From: Price Subject: Babylon 5: IA Sheridan "Investigations and escorts" & "Awakening Dragon" Date: Wed, 03 Jun 1998 15:06:59 -0700 Babylon 5: IA Sheridan - http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Rampart/8842/index.html The following stories are part of a Play By Email role playing simulation. The setting is the Babylon 5 universe in the current fifth season. Events and references in these stories may contain spoilers for prior and future episodes of B5. Additional information, character back ground, etcetera can be obtained by visiting the above website. We live for the one. We die for the one. Enjoy. ***** "Investigations and escorts" by Commander Kem Zaelea 9804.14 Kem was covering the bridge while Captain Yawashita was checking on the Chief Science Officer's progress with the recovered pieces of Llort freighter. Already Lieutenant Caple had discovered large pieces of debris that appeared to be from a Gaim attack vessel. But Captain Senji was unconvinced that those pieces were actually from the battle. Chief Intelligence officer Lennor had mentioned that more attacks of this type had been conducted while the Sheridan was in it's extended hyperspace journey and that fragments of various other space craft were similarly planted in and among the wreckage to help shift the blame to neighboring alien systems. Presently Lennor was assisting Lieutenant Caple in going over the many pieces of the wreckage and looking for the needle in the haystack that could help to indicate who was really behind these mysterious attacks. While Commander Zaelea was looking over operations on the Bridge, long range sensors detected something unusual. "Commander, I have something here on the sensor grid." Lieutenant Pierce called out. Walking over to where the Chief Engineer was stationed, Kem looked over his shoulder at the sensory panel. "What is it Pierce?" Scrunching his forehead slightly, James outlined the questionable area and enlarged it with a tap of his controls. "It looks like a large convoy of ships coming from the Gaim system." "More warships?" Commander Zaelea asked in a concerned tone. "No Commander, this looks more like freighter traffic. They are moving too slowly to be fighters, and the signature is way too large." Pierce explained. Overhearing the conversation, the Narn, N'Graz, spoke up. "We should dispatch some Red Dragon Fighters to run escort to that convoy Commander. It looks like a ripe target for whomever is behind these attacks." Kem turned and looked at the acting Wing Commander of the Red Dragon Squadron. He was a strong looking man, with fiery red eyes that seemed to always look angry. "I believe the idea is to get the attackers to show themselves mister N'Graz. If they see a full wing of Red Dragons they would most likely let the convoy pass without exposing themselves." N'Graz gave a twisted, descending smile while looking down his slightly bent nose at the Human Commander that replaced the Minbari Ranger Trynelle. "Who said that they would see us? The Red Dragon can fly in tight formation with the Gaim freighter traffic and hide between their ships. To outside observers, it will be like the Red Dragon are not even there." he gloated. Kem thought about it for a moment, placing her hand to her chin. If these Red Dragon were as good of pilots as they were made up to be, then N'Graz was probably not exaggerating. They could fly closely enough to the Gaim ships to go unnoticed by outside scans. But it would take very precise flying. "Maybe...." Kem considered out loud. "But Captain Yawashita would have to approve..." "Approve of what Commander?" Senji's voice came bellowing from the entrance ramp to the bridge of the Sheridan. Captain Yawashita continued to walk with his Minbari like gaunt until he was standing besides Pierce, N'Graz and Zaelea where he repeated himself. "Approve of what?" "Sir.," Kem said swallowing quickly, "Lieutenant Pierce has detected a freighter convoy leaving Gaim space. Mister N'Graz...." Commander Zaelea began to explain, but the red eyed Narn cut her off responding to the Captain's question himself. "Captain we should dispatch a wing of Red Dragon Fighters to escort the Gaim convoy. We can fly in close formation to conceal our presence and lay in wait for these unidentified attackers to strike." N'Graz finished with a defiant smile, satisfied that he was able to slight the Human female Commander. Captain Yawashita stood there for a moment in silence. He'd not lost sight of the intentional insult N'Graz had just subjected Commander Zaelea too, but he didn't do anything to prevent it either. Somehow, that made Kem feel uneasy. "Agreed N'Graz. See to it personally. I shall contact the Gaim convoy and alert them of your escort. You should launch at once." N'Graz placed his closed fist across his chest in a sort of salute, bowing slightly. When he straightened his fiery red eyes glanced at Commander Zaelea and gave her a smug look. ***** "Damn!" the scientist cursed in frustration. Several meters away from where Lieutenant Caple was conducting chemical tests on tiny pieces of Llort wreckage, Lennor was examining the many larger pieces of the freighter debris that were sprawled out on the science lab's floor. Using his perceptive investigative skills, the Chief Intelligence officer tried to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Trying to find that tiny detail that the others may have overlooked. Straightening his back, Bob looked over at the quiet Minbari. Lennor seemed absorbed in his visual inspection of the pieces that were scattered about the laboratory floor. He'd walk a few steps and stop. Studying each piece for a few seconds, before taking a few more steps and stopping again. Most of the time not even bothering to pick up the pieces. It was most bizarre. "Don't you ever get frustrated over this tedious work Lennor?" Caple asked. The Minbari stopped and just looked back at the Scientist blankly without saying anything. Their gaze locked for a moment, before Lennor looked back down at the piece of wreckage that laid before his feet. Unlike the other pieces he'd visually examined, this one stood out. kneeling down, he picked up the roughly