Roads Paved in Shadows

Chapter 28

The Rift

Four battered and damaged Earth Alliance warships floated fifteen light-seconds away from the edge of what the EA and the Tau'ri called the rift. The EA and the Terrans knew of the rift and the location, with the Terrans finding it by accident, and the EA hunting it down. Neither knew how large it was, although the Terrans suspected. What was called the rift was an area of least resistance compared to the rest of the tear. Traveling through the aperture in areas other than what was safe was considered extremely dangerous and likely suicidal. Those fleeing from the clutches of President William Morgan Clark had no choice. It was flee or die. The rebels crossed over. Four ships of the flotilla survived, but the price was high. Abbai-stolen shields were burned out. The ships were scorched, and the crew's nervous systems disrupted.

The four ships were the survivors of a complement of a convoy of seven who managed to escape Clark's wrath. The president tolerated no dissent, and several of the political escapees were high on his list of those to be terminated. The order for execution was given and a few senators such as David Sheridan and Mander had just enough of a warning to escape to the Babylon Five Station, along with their families and a few other refugees.

Enraged, Clark attacked the station, destroying it and a quarter million people in his attempt to kill the handful of rebels, but he failed once more than the survivors ran, escaping using the Earthforce vessels, sympathizing with their cause. Those ships were long gone by the time the EF fleet arrived, but the order was given, and the station destroyed even though they offered no resistance.

The nuclear strikes on the station were blamed on the rebels and Minbari terrorists groups still operating in the area. This was the official statement, although everyone knew that the Minbari had nothing left to strike back with and that the EF fleet was seen in B5 space just before the station was vaporized. The aliens didn't complain too much because they didn't want to draw attention to themselves, and the station was filled with humans. Aliens were expelled from the station years earlier because of Clark's anti-alien agenda. Clark was also making a statement, and everyone knew it.

Earthforce was given a kill on sight order for the rebel ships. The alien governments, afraid of the powerful Earth Alliance enhanced with Minbari technology and that from what was called the traitorous ship Achilles, quickly dominated everywhere. In addition, Clark had hidden associates that terrified everyone. Catagia, as mad as he was, didn't dare attack Earth directly. Only the Vree were resistant, and Clark had his eyes on them and the hyperdrive FTL system. It was similar, almost identical to those human traitors, and he lusted afterit. No one knew how they got that technology, but after Clark punished the false Earth, the Vree were next.

The four fleeing ships were crammed full of refugee survivors of Clark's purges Earth Alliance government. They were caught and attacked only once when their twelve-ship convoy was cut down to seven. It was then that the survivors decided to try for the rift. What they discovered was that it was huge. Instead of a small opening, being no more than a light second wide, it was found that the rift was light years long. Entire worlds could have passed through the rift, and no one would have noticed. The sheer size of the anomaly was discovered by Earth Alliance a long time ago, however it was kept secret from the people by Clark to ensure that things like what just happened with the rebel ships could never occur. It was impossible to guard the entire rift, so he went out of his way to make sure that people assume that there was only one possible way to make it through to the other universe.

Gen. Oliver Brinley, and Sen. David Sheridan knew otherwise, and they set the plan in motion. No other government would support them, no other government would take the man, and so they were on their own. Going through the rift was dangerous, but there was no other option. it was that or death. Clark would not have any mercy on anyone on the ships.

They made it through undetected. Their Abbai-derived shields protected them just enough to allow the ships to make it through safely, but once on the other side, they discovered to their dismay that there was nothing there but open space. There were no nearby star systems or planets that could sustain human life. Not knowing what to do, they set a course for the closest star system that they could find.

Using the jump drives in unknown territory in hyperspace was tantamount to suicide, but they might not have had a choice if things got worse. But at this time, it was decided that they would take the chance and travel as fast is their ships could, in open space, praying that they would not be intercepted by Earth Alliance warships. They knew they were not being hunted on this side of the rift. However, they didn't want to take the chance of using the beacons that were placed near the rift. To do so was the guarantee of being captured and killed.

