second in command and manager of the crew.
"He's good, Commander El Tahir, he served on Warlocks before so he knows the ship. He'll get you set up fast."
That would be an advantage, Akari would need to learn how these new ships operated, their strengths and limits. She would be starting just as fresh as the rest of the crew.
The shuttle turned in a loop passing down the flank of her new ship before decelerating and slowing enough to turn into the starboard side hanger bay, the thick doors rotating open to permit the small craft to land.
"I'll say a quick hello then I have my own business." Tennant moved away from the windows as the artificial gravity from the warship began to assert itself on the shuttle, all of the occupants gradually finding themselves pulled down to the floor. "We're setting off in a couple of hours for some exercises, work the new ships up a little. Should be fun."
The shuttle set down on a platform which transported it through a side airlock to the main offloading bay. Here waiting for them were an assortment of officers, most in Naval blues but a couple in the khaki brown of the Marine Corps. The group shuffled to attention as the shuttle powered down and opened the door at its flank allowing the passengers to leave.
"You go first." Tennant slapped Akari on her back. "She's your ship, go ahead."
She was more nervous than she thought she was going to be. The last time her feet had touched the deck of an Earth Force ship was when she was escorted off the Diomedes under armed guard, a moment of incredible fury that still burned within her. It was hard to banish that feeling as she returned, even with the powerful presence of General Tennant at her back she couldn't help but wonder if she was going to be removed by force once again.
It took a moment of courage, a moment of control, and then it passed. She stepped down to the solid deck with finality putting her polished boots on the metal, her heavy laced up footwear a small quirk she refused to abandon. Her crew waited expectantly staring dead ahead, the dozen persons who represented her department heads and command staff. This was her new family, she would be closer to them than her own blood kin, they would risk together, fight together, perhaps die together. Her actions would determine that most of all, as light headed and unsure as she might be, that feeling must be even more pronounced in her crew. Before anything else she had to banish that.
She took a firm confident stance in front of the assembled officers, a few deck hands surreptitiously glancing up from securing the shuttle to see what the new Captain did, how she handled herself. Her name would already be known to everyone on the ship and her reputation with it, what she did next would be everywhere in the fleet before an hour was up. This was it.
"Stand easy. By order of Earth Force I am assuming command of the EAS Medea at this time. It is my unquestioned privilege and unreserved joy to be given the responsibility for this ship, her mission, and her crew. I trust, no, I ask each of you to guide me toward becoming the Captain each and every person on this ship would be proud to follow, the sort of person you'd punch a guy in a bar for for if he badmouthed me."
That drew some smiles.
"In return I swear to live up to that standard. Some of you know my name, my reputation. Most of it is made up, only the really wild stuff is true. I did launch a solo attack on the Ch'lonas, and I won. I did kick my commanding officer in the balls because he was a coward, and I did get dragged before a Court Martial by the five highest ranking officers in Earth Force. Happily it worked out well and I let them off with a warning."
A few chuckles.
"General Tennant assures me that we are going to be on the sharp end of this war, that we will have ample opportunity to test this ship and ourselves. So be it, I welcome this war, I crave the chance to bring death and destruction to our enemies. That is what wearing this uniform means. I will not risk this ship needlessly, but I will put us in harm's way and I will make damn sure we emerge victorious. All I want from you is one thing. To be better. To be better than the officer you are right now, because while I don't doubt your abilities I need you to exceed everything you have done to this day. I need you to be better than you ever thought you could be, to be better than the people who came before you for this is a challenge that will test us like nothing else. To be better than our enemies so we may teach them to fear us. To be better for the sake of those who look up to us on Earth and pray for a miracle, for the sake of all mankind, of all life that yearns for freedom, dignity and justice.
"Be better than you ever believed you could be, and there is nothing we cannot achieve."
Akari believed it. She had to believe it.
"Thank you Captain." General Tennant stepped up beside her, surprisingly stealthy for such an otherwise loud personality. "As your Task Force Commander I am pleased to have a ship this dangerous under my command. I have high standards and expect you all to meet them. I am confident you will, and in return I offer a hard fight and the promise of final victory.
