The Final Circle

by Sufficient Velocity

This is a Babylon 5 centered tale. It explores a BSG style exodus due to the loss of the Earth Minbari war. It becomes a crossover with nBSG as of Interlude 1, and crosses with Firefly as of Interlude 2. Most B5 and BSG canon should remain unchanged, including EU. However, Firefly will mostly use series and film canon. Its EU began to expand after I had already merged the plots.

13. Chapter 12 - The Long and Winding Road

Chapter 12 - The Long and Winding Road

Krish, Unclaimed Space - Exodus Fleet, the Olympic - February, 2249

Elizabeth Lochley rolled over in bed and tapped Gideon on the nose. "Time to get up, Matthew." He groaned and pulled his arm from around her, then sat up, rubbing his face. She gave him a concerned look. "Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet."

"It's been a rough week, you know?"

"I have no doubt. I'm glad you were able to get away a little early."

"Required time under spin. Given today's Council Meeting, it just made sense. Besides, I needed this. Orders and all."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You were ordered to sleep with me?"

"After a fashion. Don't worry, our extracurricular activities are still a secret, at least so far as I know."

"Good. But I am glad we could get together. I needed this to. I'm planning on making a suggestion at today's Council meeting that is likely to be unpopular. I needed to work off some adrenaline. I'm also hoping to have your support."

"Mind telling me what it's about?"

"I'd rather not go through it more than once. Besides, we don't really have the time. Please just keep an open mind."

"That I can do."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sinclair stood up as Gideon and Lochley walked in together and took their seats. Garibaldi had advised him a few weeks ago that the two of them had begun sleeping together. They were trying to keep it under wraps, but Garibaldi was very good at ferreting out clandestine information. Jeff hadn't been there when Michael had advised John about the affair. He was rather glad he hadn't been in the room when Michael had informed John. He hadn't been divorced from Elizabeth for all that long, and her sleeping with a younger man had to smart at least a little.

Jeff couldn't have cared less who was sleeping with whom. Still, it did draw Gideon's loyalty into question. His judgement as well, but he was rather young after all. There probably weren't many men at that age who would be prepared to turn away Elizabeth Lochley.

Frankly, it was just another stressor that was rapidly making this whole Council of Captains boondoggle completely untenable. He knew that John and Michael had been making preparations in case things went off the rails. They had mostly left him out of it, except to ensure his support. He honestly hoped that whatever steps they were prepared to take remained purely precautionary. If things went badly, the fleet couldn't afford to suffer a military schism. However, he had a bad feeling about this meeting. Lochley hadn't said exactly what she wanted to talk about. That might have meant waiting for a better time, but both Levitt and Bester had also stated that they wanted to meet.

"Now that we're all here, let's get this meeting rolling. We've all got a lot on our plates. Commander Lochley, I believe this is your show?"

"Thank you, Commander Sinclair." She stood up as Jeff sat down. Looking around at everyone in the room, she said softly. "We lost a lot of good people to the recent Minbari action. It would have been hard to predict that the Minbari would try a stealth infiltration of infantry forces into one of our vessels, but none the less mistakes were made that lead to those deaths...that made that attack possible in the first place. We need to deal with that situation, to ensure it is not repeated in the future. To that end..."

Gideon stood up, interrupting her. His face was pale. He looked distraught, yet his stance was firm. He turned a hurt look on Lochley. "I recognize that I screwed up. You think I don't know that? I've been going over those mistakes in my head every minute since the attack. Those were my friends and classmates that died. My shipmates. My crew. My responsibility. I should have ensured there was a telepath aboard. I shouldn't have told them to shelter in place. I shouldn't have left an unprepared officer in charge of the ship while I went off to do security's job. I understand my mistakes, Commander, and I am more than willing to pay for them. If this Council so wishes, I am prepared to tender my resignation, or accept reassignment. I can only apologize for my failure."

Lochley's mouth hung open in astonishment. "Matthew, that's not what I..."

"Sit down, Lieutenant Commander," Sheridan said to Gideon, speaking right over the top of her. "You're not going anywhere. Aside from the fact that nothing you just listed was actually a mistake, at least not ones that you're responsible for, the overall responsibility for that combat, and all of the casualties therein, falls on me. If people need someone to blame, they can blame me."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Captain. Because I do...we do...as well," Levitt stated, as Gideon finally sat down, a confused look on his face. "There was no need to fight that battle, which I tried to tell you at the time. We could have easily escaped to hyperspace well before the Minbari could close the distance to engage us. Yes, we might have lost some of the shorter legged civilian vessels in transit due to lack of maintenance. But, that's always a danger. No matter how many might have been lost, it almost certainly would have been fewer, and less detrimental to the survival of this fleet, than the losses we actually took.

"When I tried to impress these points upon you Captain, you stated flatly that they were combat decisions and yours to make. I suppose that was true. However, I think it is incumbent upon us to revisit and review that situation."

"Excuse me?!" Sheridan asked hotly.

"I cannot, Captain. Under your command this fleet has gotten into more battles with the Minbari than any of our standing pre war fleets. This is an evacuation fleet, not a combat task force. We are meant to be running away, not trying to take down the Minbari Federation. I believe you have lost your perspective on this fact. I believe the rumors about your were correct. You're a glory hound, or perhaps you just believe you're a hero. Either way, allowing you to drag us into one combat after another is endangering the safety of this fleet and the survival of the entire human race. It's just us left, Captain. We can't afford to risk our precious cargo."

Sheridan gave her an appraising look, but Sinclair broke in, exasperated. "You might try to remember, Commander Levitt, that the reason those fleets fought so few battles was because they didn't survive to fight more. The fact that we have survived is telling, to say the least."

"No one's arguing that John isn't the best man to command us in a fight," Lochley cut in, trying to regain the focus of the conversation. "But, when you've got a great hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. We should be relying less on combat and more on evasion. I just don't think John has the best perspective for making that choice."

"Then how would we make it?" Sinclair asked. "I hope you aren't planning to suggest that we refer the initiation of combat to a Council decision. That's insane." While he was speaking, Jeff saw Sheridan and Garibaldi share a look. John gave the tiniest of nods, and Garibaldi reached up and hit a button on the Link attached to his wrist.

"That's exactly what we are saying," Levitt responded. "Oh, obviously not for situations where we have already fallen under attack. But, when we have time to spare and the option to retreat, then yes, this council should decide."

Lochley had noticed the byplay between Sheridan and Garibaldi, particularly when Michael had activated his Link. "Did you need something, Lieutenant Commander? This is a rather important discussion for you to be conducting other business."

"I'm just having some drinks delivered. It looks like this is going to be a long conversation."

"I doubt it will be all that long," she responded. "It's just going to come down to a vote. We move that the authority to initiate combat be moved to this Council. Unless you would like to take this opportunity to defend your actions, Captain?" she asked Sheridan.

"Defend my actions?" he said calmly. "No. That would be both unnecessary and inappropriate. I am the senior officer of this fleet. Frankly, this whole Council is inappropriate. I won't be forced to justify my actions to people who should not be questioning my orders at all. But let's look at this Council. You wouldn't have brought this to the Council, Commander, if you weren't already assured of Commanders Levitt and Bester's votes. I am equally confident that both Garibaldi and Sinclair think your motion is ridiculous, if not mutinous. So, once again, this vote falls to you Mr. Gideon. This whole Council only exists because you refused to make a decision, Lieutenant Commander. No more fence sitting. It's time for you to make a decision. To pick a side and stick with it. To live with the consequences of your own decisions. What happens next is very much on you, Matt. Ante up. Your Commanding Officer and your girlfriend both demand it."

It seemed that Gideon and Lochley were the only two surprised people in the room. While everyone had eventually become aware of their relationship, they had clearly both believed that their secret was secure. Gideon blushed, but stood up. "Alright, Captain. Perhaps a lot of this dissent is my responsibility. I'm sorry for that. It's funny. Some of you know that I'm still taking the senior year courses. Professor Watkins recently assigned me a term paper on the ethics of the chain of command. I've done more thinking on that recently that I ever have before. I came to this meeting prepared to offer a resignation, if it was desired. You said that it wasn't, so I'm guessing you still trust me to do my job." He paused, sharing a long look with Lochley. "I guess it's time I started trusting you to do yours. You have my vote, Captain. Permanently." So saying, Mat sat down with quiet dignity.

