A Universe of Change: By Candlelight-Defiance

by AlbertG

Summary: The stranded Federation crews and Earth Alliance are slowly accepting each other. But a genocidal war with the Yonji Sinhindrea threatens everything. The Minbari are struggling for their very lives and old memories still linger. Vorlons and Shadows have fled. Now the younger races must come together or everything will die in fire.

7. Chapter 7

Record keeping: the events discussed here with the Centauri situation happened approximately the same time as the Sinhindrea-Earth and Babylon Sin attacks. It also corresponds to the same time that the Cens went after the centarui. They are trying to wipe out the resistance at the same time. as you go through this , there are time shifts betwen what appened and what is currently happening. Past history and present situation. we will alse be dealing with Capain Adms of the C-57-D as we began exploring his history and what he will be doing alon with Robby and company. Take care. AG

A Universe of Change: By Candlelight Defiance

Chapter Seven

July 25, 2263

Personal log: Susan Ivanova, Commander, Executive officer Babylon Five: When I accepted this job, I had no idea what I was getting into. To sum up, everything that has happened in the last year would take me another year. It's been insane… Speaking of which, the Feds and UP technologies are both so similar despite their differences. If I didn't know better, I could easily believe that one is just an earlier version of the other. That is something that I will look into when, if, I ever have the time. Amazingly, the Narn and Klingons have signed a separate non-aggression agreement with the Centauri, which gives an idea as to how seriously everyone is taking this. I still can't believe what the Centauri did in their fight against the Sinhindrea fleet that attacked their system. It was cold and ruthless, and I approve of everything they did. They survived, but the overall situation is worse. The Sins have turned their eyes towards Minbar. Even the Non-Aligned worlds have sat up and taken notice. There's still squabbling, but they are truly scared, and they've been talking to each other like never before. No one wants Minbar to fall. We all know what happens if they do, so a plan has been devised and sent to the Grey council. Shai Alyts Aalann and Shaka were heavily involved in planning the liberation project and they've presented to the Grey Council. It is radical and we don't know if the Minbari will accept the proposal…

Personal log, Susan Ivanova (two weeks ago-excerpts from Allies in Blood, epilogue)

Hyperspace:

Sector four-five-two

A pinging noise came from the ship's intercom speaker system. It sounded like someone briefly played with a xylophone.

"This is the captain speaking. We are approaching the Orion Seven jump gate. We will be transiting into normal space in ten minutes. Once we pass through the jump gate, the ship will decelerate for approximately two hours in eight minutes. Please remain seated with your seatbelts on until deceleration is completed. Those who are disembarking at the Orion Transfer Point, please prepare for departure in two-and-a-half hours. Thank you for choosing United Spaceways."

Professor Khali was already prepared to disembark a week ago. The Asimov, upon receiving news of the conditions on Earth, held a referendum among the passengers and crew. Most voted to continue the voyage to Earth after their layover at the Orion colony. He was not one of them.

While a few passengers choose to go their own separate ways, Khali determined to return to Babylon Five. The crew was kind enough to book passages for the various passengers who wanted to get off. Khali was one of those. Earth was no longer under quarantine, and many of the passengers wanted to return home, despite the horrendous damage done by alien attacks. Supposedly, Earth was in the position to rebuild quickly, had already started with help from the NKDBP union, or what they were now calling themselves: the United Planets Alliance. It was easier on the tongue. Khali assumed the name would catch on, as the earlier name was much too cumbersome to say, let alone remember for whose memory wasn't as efficient as his.

As a union, he expected it to fail because alien and human had a natural predilection to separate from each. In his mind. The United Federation of Planets, both humans and aliens, was an aberration, and he intended to prove it. It was a good idea on paper, but ultimately impossible to maintain. It was destined to self-destruct and do so violently. His intentions were to see that Earth Alliance and the other aliens here didn't follow that same destructive path the United Federation of Planets had gone down. Humans and aliens breeding together was simply unacceptable and against the laws of nature.

Returning to Earth at this time was idiotic for one such of his prominence. Earth held no interests for him. He had no desire to 'rough' it. An irradiated, starving planet, one in imminent danger of being attacked again, while having little to no defense to fight back, wouldn't serve to help his continued survival. Besides the Harvard professor had nothing that required his presence on Earth during this crisis. What family he had was now ash in the Great Burn. Any relatives that he might have in India and Pakistan were long ago killed off in the limited nuclear exchanges before the Earth-Minbari war. That incident marked the last nuclear exchange between nations, as the rest of the world came to their senses, clamping down on those wars in its quest to become a united planet. So, there were no relatives living in the modern Indian Union and the United Islamic Nations today he knew of.

Khali noted somewhat sourly (but he quickly squashed those emotions, judging them to be irrelevant) that he was never really close to his family, and he avoided relationships because they were emotionally draining for him. Success in his field was most important, and he considered excessive emotions a sign of weakness, something that he couldn't afford.

The warning chimes sounded, and he quickly got into his deceleration seat and strapped himself in. Transitioning from hyperspace into normal space was a strain and would last a little more than two hours. He wasn't looking forward to it.

---

Two hours later, Khali could move freely once more and returned to the main living area of his cabin. It took a few more minutes to recover from the effects of deceleration, but once he had, he went and pressed a button on a wall. Part of the wall opened shutters that slid apart to reveal a tiny window. All windows except those in the cockpit were usually closed because passengers not used to travel in hyperspace usually became ill watching the vulgarities of the other dimension for any period. Very few passengers dared open the shutters to appreciate the hell that was hyperspace. He didn't care for it, either. But watching the Orion world slowly increasing in size held his interests. Fortunately, it wouldn't be long before the globular Asimov-class passenger liner arrived at the colony. Behind the world, the stars appeared cold to his human eyes.

Khali thought, with a twist of his lips, that artificial gravity and inertia dampers being developed for civilian vessels was one of the few things that he approved of. Ships were already being converted and updated to the new standard.