"Don't expect an easy run, this is the real fleet now. Some of you have fought real battles before, some of you haven't. Ultimately it doesn't matter where you are from or the road that brought you here, you are my fleet now, and I will make sure this fleet kills more Drakh than any other formation out there. I have money riding on it.
"I'm not quite so eloquent as your new Captain, I say it plain so get out there, learn how to use this weapon I have given you, then join me in this war and let us be heroes. Every generation needs a good legend, might as well be us.
"We'll be launching some exercises, then some low level missions so you can get to know this ship and your fellow crew. After that we'll be heading to the Rim to hunt these bastard Drakh down and rip their hearts out. All yours Captain."
Akari nodded and returned to face the officers.
"Return to your duties and standby for departure, I'll commence inspection once we are underway. Dismiss."
The group did just that, snapping quickly to attention and then breaking up and withdrawing to their duties. Only her second in command remained, Salman El Tahir who's main duty station was always within earshot of the Captain.
"Well that'll do it." Tennant stretched a little as she loosened her muscles after the zero gravity trip on the shuttle. "A Drazi squadron is going to meet us tomorrow and pretend to be Drakh raiders, give our crews some practice going after mid sized fast moving attackers."
"They can take a lot of hits, but their drive wings seem pretty weak." Akari recalled her observations from the battle.
"You should write a few notes actually, you did face them up closer than most others managed." Tennant suggested. "I better go see if Harriman broke anything, my door is always open Captain. Enjoy seeing a Warlock at play for the first time, amazing experience."
She slapped her on the arm again, the Moari had to have twice Akari's muscle mass and it sure felt like it, but it just fed into the aura of jovial invincibility and unlimited confidence that surrounded her. It was impossible to imagine Helena Tennant actually getting killed or losing at something, it just didn't seem the laws of the universe would permit it. Her old man had been the legend of Earth Force in its first great war, now his daughter seemed able to fill that same role today.
Akari couldn't imagine the unbelievable pressure the General must have been under, not just to succeed as a commander but to succeed as a symbol to inspire the rest of the fleet. Morale was badly shaken, the plight of Earth had cut to the heart of the Alliance, and yet they still had to rise up, face this unknown but clearly mighty enemy, and they had to do the impossible. They had to believe they could put it all right, against all logic and common sense. Only someone who transcended mere reality could do such a thing, and so Helena Tennant followed in some very familiar and very large footsteps.
As did Kayano Akari.
The departure occurred precisely on schedule, the path before the ships cleared yet surrounded with expectant onlookers. The yard had seen ships leave before, it had seen even the mighty Warlocks pass this way, but this was different. This was General Tennant's fleet.
One by one umbilical cables detached in puffs of gas and ice crystals, walkways swung aside and magnetic clamps fell away leaving the hard flanks of the assembled warships clean and unrestrained. In unison the engines glowed to life, their initial speed slow and steady to ensure all propulsion systems were answering commands. This was still new technology, the gravitic drives still just a few years old and not nearly as well tested as Earth Force would like. Fortunately no ill effects were noted so far, but nobody liked the idea of a malfunction pancaking a few hundred irreplaceable crew. .
The fleet began to accelerate as they cleared the gangways and cradles of the dock, three of the ships were veterans while two others were brand new tasting space for the first time, the Medea one of them. Tennant took it easy for their sake, restraining her desire to blaze across the system at full thrust creating as much of a spectacle as possible. Instead she allowed their perfect formation to be their signature, all five warships maintaining their line abreast precise to the nearest centimetre.
Each of the assorted ships in the system watched rapt with fascination, the windows of the local bases crowded by curious eyes, smaller ships tracking the Warlocks as they surged forward toward the gate. A pair of Omega destroyers on patrol shifted course slightly to pass by them, their Captains sending messages of good luck and good hunting which were gratefully received. The Drazi squadron made a close range pass as a friendly challenge to be met on their exercises in the following days while the Rangers watched the fleet with definite interest.
