From: Penny Horwitz Subject: A Gathering Of Forces 1/? Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 18:34:36 -0600 Roads Not Taken Series Chapter 2 A Gathering of Forces [1/?] By Penny Horwitz This is the second chapter of _Roads Not Taken_, an alternate universe series. It parallels the pilot episode, _The Gathering_ Standard disclaimers: Characters, and settings belong to JMS, and Babylonian Productions. I'm just playing with them and am not trying to make a profit or challenge a copyright with this work. Please don't repost this story without my permission. Feel free to send comments to me at plhorwi@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Prologue: January 2257 Marcus grumbled over the stacks of paper work. More than once this evening he had cursed Sheridan for getting him into this. He had been rather happy finishing his tour of duty as the Commander of the Air Group off the Agamemnon. But no, John had to convince him that it would look better on his record to be the first officer of the most expensive mistake in human history. At least the Captain would be here in four days to take over much of this mess. And if he didn't, Marcus would feed him to the reporters that had been swarming Babylon 5 the past couple of days. If there was anything in the known galaxy worse than paperwork it was reporters. Speaking of annoying reporters, Marcus remembered his brother having left four messages in an attempt to get an interview with Sheridan. Of course all of the attempts were in vain, but Marcus was feeling rather sadistic tonight. It only took twenty minutes for the connection to be established between the station and ISN. Will looked up from his desk and grinned, "Hello, big brother. How's work?" He asked. "Work is work and the answer to your question is still no." Will pouted, "Come on, Marcus. I'm your brother for Christ's sake! You'd think..." Marcus cut him off. "You'd think what? That I should waste Captain John J. Sheridan's precious time so my brother, the cub reporter, can make a name for himself? I don't bloody well think so! You'd have better luck getting an interview with God! I know you'll be here for the ceremonies in a week, and if he wants to talk to you, that will be his call. Other than that, have a nice day." He cut off the connection without further comment. This simple act made him feel a whole lot better. Maybe there were perks to the job after all. ___________ The Zocolo was bright, and happy, which was exactly what Jeff Sinclair did not need at the moment. He sat at the bar, and watched the bubbles in his Zima float to the surface. He was worried, and the cheerful setting was doing everything it could to depress him further. "Shopping for something in particular?" asked a cheerful female voice. Jeff looked up to find a perky redhead take a seat next to him. "I'm waiting for my wife." His voice sounded extremely sober to his own ears. "Can I buy you another drink while you wait?" She asked as he studied her features. She was _very_ attractive, and rather tempting. "I'm not sure my wife would like that." "How about going to bed with me?" He made an exaggerated play of thinking it over then said, "Sure, why not." Her charming laughter made him smile for the first time since coming to this tin can. "You are such a lecher, Jeffrey Sinclair.' "Only with the woman I love, Anna. Only with you. So how did the negotiations with the Drazi go?" She rolled her eyes. "I have never dealt with such combative beings before. The negotiations took forever, but we are go. And they definitely want you to pilot the mission." Sinclair sighed with relief. "They accepted my terms then?" She nodded, and he grinned. "Good, I know the Drazi well enough to know they make lousy archeologists; and even worse crew members, unless the ship is theirs in the first place. So where are we going anyway?" "A newly discovered planet out on the rim. Drazi probes picked it up a couple months ago, and from preliminary findings, the civilization there predates anything we've ever found!" Anna was absolutely radiant as she spoke, and it lifted some of the uneasiness he had felt since coming here. "And the best part is 3 months out in hyperspace, without a lot of interruptions." Jeff felt a sly smile cross his face. "I'm looking forward to this then." _________ Chapter One "I still can't believe you talked me into this." Garibaldi moaned from the co-pilot seat. "You drag me out into the middle of God knows where to be your chief of security. I had a rather cozy job back on Mars, John!" Captain John J. Sheridan, formerly of the _Agamemnon_, now Commander of Babylon Five, laughed. "If I didn't bring you along, Michael, I'd starve to