"Then I see no more need for this council," Sheridan said with satisfaction. "Not that there was one in the first place. Even if I allowed it to continue, and I won't, I would now wield four votes for every decision. This council was a cause of dissention and a waste of energy. The fleet is well rid of it."

"Now hold on right there, John," Lochley said, standing up. "You may have four votes right now, but there's no reason to assume that Matthew, or Jeffrey, or Michael might not change their minds at some important point in the future. You can't just squash the voices of those who disagree with you!"

"I just did, Commander," he responded calmly. "From here on out, you will do your job and follow orders, or you will suffer the consequences."

Levitt arose as well, though Bester remained seated. "Your threats don't concern us, Captain. The survival of the human race does. We aren't trying to grab power here. We're trying to keep you from causing our species to fall into extinction. The majority rests with you, for now, Captain. But we have a responsibility to act as a political opposition. There's nothing more to say. We're done here." So saying, she strode to the door, followed closely by Lochley, and threw it open...to find a quartet of burly Marines completely blocking the doorway.

"Close the door, Commander," Sheridan said with quiet satisfaction. "I'll say when we are or are not done. Sit down. Now."

Sandra stared silently at the Marines for a few moments, and Jeff wondered if she was considering trying to smash her way through them. Either she wasn't or she thought better of it, because a moment later she shut the door and returned to her seat. Lochley had already retaken hers.

Sheridan gave them a thin lipped smile. "Things are going to change ladies. Frankly, if I didn't know that you both really were trying to do your best by this fleet, rather than just grabbing for power, I'd have had you both executed already, ex-wife or no. I have every right to convene a Courts Martial and have you tried for treason. But, Gideon here made the right decision, and I note that Commander Bester didn't try to leave with you, so maybe he's seen reason as well. What it really comes down to, though, is that you're both still invaluable to me. Your experience and skill could mean the difference between survival and destruction for this fleet. So, I'm willing to give you another chance, without demotion, punishment or official reprimand at this time. But keep this in mind; seven months ago you were completely irreplaceable. That is no longer the case. Your subordinates have had those same seven months to grow and evolve into their leadership roles. Laurel Takashima, Tom Rickerson, and Janice Kathway might be young, they might need a lot of support, but I'd be comfortable putting any of the three of them into one of your slots.

He took a deep breath, then continued. "Effective immediately, Lieutenant Commanders Garibaldi and Gideon are hereby promoted to the rank of Commander, with all the rights and responsibilities therein. Commander Garibaldi, you will be continuing your current duties, but I will need you to spend more of your time commanding from the Midway. Commander Gideon, immediately upon termination of this meeting, you are to make your way to the EAS Eratosthenes, where you will assume command." Gideon's jaw dropped, and he looked ready to argue, but Sheridan ignored him. "Commander Levitt, you will not be returning to the Eratosthenes. You will instead be assuming Command of the Midway. Do not attempt to return to the Eratosthenes. If you do, I will have your shuttle shot down. Commander Gideon will collect your personal effects and have them shipped to you. You will have precisely one contact with your former crew. You are to draft a video message, wherein you will tell them that the fleet is enacting a shuffling of command staff, to maximize efficiency. You will wish them well, and deliver any commendations you wish to enact, and that is all. Any further attempts to initiate contact will be considered a violation of orders and subject to punitive measures.

"Commander Sinclair," he said, glancing towards Jeff, "immediately upon termination of this meeting, you are to make your way to the EAS Lexington, where you will assume command."

Despite what had been done with Gideon and Levitt, Jeff still found himself shocked. "Wait, what?!"

"This isn't a negative reflection on you, Jeff. You've done an incredible job as CAG, and in expanding the pilot cadre. No one could have done better. But, I need you on the Lexington. I have to be able to trust my command staff, and that's just not the case right now."

Jeff took in a deep breath, then sighed. "I'll get the job done, Captain."

"Good man." He turned his attention to Elizabeth, who clearly knew what was coming. "Commander Lochley, you will not be returning to the Lexington. You will instead be assuming the position of Commander Space Fighter Group, stationed aboard the Midway, where Garibaldi can keep an eye on you and Commander Levitt. I am well aware that you have the experience and the talent for the role. Do not attempt to return to the Lexington. If you do, I will have your shuttle shot down. Commander Sinclair will collect your personal effects and have them shipped to you. You will have precisely one contact with your former crew. You are to record an identical video message to the one Commander Levitt is creating for her crew. Any further attempts to initiate contact will be considered a violation of orders and subject to punitive measures.

He took another breath and turned to Bester. "Commander Bester, I do not trust you, but neither have your actions been as flagrant as those of Commanders Lochley and Levitt. You will be allowed to remain in your current position, but be aware that we are watching." Bester gave a shallow nod. It's not much, but that'll have to do, Jeff thought. There were only so many positions open aboard the Midway.

Addressing the room at large, John continued. "We'll still be meeting, people. You are all my command staff, and we will need to have staff meetings. I will likely bring in a few more faces, though. For now, assume the meeting schedule will match that of the council sessions, as much as that galls me. You'll all still have your chance to express your opinions. Believe it or not, I do welcome your input." So saying, he turned and looked at Lochley and Levitt. "You two," he spread his gaze to include Bester, "You three have been given a second chance. Don't screw it up. Perhaps you think it's unfair that I am holding your actions against you. My goal, to, is ensuring the survival of the species. From my perspective, and right now that's the only one that counts, it was your actions which endangered that survival. I won't allow that anymore. Step out of line again, and you won't be cooling your heels in the brig. I'll put you out an airlock." he shifted his gaze directly to Commander Levitt. "Alright, Commander. Now we're done here."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Elizabeth finished recording the message to her crew, and stood up, meeting Sandra's gaze.

"Are we really going to send these? Just leave our ships behind?" Levitt asked.

"At this point, I really don't see that we have much choice. For the time being, it's time to shut up and soldier. Setting aside the questionable nature in which we usurped the chain of command, right now even votes aren't really open to us. You heard Matthew. He's given his full support to John. We'd just lose every vote anyway, which means that the delays and inefficiencies of the Council come with no benefit. And that's assuming we managed to call a vote or reconvene the Council. We wouldn't. If John is at the point that he thinks killing us would be to the benefit of the fleet, he won't hesitate to do it. That's his responsibility, and his duty, as he sees it."

"We could still refuse his orders. There are a lot of people in this fleet loyal to us. We could resist; make a fight of it. Would he be willing to start a civil war within the fleet?"

"If he thinks the mission...the species...is in danger, and that was the best way to save it? Yes, without a doubt. The more important question is, would you?"

"We have to do something! His actions are endangering our survival. The future of humanity as a species is a stake! It's our duty to protect it, regardless of the cost to us."

"I know, Sandra. And I agree. But, right now is not the time to do it. For the time being, he's holding all the cards. And you heard him yourself. It's his belief that his actions are the best way to ensure all of our survival; that it's our actions which have endangered humanity. I'm not willing to lower humanity's chances even more by actively resisting him. At least not right now. For the time being, let's try it his way. Maybe he actually will listen more to us as advisers and staff than as political opposition."

"And if he continues to endanger the species?"

"Officially, that's his call to make, and it's not for us to second guess him. He's the CO with the big picture, making the big decisions. So, we hope for the best. But...we prepare for the worst."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, we keep our eyes and ears, and especially our options, open. We play good little soldiers, and give him all of the support he needs. And, if it doesn't work out...then we jump off that bridge when we come to it."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mroc, Unclaimed Space - Exodus Fleet - February, 2249

Talia Winters stretched like a cat as Jason ran the fingers of his left hand through her hair while simultaneously pulling her close with his right. He pressed a kiss against the base of her jaw. All that might have been awkward under gravity. The two of them had become very familiar with the benefits of zero-G. She looked down at the bunk. The sheets were in total disarray, strewn and twisted. Well, zero-G had it's negative aspects as well.