Even the great Sharlin warcruiser deigned to observe the departure, the mighty warships offering a little grudging respect to their new competitors for the crown. The five Warlocks held formation past the array of gathered vessels, then broke and began to arrange in single file for transit through the gate. The Morgana took the lead as flagship with Medea bringing up the rear as the most junior ship precisely as regulations demanded. Their formation remained perfect, a tribute to the automated navigation, with the gate opening on schedule to swallow each heavy warship in turn. It was a display mostly for the news channels, something to galvanise the beaten down civilians, those trapped on Earth confronting the inescapable new reality. It was a promise that Earth Force had lost none of its potency and was taking action to fix the problem. It was a good message, time would tell if it was true.
Three weeks later
Babylon 5
It was often said patience was a virtue and nowhere was this tested more ferociously than waiting for Customs at Babylon 5 during a crisis. Hundreds of people stood on both sides of the gates trying to get either in or out snaking in rough lines into the recesses of the station or crowding together near the front. Security officers were busy trying to wrangle some sort of order from the mass of people and maintaining a steady stream of checks without sacrificing thoroughness. There had been several scuffles and one all out brawl in just the last hour, things were definitely interesting.
With Earth now fully under quarantine and the rest of the Alliance at war, chaos was to be expected, the colonial worlds and facilities scrambling to make up for the loss of humanity's prime destination. While Mars had probably had to deal with the biggest shift, Babylon 5 was certainly having its own problems as many who sought business on Earth came to the station instead. Even weeks after the Drakh attack things were still a mess.
She maintained an aura of peace, a few extra hours meant little. She could have bypassed this little debacle, sneaked away through secured locations or pretended to be a highly important visitor, but it mattered little. Standing alone allowed her to organise her thoughts, measure herself, prepare for what may yet happen. The rogue Mage Borgia had said Babylon 5 had been the place he had met someone who helped him. That seemed logical, B5 was certainly hectic enough that two ordinary looking persons were unlikely to attract attention. Hiding in plain sight was one of the simplest talents of a technomage.
That of course meant finding this mysterious helper would not be easy, if they were even still here. It had been a long time since Borgia passed this way, was the station home to his contact, or just a handy meeting place?
"Next."
Her turn finally arrived. She took a few steps forward and found herself eye to eye with a very overworked looking female officer. She wore the green uniform of her profession and was armed both with a pistol on her hip and an ID card scanner in one hand. Her eyes looked tired, her drawn back hair loose and frazzled in places, this was not her best week.
Without prompting she held out her identicard between her thin white fingers, the guard taking it and hesitating momentarily as she noted the unusually pale hands and rich sleeve of her robes. She looked calmly and serenely at the Security officer as she ran her identity, scanning the card through the machine.
"Hana Mahve." The guard read the name, continually glancing into the black eyes trying not to make it obvious. "First time on the station?"
"Yes." She smiled pleasantly. That wasn't true, but this was the first time she had actually registered herself. Usually she would be disguised but not today, if someone was watching she wanted them to know who was walking through these gates. She wanted them scared.
"Business or pleasure?"
"Both." She maintained a very carefully modulated voice optimised to create an impression of trustworthiness. "I have friends here."
"Good luck finding them." The guard didn't sound like she was joking. "Anything to declare? Contraband, weapons?"
"No, nothing like that. Just a few clothes." Which was true, the sensors here were easily fooled but she didn't need a weapon. She was one.
"Alright, enjoy your stay." The guard handed back the card, this time holding eye contact. "I don't think I've seen your species here before. Are you the first to head out here?"
"As a matter of fact yes, I believe I am the first to visit this place, and the last."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because everyone else is dead." She took her card back without her pleasant smile wavering. "Be strong officer, just forty more minutes until shift change."
The distractions of this place were many and varied, fascinating for all they offered but ultimately hollow. Gambling, cabaret, copious quantities of alcohol, once they may have been worth investigating but no longer. She didn't resent those who still found joy or release in such activities, perhaps she envied them a little and the simplicity of the world they lived in. The knowledge she carried had long been a burden, the truth about how close this galaxy was to toppling over at any given moment. People fought a constant war to build up or tear down that which existed around them and it was a war which never changed. Even without the malign influence of Vorlons or Shadows the war raged on without respite. Only the performers changed.