death." He glanced over at his long time friend. "Seriously, since you and Lise broke up I thought you wanted to get out of there. I mean you jumped at the chance when I offered it." "You took advantage of my fragile state to shanghai me, and lock me up on the fucking Satellite of Love!" John grinned. "Mike, you're about as fragile as a steel beam, and if you don't stop bitching I'll find someone in Maintenance to whip up Crow and Servo. Trust me, Mike, this is going to work out, and I need my friends out here." "If this is how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see what you do to your enemies." Michael muttered as the shuttle prepared for docking. _____________ Marcus stood at attention, sweating under the harsh lights of docking bay 12. Sheridan was finally here, and he could turn over the reins. After this he could finally get some sleep, and dream about civilian life. Someone slid into place next to him. He turned to find a short somewhat non-descript man standing to his right. He was wearing a Earthforce security uniform. Then he remembered, Alfred Bester, interim head of security, hand picked by Sheridan's old school chum, or so he heard. But there was something... unnerving about the guy, much like a snake about to strike. "It'll be good to see the chief again." Bester spoke unexpectedly into the silence. "So you know Mr. Garibaldi?" Marcus asked casually. He had of course read the man's dossier, but one could only get so much from a printed screen. The other man's harsh laughter filled the bay. "I know him all right. And Garibaldi is just someone you'll have to experience for yourself." Marcus sighed as he brushed a hand through his hair. "Oh, joy. Oh, rapture." He mutter, and silently prayed it wasn't going to be as bad as he feared. ______ After what seemed like an eternity, Sheridan's shuttle docked, and the two men disembarked. The Captain seemed to be in a good mood, which was a good sign, because Marcus had no urge to relive those rare occasions when his commanding officer's temper flared. The Captain walked up to Marcus, and Cole tersely saluted, "Welcome aboard, Captain. I've been instructed to surrender command to you at this time." Sheridan smiled and returned his salute, "I accept command." He then took Marcus' hand and shook it vigorously. "It's good to see you again, Marcus. How are you?" The smile was infectious, and Marcus couldn't help but return it. "I've been better. I've almost been overrun several times by reporters looking for an interview with you, including my own brother." "Well, we'll have to do something about that won't we?" Marcus shook his head, "Captain, please don't give Will any special consideration because he's my brother. Dad already has given him too much too easily." He felt Sheridan's eyes on him for a moment, and knew exactly what he was thinking. Marcus had never talked much about his family, and for good reason. His father, hero of the Dilgar War, had recently been appointed Secretary of Defense. Marcus had been forced to follow in his footsteps, while Will was give preferential treatment because he was the baby of the family. "All right, Marcus. If I do end up giving him an interview, it'll be because he earned it with professionalism. Fair enough?" Cole nodded, and the Captain's companion finally spoke, "John, is he even _old_ enough to be your executive officer?" Marcus' eyes widened, and John hid his laughter behind a cough. "Marcus, may I introduce you to Babylon 5's chief of security, Michael Garibaldi. Mike, this is Commander Marcus Cole. He was the air group commander when I was commanding the Aggie." "Christ, John! I'm amazed you survived with a kid heading up your squadrons." Garibaldi continued to rant as Marcus rolled his eyes. "Excuse me, Mr. Garibaldi, but as the first officer of Babylon Five, I do expect some type of respect from my fellow officers, yourself included." He snapped. "Okay, Okay. Whatever you say... Kid." Garibaldi smirked at him, and walked away to speak with Bester, who he greeted like and old friend. John restrained Marcus, who was about ready to tear Garibaldi's throat out. "It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship to me." He quipped. "He doesn't mean anything by it, Marcus. Michael just er.... rough around the edges. He did worse to me when we first met." "Well, after this auspicious beginning, it can't get any worse can it?" Marcus said as he fell in step with Sheridan and left the docking bay. End Part 1 ________________________________________________________ Pen Horwitz plhorwi@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu My webpage coming soon ________________________________________________________ From: Penny Horwitz Subject: A Gathering Of Forces 2/? Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 18:38:52 -0600 Roads Not Taken Series Chapter 2 A Gathering of Forces [2/?] By Penny Horwitz Standard disclaimer: This work of fiction draws on the mythos of the Babylon 5 universe, but is not intended to challenge ownership. B5 belongs to JMS and WB, but the situations described in AGoF are mine. Please do not repost any part of this story without the permission of the author, Marcus continued to brief John on the past two and a half weeks since he had taken command of the station from Major Alissa Payne, of the Earth Force Corps of Engineers. "All of the ambassadors are here except for the Vorlon." He reported. "Ambassador Delenn has been anxious to see you." "Figures." Garibaldi came up from behind. "No wonder you said you needed friends around." Sheridan blushed, looking everywhere but his executive officer. "You mean..." The commander began to put the pieces of puzzle together. The Minbari ambassador's insistence on seeing the Captain as soon as possible. John's reluctance to ever talk about relationships over the years. "You and the ambassador?" Marcus stopped for a moment, and when he spoke again it was with an utterly straight face. "Well, Captain, it's good to know that you're taking EA policy about alliances with alien governments to heart." Sheridan's eyes went wide with shock as Garibaldi fought to breathe. Marcus stood there looking for the world as if he had just reported on tomorrow's duty roster. "Nice shot, kid!" Garibaldi continued to laugh uproariously, "You know, I might have misjudged you a little." By this time Sheridan was as red as the leather trim of his uniform. "Thank you, gentlemen. I really appreciate that you find my private life so entertaining." "Somebody's got to keep you humble, John. The kid was just quicker at it than I was... This time." "Why thank you, Mister Garibaldi." Marcus smirked and he made an extravagant bow. "Nice to know you appreciate wit." Garibaldi quickly retorted. "Wit... Or nitwit... All the same." Sheridan just shook his head as Marcus nearly choked. "I attempt to put together a staff I could trust, and what do I get, comedians." He sighed and made a show of indignation. "All right, gentlemen, and I really use the term loosely. Behave." "What are you going to do, John? Send us to bed without supper? You might get away with it with the kid, but I'm a little to old for that." "No, I just won't let you get your hands on these." John said as he pulled a folded flimsy from his pocket. He showed it to Garibaldi, and when his friend's jaw dropped he turned on Marcus. "And you really don't want me sending a glowing report to Daddy on how you're wasted here and should be given your own command." "You wouldn't..." Sheridan's smile was positively demonic. "Try me." Michael glanced at Marcus. "Did they teach you anything about strategic retreats at the Academy?" "Yes, I would definitely say this situation calls for one. Captain, this match is yours," He said solemnly, but then his lips curled into a half smile, "but the game has yet to be decided." Michael took the opportunity to snatch the flimsy away from John, and began gazing at it lovingly. "John, how the hell did you manage to get these..." Marcus peered over Michael's shoulder to see what precious information could have been scrawled on the plastic. "It looks like an ingredients list... What the bloody hell is so important about an ingredients list?" "Other than the fact that the shipment will be off-loaded in an hour, and Michael is a gourmet chef, not much." Sheridan smiled. "I just figured we all could use a nice relaxing meal before the shit hits the fan. That is if you're game, Mike" "Hell yes!" He turned a grin on Cole. "So, kid... How do you feel about Italian?" Marcus rolled his eyes and sighed. This was going to be a long tour of duty. ____________ Sheridan wandered into his office. The spartan surroundings fit his mood, and while he was plotting the demise of his fellow officers, he was also glad for their teasing. It made it easier not to think about her. The last time he had seen Delenn was at a conference on Minbar. It had been just before his promotion to Captain, and being given command of the _Agamemnon_. As he stood behind his desk, he shivered involuntarily at the memory of that evening. Rain on the crystal structures had made them sing. "Hello, John," she said. He jumped at the unexpected intrusion, and found her standing in the doorway, looking more beautiful than he remembered. Time had been kind to her, and rather than stealing her beauty the passing years had refined it. "Delenn." His voice wavered slightly, and