Jason checked his chrono and cursed. "I'm due on duty. Gotta run." He sprang from the bed and began to dress.

"Help me make the bed."

"No time. I'll be late."

Talia sat up with alarm, heedless of her state of undress. "I'm no good at making a bed military style. It was your idea to use Susan's bunk! She's going to kill us if we don't put things back exactly as they were."

"Sorry, love. Gotta fly." He gave her a quick kiss and a more than friendly squeeze, then opened the door and darted out. She had to dive for the wall so no one passing in the corridor would see her. Once he had closed the door, she paced to the middle of the room in irritation and looked at the disaster of Susan's bunk. Somehow they had even managed to knock her foot locker out of it's mounting, popping the lid. Her belongings had started to float out.

Talia went to the footlocker first, as she knew exactly where it belonged. After some examination of the problem, followed by several shoves and a kick, she managed to get it repositioned properly in its mounting and resecured. She lifted the cover, intending to tidy up Susan's belongings before she closed and locked it. There was the expected tangle of clothes, blankets, and toiletries, knocked awry with the footlocker. However, they had been knocked off the six objects on which they had been sitting, uncovering the hidden items below.

Talia stared in shock at the half dozen military explosives. They looked roughly the same as the explosives which they had found before, when Susan had been forced to explain her predicament to them. They shouldn't be there! They had been so careful, trying to ensure no one could frame Susan in this way. They had worked it out so that one of the three of them was always in the room, to ensure no one could sneak in and plant evidence. She and Ironheart had even been forced to be creative in scheduling their trysts, though she had not explained why to him. Certainly no one could have planted the evidence while the two of them were...enjoying themselves. They weren't that oblivious.

A moment of doubt washed through her. If it was impossible for outsiders to have planted the explosives, then wouldn't that mean that it had to be someone on the inside putting them there? Susan certainly had access to her own locker. No! Guilt washed through her. She was Susan's friend. She had touched her mind. She knew very well that Susan wasn't capable of these kinds of things. It must have happened during the last battle, when they were all at battle stations. No one was watching the room then. Of course, that required it to be someone with enough authority that no one would question why he or she was wandering the corridors, rather than at his or her post. Scary thought.

Dealing with this would require some careful thought. She'd need to talk to Lyta about it, hopefully before Susan. She began to pile Susan's things back in on top of the explosives, no longer bothering to be careful. She'd just tell Susan she had noticed one of the explosives, and had been forced to make a mess of it searching for the rest. She could even blame the state of the bunk on the same search. Thank God!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lyta and Talia all but dragged Susan down the corridors of the Olympic, a bag loaded with explosives slung over Lyta's shoulder. "Do we really need to get her involved?" Susan asked for the fourth time.

Lyta rolled her eyes and said, "She's your friend. She would want to help. And this is beyond what Talia and I can do on our own, while this is entirely her line of business. Now, which door is it?"

Susan gestured to a door which appeared to be a broom closet. Since Tessa's office actually had been a broom closet, that made perfect sense. Lyta strode forward and knocked forcefully.

A moment later, Tessa opened the door, smiling. Her expression turned to one of surprise when she saw Lyta and Talia. "You didn't say you were bringing friends."

Susan performed introductions, then said, "I needed them here. They're wrapped up in this."

"Wrapped up in what, exactly?"

"Could we go into your office? I don't want any prying ears."

"Four people won't fit in this coffin. Hold on though. I'll see if the Chief's office is open. Garibaldi's been spending a lot more time on the Midway lately." She strode off and checked behind a door at the end of the corridor, then waved to them to come forward. She held the door open for them, and they all entered.

The room beyond wasn't large by any definition, but it was reasonably comfortable, and there was room for all of them. Three molded plastic chairs sat in front of a battered old desk. Tessa gestured for them to seat themselves, the went behind Garibaldi's desk and pulled his chair around to the front so she could sit with them. "So what's up, ladies?"

Susan hesitated, and Lyta placed her hand reassuringly on her friend's shoulder. "I think I'm being framed," Susan began. She laid out a disjointed story of lost time, and awakening places with no idea how she'd gotten there. She moved on to awakening in a hazardous environment suit, with needle marks in her arm, a badge indicating high levels of radiation exposure, and empty vials of an experimental anti radiation treatment floating nearby. And finally of finding military grade explosives in her room on two separate occasions, once with the word traitor scrawled across her sheets in wet paint, meant to look like blood. Finally, she ended by taking the bag from Lyta, and exposing its contents. As she spoke, Tessa's expression grew darker and darker.

"You should have brought this to me earlier. Susan, you knew I was investigating the explosion aboard the King Solomon's Mines. You lied to me." Tessa was clearly irate. "I should arrest all three of you right now."

Susan looked at her feet. "I told you I didn't know anything about it. Technically that was correct. I have no memory of that time. The radiation drugs and hazardous environment suit don't mean that I was there. Someone is trying to make it look like it was me."

"Susan, your logs indicate that you flew your Starfury past the far side of the King Solomon's Mines just before the explosion. You just admitted to me that you had a vacuum capable hazard suit and radiation resistance drugs, as well as access to military grade explosives. That gives you both the means and the opportunity."

Susan looked up and met her eyes. "Do what you feel is necessary."

Talia, however, was having none of it. "You're supposed to be Susan's friend," she said hotly. "We came to you for help. If you know her at all, you know she's not capable of anything like this! If you arrest her, if you even log her as a suspect, they'll strip her flight status. She's a telepath, remember? Guilty until proven innocent. And, in case you forgot, she's one of the best pilot's we've got. Having her out there saves lives!"

"And if she takes more lives than she saves?" Tessa asked sharply. She sighed. "Susan, I believe you. But it's my job to be suspicious, and I have to put justice and the safety of others above my friendship to you. Then there's the fact that the story you just told is pretty fantastic. Coming from anyone else I'd call it pure fabrication. Frankly, one of the few reasons I haven't already drawn my weapon is because you don't have a motive. Not one that I can see, anyway." She scowled thoughtfully. "Another reason, though, is that if you're right; if someone is trying to frame you, then that person would have to be very highly placed. There aren't too many people who fall into that category, and they're all smart folks. If I run this through channels, I'll be forced to bring you in. Then you'll probably end up dead in a cell, and the real culprit goes to ground. At that point I might never find them."

"We've been trying to keep a watch on the room, to identify anyone trying to plant evidence," Lyta offered. "Apparently we weren't doing a very good job."

"One of the things you learn in law enforcement is that the simplest answer is usually the right one. The simplest answer here is that Susan did it. I know all three of us are her friends, but how well do we really know her? We all met her barely more than half a year ago."

"If she did it, why would she be coming to you now? Wouldn't involving law enforcement be the last thing she would want to do?"

"It's an old trick. Bring in the cops to shift suspicion away from yourself. Even better if you can find one who is friendly to you from the start. It just takes a devious mind."

"We've been inside her head," Talia responded, shaking her own head. "We've touched her mind. I know for a fact that she isn't the kind of person to do this. We haven't done a deep scan, but even just casual telepathic contact proves she hasn't got the psyche for that kind of senseless slaughter."

"Well, I haven't been inside her head..." Tessa started.

"We could take you there," Talia interrupted. "Show you."

Tessa hesitated. "Hold that thought. You said that you hadn't done a deep scan. Why not?"

Lyta answered, "Because it's painful and unnecessary. We know without a doubt that she isn't the kind of person who would do this. A deep scan would provide evidence to keep her out of prison, but it's not likely to keep her flying. And it won't keep her from being locked up during a formal investigation. You just said that was likely to get her killed."

"What if it was me?" Susan asked in a near whisper. "What if I did do those things? Maybe...maybe there's something wrong with me. A mental illness...PTSD induced...homicidal mania."

"It doesn't work that way, Susan," Lyta responded. Talia and I have been studying the human mind for years now. We've had enough mental contact with you that we'd already have been able to tell something was wrong with your mind. It would have been glaringly obvious. You've got some PTSD, some low level depression and mental scarring. Hell, we all do. But your mind is rock solid. You're fine, and I guarantee you didn't do this."

