Chapter 4 – A Day Late And A Dollar Short
April 22nd, 2260 07:54
Babylon 5 C&C
Stepping off the lift Commander Susan Ivanova entered Babylon 5's bustling Command and Control. The morning shift change was in full swing. The night crew busy with closing out their work as they handed off their duties to the incoming day shift staff. A light laughter came from some of the communication team as they took their positions. Someone was retelling a joke from the latest Rebo and Zooty show. Conversations floated by about meeting up at Earhart's after the shift was over.
Ivanova strode across the C&C deck, noting attitudes as people settled into their stations. After the chaos of the last few weeks, there was finally a scene of normalcy returning to the crew. She suspected the mood did not run particularly deep. The amount of uncertainty about Babylon 5's newly won independence, the military crackdown back on Earth, hell the state of the whole damn galaxy could be soul crushing if you let it. Under their laughter, worry and concern still lingered.
Coming up to Lieutenant Bedford, the night shift's senior watch officer, she asked, "Anything to report?"
"No, Ma'am," stated Bedford briskly. "Light traffic in and out of the gate. Everything else has been quiet."
"Excellent," said Ivanova. Raising her voice for the benefit of the rest of the crew, she added, "I think we can all do with a little peace and quiet around here. Good job everyone."
Bedford nodded eagerly, as did several other of the C staff members. Everyone wanted to get back into the swing of things. A little bit of encouragement could go a long way. And even if it did not, some superficial happiness was better than nothing.
Satisfied with her little morale boost, Ivanova settled into the routine of overseeing Babylon 5's day schedule. She was only a few minutes into her work when the polite clearing of someone's throat brought her attention from the report on oxygen levels in Grey Sector. Lieutenant David Corwin stood before her.
She took a moment to study him. Even after all they had been through, he still held that rare look of young innocence. She had not been certain where his loyalty had laid before their break away from the Earth Alliance. But he had not abandoned the Captain when Sheridan had declared their independence. That counted a lot in Ivanova's book.
Giving him a courteous nod, she asked, "Can I help you, Lieutenant?"
"Well…" began Corwin. "…I was wondering how exactly we are supposed to coordinate with the…" He stopped and with a gesture to the C 's observation bubble indicated the visible edge of the large fin-like structure of the nearest Minbari warship.
Ivanova breathed out a little sigh. Truth be told, they had not exactly worked out how the Minbari fleet guarding the station operated. They were to defend Babylon 5, but who determined what was a threat or was not. Would they take orders from the C ? If not, did they report to Delenn? Since their last minute save of the station from Clark's forces the Minbari had not been much in the way of communication with the Babylon 5's operations center.
"It's something I plan to talk with Captain Sheridan," said Ivanova. "So far the Minbari have stayed out of the way. But I think it's in everyone's interest we set up a clear set of rules for handling the defense of the station."
Corwin bobbed his head in ready agreement. But a distressed look remained on his young face. "Since we got the last of the Nightwatch off the station it's been almost…peaceful around here."
Ivanova raised an eyebrow. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop, Lieutenant?"
"It feels odd if no one is shooting at us, or taking hostages, or threating to blow up the station," admitted Corwin.
Genuine laughter bubbled up from Ivanova. "David, you could almost be a Russian with that kind of attitude."
Briefly, an embarrassed smile managed its way onto Corwin's face. But it was interrupted by a signaled alert on his console. Dutifully he redirected his attention to the incoming information. From where Susan stood, she could see the sudden tension pass through his body.
Swiftly she asked, "What is it?"
"An unscheduled jump point just opened up." Corwin's eyes scanned over his monitor and his eyes narrowed. "At twenty degrees by eighty-five, twenty thousand kilometers out."
By itself, an unannounced jump into the region around Babylon 5 was not a cause for alarm. With the station an open port of trade and commerce, there was a steady flow of ships coming and going, and not all of it was scheduled. But the coordinates Corwin had read off put the new arrival quite outside normal traffic. The jump point had opened high above in relation to the station and at a distance to put it well outside the station's defensive grid. It was a textbook maneuver if someone wanted to get the lay of the land or probe their defenses.
"Identity of our mystery guest?" asked Ivanova.
Corwin's frown deepened. With a slow shake of his head, he answered, "No transponder signal and sensors are not getting back much from our scans."
Now it Ivanova's turn to frown. "Get me a visual," she ordered.
