From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Before the Storm... Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 23:24:08 Greetings, all. Having taken nearly a week off to gather my thoughts, work my way through a few of the plot details for the next set of dramatics, and (phew) just a few days to relax and not worry about writing (writers DO need this once in a while, especially, it seems, writers of high output, like Gareth Williams, I, and a few others on the list) the itch to pick up the action beckons ever onwards...and so, it is now time, more or less, to continue. * * * I am going to make a few comments, at this point, for those of you who may have wondered, all along, what some of my references to titles within the Rangers meant. This sort of thing was never (to date) covered in B5, and so is completely NON-canonic, but I couldn't resist, and with the sheer complexity of the saga as it is, making up a command structure was relatively easy. In any case...my structure is.. Anla'Shok...any of the Regular Rangers we have seen on the show from time to time, including Marcus. He was busy enough interacting with JMS's characters that he never really (that we saw) got very involved in climbing the totem pole of the Ranger command structure. Anla'Shok Val'na: Group Commander, Sha'vei Assistants, and/or Captain of unit formation White Stars in the White Star Fleet. The more senior Val'nae in the Fleet (ie, those who received their positions under Entil'zha Jeffrey Sinclair) are known to command entire units within the Fleet (ie, Triads, and greater) Anla'Shok Sha'vei: Area Commander, and/or Commanders of the White star Fleet, underneath the Entil'zha, and any other senior commanders she chooses to designate as senior to the Sha'vei'e (ie, at the time, Captain Sheridan). They are very limited in number, and either form the heads of local Ranger councils in the Galactic Region, or military commanders in the truest sense of the word, given that the Entil'zha cannot be everywhere, and as we know, spent most of her time either on Minbar or B5 in the time period referred to. At the end of 2260, command of the White Star Fleet is shared equally, beneath Delenn, between Sha'veie Vikotal and William Westcastle, otherwise known as the Rimstalker, and, of course, my main character. Whether or not this changes in the near future has yet to be determined...(ie, 2261) Above them are a senior Council at Tuzanor, answerable directly to Delenn. * * * To REPEAT...none of this is CANONICAL, but I had fun inventing it, and even if the Great Maker shoots it down with his own inventions in the near future on CRUSADE or in the movies, it stands. Hopefully, this clears up any misconceptions that may have arisen in the telling of the story...for in some tales, small primers are sometimes required...especially for ones of this enormous scale. * * * With that said...it is time to reenter the Universe of the Rimstalker... David Goldingay 19 June 1998 From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker: The Riders on the Storm; Interlude Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 23:24:20 INTERLUDE I....THE ASHES OF MEMORY; * * * Tuzanor, Minbar; Mid July, 2315... The light panels in the Grand Corridor were dim this late at night, but the summons had been direct, and to the point, and as such, Walken could not ignore it. He was only 18 years old, one of the youngest human Anla'shok in recent memory to have gone through the Ceremony, though not, of course, the youngest. That record had been established many years before, and had not, as yet, ever been broken. He smiled slightly; he knew enough of the histories that went before him to understand how special THAT Ranger had been, and all she had done in the first years of her service was remembered, even now. Before HER Ceremony, and after. Not that any Ranger presently serving could ignore those facts, either. In due course, he arrived at his destination, and with respectful step, entered the room. It, too, was dimmed to near darkness; the only source of light in the area was a triad of candles burning on a nearby mantle...and the figure sitting in the corner was only a dim shadow; Walken did not know who it was, that information had not been given to him, as such, but come he did. He bowed, in the darkness. "As I have been directed, by She who leads us above all, so I have come. My name is Andreas Walken, Anla'shok, and historian." A chuckle answered him. "So polite, like the other; come, Andreas Walken, sit, here, in the Shadows that are. We have a GREAT deal to talk about, you and I, although, I fear, I will, as your predecessor discovered, be doing most of the talking..." The figure briefly leant forward into the candlelight, and Walken instinctively restrained himself from gasping out loud. "Do not say it, I know who I am, and what I do...but Gallian was sufficiently disturbed by the closure of the last portion of the Tale that he decided not to hear any more. Apparently, it disturbed him to know that the histories laid down by Sherian and Mollari were, how shall I say it, a trifle incomplete." "With all due respect, YOU were there!!...for all of it!! The more viewpoints we have on that terrible time, the better...it is already more then fifty years past the end of the War, and you are one of the few now alive who remember...exactly what happened." "Yes, that's true, isn't it?...though sometimes I wish it hadn't been. So many years it has been, so much hope, so much sadness, so much loss, and far, FAR too much War. You would have thought we would have learned, by defeating the Shadows and the Vorlons, that we should leave War behind us... But Valen forgive me, I stride ahead of myself once again; it is a weakness that I inflicted upon Gallian, as well..the poor boy had a lot of trouble keeping track of all my jumping back and forth. In any case, the story I tell has a beginning, and a middle, and a end...just like Mollari's...just like Sheridan's. And I had just reached the middle of the story, just to the point where things were beginning to get quite interesting, when Gallian decided he had heard too much. Do you have the courage to take his place, Andreas Walken? If you do not, then you may walk away, now, and I will not hold it against you, for doing so." He gritted his teeth, and took a seat nearby. "I will not walk away; I have read the records Gallian left behind him, and it is clear, all too, clear, that the story is incomplete...the note you left it on made it clear the story WOULD continue." "Ah, yes...so where, precisely, would you like me to start??" "Before...you continue, I believe it would be prudent to review what has been said already...in brief, of course, and to the point." Another chuckle emerged from beyond the candlelight. "A primer for the Tale of the Rimstalker??...in Valen's Name, I did not think this would be necessary at the beginnning, but that is that, and this is now. Very well..we shall go back to the beginning...and while I was not there for the start of this incredibly tangled mess, Val'na Tri'no'kal Westcastle WAS..and she and I had a bond stronger then words. It began, I suppose, in the Earth Year 2258...so long ago, a different age it was...an ending, and a beginning. It began with William Westcastle, then an operations officer on a Earthforce dreadnought. But this did not last...soon enough, the Shadows noticed him, and acted to draw him towards their own ends. But the Vorlons were paying attention, too...and through fate and the action of one of their own agents, he first met his future wife, Jennifer Clifford, upon the world known as Nighthawk. Events were not kind to them, or to those assigned to that world, and soon enough, the Shadows threatened them both once again...a threat that ended with the help of a Narn named G'kael...a resignation from Earthforce for he, and a dissapearance for her...and a reunion, later on, at the Io Transfer Point, just in time to see President Santiago die.." "Brief, indeed...but that was only the beginning, was it not?? An introduction, so to speak." "Precisely, my boy...precisely. 2259 began with them both on Babylon 5, along with...Walther Gideon..such a problem he ended up being, as you know. There was a time when they grew distracted, but G'kael returned to put them on the right track once more. Along the way, they met Brianna Tolmanes, a telepath victimized by the Shadows and their agents...and rescued her from a fate worse then death. All three of them then went to Minbar, to become what we are now...but those were the early days of the Rangers that are, the days of Jeffrey Sinclair..the time when the Shadows were stretching out their dark hand once again..." "A time of danger that was...they were nearly killed on a number of occasions..." "Yes, that damnable Z'nip'c was a difficult problem to solve, but they did, of course, and along the way, saw what the Centauri were doing to the Narn...a terrible business, that was, but understandable..." "Futile, given what happened to them EVENTUALLY.." "That is NOT a story for now, Anla'shok Walken...perhaps later??" Not a request..an order. Walken held his breath for a moment, and quickly nodded. "Now...as you know, those three, and those who came to follow them, were threatened for the remainder of that year by the Shadow Agent that Gideon had become...as well as his accomplices and comrades. But Westcastle and Clifford defeated them, using various means and allies...and in due course, were called upon to test flight the first White Star prototype; and then, as it was, were witness to the Miracle of the Garden, at the end of 2259." He sighed, and shook his head sadly. "A miracle?? Hard to believe, given what the Vorlons later did." "Yes; but Kosh was, perhaps, not quite like the rest." For a moment, he saw light flash off silver and jade in the darkness, and then, the voice spoke on. "2260 arrived in what seemed to be a pause, a distinctive pause in events, or so it seemed. But this did not last; soon enough, Westcastle, now called the Rimstalker by a great number of his followers, attained the Rank of Sha'vei, the first human to ever do so, and along the way, he established alliances with a mysterious race of First Ones in Hyperspace, a race that called themselves...the Cha'hal'zhamon. This was an important alliance, though one that was never used to the fullest, due to its secrecy...for if the Cha'hal'zhamon had been fully revealed, it surely would have meant their complete destruction. Enough of them died as it was, as you know, from reading the histories Gallian recorded." He nodded, and satisfied, it seemed, the Voice carried on. "At this point, the history I chose to tell diverged slightly, to reveal the strain imposed upon General William Hague's primary deep space rebel commander, a woman who survived the Battle of the Line because she possessed that most wonderful gift...a daughter who would later become something she never could have envisioned..." He resolutely refused to open his mouth at that point, despite the temptation.. "This woman was named Bethany Tikopai, and in the process of the descent into Darkness that was the tyranny of President Clark's brief reign over the Earth Alliance, much pain would be visited on her, the pain of command, the pain of betrayal and accused treason, and above all, the pain of watching those she commanded die in her name, on her order. But they survived...despite ambushes, despite many close calls, they survived, and escaped...and it is good that they did, as you will see, Andreas...very good indeed. Around the same time, the first few White Stars were completed, and the Rimstalker, called upon to serve beyond the call of duty once again, took the second of that class into space, even as Babylon 5 fought for its very existence and freedom, a battle that she who Was the First Observer took part in as well. Using the resources available to him, and warned so by his companion Brianna Tolmanes, Westcastle acted to save a very special addition to his command..an addition who would later do things thought impossible...a mere slip of a girl, but brilliant...a flame against the night, it would later seem. And then, once Babylon 5 stood free, the Entil'zha recalled them all to Minbar...for the time was coming, soon enough, when the White Star Fleet would be complete..and it was necessary, ABSOLUTELY necessary, for them to train, and practice, and practice yet again...a task that Westcastle took upon himself with all the ferocity he was known for. Time passed, and even as the Shadows made their presence known in the galaxy, and the Younger Races looked on with fear, the time soon came, at last, for the White Star Fleet to take action. And so, they did; Westcastle gathered his squadrons together, and they followed Sheridan into the terrible fire of the Battle of Sector 83...a battle that many of his Rangers did not return from. But in doing so, the Rimstalker made what was nearly his most terrible mistake...he left behind She who stood at his Right Hand, and in that doing, laid open the oppurtunity the Shadows could not ignore. Walther Gideon, that damned man, that man who had dogged their footsteps from the beginning, and one of the Shadows' greatest assets, used stolen technology to invade the heart of the resistance, and kidnapped Jennifer Clifford. Their destination was the heart of all darkness..the world named... Z'ha'dum. Westcastle could not ignore this direct challenge, and with the aid of those allies he had established, left Minbar and his command behind to travel to Z'ha'dum, to face Gideon and rescue his lost love. That he did this without his Entil'zha's permission was something he did not consider important at the time..but before he departed, he asked of his dearest Minbari companions, Tashann and Dreann, to help keep the secret, and so they did...at the time; but worse awaited, and this secret would not keep forever. Upon reaching Z'ha'dum, Westcastle was intercepted by Gideon, and was made an offer by Justin, the intermediary between the Shadow agents and their masters...an offer that Westcastle summarily rejected. This did not please Gideon, and as such, he ordered Westcastle taken to his death, beneath the dread Beams of Zha'vul...to die with his love, at the end. But this was a fate he would not accept, and through means both devious and prophetic, arranged for Jennifer to regain possession of her lost warrior pike, for one last struggle with the Foe. And so, did the Observer and Gideon's dark lover do battle on the edge of the abyss...a battle that the Observer won, but only after paying the price of losing the use of her fighting left hand. Gideon, upon seeing this, became so distracted that Westcastle was able to pass beneath his guard, and defeat him, as well. Both of them were then prepared for death, for they knew quite WELL that the Shadows would not take the deaths of their agents lightly. But at that same moment, a moment in history well recorded, Captain John Sheridan commanded the First White Star, loaded with two rather LARGE thermonuclear devices, to crash through the great roof above the City of Z'ha'dum, and self-destruct. He did not know that Westcastle and Clifford were there, not that it would have mattered...he was there for reasons both different and the same, and jumped into the pit to save himself...and pass into history, and legend, for you know what happened after." "Of course!!" he replied. "The Eldest, Lorien, intervened..." "Yes..yes, I see that you know that story...but do not waste my time, boy...for the reason you are here is MORE then that tale. Up until now, what happened AFTER the impact of the White Star at Z'ha'dum has only been revealed through the hands of Mollari, Sheridan and a few select others. Now, it is time for you to know what the REST saw, those who served beneath and behind those shining stars, those called Sheridan, and Delenn, and all who served with them. For if Sheridan was saved from his fate on Z'ha'dum by the being called Lorien, how, then, did the Rimstalker and the Observer survive that same fate??" He shook his head, confused and uncertain. "I..do not know." "Of COURSE you do not, boy...but I DO!! Settle yourself in, and we will talk for a while, until I grow tired...and then, tomorrow night, we will continue, and the night after that, for as long as it takes to tell the story to its, ah, spectacular conclusion. For until you, and the others, know and understand the REST OF THE STORY, what is already known is but a single set of colours on the palette of history. Do you understand me, boy??" After a time, he nodded, and gazed serenely into the glow of the burning candles. "I do." "Very well, then." The hidden figure leaned forward, to reveal the all too familiar, slightly lined face beneath its trademark raven and silver hair. "Then I will speak to you, of what happened next; what happened to the Rimstalker, and the Observer, upon the world called Z'ha'dum. What became of all their companions, their friends, and those enemies who still lived. What became of the Narn named G'kael, before and after Narn was liberated. And, at the end, what became of the resolute, desperate rebel captain Bethany Tikopai, who would, and did, do everything in her power to see her world freed. But enough of what you do know, Andreas Walken...it is time for the worlds to know what they do NOT! And so, we begin, in the moment when that doomed Phoenix, the White Star One, crashed through the Great Roof.." * * * **************************************************************************** *** Next...THE RIDERS ON THE STORM begins, between the moments, on the world named Z'ha'dum... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker: The Riders on the Storm, Prologue Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 00:38:52 Writer's Note..the monologue below is spoken, ala' Season 4, by all of my characters...first Brianna, then Bethany, Tashann, Dreann, Julia, Jennifer, G'kael and William, with the Observer and the Rimstalker taking the all important last two lines. It seemed appropriate, somehow.. * * * RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PROLOGUE "BETWEEN THE MOMENTS" Reflections.. I can still hear all of their voices, those who survived, and those who died. Those who passed on, and those who sacrificed all, in the end. They speak down to me, down through all the years, and none of them, not one, will let me forget what they did...and these words speak, for them, what that terrible year meant to us all. * * * **"It was an age of fear... A Time For Rebellion... A Cause worth fighting for.. And a hope to give us life. There was a reason for caring.. A last farewell.. An end to tyranny... And a dark time of war. The year was 2261. And WE were the Riders on that Storm."** **"Any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishible from magic"** - Clarke's Law * * * Z'ha'dum...between one moment and the next.. ##There is an option...if you have the courage to accept it## The burning flash behind them was too painful and bright to behold..but then, it was as if everything came to a crashing, jarring halt. They had believed in hope...but what was this that had happened?? With hope desperate in her mind, her left hand still an almost unbearable agony, Jennie slowly, very slowly opened her eyes, and turned to look. And immediately wished she hadn't. Behind them, a massive flower of fire burned out of the heart of Z'ha'dum...a flower of fire frozen in motion. Impossible, they should have been DEAD.. "Now.." an all too familiar voice announced, "There is..time for us to decide what must be done." Will whirled with her, and she beheld, with near incredularity, a figure they had not believed they would ever see again, on the edge of the abyss; a figure sallow in complexion, and lined with age, eyes once twinkling with wisdom, and now pits of sadness and regret. But about this familiar figure, light was seen to glitter... "Taaldon!?!" The First One nodded, his expression near unchanged. "Precisely, Sha'vei Westcastle, and greetings to you as well, Observer. What you see and understand around you is, unfortunately, partially a construct of our imaginations. What has occurred continues to occur, and will, in due course, occur again...but for now, and only, for a limited time, limited, shall we say, by the scope of my imagination and determination to make it so, we stand, how is it said?...ah yes...BETWEEN THE MOMENTS." "Why?" she whispered, her gaze bleak. "Why bother? The moment will pass, and we will be dead...there is no escape from THAT." Taaldon sighed. "Only if you choose such a route; but do you truly wish to die?...or do you, instead, know that your tasks in the universe stand, as yet, incomplete?" "I made the choices I did because I could do no other!!" William barked, his gaze dark. "You must understand that!" "Yes, of course." "How, then, can you make us hope enough to believe there is ANY hope of escaping that trap behind us?? You, yourself, say this discussion is merely a trick...that the death waiting will move eventually.." "That it will, Rimstalker...but you and yours do not, by means, have to BE HERE when that happens." "What??" "There is..another option, a terrifying one, for you, but perhaps, the only one remaining. Difficult choices need to be made, and to make you understand, for there is still a little time, I will describe what this...final solution is, and then, you shall decide what you will do...to die, or to, if all goes well, LIVE." "Say on.." Will ground out. "We have little time." "Very well. My race, the V'zag, possessed, among our abilities, the trait to translate ourselves between First and Secondspace, what you and the other Younger races call HYPERSPACE. In times of duress, we have been capable of translating one other sentient with us between the mediums...but the energy strain placed upon us during such a translation is extreme in the least. And as for two... Now...I offer you my services one last time, William Westcastle, Jennifer Clifford...if you will take them, if you will accept what must be..." "No, Taaldon!!" she cut in, her voice desperate...they COULDN'T let him do THAT! "Please...you cannot!!" "What choice is there, any longer?" Taaldon replied, his expression both tragic, and serene. "I have not been given any choice in the matter, and the reason for that MAY become clear to you in due course..if you survive. In the end, we all have reasons to live for...but the hardest choice of all is finding a reason to DIE for. If you do not survive, then there is a slim but probable chance that all connected to you will suffer the same fate...you stand behind so many bright stars...and if your support is not available, then these stars may fade..wane..and be extuinguished. I CANNOT allow this to happen...if I am to pay atonement for the crimes of my past, for the dealings I have made, down the centuries, for both Order and Chaos, then you MUST allow this to happen. You, and the others, possess a rare gift...the gift to STOP this insanity, to end it once and for all. But you cannot do that if you die here, on Z'ha'dum, and thus, I offer my life, in exchange for that service that you, with the Others, must perform if this is ever to be ended!!" "Is there...any way to make this easier??" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion. "Perhaps, yes...but it will be hard on you, as well as my life long companion. She will help, as well...as she will not make the choice to live when I do not...and you, as well, if you so desire it, can add a portion of your life force to this alchemy...but only if you wish." "You do this thing for us willingly..." William whispered, his eyes wide with wonder. "Can we do any other thing??" "I will warn you, human.." Taaldon commented, his eyes bright. "There may be...unforseen consequences if you commit to this." "It matters not, Taaldon!!" she added forcefully. "If we die, here and now, all is lost; if we can help you, in any way, find your peace in an easier fashion...then what choice do we have? We are Rangers, we stand below and behind those Stars you remind us of...and our goal is save all life...and if not to save, then to help that life find an easier end. You may have all that I can give, Taaldon...unforseen consquences be damned!!...in Valen's Name, we must." "In Valen's Name..." William added, in finality..."We would do no other thing; we are in this together, and if none of us leave together..." "We will, however, have made the attempt." Taaldon finished, a slight smile touching his face. Then, the First One bowed slightly. "It has been an honour to know you both, and mayhap, sometime, we will meet again, beyond the Veil, and see if it was all worth it, in the end. But now, I am afraid, the moment between is nearly over. Prepare yourself, my friends...this will hurt...a great deal, I'm afraid." At that, time suddenly resumed, and Jennie turned, her eyes wild, to face the march of fire that swept over the Shadow city. And in flame, and fire, and pain, they stood...and then it all faded.. Down into the Shadows... **************************************************************************** **** Did it work, though, is the question? A question that may, or may not, be answered in the first part of THE RIDERS ON THE STORM, as 2261 begins with "The Death of Dreams and Consequence". Coming soon.. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 1 Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 23:10:32 RIMSTALKER THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 1 "THE DEATH OF DREAMS AND CONSEQUENCE" **"It was in the early days of 2261 that our tale finds the nadir of the Army of Light's belief in themselves. It seemed that the worst had occurred... and the silence on the Rim only seemed to confirm that fact. Captain John Sheridan, full of his belief in doing the right thing, attacked the Shadow homeworld of Z'ha'dum in the final days of 2260, and while he could not know it, Sha'vei William Westcastle had very nearly done the same thing to save his Observer. One, trapped by fate, the other, by the only option left open to him, and both, it seemed, to those who followed them, dead as a result of those actions. And so, for a brief period, both the Army of Light and the human commanders in the White Star Fleet found themselves without their commanders. It was good that this bold thrust badly disorganized the Shadows, as well, for when they moved again to counter the deadly, dramatic actions of the Vorlons..."** - From "Holding The Line: A History of the Army of Light" * * * Personal Log of Val'na Tashann... It is now the equivalent of two human weeks since my commander, and my friend, and the only human I have ever trusted with my life, William Westcastle, he who the Anla'shok named Rimstalker, left for the world called Z'ha'dum; his purpose, to save the only thing worth more to him then life itself...the Love he held for She who he would not live without. He left us...and shortly thereafter, She who Followed the Observer returned to us, but not the same...now she walks alone, a dark angel in gray and black. This is something I would not have credited, the first time I met Julia Tikopai; the greater part of a cycle, it has been now, since she came to us the day Babylon 5 seceded from the Earth Alliance, a child full of wonder at what the Universe had given her. That wonder is gone now; the innocence has passed, never to return. And in that time period, she has matured both inside and out; I have seen the humans among the Anla'shok look at what Julia has become, and their eyes show both amazement...and concern. It is has been said that she appears as a human of SIXTEEN or SEVENTEEN Terran years would...and yet, it is clear she has only stood on this side of the Veil for slightly more then THIRTEEN human years, for she was brought into this Life as we nearly committed our greatest mistake of all... What the Humans call...the Battle of the Line. What it all means, I am not sure, but one thing is certain...the hope we initially held is fading quickly. Those who Stayed Behind, primarily Sha'vei Shival, Dreann, and myself, those who were closest to the Rimstalker and his Right Hand, discovered the Truth, although in different ways. Our curse was to hear She who Followed tell us the terrible truth that Lennier, Delenn's aide, had passed on to her, it seems, in a moment of terrible surprise.. Captain John Sheridan, the Leader of the Armies of Light, had gone to Z'ha'dum as well!...slightly after William had, accompanied by a woman who APPEARED to be his long lost wife, Anna; 'appeared' is the right word, I am afraid, for all Anla'shok know that those who go to Z'ha'dum are always changed by their visit. Shortly thereafter, the Shadows briefly threatened Babylon 5...and then, mysteriously left, their haste quite apparent to those who watched. Other listeners learned that contact with White Star One was abruptly lost around the same time...and also, that Sheridan had, it seemed, taken several rather large fusion weapons with him when he left. And so, it is clear what MAY have happened at Z'ha'dum, if Sheridan did what we suspect he did, and William and Jennifer could not escape from the clutches of the Shadows in time. They may have been there when Captain Sheridan attacked Z'ha'dum... And if so...they are surely, quite surely, all dead. And we are all the worse for it. * * * My name is Lareiken. Once, in a simpler age, I was an adept preparing for the coming of adulthood, readying myself for the tasks that laid ahead of me, as a Warrior of the Wind Swords Clan. Gladly was I prepared to ride the winds of space with our fleet, to guard the borders of what Is...what Valen had helped give us, so long ago. That was, of course, before the Shadows came...before the true calling of my heart made itself clear. And so, I came to Tuzanor...to unlearn what I had learnt, to do better with what I had not...and to apply the knowledge to the only thing that mattered. Or so I thought, at the time. Along the road I chose to travel, I beheld the coming of the humans to Minbar. At first, I looked upon this with scorn and disbelief, like the rest...but in time, I came to see their true hearts...especially, the three who shone beyond the rest. The first two were linked souls, and now, it seems, may be lost to us. They were, along with Sha'vei Vikotal, the ones most responsible for making of the White Star Fleet what it now is...the third is now, on orders from the High Council, my primary concern. I am not the only member of the Anla'shok to look on the changes within the Third with both disbelief...and trepidation. I say this with care, for it may be that she is the only Observer now left to us that is useful...the other, Alkanion Verah, has yet to recover his memories or full faculties. And so...part of our hopes rest on this human stripling female... The human I have now SWORN to protect..with my life. * * * The first hours of 2261...The Valley of Sorrows, Morning. New Year's day had come to Tuzanor with its usual brilliance...and although Minbar's year had little synchrony with that of Earth's, the coolness of the air was appropriate. With measured step, Julia walked out to stand, once again, on the Place where her Mistress had once practiced, so hard, not only to protect He that she stood with, but also to hone herself, harder and harsher, to make herself, in the end, a living weapon, in body and in words. Had it been enough, she wondered, gazing into the fiery rays of the sunrise, at Z'ha'dum, in the end?? Perhaps nothing had been enough to escape the trap that Captain Sheridan had planned...Lennier had been quite clear in his remarks, on that score. In any case, the reason she had come here this morning was not to reminisce and to grieve still more; with measured hand, she drew out the light, but if wielded correctly, deadly staff of ash, silver and steel that had come to her, shortly after her departure from the medical facility, and set aside her cloak and tunic. A small note had been attached to it, a note in a script all too familiar... **In the Hope, though you may not find peace this season of seasons, that you may at least understand that all things come, and all things go, and having a reason to die for is not the same as having a reason to lose all hope** ***The Guide*** Where she had got the ASH from was the question that still bothered her, even now... With the measured grace that had only begun coming to her shortly before the attack that had nearly killed her (and of that, she now felt very little...Minbari medical science, even when applied to humans, was near advanced enough to seem magical) she began moving into the patterns that Jennifer had taught her, in between her other studies, a cat's cradle of fire that her Mistress had almost been born to...so very graceful, but that grace could, in an instant, translate into something VERY deadly... If there was one thing she would NOT abandon, it was the goal to attain the denn'bok, just like Jennifer had...and, with that, would come the sign that was destined... An indeterminate amount of time passed, and then, a slight tapping sound distracted her, and she whirled round, staff at the ready... To meet the all too ready, but gentle, block, of a Minbari Warrior pike. "You progress...admirably." the owner of the pike commented, and Julia looked up, her gaze part astoundment, to meet the eyes of a young Minbari male, in the black of the Anla'shok...so similar to that which she, with the aid of William, had earned the honour to wear..but, at the same time, quite different. She bowed, and was met, appropriately so...paused a moment, made a guess (look at his headbone, Julia) and then spoke, in the tongue of the Warrior Caste. "Greetings, Anla'shok; to what do I owe this...pleasure this morning?" A slight widening of the eyes was all he displayed, then the Minbari smiled. "Greetings to you, as well, Observer Tikopai; I am named Lareiken. I regret to have interrupted your practice, but there are matters that you must, with all honour, deal with, and while they may not all be pleasant ones, they are necessary, on this day, and in this age of conflict and betrayal." She sighed, and slid her short staff into the back pocket on her new tunic designed for that purpose. "Acolyte, only, Anla'shok Lareiken; I have neither the age nor the experience to justify the full title as of yet." Lareiken laughed. "You call doubt upon yourself, I see..perhaps your youth partly explains this...but let me be blunt, for now, although I will not strive to do that overmuch in the times to come. You must set aside your griefs on what has occurred!..what is past CANNOT be changed, and there is still a great deal to be done. Captain Sheridan and Sha'vei Westcastle may have died for us on Z'ha'dum, but the work lies unfinished...they would not have wanted us to abandon all hope. The Shadows are still out there...waiting..watching for us to make the next mistake, and soon enough, the time must come when they will bring the war to us once again, to draw retribution for the attack on their heart. When that time comes, we WILL be ready...we must, there is no other choice. And as such, we of Light require...no, NEED your services, Observer!! If we are to survive this, there must be someone to tell the generations yet to come what this all meant, what the death, the pain, and the destruction were all about... And why they must never, ever...happen again." She very nearly cried at that point...but the urge receded. "That was to have been Val'na Clifford's task, you know." Lareiken nodded politely. "Yes..but Val'na Clifford is lost to us, Observer; the tasks therefore, fall to you." She sighed, and nodded in reply. So much for one so young, some would have said...but her youth was passing her by, had, maybe, already, passed her by, in the instant that woman, her face full of evil, had fired on her, at the Point of Gajn'Darahl... "Very well...Lareiken. May I assume that a plan is underway to make sure I do just exactly THAT??" Larieken nodded. "More or less." * * * Tashann entered the final command into the comm terminal, and still, the face that appeared on the screen took him slightly aback. The face of One who had seen the Darkness, and whom hope had nearly abandoned. But not quite. *Someone* had acted to stop that fall...what or who that something had been, he was not sure, but that was besides the point. He bowed. "Entil'zha; your aide, Lennier, instructed that I contact you. What is your command??" "Val'na Tashann...the situation is dire, and the time available to speak to you is, by necessity, short, but the task you must perform is important to us all. This command is for you, only, and will not be repeated, not even to those among your crew whom you would trust your life to; do you understand?" "I do." A slight smile. "Good. Val'na Clifford's Acolyte Observer...Julia Tikopai, is her name?..." He nodded. "That is correct, Entil'zha." "You must bring her to Babylon 5; and while I may not...be present when you arrive, the conversation we shall have is valuable both to the future as it will be, and to her future, as well." Tashann smiled slightly...so, it was as he had suspected. "To that end, Entil'zha, several of my cadre are working to bring Observer Tikopai back to the Light, as we speak. When we come to you, she will be ready." "We shall see." The link was abruptly cut, but Tashann was already acting, and making another connection. Shortly thereafter, the bridge of White Star Eleven, his command, appeared on the screen. "Dreann!!" His Second turned, and smiled. William had bought them together in this fight, and besides those regretfully unable to join them, Dreann was the one he would most trust with his life. "Yes, Val'na??" "You will make our command ready for departure within a sixteenth; myself, Anla'shok Lareiken and Observer Tikopai will be joining you shortly." "And our destination??" "As you no doubt have already guessed, Dreann; we go to Babylon 5...with ALL possible speed." "It is beginning, then??" "Precisely." Tashann cut the link. He rose from the station, expression grim with purpose. There was MUCH work to be done... * * * Babylon 5...0900 hrs, 2 Jan 2261... She couldn't believe it...she wouldn't!! "It...can't be true, Shival!! You can't tell me.." Shival nodded solemnly. "I regret this news as much as you do, but it is the truth...and while you have, for a time, been forced to set aside your true calling, Brianna Tolmanes, I felt it necessary to tell you, for it was quite clear you did not know the truth. This IS the truth, and the truth cannot be changed, or avoided. The calls have been made, the allowances taken...and