Orion Seven came into view. An Earth-like planet, it was one of the key trading centers between the Earth Alliance and the Centauri Republic, as well as the more temperate of the two colonized planets in the system. Even at this distance from one of the Lagrange points, Khali could see that the planet was mostly covered with water, with chains of islands and archipelagos. Supported by livestock and supplies from the mining colony on Orion four, Orion Seven was the biggest Human colony after Mars and Proxima III. Well, he corrected, Orion was the biggest colony in the Alliance. Proxima went rogue, and Mars was scoured clean by the Sinhindrea aliens and was just beginning to rebuild.

Orion's water-rich environment also made it a prime target. The Sinhindrea were sure to come after this relatively defenseless, high value human habitation. He was certain of it. The Shadow plague never touched this world, but the aliens wouldn't take a chance. Khali correctly believed the Sinhindrea would destroy this world as they had tried to do Earth, because humanity lived here. Orion would become a priority sooner rather than later. He predicted that it would happen as soon as they removed the main sources of resistance. This was not a place he wanted to be, only a transition point to his true destination.

In orbit around Orion Seven, the Orion space station had dual wheel design instead of the standard single common among Earth space stations. The larger torus had four docking spokes sticking out, in addition to the large hangar bay in the center of the wheel. The bellies of two Hyperion cruisers were docked at the spokes. The smaller torus rose above the main wheel and had smaller versions of Babylon Five's combination of heat-exchangers and solar-panels. The Orion station was just beginning to convert to artificial gravity plating. It was another sign of Starfleet's influence. It was a shame that the aliens hadn't given the technology freely to humanity if the rumor was true. But that was beside the point. Earth Alliance had it now and was making great use of the technology as they should. Apparently, once the mechanics were understood, the technique of adding gravity to space objects was fairly simple.

A sign over the door into Khali's cabin dinged, signaling the readiness of the Asimov's shuttle to load and launch. Khali took his suitcase and wheeled it out of his cabin.

Epsilon Eridani System

Babylon Five- Centauri Ambassadorial Suite

Ambassador Londo Mollari couldn't hide his grimace, not completely. Speaking to G'Kar was a challenge for him at the best of times, although it wasn't as bad as in times past. Despite that, asking for his long-time nemesis irritated him as a matter of principle. His feelings notwithstanding, he was obligated by his leader and his own personal honor to deal with it.

G'Kar wasn't on Babylon but on a ship heading towards the station to attend the meeting that he wasn't privy to attend. That was a blessing, in his opinion, since rumors suggested that something big was about to happen involving the Minbari home world.

His world had problems of its own and said problems terrified him.

"I will discuss your request with my leaders," the Narn told him. "We still don't trust you, but in these difficult times, sacrifices must be made. Besides, your new leaders seem to be somewhat more stable and a lot more honorable than your previous emperor. May he rot in whatever hells you people believe in, and we have progressed significantly since your occupation of my world."

"I understand," Londo said, "What is past is past. It's time for all of us to move on."

"I agree. What is past is past. However, we will not forget," G'Kar added darkly. "But we are a magnanimous people, and we will strive mightily to forgive you and your people of you multitude of sins."

"Thank you so much," Londo snarked back.

There was a comfortable silence between the two for a few moments. During that time, G'Kar took time to really study the man. Londo looked horrible and appeared to be aging before his eyes. It was obvious that something was terribly wrong. He had to proceed carefully, or the man would freeze up. "Londo," he started. "Earth was attacked and the same time as Babylon Five and Minbar. Everyone knows that a Sinhindrea fleet was heading towards Centauri Prime at the same time. We know what happened to Earth. We know what happened at Babylon Five. Minbar is under siege whether they openly admit to it or not. Our representatives are already participating in a meeting discussing the situation at this very moment. If Minbar falls, then we all fall. But, what of Centauri Prime?"

Londo aged another decade. At least that's how his face appeared to G'Kar at this moment. There was another period of silence that lasted long enough to make the Narn believe Londo wasn't going to answer. So G'Kar continued probing, "Your government is asking for a mutual defense agreement with the NKDP union. If you want this treaty, then talk to me. My approval carries a lot of weight. I can convince them. You Centauri have so far, been honorable." He smiled viciously. "Yes, I know. It is surprising, but the truth carries a price for my cooperation. You've had a total blackout for the last two weeks. We know something happened, and the Sinhindrea left not long after their defeat at Earth, but no one knows what happened - or so you think."

Londo blanched. "And what does that mean, 'so you think'?"

"Don't be naïve," scoffed the Narn ambassador. "Babylon Five not know what happened?" He actually laughed, while Londo glared at him indignantly.

"What do you know?" growled Londo.

"We know the Sinhindrea forces in Courtor attacked Centauri Prime. We know that an alien armada entered your system. We know the Sinhindrea defeated the alien armada but then disengaged from the battle with your forces and headed towards Minbari."

"Then you know, only a small part," said Londo. He glared at his onetime enemy. "You don't know what they did to us."

"Then tell me!" insisted G'Kar. Londo wanted to tell him, but he couldn't. The truth was too terrible and if that truth was known, the others might sacrifice his home world for the greater good. Oh, how he hated that phrase! "Londo," G'Kar intone very gently, which surprised him. "Tell me," said G'Kar. "Consider it the price for my cooperation."

Londo warred within himself. Finally, he spoke to G'Kar in a soft voice. "It's a long story."

G'Kar nodded quickly. "Yes, it usually is."

Londo took a breath and began. "The Centauri navy is reduced to a pittance of what it used to be. Between all of our little wars with you and the Klingons, plus Earthforce and the Federation. I'm surprised there is a navy left. The numbers of ships we lost in that disastrous attack on with the Minbari at Z'ha'dum may have well sealed its doom. We lost many of our best in that battle. We were severely under manned when the monsters attacked. Plus, there were other problems when the armada appeared in our system. We immediately discovered who they were, and our hearts sank. It was the Orieni, our ancient enemies, coming to attack us at the worst possible time, or so we believed. We tried to open communications with them, but they didn't respond to any of our hails. They didn't attack us," he clarified. "They attacked the Sinhindrea, and that provided us with an opportunity. To be truthful, we have no idea why they came."

"And you used them to your advantage." intoned G'Kar.

