Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Child of a Star part 1 No Adult Warnings "The Child of a Star" by Meredith D. Holt Hello there, Yes, Its me agian. This time the story has nothing to do with my 'On Winds of Time' Universe. Instead I am setting it in the regular Babylon 5 universe. HOWEVER, (Here is the part where I throw my head back with an evil laugh!) I am adding a Susan Ivonava from an alternate universe. First rule of writing, when unrequited love rears its head, screw stuff up! All questions, comments, and french frogs to beckihblumer@fuse.net. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: Susan Ivonava, Marcus Cole, Delenn, John Sheridan, Michael Garibaldi and Lyta Alexander are all JMS' creations and are trademarks of WB and PTEN. Please, I have nothing you would find of value, so please don't sue. Personal Disclaimer: I am a HOPELESS romantic, ask Stephy, Adam and Genisis Grace Heart. I am also Irish, which is just like Russian, intensified. I can be very vexing at times, so deal with me or don't read my work. The Child of A Star By Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Prologue-"Forever'- 2248 In an alternate universe Squad Commander Susan Ivonava held tight to her compainion's hand as they walked towards the starfurry bay. Her shoulder-legth hair swished softly on her back as they walked, helmets in hand. "Are you okay, Suzy?" Ltd. Marcus Cole asked his superior officer and wife to be. "Yeah, I think so, Marcus." Susan focused strait ahead, so he could see her eyes, if he looked at her eyes, he would know that she was lying. As they aprouched the door to the launch bay, Susan stopped and looked at Marcus. "No, actualy, I'm not fine, Marcus. I am scared, an expadition into Minbari space, in the middle of the war!! Its suicide!" "Suzy, darling, its going to be fine, trust me." he said, reaching for Susan's one earing, that he wore on a chain for good luck. Susan smiled, Marcus was always so opptimistic and she wasn't about to ruin it, so she flashed him her best smile. Marcus kissed her, gently as always, before they parted ways to their starfurries. "See you in space!" Susan called out to him. "You too, Love!" Marcus called back, across the empty bay. ________ 20 minutes later, Susan and Marcus' starfurries floated in the red and black emptiness of hyperspace, for the three hour journey to the edge of Minbari space. Susan took the time to relax and think about life. Susan's life had been far from perfect, but she still had much of it ahead of her, at 20, but she had endured much loss. Her brother Ganya, had commited sucide, after he had been forced on to the sleepers, and her Mother, a fighter pilot, like Susan, had been killed in the early stages of the war. When he father had abadoned her to run off with a beautiful student of his, Marcus had been there to help her pick up the pieces of her shattered life, and Susan loved him more than she loved her own life. He was always so gentle and loving towards her, she didn't know how she could possibly deserve such a man, but there he was. Marcus Cole was worried, his unfailing opptimism had been a front, so Susan wouldn't worried. Everybody knew that this was probably a suicide mission, and the selection had been random, Susan and one other. Marcus had insisted on the other person, John Sheridan, trading spots with him. If anybody was going on this mission with Susan, it was going to be Marcus. General Sinclare had been hesitant to let either of them go, after all, they were so young, and there were plenty of other officers to go on the mission, but Susan wouldn' let her old friend fix the results for them, and went to meet her fate. __________ The Minbari jumpgate flared toi life as Susan and Marcuus used their stolen code to activate it. As they jumped to normal space, and the galaxy reaserted itself in the proper position, Susan noticed a shadow on her scaner. "Aw, Hell!" she swore. "What? What?" came Marcus' voice over the link. "Look, a