neither Captain Sheridan OR Sha'vei Westcastle have replied to those hails. We must assume the worst, after so much time has passed..." "I..see." "In Valen's Name, child, I honestly regret what has happened...but we must carry on, to do what must be done, in his name, if no other..." Shival glanced up, and with a start, realized he was by himself. * * * "HOW could you let this happen?? It's bad enough that SHERIDAN went to Z'ha'dum...you could have stopped him from trying something that was CLEARLY futile from the start!!" A pause, and then...another set of words..."And don't you DARE start quoting to me on the principles of servant to master right now, Ulkesh, I'm not in the mood!!" The Vorlon almost seemed...amused at her outbursts, which surprised her, but then again, maybe not. ##The choices were made, the Fire observed. They have encountered the Other, and lived between the moments## "What are you saying?? Are you saying...that MAYBE, they're still alive?" Silence. "Answer me!!" she nearly screamed. A cold turn of red iris, a glare if one was ever encountered. ##You have no hold on us; the actions of the Stalker and The Watcher are now without purpose; they have done what must be done; they are now irrevelant## "Irrevelant??" She laughed, and turned away. "You pretend to understand us so well...if that is what you think, then perhaps, you don't understand us at all..." The pain when it came was quite understandable..he had punished her for her impetuousness before, and would do again. Each time it was worse...and each time, her resolve to resist him grew. Without intending to, she blinked, and found herself on the floor, face mashed into the metal. ##Learn your place## was the Vorlon's final rejoinder, and then, he departed, leaving her a tangled mess on the deck plates. A short time passed...and then, a hand reached across her shoulders, and a gentle touch on her mind. "Damn him..." a voice whispered...a voice she was SURE she knew.."You slipped up, this time, Kosh...and maybe, it won't be the last time. We both serve you, she and I, and now, finally, we meet.." * * * C&C, 2 Jan 2261... Among the interplay of ship movements around the station, this one was barely noticed...but the hyperspace probes never lied. Of course, THEY had all left, to search for the Captain...and for the first time, maybe EVER..that left him in charge. He sighed. Not a complimentary thing, the way things were. Even with the Minbari war cruisers protecting the station, knowing that the Shadows were out there, watching and waiting, and planning their next move, was not something he enjoyed. Any time they wished, the Shadows could flicker in, open fire..and the station would cease to exist...they hadn't yet, of course... Probably a sign of what had happened at Z'ha'dum recently, he guessed. But what was about to come through the jump gate was a sign that at least there was a LITTLE hope. The familiar chime-in rang out, and he smiled. So many times, he had stood at that station, working, and watching, and helping the Captain and the Commander at their duties. For the Captain, he had stood during the Secession of the station..and now, he stood.. In command, as out there, the gate irised open, and spat out a single White Star.. "This is Babylon Control to Incoming White Star; identify your status and intentions." "Babylon Control.." a clipped, and fully in control voice replied, and he turned to the monitor, to quickly receive a view of the warship's bridge, and the Minbari who commanded there..."This is Tashann, Commander of White Star Eleven; we have been commanded here by the Entil'zha, on business of the Rangers." "The Ambassador is currently off station..." The Ranger named Tashann nodded curtly. "That is understood... Lieutenant. However, we will await her return, and soon enough, I fear, my command will not be the only White Star in this place. Eleven...out." He frowned. Now HOW was he supposed to take that comment?? * * * Hyperspace.. The path it had taken was far from certain, but the object presently approaching Minbari space from the Rim was certainly moving with purpose. For now, it moved silently, and its' scored, pitted, almost melted skin suggested that something quite terrible had happened to it, and fairly recently. A closer examination would reveal the eight stubs on the outer edge of the object, suggestion that something more had once existed there. What those something's had been was harder to say, but the most important factor in the object's movement was not outside... But inside... * * * Babylon 5...3 Jan 2261...near the quarters of the Entil'zha. "You did not have to do this..." Julia insisted, as together with Lareiken, she moved down the corridor towards her ultimate destination, uniform perfect, as far she could determine. This felt...important, somehow. Besides her, Lareiken shrugged slightly. "You are the Observer, and it has been made clear to me, both by Val'na Tashann, and *others*, that your continued survival takes precedence over any other thing I must do...also, it is my belief, Julia Tikopai, Observer, Anla'shok-to-be, that you stand far too alone in the world, now that those you Followed willingly have travelled beyond the Veil. You must build new connections...new alliances...and, it would be hoped, new comradeships, of your own. I offer my comradeship, willingly, as the first; it may be hoped that more will come, in the cycles yet ahead of us both." She allowed herself to smile...a little. "I thank you, Lareiken, with all my heart...In Valen's Name, I should instead consider it luck that you offer yourself as such, and for the continued assistance of Tashann and Dreann..." "*Val'na* Tashann could do no other thing." She winced; Lareiken was right, of course; it would not do to forget the ranks while talking to the Head of the Rangers. "I thank you for that reminder, Lareiken." "Within the cycles of the Anla'shok, we are as one, Julia Tikopai." Lareiken bowed to her, as they arrived at the door in question. "I will wait here, and *stand*, until your business with the Entil'zha is complete." She turned, then, and with hand slightly trembling, reached out, and touched the signal toggle. The door immediately swung open, to reveal the now-familiar face of Lennier beyond. The Minbari bowed slightly, his stance radiating respect. "Ah...Observer Tikopai; please, come in; you are..expected." She entered slowly, and with Lennier's direction, passed on into the larger room beyond. The faint sound of chimes sang in the air, and in the faint light, she could only barely make out the figure standing in the corner, beside a set of tall, white candles. "I come, as instructed..." she said, barely above a whisper, her stance respectful...HAD she gotten the uniform perfect?..."Entil'zha; you command me, this day, in Valen's Name; speak to me, I beeseech you, of what must be." "Well spoken...for one so young..." the reply came, in voice stern. "But, perhaps, a little *too* practiced. I have heard it said that you train in the ways of the Rangers...I know full WELL that you are an Observer, in the mold of she who molded you, and yet, you stand before me untried, forever in her shadow... Until now, that is; and therin, lies our concern." The Entil'zha leant forward into the candlelight abruptly, and Julia nearly gasped out loud from seeing the force of PURPOSE in that gaze. "It seems clear, that despite your youth, we no longer have any choice in the matter of what must be. If we are to attain victory in this conflict, there must be *someone* to pass down to our descendants the message that this CANNOT be allowed to happen again..that we must have greater wisdom...greater thought...and greater understanding in what we do. Until, and IF, a better candidate is found, Observer Tikopai...despite your youth, the majority of this task may fall to you." Wasn't my idea, she told herself..I didn't ask to grow up this quickly, but what choice was there, anyway?? "You speak truly, Entil'zha, and, indeed, I will not argue with your judgement. Now that Val'na Clifford has, if the worst is to be believed, sacrificed her life in combatting the Shadows, we must press on, to do what must be done. As such, the task you describe is suited for an Observer; of the three that were known, one is surely dead, and other, even now, lies amnesiac and partially mad. This leaves me...and as one who will, in due course, attain the Ceremony, you must KNOW that I will do ALL I can for you, and if necessary, I will, along with the rest, die for the One... If that should become necessary." There was another, longer pause, and then, the Entil'zha spoke again. "That was...better spoken; less practiced, and far more wise. It is well...for now, you will continue to serve under Val'na Tashann, on his White Star...perhaps, there, you will learn things you otherwise would not. And, in due course, when it comes time for you to receive that which awaits you, we will talk again...and you will tell me whether or not the decisions we made here today were the right ones.. ...or not." She nodded...was it over? "Entil'zha veni...in Valen's Name, I understand your words, and will comply. May I have your leave to depart?" "You may." The Entil'zha turned away, and with barely a pause, she turned, and fled, along the way, finding Lennier's almost amused gaze upon her (typical, that..), before exiting with all the haste she could manage. As she rushed away, Lareiken fell in beside her, and turned one, long contemplative glance upon her. "I see that you survived." "*Don't ask*." * * * "I..hope you did not frighten her TOO much?" "No...she learns, Lennier, as do we all..perhaps, in the end, it will be enough to let us do what we must." * * * Minbar... The message had been clear, even from as far away as the transfer beacon could receive the message. The object approaching Minbar system was signalling with a private code reserved only for messages between the Sha'vei'e of the Rangers and their Entil'zha. There were only a very limited number of Rangers living who knew that code, and as such, the Minbari War Cruiser VASHOKK was already approaching the jump gate as it irised open to spit out the small capsule approaching Minbar from a decidedly Rimwards direction. Moving carefully, the captain of the VASHOKK ordered a sensor sweep of the projectile. Within a short time period, it became VERY evident that the object was *not* a Shadow weapon of any kind...rather, it appeared to be the remnant core of a space vehicle of unknown type, given that its surface was quite damaged. Further sweeps detected faint signs of life within the object...life signs that were, it seemed...waning.] HUMAN life signs. Action after that was considerably swifter, although not without argument against the actions taken. With casual grace, the VASHOKK drew into near formation with the object, and after matching velocities, captured the capsule with its forward gravimetric projectors, and drew it into the cruiser's flyer bay, which was, for the most part, luckily enough, quite empty for the moment. Shortly after that, the Captain, along with his chief Medical officer, observed the object from a distance, as Medical crews, with Warriors accompanying (just in case) approached the craft. *What do you believe they will find?* *I do not know; only that it may be important. Word has arrived here of what Sheridan, he that some still call the Starkiller, has done at Z'ha'dum.* *Do you believe that Sheridan, and another, lie within?* *We shall see, shortly....* the Captain turned away, his expression grim, as the teams moved inside the object. Soon enough, the truth would be revealed... To be continued... **************************************************************************** **** Next...the Rimstalker and the Observer return from their trial at Z'ha'dum...but how have they been changed by the experience?...and what will Delenn's response be, once she knows that William lives? "Prices of Fire and Loyalty" the second part of "The Riders on the Storm"..coming soon... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On The Storm, Part 2a Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 21:41:48 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART TWO "PRICES OF FIRE AND LOYALTY" PHASE I OF II ** "...one of the more interesting matters about that time, is that out of those who went to Z'ha'dum that fateful week at the end of 2260, my good friend John Sheridan was the last to return. Now, this is something that none of you out there know about, and up until now, it's been a secret kept by all those who knew, for the right reasons, and at the right times. But maybe, in the end, it doesn't matter, anyways.. ..we all know the outcome of what happened, now don't we??" - Doctor Stephen Franklin, as quoted in "Holding the Line..." * * * Minbari Cruiser VASHOKK, Minbar Orbit, Jan 3rd, 2261... Log of Chief Physician Trivell... In an age of wonders, an age of terrors, an age in which we do not know what lies ahead of us...only that the Shadows await, and the last battle has yet to be fought...today, a miracle was visited upon us, a miracle enclosed in an objecto of mystery, an object we will now never know more about. But more on this, in due course. When I, and my three assistants, accompanied by some of the few Warriors that decided to fight on our side against the Darkness and stay aboard, entered the capsule we had intercepted, through the entrance which had mysteriously appeared soon after recovery, it was to find a scene of wrack and ruin. Whatever Fires this vessel had encountered, it had scorched and destroyed every surface, every angle. Interestingly enough, everywhere we looked in this dying, curved place, there was great flakes of what appeared to grey SKIN falling off of the walls and ceilings...almost as if, at one time, this ship had been ALIVE. In the translucent core of the vessel, we found an impossibility...but there it was, for all to see; a shimmering bubble of green energy, enclosing two figures, reclined as if in death, with hands crossed across their chests...two human figures...a man, and a woman of Earth. Their faces were NOT at peace, for whatever had trapped them in this stasis, it had done so while they were facing extreme pain. Equally clear was that these two were, from the pins of their rank, and mode of dress, SENIOR Anla'shok...but through the Fire they had gone, for their clothes was rent with great holes and scars... But they were alive...or were they?? For when the lead member of the Warriors reached out to touch the bubble, it instantly collapsed, revealing those within. A quick examination revealed that, for all intents and purposes, they were not greatly harmed, save for the fact that the left hand of the female was nearly crushed; we will, it can be hoped, do something about this in due course. In addition, laid across the female's form, and partly wrapped in her cloak, was a warrior pike, the end of which was partly coated in dried human blood. Strangest of all, however, are two facts. The first is as follows; we quickly deduced the identities of these Anla'shok...Sha'vei William Westcastle and his closest, stalwart companion...the master of the Denn'bok, Val'na Jennifer Clifford...and this news passed, with speed, both down to Minbar, and out to the stars beyond. Both of them, it seems, dissapeared cycles ago, on business secret to the Anla'shok, business we are not privy to. The second, and by far, the strangest, however, is that, for all we know of human medical science, BOTH of these Anla'shok should be standing, and talking to us as I type this. That they are not, is a mystery beyond words, and unexplainable to us. And, I fear, unsolvable, without assistance currently unseen. * * * Babylon 5...Jan 3, 2261...1900 hrs... "You have heard?" A flash of eyes. "Yes; and should he recover from his injuries, the conversation I will have with the Sha'vei shall be short and TO THE POINT. How it is that he and his Val'na survived, and Captain Sheridan did NOT, is something that he will explain to me, personally. It is is the business of all Rangers, no matter their rank, to protect those who command them. WE DIE FOR THE ONE is the code they live by...that he did not die, so the Captain could live, must be answered for!!" "Delenn...you are assuming that the Sha'vei and the Captain were even AWARE of each other's presence while they were on Z'ha'dum!! This cannot be proven, and as such, perhaps this is not a course to pursue until WE KNOW MORE." A pause, and then, a slight nod. "Perhaps you are right, Lennier...perhaps I jump to conclusions. But if not..." "For now, this is not our greatest concern; they both, if the Chief Physician of the VASHOKK is to believed, lie in coma, and close to death." "I have ordered the VASHOKK to bring them both HERE, Lennier; perhaps, Doctor Franklin can do something for them, with greater experience in human medical matters, that our physicians can not..." * * * On White Star Eleven...2200 hrs, Jan 3rd, 2261.. She had, with Dreann's help, partly converted one of the smaller quarters on White Star Eleven into something RESEMBLING her quarters at Tuzanor; and arranged, during the end of her most recent time there, to bring most of the scant collection of her personal belongings onboard. Now, even at such late hours, there were things to be done, writings to record... But that was not now...for now, there was the absolutely NECESSARY Evening practice with her staff...wherever she was, Jennifer had taught her the necessity of practice, even in as small an area as this one... Nearby, of course, a candle burned in her name, and William's...and would do, as long as she lived, as long as she served... "Of for.." Who would interrupt her, this late at night?? She turned to the nearby comm terminal. "This is Observer Tikopai...answer." Lareiken's face appeared on the screen...and she smiled; the Ranger had, it seemed, decided to become her stalwart companion, and she had to admit, she appreciated the effort. "Yes, Lareiken??" "Julia...forgive the late hour, but news has just arrived from Minbar...news secret to the Rangers, and not, for now, known outside...you may rejoice!!..the Rimstalker and the Observer have RETURNED TO US." A burst of sudden incomprehension at those words made her quickly grip the edge of the terminal block. Those words..impossible...so...what she had wanted to believe...almost, she had given up hope.. "WHAT?" she burst out, her voice broken. "It is true...amazingly enough, it IS TRUE! Earlier this day, a capsule of unknown type and definite alien origin arrived through the Primary Minbar Jump portal, its course, from the Rim. Upon intercept and entry, the capsule was found to contain Sha'vei Westcastle and Val'na Clifford..." "Alive??" Please... "Barely, it seems; our doctors have been unable to revive them from the deep coma they are in, and each has suffered other minor injuries...but the main concern is that they are ALIVE and RETURNED to us...there is now a very great hope they will recover. Additionally, the Entil'zha has decreed them brought to this place...we will soon see, first hand, their true state." "But they...were on Z'ha'dum..." she said, her voice quivering. "No one goes to Z'ha'dum...and returns unchanged...how will they have CHANGED, if they DO recover??" Lareiken's face grew serious. "I do not know the answer to that question, Julia; but perhaps, in due course, we will find out, together." "Perhaps..." she whispered, as the signal was cut. "Perhaps, now, we have a hope of getting out of this situation, alive.." * * * And so, the Word spread, from mouth to mouth, but not from Ranger to those Outside. The Word that he who had gone to Z'ha'dum to save the only thing he loved, had returned. But the Word was Restrained, and uncertain...for would they yet die?? The answer to this was not known. If they recovered, would they act, to lead the Armies against the Shadows, as proof to the Younger Worlds that someone could go to Z'ha'dum, and return? And the answer came down from the Entil'zha.. NO. If they do recover, and this chance is slim, they were told, that would not be their task. The One who is destined to do this ALSO went to Z'ha'dum, and has not yet returned to us. The silence from the Rim is absolute, but if he does not return to us, then I may go in his place. But they shall not. I have not, as yet, determined what THEIR tasks shall be...and that is even if they should recover. All of this is Business of the Anla'shok, not of the Younger worlds. Until, and if, I decide otherwise, it must stay that way. And the Rangers who heard those words nodded ascent, and settled down to the tasks at hand. For had not the Entil'zha decreed they should attack Z'ha'dum, with all the resources the Younger Worlds could add to that task?? They would not ignore such a command..they COULD not ignore it. The only thing that would MAKE them ignore that command was if something replaced the chance of success with a GREATER chance of success... And among the Rangers, at this point, it was decided that THAT would be a miracle. * * * 2300 hrs, 3 Jan 2261.. Consciousness returned to Brianna in slow, sluggish, but even steps. The muted lights in these quarters (not hers) was dim enough that it didn't hurt her eyes, and the ache in her shoulder blades from where Ulkesh had, essentially, SWATTED her in his disdain for her actions was worse, in the aftermath, then she had ever experienced before. And then, the dim form standing nearby, leaning against the wall, came clear; a tall woman, with long, burnished red hair, her hawk-like eyes on her.. "Where...am I?" The woman smiled. She sighed, and rose to her feet, a deep signal of thankfulness returning, and, for the first time in a VERY long time, to use her gifts without asking first. A brief nod...of regret...and emotions of fear. She nodded. * * * Nighthawk Colony...Midnight, 3 Jan 2261, E.S.T Not even the light of Falcon Moon shone down on the scene below him, but that was not needed; the Tall Man who stood on the mountain ridge could see, clearly enough, the enormous, landed clutch of Shadow vessels on the plain below him. That they were more then twenty kilometers away mattered little...the sheer SCALE of the things was reason enough to continue the plans he had. Stories he had heard, both through contacts official, and not; of histories he had searched out diligently, of messages he had overheard, in passing...and through the knowledge of a friend who had decided to join the organization called the RANGERS...and who had now, unfortunately, joined his ancestors in the battle against the Enemy below. The Tall Man's ancestors had come from a land on Earth torn by wars ancient in history. One such has started the First of Two great conflicts in Earth's Twentieth Century...then, after being held together for decades by the Iron Hand of Communism, another war had split the country asunder, and scattered its peoples first across the globe, and then...into space. And now, it seemed, the War had followed him to this place...the curse of his people, perhaps?? Perhaps...but was there yet hope?? The mutterings of change were in the air, and sooner, rather then later, the Vorlons, those mysterious, seemingly helpful, reluctant, but ultimately adversarial aliens to those who waited below, would act. The Tall Man decided he would not wait for that to happen. There was still time to leave Nighthawk, to escape the Hell that coming for them all. But only if he acted NOW. * * * Farther In Between the Moments... With a sudden start, William arose into consciousness. Of a sort. It was unclear where he was, if *someplace* was the word to apply to where he found himself; a dark, tunnelled place, lit by the flickering light of fires, deeply embedded within pits...this seemed, for want of a better description, to be a junction of sorts.. "Ah..." a voice announced, wise and knowing, and he turned, to observe a tall figure enter the junction, tall in stature...and VERY alien; robes he wore, and a flowing circlet of metal upon his brow. "I see that you have returned to yourself...at least partly; at last, I may talk of you, of what must come next." "Is this..." "No; you are no longer on that world; for that matter, neither am I, any longer!!...but that is a story for another time, and another place, even if the story should be told. In any case, you who the Rangers name Rimstalker, there are matters we must talk on, before you can be allowed to return to those who love you, to those who would follow you, into Fire, amd into death." He laughed, a slightly self-mocking laugh. "I have faced death...I have faced the Darkness, and I have survived, it seems." "Really?? Have you?" The alien began to pace, a chuckle issuing from his lips. "And if you have survived, and live, then WHY are you here? Why do you not live, and walk among those I have just described??" "I..don't know." "A beginning, that is...an important statement, and clear. We enter life, and from the beginning, to the end, we LEARN...and adapt...and change. We all change, William Westcastle, and the course you committed yourself to was successful only because certain parties decided to aide you in your time of need." "Taaldon...and...you?" A nod. "Precisely; He who called Himself Taaldon served a great many in his time, and I was the last; now, the time is coming when we will ALL be needed for the tasks ahead." "The war?" "Yes; the Guardians will continue their conflict in due course, and both you, and he I have decided to aid will be caught in between, once again..you cannot avoid that task, or that fate, if a solution is to be found..." With that, the alien fixed William with a sharp, calculating gaze. "But then again, how can a solution be found, when we have not, as yet, fully resolved the problem? You are partly the problem, I am afraid; with Taaldon's aid, and sacrifice, it was possible for you and your companion to escape from Z'ha'dum. Even now, I am afraid, your corporeal forms reside in the capable hands of those called..Minbari." He laughed, in turn, and looked about him...of course. "So..this is just...another aspect of The Dream." "Yes; what the Cha'hal'zhamon taught you, I, in turn, helped to teach them, in the times after they entered this domain...but they do not remember...none of them remember the reasons..it has been TOO LONG. However...this discussion is not our prime concern; for now, I am afraid you must remain HERE for a time; until I and the one I have decided to aid can join you, you must remain; once that occurs, you will be allowed to return to that which you call...life." "Why must this be?" he whispered. "You were not called to this destiny to Lead the Younger Races in this conflict, Rimstalker; but to serve, to aide...to stand behind shoulders, to always, shall we say, be in the right place, at the right time, and for the right reasons. This has been said to you BEFORE, but not in the same context. Do you understand??" At that, understanding dawned. "The one you aid...he was on Z'ha'dum, when he was, was he not?" "Yes." "He was the Commander of the White Star that destroyed the Shadow City?" "Indeed." "Is his name...John Sheridan?" "You understand, then." He sighed, and nodded. "Yes; I do understand; the Younger Races look on Z'ha'dum with fear, and believe that all who go there...die. And yet, if the Younger Races are to succeed in this mission, I should not be the one to bring them together..that was never my task. I am content to lead the White Star Fleet in Battle, if the Entil'zha decides I am fit to do so...if I am not stripped of my command for doing what I did. Sheridan, however...IS one part of the One I serve; and I have sworn, beyond all other things, to live for the One, to die for the One, and, if I live.. To SERVE the One." The alien smiled. "It is well, then, that you understand; now, I regret I must leave you for a time...but fear not, there will come a time, quite soon, now, when we will be able to find time to speak on these matters again. Until that time, I must, by need, bid you farewell." "Wait!.." he called out, as the alien departed, and the fires grew dim.. "May I...at least..know your name?" The alien nodded, quite calmly. "Yes...of course. My name...is LORIEN." ***************************************************************************** To be continued... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 2b Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 21:58:32 Writer's Note: As you, the readers, will find out below, I have mentioned before that war is hell, and THIS war more hellish then most, especially once those damn Guardians start blowing up planets... RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART TWO "PRICES OF FIRE AND LOYALTY" PHASE II OF II **"I found out, later, that my actions at Z'ha'dum had serious consequences for two other members of the Army of Light as well, Rangers who were already important to the Fight we fought; as we moved into the ultimately fragile peace that reigned at the Alliance's beginning, they became even more critical, although in the few conversations I have had with them over the years, they have seen fit to argue with me on such matters. That was, of course, their right, whether they were RIGHT about it, or not, is a matter of opinion. William was, of course, for the most part, the human among the Rangers most responsible for making of The White Star Fleet what it was, along with the Minbari he worked hand in hand with...and even now, she who is as close to him, as I am close to Delenn stands by his side...till death do we part, I guess, is the closest I can come to describing the situation. And if things hadn't worked out for us; if the worst had come to pass at Z'ha'dum, what would have happened, then? That it didn't happen that way...that Lorien chose to save not only me, but, indirectly, they as well, gave everybody the kick in the pants they needed, the courage to end it while we still could. I came back, and the Younger Races followed me into Hell; HE came back, and did the same for those whose loyalty he held..."** - From John Sheridan's autobiographical history of the Times, "No Retreat, No Surrender" * * * Jan 7th, 2261, Earth Reckoning... Log of Chief Physician Trivell.. As I have mentioned, sooner or later I would be forced to continue the tale of what happened in Minbar orbit; it seems prudent, given that we are nearly to Babylon 5, that the rest of the story be told. I imagine that sooner or later, Entil'zha Delenn will wish to read this account, and as such, it should be as complete as possible. Immediately after we departed from the alien craft, it began to essentially DISINTEGRATE from the inside out. After a handful of moments, as the Captain and the crew watched on in astonishment, the craft fell apart in a handful of swiftly shrinking fragments, and in due course, nothing at all was left. It existed long enoug to bring THEM back to us...and then, its task done, it left us...with only questions. I commented earlier that it seemed as if this craft had, at one time, been alive, though Valen only knows who the pilot was, or which race it belonged to. Perhaps, if the Rimstalker and his companion can be revived, some insight on the matter may be attained; then again, it is the Entil'zha who will make the final judgement on what information may be released on the matter; I am merely a physician, and know nothing of such matters. It may please those who will read this to know, however, that besides the mysterious condition that is keeping the two Anla'shok in a near-coma state, my assistants and I have essentially managed to repair all of the minor injuries these two humans suffered during their...classified mission, the worst, of course, being the damage to the female's hand. We can, for now, do nothing more; perhaps the human doctor on Babylon 5, mentioned in the message from the Entil'zha, will be able to do more... * * * Babylon 5 Medlab Four, 2200 hrs, Jan 7th, 2261.. Doctor Stephen Franklin looked over the notes on the case, and sighed once again; it was getting late at night, but that was nothing new...this case had held quite a bit of his interest since it had begun, earlier that day. It had been nearly twelve hours since those two Rangers had arrived on the station; slightly less then that before he had determined there was, essentially, nothing wrong with them, beyond the mysterious nature of their unconsciousness and near coma; and slightly less then *that* before Delenn had come to him and requested that the whole matter be kept strictly confidential; in effect, until and IF those two recovered, this portion of the Medlab was off limits to EVERYONE except Delenn, himself, his staff, and those Rangers directly involved. Though how long he would be able to keep the Commander out of the loop was a good question; admittedly, she had been quite busy just lately taking care of everything that the Captain had, before he had vanished at Z'ha'dum...but.. The whole situation was just too DAMN weird...as far as he could tell, there was, essentially, no reason why those Rangers weren't up and about and talking to him right now. He had seen them, he thought, once or twice, about the station in the last couple of years; Westcastle, it seemed, had quite a charismatic personality...but the thing of it was, since they were Rangers, what he COULD know about the situation had been limited by what Delenn had WANTED to tell him. Which wasn't a whole lot, for now; the expression she wore when she had looked in on them, earlier, had been a mixture of sadness, regret and cold anger...which was paramount, Franklin wasn't sure...but they were PROBABLY all important.. "Doctor??" Franklin looked up, to see a sight he not been expecting; a girl stood there, from the look of her, maybe about seventeen years old, though it was hard to tell; the most surprising thing about this girl, however, was the following; One, beyond the entrance to the Medlab, a Ranger waited, apparently on guard.. and TWO, she was wearing, for all intents and purposes, the Ranger uniform he had come to recognize on Marcus!..minus the jade and silver broach they all had..but replaced, instead, by a equally shiny jade star in a circle, in the exact same spot. Maybe they were getting a LITTLE too desperate...this girl was a little bit on the young side to be fighting the Shadows..but so serious... He tried a smile on for size. "I suppose you'd be...Julia Tikopai, then?" The girl nodded, saying nothing. "You just about missed the chance to see them, you know; I was just about ready to call it quits for the night...but since you're here, and Delenn says you can see them..." he gestured to the inner door. "They're right in there..." * * * With breath almost held, Julia walked slowly through the door, and into the octagonal chamber beyond, towards the two figures laid out within, as if in death. The muted strip lighting on the walls of the Medlab ensured that there was no shadows cast; but it was when she got a very GOOD look at them, that the surprise came...and her breath let out in a explosive rush. She hardly noticed the tear trickling down her cheek...it had been EXACTLY as she had feared, and her memory of how they had been before, was quite clear. NO ONE went to Z'ha'dum, and escaped unchanged... Her Mistress lay reclined, her face more or less peaceful...but the lines in that face, before nearly invisible, seemed much clearer, and Julia thought that there were now traces of SILVER at the roots of Jennifer's red hair. The Change in William, however, was far more pronounced...where before his hair had been near midnight black, now, a long, thin streak of silver ran from his left temple. What had happened at Z'ha'dum, that they should have aged so?? And how?? They looked to have aged somewhere around five years, in only a space of a few weeks!! "So..." a familiar voice announced from behind, and she whirled, to see Tashann, Dreann just behind him, enter the lab, with Dr. Franklin, gaze resigned and a little concerned, looking through from beyond. "Now you *know* what we all know, Julia; there is always a price for visiting Z'ha'dum...and it would seem that those we have come to cherish and follow have paid that price...dearly." "Why?" she whispered, sliding down into the corner beside Jennifer's bed. "What is it that the Universe wants of us, Tashann??...how can it be SO callous as to allow this to happen?? The Universe has robbed them of what was rightfully THEIRS!!...it's not right!!" "No..it is not, but once they recover, as, no doubt, they will, Valen willing, neither William nor Jennifer would want you to reflect on their condition as you are!! You must go BEYOND that, and see beyond; if the Entil'zha requires of us the need to battle the Shadows one more time, then we must...and THEY will join us, no matter their condition...for as Dr. Franklin has already determined, beyond the mystery we see, they are healthy.." "Then WHY aren't they awake, yet?" she burst out. "I do not know the answer to that question...perhaps, in due course, the doctor can tell us. For now, though, it is late, and I believe it prudent that we retire to the Compound for the night..." "But before we do.." another familiar voice announced, and they all turned, as Shival joined them, his expression set. "There is something I must give to our young Observer to guard, until her Mistress returns to us." Shival opened his hand, and Julia looked down, her disbelief enormous, to see Jennifer's pike in his hand. "It has been decided that until the Observer *herself* returns to us, there is no one better suited to hold her weapon for her." "You've..." she abruptly stopped herself, and sighed; she was being childish, and that was not the way of the Rangers...that was not HER way. She nodded, all seriousness again, and bowed. "I accept this duty, in Valen's Name, Sha'vei...thank you." Shival snorted. "Just do NOT decide to USE it, young one; you have not the skill, nor the permission, as yet." * * * Later... "Ah...thank you for finding the time to talk to me, Durhan; I am very WELL aware of the time constraints placed on you at the moment." A snort. "Gave it to her, did you??" "Yes, to guard, I told her, until, and if, the Val'na recovers from her condition." "Do you suppose that Lareiken will do EXACTLY what we asked him to?" A nod. "Yes...Larieken is very clear on his instructions when it comes to our young Observer; if she is to advance to the Ceremony as fast as she must, then we must start NOW..." "Hmmph; it looks to me like you are intending to have her become the finest, and YOUNGEST Human Ranger we have ever seen, Shival...in Valen's Name, two cycles is a long time, given the current circumstances...we may not