Chapter 5 – What's Past is Prologue

April 22nd, 2260 11:35

Babylon 5 Docking Bay 18

"At least their codes check out."

Michael Garibaldi said this while he, Captain John Sheridan, and Commander Susan Ivanova waited for the Valiant's only shuttle to arrive. After the tense arrival of General Taggart's bizarre warship, there had been only further strained communications between Sheridan and the General. Taggart wanted Sheridan to come aboard the Valiant. The Captain had politely declined and invited Taggart and his crew to shore leave on Babylon 5. The General promptly replied he and his crew did not have time to waste on Sheridan's pointless space station. Their dispute had not been helped by Taggart bluntly telling the Minbari cruiser Takari to get the hell out of the Valiant's way when Sheridan finally convinced the General to meet him here.

To say the morning had been stressful for the Captain was a massive understatement. Garibaldi could see it in the man's posture and the tight set of his jaw.

Ivanova shook her head. "That's not saying much. Hague's rebellion has more or less collapsed. Who know how many of his people have been captured and interrogated for information. Those codes aren't proof Taggart was working with General Hague."

Garibaldi made a casual shrug. "Not saying it is. I'm more than paranoid enough to see this as a potential trap. Clark can't hit us directly, so he sends in supposed allies to stab us in the back. And I would have run with that idea if it wasn't for that ship of his."

"So do believe the General's story about finding the derelict alien ship and spending the last three years repairing and retrofitting it to become the Valiant?" asked Ivanova. Skepticism clearly clouded her face.

"I don't know. It's not impossible. We all know EarthGov has been after any alien tech to give them an advantage. But that's not my point. If you're going to run a con like this, you keep it simple. You would use a regular Earthforce ship. Maybe make it look like it had been shot up while running from unfriendly forces. What you wouldn't do is throw in something that looks like a giant blue snowflake. That just raises questions about your story."

"True," conceded Ivanova. "But I do not see Robert Taggart as one to take up the fight against Clark's regime. If anything, I'd think he'd be right in line with Clark's Earth First policy."

"Meh," replied Garibaldi with a frown. "Taggart was never one to fit anyone's particular ideology. He disdained anything political."

Sheridan, who had been sullenly quiet while his two trusted subordinates debated, finally spoke up. "Taggart is the wild card in all this. Even if he was working with General Hague, it doesn't mean he's going to be on our side. He could be just as big of a threat as Clark."

The loud hum of incoming transport platforms lowering from the station's central axis began to grow, signaling the arrival of the Valiant's shuttle. A strong vibration was felt through the deck plates as the platform, with the attached shuttle settled into the docking bay. Unlike the strange structure of the Valiant, the shuttle was a standard Kestrel Class design.

As the docking bay came alive as clamps were retracted the shuttle and seals were put into place, Sheridan turned to Garibaldi. "Michael, I'm going to need to confirm the General's story about the Valiant. I need to know if he's being straight with us."

Garibaldi felt his eyebrows raise. "Confirm a top-secret research project? That would be a helluva tall order when we were in Earthforce. Now it's going to be damn near impossible."

"I know," said John with a rueful smile. "But I'm not expecting the blueprints to the Valiant. Just something that gives me proof of Taggart's story."

"Sure, no problem," replied Garibaldi wryly. "I'll do that. While I'm at it, is there anything else you want me to find? Lock Ness Monster? Montezuma's gold?"

Both Sheridan and Ivanova gave him a reproachful look at his glib questions, but any further comments were cut off as a recurring sound began echoing around the docking bay.

Tap. Tap.

It was soon followed by new voices. A man's and woman's. Two figures were coming around from the far side of the shuttle. Both were dressed in Earthforce uniforms. The man was tall, with mostly gray hair. He leaned on a cane, the source of the rhythmical tapping. This must be the General's infamous war-wound thought, Garibaldi. He moved slower than the woman. She was a good deal younger, with blondish hair cut noticeably short.

As they drew closer, their conversation began to resolve. "Yes, yes," said the General. "It's all very impressive. I've never doubted the technical aspects of this place, just its purpose."

The woman looked like she was going to say more, but then she caught sight of Commander Ivanova. Surprise lit up her face. "Susan? Susan Ivanova?"

"Jessica Monroe?" said an equally startled Ivanova. "It's been…a while."

