From: Price Subject: Babylon 5: IA Sheridan - "Volunteers need only apply" & "Communicating" Date: Sun, 07 Jun 1998 21:43:03 -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. ***** "Volunteers need only apply" by Commander Kem Zaelea 9805.7 *** Bridge, IA Sheridan *** Captain Yawashita sat in the command chair and patiently glanced out the main view portal. The remaining Red Dragon Fighters were currently patrolling the area of the destroyed Gaim freighters, mostly to keep a vigilant eye out for any signs of those that did this. There was also a faint hope that one of the pilots would spot something that would give the Rangers a clue as to the fate of Red Dragon One. N'Graz ship had mysteriously disappeared from the battle scene where the wreckage from the other four Red Dragon ships where discovered mixed in with the Gaim wreckage. Senji was not deaf to the whispered rumors he perceived around him. Accusations that the Narn Ranger in charge of the Red Dragon Wing, N'Graz, had fled from the battle to save his own skin. Senji didn't believe this to be true. But still, as time past and they were unable to find anything to prove otherwise, the Captain was beginning to have his own doubts. Glancing over, Senji noticed that Commander Zaelea was busy trying to keep moral up on the ship. That she was doing everything she could to dissuade these rumors among the Minbari Rangers that were spreading them. Captain Yawashita could sense that Kem herself had doubts about what had happened to the Narn, but he admired her dedication to the ship and what she was trying to do. When a crew turns upon itself, no good can come of it. Senji knew this. He was glad to see that Commander Zaelea knew it too and took it upon herself to stop these rumors from poisoning the rest of the Rangers. It was the first thing about the Commander that Captain Yawashita had liked. "Captain, incoming transmission from the fortress of light. Priority channel." Ranger Thompson called out. "Who is it Ranger?" Captain Yawashita asked, glancing in Leonard's direction. "Ambassador Delenn Captain." Thompson replied. Getting out of the command chair, Senji started walking to the Captain's office, "I'll take it in my office. Commander Zaelea, the bridge is yours." Thompson nodded, as did Commander Zaelea. Kem watched Captain Yawashita walk into his office and saw the doors slide shut behind him. Senji made his way to his desk and sat down. Activating the view port, a holographic screen materialized in mid air. Ambassador Delenn's image soon appeared. "You wished to speak to me Ambassador?" Senji asked, bowing slightly to the former Grey Council Satai. "Hello Senji. You look well. How goes your search for the missing Ranger N'Graz?" Delenn asked in an interested tone. "We have not discovered any new information I am afraid. The entire area has been blanketed in gamma radiation, which is making it impossible to track the ion trails from passing ships involved in the battle. We remain hopeful that a clue will still present itself from the wreckage. The remaining Red Dragon are flying the perimeter of the battle area scanning for signs of the missing fighter." Senji explained. Delenn nodded her head in an almost saddened fashion. "You and the Rangers have done well Captain. But you must recall the Red Dragon and prepare to travel to Ganymede at once. A more pressing problem has presented itself and needs immediate attention." Captain Yawashita wasn't able to hide his disappointment. His face twisted slightly, almost expressing annoyance, but he knew better than to question Delenn. "Ganymede. The largest moon orbiting Jupiter. What are we to do there Ambassador?" "We have received a report that there is a secret Psi-Corps laboratory on that moon where a dangerous virus is being developed that only affects non-telepaths. President Sheridan and I want the Rangers to investigate this to determine if it is true or not. It will be a dangerous assignment. You must send a team down to the moon's surface and penetrate this laboratory installation. It will not be easy. If this is true, they are sure to have telepaths scanning the area." Delenn explained. "I understand. What are we to do if we discover this laboratory does exist and that the rumors are true Ambassador?" Senji asked. "Your first priority is to contact Babylon 5 to let us know the exact location of the laboratory just in case you are unable to carry out the second part of your mission. If you are able to, after reporting the laboratory's location, you are to destroy it, any virus and all research information related to the work they are doing there. Do you understand Senji?" Captain Yawashita nodded. "I do Ambassador. I will recall the fighters and set course for Ganymede immediately." Delenn nodded. "May your mission succeed in Valen's name." Delenn made a Minbari triangle with her hands and bowed slightly before deactivating the transmission. Senji sat there for a moment a then cursed. "Damn it all!" Rising up, he made his way back onto the bridge not able to shake his thoughts on the lost Ranger, N'Graz, and what fate had become his friend. "Commander, recall the Red Dragon Wing immediately and prepare to get the Sheridan under way. When the last fighter has