Minbari crusier, but how could they have.." Susan's radio went to static as a laser cut through the right wing of her starfurry and sent it tumbling into an astriod feild, with Marcus on her tail. _________ Marcus had managed to conect starfurries with Susan's. But he couldn't reach her. He looked for some hope among the dismal rocks of the astriod feild, praying for an answer to his prayer. About an hour later, he spotted a strange ship, out in the distance. He used the last of his fuel to reach it and hook on. It was an odd ship, with a green surface that molted between dark and light. With out thinking to be cautios, only thinking of his love, laying, perhaps dying in her starfurr cockpit. He carried her small form onto the alien ship, searching desperatly for life signs. Susan mouned and opened her eyes. "Susan!" Marcus cried out in hope. She mounded a bit, as if trying to use the last of her stregth to speak. "Marcus..." she began to cough, blood flowing freely from many wonds, "Marcus, I love you...I'm sorry...can't stay..." Susan's eyes closed as she trailed off and Marcus began to fratically search for a pulse. There was none. With a disparing look on his face, he pulled out his PPG, put it to his head, and pulled the trigger. His lifeless body fell to the deck, a inch from Susan's. What Marcus didn't know, was that the Vorlon ship had used the last of its damaged energy to save Susan's soul, which was, as of now, trapped in the matrix of the computer. Susan cried as she looked on herself and Marcus, lying there, dead on the deck. The ship gave a mournful cry and shut its self down. It drifted for years, toward a place called sector 14 and an abnormality. The trempral rift, the place where time and space mattered not. As the sad and sleeping ship entered the swirling votex of time and white plasma, Susan's mind called out one wish: MARCUS -------- Part 1- "Children of Time"- 2260 Commander Susan Ivonava, First officer of Babylon 5, starred out into space, contemplating herself. She stood proud in her new uniform, given to her three days ago by Delenn. She could still hear her confession at the rebirth ceremony: "I think I loved Talia." (Well,) she thought, bitterly,(That turned out well. You should know by now, Susan Lucretia Ivonava, that you are a regular bad luck love charm.) She continued to stare out at the stars, until, she noticed an odd point of light, like something reflecting off a ship. Her quick mind instantly sprung into motion as she ordered the computer to scan the area. The wire frame of a ship apeared on screen, its shape causing a gasp from Ivonava. She quickly tapped her link. "Sheridan, go." came the voice on the other end. "Captian, it Ivonava, we have something really weird up here for you, in C&C." she told him. "You are starting to sound like Kosh." Sheridan warned her. "Funny you should say that..." John Sheridan blinked. He couldn't believe it. There on the edge of scanning range sat a dead Vorlon ship, e for the taking. The Vorlon's were a very tiddy race, and how this could happen was beyond him. Delenn stood next to him, blinking her eyes in confusion as well. "I want to go Investigate it." Ivonava told the Captian, her voice breaking his dumbfonded reverre. "Commander, we need more information on this before we can go out there and poke around." Captian Sheridan admonished her. "And it isn't likely that you are going o get any straight answers out of Kosh....." Ivonava trailed off as all three turned to see Kosh enter C&C. "Go ahead." Kosh's odd mixture of voice and music told the trio. "What?" Sheridan asked, not quite believing his ears. "Go and meet your shadow, Susan Lucretia Ivonava." Kosh spoke, nodding towards Ivonava, before he left. Ivonava's eyes were wide in shock as Delenn and Sheirdan turned to look at her. "I have no clue." Ivonava told them sincerly. "Well, I guess you have your go ahead." Sheridan relented, Ivonava's smile of triumph was clear, but then he added; "But I want you