"Of course. Wouldn't you?"

Two days post EA-Sinhindrea battle for Earth

Flame of Purity

Orieni Imperial Flagship

Reshak Kra could not believe his eyes, but there it was!

The Centauri were pulling back from the battle.

He glanced over his shoulder to see whether Admiral Hayato Shrak saw it too and judging by the enraged fluffing of his neck feathers; he had.

"What in the name of the Living Gods are they doing?!"

Hayato bellowed. He jabbed a finger at the icons representing Centauri vessels in the holotank. At first, it was only a few ships pulling away, and he wondered if their commanders were following battle plans. Then, more and more ships pulled back, away from the thick of the fighting, while their fighters intensified their fire to cover the retreating ships.

"Hierophant, are you seeing this?"

Hwi Rak could sense the anger coursing through the admiral. She had also seen the Centauri ID icons moving away from the Life-Destroyers. She clicked her beak with worry. "Yes, Admiral."

"The Centauri condemn themselves with their conduct! They are unworthy of an alliance with the Empire! They are chaotic!" Hwi Rak raged. "If they do not appreciate our help and they would not stand by us, then we shall leave."

Hayato raised his head and took a breath and shouted new orders. "We cannot be sure if this is some form of deception. Perhaps we should have answered their hails."

"Admiral, they wanted to talk, not submit to us. They should have screamed their submission to the Lords of Order," Hwi hurriedly interjected. "The Living Gods decreed that we come to Centauri Prime and fight the Destroyers. We obeyed that edict. We are not here to save the chaotic Centauri. We are here to destroy the Destroyers!"

"Yes, we must obey," repeated Hwi Rak. "If we do not obey, we offend the Living Gods. favor, and they will abandon us. The last time that happened, the Orieni Empire collapsed, and we had to rebuild almost from scratch. We must not let that happen again. Let the Centauri do as they wish! When this is finished, they will pay the price of all those who defy the will of the Living Gods. They are cursed," she hissed.

The admiral ground his beak in frustration, but there were no more objections. The Fleet Chaplain added, "I will inform the Council of the Blessed as soon as we can establish communication lines with Orien. Until then, we obey the Living Gods.

After a moment, Hayato finally nodded acceptance. "Very well, Hierophant. When this is over, may the Living Gods have mercy on the Centauri, for I will not."

Hwi Rak was silent.

Pious Inferno

Orieni Frigate

Commander Korsh Karaka watched another Sinhindrea gunship die under his squadron's weapons. Despite the losses in his fleet, he was delighted every time an enemy ship was destroyed. It meant that they could be defeated, and he would be responsible for their downfall. The Living Gods would be pleased. The Life-Destroyers were caught totally unaware by Orieni forces attacking their flanks. A quick glance at his sensor readout told him all he needed to know. For some reason, the destroyers were ignoring the hunter-killers despite the havoc they were wreaking on the fighters and gunship analogs. Losses were well below what was expected against an enemy that were essentially First Ones, a mere eight to one, but that would quickly change as soon as they turned their full attention to the capital ships themselves.

One of the small destroyers finally died under intense fire from a squadron of the Orieni capital ships and its seven Orieni-Red Monk cruiser escorts. They were tough ships and died, taking many of their adversaries with them. Five of the escorts suffered destruction before the small globe destroyer warship's shield broke and the ship smashed. Opening his beak slightly with joy, Karaka turned to his communications officer.

"Send my personal congratulations to Strike Admiral Korsh on the Vorlon Fury. The Living Gods indeed favor u…"

Fire instantly erased Korsh from existence as Sinhindrea plasma plowed into his ship, leaving nothing remaining of the once proud vessel.

Orion Transfer space station

"Young man, the Asimov told me they booked a passage for me to Babylon Five."

The suited agent at the transfer desk nodded as he focused on the computer screen below the desk's high table. Khali fumed. Bureaucrats were all the same. They tended to suffer from the Little Emperor Syndrome, which involved making customers wait. Such people in low-ranking statues liked to feel that they were much more important than their post warranted.

The agent looked up and smiled blandly. "Sir, I found the arrangement in the system."

"Arrangement?" echoed Khali in confusion.

"Yes, sir. If you will go to Docking Bay Four, the ship there will take you to your destination."

The professor frowned as the agent merely stood there and continued to smile emptily. Apparently, he was not going to receive a ticket. That didn't bode too well. What was it, a freighter? He most sincerely hopes not. "Docking Bay Four?"

"Yes, sir. Have a nice day, sir."

If this were Harvard and the agent was a student, Khali would need only to give him a sharp look and the student would jump to do whatever the professor wanted. As it was, he sighed peevishly and pulled his wheeled suitcase along as he went in search of the numbered docking bay.

As he followed signs pointing the way, StellarCom screens on the walls showed a local news anchorwoman speaking.

"… And the Earthforce Orion Command has reinstated Captain John Sheridan's rank within the Orion military in a show of support for his work at Babylon Five. Yesterday, the Orion Government Council held a referendum on whether to have the Orion colonies remain independent, join with Proxima II and III, or rejoin Earth Alliance. With tensions between Earth Alliance and Orion close to being resolved, the debate intensified in the last three days. The discussion began with the end of President Clark's administration as per the original pledge made in the declaration of independence in protest of the Mars bombing and attempted takeover of the Babylon space station.

"Councilor Henderson, upon receiving the news of the alien attack on Earth, immediately called for a vote. The final count of votes was narrowly in favor of rejoining the Alliance. The Council amended it with the condition that the Orion colonies have equal representation in the Alliance Senate. One of our reporters asked Councilor Dieter at the Green Isles Capitol Building about this amendment..."

The professor noted that what wasn't discussed on the channel was the undercurrent of the fear of being left alone and isolated without sufficient protection.

Plus, piracy increased dramatically in the recent weeks, and everyone was afraid. None of this was mentioned and, of course, Professor Khali didn't know and wouldn't have cared. It wasn't his problem, and it didn't affect him personally. It was the government's responsibility, and he had no inclination to remain here.

