From roberta@kadets.d20.co.eduFri Sep 15 20:45:23 1995 Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 16:16:04 -0600 (MDT) From: Robert Armstrong Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: B5 Creative Newsgroup Subject: In the Light of Darkness, Pt. I Since I was unable to get on with my account while I was gone, I'm going to repost the previous segments of this story, editing included at no extra charge! (Wow, aren't I swell?) Part I - The Meeting Sheridan was running. He wasn't sure why, only that if he stopped something very, very wrong would happen. He was being chased through the station corridors. Rounding a turn, he found himself in his quarters and directly in front of Ambassador Kosh. Stopping quickly, he nearly ran right into him. He looked at Kosh's head; the iris in the front was open. Within, he saw the universe. He saw the stars, the faces, everything. "...ptain Sheridan, come in. Repeat, Captain Sheridan, come in," Kosh was saying. Suddenly, in one instant, he saw his true self. Then it was gone. He was laying in his bed, and Ivanova was calling him over the link. "Sheridan here," he mumbled, fumbling for his link. "Captain, you'd better get up to C&C. We've got a Centauri warship out there demanding we turn over Ambassador G'Kar for trial." "Ambassador G'Kar? Why? Never mind, I'll be right there." Sheridan replied. Being in command of first the Agamemnon and now Babylon 5 had taught him to get dressed while still half asleep. Minutes later he was walking into C & C, wondering why *every* time he thought about sleeping in, something always seemed to come up. Through the plexisteel viewport he saw a Centauri warship, a match for the station even with the new weapons upgrade they had received while General Franklin was passing through. "Ah, Captain, I'm glad you're here. Captain Vridek has been demanding to speak with since he arrived 15 minutes ago." was the greeting he got from Ivanova. "All right, tell him to come aboard, I'll meet with him in conference room A. Did he say what the Centauri government wanted with G'Kar?" he asked. "From what I can tell, he's not very talkative. All he did was demand that G'kar be brought onboard the Chizanre 'for numerous crimes comitted against the Centauri people'. Later on, he began demanding to speak with you and you alone." "Fine. Relay my message to him, in the meantime I'm going to try and find some decent coffee!" As he turned to leave, Ivanova opened a channel to the Centauri ship to relay his message. * * * "Minbari flyer to Babylon Control, this is Ambassador Delenn requesting clearance." Delenn said crisply into her flyer's communicator. Lennier was along side her ship in his flyer, she was sure that he was also requesting clearance. Sighing, she glanced back at her data screen, reviewing the data on the upcoming events. As the spidery writing scrolled across the screen, her mind began to wander. It was strange how several of the Minbari characters looked like backwards versions of the Human ones. "We have more in common than we realize," she thought to herself again. Returning her attention to piloting her flyer, she entered the Babylon 5 docking bay. As she landed her flyer, out of the corner of her eye she noticed a ship, oddly familiar. She shuddered, suddenly remembering where she had seen that ship before. * * * "Furthermore, we DEMAND that G'kar be brought up on charges of murder! One of our citizens here on Babylon 5, who happened to be under the direct command of Admiral Dimalt, was found dead! A Narn clan badge was found next to the body, which has been traced back to G'Kar by a simple genetic test!" "I lost my clan badge a week ago; I assumed it was stolen when I left it in the Casino! Probably a gambler down on his luck who needed a quick buck! It *was* worth about 50 credits. I was going to have one of the merchants in the bazaar craft me a replacement!" retaliated G'kar. "All right, *calm down*. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this!" Sheridan interrupted. He was about to say more, but three blinding pulses of light rippled through the room, one after another. Sheridan felt a sharp pain in his right arm, and with the accompanying blast of heat he knew he'd been hit by a PPG. He heard similar grunts from G'kar and Vridek. Just before he passed out from shock, he got a glimpse of the men who had shot them. Two of them, standing in the door, with a PPG each and dressed in a black jumpsuit with a ruby red pin. * * * Robert From roberta@kadets.d20.co.eduFri Sep 15 20:45:27 1995 Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 17:16:07 -0600 (MDT) From: Robert Armstrong Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: B5 Creative Newsgroup Subject: In the Light of Darkness, Part II This is the second installment of In the Light of Darkness. I hope *someone* is reading this. :) BTW, Please ignore the >'s in front of almost every