General Oliver Brinley, severely wounded, his shoulder broken in two places, and his body filled with medications made the final decision, transferring his command to a young John Sheridan and newly minted Elizabeth Lochley-Sheridan along with ex-Senator David Sheridan, were effectivelly placed in command of the small flotilla. Their orders were simple. Find a haven, if possible.

No one really complained at what was a family command. Elizabeth married John five years after Anne went missing and declared dead. The marriage was ill-advised and would have lasted less than a year if it hadn't been for Clark turning the Alliance into a fascist dictatorship. Working and fighting together deepened their relationship and what should have ended in divorce turned into a very strong bond.

The dream of re-establishing the Constitution in Earth Alliance was gone for now. Survival was their primary concern. Clark's unknown associates made him almost invulnerable. No one knew what happened to the Vorlons other than the fact that their ambassador had left never to return. Clark and his Ministries of Peace and Justice, and Nightwatch and their Psi-Corps allies had everything locked down. Mars was bombed, the colonies subdued. Even if they were able to return one day, there might not be anything to come back to.

Clark's obsession and pure hatred of the Tau'ri, and O'Neill in particular, caused him to enter the rift in search of a man and a planet called Earth of that universe. He wanted the power that O'Neill possessed, and he wanted the secrets of the mineral so similar to Elemental Quantum-40 that would expand his power to almost unparalleled heights.

Discovering the Colonials of Kobol was simply a fortuitous event, which he took advantage of. Information was sketchy, but the crews of those rebel ships knew that the Earth Alliance had attacked and destroyed at least two of their worlds. One of the worlds was called Gemenon. The other one was called Aileron. The first world was destroyed because the people were simply too stubborn, and Clark wanted to make use of them as an example.

The second world was nuked into oblivion as an example to the others as the price of continued defiance by the Colonials. Several other worlds had been attacked, with three of them being completely subdued.

Then there was another society, a race called the Cylons. They had technology that Clark wanted badly, and he attacked them. Strangely, though, Earth Alliance was not involved with the attacks of those people, but someone else was. Sen. Sheridan suspected that Clark's Associates were responsible for the attacks there. That meant that Clark's associates had an army powerful enough to subdue that world. That belief made them cringe. Morgan was too powerful and the Earth of this reality was in terrible danger. As powerful as the Tau'ri might be, everyone on the ship doubted that they could withstand a dedicated attack against the newly modified Earthforce or Clark's allies. There was nothing they could do about that except pray for them and for themselves, because it was very likely that they would all die out here in the emptiness of space.

Earth: southern California

Monterey, California:

UCW Western Conference Center:

July 16, 6:00 PM

The United States UCW conference center was one of five major centers on Earth. The Colonial representatives and members of the UCW were present at this meet and greet. Members of the Race were present, including contact specialists Nignxe and Shiplords Straha and Kirel. Four states of the Free Jaffa nation were there. Included were the Langarans and Orbanians. Tollanian representatives were not there, but would arrive later.

Fruit and vegetable trays, and hot foods were provided along with extra salt was strategically placed. The Lizardians loved their salt and poured it on everything they ate. According to them. Most Terran food was too bland and needed more salt for proper flavoring.

The Colonials were pleased with the varieties of food placed before them, but were very uncomfortable with the small reptilian-like aliens. Reptilian didn't properly describe them as they were warm-blooded, but they were not saurian either. They had characteristics of both and unique traits of their own. They were alien. But that didn't stop the Tau'ri from calling them Lizardians in the same way that everyone called Earthers Tau'ri. It stuck, no matter how hard they tried to stamp it out.

The military males of the Race were more or less used to humanity, however, for the Colonials, interacting with aliens was virgin territory. General O'Neill did his best not to laugh, although he did smile a lot, especially when one of the little aliens went up to one of the Colonial CEOs, trying to start a conversation. The man almost screamed. It was quite amusing.

Daniel managed to turn away in time. Jack simply enjoyed the moment. So did Straha.

Humor aside, Kunningham did see the Jaffa tribe commander and wondered how she got back to Earth so quickly without his fleet detecting her ship. And now that he thought about it, many of the outer Earth colonies' representatives were there and most didn't come by a ship that DRADIS could detect. That worried him. The UCW's ECM must act as a stealth system good enough to evade Colonial DRADIS and scans. That would explain a lot of things. If the UCW ships were spying on the Colonies using their stealth system, that could be the reason they had so much intelligence on his people. That made him frown.