he fought to keep it steady. He knew he would see her again, but so soon, and with so little time to prepare. After all this he still couldn't bring himself to tell her. Oh, he had admitted it to himself long ago, but he'd never voiced it to her for fear of losing everything. "I had heard that you had arrived and I wished to... Say hello, and to see that you are well." She walked to the desk, with that exotic flowing grace that marked all her movements. "Uh... Thank you. I'm glad..." He wasn't exactly sure what to do next. How should he greet her? Two years was a long time. To cover his nervousness he reached for the stack of papers, only to watch them spill from his hands. He berated himself silently. Well, at least it was distraction enough for him to collect his thoughts, and calm his racing heart. He took a deep breath and put on his best knock 'em dead grin. "Would you like a seat?" John gestured to the chairs on the far side of the desk. The gentle smile she wore lit the entire office as she accepted his offer. "Thank you, Captain." He hid his disappointment. Captain? Why the hell did she fall back to calling him by his rank after all these years. Was it something he had done? *Beep Beep* "Sheridan, go." Marcus' voice was a welcome relief from the tension. "Sir, the captain of the _Pandora_ has been waiting on his clearance to hitch a ride out to the Rim on the next Explorer-class vessel." "The _Pandora_? That doesn't sound familiar." He rummaged through the the papers. "Oh yes, the Drazi-sponsored freelance expedition. Tell him I'll contact Earth Dome tomorrow and get his ship cleared. Sheridan out." He looked up and noticed the worried expression in her eyes. "An expedition out to the Rim?" She asked, with a strange tightness in her voice. "Yes, It's Drazi sponsored, but the ship's complement seems to be mostly human crew, freelance archeologists and the like." He stopped to study her. "Is there anything wrong, Delenn?" She seemed startled at the suggestion. "Um... No, should there be? I should leave you to your work." She stood and bowed to him, but as she walked out she added, almost as an afterthought, "Do you know when Ambassador Kosh will arrive?" "I think Commander Cole said something about tomorrow, if that helps." "Yes, Captain, it does. Good day." She calmly walked out. __________ Delenn strode back to her quarters, anxious for the familiar comforts. Being near him made her feel weak, and giddy. She was amazed that she was able to hold a coherent conversation with him at all. She felt so deeply for him, and yet she could do nothing, though there were times that she feverently wished she could rebel against destiny. He seemed so alone. She stopped herself. Delenn knew to continue down this way would only weaken her resolve to aid him in the tasks ahead. Besides she had more important things to worry about than acting like a love-struck adolescent. The news that the Drazi were sponsoring a ship out to the Rim bothered her. She would have to find out exactly where they were going and quickly. It was a remote chance that they would head to the homeworld of the Enemy and awaken them, but that chance could not be taken. They were not ready yet. She wished Kosh was here so she might take counsel with him, and she wished the time was right to tell John all she knew, but wished gained her nothing. And time was not on her side. ________ "Delenn came to your office today?" Garibaldi asked as he passed the bowl of pasta to Marcus. John nodded and grabbed a piece of bread to dip into the Bagna Cauda. "So how did it go?" "Don't go fishing, Michael. You're not going to catch anything." "Jesus H. Christ! When the hell are you going to stop moping and tell her!" Garibaldi threw up his hands in disgust as his best friend stared at his plate. "This has been going on for ten years now. You should know by now if you love her or not so what the hell is wrong?" "I'm frightened, okay?" Sheridan snapped, "I'm afraid that I'll lose her if I tell her, and she's right up there with the two of you in the close friends category. I don't want to sacrifice that." "I'm sorry, John. I didn't know." Michael said as a slightly shocked Marcus looked on. "Geeze, Marcus, don't look so surprised. I wouldn't have you here if I didn't trust you that much. This station is too big of a job for one person, and I needed all the help I could get." John smiled at his first officer. "Thank you." Marcus said softly. Garibaldi decided it was a good time to switch targets. "So, kid, what about you? According to what I picked up today, you haven't paired off with anybody, much to the dismay of many of the women onboard." It was Marcus' turn to blush. "I haven't