"Haven't seen you since we were hunting those pirates in the Orion system." Monroe cocked her head to one side, and asked with a vicious grin, "Did you ever catch those bastards?"

"We did, it took a while. Found the pirates were using a small asteroid as their base of operations," answered Ivanova. Seeing she had suddenly become the center of attention for everyone at this impromptu reunion, Susan clarified, "Jessica and I were stationed together on Orion VI several years back. We piloted Starfuries hunting after pirates and smugglers."

"The fighting 66th," supplied Jessica.

"It's a small universe," said Robert Taggart evenly as he came to a stop beside Monroe. He eyed his companion wordlessly, and she immediately straightened.

"Sorry, sir. Just was surprised at seeing a friendly face."

"Indeed," nodded the General. He too straightened, and he and Monroe saluted the three Babylon 5 officers. There was just the slightest of pauses, and then Sheridan, followed by Ivanova and Garibaldi returned the salute.

Lowering his hand, Taggart requested, "Captain Sheridan, permission to come aboard."

"Granted," offered the Captain. With a slight nod of his head, Sheridan introduced Ivanova as his second in command and Garibaldi as the station's security chief. Then giving a quick glance around the docking bay and seeing there was no one else departing the shuttle, Sheridan added, "This is all of your crew?"

"Lieutenant Monroe is my acting XO. For right now it's just the two of us. I'd like to get a few things settled between you and me, Sheridan. After that, we'll see about getting more of the Valiant's crew come over."

Garibaldi made a not-so-subtle glance between Ivanova and himself, but Sheridan took it in stride. "Of course," he said gamely as he gestured towards the docking bay exit. "We can talk at length in my office." Sheridan hesitated and then added, "If that's alright with you, sir?"

"Well, it's your home turf, and we're the party crashers," replied Taggart with a half-smile. "I leave it to your discretion, Captain."

They moved at a slow pace, to allow the General to keep up. Crossing out of the docking bay and making their way into the loading docks the small procession proceeded in an awkward silence that was only broken up by the sound of the tip of the Taggart's cane on the deck. Garibaldi could feel the uncertainty from both sides still hung heavy in the air.

It was Sheridan who broke the tension, although to Garibaldi it was done rather oddly. The Captain was stridently staring at Taggart's cane. The General caught Sheridan's scrutiny with his walking stick. He cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Have a problem with my cane?"

"Umm…no," said Sheridan with a touch embarrassment. "Just thinking I had seen one like it before, not that long ago."

"Really?" said Taggart in surprise. He looked down at the curved handle on top of the wooden staff. "They aren't too common. Most people would just get an artificial replacement for their leg. My condition prevents that. There were other options, but I felt like being a little…old fashion. Who had one?"

Shaking his head, the Captain replied, "You really wouldn't believe me."

Taggart frowned at John's odd answer. But Garibaldi could see the ice had begun to crack. Looking around at the interior of the station, the General remarked, "Babylon 5 looks in good order, Captain. It didn't suffer too much damage when expelling Clark's forces?"

"We took some hits, had to beat back a breaching pod full of marines, and lost some Starfuries. But we're managing. The Alexander took damage but were able to make repairs." Sheridan's voice lowered in sorrow, "The Churchill wasn't so lucky."

Taggart let out an irritated sigh. "We should have been here. We could have helped. The Valiant could have made a real difference." Garibaldi could hear genuine regret in the General's words.

"Your ship, it's got a gravimetric drive, doesn't it?" questioned Ivanova.

"It does," confirmed Monroe. "Susan, it's amazing. We can move at such speeds, but it feels like you're standing still."

Ivanova hesitated and then said, "I've…umm…experienced it on the Whitestar."

Taggart and Monroe traded a look but did not comment. The General moved on. "Most of the reasons we've been sidelined we were getting the drive operational. For the last month, my crew has been working around the clock to get the Valiant running. Unfortunately, Clark moved faster than any of us were ready."

They made their way into the station's central Immigration and Passenger lounge. Here the continual flow of visitors, both Human and alien, were arriving and departing. For those unaccustomed to seeing such sights, it was an eye-opening experience. Garibaldi cracked a small smile as he saw their guests' eyes widen in surprise.

"Wow," said Monroe as took in a row Brakiri businessmen waiting to be processed for entry into the station, while a Gaim drone in its environment suit scuttled pass them.

"It does take a little bit to get used to," said Ivanova.