even survive the next two TENDAYS!" "I understand that, Durhan; but we can always hope...and as long as the Shadows are here, I must make use of all my resources..." * * * Babylon 5's Ranger Compound...Jan 8th, 2261...morning rotations.. In numb silence, Julia watched her staff slide away from her, and over the edge of the parapet, clattering out of view onto the rocks below...an abberation in the green and buildings of the Garden, but this was the Minbari section, after all. Across from her, Larieken sighed, and retracted his pike. "It would seem, Observer, that there are more then a number of problems that we must deal with here; first and FOREMOST among them is that your attention is not on the matter at hand; second, is that your concentration is lacking, as a result, and THIRDLY, and most importantly, while your prized staff is quite usable, it is not a match for my pike!!" She sighed, and half turned away. "I'm sorry, Larieken...it's just that.." "Sorry!?" The Minbari exclaimed, and she turned back to face him in shock at the tone in his voice. Larieken's face showed a mixture of contempt and outrage, shocking for him..."You, who wish to be Anla'shok, tell me that you are sorry?...what am I to make of this? Are you sorry because you failed to meet me properly in the match?... or sorry because of what has happened to those we serve? I thought better of you when first me met, Julia Tikopai; was I wrong?? Is it that you do NOT, perhaps, deserve to be Anla'shok, because of this weakness??" "That's not fair!!" she shouted, rage building. Larieken shook his head, smile mocking. "No...it is not, but life is not fair, and neither, I am afraid, is the universe. In addition, should I also be concerned that you are here, at your age, doing what you do, what humans TEN YEARS older then you will not?? The Vorlons have a hand in this, or so I understand...given that you are THIRTEEEN and appear, outwardly, to have aged to more like SEVENTEEN in the last few years is unnatural for your kind, is it not?? What can the Vorlons have intended, to produce such a..." Before she knew it, she had found a weapon banned to her, guarded and protected and carried; but in the rage Lareiken had incited, she simply didn't care...she had seen Jennifer use it enough in practice to know EXACTLY how it worked. And just as suddenly, Larieken was there, his pike extended, as well. In clash, and parry, and block, back and forth, was time seen to flee; was her rage controlled, the hopelessness banished...and then...in due course, she came back to herself...and astonishingly enough, all the leftover angst seemed to be... Gone. "Uh...oh." she stopped, and looked down; how much time had passed?? The pike still stood open in her hand...light...deadly...inviting, and she shuddered, before looking up into Larieken's grin, now not mocking in the slightest. "Why did you do that, Lareiken?...I wasn't supposed to USE this, only guard it!" The Minbari laughed. "Because what the Sha'vei SAID wasn't what the Sha'vei WANTED...Observer." "Great..." she muttered, retracting the pike, as they walked back towards the compound buildings, the match finished. "More riddles...and I want to BECOME a Ranger??" But one thing Lareiken had said rang true...and mysterious...and worrying. It was TRUE that she had aged and matured beyond her years; indeed, the tall, thin wraith she had been even the year before had just about vanished, now, replaced by strength beyond her years. Was this what Kosh had intended she become, before he died?? She certainly couldn't find out, now...and she WOULDN'T ask the new Ambassador. THAT ONE was giving Brianna enough problems as it was. * * * Nighthawk...the Night of 8-9 Jan, 2261... I tell no one my name, and live on the edge of this culture, as Nighthawk lives on the edge of the Earth Alliance...now, cut off from our home by President Clark's paranoia. The Shadows and their minions took advantage of us, I am afraid...and sooner, rather then later, those who remain behind, those who are here when the Vorlons come, will pay the price for that mistake. I have seen their doom in my dreams...nightmare ships in yellow and black beyond count...and I do not intend to be here when that doom descends upon Nighthawk. For I wish to live. * * * The Tall Man had gathered a group around him, miners mostly...but worried about the situation their Governors had created; worried enough to want to act...or interested enough in this enigmatic stranger among them to want to watch..and, maybe, argue a little.. "I tell you..." the Tall Man insisted, his gaze sharp, "We cannot stay here any longer!! Have you not heard the rumours I have heard??...something has happened, out in the dark, to make these creatures, these SHADOWS, worried...they scatter their ships war and wide, does this not tell you something??" "We don't understand what you mean!!" one of the miners exclaimed. "Where are you GETTING your information from?? As far as we can see, these aliens have only HELPED us! They've kept the Raiders and the rest off of our backs, and as long as the Inner Worlds stay closed to us by the declaration of Martial law, we need all the help we can get!!" "Is that what you think?..do you honestly believe the situation is that SIMPLE? I will tell you a story; a true story, for this has been seen FIRST hand among some of the contacts I have. When these creatures revealed themselves, attacking here and there and everywhere, their fleets moved as one; finally, the Minbari, and some of the rest, encountered an ENORMOUS fleet of their ships...and partially defeated them. Shortly after that, something happened at their homeworld..on the Rim...something important." "Why should we believe you?? You say these things...but where is the proof?? We have heard none of this from those humans who aid our protectors!" "No...of course not, why would they wish to tell you of such matters? It is more in their best interests to keep us isolated and off balance...and as such, there is only ONE chance for us to escape what is coming; for examine the facts, as they are. This DISASTER on their homeworld has scattered the Shadows far and wide..black nightmares that they are, they have enemies too...and chief among those enemies are those we know as VORLONS." "Vorlons..." another miner whispered, his eyes wide. "But I thought they were supposed to be the good guys??" The Tall Man snorted. "Think that if you wish, but we know next to NOTHING about them, save that their fleets and ships appear rarely..but when they do appear and attack, it is with GREAT STRENGTH. I say again, there are Shadow vessels HERE...should the Vorlons decide to attack them, and they are STILL ON THE GROUND, what do you suppose, the result will be for us poor little humans?" "You don't mean to say?..." "That is exactly what I mean to say, and exactly the reason we MUST escape from this place, while we still can!! Who is with me???" There was a slight pause, and then, more then three quarters of the hands in the room went up, while the rest shook their heads sadly, and turned to leave. The Tall Man sighed in turn. "Fools..they will still be here...when the Vorlons come; we, however, will not. Gather your families...I possess access to a single ground-to-orbit transfer vehicle, and while we will have to make many trips before the dawn, there is enough room in the ship we travel to for you and all your families; and I thank you for your wisdom in joining me to escape this certainly doomed world." * * * Hyperspace... For a short time, the Vorlons, in their Many, witnessed the arrival and subsequent departure of one of the ships they had helped build for the Minbari, and thought nothing of it. The actions the Minbari, and the rest, were taking were much too slow, and not thorough enough for their tastes. It nearly always came down to this, in the end...sooner or later Their patience would run out, and THEN...then, it was merely a matter of unleashing their Companions, small, large..and ENORMOUS, to do their duties. As such, those duties were about to begin. With slow, deadly majesty, the Fleet of the Vorlons split in half, one portion departing for the spatial locale of the world called Arcada VII, the other, to that world on the outer fringes of the Human domain that called itself... Nighthawk. They would do what they HAD to, in the name of Order; THIS TIME, the Enemy would be defeated. Totally and completely. There could BE no other way... **************************************************************************** ********** Next: 10 Jan 2261 packs a hell of a punch, as, more or less simultaneously, Sheridan returns to Babylon 5 with Lorien, William and Jennifer recover from their 'illness', and the world called Nighthawk faces its fate. And William finally realizes the price he must pay for saving Jennifer, at Z'ha'dum. "Commands of the Second Coming" the Third part of "The Riders On the Storm" coming soon.. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 3a Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 19:54:13 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART THREE "COMMANDS OF THE SECOND COMING" PHASE I OF II **"..Westcastle and Clifford's return to Babylon 5 was uneventful; deep in coma, or so it seemed, and hidden, with the aid of Dr. Stephen Franklin, from the eyes of all but the Rangers, on the orders of Delenn, who was then preoccupied with the key problems of John Sheridan's continued abscence, and preparing for the planned attack on Z'ha'dum. That Westcastle would recover seemed certain, and if that had happened prior to Sheridan's return, then there is no doubt Delenn's wrath in reference to the White Star Fleet commander would have been extreme. However, this did not occur, for within the hour of the League's meeting on the station to protest Delenn's plans, Captain Sheridan returned to the Army of Light, accompanied by his mysterious alien aide, Lorien; and it was then that Westcastle and Clifford returned to the Living world. History records reasonably well, the events that happened next..."** - From "Holding the Line.." * * * Jan 10th, 2261...the Ranger Compound; Babylon 5. "Val'na Tashann??" Tashann turned, to see another Minbari approach; a Minbari he did not know well, but whose reputation stretched longer and longer these days. He allowed himself to smile, as the Other bowed with the angle of respect suitable for one of his stature within the Rangers. "Lennier; is there something the Entil'zha requires of my Command?" "NOT the Entil'zha, no; Val'na, this is a PERSONAL request; as you may or may not have heard, several of the League Ambassadors have planned a rally, later this day, to protest our planned action against the Shadows at Z'ha'dum. Not wanting to disturb the Entil'zha, I approached the leader among the Rangers here, under Delenn, one named Shival; he indicated that out of all those currently available to him, you would be most suitable for the task...I...WISH..performed.." "And it is the Entil'zha's wish to attend this meeting, and as such.." Tashann mused, his expression grim, "You believe that the League ambassadors, such as the Drazi, who are, no doubt, among the chief organizers of this 'rally'...would cause her harm, should she protest their points??" "I think it likely, yes." Lennier replied, his expression equally grave. "You will help??" "Of course; while we will not be easy to see, myself and a small, select group of my command will be attendance at this rally. Should things become uncontrollable, and your own prowess at protection falls short, we will be there, to aid you...if it becomes necessary." "I pray that it will not come to that, Tashann.." Lennier added in parting, "But I thank you for your aid." Tashann nodded. "The mission is clear; she is our Entil'zha, and she places herself in danger; we can do NO other thing." * * * The Hour of Destiny... With a flash and its usual coruscating howl, Epsilon III's jump gate sprang open, and spat out a single ship, a ship not, in recent galactic history, seen anywhere else but in the sectors near to Z'ha'dum; the last time this ship had flown these starways, even the Minbari themselves had yet to achieve starflight technology. The intelligence behind the ship, a being that had named itself LORIEN in conversation with several humans, recently, looked upon the crude, but EXTREMELY critical construct before it, and turned to the human beside him...one of those CRITICAL beings...a man named John Sheridan..the man who had found HIM, on Z'ha'dum. "Captain; time grows short, and you are needed; there is a meeting, among the younger races, that you must attend, if you are to have any hope at succeeding in what you must do." The human, John Sheridan, nodded, his expression both resigned to the challenge ahead, and set with the grim determination of necessity. "I'm not terribly surprised; the League ambassadors would have grown fairly rebellious since I vanished..." "Yes, but with your return, it MAY be made possible to draw all together, one last time, but only if you act quickly, and use the fleet that Delenn has already gathered for you. For now, however, Captain, I must request the entry codes for your...docking bay, so that we may enter unopposed...in order that you may do what must be done." Sheridan nodded, his concentration on the duty at hand increasing, and recited the codes necessary to enter the docking bay. With minimal concentration, Lorien instructed his ship, and companion, to transmit the signal to activate the docking complex in this place that Sheridan thought of as BABYLON 5; then, Lorien turned his attention to two other, lesser, but equally important matters.. It was TIME...at last, to act on THEM, as well. * * * Medlab One.. "Doctor..there is word to interest you; the two Rangers in Medlab Four..there are signs they are beginning to return to consciousness.." Dr Stephen Franklin smiled, nodded, and thanked his aide, and then all but RAN for the door. So soon after rescuing Michael, was he to be privy to ANOTHER miracle?? * * * Medlab Four, a short time later... Nearly forever it had seemed, the endless image of standing before the flame erupting towards her, out of the heart of the Shadow city; a wall of fire she could not POSSIBLY protect her love, and Leader, from...but she had TRIED, even as, on the edge of sight, Taaldon had torn open an impossible portal in reality...and the wall of fire had filled her world.. Forever it had been, spinning in that pain and fire, reaching out to the helping hand that had frozen her in this impossible loop in reality... And then, as if by magic...time sprang open, and resumed; the fire faded into a clean white light...a light that seemed to blast through her half-closed eyelids, as she forced them open...light that resolved into a hedralic ceiling of light...and grey, calming walls, fitted with light pillars, laid between clear glass panels... She blinked; this was...so familiar!!..where was she...where.. "Am I?" she whispered, her voice a croak. A face swam into view, a face all too familiar...but changed!! Talion Quintara's chin was now covered in a short growth of beard...THAT was new...since last she had seen him.. In Valen's Name!!...how much time had passed?? She moved her body slightly.. there was NO pain, and most importantly, the fiery agony she had remembered in her left hand, after defeating the dark woman in the Shadow city...was gone, as well!! "Jennifer!" Talion burst out, and then, the younger Ranger abruptly remembered himself. "Forgive me, Val'na!!; but I am QUITE relieved to see you..returned to us." "Talion!!...where am..." "On Babylon 5, Val'na; it has been three days since the crew of the Minbari War Cruiser VASHOKK brought you here, and slightly longer then that since you were recovered in Minbar orbit, in a capsule of unknown, and SERIOUSLY damaged design..." Unbidden, Jennifer felt a tear come to her eye; that CAPSULE had obviously been the final surviving fragment of Taaldon's beautiful companion ship, the blue starfish craft she had seen help them before, so long ago. The sacrifice Taaldon and his ship had made...how would they be able to repay the dead?? "Is..." Talion nodded seriously. "The Sha'vei returned to consciousness more then five minutes ago, and slightly after that, he was on his feet, against the Doctor's wishes...and partially beyond his belief, at that. The Doctor requested that I keep a watch on you, until you awoke, so that we may prevent the same from occurring.." "Something that you seem to have succeeded at, =just fine.." a wry, somewhat familiar voice intruded, and Jennifer tilted her head slightly, to see Dr. Franklin enter, followed by several of his nurses. "Welcome back to the waking world, Miss Clifford." With professional care, the Doctor checked out her vital signs and stats, and then sighed. "I still don't believe it, but there it is...." "There is...what?" she inquired, as one of the nurses quickly and painlessly removed the intravenous feed in her arm, and Talion hovered nearby, drink in hand, his expression anxious. "For all intents and purposes, given where you were supposed to be, you're in remarkably good health." "We had...help when we needed it." she added, as Talion placed the drink in her hand, and she moved to sip it...a sip that quickly threatened to become a GULP. "Help we will never be able to repay, for as long as we live." "And I suppose you can't tell me anything about that HELP, can you??" She thought about that inquiry...and sighed. "Wouldn't be a good idea." "Right." "For now, though, Doctor...please, can you tell me a few things?? How long were we gone...and...how goes the war??" "Well...for starters, it's now the 10th of January, 2261.." What?? Jennifer blinked in surprise...by her estimation, it had been Dec 26th when William had arrived to 'rescue' her...and now, it was nearly two weeks after that?? What ELSE had she missed?? "And as for the Shadows, right after the Captain left for Z'ha'dum with his wife..." "What!?!" Memories clicked cleanly, of a White Star crashing through the great roof over the Shadow city; so..it HAD been him, after all... "...not a happy point to be pondering over on this station, Miss Clifford, but I'm going to guess, from your expression, even though you WON'T tell me the specifics, that you saw something of the Captain's final moments.." "Perhaps I did...continue!!" "Anyways, the Shadows threatened us here, but they backed off after whatever it was the Captain did...and since then, everyone's been waiting for the fuse to light again." "I see; how long do you..suppose it will be before I am strong enough to leave this place??" The Doctor's face grew concerned. "There's something else you should be worried about, I'm afraid; something that Delenn requested ME to tell you, when you awoke...or, perhaps, showing you would be better..." It was THEN that she went back to the final moments on Z'ha'dum, to Taaldon's patient, final smile, and his words, so biting... **There may be unforseen consquences...if you commit to this** The Doctor raised a mirror to reflect her image back at her, and Jennifer could not help but gasp aloud at what she saw...as one of the Doctor's aides, previously unseen, rushed in, an expression of sheer astonishment on her face... * * * The Fifth Context of the Follower...the Time of the Second Coming.. I saw it, and with the rest, I stood in awe at what I saw, what I experienced. I stood on the edge of what was, and never faced the full fire of HIS gaze, but heard and understood the fire of HIS words, of what was intended, and why. And knew, IN MY HEART, that since this had happened, we now had a chance again. And nearby, two had just returned to us who would reinforce that claim.. * * * Near the edge of the gathering, Julia waited, her expression grim. The Entil'zha had moved to place herself directly in the center of the gathering, her aide close beside her, and now, things looked to be growing quite tense. The Drazi Ambassador, his voice high and proud, his gaze threatening, had just loudly demanded that the Entil'zha be seized and 'silenced'. Heart pounding, Julia moved one hand to the pike she carried...would she now, after having used it by mistake, have to use it again, in battle, to save her Entil'zha?? And then, she looked up again, and realized the tone of the rally had changed...INCREDIBLY so, in such a short time...from rebellious antagonism, to.. Astonishment. And then her breath caught in her lungs...as she saw the reason why.. Standing upon the gantry, his gaze firm, not threatening, yet full of fire nontheless, was a man that all those who had come here had thought dead. She HERSELF had nearly given credence to the rumours...but now...John Sheridan had returned from the dead... Now, the REALITY of what was would change everything.. "The Ambassador is correct..I went to Z'ha'dum; I've SEEN the face of the Enemy...they're not gods, and they're not indestructible!! I've fought them, and I've killed MANY of them!!..." She turned, through the crowd, and met the eyes of Dreann and Tashann, hidden in the shadows on the far side, and saw in their gaze the proudness and astonishment she herself had not, as yet, escaped, and then turned back, to hear the rest of Sheridan's powerful, INCREDIBLY powerful speech... "..There is a way OUT of this, a way to STOP this insanity, once and for all! Delenn's fleet is a start...now we have to build on it; together, we will build the LARGEST fleet in history!!..not just for a battle, but to CHANGE the shape of the galaxy!! Not just for ourselves, but for our children, and our children's children.." He's coming to the punch line, she told herself, a smile growing. Get ready, boys and girls.. "..You tell your governments, that the only man to SURVIVE Z'ha'dum sends THIS message; we can END this, not just for now, not JUST for the next thousand years...but FOREVER!! I stand before you as proof that it CAN be done!...we can fight, and we can WIN, but ONLY if we do it together!.. ...CAN I COUNT ON YOU??" And in the cheering, she knew that he had done the impossible. In the gaze of the one he loved, she saw the reason he had returned, and she almost laughed. NOW would come the true test, NOW would be the time of the Gathering. NOW the Swords would come together.. And of a sudden, amidst the celebration, Talion stood at her side, his face full of satisfaction...and then, astonishment, as he beheld Sheridan, standing next to his Entil'zha, high on the gantry. "He's..alive!?" She nodded, and moved aside. "He certainly IS, Talion...isn't he??" "This is...amazing news!..but I have still better for you, Julia; William and Jennifer have RETURNED to the Living World!" Talion turned in mid step, and nearly jumped; Julia was gone..he whirled, and all he saw, was a darting stab of black and grey, already nearly lost among the celebrating crowd. * * * With one hesitant hand, Jennifer reached out, and touched the long silver streak in William's hair once again. "The price we paid..." she whispered, leaning into him, "Was it worth it??" "You heard.." he replied, feeling the long, cold strain of stolen time upon him, and once again, seeing in the nearby mirror the image of what was...the image he had seen in the glimpse of the future, so many months before..an image now almost come to pass, both in his own face, and the long, ever-so-slightly silver streaked hair of she who stood by his side. "Sheridan has returned, as well, with the aid of Lorien... Taaldon's master, it seems. He helped us all, and brought us back to the place we are needed the most; yes..if it means we are able to defeat the Enemy, it WAS worth the price." Jennifer sighed, and nodded bitterly. "And now..NOW, you find out the price you will pay for going after me...the price the Entil'zha will impose upon you for not telling her your plans.." "It will be as nothing, for knowing that I did the RIGHT THING in saving you from the Shadows. Nothing else matters, no punishment the Entil'zha could give would hurt more then what we have endured; I will face that price gladly, knowing that you are *safe*, is all that matters!" Jennifer smiled, and leaned in to kiss him. "Sha'vei.." a familiar, and yet not, voice announced, and they both turned, the motion interrupted, to see an all too familiar vision appear...and yet not, for in the space of the two weeks they had been gone, Julia seemed, once again, to have aged remarkably...perhaps partly due to what she had gone through before his leavetaking, who could say?? Now, her uniform, grey no longer, was grey and BLACK, and cradled in her arm was Jennifer's warrior pike. "I've..." At that, Julia's expression broke, and she very nearly cried. "I didn't think..I'd ever see you again! I almost lost hope, and then, hope returned, when I expected it the least!!" Jennifer broke away from him, and in a wordless embrace, the two Observers came together. "You kept your hope, Julia," she whispered, "And in the end, that's all that matters! We're back together, again...Sheridan's back, the Army of Light is about to gather..." "And all is well with the world??" Julia cut in, her gaze sharp. "Forgive me for what I say, but until this is ENDED, none of what we are is safe." He caught Jennifer's gaze, saw the shock and slight sadness in those eyes, and knew, in part, the price he had paid already; for Julia was growing up by test of Fire. She was right, though..the task was not NEARLY close to finished, and while they had been through the fire, the worst was *certainly* still to come. * * * Nighthawk orbit... With awkward, slow movement, the freighter SPETNAZ moved slowly towards Nighthawk's jump gate, now as uncontrolled as it could possibly be, since the Shadow squadron had destroyed the orbital station in their arrival, months before. The Tall Man sat in the copilot's seat in the cockpit of the freighter, his expression grim, his anticipation of the leavetaking all but overwhelming. It was up to his friend, Captain Von Braur, to send the signal; a difficult thing, but doable, certainly...and necessary. They had to leave NOW, before it was TOO LATE. "The system is still silent and dead.." Von Braur commented, his gaze cryptic. "And the only reason I'm doing this is that every time you've warned me something bad is about to happen, you've been right; we're nearly overtaxing the life support as it is, with all these women and children onboard." "It is necessary..." he replied, his gaze harsh. "No one else will survive; they will believe, only when it is *happening*, and THEN, it will be too late to help any of them..." "Very well, we are nearly..." It was then, that Von Braur's voice froze in astonishement, and the Tall Man looked out through the narrow viewscreen to see his worst fears and nightmares coming all too true... Sixty degrees around from their direction of travel, space ripped open in more then a dozen places, and opened up into the harsh blue vortexes of utterly sharp jump points, out of which poured a seemingly unending stream of Vorlon ships, both small AND large... Among the smaller jump points, a HORRENDOUSLY large one appeared...more then FOUR miles across, it HAD to be!!...out of which emerged a gigantic, circular craft, bigger then any space vessel he had ever seen before. The countless ranks of the Vorlon fleet formed up on this THING as they approached Nighthawk, while, beside him, the Captain stared, spellbound. The Tall Man KNEW in his heart that this was the end for all those below; he had tried to save them, tried to convince them... And he had failed; NOW, they would pay the price, for allowing the Shadows a base on their beautiful, isolated world...now, the Vorlons had come, destroyers of worlds, enders of dreams... "Von Braur!!" he snarled, snapping the captain a sharp blow to the side of his head. "We go NOW, or not at all!!!" The Captain came to his senses, and moved as if propelled by the devil. Ahead of the freighter, the ancient jump gate came alive, one last time, and with a final shudder, the SPETNAZ vanished from space-time. And only just in time.... **************************************************************************** ********** To be (heh heh) continued... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 3b Date: Sun, 05 Jul 1998 00:24:53 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART THREE "COMMANDS OF THE SECOND COMING" PHASE II OF II **"The excesses of the elder races have lead us into somewhat of a conumdrum, in regards to the several dozen colony planets destroyed in the course of the hostilities that concluded the Shadow War. The systems these planets belonged to have been rendered nearly unusuable for colonial purposes, and several jumpgates even destroyed, by asteroid fragment arcs hundreds of thousands of kilometers long, with densities a factor of a million higher then the standard asteroid belts found in most inhabited systems. In addition, there are a great many of these asteroids that are larger then any seen elsewhere in local space... curved shards, in places up to two thousand kilometers long, with active geologic processes ongoing.."** - An excerpt from a geological survey conducted for the Interstellar Alliance, early in the EY 2262 * * * Jan 10th, 2261...Nighthawk surface..after local midnight.. Sirens wailed all over Colonial Central, and with a groan, Brandon DeMeuleaneure rolled out of bed, and with an irritable shrug, strode towards the door. What in the name of all the Hells were those DAMNED sirens going off, for?? It was a wonder that Amanda hadn't woken up, too, but his wife had long been famous (or infamous) for being a sound sleeper. With a single jerk, he pulled the door open, and strode out onto the doorstep, to scowl down on the main colony settlement below his home. Soon enough, he would determine the nature of this problem, they would PAY for disturbing his sleep... It was then, of course, that he realized the problem WASN"T in the settlement...but in the skies above. DeMeuleneure looked up, his dread sudden and complete; what the HELL was this?? Just below overhead, well over a dozen jump points stood open, their tiny, from his perspective, vortexes spiralling away to the nothingness of hyperspace. And out of these points, he could see numerous tiny glints of light emerging...enormous starships coming into orbit..but whose? And then, among the rest, a mighty, curdling twist of light appeared, and he winced, and shielded his eyes, as a jump point ten times bigger then the rest spun into being, and spat out a ship.. Good Lord...how could ANY ship be that big?? Even from the surface, he could perceive its circular disk, and the horn-like protrusions on its front end. DeMeulaneure shivered...even with the low light, it was CLEAR that a band of blue light glowed around this ship, and that was enough to bring out YELLOW highlights across the rest of the disk... Vorlons. It couldn't be anyone else; this didn't mean good things for his citizens...no, not at all. The deal he and the other colony administrators had made with the Shadows now seemed like not such a good deal, after all..if the Vorlons had come to wage war against them with their fleet and massive mothership, would they have any concern for the humans caught in between?? And then, a flicker of light caught his attention, and he returned his gaze to the ships overhead...and flinched. The massive disk of the Vorlon mothership had thinnned down to a barely seen spindle, and the blue glow was growing...growing...becoming.. White FIRE. He watched, for the few remaining seconds of his life, unable to believe what he was seeing, as a massive spear of light plunged down from the heavens, impacting far to the south of the colony...but not far enough. In seconds, a wall of that selfsame white fire leapt up from the horizon, and ate up the world...and life. DeMeulaneure turned to run, but the fire surrounded him...became him, and as consciousness faded, he became one with the fire... There was no safety for him, or for anyone on the planet, for that matter. None at all. In milliseconds, the hundred kilometer high wall of plasma receding from the Vorlon strikepoint anhillated the colony center, and swept it, and all its inhabitants, from existence. It was only a matter of seconds more before the plasma wave ended life across the whole world..but that was only the beginning, of course, as the energy pulse from the Vorlon Planetkiller dug ever deeper into the mantle...and then, reached its destructive fingers into the core itself... On the far side of the planet, great rents appeared, cracks thousands of miles long, spewing lava and plasma, along the way destroying the relatively tiny Shadow base on that side of the world. It was overkill, overkill in the most ultimate way possible, but the Vorlons did not care..to them, it was only a task to be performed, a virus to be eradicated. It was inevitable, and sooner, rather then later, the energy flux being imposed against the now incredibly fragile ball of rock, magma and superheated air that had once been the world called Nighthawk became too much. First bolides, none of them bigger then average sized cities, reached escape velocity...and then, larger and larger ones. Finally, enormous planetismal sized objects, some of them up to a thousand kilometers across, surged away, carried by the rivers of energy escaping from the inferno of the growing plasma sphere at the core of the destruction. Nighthawk's jumpgate vanished from sight amongst the chaos, a flare of light invisible against the complete Armageddon that reigned around it. And still the Vorlons watched, and waited, to be sure that none of the Enemy had escaped. In time, the plasma sphere began to cool, and fade..but by that point, its work had already been done. Where a planet had once swung, brown and low on seas, now there was only a million chunks of glowing rock, some tiny, some as big as small worlds, slowly extending into a small arc, pulled by the endless force of gravity. The Vorlons conferred, and decided that the job, was, indeed, completed. With noticable contempt for such material things, the Fleet, arrayed around its Planetkiller, sailed through and to the edge of the devastation, opened its many rents in space-time, and vanished from sight. For the job was FAR from complete. * * * Babylon 5...0900 hrs, local, Jan 11, 2261..the Ranger Compound. At what amounted to parade rest, William stood alone, besides the entrance to the council chambers that he had once served in as commander of the Anlashok in this place. Then, of course, he had been called away by Jeffrey Sinclair, to help bring into being, with Vikotal, the White Star Fleet that was. And while certain of the human commanders in the Fleet were more comfortable with being referred to by the human rank of 'Captain', forever in the background was the pride he knew they all felt, as Val'nae of the Rangers. He had helped to create that...but now, it seemed that he would finally have to face up to the costs for what he had done in going to Z'ha'dum, to rescue the only thing he could not live without in this life. The Entil'zha had summoned him here at this specific time, and so, he had come. He would not disobey her orders, at any time...and while he did not know what changes were coming, it was fairly clear that the coming meeting would not be a pleasant one. And top of all this, the news had come down that the Vorlons had done the unthinkable, and were continuing to do so, as he waited here; the true nature of their fleet had been revealed, and among that fleet stood two enormous ships whose sole purpose, it seemed, was to tear apart worlds into shards of broken death. The dark tidings had cast a pall across everyone and everything; Julia had been all too right in her statement, the day before. But he could NOT deal with that for now; the crisis he now faced was clearly the paramount one, for now. With a faint sigh, the council doors swung open, and Tashann and Shival stepped out, and formed up on each side of the door. Neither of them looked very happy, and his heart sank still further. It had been their intention to petition the Entil'zha on his behalf, and from their expressions, it seemed that they had failed in that ambition. "The Entil'zha will see you now, Sha'vei." Shival said, his gaze bleak. "And her mood?" "Not good." Tashann added. "As we told you we would, William..Sha'vei, we petitioned her on your behalf, describing to her the situation that had lead you up to this point. She listened to our arguments, and then..informed us that while all the points were valid, the price for the secrecy you had imposed on us would still have to be paid..and that that price could only be discussed with you.. alone." He nodded. "It is as I suspected, my friends, though I do thank you for trying. Not only have I paid a price in lost life for what I did, now it seems, I must pay a price in lost stature, as well." "That seems..likely." Shival darkly added, as he moved between them, and into the chamber, steeped deeply in shadows. "But understand this, and know that we believe it, as well, William; what you did in rescuing Jennifer, what you accomplished in facing the darkness at Z'ha'dum, was the RIGHT thing to do, and by Valen, you MUST make the Entil'zha see this, as well." "If anyone can do it..." Tashann finished up, "You can...Rimstalker." And then, both Minbari saluted him, to which he returned a salute, his heart full of emotion. And then, with a resounding boom, the door shut behind him. Step measured, he strode towards the center of the room, and then paused; he could see, clearly enough, that there was no one at the council table off towards the rear of the chamber...where then, was... With a flash, he found himself at the center of a sudden pool of light, and he turned, to face the suddenly appeared figure of his Entil'zha, as she came out of the shadows, dressed in black, expression grave. "So now, we come to what I could not, before now, deal with; but all concerns must be dealt with, eventually, and now that you have returned to us, Sha'vei Westcastle, it is time, at long last, for us to resolve this. But I ask, how, exactly, SHALL this be resolved? Without permission, I learn that you departed to Z'ha'dum, in pursuit of that which the Shadows KNEW was your greatest weakness, the love that all in humanity have for the other sides of their souls..but in you, it is magnified, made stronger not only by your beliefs, but in what we have taught you. And so, or so your testimony tells me, you came to Z'ha'dum, scant hours ahead of Captain Sheridan, to battle for and save Val'na Clifford's life. In this, you have succeeded...against ALL odds, I will add! And now that you have been returned to us, there comes the matter of the price