been looking. Honesty, I haven't met a woman I'd really make a lasting commitment to. I'm waiting for the right one. Guess I'm just romantic." "Lovely... I'm surrounded by hopeless fools." "What about Lise?" Sheridan asked wickedly. "_Don't_ even go there!" "More pasta, Mike?" ___________ Marcus knew he shouldn't have had so much to drink but the wine was so damn good, and he needed to relax so it shouldn't have been that big of a deal. He curled up in his bed, thankful that he wasn't on call for the first time in two weeks, and fell asleep to disturbing dreams. Something was chasing him, something he couldn't see, but knew if it caught him it would destroy him. Marcus ran down endless corridors trying to find a way out, only to be faced with a set of beautiful blue eyes. Those eyes captured him even more completely than the darkness could. Stunned, the words came from his lips. "Who are you?" And in the distance came the response. An inhuman voice spoke. "The future." His alarm woke him. _________ Sheridan stepped into C&C that morning to the salutes of his new command. He planned to give his good luck speech after the arrival of Ambassador Kosh. Marcus stood there, staring out the viewpoint. He looked distracted. "You all right, Commander?" "Yes, sir. Just some odd dreams." Marcus shrugged. "Stress induced, most likely. I used to have dreams like this when I was heading up the Air Group, before known engagements." "Ha... If you're sure you're okay then." "Of course, Captain. I've..." The panel in front of him lit up. "Jump gate opening. Beacon matches that of Ambassador Kosh's ship." Sheridan grinned. It was finally coming together. With Kosh's arrival, the station was truly operational. The ceremonies were now just a formality. "Shall we go meet the Vorlon, Commander?" "Of course, sir. Lieutenant Guerra, you have command." End Part 2 -- ________________________________________________________ Pen Horwitz plhorwi@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu My webpage coming soon ________________________________________________________ From: Penny Horwitz Subject: A Gathering of Forces 3/? Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 22:53:46 -0600 Roads Not Taken: Chapter Two A Gathering of Forces 3/? By Penny Horwitz Standard disclaimers in part 2 Londo Mollari hated being rushed, and was in the process of cursing the Vorlon ambassador for being early, when the door chimed. He ordered it open as he fumbled with his formal vest. Finally he turned to greet his visitor. "Hello, old friend. I'm quite pleased to see you though I was expecting Vir. That thrice damned moonfaced assassin of joy was supposed to be helping me, but he disappeared." Londo looked closely at his visitor. "You do not look so well, my friend. Are you..." Mollari never got a chance to finish his sentence for when the blade entered his abdomen, the pain erased everything else. __________ Bester walked down the halls of Green sector, glad for the excuse to avoid seeing the Vorlon. They gave him the chills, more so than anything else he associated with his father. Al was just thankful that the old man had other "more important" things to do rather than to be here for the dedication ceremony. His affiliations would have led to indelicate questions, and would have strained the credibility of his story, both to his friends and his father. So he was ready to forgive Ambassador Mollari for being late to the welcoming ceremony. He arrived at the door, and rang the chime twice. When no one answered, Bester's instinct kicked in and he overrode the lock. Stepping inside he found the ambassador in a pool of his own blood, barely conscious. "Bester to Medlab. We have a medical emergency in Green 2 level 5. Ambassador Mollari has been wounded." ________ Garibaldi rushed to Medlab Two as soon as the news broke. He had been talking to the troops in Security when Bester linked in and told him what had happened. Michael hoped that Londo would be able to identify his attacker, and that whoever the perp was, he hadn't gotten off the station before John had sealed it. "How bad does it look, Doc?" He asked as he crossed the threshold. Stephen Franklin pulled off his medical cap and gloves and placed them in the recycling bin with a sigh. "Honestly, Mister Garibaldi, it was a mess in there, but we got to him in time. He should be awake in a few minutes, but go easy on him; the ambassador needs to rest." ___________ Delenn waited quietly outside Kosh's quarters fidgeting with her breather. She didn't need more than a breath from the apparatus, but had to maintain appearances. The door finally opened and Delenn entered. The monolithic encounter suit stood before