Taggart focused on the security personnel. A mix of both Human and Narns. He turned to Garibaldi and Sheridan. "Interesting security staff you're employing," he said as he eyed one of the Narns dressed in a Babylon 5 security uniform.

"We had to," explained Sheridan. "We had substantial infiltration of Nightwatch into our security personnel."

"Ah," said Taggart in understanding. "Interesting solution you put together. How is it working out?"

Garibaldi was about to say that the inclusion of the Narns had gone well. Surprisingly being able to process even the Centauri through without incident. But then he caught sight of three Narns off to one side who were clearly in the middle of some sort of dice game. Taggart saw this as well and stood silently, waiting to see how he would react.

"It's a work in progress," grumbled Garibaldi. "If you'll excuse me."

Taking his leave of the Captain and the General. Garibaldi marched over to the three Narns playing their game. They were huddled around each other and so engrossed with their sport, they did not notice him until he was right behind them.

Throwing all the authority he could into words, Garibaldi shot them out like bullets from a gun. "What. Are. You. Three. Doing?"

They all flinched under his tirade. As he took a closer look, he saw the security uniforms were too big and baggy for these Narns. With a start of surprise, he realized with they were all young. Probably the equivalent of Human teenagers. G'Kar had screened all the Narn recruits himself. Garibaldi did not think it was likely he had selected these 'kids' for security officers.

"Where did you get those uniforms?"

The Narn who looked to be oldest of the three, glanced at the others and then said, "We found…them?"

With growing amusement, Garibaldi shook his head. "Sure you did."

"We…just wanted to help…like G'Kar said too," stated one of the other Narns.

"Right... And shake down some of the people coming through here," said Garibaldi as he ran his finger around in a circle to indicate the constant flow of visitors.

The third Narn turned on the others. "Na,Treth you said we could do that if we didn't take too much," he said reproachfully to the oldest.

"Com'on," sighed Garibaldi as he led the three security impostures out of the area. By the time he had gotten them out of the uniforms, contacted G'Kar, and waited for the very unhappy senior Narn to come to collect the wayward youths, Taggart and the others were long gone.

It was just as well. Garibaldi had a mission to confirm Taggart's story. Trying to question the General was not going to get him anywhere. His interruption by the young Narns was a convenient way for him to break away and start tracking down some clues. He was on his way back to his office, pondering on how he would handle the latest impossible task when the gentle voice of Ambassador Delenn came from behind him.

"Mr. Garibaldi, do you have a moment?"

Turning around, Garibaldi found Delenn with her aide Lennier coming down the station corridor. The ambassador was in her usual purple and maroon robes. They swished around her as she closed the distance. He could see she still moved with a hint of stiffness from the knife wound she received from the Nightwatch terrorist. And Lennier, as always, was dutifully following right behind her.

"Umm…yes," he answered. "What can I help you with Ambassador?"

Delenn paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I was hoping to talk to the Captain about this General Taggart. His arrival has been most…disruptive."

"Uh, yeah, that's an understatement," agreed Garibaldi. "But Sheridan is talking with Taggart right now. Trying to smooth things out."

"So I understand," said Delenn. "I have been speaking with Fleet Captain Lennan. He is not happy with Taggart's ship or the General's behavior."

Lennier now spoke up. "Apparently this General Taggart is familiar with Minbari curses. He used them quite liberally when addressing Lennan."

Garibaldi lightly groaned. Evidently, the General had been in communication with the Minbari Fleet just as much as he had with Sheridan. But he was not surprised, Taggart would not pass up the opportunity to needle the Minbari. He could understand Lennan frustration. The Minbari Captain's fleet had come just in time to save Babylon 5 from Clark's forces. And for his troubles, he been kidnapped by Nightwatch, had his aide killed by the same terrorists, and now had his ships threatened by an Earthforce General with a serious chip on his shoulder.

Delenn nodded at Lennier's comment. "As you can imagine, this situation is very tense. Lennan is committed to the station defense. But Taggart claims he is your ally. That he and his people are part of your resistant movement. I don't want to complicate or rebuff your people who seek refuge from your President's forces. But we cannot allow our own citizens to be threatened."

It would not be an average day on Babylon 5 if there was not some type of diplomatic headache threatening to blow up into outright disaster, reflected Garibaldi. Not that he had much personal experience in playing peacemaker. Striking as much of a conciliatory tone as he could manage, he said, "Well…that's what I'm working on. Trying to confirm Taggart's claims and make sure he's on the up and up. And…hopefully once the Captain can explain how you saved our bacon, the General will be more accommodating."