The screens changed to a view of middle-aged suited man standing outside a domed building in the sun.

"For years, the Alliance Senate has insisted that humanity's best interests are better served through unity. We in OriGov agree, but some of the bigger colonies like ours should be treated as independent federated states, with complete self-determination in all ways, but protected by a joint military force, the expenses of which would be shared by all. We want to be equal."

The voice of a woman off-screen said, "and if the Orion senate refuses to recognize that point of view?"

"They can't afford to. Earthforce is expensive to maintain and build up. Furthermore, we're at war with a terrible menace and EarthGov needs all the help it can get. Proxima III separated from Earth Alliance, preferring to ally themselves with aliens rather than suffer under the indignantly of Earth Alliance's previous leadership. That was their decision, but it's not necessarily ours. We are not them, but we are all threatened and all of us need to contribute, but also, we need to be treated justly and fairly. Because of the new senate and leadership in Earth Alliance, there is strong evidence that things are changing. I think things will continue to change unless Senator Wills wins the Presidency.

"You're saying that Earth Alliance will not consider ratifying our independence if we choose to go in that direction of the Senator wins?"

"We all know his opinions about Proxima III despite their acknowledged independence. If EarthGov still insists on not allowing autonomy for colonies like us?" insisted the unseen reporter. "Then what?"

The councilor took a deep breath and replied, "Autonomy, or self-rule, is a requirement for us fully rejoining Earth Alliance. If they cannot accept that, then we will discuss whether we should remain independent or begin negotiations with the United planets Union. Know this, we gave Earth a priority only because it's the home world of humanity. We can't help but feel a certain obligation to that. Humanity must stick to humanity. Proxima's decision may have been an aggressive move on their part, but there are definitely some benefits that we will look into if Earth Alliance chooses not to entertain our requests. Protection is a priority. So far, their association with various alien governments has been beneficial and we're watching it carefully."

The screens returned to the view of the anchorwoman. "Councilor Dieter said that OriGov is conducting trade negotiations with United Planets Union. Some of their technology that they've developed has revolutionized Proxima III, and OriGov is very interested in their defensive systems and material goods. We are carefully watching how things develop there and if we can integrate with such a radical collection of humans and aliens in peaceful co-existence."

Khali tuned out the newscast. Instead, he concentrated on the signs leading to Docking Bay Four. He found the large number four painted on a heavy door. A man dressed in an odd-looking grey uniform stood beside the door. There was a faint blue tint to the grey uniform which had oddly shaped shoulder pads, and the neatly pressed and creased pants were pulled up to the belt buckled at where the navel might be. The man was wearing a cap with what appeared to be a ringed comet as the logo on it. The extremely clean-shaven man spotted Khali walking down the curving corridor.

"Dr. Khali, I presume?"

"Yes?"

The man beamed a smile as he took his cap off, revealing a very neatly combed head of hair, and extended a hand for a shake. When Khali took it. "I'm Captain John Jay Adams of the United Planets Cruiser C-Five-Seven-D."

"Amir Rajiv Khali, PhD. You're the captain of that ship that came from another universe and stayed at Proxima." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, Professor. We were on our way to Babylon Five when we were contacted by Orion Port Authority to relay your request for a passage to that station. We are glad to help, especially mow."

Khali didn't much like this oblique reminder of the Great Burn.

Meanwhile, Captain Adams pressed a button beside the heavy door, which slid aside. Gesturing into the bay beyond. "Shall we?"

The professor stepped through the doorway. In the vast dim bay, there was the famous saucer ship. It was shaped like a wide-brimmed hat and, unlike Vree saucers, was featureless. As Khali walked around, studying the gun-metal grey ship, he noticed that two of the struts were stairs leading up into the saucer while the third appeared to be a conveyor belt ramp.

Adams walked with the professor and did not stop him from satisfying his curiosity about the ship's exterior. The locals were always fascinated by ships of this type. He couldn't help but smile with pride. When they reached the conveyor ramp, the captain gently took the Earther's suitcase and laid it on the ramp. It activated and took the suitcase up into the ship where it was placed in his cabin.

"Proxima Colony is building a fleet of ships like this one, isn't it?"

A flicker of annoyance crossed Adams' face, but it was too quick for Khali to notice.

"Yes, Professor. There are a few in Babylon Five conducting negotiations and support and resources for the people." He didn't mention that Proxima was in the process of laying the keels for building another thirty, both cruiser and the larger battleship class.

What happened to Earth badly frightened the Union, enough so that all the nations were building a joint navy. The Sun Hawks and saucers were going to be the backbone of the fleet for now, because they were easy to build and were highly effective with Klingon and UP technology incorporated into them. If they survived, then a ship would be designed that would be used by the Union. In many ways, that emulated the Federation of Planets. Every world would have its own system navy. But that was years down the road if they survived this war.

"This, however, is the original. Professor, again I must point out that Proxima III is no longer a colony."

Khali arched an eyebrow. "Did Humans evolve on Proxima III?"

Adams merely looked at the professor, giving no hint of his thoughts on his face.

Khali took the captain's silence for an inability to face the truth and supplied the answer as he saw it.

"Then it's not a home world. Earth is the home world. Proxima III is a rebel colony. When it broke away from Earth, it promised to return to the Alliance when President Clark was out of office. Clark's gone. The Proxima colonists broke that promise. You have chosen to consort with aliens."

"It may surprise you, Professor, but things change."

"Consorting with aliens, breaking away from Earth. This can only lead to disaster for humanity," he huffed. "Yes, things have changed and not for the better."

Adams bristled. "Now look here, Professor. There are reasons for that, and you're smart to know it." He glared at the arrogant professor. "Things change."

Khali held up a hand, stopping the captain. "I'm not here to rehash that history, Captain. I'm here to go back to Babylon Five. And I intend to do that, and you're my ride." He waved a hand vaguely at one of the stair struts. "Shall we?"