The Terrans were sneakier than he expected and he would make this observation known as soon as they got back home. His train of thought was broken as the CEO tried his best to keep his voice from squeaking while speaking to the little alien. Involuntarily, he cracked a smile at the poor man.

It took about twenty minutes before the civilians were comfortable enough to start conversing back without flinching. Meeting near-humans caused a stir among the Colonials as well.

Kunningham was surrounded by military officers from several countries and seemed to bask in the attention, at least in the short term. They were interested, but not as awed by him as he thought they should be. They didn't defer to him, but rather dismissed his vague claims of authority over them. He was the acting commander of the Thirteen Colonies and they could have cared less. To a man and woman, they told him that they weren't the Thirteenth Colony, and politely told him that they would never submit to some articles they never heard of and weren't part of the Colonial people. He heard Doctor Jackson say this, but his mind hadn't made the connection. The man was at a slow simmer, being completely out of his element.

Ambassador Isahan was in deep conversation with a local diplomat named Woosley, and what she heard was a revelation. Those talks confirmed her fears. Earth didn't consider itself a colony, much less related to Kobol. By the way the man spoke, he was supremely confident of his position. He also confirmed Jackson's and Nignxe's account of the Race.

She was stunned by the Jaffa because they appeared human, but they were not. They were some genetically altered offshoot of humanity, kidnapped by other aliens, or so he claimed. What shocked her even more was that the Earth was mostly monotheistic. They didn't respect the gods and when she asked why; he told her.

Her first impression was that these people were so lost! But the Jaffa, the Langarans, the Race, all of them had their own beliefs, and they weren't at war with each other because of religious differences. She knew her people would be beside themselves. Many of her people would advocate for war. They did this when the Earth ship Prometheus was attacked by the CDF when it was discovered that the crew professed that they didn't believe in the gods.

These people, all of them, were immensely independent and proud of their own culture and wouldn't bow down to the rightful gods of their ancestors. And the Race? How did they fit in with the Articles and the gods? Would they convert if the Colonials insisted? Was it even possible? Should her people even try? She could easily see many of her people prepared to fight the Lizardians because of religious differences, or just because they existed. And only the gods knew how the UCW would respond. This mission was less than three days old and was already a nightmare.

Two hours later, everyone was seated in the auditorium, with the Colonials seated near the front. The first speaker was the Colonial ambassador. She thanked Earth, whom she referred to as the Thirteenth Colony, but at the same time acknowledged that Earth didn't agree with their origins, and she and her people were here to clear up any misconceptions. She also officially apologized for the people's actions during their first contact more than a decade earlier. She explained that her diplomatic fleet had come bearing gifts as a form of apology, as well as historical texts and data for cultural exchange. As ambassador, she represented twelve worlds of humanity and wished that this meeting of a long separated humanity would be the beginnings of a fruitful relationship and would bring Earth into the unity of the Colonies of Kobol. She also offered her military to help in and services to aid in protecting Earth from the Cylon menace.

She explained who the Cylons were and their ultimate goals, which is to exterminate the lifeform known as mankind. The Tribes of Kobol were concerned for Earth and would never want their traditional enemies to attack and savage, possibly destroy an unwary and unprepared Earth. She stressed that only through a united humanity could humanity survive. Earth and their independent allies, by which she meant colonies), could resist destruction against artificial intelligence in the form of the Cylons. she also thanked Earth for answering a question that had been on the minds of the Colonials for time immemorial. Aliens did exist, and she looked forward to learning more about them.

There was polite applause, but not as much as the Colonials expected.

Doctor Jackson was next.

"To our esteemed guest, Admiral Frankus Kunningham, Supreme Commander of the Twelve Tribes of Kobol. To you, Ambassador Genyne Lyndera Isahan, to your aides, to the corporations representing the Colonial worlds, other guests, friends, and Colonial security. These greetings include our guests visiting here from the various UCW worlds. Welcome to Earth. It is also known by other names, including the home world of the Tau'ri, Sol, Terra, by the Race as Tosev III, and a few other names I will not mention in polite company.