A few seconds later the monitor closest to her blinked over to an external camera feed. The image was momentarily blurry as the camera zoomed on its target. When the picture cleared, she saw a ship unlike any she had seen before. Her first thought was of a giant quartz crystal. Oblong rectangular spikes protruded at odd angles from each other. The longest of these jutted out into a sharp edge, like a knife blade. It was colored a dark sea blue, a shade darker than the nearby Minbari ships. Other colors edged many of the protrusions. Hues of greens and purples were prevalent, except one thin long spike was colored like a ruby.
"It's…beautiful," said Corwin as he studied the image on the screen.
It was, thought Susan. But there was something about this strange object that made her uneasy. As she examined closer, she saw the array of crystalline structures was not random. There was a symmetry to the structure. The biggest crystal, the sharp edged one, was at the very center. All the other spires grew outward from its tail end. It was not some creation of nature, there was order and intention behind its design. And apparently it had opened its own jump point. Bizarre as it was, this thing was a spaceship.
"Do we have anything in the data banks?" question Ivanova.
"No, ma'am," replied Corwin after a few seconds. "Nothing matching it."
"We've got motion," said one of the nearby techs. "It's approaching the station, but slowly. Less than three kilometers a second."
Corwin was reviewing sensor logs. Without looking up, he said, "This may be a first contact situation." He stopped his review of the data and asked pointedly, "Do we follow communication protocols?"
Ever since the disastrous first contact with the Minbari, Earthforce had set extremely strict rules when communicating with a new alien race. But they were not exactly Earthforce anymore. Still, with all the complexities and difficulties that came along with such an encounter it was not wise to throw the book away.
"Do it," she ordered. "Open with the universal welcome greetings." Ivanova then initiated a com link with an irritated tap of her finger. Here she thought her day was going to be an easy one.
"Captain Sheridan to the C&C. We've got a situation."
The Captain's voice echoed back a few seconds later. "This is Sheridan, what's up?"
"An unknown vessel just jumped into the neighborhood. No record of anything like it. It's heading toward us, but not in a big hurry."
"Any communication from the bogie?"
Ivanova glanced at Corwin, who silently shook his head. "Nothing, sir. No response to our hails. And our sensors aren't getting much. We can't tell if the ship is crewed, unmanned, or even if it's got any weapons."
"On my way," replied Sheridan. "See if you can get a hold of Fleet Captain Lennan. The Minbari ships may be able to see something we can't." The captain paused for a second and added, "Hell, they may know who our new guests are."
Sheridan cut the link. Ivanova was about to request an open channel to the Lennan's capital ship with the com specialist when the woman beat her to the punch. "Commander," she said in apparent confusion, "The Minbari say their sensors aren't penetrating the ship. They're asking us if we recognize it."
Even the Minbari with their superior technology were coming up short. Whoever or whatever was on that ship, considered Susan, apparently did not want anyone knowing what they could do. However, there was one ship in the area whose instruments would be even better than the Minbari warships. Inwardly she sighed, she really did not want to talk to him right now. But circumstances demanded it.
Putting a call through, she kept the channel to her workstation. Marcus Cole's smiling face appeared a moment later.
"Susan, so nice of you to call," he said gamely from the bridge of the Whitestar.
"Marcus…" she began with an edge to her voice.
The Ranger held his hands in a friendly show of pleading. "I know, I know. Just got off from speaking with the good Captain Lennan. The Whitestar is closing on the vessel. I'm your eager beaver to find out about our newest arrival."
"Eager Beaver?" she asked with a roll of her eyes.
Before Marcus could make his reply, Corwin called out, "Commander, the unknown ship has increased speed. Up to twenty-five miles a second. They're now on a direct intercept course with us."
Ivanova felt her jaw tighten in growing tension. This was becoming more worrying by the second. She considered her options and then turned to Ensign Thompson, standing office for the Babylon 5's Strategic Forces. "Scramble Alpha Squadron. I want some firepower ready to go if we need it."
The man nodded curtly and began preparing the Starfury unit for launch. Focusing back to her console she studied the routine traffic of freighters and passenger ships near the station. They would need to get out of the way. She was running through course corrections when Marcus's voice filtered across the ComLink.
"Susan."
"Just a second," she answered impatiently.
"Susan!"
An unmistakable urgency and authority filled the ranger's voice. Ivanova refocused on the video link to the Whitestar. All Marcus's earlier humor had vanished.
"The Whitestar's scanners are able to penetrate that ship's hull," stated Marcus grimly. "They've got a targeting lock on all three Minbari ships. And their energy output just jumped. A lot. They're powering up something very mean looking."
Ivanova's eyes tracked back to the mysterious - and increasingly hostile - alien ship. She saw it right away. The single red crystal spire, the long and thin one jutting from just below the main crystalline body, was beginning to glow.