"Ok," Tessa said after several moments of silence, "I'm going to help you. I'm not bringing you in, nor am I filing this conversation in official records. Not because you're not a suspect Susan. You are. But because I think it's likely that someone else is involved. Someone who likely has access to my investigation. We're going to work together and try to ferret that person out. It's not like you can really go to ground. We're in space, after all," she said with a small smile. "There is no ground.

She took a deep breath. "Here's what I need from you. We keep this close. The four of us in this room, that's our circle of trust. We bring no one else in without first meeting to discuss with each other. That includes the infamous Mr. Ironheart," she said, looking directly at Talia.

"You told her?" Talia squeaked at Susan, turning a bright red.

Tessa ignored her, continuing, "Keep up the watch on your quarters. You might just get lucky. Report anything suspicious to me. We're going to start meeting often, weekly if possible, for 'girls night out.' Trust nothing to electronic communications, everything is said in person. Other than that, act as though everything is normal. Do not deviate from your routines. I'm going to start running leads through some back channels. Susan, I'll be looking into you as much as I am looking for a mysterious high level conspirator. But I'll prove your innocence or guilt one way or the other, so at least we'll all know. This could take a while. I can't do this officially, so I have to maintain all of my other responsibilities or risk arousing suspicion. I'll probably get fired," she ended with a sigh. "Well, I didn't really want the job anyway, so maybe you're doing me a favor.

"What are friends for?" Susan asked, finally cracking a small smile.

Tessa grunted, then picked up the bag and emptied it's contents into her desk drawer. Rooting around through the desk, she found a bulky jacket and a couple of old and very unwashed food containers. Shoving them into the bag, she appraised it with a critical eye. "Looks about right. We can't have anyone thinking you dropped something off here." She tossed the bag to Lyta, who grimaced at the smell of rotting food. Rising, she said, "Well, come on ladies. Follow me."

"Where are we going?" Talia asked curiously.

"Establishing our cover. Girl's night out, remember? I hope you brought a stick. Between the four of us, we're going to have to beat the men off."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cascan, Cascor Space - Exodus Fleet, EAS Nova - March, 2249

The EAS Nova slipped silently into the Cascan system, joining the rest of the fleet, which had been slowly draining into the system. "Report."

"No sign that we've been detected so far, Captain," Takashima responded. "We've got the Hubble keeping an eye out for activity from the Cascor. Nothing so far. Of course, at this range, even our best sensors aren't really seeing much."

"Any nearby cover for us to shelter behind?"

"Not a thing, Captain. The nearest sizeable body is about ten billion kilometers away."

Sheridan grunted. Their tactic of jumping into the Kuiper belt or hiding behind gas giants or outer planets had proven largely ineffective at allowing the fleet to sneak through. They had been met time and time again by species who had expected they were coming. And now, with the Minbari out there stirring up all the League races, everyone expected them to be coming. Of course, the entire reason for selecting this route was to get away from the main track of the Minbari search, and go where no one expected them to be. It seemed to be working out, but they still needed to be cautious. One sighting reported to the Minbari could have them right back in the mess.

Sneaking past was going to be particularly difficult with the Cascor. While their territory was much smaller than the EA, it was also more densely packed and utilized. They were highly industrialized, with a large population, and a very well developed military. The mammalian species, somewhat raccoon like, was known for their adventurous spirit and nimble frames. Between those aspects and their diminutive size, they produced some of the best fighter pilots in space. In fact, their naval doctrine appeared to be quite similar to the EA's, with a large mix of ships ranging from light and nimble escorts to well armed capital ships. And, also like the EA, they put a much higher emphasis on fighter tactics than most other species. The Cascor, however, took this to a much higher level, actively fielding at least five different types of fighters, from light to heavy and with strike and torpedo varieties thrown in. They even deemphasized their primary capital ships, which tended to top out in power around the level of a Hyperion class heavy cruiser, versus their massive supercarriers. The whole setup reminded Sheridan a lot of the dominant naval doctrine on Earth during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Add in the fact that their technology was at least as advanced as the EA's, or perhaps even a generation or two ahead, and the Cascor were a formidable opponent indeed. The EA as a whole would have had a tough time dealing with them, much less one largely civilian fleet with just a smattering of military vessels for escort.

Theoretically, the Cascor were friends. The Dilgar invasion had come through this way, and the locals had been some of the friendliest towards Earth, right up to the start of the Minbari war. John had no intention of trusting that the situation remained unchanged. Therefore, he had elected to try out a new tactic for staying undetected.

The moment the Cascan beacon signal strength had grown strong enough for navigation to feel there was even a remote chance they could pick it up again upon reentry into hyperspace, the Eratosthenes had jumped back to normal space. Sheridan reasoned that with hundreds of ships trying to find the beacon, their odds of locking it up again had to go way up. Further, given that they had multiple ships with jump drives, they could have a few ships jump into hyperspace to try to locate the beacon's signal. If unsuccessful, they could use the fleet remaining in normal space as an impromptu beacon of their own, allowing them to just jump right back out to the same location. If necessary, they could always move the fleet closer in to the star, to get closer to the Cascan beacon.

Upon exit, Sinclair had commed to advise that they had exited at just over 100 AU, about fifteen billion kilometers, out from the local star. That was more than twice the distance from the star to the outer edge of the local Kuiper Belt. Although that was still well inside of the inner boundary of the Oort cloud, from a hyperspace standpoint it was practically like attempting to jump out into interstellar space. It was a maneuver not entirely devoid of risk. John was hoping that sheer distance alone would keep them hidden from the eyes and sensors of the Cascor, or any Minbari who might be visiting their system. The fleet had slipped into the system, under minimal emissions.

As John continued to peruse the status and progress reports being delivered from the fleet, he felt a presence at his elbow. Looking up, he found Garibaldi at his shoulder. "Commander Garibaldi, nice to see you again. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Just stopped by for a chat...in private. Got a minute?"

John bit back a retort that he rarely had anything so luxurious as an actual minute. Instead, he said only, "Certainly, Commander. Follow me please. Laurel, you have the bridge."

He lead Michael off the bridge, and down a dozen meters of empty corridor, until they arrived at a small, nondescript hatch. Opening it, he invited Michael into his personal quarters. Gesturing that the Commander should take a seat in the lone chair, he propped himself on his bunk. "Alright, Michael, what's so important? Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on my two favorite female Commanders?"

"I keep an eye on a lot of things. And since you asked, the ladies seem to be behaving themselves. They aren't happy, but they are doing their jobs. I'm on top of it. I'm on top of most things. But every once in awhile, I'll find something that requires your attention. Some of those things I won't trust to open comms, or even secure ones. Face to face is usually the most secure.

"You've got my attention."

"It's the telepaths."

"The ones assigned to weapons tracking, or our pilots?"

"Neither. The civilian telepaths. I started noticing a few weeks ago that there were an awful lot of personnel transfers going through. People being transferred from ship to ship. It all seemed above board...duty transfers. Things peripherally related to our hiring telepaths for tracking and targeting roles. Things related to the new workers we assigned to assist the zero-G maintenance and repair teams. Realignment of fleet duties as we reassign responsibilities to cover for ships we've lost. I couldn't see a pattern to it, but rather than slowing down, the transfers have been speeding up. Nothing crazy, but consistently high volume, just low enough to avoid being blatant. Given the high volume and weeks of data, eventually the pattern was going to show up as long as I kept looking."

"Well? Don't keep me in suspense."

"Someone's concentrating the telepaths."

That was an alarming thought. "What exactly do you mean?"

"I mean that the telepaths are being shifted around the fleet, onto a relatively small number of ships. If trends keep up, they will eventually be the majority population on the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth, as well as a number of freighters carrying diverse goods and supplies, repair ships, resource extraction vessels, and colony construction and support vessels."

"That sounds like the structure for a separate fleet. Something smaller, but at least theoretically viable to survive on it's own."