line. * * * Ivanova walked through the bazaar, sipping a fruit drink she had bought from one of the vendors. A species of flower the vendor had stuck in the sweet drink had sprouted roots, which were now writhing along the inside of the glass. Ivanova had to admit, though, that the flower *was* interesting; she'd like it more, though, if it wasn't in her drink. Her thaughts were interrupted when Garibaldi and another security officer, Lieutenant Torres, rushed past her. Momentarily forgetting the drink and with it the flower, she caught up with the pair and ran along side them. > "Hey Garibaldi, what's up?" she asked. > "We've got another fight in the casino. Seems we've got another one of > those idiots with an E-Z Markr. You'd think they'd..." > Garibaldi cut himself off when he rounded a corner to see a Centauri > arm hanging out of an open door. Garibaldi drew his PPG and cautiously > entered the room, with Ivanova falling in behind him. > "Oh my god." was all Ivanova could say. On one side of the table the > same Centauri from the vidscreen that morning was sprawled across the > table, a hole burned through his neck. On the floor to the left was... > "Captain Sheridan!" she exclaimed. > "Dr. Franklin to conference room A, medical emergency! It's the > Captain!" Garibaldi called into his link. > "Be right there." came the reply. > > * * * > > Doctor Franklin was in MedLab updating his records when the call came > through. > "Dr. Franklin to conference room A," he heard Garibaldi say, "medical > emergency! It's the Captain!" > "Be right there." he said without thinking. > "You two, come with me. Full emergency protocol." he called to two of > his assistants as he left MedLab. Soon he was with Garibaldi and Ivanova, > the two assistants guiding a stretcher through the halls. He quickly got > to work, giving Sheridan first aid and helping the assistants get him on > the stretcher on on his way to medlab. > "I'll call for a gurney to get Captain Vridek up to medlab, in the > meantime we'd better contact Ambassador Mollari." Dr Franklin told the > two. > "Wait a minute, wasn't G'Kar here? I thaught the Captain wanted to hear > both sides of the story." > "And, if G'kar *was* here, where is he now? I don't see any Narn > blood, so if he was here, why wasn't he shot?" Garibaldi wanted to know. > "Also, why didn't we know about a dead Centauri? If G'Kar was involved in > something, we should have been informed." > "Maybe it was something the Centauri didn't want getting out. After > all, we don't even know who this Centauri is!" exclaimed Lieutenant > Torres. > "I think I'd better have a *talk* with Londo. Maybe he can explain a > few things!" Garibaldi said as he turned and walked out of the room, > brushing past the medical team wheeling in the gurney for Captain Vridek. > > * * * > > "..ake up, you fraggin' Narn! Come on, I know you got mush-for-brains, > but geez!" G'Kar heard someone saying, from the voice it sounded like a > Human male. Deciding to keep his eyes closed for the moment, he examined > his surroundings by other means. The slightly stale air and the > temperature both indicated that he was on some sort of private ship. This > was further enforced by the fact that he was laying on what felt like a > standard MedBed, found on many private ships used mainly by the Narns and > Humans, with limited use by the Centauri. > "Uggh!" he grunted as he was kicked in the side, indicating that this > particular MedBed was fairly close to the ground. Opening his eyes, the > ship slowly came into focus. Meanwhile, he was kicked in the side again. > "So, you're awake, huh?" said the same being who had spoked earlier. > "That's the problem with you aliens, y'know? Spend more time sleeping > that doing anything useful! Useful to yourselves, that is!" > By this time, G'Kar was enraged. Sitting up suddenly to attack the > offensive Human, however, he immediatly realized it had beedn a mistake. > His head felt as if someone had taken an icepick to it, and his stomach, > feeling like a lump of mushed spoo, flopped over in his chest. > He finally got a good view of the Human. It was a male, in a black > jumpsuit, with a ruby red pin. An Earth PPG was in his hand pointed at > G'kar, with a sneer on his face. The PPG emmitted a whine which grew > increasingly high pitched. > > * * * > > Delenn strode briskly down the corridor towards Medlab to tell > Sheridan her news. He *must* be warned, she thaught, if it wasn't too > late already. She had heard about his attack from Mr Garibaldi. > Entering Medlab, she saw him in surgery with Dr Franklin, who appeared > to be using a bone knitter to physically put John's arm back together. > Valen, she hated to see him like this, but he *must* be told. > "Dr. Franklin, may I speak with the Captain? He apppears to be conscious." > "By all means. I'm just using a local anesthetic for this." > "John, I have something to