April 22nd, 2260 08:02
Bridge of the EAS Valiant
"Weapon system locked on," reported Ensign Mashibe. His voice tight with stress as he operated the Valiant's weapons system. "Power cores on all three Minbari vessels are targeted."
"Professor," queried General Robert Taggart, "How soon to the primary gun is fully charged?"
Hunched over his console, Professor William Stone's reproachful response came after a few long moments. "Ninety seconds to full charge. We can be at an optimum level in just over a minute." There was a pause, and he added, "Or we could simply power it down and not act like complete idiots."
"Noted," replied Taggart evenly, remarkably calm at Stone's insubordination.
On the wide dome of the Valiant's view screen, Taggart could see the blue and gray structure of Babylon 5 rapidly growing as they approached. Arrayed around the station in a rough triangle formation were three Minbari war cruisers. There was an incredible grace to the alien ships. They did not look so much like something that was built but grown. It had been a long time since he had last seen one in person.
His hand holding his cane ached. Taggart realized he was squeezing the ornate handle far too tightly. He forced his clenched muscles to relax. When they had jumped back into real space, just on the very fringe of the Lagrange point where Babylon 5 orbited above Epsilon III, Taggart had thought they were prepared for anything. From the optimistic, where the station was free and open, and Hague's allies were assembled to greet them. To the pessimistic, with Clark's forces in control and Babylon 5 was in ruins. What he had not expected to find was the Minbari.
"Mr. Mashibe, what do have on that fourth ship? Is it Minbari also?"
Taggart watched as the smaller craft approached. It did not look like anything he had seen before. Fast and maneuverable, it had closed on the Valiant while the three larger Minbari ships stayed back. With its swept-back curves, it reminded him of a bird in flight. The design made the ship look fragile, yet Taggart suspected it was far from it.
"Matches no known configuration," answered Mashibe after a few seconds. Uncertainty quickly followed as he continued to study the collection of data coming from the Valiant's sensors. "The hull of that ship doesn't look like anything I've ever seen."
"Target it as well," commanded Taggart. Best to not take any chances.
Beyond the constant sound of the Valiant's crew and the usual hum of the ship itself a rising noise had been gradually building. Now it reached a higher octave and began to pulse in a heightened rhythm. The air had become electric, and Taggart was positive he caught a whiff of ozone in the air. Others on the bridge could feel it as well. The Valiant was ready to fire.
Over the rising noise, he heard Mashibe swear, "Damn it!"
"What's the problem?" demanded Taggart.
"It's that smaller ship," replied Mashibe with a confounded scowl. "I can't target it."
Taggart crossed the bridge to the Ensign's position, leaning on his cane as he went. "Are they jamming us?"
"I…don't think…so," said Mashibe slowly as he struggled to articulate the problem. "It's not that I can't get a lock. It's that every time I do the targeting information gets erased."
"Erased? By who? Are you sure you're doing it right?"
"Yes, sir! I'm sure I've entered the correct coordinates. But every time I do, the data is gone in seconds." He stopped and then stammered out the rest. "It's like the…err…Valiant doesn't…want to!"
The ominous rumble of the ship's primary gun was the only sound to be heard as everyone on the bridge turned to stare at Mashibe. The Ensign's dark skin hid any sign of embarrassment, but his eyes were downcast, riveted to his console. Taggart watched as the man correctly entered the vector and velocity of the unknown ship. And just like Mashibe claimed, seconds later the information vanished from his screen.
Leaning heavily on his cane, Taggart felt his bad leg throb in pain. A sigh, which came out much more like a hiss, escaped him. This always happened when his anger started getting the better of him. The old war wound acting up.
"Professor Stone," said Taggart, trying to keep the weariness out of his voice. "Would you come here."
The thickset man joined him at Mashibe's post. The professor watched as the Ensign once again targeted the small ship. And just like before, the tracking data disappeared. Finally giving up, Mashibe gave both his commander and the Valiant's defacto Science Officer a helpless shrug.
"Thoughts?" queried Taggart.
Stone's face had remained impassive as he observed. Then he rubbed his chin with his thumb, an action Taggart had come to associate with the man being deep in thought. "I don't know," he said eventually. "It could be any number of things. A software bug in the console, a flaw in the data converters, or something in the ship's distributed processors."
"You mean there's a chance the Valiant doesn't want to target that alien ship? It had no problem with the Minbari."
"There are exabytes of data in Valiant's computer systems that we've yet to decode. The ship has subsystems I still have no clue what they do. So yes, it's entirely possible," and the professor pointed at the purple and silver mottled alien ship displayed on the domed screen, "the Valiant recognizes that vessel and identifies it as a friend."