you must pay for going to Z'ha'dum. For if you had asked, Sha'vei, I surely would have denied you the privelege to make the attempt; Val'na Clifford is valuable to YOU, but YOU are far more valuable to the cause. What, then, are we to do about this??" He thought for a minute, facing those eyes, before so kind, now so intense and ruthless, and finally, after a time, he spoke. "All that you say is correct, Entil'zha; I went to Z'ha'dum, not knowing whether or not I would find what I sought; I entered the heart of all Darkness, and found my greatest enemy waiting for me. I strove to retrieve that which I could not live without, due to that which you correctly label my greatest weakness...and yet, with aid least expected, I succeeded, and escaped, before the end. That this was so was, in part, due to that same force that deigned to aid Captain Sheridan in his return to this place; Lorien, and his servant, decided that while the Captain was the more paramount of their concerns, we ALSO deserved to live; for it seems that my tasks are not, as yet, completed, either. Lorien..spoke to me, Entil'zha, in the Dream, between Z'ha'dum, and here, and told me that my greatest task would be to SERVE those who needed me the most. My ambition in saving Val'na Clifford was clear...but my true cause remains the same. The Shadows, and now the Vorlons, MUST be stopped, and now that Captain Sheridan has commanded the assembly of the Fleet, I cannot stand aside and ignore what is coming. I will willingly follow you, Entil'zha, into the Fire, beyond life, and into death, as you so command. It has been that way from the beginning, and it will be that way until the end. So I have I pledged, so do I swear again, now, in your presence, this day. While I have done what I should not have, nothing I believe in has changed. But the price I must pay...that must be your choice, Entil'zha. Do with me what you will...I am ready, and willing, to accept your judgement." At that, he was startled to see the Entil'zha's grim expression fade somewhat..and the slightest inkling of a smile appear on her face. "Shival and Tashann argued along similar lines, though not quite so fervently. Very well, Sha'vei, I will give you what you wish, though in the times to come, should we survive, from time to time I will ask you whether or not the choice was the correct one. While I remain displeased that you went to Z'ha'dum, their are, for now, far greater concerns, and your tasks among the White Star Fleet are barely begun. Do not believe that there will be NO price for what you did, though, Sha'vei. Both you and Captain Sheridan stood, the same day, on Z'ha'dum, and you did not, or were not, able to help him; this is something that has yet to be resolved to my satisfaction. From now on, you will work for the Captain as you would for me; if he requires of you your life, you will give it up, working for whichever cause he requires of you. Do you understand?" He nodded, and bowed. "I live for the One, I die for the One, Entil'zha; and if the Captain is also to be part of that One, I will, willingly, serve him as I would serve you." "Then you understand..that is well. But walk carefully, Sha'vei...I WILL be watching you." With that, he was once more plunged into darkness, only alleviated by the brief light of the side entrance opening, and then closing, to mark the Entil'zha's departure. It was over...he had SURVIVED the experience...and, more importantly.. His tasks remained HIS; in fact, they had all but been amplified... Behind him, the door swung open, and Shival and Tashann entered, their expressions quizzical; and he laughed. "Gentlemen..." he whispered, beckoning them close. "You're going to LOVE this..." * * * Earth Alliance Omega Class Destroyer EUROPA...near the former position of Nighthawk.. "What the Hell is going on??" Captain Roberto Oriaz mused. "Are you SURE?" "Very sure, sir.." his exec, Commander Brittany Vedrou, replied, her expression perplexed and uncertain. "We're not getting ANY reading from the Nighthawk inner system gate...only the outer one; and since all the orbital refineries around that gas giant were abandoned recently, after that attack the rebels made.." "Noted; however..." Oriaz decided, "We certainly have to get a measure of what's going on in the area..it's been quite a few months since we lost contact with Nighthawk, and President Clark and his council have commanded the tying together of all ties lost during the Civil Crisis, so here we are.." "Orders, sir??" "Quite simple, Commander; bring us out approximately one half million kilometers from the gate's last known location, OUT of the ecliptic plane if you can possibly manage it in this gravitational morass." "Yes, sir; we can calculate from the beacon on the outer gate for just such a jumpout..stand by." Soon enough, Vedrou ordered the crew to change the destroyer's course, and after a few more minutes, she let him know that it was time. He sighed, and rose from his seat. "Commander..stand by on jump engines." "Jump engines online." "Take us out, then; lets see what the Hell's up." With a slight shudder, the EUROPA passed through jump transition, and back out into normal space, and without pause, Vedrou began a scan of the area.. Oriaz turned in surprise, then, as several of the more junior bridge members gasped, and moved together, their gazes locked on their monitors..even Vedrou, normally so competent and calm, had turned white.. "What the Hell are you all.." and then Oriaz, himself, caught a glimpse of what the problem was...and all other considerations went right out the window. For the planet they come to survey, on orders from the Planetary Council.. Wasn't there anymore. Slightly more then half a million kilometers below the EUROPA, thousands of shards of rock, ranging in size from dust right on up to chunks bigger then most of the moons back in Earthspace, rolled slowly along the orbit Nighthawk had once inhabited. "What.." Vedrou burst out, her voice strained, "What in the name of GOD could destroy a whole world like THAT??" "I don't know.." he whispered, (had to stay calm) "But I DO know that theres are a lot of people back home that are going to want to know about this. Stand by on jump engines, Commander...we've got a lot of travelling to do...and in a hurry." * * * Babylon 5...the Office of the Commanding Officer, 1400 hrs, Jan 11th.. "I am only going to say this once..." Captain Sheridan mused, as William sat on the other side of the desk, his gaze intent. "When Delenn told me what is was you did, William, I could scarcely credit the news." "It's true, I'm afraid, Captain; we were both on Z'ha'dum, if for quite different reasons, and the end result of those visits has been quite different, for both of us. As the Entil'zha may or may not have mentioned, the knowledge of my visit cannot be allowed to grow beyond those who know already, and I have sworn, in Valen's Name, to uphold that order." "Fair enough; it isn't as if we don't have enough to do, without concerning ourselves over what happened THERE." Sheridan shook his head, and leaned back. "Though I'm afraid what we did, both of us, is going to stay with us for the rest of our lives." "Yes, sir. However, it is primarily because of what is going on in the here and now that I must assume you asked me here. What are your orders for the White Star Fleet, Captain?" Sheridan raised an eyebrow at his near directness, but then continued on just that tangent. "Well...since Delenn summoned the White Star Fleet here in preparation for the attack she wanted to make on Z'ha'dum, it only makes sense that we keep SOME of them here on standby, waiting for the League and the rest to gather their forces here...but that's going to take a little while, and we need to keep our eyes and ears open for further developments. Sooner or later, the Shadows are bound to come to their senses, and respond to the attacks the Vorlons are making on their bases..." "Almost certainly, sir...yes." "And when that happens, we have to know about it...right away. We need White Stars in as many sectors as we can manage, while still keeping a sizable reserve in orbit, here. Can that be done??" He nodded. "Of course, sir; we now possess enough ships in the fleet to have units patrolling the local galactic region, while, at the same time, maintaining the reserve you describe." "Good!" "Is there anything else, for now, sir??" Sheridan thought on that comment for a minute, and then made up his mind. "That's not enough to keep you busy??" "I..take your point, sir; good day." * * * A while later..the Ranger Compound. The meeting place between the crystal towers of the Compound was only just barely big enough to fit in all those who commanded ships of the Fleet, whether they thought of themselves as 'Captains' or 'Val'nae' was unimportant...the reason they had come to this place was quite clear. So soon after the startling return of Captain Sheridan, they were about to be addressed by He who stood among them in secret as ANOTHER who had done the impossible; it was said that the Rimstalker had ALSO gone to Z'ha'dum, to save his Observer, and now, NOW, along with their other Sha'vei, the Commands of the Second Coming of William Westcastle were about to be passed down.. A rustle passed among those at the back of the gathering, and those at the front turned, to move aside in a great rush, as the sea of Ranger commanders parted, to make way for their Sha'vei'e. For now, Vikotal ramained in the background, and all who stood there could see that while the Rimstalker had returned, he had not returned unchanged. The beard he, before, worn was gone, and from brow to temple, a silver streak of hair waved among the black, that had not been there before... "The stories and rumours you have heard are TRUE...I went to Z'ha'dum, as Captain Sheridan did; and I returned, not to lead you above all others, but because my dedication to our cause was enough that I found the courage, with aid least expected, to overcome the fear of death. This is a fear we all have had, from time to time..a fear that we, as Anla'shok, have been trained to overcome. And now, our greatest test of all stands near at hand...soon, the Army of Light will stand combined, and our Swords will ride forth, to end what must be ended! The Vorlons and Shadows cannot be allowed to do what it is they are attempting...and in that goal, we must first, return to that which we have done before...to walk along the borders of what is, to watch, and wait, and report, to WARN those who lead us, the Entil'zha, and Captain Sheridan, of what walks among the darkness. For we are Anla'shok, and it is our duty; we walk into the dark places no other will enter..." and with that, the whole gathering echoed him, "We stand on the bridge, and NO ONE shall pass!! We live for the One..we die for the One." * * * And so it was, that even as a small, critical portion of the White Star Fleet stayed behind, the rest went to walk among the dark paths of the Night, and watch, and wait, and observe what was, and what would be. And for a small, select few, among the Rangers, and elsewhere, their wait would be all too short.. To be continued... **************************************************************************** *** Next: Even as word comes to William and Jennifer of Nighthawk's destruction, Brianna is caught up in the maelstrom of events surrounding Ulkesh's destruction, and the mysterious Tall Man and his followers arrive at Babylon 5. "Armageddon In the Hinterlands", the next part of "The Riders On the Storm", coming soon..! From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On The Storm, Part 4 Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 00:10:37 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 4 "ARMAGEDDON IN THE HINTERLANDS" **"Returned like a fire in the night, Westcastle now burned brighter then ever before, a man as changed by what he had experienced; further impassioned by the apparent second chance that his commanders had given him, the White Star commander then proceeded to place those under his command in the greatest danger they had, to that point, ever faced; for within the day of his reinstallment by Delenn as human commander of the Fleet, close to two thirds of the White Stars had left Babylon 5 to patrol the local Galactic region, watching and reporting on the continuing depredations of the Vorlons, as that race stepped up the pace of its policy of extermination relative to their enemies, the Shadows. By the time the Shadows escaped from the shock of Sheridan's destruction of their most major city, and responded fully in kind, over two dozen colonies, stations and mid range outposts had been destroyed by the Vorlon Fleet, and in the cases where the Vorlons used their planetkillers (which was many of the worlds above mentioned) not even the planets themselves survived the attacks. And then, of course, the Shadow Planetkiller was unleashed, and things grew even worse... But a change was coming, as the League worlds, desperate in their need to escape from the nightmare that was, brought their fleets to Babylon 5; never again, in our times, has such an enormous fleet of starships been assembled under the command of one man; those who saw that sight will never be able to forget it, as long as they live. And through sheer luck, this writer happened to be on Babylon 5, that fateful week, to see the sight firsthand..." ** - From "Holding The Line: A History of the Army of Light" * * * Late January, 2261. Chronicles Log...Summary. I have seen the images, and can scarcely credit their possibility; but the images taken by those brave enough to stay and watch Armageddon descend upon their system make it impossible for us to ignore what is happening. The Vorlons are out of control; now, every day or two, word comes of another outer range colony world shattered into fragments by that horrifying weapon of theirs. But worst of all, the news that hit hardest to home was that the world where Jennifer and I met, so long ago, now, it seems, the once-peaceful world of Nighthawk, farthest bastion of Earth, encountered the depredations of the Shadows, and gave in to them, when they could have just said...NO. But we all understand that sometimes, it's just easier to look the other way; It is easy to surmise that Nighthawk was being threatened by some sort of raiding party...and the Shadows took advantage of that opportunity, extending their hand of dark friendship, and an offer of 'protection'. Which is all well and good, until the enemy that comes is not interested in direct combat with the screaming nightmare ships of the Shadow Fleet... Instead, that enemy is only interested in blowing the planet they're stationed on, out from under them; and if they happen to incinerate a few thousand, or a few million, or a BILLION other souls along the way...well the Vorlons would probably tell themselves, 'They were foolish enough to corrupt themselves with Chaos, therefore, they are become chaos, as bad as the Shadows; they should die, as well.' They've used that argument across a dozen quadrants, now...and millions have died, in the Name of Order. Worlds have died, as well, worlds far, worlds near... And a world that I valued; a world that I hoped to return to, to visit, if and when we succeeded in what we attempt. Now, I will never be able to do that.. The only place I can visit Nighthawk, now...is in my memories. And because that is, I find, behind all my beliefs, that doubt still stands, to mock all that we have done. And before we forge forth, once again, I must banish these doubts. And I believe that there is only one being in the Universe that can help me do that... * * * The Garden.. "You've been avoiding me; why?" The voice was oh SO very familiar to her, now; the voice of youth, the voice of pain endured, in the Name of the One. Jennifer turned, grimaced and knew that the moment had come at last; the moment she had been avoiding for the better part of a week and a half. But now, the child that William had rescued, so long ago, now, it seemed, for so much else had happened in the meantime, had been through the Fire herself, in the name of the Rangers, in the name of the service she had sworn, first to William, and then to herself. "You know why." Julia's still oh-so-young face dropped in resignation. "So that's the way it has to be, does it? You blame YOURSELF for the mistake that nearly killed us all; the mistake that none of us were able to forsee. Walther Gideon struck into the heart of what we are, to draw William to Z'ha'dum. But through courage and aid least expected, you were able to come BACK to the light!! What you did, together, made up for the mistake; William himself told me, several days ago, that one of the reasons he went to Z'ha'dum was to help regain the honour I lost in that deception...that nearly killed me." She nodded sadly. "William may feel that...but I do not. I am, as yet, unable to escape the image I saw; the image of that HATEFUL Shadow ally woman striking you down. And it was all MY fault, my fault that I placed myself in such a vulnerable position, in a place where what happened became almost inevitable; and the near-mortal wound you took, as a result of my foolishness; I cannot forgive myself for what happened, not until I can find a way to make it up to you.." She looked up, then, to feel Julia's thin, long hands rest on her own, and looked up into her protege's serious, but ever-so frank gaze. "Is that what you want, then?" the younger Observer whispered, a small smile coming to her face. "Is it that simple??" "I don't..." With one, smooth motion, Julia stepped back, and something came into her hands that Jennifer had not seen before; a strong staff of wood, steel and what appeared to be silver. "I didn't want to show you this before; I didn't believe you were ready to see it. But Brianna believed in what I was, enough to make of me this gift, when I thought you lost, on Z'ha'dum. Not so long ago, I swore to follow in your footsteps in most things, and this is one of them. My new companion, Larieken, of the Minbari, had tested my mettle, but I do not believe that he is your equal in the use of the denn'bok. I KNOW that you can teach me better then he, and eventually, if all goes well, I may rightfully earn the right to carry that which I carried for you, for so short a period. With astonishment, Jennifer watched, as Julia bowed before her. "If you wish to atone for your errors that day, Val'na...then I beeseech you to instruct me in the ways of that which you learnt, yourself, from F'hursna Sech Durhan. Please! I would have NO OTHER teach me what I must learn; you have taught me so much already; surely you can give me THIS, as well??" Unbidden, she felt a smile come to her face, and with smooth motion, she reached for her pike, and opened it. "I have heard, from Lareiken himself, of this; and while the methods he was instructed to use with you were, in my opinion, unwise, the reasoning was sound; until my return, that was. Now, if you wish to learn the ways of the pike...we will do it MY way." "It shall be as you command." A small joy lit within her; maybe, just maybe, this would work... "Then let us begin." And with that, the clash of steel on steel and wood began. * * * The Sanctuary.. William stood, waiting patiently. What he waited for, he did not know, but in the meantime, there was a great deal to see. Space around the station was beginning to crawl with purpose; the station's Starfury and Thunderbolt squadrons had been out on near constant practice runs for some time now, joined, in places, by squadrons from several of the Minbari cruisers on station. Beyond them, in the distance, towards Epsilon III, several dozen of the White Stars under his command were currently practicing above the planet's atmosphere...and then he turned, as a movement caught his eye. A figure stood in the entrance, his wise eyes turned to the vision that William also saw, a figure robed and cowled; a figure he knew, from his Dreams, between the moments. He bowed. "Lorien." "I believed that I would find you here." Lorien replied, his smile enigmatic. "This is not the first time you have stood here, looking out upon the universe, is it? Indeed, perhaps it is that the universe, in some small part, gives you guidance, in that which you attempt." He nodded, somewhat bitterly, before returning his gaze to the vista outside. "What we attempt; I don't know, sometimes it seems that I've stepped out of the frying pan, only to step right back into the Fire, as an old saying of my race goes. Both Sheridan and I returned, to find the Vorlons gone mad; but our return also gave both the Younger Races and the Rangers hope enough to believe we can do SOMETHING to end what is!! And yet, I find that I dread the possible outcomes, Lorien; is it justifiable for THEM all to believe in us, when we face Vorlon planetkillers, and, quite possibly, even worse weapons, of Shadow nature?" Lorien inclined his head, taking the point as moot, it seems. "Quite possibly, you are correct; however, I shall, at this time, make a comment you may find quite valuable. At Z'ha'dum, you found courage where it was least expected, acting in the name of that emotion which neither of those races possesses, any longer. That is something which makes your quest a possible one; Sheridan begins to move, even now, to attempt that which must be attempted, and in so swearing to follow him, to death, or so I understand, there is a distinct possibility that vow will require you to follow him to LIFE, instead." He turned, one brow raised. "Would you...care to explain that comment?" Lorien nodded, and began to speak, once again. "This small doubt that you retain, Rimstalker, is a false one; and this, I say, because through the actions of my servant, I was able to observe, in a fashion, the movements of both you and Sheridan; in recent times, though in different ways, both of you have shone brighter and brighter, and all those around you SEE this Light, and understand. You have seen both sides of the worst that is, through the eyes of your followers, both present AND lost, and Sheridan, at least, begins to believe that there is another choice, beyond Chaos and Order. For you, the belief that this is so comes with more difficulty, but you MAY allow it to come, if you hear my words, and understand them. From your beginnings, you have forged a mighty thing; Sheridan rescued you, and there, the bond between the two of you was created; but in that saving, you began to assemble a company around you, diverse and varied, I will admit, but a company who BELIEVED as you did. In the successes of this company, was their belief in you reinvested; and even when they believed you lost at Z'ha'dum, their dedication to do that which was RIGHT, in your memory, grew greater still. And now, you have returned, not as Sheridan did, but to an equally important challenge. The beliefs of your company, those that Ride on the Storm in your name, are greater now then ever before, and the emotion called love that allowed you to save your Observer is equally valued. They look upon you, all of them, mostly in silence, but knowing that it is POSSIBLE to defeat their opponents. And in that possibility, is doubt dissauded; in those beliefs, know the end to your doubts; BELIEVE as they do, and you will find that which you require." At that, he allowed himself to smile; Lorien was right, of course...but he hadn't been able to tell HIMSELF that! He bowed yet again, but deeper, this time. "I thank you for your wisdom, Lorien; it prevails upon the madness we endure, and gives me the focus I need to carry on." Lorien nodded in return, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "The focus was within you all along; if I aided in any way, perhaps it was merely to CLARIFY that focus. Now, however, I must leave you, for I am needed... elsewhere. A great burden is about to fall upon One who needs my aid, even now, and I cannot abandon that task..." * * * "Well now..." the security guard commented, his eyes quite tired, his stance a little shaky, as he faced the latest, smallest, and quite possibly the LAST refugee group he wanted to see today. "Yet more refugees from Hell, I see; I can't say whether or not I should welcome you here; Babylon 5's a bit of a madhouse, right now, I'm afraid..." The Tall Man nodded in return, and smiled. "Welcome us, or do not; we are alive; that is all that matters, for now." * * * With a slight shudder, Lyta walked down the corridor, her mind focussed on the twin problems of 'Kosh'...and the equally important problem of keeping the other telepath Kosh had misused, Brianna, isolated from this, as much as possible. The twin focusses would hurt her, eventually... Eventually, Kosh would grow suspicious; and then, Lyta would be unable to protect Brianna from what followed. It would be difficult enough to protect HERSELF from that wrath, as it was... * * * The Time of Darkness Passing...Initial Movements. With an almighty scream, Brianna arose into consciousness, feeling, like never before, the almighty force of Ulkesh's mind upon her own. Danger! Incredible Danger! Without command, she felt her legs begin to move, under the massive compulsive pull of his mind, the mind that had controlled her, so many times already. No, damn you!...she shrieked, fighting to control the demonic urges, but unable to; space and time blurred, and she found herself stumbling down the corridor, out of control, the beings around her casting frightened and fearful looks upon what they saw. In their minds, Brianna saw herself, wild haired, ashen faced, and understood their fears. I'm not myself, she wanted to tell them...but the terrible compulsion the Vorlon was placing upon her pulled her onwards. It was getting worse, MUCH worse, for him, worse enough that a glimpse from his mind leaked into hers; of human figures, in black armour, attacking with bursts of plasma fire. Ordinarily, these would pose no significant threat, but the number, the horribly great number... Brianna felt the station shudder around her, and understood. Ulkesh had summoned his ship to action, and that companion would shake the station apart if it was not so released. In due course, as she proceeded, the shuddering passed, and then, after a time, did she feel first shock, and then renewed arrogance in Ulkesh's mind. The humans, those working for Mr. Garibaldi, had DESTROYED Ulkesh's encounter suit!...but the Vorlon did not, now, feel any hesitation in striking out against those who had done him such harm; in due course, he would escape to return to the Many. It was OBVIOUS that those in this place, like so many others, had been touched by Chaos. They would, in due course, pay for that crime... And then, for the first time she could remember, Brianna felt astonishment in the Vorlon's mind; and then, rather abruptly, another force interferred. A force...she somehow recognized. "Kosh." she whispered, before collapsing to the deck in a dead faint. * * * A group of Gaim and Drazi appraoched the unconscious human woman warily, but then, they were interrupted by the arrival of a figure they had come to respect... "In the name of the One!" Talion Quintara proclaimed, his gaze stern, "Leave her be!" They did, and the Ranger remained, to stand guard. Soon enough, he knew, one would come along, to help Brianna; though he didn't know how he knew this, he knew, beyond a doubt, that it was TRUE. First to bring her out of the Hell she had created for herself; and then, after that, who knew what could happen? * * * a voice whispered, and she blearily returned to the waking world, to find Lyta's intent eyes over her, concern foremost in that gaze. It was then, that she realized what had changed in the world around her. The near constant thunder of HIS mind, the manic, distorted, often furious thunder that had plagued her for months now... Was GONE. She blinked, not wanting to believe. She rose, then, with Lyta's aid, wanting both to laugh, and to cry, and decided, eventually, to do both. It was over... She was FREE. * * * The meeting between the gathered Sha'vei and Val'na in the council chambers was growing quite spirited, and as William watched, a smile upon his face, he could see that what Lorien had said to him was INDEED true. Now that the Army of Light had begun to arrive, in their singles, and triads, and DOZENS, their purpose had become far clearer, and his mission, equally clear. He had been foolish to doubt; what he had helped to build was reason enough to believe. It seemed that they would follow him, into Darkness, into Death, without question, if that was the fate they faced. However, that was yet to be determined... And then, a noise at the entranceway made them all turn, and he rose, as Talion entered the Chamber, his face calm, but set. "Forgive my intrusion, Sha'vei'e, but there is one who waits outside who wishes entrance; one who seeks to redress that which was lost; one who awaits the chance to regain the honour she has been so denied." He then felt Talion's gaze switch, quite clearly, to him. "And there is only one amongst this gathering who can do that; one to whom the task was fated, from its beginning...and only now, has it become possible." Then, understanding dawned, and he rose. The Vorlon, of course, had been banished by Sheridan and Lorien; and that meant... The doors swung open, pulled apart by the Rangers outside, and proud, if battered, straight backed, if a little ragged, Brianna slowly walked into the chamber, and knelt before the astonished gathering of senior Rangers. Beside him, Shival smiled, and nodded towards him; it was time, at long last, it was time, to put this behind him! "Seven months ago..." Brianna whispered, her voice barely heard, "I walked away from you, bidden by a force I could not ignore. Though courage, and dedication, though need, and reason, that force has been banished by He who we Serve, as commander of the Army that Is. And so, I return to you, and reswear my vigilance. I ask to be returned that which was given freely, that which I lost, for above all other things, now compulsion is banished, I live for nothing but the One; I will, from this day forward, serve nobody BUT the One!...and I will die, not only for the One, but for he who holds my honour, he who saved me when no one else would!" He winced, slightly; he had nearly forgotten, in all the events that had transpired; had HER sigil survived what had happened at Z'ha'dum? And if that was so, had those Minbari who repaired and reinvested his garments left it in the place he had... With one sure hand, he reached up inside, against his breast, and smiled, as he felt the smooth, cool shape of her Broach, still there, in the place he had put it, months before. With smooth stride, he walked towards Brianna, still knelt, and withdrew it. "He remembers." he replied, coming to a halt just before her. "But know this truly, Brianna. You never LOST that which you earned truly; it was only denied you for a time. But now, HE is gone, beyond the Veil, banished by our commander, and what was once yours, IS yours again." He reached down, and grasped her hand, which she opened, ever so slowly, and pressed the sigil into her palm. "I return to you your honour, Brianna; and, despite all that was said, we never really lost our friendship; the words, while harsh, were only for the moment, and the moment, does not the Future make." Brianna rose then, her smile brilliant, and for a brief moment, his gaze passed beyond the chamber, and into the knowing eyes of Lorien, waiting beyond. The First One inclined his head briefly, a mysterious smile on his face, and turned to depart, and he nearly laughed, but sufficed to smile in return. Lorien had been right!...beyond all doubts, one lost to him had returned; the shattered union rebuilt. NOW, they would stride forward, as Three once again. The Time was drawing near for all veils to be thrown aside. The Swords was Gathering. And soon, on the command of their leader, would they stride forward, Into the Fire. **************************************************************************** To be continued... Next: While final preparations are made at Babylon 5, William and Jennifer take their White Star and a small squadron of the Fleet to render aid to one who trained with them; to one commanded to a greater Sacrifice then any Ranger before him. For if the Sacrifice is to be made real, the Shadows must believe it to be a true one...and here, the Rimstalker and his companions will render aid, in the name of the One..for what higher honour is about to be imposed then this one, to gather the Vorlons and the Shadows at the world called Coriana VI? The name of the part?? "Ericcson's Ride." Coming soon.. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 5(corrected) Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 10:58:17 Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 02:21:38 To: b5-creative@lists.best.com From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 5 Writer's note: In this part, I am taking up the challenge offered a whiles back by Anne Clements (of INFINITE REGRESS fame) in using one of her characters, and interacting that character with one of mine. Read on below, and see if you figure out which one. Why not, I thought...we're all writing in the same, semi- friendly universe... RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 5 "ERICCSON'S RIDE" **"..it was a sight I will never forget, not for as long as I live. Parked in their countless dozens and hundreds, the starships littered the heavens around Babylon 5, and filled every Langrange point that Epsilon III possessed. Minbari, Brakiri, Vree, Drazi...the list went on and ON, and the skies of the Epsilon system were torn asunder by jump points for days and days, as the fleet gathered. From time to time, White Stars would come near enough to the Sanctuary for me to see even the tiny windows incised into their semi-organic hulls, and the faint movements of crew members upon their bridges. And then, one morning, a small squadron of the Fleet gathered to spinward, and made ready to depart; one Drazi Sunhawk, one Vree saucer...AND two White Stars. I would not know the reason for their gathering and subsequent departure for years to come, but shortly after that, the mighty fleet assumed its stance, and vanished from the station's skies..."