her, darkened. "Ambassador?" she asked tentatively. Servomotors whined as the suit came to life, and turned toward her. The iris, which opened to emit a faint green light, regarded her closely as the translator sang in strange tones. "Yes?" She bowed her head, unsure of how the Vorlon would react to the news. "It seems that an expedition of humans, supported by the Drazi, is being sent to the Rim. Shouldn't we stop them?" The translator sang out again in questioning notes, "Why?" "If we let them go, they might stumble upon the Shadows, and awaken them." Delenn repressed a shutter. "We still aren't ready. Kosh, you know this. We need more time!" The encounter suit's 'head' cocked to one side and the music that issued from the translator was matter-of-fact. "If they go to Z'Ha'Dum, they will die." "We cannot..." "Enough!" The suit turned away from her, as clear a dismissal as any she had ever received as a novice. She nodded and left, but as the door opened to allow her exit Delenn heard the soft voiceless song of the Vorlon's translator, "And so it begins." _____________ Londo lay in the med bed looking extremely uncomfortable. Actually, Garibaldi thought that uncomfortable was an understatement. "Why won't you tell me who you saw, Londo?" "Because, Mr. Garibaldi, I do not believe it." "Londo, let me get this straight. Someone tried to kill you, you know who it is, and you're not going to tell me?" Garibaldi stared at him in disgust. "Do you have a death wish?" "No, of course not. But what I saw could not have been real. He would never have tried such a thing." Garibaldi racked his brain, hoping to understand. Who had a motive. Then understanding dawned. "Why the hell would you be protecting _him_?" Londo sighed, a grimace of pain scralled all over his face. "He is my friend, Mr. Garibaldi. I have had very few true friends in this life." "He just tried to kill you!' "Mr. Garibaldi, you do not know G'Kar very well at all, do you?" Garibaldi thought as he stared in disbelief at one of the most powerful emissaries of the fading Centauri Republic. For some strange reason he was defending a Narn, who would most likely been happy to slit his throat. "Okay, Londo, explain it to me." "When I was young, I was sent to Narn to oversee my family's interests there. I was the perfect target for the Narn Resistance. They kidnapped me, and half of them were for executing me on the spot. But their leader would have no such thing. G'Kar spared my life that day, and forced me to see the Narn as more that just numbers on a ledger. I stayed with them for some time, and when G'Kar set me free; I returned home to legislate for Narn's freedom. Then the Collapse happened, and our need became that much more urgent." The Collapse. The merest thought made Garibaldi shiver. He had seen images on ISN of the radiation survivors that made Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and San Diego look like minor scrapes. Londo nodded in response to the play of horror over the Chief's face. "Yes, it was a terrible thing. Almost overnight Centauri Prime became a wasteland, a monument to foolish pride and war gone too far. G'Kar came to our aid then and I cannot believe that he would turn on me now." ________ "I don't get it." Sheridan paced back and forth across the briefing room. "Surveillance video clearly shows Ambassador G'Kar, but if what Ambassador Mollari says is true then he has no motive." He turned to look at Garibaldi. "Have you been able to find G'kar yet?' "No luck. I've got my people searching the station for him, and with the lock-down, no one is getting out without my people knowing." "I don't think it was G'Kar." Marcus said as he stepped inside. He handed a computer pad to Sheridan. "Doctor Franklin just finished his report on the incident. Whoever it was wasn't trying to kill the ambassador. The wound wasn't well placed for a clean kill." "Kid, he was found swimming in a pool of his own blood. A clean kill wouldn't matter." "Mr. Garibaldi, why attack him when he'd be missed? It'd make sense to wait and kill him _afterward_, and why be sloppy enough to let him see who his attacker was? I'm no detective but even I could see the gaping holes in that plan." "He has a point, Michael." John said hiding a smile behind a cough. "All right, All right." Garibaldi glared at Marcus. "So where do we start?" "That's easy." Cole said. "We find G'Kar." Garibaldi rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Easier said than done, kid." End Part 3 -- ________________________________________________________ Pen Horwitz plhorwi@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu My webpage coming soon ________________________________________________________