"Those were my thoughts. I tried to track down the source of the movement orders, and that's even more concerning. None of the telepaths we know of in positions of power have anything to do with this. Believe me, I spent a lot of time scrutinizing Mr. Bester, and as far as I can tell, he's squeaky clean. Backtracking the orders didn't lead to telepaths at all. All signs point to the Mars Resistance."

"Are you sure? That wouldn't seem to make much sense. What do they get out of it.?"

"I have no idea," Michael said in irritation. "And I've been doing a lot of digging. At least, as much as I could do and still stay under their radar. You're right. It doesn't make any sense. The Marsies aren't being similarly concentrated, neither known Mars Resistance members nor the general Mars population. I've been hearing rumors of a Psi-Corp and Mars Resistance alliance for a while now, but they seem to be just that...crazy rumors. As far as I can tell, and I've really looked, Psi-Corp is dead and gone. The Mars Resistance is still out there, but they sure don't seem to be doing much resisting. At least until this.

"Theories?"

"Just two, and they're both a little bit crazy. One, the Marsies are concentrating the telepaths as a means to betray and eliminate them. Marsies tend to be a bit insular, even bigoted, and often have a chip on their shoulder. Maybe some prejudiced individuals are taking telepath fear to an extreme, or maybe they just don't want anyone around with a bigger sob story than their own."

"Seems like a heck of a stretch, Michael."

"Yeah, but the other theory is even crazier. It requires the Psi-Corp power structure to still be in place, and for them to have taken control of the Mars Resistance. I'd say both of those things are nearly impossible. And planning to betray their allies and the rest of the fleet together? They'd have to be crazy. They wouldn't get any of the military ships except the Mother, and good luck defending a fleet with just that. Hell, that theoretical fleet's margins would be so thin, even the slightest issue would probably lead to their failure and the deaths of everyone involved. None of it makes any sense."

John sighed. "I guess you'll just have to keep looking. Expand your search, but don't do anything that might tip them off that you know. I suppose that includes letting the transfers continue, at least for the time being. But prepare a response. I refuse to lose those ships."

"I'll have to bring on some help if I'm going to do much more."

"Make sure it's someone you trust. Or, at least, someone you can control."

"I have just the person in mind."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You wanted to see me, Chief?"

"Tessa. Come on in."

"I've never been invited to your office before," she said, looking around curiously. Her eyes were drawn to an unusual object mounted on a small platform on his desk. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Well, if you think it's an archaic slugthrower, then you're correct. I keep it as a reminder."

"A reminder of what?"

"A reminder to keep a level head. It used to belong to Michael Jankowski. I've been tracing it's history, since we've been loaded with so many Earthgov records. It goes back a long ways, and has seen a lot of action. It's almost a shame that there are only four slugs left. I might try to fabricate some more, if I ever get the time."

"How did you get ahold of it?"

"That's a long story...for another time. Have a seat. Are you ok? You're looking a little green."

Tessa sighed. "I'm not great in zero-G," she admitted. Garibaldi had called for her to come aboard the Midway, which was unusual. But then again, he seemed to be rather reluctant to leave the ship these days. She couldn't be sure, but of all the rumors swirling through the fleet, the one that both rang true and offered a possible explanation had to do with the recent command slot reassignments. Officially the Captains were being shuffled to broaden their skills and provide redundancy. That didn't ring true to Tessa's ears, but it might explain Garibaldi's need to stick close to home. Though, why he'd need to keep an eye on either Lochley or Levitt was beyond her.

"Well, we should be under acceleration again soon. We'll be heading out to the next system, if we can ever find the beacon again. It seems like it's a bit more difficult than Captain Sheridan anticipated. But, if we don't pick it up, the solution is just to head deeper in system and try again. So, either way, you'll have inertia providing your stomach with a direction for down."

Tessa nodded her understanding. "So, what's up?"

He gave her an odd look. "The real question, Tessa, is what's up with you. You've been having a number of unusual meetings lately. Anything you want to tell me about?"

The bottom dropped out of her stomach, but she maintained her poker face. She was very good at poker. She suspected Garibaldi was fishing. She had thought her meetings with Susan and the girls were well explained, but something had the Chief suspicious. She doubted that he knew she was withholding information about an investigation. Even if he did, if it came down to an inquest, she could probably justify her actions based on the likelihood that the perpetrator would have access to official reports. At least, she could probably justify them enough to stay out of jail herself. Keeping her job was another matter. But, since she wasn't already under arrest, there was a good chance he didn't know what was going on. Fishing. All she said was, "Not really, boss. I wasn't aware my social life was all that interesting. Have you been keeping tabs on me?"

"Kid, I keep tabs on everyone. Especially when one of my two best deputies starts acting out of character."

"Now, I know you didn't just lump me into the same category as Allan."

"Zack's good at his job. And don't try to change the subject. You've been having a number of odd meetings with telepaths."

"That's not illegal, is it? I thought the whole telepath bigotry problem was supposed to be behind us. Aren't they the new heroes of the fleet?"

"Maybe, but it trips warning bells and impacts an ongoing investigation when someone in a position of authority, with access to fleet security, has both connections to telepaths and to known Mars Resistance figures. Especially given rumors of their alliance."

"Wait, what?! I don't have ties to that mob of idiots!"

In response, he touched a key and an image was displayed on the screen on his desktop. Gary. "When was the last time you had contact with Mr. McKinney, here?"

Tessa sighed. "Gary joined the Resistance? Why am I not surprised. You know when I last met with him, Chief. I had to log and file it, since I dislocated that ass's other arm. Seriously, Chief. You processed his complaint and delivered the official reprimand...along with a beer because we both knew that he deserved it."

"And you haven't met with him since?"

"No. Why would I? More importantly, why would you think I had?"

"Because you've been having clandestine meetings with telepaths?"

"Clandestine...Chief, I've been meeting with friends. I'm allowed to have friends who are telepaths."

"Susan Ivanova has been your friend for a while now. The other two are new."

"Talia and Lyta are Susan's friends. I guess they're mine now as well. Aren't I allowed to make new friends? It's just girl's night out."

"Which is out of character for you..."

"I'm allowed to blow off some steam!" she snapped, not having to fake the irritation.

"But it's not just girl's night out, is it? I wouldn't be meeting with you if it was. When I said clandestine meetings, I meant it."

Uh oh, she thought. This could be a problem. She knew what was coming next, and was unsurprised when he keyed up another image.

"This is you and Ms. Winters ducking into a supply closet." He keyed up another. "Here are you and Ms. Alexander moving into a deserted maintenance annex." Another. "You and Ms. Ivanova."

Frag! I knew those meetings were a mistake. The girls had just been so eager to coordinate their investigation with a real professional. It was an adventure to Lyta and Talia. Obviously, Susan took it more seriously. This was going to be a problem. The Chief might just bench her. At the very least, he would be keeping a close eye on her. What to do? Her mind spun furiously. Stall. "You really have been keeping tabs on me. I hadn't realized our camera coverage was quite so thorough."

"Quit stalling, kid. Explain yourself."

"Alright, Chief. I guess you caught me. Maybe I should have let you know from the beginning. We're lesbians."

"I knew it. You can't get...what!?" His double take was hilarious. Tessa said a silent thank you to her parents or creator or whoever had blessed her with a good poker face.

"We're lesbians, Chief. I thought I was only required to report romantic entanglements if they were with coworkers. It's not really romance, anyway. Just a lot of sex."

"I...but...umm...aren't you with Dr. Franklin?"

"Well, I suppose I'm bisexual. Talia to. I'm pretty sure Susan and Lyta are the real deal though. As for Stephen, he's great and all, but only a woman really knows how to please a woman. Oh, but please don't tell him. Men have such fragile egos."

"Yeah, ummm..." hey keyed furiously through computer records. He quickly regained his composure, which rather impressed Tessa. "This meeting with Ms. Winters lasted only ninety seconds. That's not enough time to...you know..."

"Get horizontal? We didn't. She was just delivering some supplies."

"Supplies?"

"Hygienic supplies. You see, Chief, when women spend a lot of time together, sometimes their cycles..."

"Stop! Stop. I don't wanna know. You're cleared. Do not file any Consensual Romance paperwork. It's fine."