to take Marcus with you." "But Sir...." the exasperated Commander ended her short protest. She didn't want to go ANYWHERE with Marcus Cole, not only did he delight in attempting to tare down the structures of authority, but she found that she actually found him attractive. Ivonava shook her head, but it was too late, Delenn was already sending Lennier in search of Marcus. (Why does this crap always happen to me?) Ivonava wondered. -------- Marcus Cole hadn't flown a starfurry in twelve years, ever since his tour of forced duty during the planetary draft in the E/M war. He slipped on the pilot suit over his ranger uniform and climbed into his barrowed starfurry. He couldn't believe his good fortune; an assignment with the beautiful, but ever icy Ivonava, with minimal danger. (What Luck!) He slipped his cloved hands over the controls of the furry, and suddenly felt a very acute sense of desha'vu. He shook his head to clear it, but the feeling remained. He smiled to himself as he heard Ivonava's all too famililar voice reviewing the drop checklist. _________ Ivonava had the very real feeling that she had done this before, gone on a mission like this with Marcus. As they hit space, she wasn't in the least surprised to hear Marcus voice over the link. She shook her head, but that only enduced a brief flash of light, and an image of herself walking down a hallway, holding Marcus hand.(Now where did that come from?) She asked herself. She didn't know. "Commander to C&C, we'll be back in a couple of hours." she said. "Noted, Commander. Good luck." came the voice of John Sheridan. -------- Ivonava and Marcus latched their starfurries to the haul of the ship, which was surprisingly compliant. As they switched on their flashlights, their unziped their flight suits, revealing their normal uniforms. "Kind of like a haunted house, eh, Commander?" Marcus asked . "Marcus!" Ivonava exclaimed. Suddenly, the ship seemed to come life, lights and paterns flickering everywhere. "Looks like a welcome mat." Marcus commented. Ivonava shook her head. The ship was bigger insiode then it looked and the two wandered a bit until they found a part of the wall colored differently then the rest. "It could be hatch way." Marcus said. Ivonava touched it, and the wall peeled aside to reveal a room. She gasped as her beam of light landed on two bodies on the deck. She got closer, and her face paled as she gazed on herself, laying there next to a dead Marcus Cole. Marcus walked up beside her, and looked rather discusted at the scene. "This is really starting to scare me." Ivonava whispered. Suddenly, the ship lurched and began to move. "Oh my God!" Ivonava cried out. Marcus looked about for someway to stop the ship, but it looked like there wasn't much hope.... Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Child of A Star part 2 "The Child of a Star" part 2 by Meredith D. Holt Hello All, This is the second part of my Ivonava meets Ivonava story. Question: What hapens when you toss two Ivonavas and one Marcus on a Vorlon ship speeding towards a time rift? Answer: Read to find out! Thanks to Genisis, Stephy Rose and Adam, my beta readers, and agian to Stephy Rose, my GH. Friend. Also thanks to Ms. Deye, my writing teacher. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: Susan Ivonava, Marcus Cole, Delenn, John Sheridan, Michael Garibaldi and Lyta Alexander are all JMS' creations and are trademarks of WB and PTEN. Please, I have nothing you would find of value, so please don't sue. Personal Disclaimer: I am a HOPELESS romantic, ask Stephy, Adam and Genisis Grace Heart. I am also Irish, which is just like Russian, intensified. I can be very vexing at times, so deal with me or don't read my work. The Child of a Star Part 2 By Meredith D.Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Speeding into Oblivion: Ivonava tenativly reached down to touch the other version of herself, who was laying dead on the deck. She searched for a pulse, but found none. She opened the flight suit, to find a mass of wounds and blisters on the body. Marcus, having given up on trying to stop the ship by banging on it, looked at the version of himself. He touched the left temple, where it looked like he had put a PPG to his head. When Ivonava lifted her eyes, Marcus saw unshed tears there. Suddenly all bussiness, she walked over to what appeared to be a console. Marcus followed her. She touched the keys, but nothing seemed to happen. Frustrated she banged on them, which didn't help either. Marcus touched them, and suddenly the keys turned to the english alphabet under his finger tips. "Must be me." he said with unfailing good humor. Ivonava shot him rays of death with her eyes. Suddenly, words came to the screen: (MARCUS?) Ivonava and Marcus looked at each other, and Marcus typed in: WHO ARE YOU? (MY NAME IS SUSAN, MARCUS.ITS ME. WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD?) came the words in reply. They were colored in red, something like an expresion of anger. SHOULD I BE? Marcus typed. Ivonava gave a snort. (YES. LOOK, YOU LAY THERE DEAD ON THE DECK. WHY DID YOU DO IT, MARCUS? YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO, YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY.) the words scrawled across the screen. Marcus and Ivonava stepped back in horror, looking at the bodies on the deck, this was really starting to scare Ivonava. THAT ISN'T ME. Marcus typed in, bravely. No reply was forth comming and Marcus took his hands of the keys, as he and Ivonava left for their starfurries. ---------- Later that night, after Ivonava and Marcus had tried and failed to dislodge their starfurries from the ship, Marcus lay on the deck near Ivonava, sleeping. He began to dream.... HE WAS LAYING ON THE FLOOR STILL, BUT SOMETHING HAD AWAKENED HIM. HE TURNED TO ROLL OVER AND GET UP, BUT SOON RELIZED THAT THIS WASNT POSSIBLE. A YOUNG WOMAN, WHO GREATLY RESEMBLED IVONAVA, HAD CURLED UP NEXT TO HIM, HER HIP SPOONED OVER HIS, HER CALF TOUCHING HIS, HER HEAD PILLOED ON HIS SHOULDER, LIKE AN ANIMAL WHICH HAS CREPT TO THE SIDE OF A FIRE.. HER SHOULDER-LEGTH HAIR FELL OVER HER EARTH FORCE UNIFORM IN A HAPHARZARD WAY, HER LONG LASHES FANNED AGIANST HER CHEEK. AS MARCUS STIRRED, SHE OPENED HER EYES AND SAT UP. "Marcus!" CAME HER GLAD CRY AS SHE WRAPPED HER ARMS AROUND HIM, RESTING HER HEAD ON HIS SHOULDER. TEARS BEGAN TO FLOW FROM HER EYES AS SHE HUGGED HIM CLOSE. ALMOST WITHOUT THINKING, MARCUS WRAPED HIS ARMS AROUND HER AND PULLED HER TO HIM. SHE PULLED BACK AND LOOKED HIM IN THE EYES, HER BABY BLUE ONES THEMSELVES LIKE REPLICAS OF IVONAVA'S. "Who are you?"HE ASKED AGAIN. "Susan Ivonava." SHE TOLD HIM SADLY. "That can't be..."MARCUS PROTESTED, SUDDENLY REALIZING THAT HE WAS DREAMING, BUT THIS GIRL WAS REAL. "Sure it can," SHE TOLD HIM, HER VOICE HAD THAT 'NO NONSENSE' IVONAVA SOUND TO IT THAT IT SCARED MARCUS."I figured it out, the ship told me. I don't belong here because I come from a paralell universe." AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDED, IT BEGAN TO MAKE SENSE TO MARCUS. THE SHIP HAD PASSED THROUGH THE TEMPERAL RIFT AND BROUGHT WITH IT THE PRESERVED BODIES OF MARCUS COLE AND SUSAN IVONAVA.BUT HOW DID she FIT IN TO IT ALL. "What happened to you?" MARCUS ASKED. "We were sent on a mission to Minbari space during the war, my fighter was hit, and Marcus tried to save me, he pulled us to this ship and I died here. The ship took my soul into its matrix with the last of its energy, but I don't know why." SHE TOLD HIM, STILL CLINGING TO HIM, AS IF HE WERE A LIFE LINE. "What happened to him?" MARCUS ASKED, GESTERING TO THE BODY OF COLE. "He didn't know that the ship had saved me, he didn't want to live with out me, so he shot himself. We were going to get married after the war." SHE SHOOK HER HEAD, GOING LIMP IN MARCUS' ARMS. HE REACHED UP TO STROKE HER HAIR. IT WAS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE. MARUS HAD BEEN WANTING TO HOLD IVONAVA LIKE THIS EVER SINCE HE MET HER AND NOW, ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T REALLY HER, IT WAS SO CLOSE, HE COULD BARELY TELL THE DIFFERENCE. HE ROCKED HER GENTLY, BURYING HIS FACE IN HER HAIR AND BREATHING IN THE SCENT. HE BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT EVERYTHING ABOUT SUSAN, HER BODY, THE FEEL OF HER HAIR, WERE HER MEMORIES OF WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO BE ALIVE. SHE LOOKED UP INTO HIS EYES. "Oh, Marcus, you are so much like him and I miss him so much...." SHE TRAILED OFF AS HE PLACED HIS LIPS ON HERS IN A PASSIONATE KISS... Ivonava woke up to the humming of the ship, hoping desperatly that John would get her distress signal, it still wasn't too late.... ------ John Sheridan looked at Ivonava's distress signal with dismay, he was trying to form a plan in his mind. He needed to rescue his first officer for the run away ship, and suddenly he realized that Kosh may have been behind it all. He sprinted to the alien sector and pulled on a breather mask. With out any niceties he barged into Kosh' quarters. "What is going on here? Why did you tell her to go if you knew that this would happen?" he demanded of Kosh. The Vorlon barely reguarded him as he answered: "The ship shall return when shadow meets shadow." Kosh said, as usual, giving no direct answers. "What the heck do you think you are doing! That's my second out there! Your are going to let her get attacked by Shadows!" John shouted at him. Kosh seemed not to notice as he began a Vorlon explanation. "Shadow meets Shadow, Life meets Death. Susan must be strong to fight, but she is not strong now, Susan will make her strong." Kosh whistled in a sing song fashion that John was quickly getting annoyed with. "Will she live?" John tried a different track. "Yes." ------- Ivonava shook Marcus awake, who mouned something in Minbari, then opened his eyes and got up. "We need to talk to the ship agian." She stated inpatiently as Marcus walked over to the console and began to type. SUSAN? (YES.) WHERE IS THE SHIP GOING? (I DON'T KNOW) SUSAN... (I SAID I DON'T KNOW!) the words were typed agian in red to show her growing anger. I'M SORRY. (ITS OKAY.) DO YOU KNOW WHAT ITS DOING? (YES.) CAN YOU TELL ME? (YOU ARE IMPOSSIBLE, MARCUS COLE. KOSH SENT IT TO ABDUCT YOU, I THINK. I'M SUPPOSED TO TALK TO SUSAN, BUT I DON'T WANT TO.) the words didn't scrawl across this time, but surfaced as a whole paragraph. Ivonava gave Marcus a sharp look. "Marcus, what is going on?" Ivonava tapped her foot. "Well..It like this.." Marcus said as he began to explain what happened to the other Susan and Marcus, but he neglected to mention the part about them ever being in love. As he finnished, green words came to the screen. (MARCUS, YOU FORGOT SOMETHING.) SHH! Marcus typed. (BUT IT IS SO MUCH BETTER THE OTHER WAY) Susan pouted. "I still don't believe it." Ivonava claimed, pushing Marcus aside and putting her hands on the keys. ARE YOU REALLY ME? she typed. (ARE YOU REALLY ME?) I DON'T KNOW. (I DO. YOU ARE ME, I AM YOU AND MARCUS IS MARCUS.) PROVE IT. (YOU LOVED TALIA) came the light pink words agianst the black back-drop. HOW DID YOU KNOW? Ivonava typed in quickly, fear clutching at her heart and puckering her brow. (SIMPLE, SO DID I.JUST NOT WHEN YOU DID. I MET HER IN THE ACADEMY, SHE WASN'T A TEEP, LIKE YOURS WAS, SHE WAS MY SUPERIOR OFFICER, A CAPITAN, CAPITAN TALIA MARIE WINTERS.) Ivonava sharply shook her head as she typed: WHAT HAPPENED? (SHE WAS ON THE SHIP THAT FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE MINBARI, OUT ON THE RIM. TALIA IS DEAD.) I'M SORRY. (I KNOW.) abruptly the screen went blank. Obiviously, Susan didn't want to talk any more. On of the walls near by began to glow blue, and then it peeled away, to reveal two cups and a plate of what looked like biscuts and crackers. Ivonava went over and brought them to Marcus, where they sat on the deck, far from the dead bodies of themselves. Later that evening, Ivonava lay down to sleep, much more comfortable than