square shaped piece of Llort wreckage and began to examine it more closely... ***** "Red Dragon Squadron, prepare to launch." N'Graz ordered over the intercom system. The four other ships that were in the flight each prepared their system. After double checking the setting of his flight helmet, N'Graz turned his head and glanced over to the Fighter on his immediate right. The brave Minbari pilot, Tilmar, gave the Narn a nod. Turning his head to his immediate left, the young, goteed Minbari pilot, Ashar, smiled back and gave the new Wing Commander a small salute. "Okay Red Dragon. Launch." N'Graz ordered, sending the thunderous roar of the five fighter's engines echoing through the flight deck as they launched from the Sheridan one by one. When the last fighter was launched, the five ships quickly fell into formation and began to head towards Gaim space and the convoy of freighters they were going to escort in close formation, hopeful that whoever was behind the mysterious attacks would take the bait and attack them. "Awakening Dragon" by Commander Kem Zaelea 9804.16 Doctor Angel watched in awe from behind the Minbari pilot that was at the flight controls of the tiny medical transport. Using her multiple tentacle arms, she steadied her stance as the small skiff banked to avoid the weapons fire from some strange unknown enemy ships. "It's no good Doctor, there are too many of them!" the Ranger called back in an urgent, panicked tone. The Belladon was about to order that they abort their attempt to land on Aloc and try to find another way to help the sick people on that planet, but when she looked up at the main view screen, she saw the most horrific sight she'd ever seen. An alien ship so hideous, so menacing, that it made her heart murmur in fear. Standing there, petrified, Angel opened her eyes to their widest and watched when the ship discharged it's weapons at point blank range upon the tiny medical craft... ***** Doctor Angel startled herself awake with a jerk and a slight gasp of disbelief. Disoriented, the Belladon looked around until she realized she had fallen asleep at her desk studying the digestive track of the Minbar from her medical texts. Stretching her neck, rubbing a tentacle across the base of her scull, she tried to relieve the crick that sleeping in a sitting position had left her with. Glancing around her quiet office in medical, Angel still had an uneasy feeling over her dream. "Why Aloc?" she wondered. The strange aliens she could understand, the Sheridan was on a mission to investigate strange mysterious attacks on the freighter traffic here at the outer rim of non-aligned worlds, but Aloc? That made no sense at all! Taking one of her tentacles, Angel tapped the triangular communications unit strapped to the back of her other arm. "This is Doctor Angel in Medical. Can you get me someone from the planet Aloc on the line?" she asked. A confused sounding male voice came over the channel, obviously Minbari from the sound of the accent, ["Doctor? Who exactly did you want to talk to on Aloc?"] Angel circled two of her tentacle arms around and rested them onto her hips while still holding the transmit button with her other two arms. "I don't know. I just wanted to..." she sighed, "Oh, just forget it Ranger. Doctor Angel out." The Doctor closed the channel and felt a little foolish for trying to contact someone on Aloc. But she still has an uneasy feeling that it wasn't just coincidence that she'd dreamt of Aloc. Sitting back at her desk, Angel decided to use the Sheridan's computer terminal to see what she could have possibly seen or read recently that would place that low tech, backwards world into one of her dreams. ***** *** Red Dragon Squadron *** The five Red Dragon Fighters were flying in a tight arrow formation when they approached the large Gain convoy of 16 freighters. N'Graz, the red eyed Narn and acting Wing Commander was leading at point. Ashar and Tilmar, two talented young Minbari pilots were riding the leader's wings, with Mealon and Denok, two older Minbari pilots riding theirs. "Gaim convoy. Gaim convoy. This is Wing Commander N'Graz, leader of the Red Dragon squadron from the IA Sheridan, requesting permission to join your convoy." A moment of silence was soon replaced with the reply from one of the Gaim freighters. The small image of the large headed Gaim freighter Captain appeared on the hud of N'Graz fighter. ["Welcome Rangers. We have been contacted by the Sheridan. You are free to join our convoy at your convenience. We welcome your company Red Dragon Leader."] the Gaim said while holding his hands and rubbing them in a strange, nervous way. N'Graz just have the monitor a nod and a low sounding grunt in acknowledgment before deactivating the hud display and closing the channel. "Okay Red Dragon, let's fly between their ships, keeping it tight and inside. We do not want to be detected by outside scans of the convoy. We can use the large freighters to shield our signatures." ["We understand Red leader."] Mealon replied from the far right wing. ["Would you look at the size of those ships?!"] Tilmar declared just when the ships started to break formation. ["What do you think they are carrying in those?"] ["Those elongated ones are tankers. Probably carrying fuel headed for the inner planets somewhere. These rounder ones look like reefers."] Denok explained from the far right. ["Reefers?"] the young Minbari pilot asked over the comm system of his Red Dragon Fighter. ["Refrigeration ship. Carrying tons of perishable food or medicines I would imagine."] Denok explained. "Cut the chatter Red 3 and 5." N'Graz bellowed, "We have a job to do here Ranger, this is not social hour." He hissed. "Get into position now, and maintain radio silence. The enemy may be monitoring us this very moment." The chatter stopped immediately. Being a hot headed Narn, N'Graz lacked the experience and tact that Wing Commander Victor had had before he left, but he definitely got the job done. The five Red Dragon Fighters were soon fully concealed by flying inside the 16 Gaim freighter's formation. All that remained now was for them to ride along and wait for the wolves to come to the bait. *****