Amir was eager to get back for a variety of reasons. The station was the safest place to be, considering it survived the attack and was in much better condition than Earth. There was also the fact that his suite was paid for with a grant from Harvard. The fact that the university no longer existed didn't negate that fact. And most importantly, he wanted to witness the development of the breakaway colony and space station, whom he expected to destroy itself as soon as the war was over. He had little hope that Proxima's independence would survive, or that Babylon Five, which was following the Federation's example, would collapse in upon itself. He wanted to be there to personally witness the implosion. Then there was Guinan. That, that bartender needed to be put in her place when it came to xenopsychology alien social interaction. That woman had no degrees in anything, with the possible exception of mixology. How dare she insult him on the galactic stage!

Adams nodded politely and gestured for the professor to precede him up the steps. He wondered whether he would regret agreeing to bring Khali along for the ride.

This was his last trip as captain. Adams was about to accept a new job as an admiral of the Proxima military navy. A new military was in the process of being organized, and he was going to be a major part of that change in the UPU. His experience with the cruisers was invaluable and the Union members weren't fools. They needed experience from all the planetary members to make this work. And yes, it was a challenge that he looked forward to.

Babylon Five

Conference room

"Appearances aside," Sheridan started, "the station is as vulnerable as Earth. We fought them off, but another dedicated attack could easily cripple us or completely destroy not only B5, but the entire system. We beat them back, but now we're a larger threat that they will want to eliminate. All of us need, no, we have to pool our resources while there's still time. That's why we're here. We haven't officially declared it yet, but we are in a war, one unlike any we've ever experienced. We now know that the Sinhindrea are genetically predisposed to kill everything that's a threat to them. It doesn't make sense to us, but that's the reality we're facing. Everything we've seen and heard leads to that one fact. This is a war where the choices are either survival or extermination, not just for us but for everyone in this galaxy. As hard as it is to wrap my head around it, it is true. We are faced with the possible destruction of everything." He paused as he gathered his thoughts. "In eleven days, the leaders of the Minbari will arrive in their home system.

When that happens, the entire Minbari fleet will engage enemy forces in an attempt to liberate their home world. They've purposely slowed down to give us time to come up with a plan. This comes at a great cost, and how we respond will determine the fate of this galaxy.

"What kind of forces are we talking about?" asked Denisov. He wasn't expecting details, but he wanted to get a sense of the upcoming battle about to occur on the Minbari's doorstep.

"Approximately four thousand ships, twenty-three hundred are their first line capitals," Picard answered, pointedly ignoring the shocked, hardening faces of the two Minbari warriors.

Denisov nearly jumped from his seat. "That's more ships than they used to invade Earth with!" the man blurted out. "With a force as powerful as that, they may well drive the enemy away from the planet; may likely force them out of the system."

"Or they might break, and then we'd lose the strongest power in local space," countered Sheridan. "And if that happens, we all die."

"Loses will be significant, but we will succeed," Shaka said confidently. "No one can stop a dedicated attack from my people when we are of one accord. We will succeed or we will die trying."

"Your dedication is admirable," said a frowning Draal. "But I fear for our people, and I fear for our world. We are a strong and proud people. We call ourselves a young, middle race, more advanced than the younger races. We've stridden the stars for a thousand years, fought and survived the last Shadow war, allied ourselves with the Vorlons." He stared at a confused and slightly angry Shaka with something akin to pity. "We were taught to believe that it is our destiny to be one of the newest First Ones when we mature enough. We believed we were strong. But." He paused and pinned Shaka with his eyes before looking at the others in the room. "But It is all vanity. Pride has put my people at risk. Other races are banding together while we remain apart, secured in the belief of our power. I have consulted Wesley Crusher and the Great Machine, and we strongly believe our forces will not be sufficient to break through the siege without crippling ourselves, not without help from the outside. Remember that the forces arrayed against Minbari are being reinforced by the forces arriving from Centauri Prime."

"Captain Picard, your estimates are far too accurate to be mere guesses," Shaka growled, not completely ignoring what Draal had just said but pushing them to the back of his mind for discussion later. "How long have you been spying on Minbar and our territories?"

Picard's face was a perfect mask as he answered diplomatically. "For as long as Minbar, Earth Alliance, the Centauri, and the others have been spying on us. I am surprised that ships have not run into each other trying to get a better view. Yes, Shai Alyt. We've been watching."

"You violate the sanctity of Minbar's privacy and dare to call yourselves friends?" Shaka looked outraged, but it was more for show than anything else. He had suspected it for some time now, and it really didn't bother him as much as it should have. But it was at that point he understood he looked upon them more as rival allies than as adversaries. However, he wanted to put on a show for Earth Alliance. Those humans still needed to understand their place in the universe. The irony of his personal opinions completely escaped him

"The Federation and the Minbari are allies," Picard stated flatly. "Our associations with one another have been fruitful, but there are many of your people who would gladly strike at us because they feel we aren't subjecting ourselves to your wishes like so many others have."

Shaka opened his mouth to retort Picard's scathing statements; however, the words never came out. The Human was correct. He knew it. He and many in his crew had felt the same way in those first months stationed at Babylon Five. But he had since changed his opinion. "Captain Picard of the Federation, I am not one of them. Many of my people believe Minbari must liberate our world from these demon creatures without the help of others," he said instead. "You would believe the same."

Captain Archer watched the head of Babylon Five and Captain Picard make their argument. He struggled to keep the wave of Deja-vous from overwhelming him. This situation was so familiar that it wasn't even funny. Shaka wasn't as stubborn as he had been all those months ago, according to that briefing. He could be reasoned with nowadays.

"That's exactly what the Sinhindrea want them to do," Sheridan continued. "Deep space probes show that the forces retreating from the Centauri system are heading straight for Minbar. I have to believe that the Sinhindrea wants this battle. The Minbari will attack and be crushed. We want you able to strike back as only you can."

"We sincerely thank you for your kind comments," Draal intoned. "But in order to survive we need a plan, one that I'm sure you've already formulated and will now share with the rest of us."

Sheridan nodded. Draal knew him well, almost too well. Besides, they had spoken about it as soon as he had spoken to Coplann and promised him a plan to help the Minbari home world. "Three days ago, in conjunction with the Federation, I proposed a plan for the Minbari leadership. I proposed that we'd send a ground force to help the Minbari on Minbar to repel and remove the Sinhindrea from the planet. This force will consist of Federation MACO's, and B5 military units."

