Date: Sat, 26 Nov 1994 01:53:43 -0500 From: Mark B Sachs Subject: Story (piece): Lay Down with Shadows OK, here's a dippy little story I've written, based around my Story Idea (tm) for what might happen if the Shadow war winds up unexpectedly early and the assorted races find themselves forced to live with them... (Actually, it's more of a vignette than a complete story per se, but anyway, tell me what you think.) It was the dawn of the third age of mankind. The Great War that had threatened us all was ended, and now more than ever the galaxy needed the Babylon Project. A self-contained world five miles long, located in neutral territory... home to diplomats, to entrepreneurs, to hustlers, to mystics, to wanderers... our last, best hope for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2270. The name of the place is Babylon 5. Captain John Sheridan rubbed his temples tiredly. He didn't like what was about to happen, didn't like what he was being ordered to do about it, but there were some things he had no control over. Earthdome knows what's best, he told himself firmly as he looked up from his desk at the dark-haired, smiling young man standing before him. "I'm glad you could see me on such short notice," the man said pleasantly. "Has Earthdome considered our request?" "Why don't you spell it out for me," answered Sheridan, "Mr..." "Morden," filled in the young man smoothly. "Very well, Captain. I have been here on this station for quite some time, acting as the... liaison, if you will, for the group your people have taken to referring to as the 'Shadows.' I realize there is still some bad blood between us, what with the recent, well, unpleasantness." "Well over a billion sentient beings died in your war," Sheridan commented bluntly. Morden's smile didn't waver. "Unfortunate. And believe me, my clients offer their sympathies. You must understand, we had our reasons for our actions. It was necessary to defend ourselves, to gain a strong position in order to peacefully pursue our destiny. But now that is over and done with. The fighting can stop, but this is the only way it will happen." "You want," Sheridan stated, "a seat on the Babylon 5 Advisory Council." "Correct." "Remarkably," the captain added dryly, "the Centauri are sponsoring you. Somehow you have bullied the non-aligned worlds into supporting you as well. The Minbari are strongly against seating you. The Narns -- well, their position goes without saying." He sighed. "And since there has been no word from Ambassador Kosh or the Vorlon government since he abruptly left this station..." "...it all comes down to you." Morden nodded, still smiling. "Or us, rather, speaking as one human being to another." Sheridan studied the man. He hadn't even shown the slightest change of expression when the subject of Kosh was brought up. Maybe Morden and his "Shadows" had really had nothing to do with the ambassador's sudden disappearance. Maybe pigs could fly and open jump points, too. He frowned. Perhaps a more direct tactic. "Personally," Sheridan began, "I don't believe any of your words about peace. You'd use your seat on the Council to sow confusion, to divide and destroy, to achieve through trickery what you couldn't through war." "Captain," Morden replied without a trace of irony, "please be assured that we would _never_ do anything that wasn't in your best interests. But really, the decision has already been made, has it not?" Sheridan stared up at him. The decision _had_ been made, as a matter of fact. Earth had been involved only peripherally in the fighting. Earthdome still wanted technology, still wanted powerful allies in the big, dangerous universe. Even the non-militarists in the Senate, who seemed fewer every day, were strongly in favor of getting the Shadows somewhere they could be talked to... Sheridan had received his orders that very morning. And he had to assume Earthdome had some conception of what they were doing. He had to. "Earth," he forced out, "will support you. Breaking the tie and giving the Shadows a seat on the B-5 Advisory Council." I've just earned my damnation, he thought as he said it. "Thank you, Captain. I believe this could be the start of a long and mutually beneficial relationship." He stretched out his hand; Sheridan reluctantly stood, took the hand and shook it. Morden's hand was cold, very cold. Morden bowed to him, and left the office. Captain John Sheridan sank back into his chair and thought about nothing for a while. -30- What do you think, sirs?