the first night, since they discovered that Susan could make parts of the deck soft, like pillows. Ivonava too began to dream... THEY SAT ON A DARKENED SHIP, IVONAVA LOOKED AT SUSAN, AN UNCANNY REFLECTION OF HERSELF A FEW YEARS YOUNGER. SUSAN HAD DRAWN HER KNEES UP AND WRAPPED HER ARMS AROUND THEM, WITH HER CHIN ON HER KNEES. "I don't know why you don't say anything to him." SUSAN COMMENTED TO IVONAVA, WHO LOOKED AT HER IN DISMAY."You love Marcus," SUSAN ELABORTATED,"I know. Thats why my Marcus is dead, he didn't want to live with out me. We were going to get married. I didn't think I could love agian after Talia, and then mother died and father ran off. Marcus helpoed me pick up the pieces, and showed me how to love agian. He was always so gentle. Can't you tell him?" "I don't think I'd do him justice." IVONAVA TOLD SUSAN. "I know, I felt the same way. But I miss him so much now.." SUSAN BEGAN TO CRY. IVONAVA GOT UP AND WALKED OVER TO HER. SHE SAT DOWN AND TOOK HER HANDS IN HERS. "Its okay, we'll get you out of here and you can...." IVONAVA WAS ABOUT TO SAY MORE WHEN SUSAN INTERUPTED. "NO! I am part of this ship, it loves me in a friendly way, I guess. I'll find a way for us to go on. But I was supposed to talk to you, and I did. The ship is turning around, heading back to your home. But I wanted to tell you not to wait to long, beause love is fleeting." SUSAN SAID AS SHE GOT UP AND VANISHED IN A BURST OF LIGHT. A SMALL GOLDEN EARRING LANDED WHERE SHE DISAPEARED. IT WAS ON A CHAIN. IVONAVA PICKED IT UP AND PUT IT ON..... --------- Marcus also dreamed,of Susan...... THEY WERE IN A STRANGE HOUSE, OUTSIDE THE LIGHT OF A CITY STOOD OUT AGIANST THE SNOW. INSIDE, LIGHT BLUE DRAPES COVER PARTS OF THE WINDOW, COMPLIMENTING THE DEEP BLUE WALLS. SUSAN WAS MAKING HOT CHOCOLET. "We used to live here, Marcus and I, whent we weren't on patrol or on assignments." SUSAN TOLD MARCUS. HE STOOD UP FROM HIS SEAT AT THE SMALL ROUND WHITE TABLE AND MOVED TO HOLD HER. HE WRAPPED HIS ARMS AROUND HER WAIST AND SHE LEANED BACK AGIANST HIM. "Don't wait too long to tell her, Marcus, or you won't get your chance." SUSAN ADVISED HIM. HE NODDED AND PULLED HER CLOSE, HIS LIPS BRUSHING HERS. SHE MOVED THE REST OF THE WAY, AND THEY HELD EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME. FINALLY, SHE DISTANCED HERSELF FROM HIM. "Good bye, Marcus." SHE SAID. -------- Marcus and Ivonava awoke to the rumbling and clank of a ship docking, and realized they were back at Babylon 5. The ship peeled its wall aside and allowed them to leave. Ivonava turned back, and saw a flash in the corner. She dashed oveer to pick up a golden earRing on a chain. IIvonava picked it up and put it around her neck. Along with Marcus, she picked up the bodies and carried them outside, to where John, Delenn, Kosh and Michael stood waiting for them. The assembly looked somewhat shocked at their cargo, but asked no questions for the time being. Kosh nodded to the ship, and just before it began to disengage, a point of light formed into the figure of a woman before them. Susan.She waved briefly, before she disapeared. {GOOD BYE.} Came the soft sound of her voice as the ship left the bay, and raced towards the jump gate, where it dispeared forever. -------- After Ivonava and Marcus finnished explaining their story, which Kosh confirmed, thingS basically returned to normal, both Ivonava and Marcus deciding to wait a bit before they agknowledged theiur feelings for one another. But if you look closely amoungest the rose bushes in Zen Garden, you will see a marble grave stone, standing out. On its surface is carved an angle, with her wings spread high. You see, Ivonava and Cole burried Marcus and Susan there, and on their tombstone are the words: SUSAN IVONAVA MARCUS COLE FOREVER A TESIMONY TO LOVE Remembering what we are, Blessed Child of a Star, In the rhythm, ancient rhyme, Is the Child of Time. Each and everyday remind, The Child of Time, What you were and what you are, Dearest Child of a Star.