"An honorable gift," Shaka said, "one greatly appreciated if not by the others, then by me. However, I do not see how three thousand warriors can make a difference."

"But that brings us to the main purpose of this meeting," Sheridan announced. He turned to Earth Alliance representative. "Ambassador Peterman, what is Earth Alliance's answer?"

"What you have asked of us is difficult, Commander," Peterman stated. "Not only is it difficult, but it's also unprecedented, not to mention impossible, even if we were to agree."

"Are you saying that Earth Alliance has decided against the request for ground support on Minbar a second time?"

Peterman blanched as did Levy, watching on screen. The Minbari had asked for help before. That took a huge amount of strength for the leadership to ask from Earth, and Earth Alliance rejected that request. Everyone present knew that Minbar hadn't asked directly and if Earth Alliance said no again, relations between the two would be strained to the breaking point. The solution was to have John Sheridan act as an intermediary between the two governments in an attempt to save face for all concerned. "Not at all," he answered quickly. "We want payback against those things. What I am saying is that our decision may not matter in the long run."

"Minbari is the anchor to this war and us surviving the next few months," Sheridan countered. "We need that time to get our forces ready to strike back."

"I understand the seriousness of the situation," Peterman snapped. "Forgive me. The stress of the past couple of weeks has taken a toll on me, I'm afraid. If we were to say yes, I foresee several huge problems that need to be addressed. The first is, will the Minbari even accept what is being offered if we were able to fulfill this request?" He turned towards Draal, as did everyone else, for the answer.

Archer found it interesting that there was a respect here for Draal that Shaka and his Second hadn't been afforded, not quite.

"As you are well aware, Captain," Draal began and this time he glanced at Picard, "the Minbari are a proud people and would not normally ask for help. However, we are fighting what are in effect First Ones, feared by the Vorlons and Shadows and despite our pride we aren't a stupid people. Our probing forces have, so far, been slaughtered or repelled with impunity. A recon-in-force attacked the Sinhindrea line and was able to inflict minor damage on the enemy, but at a horrendous cost to both ships and personnel. They are not undefeatable but without help we can but only fail." He rolled his eyes because of the attention everyone suddenly gave him. "Yes, I am being theatrical," he admitted. "My people will not abandon Minbari to such a cruel fate. So, I believe that whatever help you can offer will be accepted in these most interesting and desperate of times. It may be grudgingly accepted but it will be accepted nonetheless, even if it comes from humanity." He shrugged. "We have to start somewhere, don't we?" he asked, his face a picture of complete innocence.

'Such a ringing endorsement', Peterman thought sourly.

Babylon Five- Arboretum

Ambassador Guinan wasn't at the conference. Instead, she sat on a bench at the Babylon's arboretum, trying to understand why she was feeling anxious. No, it was more than anxious. It was concern and worry. Something was happening and she couldn't put her finger on it without accessing another part of her, one she kept tightly controlled. It was becoming too easy to access her inner self, too seductive, too dangerous, too deadly.

Guinan believed she had control, but because of recent events, she was reminded that control was demanded eternal vigilance. She needed to reestablish herself, or things could easily spiral out of control. Battling the Shadows, the fight with the Vorlons, and the ever-present threat of the Yonji Sinhindrea grated on her. The old ones, the Cloviens had taken a personal interest in her. Fortunately, they were too far away to press any sort of attack, but they did their best to try to watch her. She was reasonably impressed, but they couldn't do anything but try to watch from a distance. The aliens didn't consider her a real threat, not yet. However, they weren't foolish either. They knew who and where she was through the Shadow she had killed, who was possessed by them, she had been 'tasted' and they wanted her dead, or worse. At this distance, they couldn't affect her (and they couldn't anyway), no matter how hard they dried.

All Sinhindrea were telepathic, but despite their power and abilities, they were limited by space and distance. The Sinhindrea's telepathic effect ended the instant they were either killed or out of range. Shakiri was a case in point. He was always going to have to be aware of the infection, but when they weren't actively targeting him, he was his old power-hungry self. He was going to be a problem. To the Sins, he was a minor, but useful tool. Whether he was under their direct influence or not, that wouldn't stop them from retaining the psychic taste of their victims. Those same victims were sensitized and needed to be on guard for the rest of their lives from the subtle effects.

The Sins weren't invincible. They were experienced; those same telepathic abilities were blunted during battles, most likely because their species as a whole couldn't concentrate, fight, and defend at the same time. The Clovien savants were another matter, but even they were limited. Although their ability to cling onto their victims was impressive. But it still took concentration to do so.

For Guinan and to a lesser extent Ambassador Kosh of the Vorlon Empire, it was more difficult. The enemy was aware of Barkesh and the First of the First Ones, Lorien, but Lorien was an exception. They could never influence or track him, although they were aware of him. The Sinhindrea were a handful, but there wasn't the only one that Guinan was becoming concerned about.

So, here she was, trying to understand what was going on with using her species' natural traits.

It was so tempting.

The woman wasn't surprised when Kosh came and stood next to her. The emanations of worry radiated towards her in waves. He was here to talk because he felt the same way. Recently, things had recently changed and not for the better. changed and not for the better. Whatever disturbed Guinan was the same thing that disturbed him. That disturbance was the reason why he hadn't attended the meeting going on now, to give support to the infant army being born.

Kosh considered himself a friend of Guinan and suspected that she feared wavering. He knew the truth and worried about her. He also knew that she was strong and would prevail. What she was wouldn't take her down a dark path. He trusted her and would prevail. It was the reason he intended to tell her of his own suspicions, despite very strong objections from Barkesh. That female feared even speaking about it.

She had such a long way to go he thought.

After about a minute, Guinan heard a gentle musical tone as Kosh started speaking. "They are stirring."

Who was stirring? Guinan didn't respond. Instead, she patiently waited for Kosh to continue.

When he was ready to continue, Guinan found herself in the Vorlon mindscape. It was his way of speaking freely to her unimpeded...