She settled in the casino ordering a drink from the bar. She had gained more than a few looks as people tried to figure out who she was, so far none had tried to actually speak with her. She took the drink and retreated to a quiet corner to observe the room and its occupants. Hana had no interest in stealth, if her opponent was hidden here she may never find her target, instead she would try to flush the contact out by announcing herself. Her opponent might attack, might try to flee, maybe retreat deeper into hiding. Either way there would be a change, and that might be enough.
The room was noisy, dozens of people cheering and making merry around the various tables offering assorted card games and other forms of chance. Gambling was fascinating to her, as it was to most mages, the science of probability and how one may adjust those odds. It was legend that no mage had even lost a game of chance, the reason of course being they cheated. She considered whether a little manipulation might be worth it now to further announce her presence, slow the roulette wheel a little with a tiny nudge of gravity, weight a dice here or there, read the reflection of a hand of cards in the eyes of a blackjack player. Ultimately she declined and instead continued to watch.
Four people in particular caught her eye, two were humans yelling at each other at a poker table. They had battled each other for hours, neither really knowing what they were doing and spiralling into cycles of win and lose. By now they were drunk and angry which had drawn a crowd sensing the eruption of drama. A pair of Security Officers maintained a safe distance waiting to move. Both gamblers were male, one a middle aged African with bright white hair and a neat spiky beard, the other a younger red faced man slurring a New Jersey accent.
Aside from them she spotted a grim looking Minbari female, a hard faced out of place visitor clad in black with imposing shoulder pads and a sneer that marked her as warrior caste. She was stoically listening to a Brakiri trying to sell her something, it was unlikely he would succeed.
The final person was a Narn male politely observing a trio of dancing girls. He applauded when required, drank measuredly, and gave the impression of a rather sheltered man who didn't really appreciate what manner of establishment he was enjoying.
All seemed absorbed in their own proceedings, and all were playing a game. These four were her people, her team of hunters. They had arrived separately and she had not contacted them, arranging well before hand to gather here and wait. Each was a master of their art, warfare, assassination, good old fashioned murder. They served her for various reasons and were very talented at their job, as distracted as they appeared they knew exactly where she was, where each other sat, where their carefully hidden weapons were placed smuggled in days earlier.
Technomages worked alone, by their nature they were solitary and rarely allied with others. One of her greatest advantages was the fact none of enemies expected her to have allies. And for those allies to be carrying extremely large guns.
She saw a movement at the doorway to the casino and glanced over, there seeing a man in a long black coat with a hood up covering his head and shadowing his face. In one hand he held a black staff with a glowing white orb on top. He faced her for a moment, then walked away. Hana scoffed a little, it was the most stereotypical snapshot of a mage she had ever seen, an illusion no doubt engineered to get her attention and tell her in clear terms somebody knew exactly what she was.
She finished her drink, its vibrant taste bland to her tongue, and walked confidently to the door. She didn't look around to see her team making their own preparations to leave, she knew they would leave shortly taking different exits and tracking her to wherever she went. Each of her team had been given sensor and communication implants created by her own mastery of technology, inferior to her own implants of course but superior to those of the other powers of the galaxy. They would see what she saw, hear what she heard, and in turn she could track and arrange their positioning.
She spotted the illusion a few more times, each glimpse leading her along a specific path. It took her away from the busy commercial and entertainment districts down to the underworld of the station, the unfinished and unclaimed regions left when the budget ran out. This was the realm colloquially referred to as 'Down Below' which seemed entirely fitting. The homeless and dispossessed dodged around her in rags, a pair struggling over some sort of tossed away rubbish which had little value. Worthless as it was, the junk was apparently worth fighting for.
No one approached her, a single clearly wealthy woman walking these passages must have been a tempting target but Hana had little difficulty broadcasting an ultrasonic signal which created unease around her, something unheard but felt. It was enough to keep her journey hassle free, at least until she found herself rounding a corner to find a dead end, the corridor terminating a dozen feet ahead of her.
"My, my." A booming voice filled the air behind her. "How unlike a magician to walk into such a predicament."
She turned with a smile.
"I could say the same thing."