Delenn still looked troubled, but it was Lennier who frowned and asked, "Saved…our…bacon?"

"Sorry, um, it's a turn of a phrase. Means saved our lives."

Moving past his flub with the idiom, Delenn said, "I would like to know more about the General. Who is he? I have not heard of him before. He obviously is unhappy with our ships' presence."

A sigh worked its way out of Garibaldi. She would have to ask that question. "Perhaps it would be better if you talked to the Captain about it," he deflected.

Delenn shook her head firmly. She was not going to give up on this. Eyeing him carefully, she said, "I will speak with John. But you do know Taggart, don't you? If he carries animosity towards us from the war, I need to know."

"He does," replied Garibaldi quietly. "In fact, I doubt you'd find any Human alive or dead that didn't harbor as much outright resentment as Robert Taggart does to the Minbari."

"Why? What happened to him?"

Still trying to tiptoe diplomatically, Garibaldi offered a weak objection. "It's not…good."

"Please," said Delenn. "I…know it's not pleasant to talk about our war. But if I understand his issues, perhaps I can address them."

Garibaldi did not see that as a likely outcome. But if Delenn really wanted to know, he could at least tell her what he knew. He nodded his assent and they began slowly walking again, back to his office. This was going to take a while. "This would be best if we talked in private."

Delenn fell into step beside him, and Lennier shadowed her as well. In short order, they were inside his office in security section of the station. The two Minbari took seats across from his desk, and once Garibaldi was settled, he began.

"Back during the war, Taggart was a Colonel. He was part of the EarthForce Engineering and Maintenance Division. Mostly tied to warship development and construction. But he had a bit of a reputation as a maverick troubleshooter. Have an engineering problem you couldn't solve? Drop Taggart and his people into the mix, and he'll get results."

"He does not sound like a soldier," put in Lennier. "More like a worker."

"Well…EarthForce doesn't operate on such strict lines like your caste system," explained Garibaldi. "There can be some overlap between military and civic projects. And Taggart was not someone who would stay put behind a desk. He was hands on and willing to put himself in harm's way to get the job done."

"As the war escalated, Earthforce was increasing desperate to find anything to slow your Warrior Caste's advance. And they found an opportunity at Flinn Colony. The planet's magnetosphere was one of the strongest we'd ever found on a habitable planet. Played absolute havoc on most electronic equipment. The colony was filled with a lot of 'back to the basics' types. You know, people who eschewed modern technology. Perfect fit when most of that technology didn't work."

"But with the intense magnetic field protecting the planet, Earthforce figured they had a unique way to strike back. Ground-based weapons could hit your ships, and they would not be able to readily return fire without getting their circuits scrambled. But how to do it? How do you build a weapon system when only the most shielded equipment could operate? Well…You send in Colonel Robert Taggart and the best engineers you've got with a company of Marines to protect them."

"I don't know much about what Taggart built," admitted Garibaldi. "But apparently it worked because your Warrior Caste certainly dropped in a lot of soldiers to stop him."

"That planet was the site of some very intense hand-to-hand combat," said Lennier quietly.

"It was a meat grinder. A lot of good people died there," replied Garibaldi. Trying, and failing, to keep some of the ire out of his voice. He had friends who had been assigned to the marine company protecting the colony. None of them had come back.

Delenn and Lennier traded pained looks. Garibaldi sighed. He was not angry with either Minbari. The war was over. But Delenn had wanted to go down this dark path. Pulling painful memories into the light was unavoidable.

"Anyway," he said, trying to get back on track. "The colony settlement was overrun. The Marine commander killed. Our forces were thrown into disarray. Taggart, by all rights, should have evacuated off the planet. He and his people weren't trained for ground combat."

"But he stayed," said Delenn.

Garibaldi nodded. "Yes, he did. Taggart might not have been trained for battle, but he sure learned. He was able to rally the surviving marines and colonists. From what I understand the planet was mostly mountains and rough terrain. He took his forces and pulled them into the worst parts. Made your people chase him all over the place. Ran a lot hit and run stuff. Kept your warrior caste off balance. Forced a lot of up close and in your face fights. He might have lost nearly every engagement, but he made sure he bloodied you each time. And his forces held out for nearly five months. Towards the end contact got sketchy, but from what little got out sounded like Taggart was fighting through a literal hell."