"Guinan, you know that the Vorlons and Shadows are First Ones, but we are also the youngest of the First Ones. The Shadows are older than we, but not stronger," he said as his persona walked back and forth on a wooden floor that didn't exist. "Before the elders left for the Rim, they fought each other. Hundreds of worlds were destroyed so long ago that some of them have fully recovered and can support life once more. Both my people and the Shadows stayed out of it for fear of being destroyed. The Shadows didn't have the technology to join the fight, and my people didn't have the will to take sides. The others hated us for it. They needed us, and we sat back and watched. Those First Ones called us children and believed us too immature to understand the true nature of the universe. So, they left us and placed us in charge of the younger races so that we could guide them and, in the process, mature ourselves before we left for the Rim."

"It didn't work out as well as they hoped it would, did it?" muttered Guinan.

Kosh trembled but couldn't deny that truth. "We were afraid to enter the war. We knew we would not survive, so we didn't even try." Kosh sighed. Speaking of inconvenient truths was a heavy burden. "That is not the point, Guinan. The war is. The Elder First Ones fought against a terrible species. They lived in their dark cities, and we were afraid of them for the same reasons we were of the Sinhindrea. The gate was stolen from us by Sinhindrea-seduced Vorlons before we could completely inactivate it…"

"But not destroy it," she suggested.

"But not destroy it," he confirmed, to his shame. "Another mistake. We dealt with the seduced ones," he added darkly. Guinan sensed that he didn't want to talk about it in detail.

"My people believed we would be at the Rim long before the dark ones awakened. But the circle has contracted and expanded into something unrecognizable. They were not supposed to awaken until years from now. Many believed that the dark ones were compromised Vorlons, the ones seduced by the Sinhindrea during the great war. That is not true. The presence of the Sinhindrea have awakened the dark ones." Kosh turned towards Guinan. "The dark First Ones will not allow the Sinhindrea to exist. They are two sides of the same coin. My people believe they are the same as the Sinhindrea."

"We called them Sinhindi, 'Brothers of the Sinhindrea'. That is why we named the aliens from your universe the Sinhindrea. It reminds us of the others. They are First Ones of this universe, very, very similar to the Sinhindrea. Not the same species, but their counterparts in my universe. They hate each other if hate is the correct word. They are the Hand, and they are stirring. The two of them will fight one another and the winners will come for us all." Kosh almost growled. "They cannot be reasoned with, just like the Sinhindrea. That is why the elders tried to eliminate their species. Think of them as two types of Earth hornets fighting. They care nothing for each other and any other species that would dare fight against them. The young ones can't think of them as rational beings. If evil has a name, then it is the Sinhindrea and the Hand." Kosh sounded frightened. "They will destroy everything. My people leave the young ones to their fate. We have learned nothing."

"Terrors fighting Terrors. Then they'll come for us either way."

Guinan felt her mind0self return to her body. She looked at Kosh. His iris was wide opened.

"Yes."

Babylon Five

Centauri Ambassadorial Suite, comms center

"I can well imagine how terrible their losses were," G'Kar intoned. "With such losses, why didn't they retreat?"

On screen, Londo shrugged. "Who knows? For the sake of my world, I am glad they stayed. It helped us."

"Of course, it did," the Narn responded in faux sincerity.

"I've always known the Orieni were crazy, avian brains, you know," scoffed Londo. "They still fought regardless of their losses. But even I was surprised by their idiocy. To attack a Sinhindrea globe ship!" he shook his head, still stunned by the reports sent to him.

"Their capital ships attacked one of the destroyers?" asked G'Kar. "I can understand their need to destroy it."

"No, no, no." Londo said. "They tied to board it with one of their invader cutter pod-ships."

"Impossible. Their ships have shields. As we know, they are quite impenetrable."

"Exactly my point. The ship's shields were down, and it appeared damaged. And it was separated from the rest of their fleet. They've never done something like this before."

"It was clearly acting as bait. That's a new tactic and disturbing," responded a now concerned ambassador. "Sheridan and the others must know about this."

"I will tell them," Londo sighed in resignation.

"So, what happened?"

"The ship's shields re-activated, trapping the breeching pod. You can guess the rest."

Royal Knife

Rogolon Assault Cutter

Knight Galyath looked around the cramped confines of the boarding cutter's, what was assumed to be the main bay. The Baroon-class assault cutter was little more than a flying grappling claw with a troop compartment and the control and power systems added on. Under-armed, vulnerable, and fragile, the Baroon was not a place to be caught in a full-scale fleet engagement.

Galyath turned his attention to the warriors under his command. The sight of fifty Rogolon Knights armed with swords, axes, kinetic pistols, and clad in full silver armor filled Galyath's heart with pride. His helmet microphone chimed. It was the cutter's commander. He always imagined what his fellow soldiers could have done if they were the ones who assaulted the Human space station. It would have been glorious. The humans wouldn't have stood a chance. Why the liberation fleet failed was beyond him. Those chaotic creatures were nothing special.

"We're closing on our target."

That meant boarding was imminent. "Gratitude, Commander," Galyath said.

He bent forward to peer out of the only porthole in the troop bay. Dead ahead and closing rapidly was his target. A Sinhindrea frigate analog, the smallest of the globe ships. the power systems were down, as indicated by the globe, barely registering a dull blue. It was isolated and away from its protectors, a perfect target for the glory of the Red-Monks.

They would acquire the technology of a First One!

According to the scans, its shields were down, and its thrusters destroyed. Defensive plasma fire flashed past the speeding cutter. A fellow cutter was caught full on by a plasma blast and was vaporized. Three more cutters died in fire, but the surviving four boarding ships sped on.

Galyath turned to address his troops. "Knights of Rogola, we are about to engage the enemy in close combat. We are the Knights of Rogola and the Dynasty. His Majesty, Monarch Varsh will shower us with his gratitude. None can stand in our way. For Honor and Glory!"

"For Honor and Glory!" replied the massed warriors.