The illusion of the blatantly obvious technomage was not apparently an illusion, it was real, someone really had dressed like that and now faced her, piercing blue eyes taking her measure. This was no dress up, this man was real, a technomage like her and certainly not some mere apprentice. He radiated power coupled with the supreme confidence of one who had learned how to use it. She had been ready for a fight, a contest with a rogue mage or worse, but it would not be here.
"Hello Alwyn. Good to see you well."
"Hana Mahve." The other mage stepped forward drawing back his hood to reveal a broad smile and dancing blue eyes. "It's been far too long, I thought you were going to keep in touch with your old friends?"
In a moment the aura around Alwyn changed, he seemed to shrink several inches in height while expanding more than a few inches around the waist. He no longer radiated terror or other subliminal defences and instead now appeared as he was, a jovial elder gentleman without much hair but brimming with energy. One thing that didn't change though was the feeling of confidence and power crackling invisibly about him, as physically unimpressive as Alwyn was the fact remained he was a technomage, one of the oldest and most experienced of the order. Only a fool would take him lightly.
"I had heard you retired to some small farming colony somewhere." Hana combed her memories. "Seemed impolite to just drop in and ruin your peace and quiet."
"When have you known me to ever value peace and quiet?" He grunted a bit of a laugh. "I tried it for a little while I admit but I don't think it really suited me."
Alwyn shifted his weight a little bit, showing perhaps a hint of age as he exhaled and nodded, clearly pleased to have confirmed the identity of a fellow trusted mage. Hana felt the same.
"So now we've ensured we aren't imposters could you perhaps ask your friends to stop pointing guns at me?" Alwyn raised an amused eyebrow. "The two snipers on the catwalk above and behind me, the quiet Narn with the sword to my left and the very bad tempered Minbari with the beam cannon lurking around that last corner?"
Hana nodded with a wry glance, age certainly hadn't dimmed the man's senses. She gave the stand down signal, her team melting away into the darkness of the station without further comment.
"An eclectic bunch." Alwyn observed. "It is unusual for those of our order to travel with others."
"I tried the solitary life, it wasn't right for me." Hana shared honestly. "I've found allies to be essential, even we can only be in one place at a time."
"I can understand the sentiment. You are still seeking the Servants of Darkness? Agents of Chaos?"
"I am." She replied simply. "And you? If retirement isn't for you then what path do you follow today?"
"I haven't decided." He raised his palms in a gesture of exasperation. "I considered going to visit the Circle but couldn't stomach it. You know that even now they refuse to help the galaxy? Refuse to intervene?"
"I had heard." Hana accepted.
"With the Shadows gone I thought they might rethink, return at last, but they still cower in their little enclave while war rages again. Cowards!"
The flash of anger was not unexpected, Alwyn had always been passionate, a man of great conviction and firm belief in right and wrong. His choices had often led him into conflict with the leaders of the Technomage order. In the end he had broken away, refused to leave the galaxy before the Shadow War as other mages had, instead staying to help quietly.
"I had hoped for more, by now you would think I would be used to disappointment."
She understood him perfectly. "They cannot accept that their time is almost over, we are products of that older age the same as the Shadows and Vorlons. As their time passed so too will ours. It is unlikely there will be another generation of mages. Perhaps it is for the best."
"Perhaps." Alwyn grudgingly acknowledged. "But that is no reason to sulk in hiding while the galaxy burns! If we are to be the last let us at least leave this galaxy with a great and glorious memory of us! Let us be what we always pretended to be, helpers, facilitators, bringers of justice! Let us leave behind something worthy! Some work of noble note may yet be done..."
"... not unbecoming we who strove with gods." Hana finished the old line of poetry. "They will not listen anymore."
"No, but some do. You and I, and Galen, I met him just a few days ago. He may have encouraged me to move along for a little while." Alwyn admitted. "He is helping cure this Drakh plague on Earth."
"Did you think about helping him?"
"I did, but he is too much like his master. Elric taught him much, including how to be a stubborn ass!" Alwyn boomed a laugh. "We would not travel well together and he has his own way of doing things. I will help him if called but otherwise I wouldn't wish to, well, cramp his style."