Now Garibaldi came to what was a bit of a mystery. There had always been plenty of rumors surrounding Taggart's final days on Flinn Colony. None of it had ever been confirmed. The upper brass had always maintained they had been able to push through the Minbari's defensive line long enough to extract the man before everyone was killed. But there were those who claimed Earth's military had not broken through to save anyone. They had come for something else. That the Minbari warriors, tired of the endless fighting on the surface, had employed some type of new weapon to destroy the remaining Humans. And Earthforce had wanted that weapon.

But whatever had happened, Taggart had been returned to the safety of Earth just as the last of the colony fell. The Minbari, as they had done throughout the war, left no survivors. And Taggart himself was barely alive. He had been severely wounded in the final battle and in incredible pain. Clinging to life by only the thinnest of threads.

As Garibaldi revealed what he knew of the end days of Taggart's fight at Flinn Colony, he saw Delenn's eyes widened in horror, and she went ashen as he described the man's crippling injuries.

"In Valen's Name…" she whispered and then her words trailed off in her own language.

Both Garibaldi and Lennier stared at Delenn. She let out a shaky sigh and then the Minbari ambassador took a moment to regain her poise.

"As I said," noted Garibaldi. "Taggart's past is not the best topic to bring up."

Delenn nodded sadly. "Yes, I see that now."

There was a time when Garibaldi considered Ambassador Delenn to have the perfect poker face. Never betraying any emotion she did not want to show. The ever stoic Minbari. But since her metamorphism her mask would slip from time to time. Like it did now. He had to wonder if Delenn's reaction might grant some truth to the rumors of some unknown Minbari weapon. She was indeed disturbed by what he had revealed about the General. But was it purely out of sympathy or for something else?

Shaking off his suspicions, Garibaldi continued, "Once Taggart was back on Earth, he went through several surgeries. Saving his life but leaving him crippled. He saw Delenn's head bow, her shoulders dropping. It was clear she was deeply affected by the story. Lennier was by her side, offering a steadying hand. But she gently brushed his offer aside, and without looking up, she asked softly, "Is there more?"

"Unfortunately," replied Garibaldi. Pulling in and then letting out a deep breath, he went on. ""So, as I was saying, the colony fell, and Taggart was the only survivor. Then Earthforce tried to build him up. Like what they did with John. They promoted him and showed him off as the hero. But nobody was buying it. You couldn't even claim Flinn Colony was some type of pyrrhic victory. The war went on, and our losses climbed. Plus, some claimed Taggart was a coward for running away as the colony fell. Most people felt that was unfair as he hadn't any choice in the matter. But those accusations still tarnished him."

Lennier appeared as if he was ready with a question, but Garibaldi held up a hand. There was still one more unpleasant detail to get out in the open. He said, "Taggart had a son. Like his father, he was in Earthforce. And he was at the Battle of the Line."

There was not really anything else he needed to say. Garibaldi could only guess at how much rage a man would have after living through the horrors of Flinn Colony, of being maimed and scarred, of being used by your own government as a propaganda puppet, and then to see your son killed defending his home world. Only to have the alien race responsible for all of it all suddenly surrender less than an hour later.

A heavy silence followed. A deep weariness had settled on Delenn's small frame. She remained slumped in her chair. Lennier looked on anxiously, uncertain as to what he should do. Garibaldi figured there was little anyone could do. It was what it was. Finally, Delenn straightened herself, pulling on some deep reserve of willpower, something she seemed to have a nearly unlimited supply.

"Michael," she said quietly, "I'm so sorry to bring this all up. But I needed to know. This is better than me reading it in some dry report. At least now I understand."

The sorrow in her voice was thick, and it was so rare for her to use his first name. A slightly shy smile managed to twist his lips upward. "I don't know about that. Almost everything I know is second-hand information. After the war, most everyone wanted to forget about what happened at the colony. What little celebrity Taggart had, he poured into trying to prevent B5 from going online. It didn't really go anywhere. To be honest, I thought the man retired years ago. But as we see today that certainly wasn't the case."

"Nonetheless, I hear the hurt in your voice. I can only imagine Taggart's pain." Delenn rose out of the chair. "Still," she continued, "I must find a way to ease the situation. Too much is at risk."