Another irritated sigh escaped Taggart as he mulled over the professor's explanation. Stone leaned in close and asked in whispered, "Robert, what are we doing? What are you hoping to accomplish by firing on those ships?"
"I did not say we're firing on anything," snapped back Taggart in an angry hiss. "I ordered the Valiant's primary weapon online and to target three ships of a known enemy."
"The Minbari are not…" began Stone and then stopped as Taggart's face flushed with a barely controlled rage. "I understand how you feel about them," he amended quickly. "But we don't know what's going on here. We should try talking before we point a gun."
"I am being prudent in an unknown and possibly hostile engagement. We have to be prepared to meet force with force." Taggart's voice rose as he spoke, losing what little patience he had left. "Until I'm satisfied we're not in danger, I will keep this ship at a combat status. And I would appreciate it if you would leave the military tactics to me!"
"Fine," replied Stone flatly as he stepped away from Taggart. "I'll keep out of your war mongering. But do allow me to remind you, the work Connor and I have done can get you one, maybe two, shots from the Valiant's quantum cannon. But we'll blow out half the power relays on the ship. Then we'll be dead in the water and open to counterattack from that fourth ship."
Taggart agitatedly thumped his cane against the ridged chrome floor of the bridge and stomped away. Throughout his career, he had dealt with a number of scientifically brilliant individuals who were also extremely difficult to work with. William Stone was the biggest pain in the ass he had ever meet. It also annoyed him to no end that Stone was right. They did not know enough about what was happening here.
Crossing over to the communication station, Taggart planned to take the opportunity to sit down next to Lieutenant Jessica Monroe. Taking some of the weight off his aching leg. At his approach, she glanced up and gave him an irritated scowl. Acting as the Valiant's communication tech was a little outside Jessica's usual duties as a security officer. She was managing as best she could.
"All Babylon 5 keeps sending me is a bunch of gibberish. What the hell are they playing at?"
Over her shoulder, Taggart studied the steady stream of scrolling text coming from the station. It was a series of numeric symbols followed by simple pictograms. It took him a moment to realize what he was looking at. Shaking his head, he let out a laugh. "They're sending us a universal greeting code. They think we're some unknown alien race."
"But we're not..." and then Monroe stopped herself. "Of course," she went on with a sigh. "We certainly don't look the part of a typical Earth Alliance ship."
"True," replied Taggart as he sat down. "I think it's about time we cleared up some of the confusion around here."
April 22nd, 2260 08:05
Babylon 5 C&C
"The Whitestar's sensors are picking up tachyon beams emitted from the alien ship. One pointed at each Minbari cruiser," said Marcus as he explained the mystery craft's ability to target the Minbari ships without their knowledge.
"They're not attempting a tight beam communication link?" asked Ivanova.
The Ranger shook his head. "Even the Whitestar instruments had work to detect these beams. There at such a high frequency no communication gear could ever receive a message. The tachyons are being used almost exactly like a laser targeting system."
Corwin, who was listening to their conversation, spoke up. "Since the tachyons move faster than the speed of light, any optical sensors will miss the beam. That's clever, but it would also mean a lot of energy has to go into powering their targeting system."
Watching the approaching alien ship, Ivanova saw bolts of energy were now arching around the single red spire. "I think," she said, "they've got plenty of power." Then to Marcus, she asked, "But they're not targeting you or the station?"
"No, nothing," replied Marcus. "That's what doesn't make any sense. If you're going to attack, why aim at only half your enemies?"
Ivanova had no immediate answer. She instead had to turn her attention away from her Comlink with Marcus when Captain Sheridan stepped out of the lift. "Status?" he requested as he quickly covered the distance to her post.
"The alien ship is still on approach, moving now at thirty klicks a second. They've targeted the three Minbari cruisers with an enhanced tachyon beam." Indicating the glowing red spire on the incoming vessel on her workstation screen. "And they've charged up some type of weapon."
Sheridan rapidly took in the tactical situation. His eyes scanning over different monitors and readouts. He finally focused on the rectangular video window of her Comlink to the Whitestar. "Marcus, how soon will you be in weapons range of that ship?"
"Less than a minute," answered Marcus.
"Captain," said one of the Com Techs. "Fleet Captain Lennan is demanding to speak with you. We want to know if his forces are to engage the alien ship."
Marcus, with his expression still grim, added, "Lennan can't be happy about his ships being targeted. Do we engage?"
"They haven't fired yet," replied Sheridan with a firm shake of his head. "We're not starting anything until we understand what they want."
With a startled cry, Corwin suddenly exclaimed, "I don't believe it!"
Startled by his outburst, Sheridan twisted to face the young lieutenant. "Mr. Corwin?"