Still maintaining strict control of her face, Tessa laughed inside. Men. Talk about a simple biological process, and even the smart ones just turn off their brains.

He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a data crystal, tossing it to her. "Here. You are now part of my special investigative team. Long story short, telepaths are being concentrated onto a few ships, and Mars Resistance seems to be facilitating it. We're not sure what we are looking at, but it's not good. Help run this down. Top priority, but it needs to stay way under the radar. You report directly and only to me for anything related to this matter, and you do not share. Not with coworkers and peers. Certainly not with boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers, or whatever the hell you've got going on there. Now get out of my office, while I try to pretend that last ten minutes never happened.

Tessa stared at the crystal in shock. This had to be related to what was happening to Susan. Well, this certainly complicates things. With a start, she arose and left the office. Now what do I do?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bestine, Descari Space - Exodus Fleet - March, 2249

The EAS Nova slipped out of hyperspace and into the Bestine system. It joined the rest of the fleet already in the system. John Sheridan looked out over the fleet, bunched up into a fairly small area for so many ships, and scowled. He was not happy. "We're sitting ducks, all bunched up like this. We need to get moving again. Where are the Descari?"

"Their shuttle is in close contact with the Eratosthenes, Captain. They are currently conversing with Commander Gideon." Takashima advised.

He grunted in irritation. "Take us through the fleet and bring us to within five hundred meters of their shuttle."

"That's awful close, Captain."

"Good. Let them get a good look at us, and remember just who we are."

"Course set, Captain."

"Get us moving." As the massive dreadnought picked its way gingerly through the crowded area, Sheridan brooded on the situation. This particular obstacle was entirely his fault. His tactic of popping in well outside of the Kuiper Belt, at the very edge of where the beacon could be seen without being directly in the course of its signal, had seemed to be quite effective. As far a they could tell, no one had spotted them. But then, when they had tried to leave the system, they had difficulties reacquiring the beacon. It wasn't a particularly dangerous situation. They could always just head deeper in system via normal space. But, that would have been time consuming. As it was, they still lost time on the several attempts it took them to lock up the beacon signal.

John had been worried about delays, and the Descari had been very friendly since the Dilgar war. More than that, their species had been severely reduced since the war. Not as much as species like the Mitoc and the Krish, but devastatingly so none the less. They would be centuries in the rebuilding, if they ever did. Despite attempting to rebuild and reinforce their defenses, they had also taken a very pacifistic and non confrontational stance on the galactic stage. He had felt it would be safe to chance running into them; that they would stay out of the way, and more likely wouldn't even notice the fleet was there. He planned to shelter behind the outer planets, while the Descari usually kept their fleets close to the inner system. Even should they be noticed, he expected the Descari would try to ignore them at the worst, and possibly even offer to help at the best.

So, it was with some surprise that he received Commander Gideon's signal that the Eratosthenes had been met by a Descari shuttle, the Captain of which was demanding that they turn around and immediately vacate Descari space.

The Nova finally threaded its way through the fleet and approached the Eratosthenes and the tiny shuttle, slowing as it neared its intended position. "Passing one kilometer to shuttle now, Captain," Laurel reported. "Receiving a signal from the Descari Captain. He is protesting our carelessly close approach to his vessel."

"Acknowledged. Cancel my previous order, Lieutenant Commander." He saw her open her mouth to command the ship to halt, then cut in, "Bring us to within one hundred meters of the shuttle." Laurel's jaw dropped a bit, but she passed the order. With a ship over a kilometer in length, and as heavily armed and armored as a Nova was, stopping on a dime wasn't really in the cards. An approach that close courted a collision. He saw with approval that she refused to further question his orders, and had set herself to carrying them out without allowing them to lead to an interstellar incident.

"Holding steady at….seventy-five meters, Captain," she advised just a couple of minutes later. "Sorry for getting a little too close."

Her voice was rock steady, he noted with approval, though he did note a bit of sweat on her brow. "Not a problem, Lieutenant Commander. Excellent work."

"The Descari Captain is comming again, Captain. He is once again protesting our close approach."

"Put him through to my station."

She nodded, then noted, "Signal is audio only, Captain. Their data transmission technology seems to be significantly behind our own."

"Understood." A moment later, his speakers crackled.

"Captain! Are you insane? You very nearly ran us over! We will not be treated so in our own space. We demand that your fleet depart immediately!"

"I'm sorry, Captain, but I cannot comply. Many of my civilian vessels must undergo maintenance and replenishment before we can reenter hyperspace. As soon as that work is done, we will be on our way."

The voice on the other end of the comm channel hesitated for a moment, then said,"So long as you are gone soon. Your presence brings danger to my people. I will not allow you to bring the Minbari down upon them the way you did the Narn and Drazi. Perform your repairs, then take your vessels and go back where you came from."

"I'm afraid you misunderstood me, Captain," John said calmly. "Once the maintenance tasks have been completed, we will be moving forward. I have no intention of turning back. Don't worry, we'll be gone before you know it."

"How dare you!" he hissed in outrage. "This is sovereign Descari space, not some highway for you to go where you wish."

"Descari space? Surely you are mistaken, Captain. This whole area belongs to the Dilgar."

"The Dilgar? You are insane! The Dilgar were turned back and driven to extinction a generation ago, after nearly wiping out my people. We will not..."

"Oh, that's right," Sheridan broke in, cutting him off. "I remember now. You might try to recall just exactly who it was that stopped the Dilgar advance, and kept your curious little species from sliding into extinction."

The Descari Captain spluttered. "How...How dare you, Captain! We will not..."

"How dare I what, exactly?" John asked, cutting him off again. "How dare I remind you that you wouldn't even be here, if not for the Earth Alliance? How dare I point out that we made the choice to fight for you, to prevent your extinction, while you seem unwilling to simply stand aside to prevent ours? Or how dare I drive my dreadnought over your tiny little shuttle? Because that's exactly what's going to happen in a few hours if you're still sitting there when this fleet is ready to get under way again."

"You...you wouldn't!" The Descari's voice sounded choked, as though he had just realized that he was sitting directly in the path of a one and a half kilometer long metal brick.

John didn't know if the concept of a bug on a windshield had a Descari equivalent, but the Captain was clearly getting the concept. "Are you so sure about that Captain? For the last two and a half years, this war has been making one thing very clear to me. As far as the civilizations of this galaxy are concerned, might makes right. When the Minbari went to war over a misunderstanding, none of our friends and 'allies' said a word. When they began to exterminate us, again silence. Despite what we had done, none of you lifted a finger to stop the Minbari. Only the Drazi helped us. The Vree actively betrayed us. When this fleet arrived in Narn space, they used our desperation to extort supplies from us. When we got to Centauri space, they used their strength to threaten to destroy us. We've been turned away time and time again. Well, I'm through with it. You want to throw your weight around? We'll throw right back. We're transiting your space, Captain. Feel free to try to stand in our way."

His statements were followed by a long pause. Finally, the Descari spoke again, now sounding far more nervous than arrogant. "I...I do not stand before you in just a shuttle, Captain. The Descari navy..."

"Yes, we see them down there, hiding in your inner system. Is that a Scorata class battleship I'm detecting? I hope you have at least two if you want to stop this dreadnought. Then again, the Lexington packs a pretty decent punch as well. Better make it three. Bring them on up, and we'll get down to business. By the way, how many Scorata's do your people have again? Let's see, if I recall correctly, the last time the EA ran a force assessment...admittedly that was a few years ago...you only had three battleships. Your industry and population have't exactly been remarkable since the Dilgar nearly destroyed you. Are you really going to throw away the heart of your fleet trying to stop a bunch of refugees from passing through?"

"We have plenty of battlecruisers and heavy cruisers to do the job, Captain," the Descari said, if anything sounding more nervous than before.

"Oh, that's right. The Scorita and Scorran classes. Such...imaginative naming conventions you have for your vessels. Well then, invite them to the party. We'll be waiting." Sheridan cut the connection.

Takashima looked at him nervously. "Are you really planning on fighting Descari capital ships, Sir?"