** - From "Holding the Line..." * * * The Garden...farewells. The practices were, for now, complete; Jennifer regretfully retracted her pike, as Julia slid her staff out of sight into the closed loop within her tunic and cloak. Once again, she shook her head; so LIKE her own, that uniform was, and yet, so different. One finger reached up to touch the tiny Circle and Star on her left Collar, and then, she nodded; it was time. "I'm afraid, Julia, that this is, for now, where we must cease this; we have had eight days together, more then two hours at a stretch or more each day, and you have progressed much farther then I would have believed possible prior to...my departure to Z'ha'dum. But now, the time is coming when we will be tested to the utmost. The Fleet gathers outside, and there is every chance, now that the Shadows have unleashed their Fleet once again, and their planetkiller as well, as none of us will survive what is to come. You must also understand the following: if I had my way, you would either stay under my wing, as you were, or travel to some place where the Shadows and Vorlons could not touch you...Epsilon III, for instance.." "You cannot ask that of me, Jennifer." the younger Observer replied, her eyes flashing a direct, incontravertible challenge. "What I have become cannot be unmade, and as I have sworn to follow the Anla'shok in all things, I will follow them in this, as well; for is it not so that the Shadows have already attempted my death? There are certain people who I am sure would not approve...but Mother is not here, and the Entil'zha swore me to a strong oath while you were missing; she is my commander, too, and I will not ignore her commands. The way of things is this; when I am not learning, I am to serve beneath Val'na Tashann on his White Star, as he so decrees. He will keep me safe, when we do not fight; and when we do, I will perform duties as he so commands. And if we are destined to die, I will stand and die beside you, Jennifer, under William's command, as a serving member of the his White Star command. I will have it no other way; you must understand this!!" She sighed, and nodded. "I do; and so it is, for now, that I must bid you farewell; we must each be about those tasks preordained for us. If we can find a way out of this, we will, in due course, see one another again...if not, then we will meet other, as Valen wills, beyond the Veil." Julia nodded. "I understand; where now, are you summoned to, by our Sha'vei?" "William has instructed me to re-assume command of the White Star Four, and await his coming; Talion will be joining us, once again, and soon enough, we will be called upon to act; William is, even now, with Captain Sheridan... something is up, I do not know what, only that it is important..." * * * "Sir." Captain Sheridan turned, his expression grave. "William; thank you for coming on such short notice. Not long ago, you asked me whether or not commanding the White Star Fleet to observe the actions of the Vorlons would be enough duty to keep you busy." Sheridan sighed, and shook his head. "You were right; I now require of you a duty I will not ask any other to perform, a duty of necessity, a duty that MUST succeed, if we are to have any hope of ending this." Sheridan paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, and then continued. "We have, quite recently, been in contact with the commander of White Star 14, on the edge of Shadow territory..." "Yes, sir; that would be Ericsson. He's a good man, one of our finest, and that was why I placed him so close to Shadow space. I knew that he could be discreet and thorough in his work, and as it is, he discovered and revealed the nature of the Shadow planetkiller for us." Sheridan nodded somberly. "An enviable, success, yes...but let me come straight to the point; I will soon be requiring of Ericsson a great sacrifice, William. We have discovered that the Vorlons are massing to attack Corianna VI; we CANNOT allow them to kill the six billion innocents living on that world, and we WILL be there to face them when they arrive. But if the plan I am putting together is to work, the Shadows must be also be there at the SAME TIME. A message must reach them, a message that they will BELIEVE in, a message that will describe the existence of a base in the Corianna system, a base to be activated a little more then three days from now. This must be made to be something the Shadows will not be able to ignore." He nodded, his expression serious. "The plan is sound, sir; to bring the Vorlons and the Shadows into direct conflict, with us to find the truth and end this between them, may be the only way out for us. But to ensure that they BELIEVE this ruse of a base, I must assume that Ericcson will be required to engage the Shadows in combat." "Exactly; and that is where YOU come in, William. I want you to take a detachment of warships to meet White Star 14...four should be enough, but small and maneuverable enough to get in, assist him, and get the Hell out again, without getting yourself into trouble; that means no big guns, only the Drazi, the Vree, and the White Stars are maneuverable enough to get this done the right way. Also, I'm going to ask you to both protect the League ships under your command, and not to get yourself into this too deeply; we're going to need you at Corianna VI, William..but this HAS to come first." "I understand, sir; we'll the job done." "I know you will." Sheridan shook his head somberly. "I only wish that there was another way to do this." "There is not, sir; but the Rangers understand; we have, from the beginning, understood that in the end, we may be required to sacrifice our lives in the Service of the One. The Entil'zha is our commander, but now you, sir, share that same responsibility with respect to the White Star Fleet, and as well, to all those who stand outside, waiting. We will do what must be done, and we will join you, when it is finished. There is no other way, sir; may I have your leave to depart?" Sheridan nodded, and he did so, walking quickly. But just outside the office, he found himself intercepted by Brianna, once more in her Ranger black and grey, most signs of her trials under the Vorlons erased. "William; I have heard that you are about to leave, on orders of the Captain, and as of yet, you have not commanded me as to what my task shall be among the Anla'shok, beneath you. Command me NOW, or not at all." It was time, then, to also deal with THIS. "I will trust that you have fully recovered, Brianna??" She nodded cooly. "Of course." "Very well, then; word has come to me from one of my most trusted commanders, Val'na Lanniel, that her command, White Star Six, requires a secondary operations officer, to replace one that has fallen seriously ill, and to his embarrassment, is unable to perform his duties as such. It is not something you have done overmuch, but White Star Four already has Jennifer and Talion to serve on her, beneath me. Lanniel NEEDS your help now, Brianna; will you do this for me??" Brianna bowed, a small smile on her face. "It shall be as you say, William; I will see you on the other side, then." * * * On White Star Four..a short time later. He saw it in all the gazes of those who served him; the Minbari who had dedicated their lives to first building these ships, and now served in them, as pilots, technicians, engineers. He saw it in their eyes; before, they had respected him for what he did in the name of the Anla'shok...NOW, it seemed that they respected him, also, for what he REPRESENTED, if in secret, to all Minbari; the OTHER human to go to Z'ha'dum, and return... "I didn't ask to be an icon." he muttered to himself, as he and Talion approached the bridge. "No..." Talion replied, his gaze frank, and voice calm, "You didn't, sir. But what you are is what you have done, and where you have been, as well. They cannot ignore what is, and was, and this has made you legend; now, perhaps, they will do ANYTHING for you, as I will." "Terrific." he added, as the bridge doors slid aside. "This is what is, sir; you must accept it as fact." With a smile, Jennifer arose from the captain's chair, and moved to the secondary station beside his, as he took his place, and likewise, Talion assumed his standard operations position, towards the rear. "Val'na; status?" "White Star 27 is standing by on our departure, sir." Jennifer replied, her voice level, her face calm. He smiled. "Good; I'm glad we've got Montoya with us on this one; Diego was a bit of a loose cannon when we were going through training, but command settled him down remarkably. And the rest?" "The Vree warship XATXAU! and the Drazi Sunhawk VIRAK await your command, sir." He turned in his seat, and raised one eyebrow. "My command??" "Captain Sheridan made it fairly clear to them, it seems, that YOU were to be the commander of this assault group...sir. I chose not to argue with his decision." He laughed, and nodded. "Understood; open channel to group vessels." "Done." "This is Anla'shok Westcastle, commander of White Star Four, to assault group vessels. By now, you will have received copies of our orders, and I will hope you understand them??" "Signals coming in from all three vessels." Talion reported. "Accept." He rose to his feet, as the visage of the Vree and Drazi commanders, as well as the familiar, level visage of Diego Montoya appeared in the holographic screen before him. "Good day, gentlemen." Montoya nodded at him, all business, but with a hint of a smile thrown in, for good measure. "I found my heart to be glad when we learned you were alive, William; a small lantern of brightness amidst all the darkness. We stand ready, on your command." "Likewise, do we." the Drazi captain bruesquely added, his slight bow of respect noticable. "I am called Shevak, and we have heard of you, Ranger Westcastle, and most of what we hear is good. Our generals lead us here to follow Sheridan, and now Sheridan commands us to follow you; it shall be as he says." *Likewise, will we, Klotau, also* the grey skinned, black eyed Vree commander added. *Famousness rides with you, we will add our fires to your own* "I thank you all." he replied. "Then let us do so." The screen faded away, and he resumed his seat. "Operations." "Sha'vei?" "Engines ahead full; standby on transfer to hyperspace." "Understood." With a smooth crystalline howl, that sound he had missed for so long, the White Star Four leapt away from Babylon 5, its three companions close behind. All around them, the ordered strength of the Army of Light stretched away for thousands of kilometers, but soon enough, the squadron had left them behind...it was time. "We are free of the Fleet, Sha'vei; jump engines on standby." "Set course for the rendezvous point, Mister Quintara." "Course set." "Then, jump!" * * * With a small tear in her eye, Julia watched, as in the distance, space twisted into the familiar blue oval, and four small forms paused for a moment, and then vanished from sight. They were gone...would she see them again, after losing them for so long? The next three days would tell the answer to that question; for now, though, she had a shuttle to catch; and duties to perform. She turned, and saw Tashann standing behind her, his gaze calm, but manner clear. "It is time, Julia; time for us to prepare ourselves." She nodded curtly. "I understand, sir; let us go, with all speed." * * * White Star Six... With more or less firm step, Brianna disembarked from the small transport that had come over to the station to retrieve her, and was less then surprised to find a tall, pale, almost-but-not-quite grim-faced Minbari waiting for her in the hangar bay, in perfect Ranger blacks. This was, no doubt, Captain Lanniel; and while most Minbari were fair, Brianna had been gone from the Rangers for some time, due to Ulkesh's fixations...she would, no doubt, have to reaffirm her loyalties to the Anla'shok, in Lanniel's eyes. She bowed. "Val'na Lanniel; I am Anla'shok Tolmanes, recently returned to the fold of the Rangers from...other concerns, beyond my control. Sha'vei Westcastle informed me that while he could not, for the moment, find me a place amongst his command staff on White Star Four, I was needed here. As such, I have come; command me." Lanniel nodded. "Follow; we will talk on this." With step slightly shaky, she fell in beside and behind the captain, as was proper with junior Anla'shok respecting their commander. "I have heard of you, Brianna Tolmanes of Earth; I understand that you are a rarity among the Anla'shok, in that you are a telepath; I also understand, given that I was present at your reinvestment by the Sha'vei, that for a time, your existence was dominated by the Vorlons, and you were forced to set aside your duties for a time, or lose all sanity. This I accept...it is the past, it cannot be changed; but the present is NOW, Anla'shok Tolmanes, and you must, I am afraid, prove to ME to that your dedication to your vow as a Ranger still holds true. We are at war, and soon enough, Captain Sheridan will summon us into battle; I expect your focus, at all times, to remain on your tasks while you are under my command, and since we shall, no doubt, encounter Vorlon vessels in this conflict, you will not, AT ANY time, allow yourself to be affected in your duties by Vorlon influences. Do I make myself VERY clear?" Brianna gulped, and nodded; this reintroduction was, it seemed, going to be a harsh one...but should she have expected any less? "You do, Val'na." Lanniel smiled slightly. "This is well; come now, I will introduce you to those you will be working with, as a matter of course...and we will continue our practices and drill, beneath Sha'vei Vikotal, for such time as remains to us." * * * White Star Fourteen; the wait ends... With face grim, Ericsson reclined in his seat, and continued to wait; eleven hours had now passed since he had spoken to Captain Sheridan, and any time now, he suspected, those who were slated to join them would appear, and they would then depart to Darok VII, to complete the mission; the mission that would be the LAST one he would ever perform. "Val'na!" his second, Havrann, reported, gaze tense, "Jump point opening!" He rose, all musings forgotten. "What ships?" Havrann tensed for a moment, then relaxed slightly, and nodded. "A Vree and a Drazi warship...and two White Stars, Twenty-Seven... and FOUR." Ericcson sighed, and smiled, slightly; honour was his, this day, to have the ONLY Ranger to go to Z'ha'dum, and return, alive, aid him. "As it should be." "Message coming in." "Accept." The curtain rippled down, and Ericcson nodded, as the black haired (but silver streaked), clean shaven visage of his Sha'vei came into being. "Sha'vei Westcastle; you do us honour by joining us in this." "No, Ericcson; the honour is yours, we are merely here to ensure that the Shadows BELIEVE what is given." "Of course; shall we depart, then?" "With all speed; there is NO time to lose." * * * Darok VII; Shadow Base... [What is this?] the Drakh demanded of its disbelieving servants. [It is true, Most High; five ships of the Enemy have arrived, and have begun bombarding our Master's ships. They arise, even now, to do battle with the foes.] The Drakh waved its hand dismissively. [This is of no concern; signal the primary Gathering point; our Masters will send sufficient strength to crush this incursion, fully and completely.] The servant nodded, its acceptance clear. [It shall be as you say, Most High.] * * * White Star Eleven...outside Babylon 5. With Dreann beside her at Operations, Julia stood her ground, while trying to control her amazement at what she had seen on the ride over; all across the heavens, THOUSANDS of ships had been scattered, shoals of Minbari cruisers, Brakiri warships, Drazi, Gaim, Vree...and the rest, swimming in Epsilon's rays like the fish of the deep; but THESE fish had teeth. But would those teeth be sharp enough, when the time came? "Operations!" Tashann demanded of her and Dreann. "Status." Beside her, Dreann nodded calmly, and she stood straighter, and spoke. "All systems stand ready, Val'na." "Very good; flight control, bring us into the squadron, and stand by for departure." Tashann smiled. "We go into the fire, NOW, or not at all." * * * "Bloody HELL." Jennie whispered, as behind her, Talion began to look just a little panicky, and the strident thunder of the White Star's weapons increased in frequency, shattering two more Shadow fighters to dissolution. "I think, William...that we now have their attention." He nodded; Sheridan had been all too right; minutes after their arrival at Darok VII, FIVE Shadow cruisers, accompanied by dozens of fighters, had arrived to combat them; now, it was time to play the final hand; they were ALL taking hits, now; time to end what had to be ended, they had done what they had come here to do... "Target destroyed." Ericcson tersely reported from his command, as his White Star took out another Shadow fighter, but continued to take many hits of its own. "Shadow vessels STILL coming after us...engines damaged, weapons systems at thirty percent." The next comment was *clearly* directed at him. "Get out while you still can, we'll cover you!" "Open jump point!" he commanded, and with a single pass of his hand, Talion did so. "Shevak, Klotau, get your commands out of here!...we'll cover your retreat!" Without asking twice, the Vree and Drazi warships vanished into hyperspace, then it was their turn... "What we do.." Montoya commented, his voice sad, gaze frank in the holographic curtain, "Is for the best, William." He nodded, as beneath them, the Shadows closed in on the hapless White Star Fourteen, weapons blazing. "It still hurts; but it is long past time for us to be gone from here; the true battles await." Before the Shadows could get any nearer, the two White Stars whirled in space, and vanished down the dark hole of the jump point, which just as quickly faded from sight. * * * White Star Fourteen..the End. Ericcson wiped a streak of blood from his mouth, as his command shuddered, groaned, and then spun violently, as a violet line of ruin cut the drive section away, behind them. "The're coming in!..." William and his command had gotten away cleanly, which clearly would frustrate the Shadows...but that was also, he guessed the point. "Ericcson to rest of White Star Fleet!....can you receive? We *need* help! Is ANYONE there?" He rose, to watch, with a calm not reflecting his inner desperation, as the cordon of Shadow warships drew near. "We can't let them take us alive!" Burning rubble began to fall around him, and Ericcson knew, with convinction, that this was the last sight he would ever see. "Isil'zha veni! In Valen's Name!..." The nearest Shadow Warship fired again; and Ericcson threw up his hands, as the world vanished in a flare of deathly violet... * * * With probes harsh and methods harsher, the Drakh ordered its followers to drag the remains of the Enemy ship back to its base, and there, they set about examining the ship, another of those the cursed Minbari had built, another of those like the one that killed so many of its Masters, back at Z'ha'dum. They examined it, and then the files on its primary computers... It was then, that the servants found something the Drakh did not like; something it found necessary to pass up to its Masters. The Younger Races were foolishly about to establish a base in the Corianna System, a system the Drakh's Masters had, from time to time, used for purposes of their own. This was intolerable!!...and the Drakh did not doubt that its Masters would feel the same about such an intrusion. Did not doubt that they would send a strike force MORE then large enough to deal with this threat, before this BASE was activated. * * * What the Drakh did not, of course, know, was that this action would create a situation so beyond its belief that when the inevitable happened, it would disbelieve for days afterwards. But that time was not yet, that fall from pride still unhappened; the Second Age of the Younger Races, while in its dying phase, was not yet over, and the change to come, a paradigm shift to make all previous shifts seem miniscule, by comparison, had yet to happen. It would later seek revenge for the injustice, in a place far from here, in space and in time, and would get, in part, what it wanted from that place. That time, however, was not now. For now, the Drakh sat in its place of power, smiled, and knew the inevitability of Chao's triumph in what was. That it could be so completely and totally WRONG was not even considered, for of course, while the Drakh had heard of one John Sheridan, he had never met that human. Later on, he would wish there had been a way to destroy Sheridan, to wipe away the shame. Later, of course, was far too late. Too late for anything... But wishes. And dreams of revenge unbidden. *************************************************************************** To be continued... Next: It is the Beginning. It is the End. It is "The Three Edged Sword", the sixth part of "The Riders on the Storm." And who will survive the battle of the Millenium, the battle that ends the Second Age of Mankind? Stay tuned for those answers; coming soon! From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 6 Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 23:51:21 Writer's Note: I must apologize for the hellishly long pause between parts, but the last ten days have been..interesting. First, to travel down to Calgary to meet the Great Maker himself...and then to have JMS show us THIRDSPACE...on FRIDAY the 17th, no less!! Afterwards, to my amazement, also to discover that both Babylon 5 and CRUSADE will be returning to the air in Alberta, the first in September, the second when everyone else gets it! Do I dare treat the visit of the Great Maker as a good luck charm?? It was a great time, but now that the festivities are concluded, it is time to pick up the story once again... DGG * * * RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 6 "THE THREE-EDGED SWORD" PHASE I OF II **"..now get the Hell out of our galaxy, the both of you!..."** Remark attributed to Captain John Sheridan, in reference to the Vorlon and Shadow races, during the culminating moment of the confrontation at Corianna 6, early in the Earth Year 2261 * * * Minbar..July 2315.. Andreas Walken sat back, gaze pensive, and finally spoke. "Impressive, and since you were there for a great deal of those events, all true. It seems to me that the whole point of this endeavour has been to tell the stories we know from points of view we could not have either believed or understood before this. But what now can be told differently, if you do not mind my bluntness? All KNOW what happened in the Corianna system, that fateful day!" A flash of teeth in the darkness answered him, a smile of understanding and amusement, as well. "You are correct, Andreas, and you are not, at the same time...and by now, I know you well enough to understand, Valen willing, some of your thoughts. The outcome of that day was the same, of course, but some of the details may surprise you still..." * * * Hyperspace...January, 2261. 15 hours before the assault on the Vorlon Observation Post... The gravitational murk of hyperspace had, over time, hidden many things, and continued to hide them, but the four craft that appeared out of that murk had been moving at maximum burn for some time; only now were they slowing, as they arrived at the rendezvous point they had been assigned. But before THAT rendezvous, another, less dramatic, but still important meeting would occur... * * * "Time to intercept with courier vessel, five minutes.." Talion reported, as William reclined in the captain's chair of the White Star Four, and wrote. Soon enough, the Fleet would arrive at this place, but before that happened, there were a few other things that were, for a better word, incomplete; primary among them, a letter he had been working on for some time now, and Shevak had assured him that a Drazi craft would take the missive to the location that William prayed the receipient still resided in...he smiled, and thought once more on the problem. G'kael had done SO much for him and Jennifer...had started them on the road to what they now. And if there was no return for them, if THIS battle was destined to be their last, then he intended G'kael to know of his final thoughts on what was...he OWED that, at least, to the Narn. He looked down at the pad on his lap, and once more went over what was written there. * * * 'When this letter finds you, friend, we will be about to rendezvous with the massed ships of the Army of Light, under the command of that man that the Entil'zha has sworn me to protect, even unto death. And this I will do, for he saved my life, long ago, and more has occurred, since then, to make the bond a lasting one...but this strays from the matter at hand, an important matter, for we strive to shake the pillars of Heaven itself, to unseat the status quo...and the reason behind this attempt is as follows. At this juncture, I find myself unable to accept what the First Ones inflicted upon us, and the reasoning behind it. Advancement through chaos and war set against unyielding order...and the rules they played by were civilized and barbaric at the same time...and only death was the result...but the death of others...NEVER theirs. During the whole time that lead up to this, the Shadows played their hand unopposed...and as a result, old friend, when it came time for you and the others to play your hand, you paid the price for your beliefs. I am sorry we couldn't be there for you in your time of need...but *we weren't ready yet*, and wouldn't be for over two years more. But now...*now*, we stand as one!...thousands of ships, and dozens of races. The Swords have gathered, and the Rangers stand with them. We live for the One, and if necessary, we will die for the One, too. We will stand at Corianna VI, and if we fail, then the galaxy will fall into Darkness... for who will be left to stop the fall?? But it may not come to this, my friend, and in due course, it may YET be safe for you to return to that which was stolen so harshly, that thing that may yet prove itself a prize the Centauri cannot hope to handle. And if this is so, and if my commanders can succeed at what they attempt, then we may YET see one another, on the surface of Narn, raise a toast to all those sacrificed, all those lost, all those friends who never made it, and all those who still stand by our sides, and we will ask one another, was it all worth it? All the death, the destruction, the conspiracies, the rights and the wrongs? What did it all mean, and what still lays ahead? But for now, Jennifer and I walk in the Fire, and the future lies in the uncertainties of chance. Until it resolves into the here and now, I leave you with this missive, in Valen's Name. Farewell. *The Rimstalker* * * * William smiled, and with a single tap, transferred the message into the waiting data crystal. With a nod, Talion approached, took up the crystal, and left the bridge, while he appraised the presence of the Drazi courier off their starboard side, and nodded. G'kael would receive the message, if he was still at Narhlak. And if not... Then the Drazi had promised they would search for him, until the message was receieved; until, at least, something stopped them in that attempt. A something such as the chaos that might burn the galaxy from end to end, if the Army of Light failed in what they attempted. * * * White Star Eleven..night watch; enroute within the Army of Light; three hours later. She was so VERY tired, but Julia would not let that affect her, not until she KNEW that those she cared for were safe. White Star Four and her small assault unit had been incommunicado for some time now, as ordered by Captain Sheridan, and they would not resume communications until, and if, the Fleet arrived at the rendezvous point assigned to William's group. That time was coming within the next *fifteen* minutes, and as such, she had asked Tashann to aid in Operations duties during the Night Hours, as he, Dreann and the primary bridge crew took their rest. The crew had their orders, and since Lareiken had been ordered to the conn during this time, there was little to worry about. Julia smiled, as she bored a gaze into the back of her friend; she was QUITE convinced that her Val'na had done that on purpose... Abruptly, a chime sounded on her board, and with a slight start, she looked down, and then up into Lareiken's patient, waiting gaze. She nodded slightly; Dreann had given her a refresher course on White Star bridge instrumentals operation just before their departure from Babylon 5, and like everything else pertaining to her curse of Intelligence, those instructions had sunk in, and edited themselves in without fault. She passed her left hand over the crystals, and sighed in relief. "Anla'shok Lakahl Tikopai." Lareiken said, his gaze direct. "Report your findings." Julia smiled, slightly. 'Lakahl'...in the Warrior Caste tongue, meant, 'Trainee'. Which she was...the progression was, and would continue to be, of course, longer then most. But for now, that did not matter, there was a job to do, and once again, she was called into action, far beyond her years... "Anla'shok...there are four vessels approaching the fleet...Drazi, Vree and..." her smile widened, "Two White Stars." Larieken nodded amiably. "As it should be; the Rimstalker returns to us; did you truly believe that he would fail in the task that Captain Sheridan assigned to him?" "No; Valen, it seems, watches over them, as he watches over us all." Larieken smiled, and conceded the point. "So it would seem." And then, a more insistent chime caught her attention, and with slightly shaking hand, she lightly touched another crystal. "Incoming message from White Star Two." "Accept." Larieken barked, and the Ranger rose to his feet, as an image of William and Jennifer shimmered into being in front of them. "Sha'vei; it is well to see that you have returned to us safely." "Well, indeed, Larieken." the Sha'vei replied, his gaze critical, if tired. "And while I hoped to speak to Val'na Tashann, it would seem our arrival has been coincident with a rest period among the Fleet; it will wait, for now. I do have another comment, however, and quite direct, pertaining to your present operations officer..." and with that, Julia fell, once again, into the hawk's glare of William's eyes...cold, but with a hint of thanks for her stand visible, as well. "Now that we have returned, it is time she went to HER rest, as well." "I had already...requested this of her, Sha'vei." Larieken replied, his voice amused, "But Anla'shok Lakahl Tikopai's stubbornness is already becoming legendary among the Rangers, as I am sure you realize and understand." "Indeed. Julia...." "Sir?" "You may consider that an ORDER, if you like...you appear close to falling over." She nodded, half in relief, and half in thankfulness at the way out that William had provided her...and a savings of honour, as well. "I understand your words, and will comply...now that I know you are safe, sir, I can sleep with at least some ease." "Do not sleep too deeply, Julia.." William commented in closure, as she turned to leave the bridge. "You will, along with the rest of us, be needed all too soon." As the message concluded, she turned to leave, and passed through the doors to wander slowly down the grand corridor of the White Star. As always, as of late, she kept herself unbowed, until she reached her quarters; and then, indeed, she came close to a near faint. She steadied herself to think, and sank into a slight meditative pose. That would CERTAINLY not do; a collapse was NOT what she wanted, there was still FAR too much to think about! So much had brought them to this place and this time, a fleet that stretched back beyound the edge of visibility, a purpose that had sent squadrons of White Stars and League ships against Vorlon outposts in the last day and a half, all in aid of a hope that might YET not work at all. But it was their only hope to escape from this nightmare that was...and they had to take the chance... For what. Other. Hope. Was there... A few minutes later, a small instrument rotated into play, and on the bridge, Lareiken looked upon Julia's sleeping form, and allowed himself to smile slightly. His task continued, even now, and to see that she slept was a small sign of hope, amidst the terror. * * * The next day... "Analysis confirms our earlier guess.." Talion informed William, as he and Jennifer arrived on the bridge. "There is a large Vorlon observation post squarely in the path of the Fleet, and we will pass it in less then twenty minutes, present speed." He nodded, unsurprised. "And has Captain Sheridan commanded a response to this threat?" "He has, Sha'vei; he has ordered the assembly of a full tactical squadron of White Stars to destroy the outpost...*he* will be leading the attack squadron, however." He sighed, and caught Jennie's resigned shake of head. "This is his way, Talion; we cannot second guess those methods. Prepare to bring us into contact with the Val'nae of the Nines Triads...we will need them ALL to perform this task; and we will stand as the Captain's right hand, as is required." "And what of White Star Eleven?" Jennie inquired, her gaze pointed. He paused, and and gritted his teeth; Tashann, Dreann and Julia would hang him HIGH if he kept them out of this one. "They come with us; Dreann has proven herself skilled in weapons training, and Tashann is one of our finest commanders." "But!..." "This is a war, Jennifer; we need their talents, and cannot deny them the rights that are theirs, as Rangers." Jennifer nodded coolly...and he winced again. She wasn't happy about involving Julia in this, even now, but that was the way it had to be. "And our place in this mayhem, is what, exactly?" "We'll be going in with the Captain to cover him and his units, and we will, if need be, command a number of triads to intercept any Vorlon fleet units that may be in the area...if not, we will join them in the attack." "How ambitious..now, the question is, will it work?" * * * My name is Julia Tikopai, Observer, and, what I experienced, less then ten minutes after my return to the bridge, and twenty after returning to consciousness, was enough to pass me through alternating currents of adrenalin, despair and success...all this, as I watched White Stars in front of us and beside us encounter searing beams of death, and shatter to dissolution. It could so EASILY have been us; but Captain Sheridan wasted no time in the matter, and ordered White Star Nine to break beneath their covering fire, and take out the defensive screens on our vector; they did so, without question, without pause, walking into a task they might have never escaped from. Scant seconds after that, Tashann and William skimmed their White Stars a hairs breadth above the domes, with Talion and Dreann firing for all they were worth (one of those was from my perspective, the other, naturally, was not, but I can guess, can I not?). The Captain and his squadron were right behind us, and the observation post died the death destined for it. And so, the Fleet marches on, towards Corianna 6, and into something that will either set us free, or grind us into spacedust. The massed fleets of both the Vorlons and the Shadows are rendezvousing in that system, and would somebody, *anybody* care to step forward to convince me I'm not going to be dead, twelve hours from now? But William and the Captain have always, I guess, believed in miracles. Coming back from the dead does that to you, I guess. And if *they* think it can be done, then who am I to hold back the tides of destiny? * * * Corianna VI...the arrival of the Army of Light. The night was cool, but quite clear, and to Ristin and Naranis, that was all that mattered, for it let them see the stars and fiery spaceclouds overhead. Too many of their people, in this day and age, looked upon the stars with deep, almost religious fear, but not they; this, even though the darkness above had given birth to the nightmare THINGS that had invaded their world, so many cycles before, and had only JUST left, for reasons unknown (that this had ALSO set the elders into a furore was not something to be discussed) *Why did they leave, do you think?* Ristin inquired, as she gazed into the burning sky. *Those that travelled with them passed on rumours of a great and terrible war that the Dark Ones were fighting in the heavens above* Naranis replied, his interest plain. *Perhaps they were needed to fight this war, or not...it is unlikely we will ever find out, just as it is unlikely our Elders will ever muster the courage to leave this world behind us, as THEY have so clearly done* *We are too many* Ristin replied, her expression both wistful and fearful *We must begin to leave the world behind, if we and IT are to survive* Naranis nodded, his regret plain. The Corianni numbered over six billion, now, and this number continued to grow at a frightening pace. Ristin was all too right...eventually, that number would overwhelm the capacity of their world, and what then? Perhaps it was their fate to worry, and to dream, of leaving the world behind, to travel to the stars, and to escape the drudgery of their lives; to believe in the tales of passing the light barrier, and travellling to other worlds... But what good was escape, if the only thing one could look forward to was war, and encounters with the Dark Ones? It was then that a shocked gasp from Ristin bought him back to the here and now, and Naranis caught her looking up, the shock and disbelief plain on her face. He followed that gaze, and felt the world he knew shift in balance. For all across the face of the Great Nebulae, sparks of light were twisting and growing into what seemed to be EYES, dozens of blue eyes staring down on them from the depths of space. * * * Hyperspace...the Cha'hal'zhamon Nexus.. *Do you believe in HIS claims?* *I pray that they may be so; HE promised us that if Sheridan does what he is supposed to, that we may travel beyond the Rim, with the rest* A sad nod. *I only regret that we could not aid them as the Others did* *Our legacy stands before us, we cannot escape from it, even if we wished to. We are not like Them, we are not like ANY of the races that found a birthplace in the Universe beyond. We are exiles, my friend, and as such, while we SHALL travel beyond, as HE has requested, we will forever be what we are... Alone* A nod. *The way it should be* *Indeed; the way it *must* be.* *But will we say goodbye?* A smile. *Yes...of COURSE we shall; but at the appropriate place, and in a fashion that *he* shall not expect* * * * To be continued... ****************************************************************************** Next...As the Third Age of Mankind dawns, destinies are winding to a close, or so it seems...for how will the departure of the Elder Races affect the Rimstalker and his varied companions? Coming soon.. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On The Storm, Part 6b(I) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 08:55:11 Writer's note: something I began last part will be brought to conclusion in this one, along with all sorts of other things (!!). A thing to ponder...what, pray tell, would the Battle of Corianna 6 have looked like from the planetary surface?? Read on... DGG * * * RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 6 "THE THREE-EDGED SWORD" PHASE II OF II **"It's over because WE'VE decided it's over!"** Remark attributed to Captain John Sheridan, in reference to the Vorlon and Shadow races, during the culminating moment of the confrontation at Corianna 6, early in the Earth Year 2261 * * * **'The Corianna system primary is catalogued as a F7 subgiant, markedly hotter and larger then Sol. It possesses 12 planets, and the sixth from the sun is inhabited by a civilization that has only now begun to enter its pre-industrial phase. There are approximately six billion members of the Corianni Race... ...it is estimated that the Corianni are, if they are not interfered with, approximately 80 years from achieving their first spaceflight, and as such, it is the opinion of most of the civilizations in the region that the Corianni should be left alone until that occurs. The presence of a ancient-tech jumpgate in the outer regions of the Corianna system will be sufficient, in our opinion, to advance the Corianni to hyperspace technology within another 100 years of that occurence..."** - excerpt from an Interplanetary Expeditions report on the nature of the Corianna system, circa 2251 * * * Corianna VI...several minutes before the Army of Light jumpout; before dawn, the northern hemisphere. Like so many races before them, the Corianni had come upon astronomy quite quickly, but this was no great surprise, given the extreme closeness of the Great Nebula complex to the Corianna system. Once they had passed their fears by as to what the fires of their night sky meant, the scientists among the Corianni had taken to building telescopes, at first small. But now, technology had advanced to the point where mountain top observatories were coming into their own, at last. The largest institution on Corianna, technically a university of sorts, though one of EXTREME large size, had sponsored many of these observatories, and the astronomers working there had been watching the skies, and learning about the universe around them, for many, many metacycles. One such, almost the oldest, had been built in the Tra'kaa'th mountain range, two hundred lengths north of one of the provincial capitals in the northern hemisphere, and among the observers at Tra'kaa'th Station, there were those who, while watching the nebulae, stars and distant galaxies above, had, from time to time, wondered if OTHER intelligences existed, out there among the stars. That wondering had come to an abrupt end almost almost a hundred cycles in the past, when a group of dark, screaming starcraft had appeared over the world Capital, on the far side of the world from Tra'kaa'th. Envoys had emerged from those ships, creatures bipedal in nature (unlike the Corianni, who were, of course, tripedal) and had, after a time, demanded an empty site for the ships of their 'Masters'. The Elders had conferred, their eyes dark with fear, and the decision was arrived at that refusal to grant these dark demons of space their site would probably result in epic destruction and death, for the shrieking demon ships had demonstrated their purple rays of death to the Elders, on command. And so, the residents of Corianna had huddled and waited for the death they believed was coming; rather abruptly, however, three cycles in the past, the demon ships had arisen, and vanished from the Coriannan skies. Now, the observatories had ALL been commanded to watch for the return of the demons, and they had all done so, to varying degrees. Brakiss, the chief astronomer, sighed, and after pausing to warm himself, turned his eyes once again to the field of the trinocular richfield instrument that was his favorite, for time was growing quite limited, this clear winter night. The juniors could continue to recline outside, and watch for such arrivals...HE was far too busy for that... *Master!