Both she and Lennier gently bowed their heads. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Garibaldi."

He watched them leave and then settled back into his chair. His eyes ran up to the ceiling of his office. He stared as if his vision could penetrate through the bulkheads, carbon-steel framework of the station, all the way through until he could see the strange crystal structure of the Valiant.

"Yeah," said Garibaldi to no one in particular, "this isn't likely to end well."

April 22nd, 2260 12:10

Babylon 5 Captain's Office

"Primary systems are hit. We've got fire on all decks now. There's nothing we can do except…" Captain Sandra Hiroshi last words were lost in static.

Major Ryan's heartfelt cry followed. "Hiroshi? Hiroshi!"

General Taggart watched as the burning hulk of the Churchill made one last course correction and then rammed into the midsection of the Roanoke. The resulting blinding explosion engulfed both ships. Robert paused the video playback of the battle. A moment of silence followed.

Beside him Captain Sheridan cleared his throat and asked, "Did you know her?"

"Only by reputation," replied Robert. "But I did know Captain Tiller of the Roanoke. Not a particularly imaginative man…but a decent captain all the same."

"That's what makes this so hard," said Sheridan with a dejected sigh. "We know everyone in one way or another that we kill."

Robert had nothing in response to say. He did not entirely agree with Sheridan's lament. He had made his choices and would live by them. So would Sheridan. As would everyone who had remained loyal to Clark. The conflict which grew out those choices was inevitable. Feeling sorry about it was not going solve anything. But even he would admit watching the unfolding battle was rapidly becoming one of the harder things he had done. And Robert had already seen far too much bloodshed. Reluctantly he started the video playback.

On screen squadrons of Starfuries dived and weaved as the larger capital ships fought. Concentrated fire from both the Alexander and Babylon 5 focused on the Agrippa. Cannon fire gouged into the ship's hull. The Omega-class destroyer began to spin out of control. Robert could hear Sheridan's pleas for their surrender, but it was too late.

Glancing over to Babylon 5's commander, Robert saw the man was looking away from the unfolding death of the Agrippa. Sheridan was ashamed of what he had done. Robert noted, not for the first time, the unusual uniform Sheridan and his other command staff were wearing. Almost all black with lines of gray forming a triangle of the right side of the jacket. They had jumped from the standard Earthforce uniforms very quickly.

His attention was pulled back to the monitor. The camera focused on the Jumpgate just as a vortex within the gate split open regular space. Three more ships emerged from the murk of hyperspace. Robert felt his hand tighten on his cane. Sheridan and his forces had beaten back the initial attack by the skin of their teeth. How the hell did they handle the next wave?

The answer came moments later as four new jump points opened high above the station. Three all too familiar shapes, plus the new smaller ship – the Whitestar, arrived. Robert could practically feel the dramatic pause as the Earth and Minbari forces stared each other down.

A female voice, cold and calm, came over the general coms channel.

"This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our protection. Withdraw… or be destroyed."

"Negative," came the voice of the fleet commander. "We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship."

"Why not…"

Robert paused the playback again. He turned to Sheridan and practically growled, "You have got to be kidding me!"

Sheridan's shot right back. "That's what I've been trying to tell you if you'd listen. The Minbari didn't invade us. They saved us."

Reigning his anger back in, Robert took a moment to pause and collect himself. When the Valiant had arrived here, and he had seen the Minbari ships around the station, all those dark memories from the war came back. As did all the rage. It was a toxic stew, and he knew it. But there was a part of him, even as he rationalized powering up the ship's weapons as a prudent measure against an unknown situation, that wanted to blast them all to hell. Let the pointed head bastards suck vacuum just as Kyle had in his last moments.

Kyle.

Robert had to clamp down on the memories of his son with every bit of will he had. It was the wound, like his leg, which would never truly heal.

He surprised himself by how calmly he asked the next question. "Why?"

Sheridan swiftly answered. "They believe in Babylon 5 and its mission. Delenn has been committed to this place as much as I have. She realized what would happen if the station fell to Clark's forces."

There was more to it, Robert was sure. Sheridan's response was too quick. Too easy. No one, including the ever-mysterious Minbari, dropped battlecruisers into a fight for such morally simplistic ideals. But for the moment, he let the subject drop.

"Has it occurred to you, Captain, that you're playing into Clark's hands. You're giving him exactly what he wants."