docked, we will be opening a jump point and leaving." Senji explained. Commander Zaelea rose out of the command chair to make way for the Captain. She had a confused look on her face. "Aye Captain. We are abandoning the search for N'Graz?" she questioned. Senji took a seat in the command chair and glanced down at Commander Zaelea. "We have been ordered to Ganymede. It's a matter of Interplanetary security deemed more important than one missing Ranger." Kem nodded at the Captain's explanation. "Very well Captain, I'll recall the Wing at once." Commander Zaelea then walked off, activating her communication link on the back of her hand and ordering the Red Dragon fighters to return to the Sheridan. When the pilots all acknowledged the order, Kem turned back to face the Captain. "Navigator, calculate a jump point and course for Io. We can exit that jump gate and go relatively unnoticed." Captain Yawashita called out. "Captain, what will happen when we arrive at Ganymede?" Kem asked. Senji glanced at the Commander, realizing he'd not briefed her of the new orders. "We will be sending an infiltration team to recon a possible Psi-Corps laboratory. We are to determine if the lab exists, and if so, report back to the fortress of light. Then, if we are able, we are to destroy the installation at all costs." Captain Yawashita paused for a long moment while he glanced around the bridge of the White Star class vessel. It was as he hoped, his explanation had gotten everyone's attention. In this case, Senji had hoped the rumor mongering on board the ship could be turned into an advantage. He smiled inwardly to himself. "I will be taking a group of volunteers down to the moon's surface. Anyone wishing to be part of this dangerous mission should step forward and make themselves known." Kem nodded, as she began to understand why the Captain was speaking so loudly. Glancing around, she could tell that members of the Rangers were already getting ready to come forward and volunteer for the covert mission. "If Psi-Corps is involved, then they are sure to have telepaths scanning the installation." Kem pointed out. Captain Yawashita nodded. "Aye. It's a guarantee. We need to gather up any telepaths we have on board to try and come up with a counter measure before we reach Ganymede. I want you to coordinate that Commander." Kem nodded her head. "I will see to it Captain." she said, before turning to exit the bridge. "Communicating" by Commander Kem Zaelea 9805.9 The Sheridan was in hyperspace. Her course set for the jump gate near Io, a moon in orbit about the planet Jupiter. From their present position on the outer rim of the non-aligned worlds, Kem estimated it would be a full 24 hours before they reached the gate. Not that she had much time to think about it. Captain Yawashita had given the Commander the task of assembling a group of telepaths to come up with some form of defense to use against the expected Psi-scans on Ganymede. A daunting task, given the time in which the former Earthforce officer had to accomplish that task. Commander Zaelea was surprised that she didn't have to wait very long before Rangers began asking to join the effort. Monroe was one of the first to step forward. "Commander Zaelem, I am volunteering my security expertise and my limited telepathic powers to this mission." Holden then stood very still, waiting for a response. Kem smiled. People had always had trouble with her name, even when she was in Earthforce. "That's Commander Zaelea Ranger, and thank you. Your skills and expertise will be an asset to the mission." Monroe blushed slightly, but didn't let the mistake phase him. Instead he turned it around on the Commander. "I'm sorry. I've always had trouble with names... In the beginning anyway. Is Commander all right? You wouldn't prefer the Minbari term Alyt would you?" Kem shook her head, "No Ranger, Commander would be fine." She smiled. While the Commander and the Antil'Alyt Security were talking, Dr. Angel came walking over and joined in. "Commander, I am a P5 telepath and believe that not only my telepathic abilities but my medical skills could come in handy for this mission." Angel explained. Kem turned and gave a nod of approval. "Great. We can use a medic on the team." She acknowledged. "Will you be leading this mission Commander?" Monroe asked, curious to find out who would be going to Ganymede. The question was a good one, but it was something Kem was obviously not prepared to answer, judging from her reaction. "I'm not sure Monroe. Captain Yawashita asked that I assemble the team and come up with some sort of a defense to protect us from telepathic scans. He never said who would be leading the team." She explained honestly. "I see." Holden replied, then added, "Knowing Captain Yawashita I believe it is safe to say he plans on leading the team down to Ganymede himself. It's just the way he is. Lead by doing and all of that Commander." Kem smiled weakly. She thought that Monroe was probably right. He did know Captain Senji Yawashita far better than she did. But she still held out hope that she'd get to go on the mission too. "You may be right Ranger, but in the mean time, I have a team to assemble." Raising her head from the Doctor and Ranger Monroe, Commander