* the exclamation came from below, and Brakiss umbled with displeasure, before turning one eye to the excited junior below. *Yes, Shakiss, what, in the name of the Fire above, is it THIS TIME?* *Master...what we are seeing outside...it cannot be easily described! The heavens are covered with...well, we don't know what they ARE, but THINGS are coming OUT of them, ENORMOUS things, of all kinds and shapes!* Brakiss sighed, and descended carefully from the platform, and moved along the gantry towards the exit with his excited companion. *This had BETTER be important, Shakiss; it is preposterous enough that the Dark Ones came to us, to prove we were not alone...now, do you claim that OTHERS have come to visit...us...* Brakiss tailed off his comments, as the sight above drew even HIM to pause in astonishment. All across the Nebula, blue HOLES yawned open, and even as he watched, several more sparks of light grew, twisted, and opened up into more of those PREPOSTEROUS holes in the firmamemt. *By the Fire...what are THOSE?* His other assistant, Abridas, cantered over and passed the portable trinocular. *Observe, Master...they APPEAR to be, for want of a better word, VORTEXES to... *somewhere* else! Things are coming out of them, many MANY things* Brakiss umbled his disbelief, but looked anyways, and sighed at the sight he saw. Close up, the blue holes were clearly spiraling OUTWARDS from a hidden dark source. Deep within the source, flashes of light were continously appearing, and his juniors had, of course, been right. Tiny objects were emerging from the 'holes', but they were tiny only in COMPARISON...the 'holes' were clearly many, many tens to the power to tens lengths off of the surface, and some of these objects would nearly dwarf the mountain the observatory had been built on... *It would appear...* he commenting cryptically, *That we are, once more, about to receive visitors* *As if the FIRST ones weren't enough of a shock* Abridas replied, his mouth twisting in chagrin. *This will CERTAINLY produce more riots from those who fear the skies* *You are, no doubt, correct* Brakiss sighed, and made up his mind. *It would seem we are going to have to turn the MAIN instruments onto these...new visitors. Perhaps THEN we shall be able to determine their nature and intentions more accurately...* * * * "What chaos we have brought..." Tashann commented, as Julia watched the chaotic jumble of the Fleet move to and fro across space, with the partly veiled globe of Corianna beyond. "What must the Corianni think of us, to have so disturbed their worldviews?" "The Shadows began that process..." Dreann replied, her expression unforgiving. "There was no possibility that they could have resisted the Shadows, and as such, the Corianni, while they should have been left alone for many more cycles, are now well aware that other intelligences exist in the universe. Our arrival will have only compounded that concern." "We had no choice!..." she interjected, as Tashann turned towards her, plainly interested to hear what his Observer was going to add to the discussion. "The Vorlons are coming here with the majority of their fleet, as well as one of their planetkillers. The Captain arranged, with the help of the Sha'vei, to bring the Shadows here, as well, and...and, to place *us* in between. We simply CAN'T let the Vorlons destroy Corianna!" "Though I shall be *quite* interested to see how Captain Sheridan and the Entil'zha can possibly do away with this threat." Tashann replied, face grave. "They will not stop simply because we *ask* them to." "That is why the First Ones were invited to help out, as well..." Dreann reminded them both. "If it comes to the worst, they will join us in the fight that will be." "I do not doubt..." Tashann concluded solemnly, "That it WILL come to the worst." * * * The Observatory...the next evening. The short, pale winter day had now come to an end, but for Brakiss, Skakiss and Abridas, sleep had been near impossible. Quick sketches of many of the god-like craft above them had been made before sunrise, as for reasons unclear, the great shoal of vehicles had, after arrival, hung very nearly in place, moving slightly from place to place, but seemingly...waiting for something. Many were hard to see, but dominating all were a type that seemed almost to have come from the sea, tall, and thin, with three spines, one up, and two down.. And now, the Avatars had blessed them with another clear night; such terrible riches... Brakiss umbled in irritation, and rubbed his eyes. Now that the sky was dark enough to once again observe events above, he would have to put aside his exhaustion, for a time. The skycraft were still up there in their multitudes, still more or less in the same position as before, but, it seemed, slightly more ordered then they had been in the morning...still waiting. *Observe!* Abridas exclaimed, and the other two astronomers turned, to see one of the holes to elsewhere, a tiny one, it seemed, open and shut two thirds of the way up from the northern horizon. He quickly raised the binoculars to his eyes, and beheld an almost invisible speck of light moving against the stars, towards the congregation overhead. A late arrival, perhaps?? Or maybe... *Master!* Skakiss interjected, his voice shaky, *MORE come!* They turned, and saw that it was true. To the south, dozens more of the blue holes had appeared, and then, as one, the astronomers caught their breath...for among the rest, an emormous hole appeared, and spat out a vast yellowish saucerish thing... *How could ANYTHING be that big?* the junior exclaimed. Brakiss had no answer to this question, but short moments later, the holes closed, and a quick glance through the trinoculars revealed tiny clusters of dots around the saucer craft, which was now close enough to reveal a blue glow around its middle. What in the name of the Avatars *was* that thing, bigger, certainly, then many smaller Corianni cities... * * * White Star Four... "White Star squadrons have formed up..." Talion reported to William, as all around them, the bridge crew grew tense. This was the moment they had both been waiting for and dreading...the Vorlon and Shadow fleets, in their thousandfold multitude, had arrived at Corianna...and now, as previously planned, the Army of Light stood ready to insert itself between those dread forces. "Very good, Talion.." he replied, before catching Jennifer's near-fearful gaze. From Z'ha'dum, they had returned, to face this...from the frying pan, and as the saying went, back into the Fire. "Stand by to pass the signal to attack; status of enemy fleets?" "They are moving directly towards one another...ignoring us completely. The Vorlon planetkiller has already jumped into the system, Shadow planetkiller has not yet arrived...*stand by*, signal coming in from White Star Two; Captain Sheridan is preparing to detonate thermonuclear devices within range of the enemy fleet units." Beside him, Jennie winced, and he nodded. "I see; well, if the Captain wants to get their attention, that'll *probably* do it." * * * White Star Two... Lyta briefly winced, as in the background, she felt Brianna cry out, and then fade away into the oblivion of unconsciouness. The other telepath's closeness to Ulkesh had, as she had feared, laid her low with the Vorlon arrival, but Brianna had not been QUITE as strong as her, even from the beginning. No matter; what needed to be done, only SHE could do, now. * * * White Star Six... Lanniel sighed, and shook her head regretfully. This was NOT a good time for this to have happened; but the possibility had been there, and there was ALWAYS place for a backup plan. With measured, but timely movements, the Religious Caste crew took up the limp and unresponsive body of her operations officer, and left the bridge; the replacement was already in place. Anla'shok Tolmanes' sensitivity to the Vorlon presence had hurt her, in the end; if they died now, she would never know... * * * Tra'kaa'th... As one, the astronomers winced, as in the heavens above, three enormously brilliant points of light erupted into being, one of them quite close to the gigantic saucercraft. *What are they doing?* Abridas wailed, as the saucership's companions quite VISIBLY, and with menace, turned towards the multitude waiting above them. *And who is doing what to what?* *Two of those lights erupted in seemingly empty space* Skakiss commented, *But recall the dark demon ships may not be easily seen* *I fear..* Brakiss commented, his voice soft, *That the gods of the sky are about to war upon one another...* Scant moments later, the senior astronomer's fears were proven QUITE real. * * * Elswehere... They had come to watch, once again, in the same spot; now, would this be the last sight they would ever see? Sadness and fear filled Naranis's heart as he gazed upon the deathpyre blazing overhead. Ristin whimpered, and hid her eyes against his flank, but he gazed to the skies, and could not look away. Across half of the firmament, lines of fire blazed in all the colours of the rainbow, flares of dazzling destruction, blooms of flame that could only mean death for some of those above. He gazed upon what he saw, and ran things through his mind carefully. With the multitude above, and the group arrayed around the recently arrived saucer-thing, plus (undoubtedly) the fleet of the dark demons, a three sided conflagration had erupted above their peaceful world. But who was fighting WHO?? And most importantly, would the battle spread to the surface?? He tried to put that thought out of his mind, and could not; images of fire falling filled his despairing mind... * * * I Observe, and Remember. It was a battle beyond belief, a battle with three sides, and none. A battle in which we whirled, and moved, and died. And through the devastation danced the White Stars, singly, and in pairs, and in squadrons, and we moved quickly enough to survive, for the most part. All around us, beams of fire reached across the heavens, and once, our Squadron, the squadron that had chosen to stand with the Rimstalker, my commander, my love, passed between a pair of Minbari and Brakiri ships, as both erupted into flame. The chaos, it seemed was complete, and yet... And yet, the measure of the battle was far shorter then it could have been, for even as we fought, the dread bulk of the Vorlon planetkiller moved closer and closer to the world of the Corianni, and in due course, we knew, the Captain would lose patience with the obtuseness of the Vorlons, and call in his final strikeforce, the ships of the First Ones. This he did, and this we saw, as out of nowhere, it seemed, the First Ones came...and strike, they did, with ruthlessness, without mercy, without pause. But out there, amidst the carnage, also floated the terrifying black strands of the Shadow planetkiller...why was it here? For Corianna had housed a Shadow base... * * * Brakiss shook his head, and could not believe what he had just seen...but there it was, and it HAD happened. For a time that seemed both to stretch to infinity and shrink to a passing moment, the skies above had been scored with lines of fire; the skycraft had whirled, and killed, and died, but in the last moments, an seeming impossibility had occurred; for even as the battle had progressed, the saucer-thing had drawn nearer, and nearer...and then, more THINGS had appeared above it, and struck!! The saucer had shivered, and pulsed, and then, in a searing flash, as bright, it seemed, as the sun...the saucer had EXPLODED. And now, it seemed that the battle had paused; those who had been so ready to fight, and to destroy, had also, it seemed, been shocked into a pause. What NOW would happen?? * * * I Observe, and Remember, and SAW. And what I saw, I will never forget, as long as I live. Into all our minds, there came a presence such as I have never known, and, perhaps, never will again. This being called LORIEN, the Ancient One who helped both Captain Sheridan AND my former Mistress and her Other Half at Z'ha'dum, reached into all of our minds, and showed us a terrifying confrontation, and a enormous hope realized. The battle had paused, with uncertainty, for with the arrival of the First Ones and the destruction of the Vorlon Planetkiller, it seemed to me as if NEITHER the Shadows nor the Vorlons were sure of what to do next. That the Vorlons chose to summon their other fleet at that very moment surely saved Centauri Prime from destruction; that BOTH of them, through Lyta Alexander, chose to confront Sheridan and Delenn brought about what happened next. I SAW, as we ALL saw; Sheridan first arguing with, and then rejecting the imperious claims of the Vorlons, the image, a masked woman in crystal; of Delenn, facing the dark reflections of all she held dear, and hearing the Other side's opinion of what was, and rejecting them, as well. But finally, the straw that broke the backs of our 'Guardians' was this... 'You will fight, because we tell you to fight' and 'you will fight for us, and you will die for us, because the others know NO other way'. We stood, and watched, as both the Shadows and the Vorlons, upon discovering that ALL had seen the conversations, courtesy of Lorien, grew furious, and tried to kill our commanders. But Lorien stepped in, and saved them, in order that they could do what came next... * * * White Star Four... "Damnit!" William ground out, as the dank coldness of the Shadow cloud continued to leech energy out of his command. "We came this far, NOW they try to freeze us into submission?" "Hold!!" Talion cried out, his gaze frantic. "Sha'vei, a Shadow missile has targeted itself at White Star Two!" He gritted his teeth, and resumed his seat, catching one, long, horrified glance from Jennifer. So THAT was the way they wanted it to be, was it? So be it; he had sworn to protect the Captain, and if that meant taking the missile for them... But even before he could give the order, a flash of light bloomed in the near distance; a Drazi ship had been quicker. "Bring us in beside the White Star Two!" he commanded, as all around them, the other races did the same with their fleet ships. "They SHALL not die." * * * We never saw what happened directly, but the results were clear enough, and what Delenn said to the Vorlon and Shadow presences was the beginning of the end...what Sheridan said to finish it up was the end itself. The REAL reason we had come to Corianna was not to fight the Shadows and Vorlons...if we had done that, we would have been crushed between them, almost unnoticed. Instead, we came to Corianna holding, as Kosh once told me, before he passed beyond the Veil, a three-edged sword...a weapon of us, and of them, but most importantly, of truth. And the reality of it was, now that Lorien had ensured EVERYONE in the Army of Light *knew* the Truth, a decision had to be made, not between Order or Chaos, but whether or not it was finally time for us to go our own way. It was a difficult choice to make, both for us, and for THEM, and for those of us who had followed this from the beginning (of which *I* was not one, and I truly regret, now, having missed the early movements) such as William, and Jennifer, and Brianna, and countless others into this conflict, it was another pivotal moment of change...for William had, at Z'ha'dum, seen what the Shadows really were; through Brianna's eyes, in the pain she displayed there, he had also seen what the Vorlons represented. Neither of them were good, and neither of them were evil; it all a matter of perspective. In the end, beyond the prophecies, outside the destinies, above everything they, and we, had done, William, and all who followed him, who believed in him, were drawn to stalk out the Truth. And so we did; and EVERYTHING changed. * * * The three astronomers simply, stood, and wondered. Above them, great burning trails of light were falling through the atmosphere, undoubtedly remnants of the great saucer, burning up as they fell into the air. But more importantly, it seemed that whatever had happened above had not ended in fire...somehow, it had ended, instead... In *LIFE*. They had seen, without understanding, yellow holes spring open, and forces depart; and even now, the congragation above, that multitude of ships, were moving away from their world, as well. *What was it all about, do you think?" Abridas whispered, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. Brakiss smiled, and umbled an umble of satisfaction. *It is enough, is it not, Abridas, to know that the god-like weapons have fallen silent. Their conflict is finished, and while they are leaving us, we *know* of them, now...and perhaps, in your lifetimes, we will begin the process of reaching out our hands to meet them. And all being well, the Avatars willing, that meeting will be one of peace, not of war...* * * * With hands gentle, Naranis slowly drew the door of Ristin's sleeping chamber closed behind him, and allowed himself a brief smile. This scene was, no doubt, being repeated all across the planet; so much stress, so much fear had been poured out as the beings from the stars had warred upon one another; but then, there had been a pause, and then, a surprise beyond any imaginable... They had all begun to LEAVE. He shook his head in wonder, and moved to his own sleeping chamber. Now, the world would sleep; and awake to what would, it seem, be a better tomorrow... * * * <> From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 6b(II) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 08:56:31 (cot'd from last section) White Star Two...after Lorien's departure.. "Captain.." Sheridan smiled, as all around them, the various fleet units began to organize themselves...some were jumping already, and you couldn't blame them, the news would come as a hell of a nice surprise to the governments back home.."Yes, Lyta?" "Captain, request permission to transfer to White Star Six for the trip back to Babylon 5; there's...someone I need to see." * * * White Star Four, enroute from Corianna 6 to Babylon 5...four hours after the departure of Lorien... Beside him, Jennie slept, a slight smile on her face. He reached over, and gently brushed aside her long red hair, and simply...enjoyed the sensation. Enjoyed it without worrying whether or not there might be a tomorrow. Enjoyed it without having to look forward to more battles, to more death, to more fear; at least, for a while. And now...now they were first going back to Babylon 5, and from there...he shook his head in wonder; he did not KNOW what would happen from there, not yet, at least. The very things that had drawn him into this, the very things that had made him what he was; those things had now passed into history. The Vorlons and the Shadows, as well as all the other First Ones, were gone...beyond the Rim, or so it was said. What now, would his tasks be? The destiny he had both followed and helped to create had cycled through to an apparent completion. It had started, that fateful moment when the Shadows had opened fire on the ATLANTA, so long ago and far away, that life now seemed. But of course, it HAD been; that had been...another age. An age where Vorlons had walked, where Shadows had skulked in the darkness, where fear had waited around every corner and behind every door. Now, there were no destinies controlling him, any longer, no long meddling fingers pulling the strings. Now, he would have to make his own destiny, it seemed. But first, there would be time, a little at least, to take a rest. And, if all went well, to fulfill a promise he had made, in another place, and another age. * * * White Star Six... Brianna blinked, and forced her eyes open, and nearly groaned out loud...she had evidently missed the battle COMPLETELY, but it seemed that they had survived, after all... Lyta rose from a nearby pallet, and smiled. She blinked...WHAT had Lyta said? And then, the true implications hit home...and a multitude of emotions passed through her; but chief among them, was halting amazement and DISBELIEF. THEY were gone?? They were GONE; she wouldn't have to... And to her great surprise, Brianna found herself starting to cry. * * * White Star Eleven.. Beneath the light of her candles, Julia wrote, as outside the portal, the red wrack of hyperspace shimmered and danced. "The Third Age.." she whispered, smiled a secret smile, and closed the book. **************************************************************************** **** To be continued... Next: Now that the Shadow War is over, the destinies of the Rimstalker and his companions will begin to spin off in different directions...while G'kael and his patriots return to a ruined Narn, and Bethany and her captains must decide what to do next, now that the Shadows and Vorlons are gone. In the meantime, however, there is a wedding to arrange..."Legends of the Newborn" the next part of RIMSTALKER, coming (semi) soon... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 7a Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 10:01:20 The pause you, the readers, have just passed through was a long one, but necessary. The story of the Rimstalker has just endured what is, to date, perhaps its greatest phase shift, although more may yet remain in the wings...but who can say?? In any case, after much thinking, the story now continues! RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 7 "THE LEGENDS OF THE NEWBORN" PHASE I OF II ** "And then the word came down, a word that none of us, at first, would believe, that fateful day, when the White Star Fleet came pouring back through Epsilon 3's jumpgate, and the news was that the Shadows and the Vorlons were both gone, departed beyond the Rim. It was impossible, it was implausible...and it was true, at the same time. And then, the celebration began; a party that enveloped the station, a party I watched from the edge, a scared, young writer on the run, with nowhere else to go but up. I watched the pass of the White Star Fleet on their return, and dared to believe that there could now be a next week, or month...that forever was no longer measured between the passing moments. And I relaxed enough to begin writing my views on what had just happened; to begin collecting reports from the many, and various sources available, and the end result, of course, is the history you are just beginning to read. Learn from it what was, what is, and why; and try to understand. That is all that can be asked, or expected..." - From the Foreword to 'Holding The Line, a History of the Army of Light' by Amanda Zefram Teague * * * It was over, and we had, beyond any hope of that fact, survived the crucible, passed through the fire, and come out the other side, not unbowed, not unshaken, but alive...most of us, anyways...and standing, for the first time, alone in our galaxy. John Sheridan and Delenn had done the impossible, but amongst all of the celebrations, there were those that had already begun to evaluate the possible repurcussions of their actions, some far faster then others. For as we would discover to our dismay, in the years to come, banish one variety of Darkness, no matter, it seems, the apparent completeness of the victory, and another waits, and plots, and dreams of revenge; and eventually steps forward to take their place in the bloodbaths of history. But I jump ahead of myself, once again; the month was February, 2261; and the party to end all parties was underway...and silly me, that was the moment I decided, as they say, to really let my hair down for the first time. * * * The Starfuries flew outside, and the fireworks reflected in Julia's eyes. For the first time in a long time, she was relaxed, and happy; the greatest threat the Younger Races had ever known was gone, and while the universe was now, she guessed, a smaller and less mysterious place, that was quite alright on her part, at least for now. She caught her reflection in a nearby mirror, as the party raged on around her, and sighed. A dark haired, serious young woman looked back out of the reflection; she was no longer the girl she had been a year before, when this had all started...in the background, there was still the question hovering, of how far Kosh (and it had undoubtedly been HIS hand at work) had gone in dragging her, politely kicking and screaming, into near adulthood four years ahead of schedule. But argue with this she could not; that was a fact. Because of being in the right place at the right time, and being rescued by the right somebody when the time was EXACTLY right, and allying herself with the Rangers, she had witnessed the greatest battle the galaxy had seen for a millenium...and they had WON!! She allowed her smile to widen; in the end, that was all that REALLY mattered. Now where was that drink a certain somebody had promised her? Now HERE was where looking SIGNIFICANTLY older then her age came to good use... "You will pardon the delay..." Lareiken's voice whispered from nearby, and she turned, to take hold of the tall, thin glass of champagne he gave her, "And forgive me if I do not join you in your...partaking, Julia..." "Relax, Larieken...it's not going to stop me, though." And with that, Julia took a deep breath, tipped the glass into her mouth, and drank. Nearby, Talion leaned in close to a faintly smiling Larieken, observed the moment, and wryly commented, "Larieken...is that such a good idea?" "We will, no doubt..." the Minbari replied, "Discover the answer to THAT in due course." * * * Later on... It had been one HELL of a party, Jennie decided, as behind her, Will turned over in his sleep, a slight smile still on his face, but sooner or later, to everyone's great sadness, they all came to an end. The party had spilled into every nook, cranny and bar on the station, and there would be many nasty headaches tomorrow. Thankfully enough, though, there would be no such thing in THESE quarters...although, getting to finally unload what seemed to be an aeon of stress had given her cause to keep a CLOSE eye on her other half for the duration of the event. Still, in the end, everyone would probably come to their senses, and the worrying would begin anew. For now, however, there would be none of that; as she slid out of her uniform and into something a little more comfortable, there was time for another decent night's sleep. And afterwards, there was another matter to deal with; with a slight smile, she raised one hand to the necklace of diamond and firestone around her neck; that THAT had survived the madness at Z'ha'dum, and since, was a miracle...but it paid not to ignore miracles, and she hadn't forgotten the promise... * * * William found himself returning to consciousness all of a sudden, or so it seemed, and he rose quietly, to try and determine what it was that had caused him to wake. Without sound, he looked across the bed to the deeply sleeping form of Jennie, and shook his head in wonder. There, in one slender package, was one of the core reasons he had done all he had done, in the name of the One. If the Shadows or the Vorlons had succeeded in their aims, the peace they had earned for each other, the chance to continue what had been begun, would not have been given... "A wonderful sight, is it not?" a familiar voice intruded, and he whirled in astonishment, to see a figure there he had not expected to see again. Word had come down from the Minbari that the Cha'hal'zhamon had vanished from their abodes in the hyperspace realm ajoining Minbar nearspace, and he had not been surprised, for Lorien HAD arranged for the complete departure of all the First Ones.... "And one we are privelged to witness, for in the ultimate sacrifice and belief, both you and John Sheridan did something unbelievable, in our eyes...but there you have it. Congratulations, Rimstalker...you have more then earned the right to accept the burden of that most important and fragile human emotion called love." He paused for a moment to gather his admittedly scattered thoughts. "I thank you for that compliment, but I'm more glad to see you, one last time. Can I assume...?" The Other nodded, his expression now partly regretful. "Yes; the Eldest, who helped us, in the Beginning, to find a place on this Side, would not let us stay behind, it would prove too disruptive; for given temptation, the Guardians might find reason to stay behind, and that could not be allowed. And so, we also went beyond the Rim, with the rest, and yet apart; it will take a great deal of time for all the animosity to vanish, and yet...and yet, through your actions, we have survived; for that, we can only thank you. I doubt very much that we shall meet again in your lifetime, William Westcastle, but there is a boon to pass on, if you so desire it. Before you pass beyond the Veil, we request that you tell one of your descendants, if any you so have, about us; in memory, in faith of what is, in rapport with what may yet be...for if your race joins us, beyond the Rim, in the times to come, there may be, among them, a descendant of yours who will encounter us; and we may YET catch up, and renew our alliance, and our friendship." He nodded solemnly. "What you ask may be difficult, for my race tend to have short and difficult memories of such things; but I WILL try, in memory of the aid you gave me, when I needed it the most." The Other nodded in return, and bowed. "That is as much as can be hoped for, and we look forward to that time, and will wait, and grow and multiply, between the galaxies, for that moment. Farewell then, Rimstalker... And remember." With a start, he came awake then, and turned to look into Jennifer's aware and waiting eyes. "Wha..." "I heard you; murmuring in your sleep; was it...THEM again?" He paused, and then answered, "Yes, it was; for the last time, though, I think..." Jennifer frowned. "And the reason for their visit was WHAT, this time?" He sighed. "To say goodbye; and to remind me of something I can never forget." "And what's that?" He smiled, and drew her close. "That promises made on sworn vows must ALWAYS be made to come to pass." He saw delighted realization arise in her eyes, and nodded. "I believe your words were, 'In Valen's Name, under Valeria's gaze, I bind you to it?'" "Good memory...now WHEN, exactly, do we...want to do this?" "I have a good suggestion..." * * * The next day...Babylon 5's Ranger compound... "We could have warned you.." Talion commented, as a highly grumpy Julia stalked by, breakfast in hand. "But that would have ruined the message." "I'm NOT talking to EITHER of you right now!" Talion turned to an-all-too calm Larieken, who had decided to join him and observe morning events. "You do, I'm sure, have an opinion on this?" "I believe, Master Quintara, that sometimes lessons must be learnt the *hardest* of ways." Talion paused, thought about those words, and nodded thoughtfully. "That just about covers it, I guess." * * * As you may note from the above recollection, Andreas, nobody's perfect, least of all *I*. * * * Narn...four days after the end of the War. G'lahk was skilled at his profession, and quietly amazed that any materials and ships remained to get the job done, but while the Centauri had gone in some haste from Narn, they had disabled or destroyed most of the facilities in orbit that remained from when Homeworld had fallen, so many months before. Now the jumpgate had been one thing even the Centauri, for now, would not bow to destroying; DAMAGE, yes, but destroy, no. And so, in the memory of all those who had died, all those who had felt the oppressive hand of the enemies of Narn, he had stepped forward, and with a select group of skilled surviviors, survivors who, like him, had hidden themselves cleverly away from Centauri eyes, he had taken control of an orbital craft left behind, and they had gone on to repair the jump gate. G'lahk smiled as he witnessed the dramatic industry of those before him; they would have the gate back online sooner then he would have DREAMED possible... "Taskleader!!" one of his assistants exclaimed over the primary working band, "Observe!" Braced on one strut, G'lahk half twisted, and nodded with a more ready smile. In the near distance, space had twisted in three places, and then sprang open into the familiar shape of jump points; could it be? Of COURSE it was. The portals to hyperspace shrank and vanished, and in their place hung close to a dozen warships; ships that some below believed had all been destroyed. G'lahk had known better then that, this return was no surprise to him, but instead, was more then a little inevitable. The Warriors of Narn had returned to their home at last. * * * The Narn capital...a short time later. "I don't believe it!" G'kael exclaimed, as N'rothak and several other aides walked behind the former Spymaster, their positions one of reverence, their expressions anything BUT. "That they could do this...to me!" "Must I need remind you..." N'rothak replied, his manner precise, but a laugh hidden behind his eyes, "That the great, revered G'kar, upon given the same chance, opted, instead, to resume his former duties on Babylon 5? What fragments exist of our former government needs every leader it can get its hands on, to pull together the shattered reins of power, to rebuild and reenergize the people of Narn!" G'kael grunted sourly. "That is more or less what THEY said, too, N'rothak...'The Kha'rhi must be reborn, G'kael, and as one of the heroes of the war, G'kael, the one who drew together the scattered fragements of our great navy, who hid them from the prying eyes of the Centauri, who protected them when all else was tossed in chaos by the Great Enemy...we recognize you, G'kael, and require your services among the First Circle of the Kha'rhi, reborn!'" "No nobler words, have I recently heard!" "Noble? Bah! More like a analogy that the human Commodore, Bethany Tikopai, explained to me one evening, quite late...when all else have managed to hide themselves, the remaining noble souls find themselves 'railroaded' into doing things they have no desire to undertake!" "And what, exactly..." N'rothak inquired, his expression one of puzzlement, "Is a 'railroad'?" G'kael sighed. "I shall have to study the matter, in due course...but enough of this, for now!...while certain duties must be dealt with for the time being, G'kar has heard of my condition and old injuries, and has invited me to Babylon 5, to visit, and talk of what has occurred; and at the same time, he insists that the chief physician onboard the station, one Stephen Franklin, may be able to do something for me that our doctors could not..." "Hmm, now..." N'rothak observed, in one final, parting comment, "Shirking your duties already, Councillor G'kael?" G'kael smiled, and adjusted his eye patch accordingly. "I could almost refer to the matter as a 'state visit', could I not? But I doubt that the good Captain would appreciate that, after all that has happened..." N'rothak sighed, and gazed heavenward...what, by G'quan, had he done to deserve THIS fate? **************************************************************************** ********* To be continued.. Next time: The Earthforce rebels debate their courses of action, now that the Great War is finished...and William, Vikotal and Delenn meet to decide what next should be the tasks of the White Star Fleet. Coming soon. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 7b Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 23:44:31 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 7 "THE LEGENDS OF THE NEWBORN" PHASE II OF II **"After the end of the Shadow War, and once the celebrations had finished and the cold realities of life began to once more intrude upon our lives(though in my case, a certain proposition shaded me from many of the 'colder' aspects), there came the moment where the Rangers, and more specifically, the White Star Fleet, would need to find a new purpose for themselves. To no great surprise, from those who knew him well, William was getting an itch to find something new to do, as well; after fighting the Shadows for more then two years, it was a drastic change to go from constant subterfuge and command in battles that changed the shape of the galaxy, to the surprising peace of mid winter 2261. But events were marching on regardless, and as we would soon find out, the universe had more then a few surprises, waiting to shamble out onto the stage of history..."