"Quite." Hana inclined her head in a little amusement. "But you are thinking of going back out there?"
"I am, I just need a worthy cause." Alwn paused for a long moment letting the words hang. "Such as, I don't know, hunting remaining servants of chaos?"
Hana's expression morphed quickly into a frown.
"If you are suggesting..."
"It is a difficult task, dangerous for a single mage even with the help she has." Alwyn spoke quickly. "And you know I am more than capable of fighting the good fight."
"You... you are, yes." She had to allow that much. "You did purge that nest of Shadow soul eaters."
"The least of my victories." Alwyn beamed proudly. "It doesn't have to be forever, just one or two missions. Something to let me see the galaxy again, feel it, live a little."
It was undeniable that Alwyn was a powerful ally, and his philosophy was very similar to hers. Hana was also on the outside and put her own morality ahead of the restrictions of the Circle. She had worked with him before and while Alwyn was more impulsive than her more methodical process a second mage was a massive advantage.
But she sensed something else, something underneath that. It wasn't just a practical arrangement or even a way to give an old friend a chance to get back into the galaxy again, to rekindle his abilities as a mage and wanderer. Alwyn needed this, needed to be useful again, to be relied upon, to have responsibility for undertaking a noble cause. Hana knew that he had lost his apprentice and that grief had all but broken the otherwise jolly mage. His fire had dimmed and with the perceived betrayal of the other mages by fleeing and then the death of his old friend Elric, Alwyn must have felt like all he had valued and cared for had slipped away.
He needed something, something to grab hold of. The Shadows had given him a fight for a while but that was years ago. He wanted to be useful again.
"Very well, but I'm taking the lead on this."
"Of course, of course." Alwyn's eyes sparkled. "This is your specialty, I would simply be here to assist."
"I still need to finish surveying the station, looking for anomalies, traces of rogue mages or perhaps servants of the shadows."
"This place was once invested with them." Alwyn sneered. "I will gladly help purge their filth."
"Then I welcome this partnership Alwyn of the Golden Dragon."
As do I, Hana of the Silver Blue."
EAS Medea
"I need a full powered turn to starboard, keep those engines at full all the way through"
"Aye Captain."
"Main batteries, standby for salvo fire, target will be coming up rapidly on the port beam. Don't wait for an order, open fire as soon as the arcs clear."
"Ready Ma'am."
"All stations, go."
The task of operating a warship was not straightforward, it was a sequence of commands and responses, a chain from the Captain down to the most junior rating. Sometimes the orders were direct, at other times those links further down the chain could act on their own initiative. The shorter the chain the faster the response, but the greater the risk of error.
This was Kayano Akari's dilemma, one that had faced countless commanders from the dawn of time, how to streamline the sequence of command without losing control of a situation. Too much micromanagement and her ship would be too slow to react to fast paced battle, too hands off and her ship lost coordination and discipline. It was a fine balance and in her view the decisive element was the skill of her crew, how well they understood the flow of battle and the personality of their Captain. Good officers would be able to anticipate her choices, prepare for them, keep their options open and departments drilled to act a certain way. It was an ideal reached only through experience, and with a new ship and crew that was far from given.
The Medea heeled hard about, her ion thrusters burning bright, spikes of white blue ions jabbing out into black space. Around the traditional engines the invisible pulsing of the gravitic drive lent its own power, the exotic technology still something of a mystery to all but its engineering staff. With surprising responsiveness for such a huge block of metal the Warlock swung about, the crew pitching gently but inexorably to the side as the inertial compensators lagged slightly and fought to catch up to the sudden turn.
The great warship caught the distant light of the sun on her acres of armour, gun turrets simultaneously swinging out and adjusting to focus on their targets.
"Drakh Raiders! Bearing two eight zero flat! Batteries firing!"
The massed guns of the Medea spoke, rapid blasts of orange pulse cannon fire searing across space to their targets, the small fast moving contacts dodging wildly as they closed into the storm of gunfire. The massive pulse cannons lining the upper and lower surfaces of the ship were engaging in salvo fire, each firing a burst, checking for hits, then correcting aim and firing again. One by one the targets disappeared from the screens, the guns ceasing when the last blip vanished.