Ivanova thought the man's eyes were so large they were about ready to burst out of their sockets. "I'm now getting an Earthforce transponder code off that ship."
"What!?" demanded Sheridan.
"Confirmed," said an equally surprised Ivanova as she studied the latest information. "IFF signal checks out as an Earthforce designation. Identity – EAS Valiant."
Following on the heels of her revelation came another as the Comm Techs spoke up. "We're getting a broadcast from the…umm…Valiant."
Sheridan and Ivanova traded looks. The Captain shook his head in slow disbelief. "I've got to hear this. On screen."
One of the larger monitors on the wall directly across from Ivanova changed from displaying the station's combat status to show the incoming communication. The video blink black for a second and then resolved into revealing a silver-haired man in an Earthforce uniform. Out of habit, Ivanova's eyes went to the insignia on his shoulder denoting his rank. A General. Not one she readily recognized, but there was something familiar about him.
The unknown General began speaking. "This is General Robert Taggart of the EAS Valiant. To the nonhuman ships surrounding Babylon 5, stand down immediately or be destroyed. To Babylon 5 C&C, if any of your command staff are still alive, I need to speak with them at once. We can assist in your defense."
Ivanova blinked in confusion. This General Taggart was threatening the Minbari but in the same breath was offering protection to the station. Did he think Babylon 5 was under attack?
The Captain appeared to have the same thought when he replied, "General Taggart, this is Captain John Sheridan of Babylon 5. Please be advised the Minbari are currently defending this station on our behalf."
Taggart's steely-eyed expression did not change, but his response was colder than the vacuum of space. "Is that a fact?"
"Yes, it is," declared Sheridan. "I would appreciate it if you did not target their ships."
A mild surprise came to Taggart's face at Sheridan's mentioning the Valiant's weapons lock. He looked off screen for a moment and then refocused. "That fourth ship, the small one. That Minbari as well?"
Ivanova noticed Taggart stressed the word Minbari as if he had just been stabbed. A memory flickered in the back of her mind. She knew this Robert Taggart from somewhere.
"It is. But there are humans on board."
"Well then, Sheridan," said General Taggart with a note of contempt. "Call off your Minbari dogs, and we'll stand down our weapons."
There were more than a few uncomfortable glances in the C&C at Taggart's slur. The Captain's voice tightened as he responded. "With all due respect…General, what are your intentions here? We sent the last group of Earthforce ships packing when they showed up to take control of the station."
On his side of the video link, Taggart leaned in close to the camera. His face took up a sizable portion of the screen. His contempt was replaced with a stern warning. "Do not confuse me with one of Clark's cronies. My crew and I have risked everything to get the Valiant away from our criminal President. My only intentions are to overthrow that son-of-a-bitch."
Striking a conciliatory tone, Sheridan attempted to defuse the rising tension. "I see. Well, General Taggart, Babylon 5 is still an open port. You and your people would be welcome if there are no hostilities towards…anyone." The Captain stressed the last word but kept his tone mild as he continued, "Your vessel, General… the Valiant? Interesting ship you have there. You're coming in a bit fast. I believe C&C can give you proper flight path."
General Taggart almost smiled. "Very cordial of you, Captain Sheridan." He leaned back in his chair. As he folded his hands, he asked, "Does General Hague know about your arrangements with the Minbari?"
There was a potent pause, and Sheridan finally said, "General Hague is dead. He was killed in action against the Clarkstown."
Taggart's unfriendly expression broke. Genuine shock pulled on his features. He slumped in his chair. "Damn," he said in a near whisper. After a few moments, Taggart looked up and addressed the Captain. "Sheridan, you and I need to talk…privately." Then the screen faded out as the Valiant cut the transmission.
Sheridan remained standing still, staring at the black view screen. He gave a faint shake of his head and muttered, "Great…Just Great."
Ivanova had watched their terse exchange all the while trying to remember where she had seen General Taggart before. Finally, she dredged up the memory. It was from years ago when she had just transferred to Io Station. She and some of her colleges had been at the local Earthforce bar. An ISN news story had been playing on one of the monitors in the background. Ivanova had not really paid attention until one of the men in their group had turned from the video broadcast and said in disgust, "God what a drunk. He's a disgrace to the uniform."
She had looked and saw an older man in a rumbled full military dress uniform, red-faced, and shouting on the screen. But with the sound turned down she could not tell what he was screaming about. "Ah, give him a break," said someone else. "All he's saying is we shouldn't trust the bonies."
When she asked who he was, she was told - "Why that's General Robert Taggart." And a mocking title soon followed, "Hero of Flinn Colony."