Earth, the birthplace of the United Coalition of Worlds, or the UCW, and the birthplace of mankind, comprises six major governments that have come together for mutual planetary protection, economic, and technological development. It consists of the Terrans, Orbanians, Langarans, Tollanians, four states of the Ten nations of the Free Jaffa, and the Empire of the Race. At the requests of the Nox, a new government, a species named the Pharer, an independent saurian vegetarian species, has petitioned to join the UCW. Talks are going smoothly, and they may be accepted within the next nine months.

For those who do not know of the Nox, they are one of the four great Races that established an alliance in this galaxy literally millions of years ago. The Ancients are gone. The Furlings disappeared for unknown reasons. The Asgard have ceased to exist, the results of the conflicts with the replicators and Vorlon wars. The Nox, a peace-loving species, are still here and occasionally offer us advice and guidance, if needed. Otherwise, they leave us alone to discover our own destinies.

There are others who are interested in joining us but are taking a wait and see attitude. They want to see how our fledgling government handles ourselves in our infancy, and to see if we are worth joining.

Besides our responsibilities that I've mentioned above, the UCW has another responsibility handed down to us by the Asgard. They gave us one of their greatest legacies. We are responsible for the protection of the PPT. To our visiting Colonials. The PPT refers to the Protective Planets Treaty. We protect those worlds from outside forces such as the System Lords who no longer exist, and the Ashtorath. Those worlds are allowed to develop on their own without our interference until they are ready to stand on their own.

"Many of these human-based worlds are the results of kidnapping by Goa'uld from Earth, four to six thousand years ago. They were enslaved and forbidden to learn how to read and write, so they are just beginning to emerge from those dark ages. We don't know many non-human species were exterminated by the Goa'uld during their reign, but a few survived the purge."

Now Daniel took off his glasses and his demeanor changed as he turned more serious. "Before we continue, I must speak directly to our Colonial fellow humans. We have to address a problem that presented difficulties during Earth's first contact. First, and foremost, we are not your Thirteenth Tribe, despite what you believe and have implied several times to this body of representatives gathered here. I don't expect you to take my word for it, and you shouldn't. With respect, you've made certain assumptions based on incomplete and incorrect data." He watched as both the ambassador and admiral bristled at the perceived insult. They assumed that Jackson was posturing in front of these other colonies and they didn't like it. They considered this a form of hostile diplomacy perpetrated by an isolated primitive colony trying to puff themselves up. "we will allow your scientists and archeologists to examine our proof to their heart's content to verify the veracity of our claims, so be prepared to travel and work hard these next few weeks. The people of Earth, the Tau'ri, want you to understand. We don't have to do this, but we choose to, to help clarify your misconceptions. We are not your Thirteenth Colony. that belief started a battle that resulted in the loss of Colonial lives when you tried to apprehend and then destroy our ship because your people didn't like what they heard from us. Throughout your stay here in this Second Contact, consider this visit as a more formal meet and greet. We are not interested in unifying with your people and adapting our culture to your Articles of Colonization. As time progresses, we may be able to form an association with your people. We will try not to treat your people as primitives, as you assume that we are," he said, echoing the thought he knew the Colonials were thinking. He watched carefully as Kunningham's vein began majestically throbbing, while Isahan's face turned beet red. "Thank you. I now turn the mike over to our UCW prime diplomat, UCW liaison with the Colonial diplomatic fleet, Richard Woosley."

An older man, who looked like the stereotypical diplomat or perhaps a doctor, stepped up to the podium. He would explain their itineraries, locations for temporary residency, and arrange for the Kobollians to speak to the various members of the UCW, and potential members,

Ambassador Isahan couldn't maintain her professional smile. These people had insulted her and the Colonies by their brisk, arrogant attitudes. Again, she thought that these people didn't understand their station or heir hierarchy in the order of things. They were worse than the Gemenons with their attitudes. But they did have aliens working with them. The jaffa clearly stated that they were near human but not, whatever that meant. And the other humans seemed indifferent, not really concerned or impressed with their Colonial brethren. All of this served to impress upon her the amount of work cut out for her. Her diplomatic staff was going to hate her by the time this was over. One thing that she was sure of. Unity was going to take somewhat longer than anyone expected.