Seconds later, the Baroon slammed into the port side of the Sinhindrea frigate's stern. The grappling claws punched deep into the severely weakened hull just before the cutter extended an umbilical corridor to achieve a hard seal. Immediately afterwards, the thermal charges cleared a hole in the enemy hull. Knight Galyath took a deep breath in preparation to yell his challenge to the doomed crew for personal combat. He could see most of the other knights do the same. He knew that the knights in the other surviving cutters were echoing their actions.

Babylon Five

"Cutting through the alien material with their equipment, should have proved nearly impossible," G'Kar told him over the comms. "Our technology couldn't cut through Klingon alloys unless we were using capital weapons. Even then, it would have taken a significant period." He thought about it as he looked at Londo's ashen face. "It was a trap."

"We agreed with your assessment. The Sinhindrea are telepathic. They had to know exactly where the invaders were going to cut, though. Their hulls are organic, like the Vorlons and Shadows. It is quite difficult if not impossible to cut through using our older weapon's technology. Maybe the Soul Hunter beams could do it," he reasoned.

"But not those aliens. The Sinhindrea let them," the Narn responded. "Probably helped them to gain entrance."

Londo nodded in agreement. "By then, they should have fled in panic, but they continued to fight."

"These Orieni. Are they the same ones that attacked B5 a year and a half ago?"

"Yes, and it was a disaster. They didn't learn not to attack."

"How unfortunate."

Royal Knife

Rogolon Assault Cutter

The surviving cutter ships burned through the hull of the Life-Destroyer's frigate. Their hatches slammed down, and within seconds, hot, gelatinous fluid rushed into the cutter, pouring out of the Sinhindrea ship, completely flooding the troop bay. Although their environmental combat suits protected them from the thick fluid, it was like an insect trying to move through amber. Grasping their weapons now proved difficult. The fluid also limited their vision.

Panicked voices filled the short-ranged communications.

Serrated tentacles slithered through the hatch from the frigate, unhindered by the thick, fluid environment. Opened, red lips appeared far too close for the knight's comfort, followed by a mouth filled with fangs. The knights began screaming. Weapons fired uselessly inside the now fluid-filled bay. The soldiers could barely move to defend themselves or escape in the viscous fluid. Their collective screams lessened as each knight died.

Unknown to the now dead, consumed knights, their fleet wasn't doing any better.

Flame of Purity- eight minutes into the battle

"The Destroyers are tearing us apart!" said Hayato. Pain filled him as he watched friendly icon after icon blink out from the holotank. The Centauri retreat was costing the Orieni heavily, and without them to keep the enemy preoccupied, the Sinhindrea had turned their full attention to the Orieni, Rogolon and Red Monks, slaughtering them with indifference.

Orieni Imperial ships simply died.

His eyes drifted to the icon of the massive Sinhindrea battleship, obviously the command vessel. The trailing balls of plasma that ship spewed were massively overpowered. Their beam weapons were even worse. Without the Centauri cowards enforcing and defend their own world, the Orieni fleet would soon be cut down under the life-destroyer's firepower.

Hayato Shrak, son of the legendary Hiraka Shrak, wasn't about to let this battle be in vain. So, he did what was the most logical choice. "All units, move in closer to the Destroyers."

"Closer?" gasped Hwi Rak.

"Yes! Closer," confirmed turned back to the paladins manning the bridge stations. "Order all units to move as close as they can and engage the Life-Destroyers at point-blank range."

"At thatrange, we won't last long against their capital ships."

Hwi wondered for a moment whether Hayato was being suicidal and bringing the entire fleet down with him. A quick look in his mind dispelled that notion.

"We'll last longer than we will here against those globe ships," was the snappish reply. "They have a range we can't match. We have to break them now. They won't risk firing their main guns if we're close enough to see their eyes. If they do… we they will destroy a few of their own, bettering our odds against them. They are First Ones, and they will respect our courage," he exclaimed with absolute conviction.

"Your will be done."

"No. The Living God's will, be done!"

The Orieni warships' thrusters burned brighter as the fleet moved in close to the Sinhindrea fleet and blasted away at point-blank range. The faster Red Monks ran interference while the Rogolons, now vastly reduced, continued to fight. Fighters raced just outside the boundary of Sinhindrea, shields against a backdrop of energy and kinetic fire.

A Red Monk fighter flew a little too closely, brushed a shield and veered out of control, crashing into a Sinhindrea gunship's shield explosively. Green fire burned around the shield as the fighter disintegrated, creating a rapidly fading halo before being snuffed out by the vacuum of space. The gunship returned to the battle, undamaged and undeterred by the flaming death of the Red Monk fighter.

Babylon Five

"The Orieni move in closer, to point blank range," Londo said to a stunned G'Kar.

The Narn felt a moment's pity for the alien fleet. If they had known, they could have learned from the Babylon Five and Earth battles. The closer you were, the faster you died. Unfortunately, they didn't understand just how powerful Sinhindrea firepower and defenses were. Or worse, they didn't care.

"The stupidity of that action reminded me of an old Earther movie I saw long ago on their planet. in the video, that action worked for the protagonists, plus they were the good guys, you see, and humans are sentimental about those things, yes? The Orieni action was the height of stupidity and they paid for their lack of foresight. I believe they expected to win, not just survive. I once called humanity of having pride and arrogance conveniently packaged together. The Orieni surpassed humanity in that respect, adding stupidity into the mix. Humans learned."

The Narn thought furiously for a moment. "We know the Sinhindrea can influence others to do their bidding. Was this a case of telepath influence?"

"Who knows?" questioned Londo. "Maybe their avian brains were hard wired for stupidity."

"I am sorry to have lost such a dedicated fleet," G'Kar said. "We could have used them, used their tenacity."

"Be careful what you wish for. The Orieni would have surely attacked Centauri Prime if they had won." Then he thought f something else. "I believed they would have attached Earth and Babylon Five. Foolish, yes. The Centauri ambassador shook his head. "Be patient," he said. "It gets worse."

G'Kar nodded his head in dismay as he continued listening to the story. Doubles, he would arrive at Babylon Five before Londo was finished. And he needed the whole story before he could recommend anything to the Khari.

TBC