Sheridan's brow puckered. "What do you mean?"

Robert irritably grumbled, "You have four Minbari warships who drove away the courageous Earthforce sent to retake Babylon 5 from a group of traitorous extremists who had seized control. How the hell do you think propaganda works!? Clark will spin this against us!"

Sheridan jumped out of his chair. Robert had watched him play the diplomat all morning long. It had finally broken down. "Us!? You'll forgive me – sir, but when the hell did you join the team!? I didn't remember you defending the station. Since the moment you got here, you've been threatening everything we've been trying to build. I have my own problem keeping Babylon 5 going. I couldn't care less about what lies Clark wants to tell about this place!"

From his seat, Robert looked up at Sheridan's fuming face and shook his head. The man still did not get it. "It's not that Clark tells lies. It is that people want to believe those lies." He exhaled roughly. "As much as it pains me to say it, Clark isn't the problem. Instead, he's a symptom of the problem."

"Which is?" demanded Sheridan.

"Clark has spent more than a year convincing everyone on Earth that the aliens are out to get us. They are brainwashing us. Secretly moving in to control us. Groups like Homeguard, Nightwatch, and the Ministry of Peace popping up. But none of it would have taken root if there wasn't something real for that fear to latch on to."

Sheridan skeptically crossed his arms. "And the source of that fear?"

"You don't get to plow your way right up to Earth's doorstep, threaten our species with total extinction, and then at the last second stop and say, 'Sorry. Our mistake. We surrender.'"

Dropping back in his chair, Sheridan let out a disgusted sigh. "Taggart, you are unbelievable. You talk about paranoia. Fear of aliens and the unknown. But then as soon you can, you pin all the blame on the Minbari." He fixed Robert with a steady gaze. "I know you went through ten types of hell when you were on that colony. That you've got plenty of good reasons to be angry. But you are letting it blind you. The war is over. We need to move on."

There was a time, back when he had crawled into the bottle, wrestling in the deepest pits of despair and self-pity, that Robert would have broken the jaw of anyone claiming to understand what he had 'gone through.' As if there was some massive equation evaluating one person's losses against another's. Those pains striking the very core of your soul could somehow be equalized or measured. But not anymore. Time might not heal all wounds, yet it did give him patience and perspective. Instead, Robert let out a bitter laugh.

"First off, I happen to believe some things are unforgivable. Flinn Colony taught me that. Never make a mistake about what your new-found friends can do. Second, I do not put all the blame on the Minbari. This is ultimately on us. It is Humanity's problem to solve. We must overcome it. But I don't absolve them either. The Minbari created this wound. And it has only festered over time."

For a long moment, John Sheridan held Robert Taggart's steady gaze. Eventually, the other man turned away. "We are not going to see eye to eye on this, are we?"

Nodding, Robert said, "I believe we've finally found something we both can agree on."

"Fine, you want to blame the Minbari. So be it. But it doesn't solve any of our current problems. Like I said, I've got my hands full keeping the station going. I'm not much in a position to actively take back the Earth."

Robert concluded he was going to have to decide on how far he was willing to trust John Sheridan. There was more going on here at Babylon 5, he was sure of it. The Captain did not strike him as someone easily led around by his nose. But he could not shake the feeling the Minbari had some type of influence on Sheridan. The old adage – Keep your friends close but keep your enemies even closer – ran around in his head. Where to put Sheridan?

"Nor am I," said Robert eventually. "Truth is the Valiant is going to need a lot of work to get her fully operational. But, once we do, that substantially changes the equation in our favor."

Sheridan's eyes lit up. He was curious. "How did you find her? Where?"

"It was originally discovered on a survey mission done by the Eratosthenes. You know how those Explorer class ships work. They were so far out on the rim, the system wasn't on anyone's maps and just had some number as the name. They didn't know what they had at the time. At first, they thought they had found an enormous comet. Only when they started drilling into it did they realize the 'comet' wasn't all ice and rock. It was a gigantic shroud hiding and protecting the ship."

"And no idea who built it?"

"Some theories, but nothing solid. There were no habitable planets in the system where we found the Valiant. Someone brought it there. But why? All that could be determined was the shroud had been in orbit for more than a thousand years."

Robert noted Sheridan's expression when he mentioned the thousand-year-old hiding spot of the Valiant. That meant something to him. Interesting. Well, he had played nice and shared a tidbit. Now to see if he could get some details from Sheridan.