"We won't have to, Laurel. The Descari are a proud people, but extremely cautious as well. They threw everything they had into fighting the Dilgar, and were almost destroyed in the process. They've spent the last twenty years rebuilding, but are still a very long way from recovering. I used to pity them. Now I know exactly how they feel. They've spent a massive portion of their very limited budget trying to rebuild their defenses. They won't risk being set back by years just to prove to the Minbari that they aren't helping us."

"How can you be so sure, Captain?" Laurel asked, but before he could respond, her system called for her attention. "The Descari Captain wishes to speak with you again, Sir," she said, clearly impressed.

"Put him through." As soon as the comm link had been established, he asked, "How can I help you, Captain?"

"By being gone from my space as quickly as possible. My government has given you permission to transit. Do not take it the wrong way, Captain, when I tell you that I wish never to hear from you again. If you would take some advice, since you refuse to turn around, then I suggest you head for Llort space."

"And why is that?"

"Because you will find only death if you head for Yolu space, Captain.

That was concerning. "The Yolu are League Members. I know you aren't happy with how we are bulling our way through your space, Captain, but you were also empathetic enough to offer this warning. After the Dilgar war, won't the Yolu be similarly compassionate?"

"The Yolu are part of the League for the trade, not the security. They never really participated in the war, not even when many of us were being slaughtered. They were never really threatened, so they don't view the human intervention with the same respect many of us do." He said that without seeming to notice how at odds it was with his previous stance. "They don't really fear anyone. Not even the Minbari."

"If they don't fear the Minbari, then why would they refuse us transit?"

"They guard their security and neutrality zealously, and their space borne defenses are second to none. They only accepted the mutual defense aspects of the League because they were primarily focused on the Centauri, who had spent centuries pushing species around, to the point that they had even annoyed the Yolu. But the Minbari are not the Centauri. The Yolu respect them, and if a conflict were to arise which they absolutely could not ignore, I think they'd be more likely to join the Minbari than side with the rest of us."

"So they'd just hand us over to the Minbari?"

"No, Captain, they would destroy you. I have heard a rumor. One I believe to be true, but which I cannot prove. This rumor states that a Minbari heavy scout tried to penetrate Yolu space, believing that you might have retreated there. The Yolu blew off it's drive fins, and then towed it back to the nearest Minbari fleet, assuring them that if you humans came to Yolu space, you would receive far worse. This seemed to satisfy the Minbari."

"Could you give me the source of this rumor?"

"I am unaware from where the bulk of the details come. But, I personally witnessed one of the Yolu's Yuan class dreadnoughts towing a Minbari scout ship, shorn of its drive fins, through this very system. I imagine the commander of that Minbari vessel will not soon live down the indignity, but at least he will live. I do not believe the same will be true of you, should you choose to risk heading in that direction.

Sheridan mulled that over. He had indeed been intending on heading next to Yolu space. It seemed revisiting that idea was called for. "Thank you, Captain. You may have just saved a great many lives, perhaps even a species. My apologies for my earlier aggressive stance."

He heard a chuckle from the other end of the line. "I thank you for it, Captain. Now we can prove to the Minbari that we were under duress when we allowed you to pass. Oh, and just for the record Captain; in a confrontation between a Nova and a Scorata, bet on the Scorata."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The final human vessel has left the system,Hiai'sa," the Hiai'i Warrior, his acting First Officer, advised. The words were respectful, but the tone far from it. He had been brought aboard as a cross training endeavor, a Warrior onboard a Religious Caste vessel. Up until the last several hours, the effort had been an unmitigated success. The Hiai'i had been nothing but polite and respectful, and he had seen to his duties with diligence and pride. Something had changed the moment they had detected the human fleet entering the system.

"If you have something to say Hiai'i Ingati, please just say it."

"Why did you let them go Hiai'sa Rathnier? The humans were in our grasp, and we just watched them leave."

Rathnier stifled the immediate response which rose to his lips. Hiding for days under maximum stealth, just floating along in this rings of this gas giant, had perhaps made him a bit cranky. He took a moment to recenter himself. Perhaps this was a teachable moment. Perhaps this exchange of perspectives was exactly what the cross training program was meant to encourage. "And what would you have preferred us to do, Hiai'i Ingati?"

"Attack, of course! Surely you are not afraid."

"You would take a Leshath class scout up against a dreadnaught, heavy cruiser, and combat carrier? I should also note that their exploration vessel is comparably formidable."

"Human warships, and human technology," the Hiai'i said dismissively. We could have simply used our longer range weaponry and our stealth systems to stay safe from any return fire. It might have taken awhile, but we should certainly have been able to cripple, perhaps even destroy their ships."

"And then their Worker vessels as well?"

"Likely they would have scattered. We would have needed to bring in reinforcements to hunt them all down."

"I see. And if this task was so easy, why is it that this fleet has left a trail of dead Minbari warships? A Sharlin war cruiser, another Leshath heavy scout, and a Morshin carrier? Oh, and a heavily armed supply base. Not to mention the entire task force of Sharlins and Tinashis which they killed at the very beginning of their journey."

"So you are afraid of them," Ingati said derisively. "Those were all situations of ambush and surprise. Starkiller used underhanded tactics to destroy his betters. But here, we would have had the surprise. There was no place for them to hide, no ambush for them to lay. They would have been forced to face us directly, or leave their Workers open to our retribution. We could have destroyed them, and ended this intolerable chase."

"I see. And do you suppose any of those other commanders might have thought that they were in a situation free of ambush and surprise?"

"They would not have been so free with their communications if they had known we were here," he said, defensively.

"Perhaps. And speaking of those communications with the Descari, does it not concern you that we would be opening up combat in a location where Descari casualties are a possibility? Particularly when the Descari have not officially given permission for us to be here?"

"It would be on their own heads. They gave the humans permission to pass!"

"Only after Starkiller had threatened violence."

"The Descari were hoping for exactly that. So that they could lie to us! You heard it yourself."

"I heard one individual Descari Captain express his regard for the humans. I do not know how their government or their people feel. I only know that they refused passage to the humans until they were threatened. Jumping to conclusions and condemning a people to death and destruction based upon those conclusions is not the path of Valen."

"So then you claim it was compassion rather than cowardice which stayed your hand?"

Rathnier tilted his head to the side, studying the Warrior. He breathed, banishing the surge of anger which had followed the insult. It had sounded unintentional. No doubt the Warrior would apologize later when he realized his error. For now, best to enlighten him. "It was not. I was following orders."

"We were not ordered to let the humans go!"

"You are correct. We were not. Do you recall what our orders were?"

"Of course. We were to wait here and attempt to locate the humans, and report their location. Which we could certainly do after..."

Rathnier cut him off. "Only if we survived the confrontation, which many other Minbari in more powerful vessels, with more combat oriented missions, have failed to do. Locate and report. Those are our top priorities. Nowhere in our orders does it say we should seek glory, or vengeance, or even satisfaction. Everything must be subordinated to that mission. Nothing may be permitted to prevent its successful implementation. That includes impatience, boredom, or even honor. The mission is all. If we had attacked, we might have been successful. Or we might have been killed, and we would have failed our mission. Do note that none of the Minbari in those other ships we mentioned managed to report these humans. Only when follow-on forces discovered their scattered debris did we then determine where the humans had been, which put us that much farther behind them. Now we have a position, and can report it immediately."

The Warrior seemed thoughtful, though not yet convinced. "Could we not have reported and then attacked?"

"The tachyon stream may very well have been detected, which would have substantially reduced our chances of success, and likely would also have driven the humans to change their course, making it harder for our forces to intercept them. As it now stands, we know exactly where they are. There is a rapid reaction force stationed in the Proxima system. Our signal will allow them to rapidly deploy here and finally catch the humans. The other picket ships like ourselves can spread out and encircle the humans to prevent their escape."

"But...haven't they already escaped, Hiai'sa? They left the system, and it will be some time before that force can get here. And where exactly would our picket ships go? What location do they surround? It seems to me that your plan requires us to know where the humans are going."

"But we do know where they are going, Ingati."

"We do?"