After the rather tense conference, people began breaking up into smaller groups. The business men and women got into quiet conversation with the Langarans. The science corps swamped the Race and other aliens, drowning them with questions. The religious contingent looked lost. There was no one to talk to. Surprisingly, they were able to talk to some of the Jaffa. What they heard stunned them, and they were not happy. Nevertheless, they were very interested in what the aliens had to say.

Ambassador Isahan was dreading this meeting. Nothing was going the way it should have. The Thirteeners were insisting they weren't part of the Kobollian tribes, and they had no respect for the Articles of Colonization whatsoever. They claimed to not even know about them, which was, of course, impossible. But the impossible kept happening. The shock of talking in person to aliens was unbelievable enough, but then, there were the so-called near humans called the Jaffa which threw her off. Were they real people, or aliens? She adjusted quickly, however, others in her entourage had not. Then there were the Pharer! And she thought the Lizardians were strange. Those alien creatures looked like lizards, but were a completely different species, not connected to the Race in any fashion.

When she asked one of the Terran representatives about them, the woman explained that they were related to saurian and were plant eaters. She had to clarify the word saurian, to which the woman replied 'dinosaur'. That really didn't help, but the ambassador resolved to research the words later. Both the Race and the Pharer looked uncomfortable around each other. The same Terran quietly explained why, and Ishan understood. Meat eaters and plant eaters didn't mix well together, but they were both civilized, and that helped. But she wondered who the Nox tribe was and why did Earth have so much respect for them, so much so that they accepted the other lizard aliens almost without complaint?

There were more colonies out here than any of the Colonials had imagined. The Kobollians would have their work cut out for them if they were to protect all of these independent colonies, none of which seemed to be interested in the twelve originals. The how would be decided in the future. At this point, she was preparing for a hot diplomatic meeting with the locals and, although they were polite, she could tell that this would be a contentious meeting. She intended to be on her game. Her aides were ready, as was she. Ambassador Isahan considered herself one of the best, and she intended to prove it.

Experienced and seasoned diplomat she might be, but although she understood it FROM AN intellectual standpoint, she was hampered by hundreds of years of her culture. Humans derived from Kobol. All humans needed to be unified, whether they understood it or not. Earth and her colonies, independent or not, needed to be convinced the path they traveled was the wrong one. The Twelve Colonies were the seasoned tribes of man. They had the knowledge in understanding of what it was to be united under one banner. They were the matured leaders of humanity and by their example the rest of those people should follow. Whether they understood it or not, they were a lost people. There were dangers out here in the unknown regions of space, and the Earthers had been lucky so far.

They may have stopped a small Cylon fleet, but that victory gave them a false sense of confidence. A dedicated push by the Cylons would devastate the entire region and they couldn't see it. Their stubbornness had placed them in terrible danger and they were too independent to see the truth in front of them. This world didn't even have orbital platforms to protect the planet! They should know better, but this obvious fact escaped them. It was something she was sure Kunningham would point out for their defensive needs. These people had so much to learn from their elders.

The UCW liaison, Richard Woosley, motioned for the ambassador to begin. She pulled the translator microphone closer and began speaking.

"Thank you for seeing us so quickly and preparing this presentation for us, your cousins. This second contact has turned out to be somewhat more difficult than we had anticipated. We understood that there would be lingering animosity between our people. Because of that, we formally apologized and brought gifts to smooth the way and to show our sincerity in making peace and paving the way for better relations between us. I admit that we believed you to be a small, isolated world in heed of support from your brethren, but we are beginning to see that this may not be the case. We came in peace, but you have rejected our entreaties. You initially denied us direct entry into your system. You have repeatedly denied our requests to interrogate…"

"Interview," Woosley blandly corrected.