** - From "Storm Crossing: The Shadow War, and Other Responsibilities" * * * February 4th, 2261; Babylon 5, the Ranger Compound. The party was *definitely* over now, Julia realized, as she stood, close to attention(THAT position she knew quite well, from the tongue lashings her mother had given her, from time in time, in the few times they had been together in her youth). She had, in a moment of weakness, and with Larieken as a willing accomplice (curses!) taken advantage of the gifts that Kosh had given her (somehow) and now, it was time to pay the piper. Word had, quite understandably, escaped up the chain of command after her escapades at the party; and now she was here... "As you no *doubt* realize..." Shival lectured her, in his driest and drollest tone, "Now that the war is over, we of the Anla'shok must deal with the necessities of a galaxy at peace. With our enemies banished beyond the Rim, the individual, day-to-day things we would otherwise not notice have reared to the fore; and as the commander of the Rangers on Babylon 5, it falls to me to further your education towards your Ceremony, and also to help refine your views on the lives we lead. Please note, Trainee Tikopai, that this *definitely* includes your recent escapades at the celebrations surrounding the return of Captain Sheridan and the Entil'zha to this place. For the first time, I find that you have, despite the intelligence and correct thinking you have displayed in the year just past, fallen victim to...shall we say, an episode of adolescent foolishness. Anla'shok Larieken has testified as to his part in this, and while he is CLEARLY at fault, you served as the instigator." While she showed no outward sign, inside, she cringed. It was a well-known fact that the Minbari did not indulge in any drinks including alcohol; and as such, it was not a surprise to find that Shival had taken it upon himself to correct the matter. What the punishment would be, was another question entirely. Shival sighed, and shook his head. "To come so far, and fall so quickly; the onus is now on you, young human, to take back the honour you have lost in the eyes of your commanders; to practice, to meditate, to learn, to *exist* in the ways of the Anla'shok; to fast as need be, to be as one with our ways. This, you will do alone, but observed; without help, but watched, and if you falter, then we will have to discuss whether or not your place is truly with us, or not. This, you will do for the next human month..." "Month!..." Shival nodded, still all seriousness. "Indeed, my young human charge; now go, in Valen's Name; you have a great deal to do to redeem yourself, you had best begin NOW." * * * A few short minutes after the departure of the chastened, still youthful Observer, Shival turned once more, to find Larieken waiting before him, his expression calm, but anticipatory. "So...she has accepted her punishment, then, Sha'vei??" Shival snorted. "Too calmly for my own peace of mind, Larieken; what you did, at the celebration...was it, in any way, intentional?" The young Ranger nodded. "Perhaps...in part. Young Julia, while she is intelligent, forceful in her ways and beliefs, and skillful in her growing talents as an Observer, has not, as yet, attained the full maturity she requires. At war's end, she did, with some subterfuge and a great deal of beseechment, work her way onto the bridge of Val'na Tashann's White Star. But now, it is my opinion that she must be reined back a little until maturity comes; that this will not take as long as is normal with the humans is a given; due to the gift of accelerated maturity passed on by the Vorlons, I suspect that within two more human years, she will be ready to advance, and join us." "Time will tell." was the elder Minbari's only response. "For now, though, Larieken, I must pass onto you a task you have, no doubt, been expecting; while the time up to now has been no more then an introduction, for the duration of her punishment, you must watch her, to ensure she stays on the Path, and afterwards, to continue to stand by her side, in what is to come; for be sure!...as there will be more wars and conflicts in our future, we must think towards the future of the Anla'shok, as well. But you must excuse me for now, Larieken; there is an...important meeting I must attend." * * * A short time later; Babylon 5's Ranger council chamber. The meeting had been convened, this day, to decide the future of what was, to arrive at the structure of what would be. William glanced across the assembled mass of Val'nae that sat beneath and around them, and then over towards those who sat behind and beside their Entil'zha; for many of the Anla'shok High Council had deigned to come, this day, as well. An auspicious sign...or perhaps, an ominous one? But the *reason* the Assembly had occurred was important beyond those who had come to include themselves in it. The purpose for which The Rangers had been created could now be declared complete; the Shadows were gone beyond the Rim, along with their counterparts, and this left the Rangers, for the time being, in a state of flux. This would not last; sooner or later some power would step forward to fill the vacuum the Shadows had left behind them; but that time was not yet, and until it happened, other tasks awaited them. A slight gesture from Delenn was all that was required to bring instant, obedient silence to the gathering, and the Minbari commander of the White Star Fleet, foremost among the Sha'vei'e , arose to speak. He would be the first, but not the last, to briefly review for the assembled Rangers their new and improved *mission statement*. "Change has been part of us from the very beginning.." Vikotal declared, his gaze stern. "From a dozen cycles ago, when our leader attempted a desperate rapport with the humans to end the Earth-Minbari War, and failed, leaving a scattered, desperate remnant barely tolerated by the Castes, to what we have become today: an army dedicated to maintaining the peace, no matter the cost, we have changed, and grown, and matured. And now, we must stride forward, and change ourselves yet again." Now Shival arose. "What Entil'zha Sinclair began, before he passed beyond our sight, has brought us to this junction. Ahead of us, the future awaits, uncertain; and yet, at the same time, we can see that troubles still await; the League stands close to collapse, after the harrowing of the Shadow War, and the darkness of Earth's tyranny remains a concern. In due course, I do not doubt that the Earth President will undertake some deed that will draw Captain Sheridan into action yet again, an action that will either end in his death, or the defeat of the Earth dictatorship; a task in which we will, under his command, once again play a most important role." Then, it was *his* turn to speak. "This is only one of our concerns, however; for at the core of our doctrines, we find the following truth; the Anla'shok were created to *watch* for troubles brewing, to gather information and report back, to plan for troubles ahead, and respond accordingly. Those among our cadres who performed these tasks did so admirably during the war, and must continue; but now, those of you among the White Star Fleet can assist in this task, as well; we must know what remains behind, out on the Rim, in the rubble left behind by the departure of the First Ones. A few things, we do know; in recent days, as reliable sources reveal, Z'ha'dum has been destroyed; one among many worlds destroyed by the planetkillers of our departed enemies. But among the rubble, survivors may exist; amidst the chaos, information may reside; and on the far reaches, we may find clues as to the whereabouts of the Shadow servants who escaped from Z'ha'dum, before its destruction. But all of the above, as you must understand, exists only as a moment in transition. We, as Rangers, stride from one phase to the next; a phase in which, if all goes well, we will become a force that will hold all together as one." And finally, Delenn, their Entil'zha, arose. "This then, is the dream we work towards; a dream as yet unfulfilled, for many things stand in its way. But what we do, and what we decide, brings this dream ever closer; and as darkness is banished, does the dream become...reality." Then Delenn turned away to speak with the members of the High Council, and the gathering broke down into smaller groups, as the Ranger commanders and Triad leaders began animated, if well disciplined meetings to discuss the allotment of duties. He turned, and to no great surprise, found Jennifer beside him. "It always astounds me.." she whispered in his ear, "How every time our Entil'zha gives a speech, no matter its size, we are all called upon to search for the true *meaning* behind her words." He smiled, and nodded. "That is her way, Jen; take it or leave it, but don't, of course, ignore it." "I guess you may be right..." Jennifer conceded with a sigh, and then, her gaze grew alert, if amused. "Pardon, oh fearless leader, but it appears that Shival and Vikotal are summoning us to divide the spoils of duty among our followers..." * * * Narhlak System; February 8th, 2261. With a delighted grin, Deitrich Alwhin entered the office of his CO, comm crystal in hand, and Bethany half turned, and THEN turned her full attention to her exec, as she saw the expression on his face. "Deitrich; I'm going to assume you're going to tell me why you smiling like the Cheshire Cat?" "*Yes, Ma'am*. A few minutes ago, one of the Ranger White Stars jumped into the system, and immediately downloaded a message crystal from Sha'vei Westcastle, describing what has happened...ah, outside Narhlak, in the last little while." "Good news?" she inquired, a smile growing on her own face as she pondered the possibilities. Could the Shadows possibly have been defeated, somehow? "Oh, you *could* say that, yes; and the message also explains why G'kael and his Narns ran off in such a godawful hurry, a couple of days back..." "And left *us* in the lurch, unsure as to whether it was safe or not to proceed outside our hiding place, or not." she replied, her voice tart. "A situation I did not enjoy." Alwhin shook his head. "Neither did I; but it seems things have changed." With that, she couldn't wait any longer, and plugged the crystal into the nearby reader. With a slight flash, the image of the Ranger commander, Westcastle, popped onto the screen, and she frowned; it seemed that Westcastle looked *quite* a bit older then he had, the first time they had met, the year before. NOW, a thin but prominent streak of silver ran through his hair, and he looked...tired, for want of a better word. But the news the Ranger spoke of was nothing short of astonishing. Less then two weeks before, it seemed that Captain Sheridan had assembled a gigantic force of League and Minbari ships, and gone out to face the combined forces of the Vorlons and Shadows in a final, titanic showdown...and in some bizarre, mythical half twist, had somehow *banished* both races from the galaxy, with the help, it seemed, of an ancient being named Lorien. Around the same time, the Prime Minister of the Centauri Republic, the infamous Londo Mollari, had decreed that Narn should be freed, since their emperor, Cartagia, had died there; a completely logical, and at the same time, astounding turnabout, from the little she had studied about the Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5. But both these pieces of information yielded to her a decision that needed to be made; the cruisers and destroyers under her command were no longer limited to this system; *now*, there was a distinct possibility that the struggle against President Clark could resume, sometime soon. But before that happened, decisions needed to be made, with all her captains present; and if they agreed, there was someone she would like to visit, before anything else... * * * Babylon 5..the Zen Garden: February 8th, evening rotations. It had been a long day, but it was, at long last, close to being over, and the initial deployment of the White Star Fleet had begun, with the majority of them moving out to patrol and investigate the systems whose planets had either been partially or completely destroyed by the Vorlon and Shadow planetkillers. At the same time, small forces had both been set aside to stand ready in hyperspace, should anyone feel the need to attack Babylon 5, and also to serve the needs of the Entil'zha or her most senior commanders, and, of course, Captain Sheridan. His vow to the Entil'zha still, of course, stood. He sighed, and drank deeply of the steaming cup of...whatever it was he had been served in the Zocalo, and had brought here with him; coffee and tea were unavailable due to the current standoff with Earth; as such, one had to take what one could get. Once this was done, he would retire, of course, as Jennifer had done, over an hour before... And then, a tickling at the back of his mind alerted him to the presence of another behind him, and he turned, to find a tall man in the entrance to the garden. "Ah, there you are, Ranger Westcastle; I thought that I might find you here." The tall man had a somewhat curious accent... He sighed; it looked like it was going to be yet another of *those* nights. "You did, did you? I see; well, whatever it is you need of either the Rangers or myself, may I suggest you come straight to the point? And given that it's almost the middle of the night, I pray that what you need is not too complex..." The tall man had a slightly leathery, well lined face, but showed no animosity towards him; instead, he smiled, and bowed. "Indeed not, and it shall be as you say; I deemed it prudent that we meet now, for the first time, in a place where you would be at peace, and we could discuss, briefly, the reason for the meeting, before you and I retire for the evening. Unfortunately, for now, the most basic courtesy must be denied, that being my name to tell you; I assure you that you will discover the reason behind this in due course. Secondly, I must tell you that I was among the last to escape from the world called Nighthawk before its destruction..." William found himself *instantly* becoming more alert. "What?" The tall man sighed, and nodded. "It is so, I am afraid; I was given, premonition of the destruction of Nighthawk before it happened, and was able to convince one shipload of colonists that the danger was real enough to escape from; and even as we departed, the Vorlons came..." The tall man shrugged, his sadness plain. "I could predict it, but I could not prevent it; and since we arrived here in the midst of the madness that preceded the end of the war, and that you were so VERY busy during that time, I felt it best to delay this meeting until, shall we say, things calmed down a little." "You now have my attention; and while I do not understand your need to conceal your name from me, I will ignore the matter...for now. Again, I must ask you to come to the point...it is late." "Many apologies, but there were preliminaries to deal with. Very *well*, then; there is the matter at hand. *I* guided those refugees to this place, but now they have passed on to other callings, many, unfortunately, in the place called Downbelow. *I*, on the other hand, wish to use my talents to help the greater good, and I cannot do that if I allow myself to fall into similar squalor." "These...premonitions of yours...you wish to use this talent to help the Rangers?" The tall man nodded. "That is indeed my wish; but for now, as you have said, it is late, and we will talk again, I assure you. It is enough to know, for now, that we are both Children of Nighthawk, and that in us, what she was will never be forgotten." With that, the tall man turned abruptly, and strode into the corridor. After a slight pause, he followed, and then paused in astonishment. For the tall man had quite *throughly* dissapeared. * * * February 9th, 2261: EAS NIOBE. "Gentlemen..." Bethany declared, as she cast her glance across the fourteen captains either sitting around the conference table(in the case of the more senior ones, such as Iain McRobert, Robert Hardishane, and Andrew Ryan, still, even now, the master of ALEXANDER) or crammed in behind, using up every other square centimeter of floor space; not a surprise, in the close confines of an Omega Class Destroyer. "You have all read the report passed onto us by the Rangers, and it reveals, as you now understand, that the universe outside has become somewhat more of a friendly place then it was before. Now that the War with the Shadows and Vorlons is over, we are once again free to make our way, and work towards the goal of freeing Earth from the tyranny that oppresses it, under President Clark. But that's probably a little bit more then we should try and bite off, for now, anyways; until *somebody*, be it us, Captain Sheridan, or anyone else in the Force, for that matter, gathers up the popular support to evict the President and his followers, an attack would be nearly futile." "A fine rundown of the situation, Bethany..." Iain McRobert declared, his face crinkly with a smile. "And to the point, as usual. But the rest of the captains and I have been discussing the matter, and we believe it prudent, now that Captain Sheridan has *somehow* managed to drive away those...Shadow things, that we should, well, go and pay him a visit. Afterall, it's been a long time since we've put in anywhere else but here, and I, personally, never managed to visit Babylon 5 before it seceded; now that everything seems to have calmed down a little bit, this seems like the best time to make the attempt." "Plus..." Major Ryan put in, his expression frank, "Just after they seceded, the Captain indicated that we would always be welcome at his station; I second Captain McRobert's choice, Commodore; it seems the prudent thing to do, at this stage." At that, the rest of the captains nodded, their decision clear, it seemed. She smiled. "Thank you, gentlemen; once in a while, you almost make me believe you can read my mind, like our resident telepath, Miss Vadim...but that's beside the point; while I'm sure that Captain Sheridan will be happy to see us, we've also have to make several key decisions before we jump for Babylon 5; what will our goals be after the visit, and, more importantly, for now, how will we be able to convince the Captain we're not President Clark's forces, come in an overwhelming, sneak attack?" "I may have a suggestion with regards to that problem, Commodore..." Ryan replied. "Let *us* jump out first when we get there. Then, once we've calmed everyone down and convinced them they're not about to be fired upon, you can bring the rest of the fleet out." "Sounds good..." McRobert mused. "Now, to get there is going to be a little tricky, I'm afraid; we're going to have to go the long way around...we may not get there for several weeks, at best..." "Then I guess we'd better start then, shouldn't we?" * * * PsiCorp Headquarters, Earthdome; Feb 10th, 2261; "This meeting is, of course, in the strictest confidentiality." "We understand, sir." the leader, a pale haired telepath of oriental descent, replied, his gaze steady and frank; for, of course, there was a task to undertake...a hunt to run...a secret hunt. "Of course you do; during my recent...visit to Babylon 5, which as you all understand, occurred without direct approval, not that I, of course, require such approval...I was able to discern the telepathic signature of a blip we've been after for some time now. She's come and gone from the station, since it seems she has, for some time now, been a member of that Ranger organization; but for the present, it seems clear that Miss Tolmanes is there more often then not." Another spoke up, a young woman, dark of hair, but cold of eye. "We have reviewed the report of the last attempt against this...Brianna Tolmanes. It seems quite clear that she has been manipulated in some way by the Vorlons, enough so that two undercover Corp members were basically mindwiped in the capture attempt. I will assume that we will be undertaking measures to prevent such a reoccurence?" A smile. "Remember, if you will, that the Vorlons are no longer available to assist Miss Tolmanes, and if there are enough of us, the power she possesses will prove to be no resistance to our aims. And additionally, you know the sort of place that Babylon 5 is!...all *sorts* of distractions. Catch her off guard, and away from her commanders...." The implication was obvious, and the leader bowed, his manner perfunctory. "We understand, sir, and will succeed, you can be assured of that." A nod. "I shall expect nothing else from you, this time. Be seeing you, then." * * * To be continued... **************************************************************************** ******** Next: Between a fleet of paradoxically friendly Earthforce starships descending on Babylon 5, and the arrival of a member of the Kha'rhi to visit G'kar, there is barely time for William and Tashann to proceed on an important mission for Delenn before all hell breaks loose ..."The Stars of The Captains" the next part of "The Riders on the Storm" coming this weekend(all being well). From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 8a Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 22:13:40 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 8 "THE STARS OF THE CAPTAINS" PHASE I OF II **"Forever in the back of my mind, all through the duration of the Shadow conflict, were the words that Major Ryan spoke to me, the day we seceded from the Earth Alliance; the day the ALEXANDER stood with us and kept Babylon 5 free, that the ALEXANDER and her crew were about to jump into the unknown, to find the rest of the commands in Earthforce that had broken away. I found myself wondering, from time to time, whether or not they had survived the chaos of the War; but then, on what was, up to that point, a day of calm, we received the welcome answer to that question..."** - From John Sheridan's history of the times, 'No Retreat, No Surrender' * * * Babylon 5; C&C: February 25th, 2261; It was another quiet day in Babylon 5's primary Command and Control Center; a state that many of the station's military staff had come to dread in the past several years, and Technician First Class Lyle Stevens was certainly one of those, for it nearly *always* meant the something terrible or momentous was about to happen. He had, of course, chosen to side with the Captain when the station had broken away, and all through the times since then, nearly a year of worry in which each day might of been his last, Stevens had kept his priorities straight. What President Clark had done to the Earth Alliance was *wrong*, and sooner or later, the President or his followers would make a mistake and would be thrown out; and then, maybe, he would be able to go home with a good conscience. Not that this post hadn't been exciting, either; Stevens had seen some amazing and frightening sights in his time here; just in the last three months, he had seen warships of the Shadows threaten them, and the incredibly *massive* assembled fleet of the Younger Races surround them, before they followed the Captain to do the impossible. After that, he didn't think anything could throw him.. It was then that a beep from his station alerted him that something was up; something...unusual. One of the hyperspace probes the tech types had recently positioned beyond the jumpgate in hyperspace was picking up signs of an imbound ship...or maybe, more then one. Stevens sighed; the clouds of gravimetric chaos in hyperspace made it hard to tell, sometimes. But then, the closest, or, maybe, the only signal resolved itself with key purpose, and he gulped. "Sir..." he spoke up with urgency, "We *may* have a problem." His superior, Lieutenant David Corwin, who had (in Stevens's opinion) the uneviable task of being third in command at C&C behind the Captain and Commander Ivanova, turned in mid-step, and gazed down at him. "Report." "The hyperspace probes have picked up...well, sir, it looks like there's an Earthforce destroyer within half an hour of jumping into Epsilon system...or maybe more then one, it's hard to tell for sure, yet...hyperspace is fairly obscured right now, and the probes are having difficulty out there..." Corwin nodded, his calm expression now verging over into grim resolution. The Lieutenant sighed, and turned away from the tech, his mind roiling with the possible outcomes and causes for this crisis; maybe the powers at Earth weren't satisifed with just blockading them anymore...in any case, he knew what to do...quite well. Corwin tapped his link. "C&C to Commander Ivanova..." * * * "Commander..." John Sheridan quite reasonably requested, as he arrived at C&C, to find the center in a near uproar, as the staff were juggling comm traffic from the fighter group commanders, requests for updates on the incoming vessels (it now seemed likely there was *more* then one) and orders to the Defense Grid maintenence crews, more or less simultaneously. "What's our status?" Commander Susan Ivanova turned towards her CO, her expression showing *exactly* what she thought of this situation. "What this would *appear* to be, sir, is an invasion force, and perhaps on a grand scale. The Starfuries have all been scrambled, the defense grid is online, and signals have been sent to the Minbari and the nearest elements of the White Star Fleet, they should arrive from their hyperspace staging area in time to engage this threat from behind. In short, we're as ready to face this as we're ever going to be...sir." Sheridan nodded seriously, but the situation seemed...wrong, somehow. "Something like this has always been a possibility, Commander...but think on this for a moment; does it *make sense* for Clark to want to try something like this? Between the blockade that he's already imposed upon us, and the knowledge that the Minbari are standing by, ready to protect us, why attack now?" Ivanova was about to answer that question, when one of the techs in the pit below looked up at them, an expression almost of *shock* on his face. "Sir...there's a message coming in from the destroyer; it's...the *ALEXANDER*, sir!" "*What*?" he exclaimed, as beside him, Ivanova *visibly* began to relax. "Well, I'll be damned..." "Well, sir..." Ivanova reminded him, "You *did* tell Major Ryan that he would always be welcome here, it *would appear* that the Major is about to take you up on that invitation." Sheridan moved to the main board, and with a nod from the tech, looked down, as the familiar face of Major Ryan appeared. "Major!...to what do we owe this visit?" "Captain." the Major replied, a slight smile on his face. "Now that the situation with the Shadow and the Vorlon threat has resolved, we thought that it would be common courtesy to pay you a visit." Sheridan and Ivanova exchanged slightly bemused glances. Now *how* had the Major found about the Shadows? Unless, of course, the ALEXANDER had encountered one or more of their ships while in hiding, but in *that* case, how might they have survived the encounter? "More then common, Major...as I said, last year, you've always been welcome, here." Ryan nodded. "Thank you, Captain; stand by, we're coming in." As one, Sheridan and Ivanova looked up, as the distant jump gate came online, and spit out the familiar, and now welcome, silouette of an Omega Class Destroyer. It was then, that two surprising things happened simultaneously. First, one of the techs, (was Stevens his name?) looked up, and exclaimed, "Well I'll be...sir!...there's..." And then, Ryan, who, paradoxically, had kept the channel open, added, "Oh, and by the way, Captain; we've bought a few friends along for the ride..." The jumpgate irised open again, and Sheridan watched, first in astonishment, and then in appreciation, as the equivalent of half a dozen overstrength Earthforce carrier groups erupted from the gate... "A few?" Ivanova exclaimed. "Did he say *a few*?" Sheridan nodded, as out in the darkness, the massive cluster of destroyers and cruisers continued their approach, behind the ALEXANDER. "That he did, Commander... *that* he did." "Then, sir, I wouldn't want to see his opinion on the definition of 'many'." Sheridan smiled, and then turned his attention back to the screen. "I'm going to have to assume, Major, that your mission to find the rest of the ships set against President Clark was a success?" "Yes, Captain; I believe you could say that. But the officer *most* responsible for holding us together, through thick and thin, with threats from the Shadows and a dozen other things besides, is someone you will be meeting shortly; you do know her, however, let me leave it at that for now. ALEXANDER out." Sheridan thought about that for a moment, and then sighed. "Commander, it would appear that you are about to meet yet another of my oldest aquaintances..." "This is a good thing, then?" "Time will tell, Commander; time will tell. But for now, we had better tell the Minbari and the Rangers that the crisis is over..." * * * White Star Four... William gazed out on the display of military power presently arrayed around Babylon 5, and felt himself relax yet a little bit more. After the League had withdrawn their ships back to their own territories, it had been his opinion that the station was a little bit too vulnerable for his own liking. But *now*, between the Minbari and gaggle of Earthforce cruisers and destroyers on station, he could proceed on the mission he had been given by Delenn with a clearer conscience. While they knew, quite well, what happened at Z'ha'dum, it was, at the same time, completely *unclear* what the situation was in the abandoned portions of Vorlon space. After much discussion, the Entil'zha had authorized a brief reconnaissance into the former Vorlon territories, but had emphasisized the extreme danger of such a mission, for prior to their dissapearance, no one member of the younger races who had gone into Vorlon space had ever returned. The reasons for this were unclear, and would likely now never be answered, but he had assured the Entil'zha that they would not try and probe towards the heart of the former Empire; instead, it was his intention to, instead, locate and board one of their former observation posts or stations, if such an installation could be located, and attempt to begin determining if anything in Vorlon space was a threat to the current, fragile peace. To that end, Delenn had assigned him a group of six White Stars, among them, Tashann's command. Beside him, Jennifer finished conferring with their Minbari crew, and then turned to him. "Do you suppose that Julia's mother will want to see her?" He smiled. "Almost certainly; whether or not Bethany will be yet again surprised by the changes in her daughter is another question entirely..." * * * "Ah!" G'kar exclaimed, as G'kael entered the arrivals sector of the station with his ever present aide, N'rothak, closely in tow, looking about him with, it seemed, some sort of grim appraisal. "There you are, G'kael, at last!" "Greetings, old friend.." G'kael replied, stepping forward to walk beside him. "It is a pleasure, at long last, to return to Babylon 5; we have both been through so much since the last occasion I found time to visit this place; and now, with my duties as one of the senior members in the new Kha'rhi becoming paramount, my advisors did not, as you may quite *well* understand, want me to come here. It was *their* opinion that, instead, I should devote every waking minute to reviving the State, and helping the people..." "Ah..." G'kar replied, his expression both serious and amused at the same time. "I will assume, from your presence here, what your response to that was..." "Precisely." G'kael sighed, and turned his good eye to look upon the surroundings. "So simple a place this is, to be at the focus of so much destiny, and yet, G'kar, you have stood at the heart of this whirlwind, and survived." G'kar nodded. "Long ago, G'kael, I was given cause to pass on a certain advice; I will now say the same again, to you...nothing of this place is what it at first appears. It is a place of hope, and helps, even now, to create a better future for us all. And to that end, let me return to the reason I invited you here. The human doctor who works here, Franklin is his name, assured me that he would be able to help me with my own condition; I *strongly* believe that he might be able to improve your own condition, as well, now that the war is ended." G'kael sighed, and shook his head, before bringing one of his hands up to touch the smooth burn scars on the left side of his face. "I have existed with my condition for a long time now, G'kar, resigned to the belief that nothing more could be done. The plasma fire burned out not only my eye, but virtually all of the optic nerve, as well, unlike your own admittedly similar situation. The physicians explained that not enough remained to replace my eye with an artificial replacement, had one *even* been available at the time to match my system, which due to the realignment of priorities during the War, it was not. And as for my burn scars, they did all they could..." "Pah! The physicians on Homeworld did not *care* enough, G'kael! You cannot compare them to the doctor I know in Stephen Franklin. He *will* be able to help you, this I am sure of!" "Very well, old friend.." G'kael conceded with a smile, as the two of them entered the lift. "Very well. We will go to see this Doctor Franklin, then, to satisfy your hopes for my improvement." G'kar nodded, now satisfied. "That is *all* that I ask, G'kael...for now." * * * Sheridan's office.. The meeting, when it happened, was a meeting that set many things that would follow in motion. Things that would not happen, right away, but they were key events, nontheless. A meeting of survivors, a rendezvous between two officers of command who had met, for the first time, after the surprising end of the Earth-Minbari War, for so few had survived the Battle of the Line, that the ties between the survivors had become stronger, as a result. At the time of their first meeting, she had just been promoted to Lieutenant Commander, while he, on the quick route towards mastery of his own ship, was already a Commander. They had passed messages, from time to time, over the years since then as aquaintances in the Force, and even, on one occasion, their destroyers had passed in the night, scant months after she had taken command of the NIOBE...she inbound, he outbound, with the AGAMEMNON, towards the Rim. And now, they were meeting again, their roles changed beyond all expectations. Sheridan smiled and rose from his seat, as she entered the office, and she shook her head in amazement. Yet another effect of the war was how John Sheridan had suffered, after all that he had (presumably) done, to stop the Shadows. Whereas his hair had been a pale brown the last time she had seen him, now his hair was liberallly streaked with silver; something that might, no doubt, be waiting just around the corner for her, before this was all over. "Captain Tikopai..." Sheridan began, gesturing her to the seat in front of his desk, and then he shook his head, and smiled. "Hell, I guess we're beyond that, now...Bethany, I have to say that I was surprised when the Major finally revealed who was responsible for pulling all those ships outside together; but it *is* good to see you again...good to know that you're standing against President Clark's tyranny, as well, along with so many others." "John, it's good to see you, too, and amazing, all in itself, that we could come here, after all that's happened, and still find Babylon 5 intact!" "By the way, just how *did* you and the others find out about the Shadows?" "It's a long story, but to cut things short, after we escaped from the traps laid for us, we were guided to a middle-of-nowhere post named Narhlak by the Rangers, where the survivors of the Narn warfleet had also gathered, under the leadership of an Intelligence Master named G'kael. G'kael explained to us what was going on out in the galaxy, explained things we would never have found out by going the direct route, and for the months that the Shadows and Vorlons went on their rampage, we sheltered there. But *now*, that's all over, and we were free to move once again; my captains and I decided that the first place we should come, is here. And the prime reason for that visit, John, is to determine what *your* thoughts are on the situation back home, and your opinion on what we should be doing for the time being. While the fleet looks damn impressive, there's an awful lot more ships still loyal to Clark..." "And therein lies the heart of the problem..." Sheridan replied, his expression now serious. "As long as Clark controls the loyalties of those ships, until he does something that undermines that loyalty, we are both stuck with essentially the same problem..." She nodded. "Blockaded or outgunned, and because of that, not given the slightest concern, because they *know* neither of us are in a position to do anything to change the situation back home. And if we tried to attack now, they'd simply set an overwhelming force against us, and the last hope of Earth would be lost. I won't let that happen!..too many good people depend on my word to let the fleet come to that fate." "And because that's true..." Sheridan replied, "I'm going to advise you to do something some of your crews may not very much like. For now, we have to play a waiting game, because sooner or later, Clark is *going* to mess up, and when he does...when he does, Bethany, that will be the time you and your followers will *all* be needed the most. In the meantime, though, maybe you should try and keep them off guard, somehow.." "Exactly what I was thinking...but I really needed to hear it from you, John; more then anything else, reassurance is something that we often don't get, up in the lonely heights of command." Sheridan conceded her point. "You have *no* idea how accurate that has been for us, here, no *idea* what I had to go through to reach this ending...in the years to come, if we both survive, we can tell one another what brought us to this meeting; the crises and the pain we'be both been through; but that time's not now. In fact, for *right* now, the rest of my staff, and a good deal of yours as well, or so I understand, is waiting in a fine establishment named Earhart's, to share a drink with us." Sheridan rose, one eyebrow raised in inquiry. "That is, if you're so inclined?" She smiled, and rose to follow him. "Lead on then, sir, and I shall follow!" * * * The next day... "Well, now..." Dr. Franklin commented, as he looked at the results of the tests, with G'kar and G'kael waiting nearby, one with expectation, one with resignation, "As far as I can tell, G'kael, the work your physicians did on you after you were injured wasn't all bad...but it seemed to have been a bit rushed, somehow..." G'kael nodded. "Quite right, Doctor; we were, then, on the verge of the worst conflict we had ever faced, and our leaders, at the time, knew this quite well. They were more interested in getting me back on my feet and useful then in getting the healing perfect, and to be honest, at the time, I felt the same way, not that it really helped any. In hindsight, I would have insisted that they spend more time on the problem, but that is that, and this is now, Doctor." "*As* I was saying..." Doctor Franklin added, a slight smile at one corner of his mouth, "While the work they did on you was a bit rushed, G'kael, that does *not* mean that nothing more can be done..." "As you are well aware, Doctor, conditions on Homeworld are not, shall we say, well attuned to work of this kind. Too many of my people died or were terribly injured during the fall of Narn for my condition to be a prime concern. And yet, my good friend G'kar insisted that I come to see you about this..." "And quite rightly, so." Doctor Franklin replied. "As one of the members of the new Kha'rhi, it would only be right for you to be as near to perfect health as is theoretically possible; and while the long delay since your injuries were received makes a full recovery impossible, G'kar was right; it will take some preparing to arrange, and it won't be right away, but I'm quite sure we can do something about your missing eye, and your scars.." G'kael blinked. "What did you just say, Doctor?" "What did he just say?" G'kar exclaimed. "It should be *quite* clear, G'kael, what was just said. He said that something *could* be done, as will, in due course, be done for me! He has great respect for all, and is equally fair, and, I believe, would consider it somewhat of a challenge to help in this respect!" "Truth?" G'kael asked Doctor Franklin. Franklin nodded. "Truth; if there's anything I can do for you, G'kael, anyway I can help out someone who is obviously been a close friend to G'kar over the years, then yeah, I'll do