"Stand down main batteries." Akari concluded their session. "Good shooting guns, that's a whole forty seconds faster than last week."
The bridge crew visibly relaxed as their stations went back to cruising mode, the warship switching from combat to a more passive stance. At the rear of the rectangular room a tall figure stood from where she had been sitting quietly offering a wide smile.
"Nicely done, very nice." General Tennant gave her approval, receiving a few appreciative grins in return. "Those drones never knew what hit them. Keep on like this and we'll have you doing it for real in no time."
Her eyes met Akari's, the Captain receiving the unspoken invitation.
"The ship is yours Commander. Carry on."
"Yes Captain, I have the bridge." Her First Officer Commander El Tahir stood from his station to her right and made his way to the now vacant Captain's chair in the middle of the room. "Stand down action stations, tea's up."
Akari muffled a laugh, her second in command had proven to be as excellent as promised, both supportive of her command and attentive to the concerns of her junior officers. He had also brought some much needed humour and good natured joviality to what was otherwise a dire time for most of humanity.
She departed the bridge and walked the short distance to her day cabin, the small office space with a bed she would use while the ship was deployed. It wasn't particularly comfortable but it was at least a ten second dash to the bridge. General Tennant was already taking a seat on the far side of the desk when Akari arrived.
"Looking good Captain." The Maori leader allowed some praise. "You will need to pick up your accuracy and rate of fire, it's still behind what I expect for my fleet."
"Understood General, I'll focus on that for our next set of drills."
"Good. Otherwise you seem to have a good team here, your engineering and helm departments are particularly good." Tennant checked her notes. "The guys at Proxima said she was a fast ship, better than average during trials. Your helm officer is getting the best from her."
"Lieutenant Tulwar General, he used to be a Starfury pilot before retiring." Akari had memorised the files for all her close staff. "He had expected to be given a fighter when he was recalled but he's using those skills here instead. He treats the Medea like a fat Starfury."
"Fat Starfury?" Tennant raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Well whatever he's doing it's working. Any concerns about your team?"
"No Ma'am, Commander El Tahir has a grip on it."
"Sal is a good officer, enjoy his company while you can, twelve months from now he'll have his own command." Tennant advised. "We don't have enough Captains for all the new ships so we'll be grabbing good First Officers next."
"I'll get my money's worth." Akari promised. "Anything more you need to see here?"
"No, I think that covers it." Tennant raised her chin. "Consider yourself operational."
The moment didn't bring the emotions she had expected, no swelling of pride or a decompression of relief, it just felt like exchanging one task for another. Her Captaincy, something that should define her life, the goal she had worked toward since childhood, it just didn't matter as much as she thought it would. This wasn't the personal victory she had anticipated, but at the same moment she was certainly feeling the responsibility. Command wasn't a new experience for her, but with the war going the way it was and the expectations laid upon Earthforce this was not going to be an easy ride.
"We'll give them all hell." Akari resolved as much to convince herself as her commanding officer. "Where do you need us?"
"That is the question." The General rolled her eyes a little. "Ideally I'd like to mass the fleet and go smash something, but so far the Drakh haven't given us much to shoot at. After the attack on Earth they have largely vanished, probably gathering their strength for another round."
"They lost plenty of ships, maybe we hurt them more than we thought." Akari suggested with a lot of optimism.
"Maybe, but it isn't something we can take for granted. What's the worst possible scenario?"
Akari paused for a second. "They are building another Planet Killer or getting more plague."
The General nodded in agreement. "That's what we're going to be planning for."
"Do we have any real intel on these guys? Any idea why they took a shot at us first?" Akari tried to get some broader information.
"Mostly what you already know." Tennant couldn't offer much. "An older species, no known homeworld, allied with some nasty ancient enemies of the galaxy. Nobody likes them and the feeling is mutual. As to why they hit us, well if they want to cause havoc in the galaxy they need to knock down the ISA first. The two big movers are the Minbari and us, and we are easier to cripple with a decapitation strike."
"Because the Minbari are old enough to have fully established colonies with billions of people on them." Akari recognised. "More than eighty percent of humanity still lives on Earth."