"Yes. They are headed for Llort space. Aside from the fact that the Descari Captain was kind enough to tell us, Yolu space is indeed a death trap for the humans. Starkiller was kind enough to tell us that he refuses to turn around. The only other option that would leave for the humans would be to head deeper into Descari space and go to T'Lad'Tha. The only additional options T'Lad'Tha gives them are to head back into Earth Alliance space, or to head for our friends the Vree. Not even Starkiller is crazy enough to make those choices."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

T'Lad'Tha, Descari Space - Exodus Fleet - March, 2249

The fleet spilled into the T'Lad'Tha system, for once using the local jumpgate. Sheridan wanted to take advantage of the Descari approval for movement through their space. Granted, the Descari had been expecting him to use that approval to head out of Descari space and become a problem for the Llort instead, but permission was permission. The faster he could get replenishment underway, the faster he could choose a path and get the fleet moving. He was starting to get that itch again, which meant that trouble was approaching.

He walked off the bridge, leaving Laurel in charge, and headed down to his quarters. Using his personal station to open up a comm channel, he contacted the Eratosthenes and asked for Gideon. He was patched through to Matt within seconds.

"Captain, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have a mission. A confidential one. Can you secure this communication?"

"Just a moment, Captain." In less than a minute he was back, the image background clearly showing that he had moved to another, much smaller room. "What have you got for me, Sir?"

"It's not for you in particular, Matt. You'll need to pick one of your officers. It's about the charts we got from the Abbai. They indicate that there is a covert hyperspace route leading from this system to Orion. One that's not on any of our other charts. One that I didn't know about, and if I didn't know about it, then not many people in the EA could have. We need to see if that route actually exists. It's a test of these Abbai charts. If this route is real, then it adds credence to all of these other hidden paths and systems that are on the rimward end of the map."

"That makes sense, Captain. I was wondering why we headed this way. It only seemed to allow us to turn around and head back coreward into Markab space, pretty much back into the teeth of the Minbari pursuit; or to head into Vree space, which would be nearly as bad."

"Agreed. Assign an officer to commandeer one of the shuttles the Drazi gave us, whichever is likely to be the fastest. Have him or her attempt to travel this path. Confirm the hyperspace conditions. On the other end, see if the Orion colony is still holding out. I know it's a long shot, but if anybody could do it, I'd bet on that Governor Zane. She was a real fighter. Then head back here at best speed. I don't want to be sitting around for too long. At that point we'll decide if we should try sneaking into Orion, or if we should turn around and head for Llort space.

"I'll make it happen, Captain. I know just the officer."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Less than forty-eight hours later, Sheridan was awoken to the insistent chiming of the wall comm unit in his quarters. It was his sleep cycle, which meant this was likely something urgent. Checking the wall chrono, he saw that he had been asleep for less than three hours. Cursing, he activated the comm for audio only. "Go."

It was Takashima. "I'm sorry to wake you, Captain, but you asked to be notified the second the Drazi shuttle Rokai reemerged into normal space. It did so about ninety seconds ago."

"That was fast."

"Yes, Captain. Sir, we were immediately contacted by Lieutenant Sakai. She is demanding to speak with you immediately."

Alarms began to go off in Sheridan's head, but he said only, "Put her through."

His order was acknowledged only by the slight chirp of a new line being patched through. "Captain, Sheridan?" a new voice asked.

"Lieutenant Sakai, was your mission successful?"

"Yes, Captain. The route was tricky to follow, but I managed it. It seems some sort of odd reflectance in hyperspace was sending a portion of the Orion beacon this way. It's weak, and pretty much impossible to notice unless you're actually in it, but it works. I'm not sure if it was the Descari or not, but someone tuned the local beacon to manually replicate the effect. A pretty decent hyperspace route, and nearly impossible to detect unless you knew it was there in the first place."

"And the Orion colonies?"

"No sign of habitation, much less resistance, Captain. I'm sorry. But we have another problem, Sir."

Here it comes. "And that is?"

"Sir, I picked up a group of over three hundred Minbari ships charging hard across the system. They were mostly smaller models, maybe corvettes or frigates. Not Tinashi's, a bit smaller than that. There were also three really big bast...ahh...capital ships. Almost identical to a Sharlin but even bigger. I turned around and got out of there, fast. They probably saw me, but hopefully assumed I was a Drazi trader." She paused, as though collecting her thoughts. "Sir, as I headed back this way, I kept a tight watch on the beacon. Several hours later, the signal strength dropped by forty-two percent, and it stayed down. Captain, there's only one reason that would be the case."

"The Minbari know about this hidden route," Sheridan said it for her. "And they are travelling up it right now."

"Yes, Sir. I estimate that they can be no more than eight hours behind me."

"Good work, Lieutenant. Now get back to your ship. The fleet will be moving out within the next thirty minutes."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Council of Captains was no more, but it was the same old faces which gathered for Captain John Sheridan's emergency staff meeting. Due to the looming time constraints, the meeting was being carried out via comm link. As soon as the last of the Captains had joined, Sheridan launched into the meeting, without regard for niceties. "Alright folks. I want this fleet underway in the next fifteen minutes. That gives us five for this meeting. I will leave time for a few questions, but for now, listen hard.

"We have over three hundred Minbari warships headed this way fast. Expert analysis of the data Lieutenant Sakai returned to us has IDed the greater bulk of these vessels as Esharan class frigates. Much lighter armed than a Tinashi, but they'd still take apart that scout ship we fought without breaking a sweat. There's also a trio of what we are assuming to be Shargoti class battlecruisers. It's an evolution of the Sharlin class. Slightly upgunned; massively uparmored. They will be here in less than eight hours, which means we need to be long gone by then. Given the speed this fleet moves at, that's going to be a challenge.

"That leaves the question of destination. Obviously, Orion is out. I was considering heading for Llort space, as the Descari Captain recommended. However, the presence and current heading of the Minbari most likely means that the Descari sold us out. The Minbari are probably heading for Llort, and there may be other forces there to cut us off. In addition, as Commander Gideon pointed out to me earlier, heading for Markab space turns us coreward again. It would also place us in a noose, with Minbari units coreward, spinward, rimward, and antispinward of us. Once we're in that kind of a box, there's no getting out again. No, so far as I can see, there's really only one answer."

"Please tell me you're not thinking of heading for Vree space," Lochley said in horror. "They're incredibly advanced, and they've sided with the Minbari."

"We have only the Abbai's word on that, and while I see no reason for them to lie, they might also be mistaken. Besides, even if the Vree have sided with the Minbari, we have seen no sign of them hunting for us. Which may very well mean that their space is as loosely patrolled as it has ever been. We may be able to sneak or even fight our way through. And if we get out of here fast enough, the Minbari may not realize where we are headed, and assume that Llort is still the plan. If they pass us by while we are on the route to Vreetan, that certainly opens up some additional options, in case we are forced to retreat from Vree space. If, on the other hand, the Minbari end up chasing us down this hyperspace route, then I have some ideas of how to survive and escape once we get to Vreetan. I won't lie to you. Things don't look good, and our odds aren't great. But I think this plan gives us a better shot than any of the other options. Questions?"

There was a moment's silence, until Commander Sinclair said, "Just give us our marching orders, Captain. We're almost out of time."

"We'll be changing our travel order. The Nova will be on point, heading up the fleet. If we have to break through any Vree blocking forces, it's got the best shot. The Lexington and Midway will assume the trailing slot. You may need to keep the Minbari at bay," he said, making eye contact with both Lochley and Sinclair. "To that end, I want every nuke the fleet is carrying prepped and ready for launch, both fighter and ship borne. The Nova may be out of energy mines, but we've got plenty of other things that go boom. None of those nukes are nearly as powerful as energy mines. Almost all are two megatons or below. But, if we use them liberally, our improved accuracy due to telepathy ought to make up for it. Especially given we will be in hyperspace. Commander Bester has advised me that hyperspace seems to have an enhancement effect on telepathic abilities. We're going to put that to good use."

John paused and met all of their eyes one more time. "That's it. I'll have further orders once we're in transit, but for right now, we need to get moving. Good luck people. Godspeed."