Zaelea noticed the Chief Engineer stepping over to join the discussion. "You might need my services on a planet, after all, who else but an engineer can really speak to machines?" Pierce pointed out. Kem blinked her eyes acknowledging Pierce. "Yes I am sure we can find room on the team for your skills James. But right now the immediate problem is finding a way to block out the telepathic detection scans that Psi-Corps will most likely have keeping sentry over the laboratory complex. Lenor has also expressed his desire to be part of the team. He is currently checking with Ranger Thompson to see if he would lend his telepathic abilities to the team as well." Kem paused, turning to Doctor Angel. "Doctor, is there any way a telepath can mask out or block a detection scan?" Zaelea asked. Doctor Angel thought about it for a moment. "Well, yes, but most telepaths can only do so for them selves. And then only for a very short time. Psi-Corps uses a rating system that basically places a scale on a person's abilities and stamina. I don't know of any one telepath that can block out detection scans for another person." Kem nodded. She didn't know very much about telepathy. Occasionally she would get a feeling about someone or sense that something wasn't right, but she just brushed that off as having a keen sense of intuition. Reading someone's mind was something that was totally mysterious to her. Turning back to the Chief Engineer, Kem asked, "What about a technological solution? Or maybe something that combines both telepathy with technology?" Pierce scratched his head a moment. "I don't know Commander. But I'm more than willing to try and put something together if it's possible given the amount of time we have." "And how much time do we have Commander?" Monroe asked. "Just over 24 hours." Kem stated to the group of Rangers. "Any ideas how we can shield the team from the Psi-Corps teeps? Now is the time to brainstorm." Commander Kem then glanced around the group waiting for suggestions. ***** *** A Stone walled building settlement on the desert planet Aloc *** N'Graz awoke in a gasp. His outburst startled the woman that was patting his forehead down with a wet sponge. After she got over the initial shock, she spoke. "It's all right. You are safe." Holding up the rough, natural sponge she tried to explain, "This bath will help soothe you and take the sting out of your wounds from exposure to the elements." The red eyed Narn was unable to make out what the woman was saying, but her tone and manner made him realize she wasn't trying to harm him. With a gesture, he allowed her to continue to clean his wounds. Glancing down he could see that his leg had been set and was bound in a primitive splint of wood and tightly knotted cloth. The woman saw the Narn glance at his leg. "The wise one was able to repair your damaged limb. There was talk of having to remove it because of the way it was broken, but the wise one would not allow it." The words were again lost on N'Graz. The dialect these people were speaking was some what familiar sounding, but it was nothing the Narn could understand. Glancing at the tray near his bed, N'Graz could see a pitcher of water. He licked his parched lips and pointed at it, asking for some. "I do not understand you." The woman said in a puzzled tone. N'Graz repeated his request for some water. The woman stopped giving him a sponge bath and tried to figure out what he wanted. Again he repeated his request. This time motioning and pretending to take a drink with gestures. "He wants some reinta Myree." A familiar little voice declared from the entrance to the room. Both N'Graz and the woman turned to see the young girl Gatty come walking over. She picked up the pitcher of water and poured a glass for N'Graz. Then she handed it to the grateful Narn. N'Graz took the glass from the little girl. With his memory loss from his head trauma, her face was one of the few things he'd recognized from the past few days on Aloc. He took several quick gulps of the clear liquid, spilling some from the corners of his mouth as he drank the last of it down. "See, he is thirsty Myree." Gatty declared knowingly. "My he is. Go child, pour him another glass of reinta." The woman said. Gatty stepped over with the large pitcher of water. She was holding the giant container with both hands and poured it carefully as N'Graz held out his glass to receive more of the life giving liquid. "This is reinta. REINTA. Can you say Reinta?" Gatty asked. At first N'Graz was unsure what the child was doing, but then he soon realized. Pointing at the glass he held, he croaked in a raspy voice, "Water. WATER." Then took a sip. Both Gatty and Myree looked strangely at the Narn. He then smiled slightly and pointed to the glass of water. "Water." He then pointed at himself and held his finger there for a moment. "Water." Next he pointed at the glass of liquid and said "Reinta." Finally pointing at Gatty, "Reinta." Myree was in shock. The Narn had understood what they were saying and was now trying to communicate by learning their language, or teaching them his. "See, I told you he was smart!" Gatty smiled and poured more of the reinta from the pitcher, declaring "Water!' with the gleeful laughter of a child.