"Interview the Cylon clones and the robots, the traditional enemies of all of our people. You denied our requests to see the battle site so that we could evaluate the situation for ourselves. You reject the Articles of Colonization that exist for all of humanity. Your people have rejected the authority of the Supreme Commander of the colonies of Kobol in this sector of space. And, you insulted us by having us escorted to Earth by the Lizardians and not Humans. That was a terrible breach of protocol. So yes, we have personal and cultural differences we must address, if this is to be a successful mission."

Richard Woolsey took off his glasses as he all but glared at the Colonial ambassador.

"It is unfortunate that you came at such a bad time. We are searching for an unknown, vicious enemy and tensions in the UCW are high. We are glad that your diplomatic fleet didn't encounter these forces and decided to come to Earth. Although you've mentioned it before, I am glad that you and your staff have avoided any active mentioning of purposeful unification between your people and mine. That cannot and will not happen under the conditions you expect. We have said it before, and it bears repeating. We are not your Thirteenth Tribe, but you constantly brush that off."

"You spoke of disrespect. Let's examine this," he started. "I'm half surprised that you didn't come with a fleet to attempt to forcibly unite our two nations." The woman flushed. That comment hit far too close to home. Many had argued for that action without understanding the true consequences. "I find interesting that during our first contact with your people, you fired on our ship because of several reasons. We told you the truth, and you didn't believe us, and demanded proof of our claims. Your people intended to arrest the crew and confiscate our vessel. You demanded to know details of a military nature of a foreign government, and when we didn't give it to you, your people tried using force to take it. You declared us to be pirates. You demanded to know the nature of the damage to our ship. Finally, you didn't like the fact that our beliefs are different from yours. People, your people died because of that. You underestimated us. You saw the size of our ship and believed you could take it. You believed it was your right to do it. You believed us to be your property. We are not."

"You are here now apologizing and bringing gifts to appease harsh feelings from our first contact. However, you assume again that we are the Thirteenth Colony and are under your authority. You have come to our home, demanding that we prove that we are not the Thirteenth to your satisfaction. You demand we give you prisoners we captured who are your traditional enemies because your admiral is the supreme authority of the thirteen tribes in this sector. You assume that after four thousand years, according to you that we should adhere to your rules and laws and subjugate ourselves to your authority and beliefs. So, I ask you, since we are not your Thirteenth Colony, why should we even entertain such an idea?"

"You claim not to be the Thirteenth Tribe," a hot ambassador snapped. "You have to show proof so both our sides can be satisfied, or not."

"You demand proof. Actually," Woosley said coldly. "It should be the other way around. Where is your proof that we are the Thirteenth? All you have done is present a couple of ancient scrolls, a few prophecies, a few rumors, and some religious texts to us. Where is your DNA, genetic and archeological evidence? Where are your scientifically based documents? How do you know if your people made it to Earth, any Earth? Did they leave before or after your colonies left?" He continued staring at a stone-faced ambassador glaring back at him.

She hadn't expected such a retaliatory response. What she presented should certainly be enough for these people. Yet, they dare question the holy scrolls as if they were nothing!

"You expect us to provide proof that we are who we say we are?" continued Richard. "But in turn, you have provided us with little to nothing to validate your claims. You expect us to take this on faith, but faith without works is dead. You are in our territory. We should expect and demand evidence of proof from you. We are being polite here and providing you with the evidence you want, because we choose to, not because we have to. Your assumptions and religious culture would surely come into conflict with those on our planet. It started a conflict. Next time, it could start a war! That is why we are both here, trying to prevent a war."

Isahan did her best not to scream at the number of insults hurled her way.

These people!

"The Colonies wish for peace between our two groups. I am sure we can find a way for us to coexist together. There are cultural difficulties that both sides will have to adjust to. And your other colonies, excuse me, I mean independent allies. They will have to make decisions as well. The aliens are new ground for us. The Colonies know they exist so, we will have to learn how to interact with them."

"Why should the other independent world, our allies and those of the protected planets make such a decision because you expect them to?" Woosley shook his head in resignation. The Colonial hadn't yet made the connections. "We will allow your people to research to their heart's content, under conditions naturally."

The ambassador bristled at the arrogance of these people. Again, she realized just how hard this mission was going to be. But she also prayed to the gods that Kunningham didn't do something to irrevocably damage a very fragile situation.

Updated May 28, 2023