"So," began Robert, "That ship, the Whitestar. What's its story?"

April 22nd, 2260 15:40

Babylon 5 Minbari Ambassador's Private Quarters

Lennier ran through Delenn's remaining agenda for today. It seemed likely he would need to reschedule most of it for the following day. After their meeting with Mr. Garibaldi, Delenn had a lengthy conversation with Fleet Captain Lennan. He had not been privy to many of the details, but the two had worked out a plan to give the newly arrived Valiant some distance. But remain watchful. After that Delenn had retired to her bedroom. Several hours later a quick glance at the closed door told him she was still in meditation and did not want to be disturbed.

Mr. Garibaldi's revelations about General Taggart's history were indeed distressing, but Lennier knew Delenn well enough to tell there was more to it. She had been deeply bothered by what she had learned. He was aware that as a Satai she would know many secrets about the war with the Humans. She might know more about General Taggart's past.

He pushed those thoughts aside. If it were important for him to know, Delenn would tell him. Instead, Lennier would remain steadfast at her side. Doing whatever was required of him. It was the least he could do for the one he so treasured.

A soft chime echoed through the foyer. Someone was at the door. A quick glance at Delenn's itinerary confirmed to Lennier she was not expecting anyone. But it could easily be one of the other ambassadors or one of the station command staff. He would have to let them know Delenn was unavailable.

The outer door slid open to reveal two Humans. One was older, a portly man with fine thinning white hair. The other was a much younger man. Lennier could see his face still carrying the signs of only recently reaching adulthood.

"May I help you?" enquired Lennier.

The elder Human made an excellent attempt at a traditional Minbari bow. It lacked the subtly of someone who had performed the ritual daily. But it was still very well done. "I am Professor William Stone," he announced with a broad smile. His companion tried to copy the greeting, but he was staring so wide-eyed at Lennier that he nearly stumbled through the bow. "I'm…uhh…Conner Olson…umm…sir."

Lennier bobbed his head in a return welcome. "I am Lennier of the Third Fane of Chudomo, the aide to Ambassador Delenn."

"Perfect," beamed Professor Stone. "You are exactly who I need to speak with. I realize I don't have an appointment or have given any advanced notice, but I would very much like to talk to the Ambassador."

"I am sorry, but the Ambassador is indisposed at the moment." Lennier was about to ask why this professor wanted to meet with Delenn when her voice came from behind him.

"Lennier, who is at the door?"

He turned to find Delenn standing in the doorway to her bedroom, looking curiously at the two newcomers.

From the door, Stone repeated his bow. "Madam Ambassador," he said brightly, "I'm most pleased to meet you. Professor William Stone, I and my assistant Conner are at your service." There was a pause, and then he gave a sidelong glance to his companion. Conner Olson had gone from simply staring wide-eyed at Lennier to openly gaping at Delenn. Stone let out a small sigh and added with a harrumph, "Close your mouth boy, you're creating a draft."

Turning red in the face, Connor shut his mouth with an audible snap. Stone gave an amused shake of his head. "Perhaps, Connor," he said dryly, "you can run a few errands for me. You can visit that Zocalo everyone seems to be going on about."

"But…umm…Professor, the General said…"

Another sigh escaped Stone. "Yes, I'm aware of what he said. But Robert has been running around with his head up his ass. So, we're going to ignore it. Understood?"

"Ah…okay," slowly answered Connor. He was still staring in amazement at Lennier and Delenn.

Stone pulled a small data pad from his back pocket and handed it to his assistant. "That's a list of everything I'll need and a credit line to get it purchased."

Connor took the offered pad, but then just stood on the doorway's threshold, uncertain as what to do next. He attempted the bow again, failed miserably, and then eventually settled on a small wave to the Minbari. "Bye," he said and practically ran down the corridor.

"Poor boy," said the Professor wistfully, "I believe I've over stimulated him."

Delenn and Lennier, who had watched this odd exchange with puzzled bafflement, stared at Professor William Stone and the rapidly retreating backside of Connor Olson. Delenn was the first to finally speak. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

A sunny smile quickly reappeared on Stone's face. "I have many titles. But the one that holds the most relevance is I'm the Valiant's science officer." He excitedly clapped his hands together at the sight of Delenn's stunned expression. "I believe we have much to talk about."