"Kill Earth and you knock down our ability to support a major war by a huge margin. We can build ships but have a hard time crewing them, and forget fielding mass armies." Tennant shrugged. "Best return for the risk."
"So now we have to fight a war with a fraction of our population. Fun."
"Now you see why I can get away with so much. The old structure is breaking down and we're building a new smaller version to replace it. It's going to be chaotic for a while, we will be vulnerable. The best way to combat that is to go on the offensive, but we have nothing to attack."
"The Drazi thought the Drakh were nomads, their homeworlds long since nuked." Akari remembered drunken chats with various traders she had met.
"The Rangers agree, Minbari records suggest so, but there is no proof. Their whole population lives on those huge motherships, arks for their civilisation." Tennant smiled. "Naturally we're going to blow them up."
"So the goal is to eliminate their entire civilisation?" Akari raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think EarthGov had the balls to declare that."
"They don't, but as I said things are chaotic, the old structures won't work in these desperate times. Between us, we can't fight by the old rules, we're just going to have to make this up as we go along."
"Which is why I am here." Akari gathered. "People not shaped by the rigidity of the old fleet."
"The Minbari war ruined Earthforce, killed almost all of our experienced officers, and then Clark screwed us even harder by putting his puppets in power. Now this happens right when we were starting to put the fleet back together properly. These are lawless times Captain, the chain of command is strained and officers in the field are going to end up with very broad authority. You may need to make decisions which could have tremendous consequences and you can't call home for help. That's what we're looking at until the situation gets un-ballsed up. Are you ready for that?"
"Is anyone? Can anyone really be?" Akari answered honestly. "All I can say is I'll do all I can to win."
Tennant nodded, apparently satisfied.
"And that Captain is why you have that gold on your uniform."
Tennant turned the computer console on the desk toward her and began typing in her authorisation codes.
"We don't know exactly where the Drakh are or where they might show up next, but we do know they have friends. Specifically the Streib."
"The kidnappers?" Akari frowned. "Nobody likes them."
"Our intel says they were allies of the same empire, the Shadows who gave the League some trouble few years back."
"Heard it was a lot more than that."
"Probably, but the main thing is they were tied to the Drakh and right now are the only thread we have to pull on." Tennant shrugged. "President Sheridan gave them an ultimatum a couple of weeks ago to turn over all data on the Drakh and any Shadow technology they had. I guess he was hoping they might have something on this plague."
"Do they?"
"We're about to find out." The General smiled in anticipation. "The Streib haven't replied so Sheridan is assembling a combined fleet to go and ask less politely. Earth has assigned the Fifth fleet to represent humanity."
"Finally getting serious then." Akari approved, with the situation not improving back home the need to do something was critical. "Any idea on their strength or disposition?"
"Not much, but the Aggy swatted one of their raiding cruisers without much effort so we have a good chance." Tennant recalled. "Still, we should expect to meet larger ships on the way in. Assume it will be a stand up fight."
This would be the first real test of her ship and crew, and of Akari as Captain. She knew how to fight but that was a while ago now, a lot of that had been knocked out of her since then.
"We're ready General, just point us at them."
"Glad to hear it Captain." Tennant expected no other answer. "Our contribution is gathering at Babylon 5, head over there and wait for the rest. The overall mission will be under Minbari command which should be interesting."
"We're taking orders from a bonehead?" Akari raised a concerned eyebrow. "That's got to be a first."
"Spirit of cooperation." Tennant shared some concern but waved it away. "Give your crew a little shore leave, it'll be a week or two until we are ready."
"Shore leave on Babylon 5." Akari winced a little. "Nowhere else in the Alliance is better at separating a spacer from their cash."
"Got something else to spend it on?" Tennant cocked a cheeky eyebrow. "Eat, drink and be merry."
"You know how the second half of that quote goes?" Akari called up from memory.
"I know." The General shrugged it away. "I'll be the one to decide my fate, and I reckon you're the type to do the same. People like us don't die easily Captain. Enjoy life, don't fret the small stuff."
"I can't imagine B5 being thrilled at so many ratings showing up at once."
"No." Tennant chuckled. "Probably not."