tell you... > > * * * > > Sorry this one is so long, I had to include a portion of Part I that got > cut off. > > ED NOTE: The events in this story take place after the events in > "Confessions and Lamentations" but before the next episode. > > Robert > From roberta@kadets.d20.co.eduFri Sep 15 20:45:30 1995 Date: Thu, 24 Aug 1995 19:02:26 -0600 (MDT) From: Robert Armstrong Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: B5 Creative Newsgroup Subject: In the Light of Darkness, Part III Sorry, the way this server works I have to reply to myselg to repost these messages... > Well, I've had some comments, both good and bad. Keep 'em coming, even > criticism helps! > > * * * > > The chime on the BabCom panel in Londo's quarters was going off. Vir > stood up from the flimsies he was looking over and walked to the panel, > activating it. > "Vir, I need to have a talk with Londo." came Garibaldi's voice, along > with his picture. > "I'm sorry, he's in a meeting right now. Is there something *I* can > help you with?" > "Well, maybe. Can you meet me in my office in, oh, 15 minutes?" > "Well, I'm actually sort of busy right now, but..." > "Good, see you there!" said Garibaldi, then the panel reverted to the > BabCom logo. > Vir threw up his hands in resignation. At least my family hasn't taken > Londo up on his offer yet, he thought. Sighing, he left the quarters and > walked down the corridor towards Garibaldi's office. > > * * * > > After a few more minutes of abuse, G'kar's captives had left the room, > sealing the door behind them. Now that they were gone, he had a chance to > finally look explore what had literally become his prison. > Nearly everything in the room was black, save for the lights on the > control panels and some markings he recognized as ones the Humans used > aboard their ships meaning such things as CAUTION and WARNING: > RADIOACTIVE. Behind the portal the latter was stuck on he suspected was > an access route to the ship's fusion reactor. One portal down; the other > two were sealed. > Gingerly walking around, he almost fell on a step between two levels in > the room. How odd, the markings on the stairs are reversed, he thought to > himself. Walking over to the control panels, he found nothing that could > help him in his escape. Waste recycling, temperature and humidity, MedBot > control... No, nothing. > Then he noticed one of the caution stickers surrounding a cabinet of > some kind, set into the wall. G'Kar carefully opened it, and found that > it was a tool cabinet of some kind, and inside was a fusion cutter. > Captors 0, G'kar 1. > > * * * > > "John, I have something to tell you." Delenn said. > "What?" he said groggily; either the anesthetic Dr. Franklin used was > more powerful than Delenn thought or John wasn't fully awake. Maybe both. > "While I was docking, I saw a ship in one of the docking bays. I... I > know that ship." She composed herself before going on. "During the > Dilgar war, we would hear rumors of an extremely violent pro-human > group. I was sent to investigate. They use ships like the one I saw, > black with no markings whatsoever." > > * * * > > "Ah, well, isn't that nice." Ivanova said to herself after she had > finished with the plant. After asking the computer about its care, she > had baught the solution it needed to grow in, (actually, the *special > solution* looked remarkably like her drink had), and planted it. > She then began thinking about the conference room; wasn't G'Kar > there? She would bet her career on it, *not* something she wanted to > lose. And, with the other two shot, why wasn't there any Narn blood? It > should be easy to spot, being several shades darker than Human blood. > Walking over to her computer terminal, she called up the security > camera tapes of the conference room. > "That information is restricted." said the computer automatically. > "This is Lieutenant Commander Susan Ivanova, station clearance level > 1. Current passwords are Baghdad, saurkraut, tiger, alpha." She replied. > "Clearance accepted." stated the computer and the tape began to play > on her screen, with touchscreen controls at the bottom to change tape > speed and direction. > The tape clearly showed Captain Vridek, Ambassador G'kar, and > Captain Sheridan sitting at the conference table discussing something. > G'Kar was making a gesture as if something should have been obvious, > then the tape suddenly turned to snow. She hit the FF button, just to > make sure that the tape didn't continue after a moments distortion. > It came back on seconds later, with the Captain and Vridek laying > sprawled out and, in the Captains case, bleeding. There was no sign of > G'Kar. > > * * * > > Actually, I'm not sure if Narn blood *is* a different color from Human > blood, but to explain what was said in Part II I said it was in part III. > > Robert > > ***This tagline located here for defensive purposes only > >