it." "Thank you, Doctor! Thank you, indeed!" "Now what was that you said about 'no hope'?" G'kar asked him, as they left the Medlab. * * * The Ranger Compound... Bethany gazed around the interior of the Garden with some appreciation; the vastness of Babylon 5's interior was something she had never before found time to appreciate; in fact, this was the *first* time she had ever seen it in person. But the reason she had come here, today, was not to sightsee, but to once again meet a daughter seperated from her in space and time. "Captain Tikopai." she turned, to see a young Minbari approach. "My name is Larieken, and the commander of the Rangers in this place has sent me to take you to your daughter." "And what of William Westcastle and his companions? Aren't they here?" Larieken shook his head. "Regretfully, that is not so, at the present time. Ranger Westcastle's duties as one of the commanders in the White Star Fleet do not often leave him time to be in one place for long, even though *this* place is special to him." She nodded. "I understand; it will be enough to see my daughter, for now." With that said, Larieken guided her into one of the crystalline towers of the Ranger district, up several stories, and into an area well peopled with many Rangers and younger Trainees, moving about their business. In the courtyard below, she could see a group of them in some sort of martial practice...the learning never stopped, it seemed. Abruptly, the young Minbari turned aside, and entered a large chamber, wherein a number of Rangers, both young and old, were in the midst of practicing, some with their deadly pikes, and some with other, simpler weapons. After a moment, a moment almost of disorientation, she picked out the figure of her daughter, in the far corner, working with another human, short staff in hand. It came hard, then, how much time had passed, how much of Julia's life she had missed, for her daughter was now no longer the girl she remembered, from the memories of the past. Of the few times she had taken leaves on Earth to see her, of the many times that girl had yelled at her, her expression one of rage and frustration; and who could blame her for that response? She had been there for her so little...had never seen her intelligence blossom into the fire it was now. And it seemed that Julia was well on her way to becoming a woman; in fact, it seemed, somehow, that she was far older then her thirteen and some years...but how could that be possible? Possible or not, it seemed to be the case, somehow, for she appeared as would a girl of sixteen, at least. It was then that Julia noticed her; setting her staff aside, she approached, slowly and calmly...but in the last few feet, the calm approach became a run, and then, to her shock, by the time Julia reached her, she was crying. It took a good long time for her to calm down after that; but then, they sat down together, and Julia began to talk; began to *finally* tell her the story of what had happened, in the long, long months since she had left Earth, at the instigation of the Resistance, and even in the months since she had seen her last, at the side of the Ranger, William Westcastle. And as the hours passed, and they sat first beneath the lights of the Garden, and then, beneath the set of candles in Julia's quarters, the story as told both astonished, and terrified her. For it was all true; it had to be, Julia would never tell her lies. Was *this* the destiny that waited for her, then? A life continually at the heart of the Fire, near to movers, shapers, thinkers and doers?? It would seem so, for between adventures beyound her wildest dreams, a near death experience at the hands of those who worked for that banished race called *Shadow*, impossible manipulations at the hands of their opposites, the Vorlons, and a destiny to become what Julia called an *Observer*, it seemed certain that her daughter was about to go places that *she* would never go. And it was for that reason that this short time together was so precious. For soon enough, they would be dragged apart by their destinies once again, and who knew when next they would meet, and under what conditions? (cot'd) From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On The Storm, Part 8a (cot'd) Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1998 01:57:16 (cot'd from last part) Writer's Note: In this part, I make passing reference to some of the things that Stephen Barringer has written into his 'Wandering Star' series, and put a few of my own spins on them. I quite enjoy crossovers, even if they're only minor ones! DGG * * * Log of Commander, White Star 4, February 27th, 2261. What we do, this day, is something that will stay a secret, for some time to come. It is a daring move on our part, a move that has a slight chance of ending in disaster, but the Entil'zha would not have ordered us to do this if she thought we would all die on such a simple graze of Vorlon space...it's not, after all, as if we are jumping directly into their heart worlds, wherever those might be. Vorlon space is an enormous swath of territory, bordering all that we know, seperating us from the unknowable stars and nebulas beyond the spiral arm's edge, farther towards the Galactic core. Sooner or later, the Younger Races will send expeditions into their abandoned territories, probably not this year, but *very* likely the next, to discover the truths of what they left behind. But that is not our job; it is, for among the doctrines that we learned at Tuzanor was that it always pays to be careful; and this we will be. Now, if only what we were told by Lorien is true, then the Vorlons should be gone from the outposts along their territory. In any case, we're about to find out whether or not that's true... * * * With caution, the small group of White Stars approached the large planetoid upon which was emplaced a Vorlon base and observation post, similar in nature to the one that they had destroyed, along with Captain Sheridan, on the way to Corianna 6, weeks before. William looked upon the base with no small trepidation, for it had been difficult enough to simply *reach* this spot. The difficulty was one of position; for it seemed that while the Vorlons had sent their transports through jumpgates, when available, there were *no* jumpgates of any kind in Vorlon Space, even along its edge, and this meant that the White Stars had been required to do a great many skip-jumps through the gravitational morass of hyperspace in order to find the site they needed. And now they were here. Kilometer by kilometer, they closed the distance, and the initial impression received seemed to be the correct one. The post itself seemed to be silent and completely without activity; in fact, the planetoid itself was now tumbling slowly, something he was sure the Vorlons would not have put up with, for that tumble spoke *loudly* of Chaos. "It would appear..." Jennie reported, her gaze severe, as she went over the results coming into them from the probes they had launched into orbit around the post, "That not only have they completely abandoned this site, but they took anything and everything with them that could possibly generate energy sources, as well. That station's almost cooled to ambient temperatures." At that, he turned to Brianna, who was, as she had been ever since they had jumped out in this system, scanning telepathicallly for any signs of Vorlon presence. "Brianna?" "There's nothing there..." Brianna reported, her voice low, and drawn out. "I've searched carefully...but they're all gone, them *and* all they were, and owned." At that, the telepath turned her full gaze onto him. "It's a shell, as far I can tell; a shell that was, once living; *they* seemed to have deactivated it in their departure, for they could not take it with them, no matter that they wished it to be so." "When you're referring to Vorlon technology..." Jennifer commented, her eyes narrowed, "Wouldn't 'deactivation' mean the same thing as 'death'?" "I wasn't going to say it..." Brianna replied. "But it would *seem* that it is safe for us to send out recon fighters for a closer pass above the base." William nodded, and after a short pause and an order in the Religious Caste tongue, a single Minbari Nial Class fighter leapt away from each White Star, and descended towards the base. A period of time followed in which the fighters made repeated low passes over the yellow domes, and all that they returned seemed to agree with the initial findings. No lights could be seen, no energy signatures...nothing at all. * * * Soon after that, a group of specialized flyers descended to the surface of the planetoid, and the true state of the base became more clear to them. For it seemed that the Vorlons had, indeed, sacrificed some of their living servants in the enormously quick pullout. William tried to imagine the sheer scale of such a departure, and failed; even though the fleet he had seen at Corianna 6 had been enormous, it seemed clear that all they had seen had only, perhaps, been the Military arm of the Vorlon Race; for their *entire* race to depart, would surely have meant that the departure fleets from the Empire would have numbered in the millions of vessels. And some of what they could not take with them had, no doubt, been sacrificed, as a result. In due course, he supposed, someone would reach the surface of a Vorlon colony world to see first hand what sort of structures they built, and those structures, as living cities might even be able to survive from the planetary atmosphere itself, and generate their own energy sources, while partially dependent on their planetary environments. But in facing the final farewell, might not have some of their servant creatures, ships and bases...in the realization that they would *never* see their masters again...have *maybe*, just MAYBE committed suicide, rather then live on, alone forever? This presupposed intelligence in some or all of their structures, but their ships had surely had such, as events on Babylon 5 has shown, in the past few years. What could not be proven could only be guessed at. William reached out one suited hand to touch the outer wall of one of the domes. Close up, it could be seen that there were great flakes of something very like *skin* peeling away from the domes, and drifting off into space. Since their arrival, several hours before, the occurence had clearly increased slightly in scope. In addition, from place to place, one could see great rents in the structures, and into this, a short time before, he had sent a team of Rangers to investigate. What they had learnt was, unfortunately, not very much. In their departure, the Vorlons had evidently taken with them just about anything and everything they could. The interior of the dome investigated seemed to have somewhat of a fractal nature, with passages curving in and breaking up into smaller and smaller avenues, some straight, some jagged, such enormously wide and and high, some only about a meter across. The pattern was unknowably strange and alien, but was this *truly* a surprise? But all through the interior, the evidence of decay was also quite clear. "To come so far..." Jennie mused sadly, "And see this..." "Tragedy." Brianna finished up for her, her gaze bitter under the light of the distant stars. "Of all of you, I saw them the clearest, was given a glimpse of their true nature. You have to understand that the relationship they and their servants had was closer then love, more then anything we can possibly imagine. What would you think, what would you do, if those you loved more then life itself were about to leave you, forever? This base evidently decided it could not face such a fate. I do not blame it for what it did...but our orders were clear, Sha'vei. Evaluate a Vorlon observation post, and move on to the next target in our assigned exploration patrol. As much as you would like to go deeper into their territory, that could only end badly, for all of us." He nodded, and as they made ready to return to the White Star 3, he looked about the landscape one last time. A landscape of lost hope, a graveyard of life lost. And what was worst about the whole situation was that *they*, the Younger Races, had, for all intents and purposes, helped to bring this about. While they were not the murderers, they were, certainly, the instigators. * * * To be continued... **************************************************************************** *** Next time: While Bethany continues to deal with the shocks of what Julia told her about the last few months of her life, and gives Sheridan a little bit of help, William, Jennifer and their exploration group make a startling discovery in the ruins of a shattered world, while the Drakh find out, in a message left by their masters, exactly how much trouble the Rimstalker and his companions, both young and adult, could pose for them, in the months and years yet ahead. Coming soon... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 8b(cot'd) Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 22:52:35 (continued from last part) * * * Babylon 5: March 5th, 2261: the Zen Garden; night rotations. "Ah..." the tall man remarked, rising to his feet, as William and Jennifer entered the Garden, their expressions far from happy...it had been a *long* flight back from the Rim, and between the Entil'zha immediately asking for a meeting, finding a new home for their refugees (the station, for the time being) and now this..."It would appear I have, yet again, caught you both at a bad time; would another time be better?" "No, I don't think so..." Jennifer ground out. "Look, whoever you think you are, I'm even less impressed with all this mystery then William is! So if you are coming to a point anytime SOON, make it!" The tall man sighed. "Yes, a bad time it is, you have just been and seen places you would rather have not, but it cannot be helped. There are...things that need to be said, from time to time; things that will make you understand the link we have, even though you may not see it as such. I take you back in time to a place you may have forgotten, but this is a place that began me on my quest; first to Nighthawk, following my intuitions, where I first observed what were obviously *younger* versions of what I had seen, years before..." "Wait a minute.." William intruded, his expression one of confusion. "What do you mean, 'younger'?" "June 16, 2249..." the tall man replied, his expression pensive. "A dark street, a dark night on Earth, after the end of the War. There were three of you, against one, an interception I did not at first understand; you took something away from the other, and broke it; but then, *strange* dark forms did appear, and strike...with a flare of light, one did disappear, as another ran up, too late to prevent the loss.." "In Valen's Name..." she whispered, her eyes wide, and then she whirled on William. "He saw us..." "When we went into the past...with the help of Draal and Zathras, to stop Walther from changing what was; and I saw..." At Jennifer's warning glance, William got the hint...and went silent. "Indeed.." the tall man replied, his expression now one of slight satisfaciton. "A great mystery to solve, and you have just provided the final key I needed; thank you." "Surely that can't be all you wanted from this meeting?" The tall man bowed. "Indeed not, Observer; as I told William Westcastle, I, too, am a survivor of Nighthawk, and I have used my premonitions to aid me throughout my life. In recent times, during this bad business with the Eldermost Races, the premonitions have saved my life on several occasions. Now, I wish to turn this service to help you, and your Rangers." "Why?" The tall man smiled. "Call it, a payback if you will; you have worked to stop the complete destruction of all that is, for that, there are billions in this galaxy who should be doing as I am doing...but that would not be too efficient, would it? No, for now, it is enough that from time to time, I shall pass on information that you need, and shall expect nothing in return, except to know that I am gratified to have survived the Storm just past." "Last time we met..." William said, "You told me that you would say why you couldn't tell me your name..." "Of course..." the tall man replied, his smile growing. "The Storm burned away my given name, now I go where I am needed, stride to see the visions coming, and am usually in the right, or worst place possible at the best possible time. I will use this to help you, Rimstalker and Observer, and in the times to come, maybe I will earn a new given name to tell you, yes? But that time is not yet." "We understand." William said, as they cast a single, surprised glance at one another. "And thank you." "It is agreed, then." was the tall man's final response, and as they turned back, they found him already near gone, a tall shadow fading into the deeper shadows of the Garden. "I'd *love* to know how he does that." William mused. She placed one hand on his neck, and leant into him. "Best not to pry, Will...come on now, there's a bed in the Compound that's just *screaming* out my name..." * * * Later on... On the bed below her, William slept soundly. Jennie leant against the wall, and cupped her hands around the candle she was holding, and sighed. She understood that the Rangers were supposed to be a blending of Minbari and Human customs, she had, for some time now, made many Minbari rituals part of her way of life. But ever since her Entil'zha had found out what they were planning, the year before, the messages, while they had been few and far between on the matter, had never stopped. And now, the time was getting near, and things needed to be completed. She looked over the candle, and into Will's face; at peace, or at least as much peace as was possible, for him. "His true face..." she whispered, and shook her head. "Sometimes, I'm not so sure." * * * The next day... "I have to say..." Sheridan commented, as all around them, Earthforce officers and personnel bustled past, on their way towards the many transfer shuttles docked beyond. "That we're going to miss you here; Commander Ivanova told me, the other day, how happy the station pilots were, to have just a few days off, for a change." She laughed. "Well, John, all good things must come to an end, even days off; and we can't stay here, you know that! Sooner or later, word's going to leak out that every rebel ship between here and Proxima is at Babylon 5; and then you'd just have another shooting war on your hands...one you certainly don't need right now." "Can't argue with that, I guess; so where are you going from here?" "Out along the Earth Frontier, snooping, prying, raiding, jumping in and jumping out. A little bit of a propaganda campaign, if you will, to keep Clark on his toes, and worried. And sooner or later, he's going to make a mistake; and then, John, we'll be there, waiting." "I look forward to that day." Sheridan replied in farewell, as she walked out towards the bay. * * * NIOBE.. "You know..." Alwhin commented, as the fleet bore down on the jump gate, "I'm not so sure that coming here was all that good of an idea..." "And why's that, Commander?" Bethany inquired, one eyebrow raised. "No one wanted to leave when it was time to go." "**Right**." With one hand, she toggled the comm switch, and looked up as John's face popped into being on the screen. "This is the NIOBE to Babylon Control; requesting permission to jump." "Permission granted, NIOBE; we'll see you soon." She smiled, and nodded. "The sooner, the better." And then, they jumped, once more, into the unknown. * * * To be continued... **************************************************************************** **** Next time: Between visits to Babylon 5 to see Doctor Franklin, G'kael locates one of his last surviving relatives, and hears a tale of conquered Narn. Meanwhile, Delenn asks Jennifer to begin turning her talents towards training the next generation of Rangers, and Julia's trials in training continue, with a mild adventure or two to upset the mixture! "The Legacy of Survival" the 9th part of "The Riders on the Storm" coming soon. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 8b Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 22:49:14 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 8 "THE STARS OF THE CAPTAINS" PHASE II OF II **"Even in the pauses between great movements were the Rangers continually up to their ears, dealing with events that hardly anyone else wanted or needed to know about, and key to this period were the extensive series of reconnaissance missions that the White Star Fleet performed in the spring of 2261. At the heart of these events, deep on the Rim with the rest of his commands, Westcastle, as we know from his detailed Chronicles Log history of the entire Great War conflict, managed, it seemed, almost despite himself, to attract the attention of unwanted danger. Then again, was this true, or can we *instead* surmise that not unlike John Sheridan, Westcastle was incapable of not pushing himself continually onto the outthrust crag of danger, all, of course, in Valen's Name?..."** - excerpt from 'The Peace between the Moments' the post-Shadow War volume of "Holding The Line: A History of the Army of Light" * * * Captain's Log, Earth Alliance Omega Class Destroyer NIOBE; February 28th, 2261. I'm writing this now to get it all out of my head, because I can scarcely believe that any of it is true!! My God, I understood, almost a year ago now, that Julia had aligned herself with these Rangers, in service of Right, in many respects, I thought, like our battle against President Clark. But now?...now, I'm not so sure, anymore. G'kael tried to make it real for us, of course, but let's be frank, shall we? All of the Narns and Humans who hid out at Narhlak didn't come *close* to feeling and seeing what anyone who was at the core of the War saw, and lived through. The tale she told me was proof enough that legends are born the hard way. Hell, it seems that sometimes you even have to come back from the dead to get the job done the right way. Analysis: First: my daughter, at less then thirteen years of age, but seemingly far older and more mature then that, due to, it *seems*, the intervention of the first Vorlon Ambassador to Babylon 5, swears allegiance to serve another, in the name of Valen, of all things! This woman, a woman I have met, is an 'Observer', fated to record, for all time, the events of the Wars just past, and still ahead of us. Then: my daughter, in the service of this woman, is shot in the side and nearly *killed* on Minbar, by human agents working for these Shadow things, an injury she recovers from, having chosen to dwell where medical tech is a millenium ahead of Earth's. Her Observer, it seems, was kidnapped and taken to the Shadow homeworld, and of *course*, William Westcastle had to follow to rescue her, sometimes, I think, love is just too much trouble for its own good. Later on, they get back to Babylon 5 right around the same time as John, who, as I now know, ALSO went to this Z'ha'dum place, to face the Shadows. It's just amazing what leaks out after a few drinks and a lot of talk in Earhart's, sitting with someone with whom you survived the Battle of the Line. Not, of course, doing the same things, mind you. Query to self: are they all, perhaps, a little bit crazy? And is the craziness spreading down to the next generation? Then: The event that we learned about out at Narhlak happens; John pulled together the largest fleet that *anybody* has ever seen, and boots both the Shadows and the Vorlons out beyond Kingdom Come; Julia *insisted* that this 'Lorien' guy was the one most responsible for helping out with the booting out part. Julia, of course, manages to make it onto the bridge of a White Star during the Mother of all Space Battles, and *somehow* lives to tell the tale. Now: We have my daughter, Shadow War Veteran, martial arts trainee, with enormous emotional problems as a result of falling in with Legends. Summary: Julia, formerly a well behaved, if sparklingly intelligent young girl, is now well on her way both to becoming a Ranger, giving me plenty of gray hairs, *and* finding her way to the heart of every trouble spot there is, mostly courtesy of a chain reaction of her having served Jennifer Clifford, who serves William Westcastle, who, in turn, serves John and their Entil'zha, Delenn. Final comment #1: I have got to be *out* of my mind to let her do this. Final Comment #2: If I tried to stop her from doing this, I can just *imagine* what her response would be. Final Comment #3: Those damn Tikopai genes strike again. * * * March 1st, 2261...V'cha'rijan system, the edge of the former Vorlon Empire. Once, not so long in the past, there had been a living world here, a world of almost a billion sentient beings; a world whose race had found a hope in tomorrow, and a belief that they could reach out and touch the stars. The roots of this hope had been founded, almost five hundred of their years before, when the first visitation from those they could see only as *angels* occurred. Prior to the arrival of their benefactors, the V'cha'richae had been a species near ready to tear itself apart; but as time passed, and the message of the angels had spread, they had put their weapons down, and turned their purposes toward other matters, learning of technology, and then, spaceflight. First they had explored their system with simple mechanical vessels, robot eyes poring and staring, and then, *finally*, they had gone themselves...their first destination, the largest moon of their lush blue and green world. Over a short period of time, a modest base had been constructed there, and then, the V'cha'richae, to their astonishment, had met another race of relative peace; The Minbari. Over a short period of time, and with Vorlon help, they were able to learn the basics of one of the Minbari tongues, and a dialogue was established. It seemed, indeed, that their stars were rising brightly, and soon enough, plans were made for other bases on more distant moons and planets in their system. But all the plans in existence could not predict what happened then, as even their benefactors were sucked into the maelstrom of what would soon be called...the Shadow War. And now, all was ruin. Five weeks into the past, as measured by the revolution of a tiny blue world around a distant yellow sun; a world that had given rise to a race that had shook the pillars of Heaven themselves (or so the V'cha'richae would think it) Armageddon and darkness had descended upon them; Armageddon in the form of a gigantic black cloud, its scream, a scream of death. The expedition members had watched in horror as this *thing* had descended upon and surrounded their *home*, and then, quite literally, tore it apart. When the black cloud departed, a hour later, the horrified survivors could see that the End had come. Their world was *gone*, replaced by a glowing cloud of red and white-hot rock, great cooling fragments of rock spinning in space. It seemed certain that they *were* the last survivors of their race; a terrible burden to bear. Some of them did not take this very well; two of the twenty who had been lucky enough to survive (or, if you looked at it another way, maybe *not*) decided to leave the Universe behind; but the rest vowed that while their home had been destroyed by the evil their benefactors had warned them about, that their race *would* continue...if they had to repopulate from this base, spread out over the surface of the moon, and from there, out to the stars that had mocked them so harshly, they would *not* give up. Time passed, and things grew difficult; the leaders of the station grew bleaker and bleaker, as they realized that sometimes, even hopes and vows could not overcome the sheer problem of lack of *material resources*. And then, just as some among them were ready to give up, a miracle occurred. For the distress signal they had been sending ever since the disaster, a message in Minbari, for their benefactors could also understand it, was finally about to be responded to... * * * White Star 4... "Jump out complete..." Talion reported, and then he, like the rest on the bridge caught sight of the devastation ahead of them. Among averted gazes, prayers for the fallen, and much more, William sat silently, his eyes full of pain, while Jennie reached up to wipe away the tear that had, somehow, appeared at the corner of one eye. All across the heavens, in a sphere already nearly a quarter of a million kilometers across, were the shards and remnants of what had once been a living world. "A *billion* lived here!..." Tashann ground out, his voice full of outrage and sadness even through the holoimage. "They had done *nothing* to harm anyone around them, Sha'vei! Full of hope, they had only begun to reach out to us, with the help of the Vorlons, when..." "When Darkness descended, and they found no mercy..." William finished for him. "The Shadows didn't care about those hopes and dreams, they only wanted to make sure the message was wiped out of their sight. After all, since the V'cha'richae had been helped by the Vorlons, they must have been 'part' of the problem..." "Alright, gentlemen.." she interrupted, voice tart. "That's quite enough, for now; remember the key purpose we've come here for, to determine if there were any survivors?" Tashann visibly composed himself, and nodded briskly. "It is as you say, Jennifer; forgive me for my outburst. By far the likeliest location for any survivors in this system will be on the surviving primary moon; there is evidence that the V'cha'richae established a base there, in the near past. Unfortunately, many asteroidal fragments may have impacted on the satellite by now; we should not, as you say, hope for very much..." William spoke a single phrase in Minbari, and as one, the White Stars twisted in mid flight and began to wind among the many fragments, large and small, that remained of the world, until the satellite appeared on the far side of the debris cloud. Behind them, Talion nodded in satisfaction. "There is a distress signal emitting from the satellite's surface, Sha'vei; shall we intercept that location?" "We should do so, at all speed..." Tashann warned. "Analysis indicates that a fragment more then six hundred of your kilometers across is on a collision course with the satellite, and will collide with it in slightly more then a Cycle; we must save them *now*, or they *will* die." William nodded. "Make it so." * * * Elsewhere... In between the stars, there the Night could be found. And also, for now, the Drakh. But only for now. Homeless, masterless, they had, at first, been without direction, until elements within their Great Councils had learned of events that had transpired on Centauri Prime in recent times; it was then that one decision had been arrived at, and plans set in motion, all aided by the luckless Regent that Mollari had installed there. Mollari would, himself, be punished for the crimes he had committed against the Masters; but that was for the future, not for now. Additionally, the Ruling Caste made a second decision; the paths between gates were, as all knew, quiet for the time being. It made sense, on a limited basis, to deploy a small force of Warrior Caste to harrass the Younger Races, to capture, and torture, and cause fear. The Ruling Drakh liked this idea very much, indeed. Of *course*, there was always the chance that their enemies, the humans lead by the one named *Sheridan* (now *that* one would suffer the most, in the end) or the Minbari lead by *Delenn* would come; in fact, the Ruling Drakh decided, it would be just if Delenn could be drawn into a situation where the Warriors could destroy her. Plans for such were also put in motion; the Ruling Drakh observed what they knew, and smiled; for there appeared to be a growing amount of unrest among the Minbari Castes...this, too, could be used, to further their aims, plans and ideals. And finally, the Ruling Drakh were given cause to ponder a mysterious message that one of their couriers had passed on to the Great Councils, upon his arrival in the Fleet. A message passed on to the courier by their Masters, before they had followed the Oldest One, without protest, beyond the Rim. Still, the Ruling Drakh chafed at this, and tried to understand why it had happened, but the Message was of equal concern and portent, for now *and* for the future. It seemed that a *great* deal of the events that had transpired at the hands of their enemies had come about due to the aid and manipulations of a certain group of Minbari and Humans that went by the name of *Rangers*. Delenn, it seemed, if reports were to be believed, was the head of these *Rangers*; indeed, the blindingly fast and small warships that worked for their enemies were, if all rumours were to be believed, Ranger vessels, as well. But also among the concerns passed on by their departed Masters had been that among the Rangers, there existed a group lead by one who was known as *Westcastle*, or, in hated whispers, the RIMSTALKER. The Ruling Drakh were able, after much discussion, to determine that this Westcastle was most likely what they called a *DESTINED* Soul; Sheridan was another such. However, while Sheridan acted openly in many things, the Ranger named Rimstalker moved forever behind the scenes, unseen; and those who followed him had done many great things, in the service of Light. The Ruling Drakh debated all of these points in great depth; to have all of these enemies laid upon them, in one lifetime was almost too much to bear! But they could make plans...long plans, for the Drakh had forever been patient, when it came to revenge. Sooner or later, they would bring both Sheridan *and* Westcastle, as well as Delenn, Mollari and all of their followers, to their knees to beg for their lives. A plea that the Ruling Drakh would summarily ignore. With a motion of hands, all was set in motion. The future awaited. * * * Babylon 5... "As I'm sure you're quite aware..." Sheridan commented, as he and Bethany walked towards the Docking Bays, "The problems we're having with supply lines ever since President Clark imposed his blockade isn't making our jobs any easier. As a result, any and *every* ship incoming has to get here, if we're going to survive. Now, the convoy coming in is a valuable one, as a result..." "And everyone within fifty light years knows it." she replied, nodding. "Including the Raiders; *damn*, John, I thought that Sinclair and your exec were able to elliminate that problem three years ago!" Sheridan nodded ruefully. "So did we, at the time, but you know how that goes..." "Of course; but this time around, at least, the Raiders won't be a problem; the Fleet's going to be here for a few more days to let the crews finish off their R and R before we move out again to begin our new hit and run raids along the Earth Frontier; but in the meantime, I'll take the NIOBE and a cruiser or two, to bring this convoy in; would that help your peace of mind?" "You have *no* idea how much I appreciate this." "Oh well..you'll just have to find a way to pay me back after this is all finished, then..." * * * White Star 4, V'cha'rijan system. The leader of the outpost looked around the bridge of the White Star 4 in awe, as the squadron moved away from the moon with speed, content now that his followers were safely rescued, and berthed aboard the squadron ships. The planetary fragment loomed in the skies above, it was quite clear to all what the fate of the satellite would soon be. "We dreamt of such a moment as this..." the V'cha'richae commented. "To travel out among the stars, and meet other races as equals. Now, of course, that will not be possible; we are a remnant of a remnant of what was, and if we are to continue, some of us will have to make hard choices..." William nodded, as the two of them reclined in the forward bridge chairs, while behind them, Jennifer controlled the regular bridge activities, her gaze intent, and manner assured. He smiled; she didn't get a chance to command a White Star as often as either she or *he* liked...he would let her, for now. For now, it was difficult enough to communicate to his companion, given the deep *accent* he put on the Minbari Religious Caste tongue. "There have been *many* hard choices as a result of this war, Hak'rah..but yes, yours is among the hardest. You are not the only refugees the Rangers have had to rescue in the last month, far from it; but your nearness to Vorlon space made it, unfortunately, the last place we could come." Hak'rah nodded, blinking his composite eyes. "This is known; we trusted too much in our benefactors, and look what came of it." The last was said with some degree of bitterness. "You weren't the only ones to suffer their attentions, I'm afraid." At that moment, Jennifer interrupted, as William paused to feel the engine tone of his command shift to the slightly higher tone that meant only one thing. "Sha'vei; standing by for jump." "Now, Hak'rah; observe what you might have become, and still may.." William smiled at the astonished response from his guest as space twisted open into the blue maw of a jump point, and the White Stars fell in and through, into the murkiness of hyperspace. "What *is* this place?" Hak'rah exclaimed. "The gateway between worlds..." * * * Tranfer Point, three jumps from Babylon 5; March 2nd, 2261. "To anyone within range!" the freighter captain exclaimed, as all around them, raider ships whirled and flew, and spat energy blasts across bows, and the Raider battlewagon stood off at a distance, waiting until its fighters got the job done. "This is convoy Ex-Aleph Seven, inbound to Babylon 5; we are under attack by Raiders!...I say again, under attack, cut off from our intended route..." "*I wouldn't bother, if I were you*" the sinister voice of the raider leader announced over the open channel. "*There isn't anyone remotely close enough to help you out this time; and Babylon 5 doesn't send its fighters out nearly as often as it used to, now that they've broken away...and especially not with this Shadow business just finished with. Hell no!...you may as well just surrender.*" The captain sighed, and looked into the hopeless gazes of his crewmembers; what other choice was there? He was about to do just what the Raider had suggested, when his adrenalin suddenly surged; for out beyond the battlefield's edge, space had twisted, and a jump point was rearing open! The captain watched, first in astonishment, then in fear, and finally in relief, as three Earth ships, a destroyer and two cruisers, erupted out of the point, launching fighters as they came...soon after, the destroyer sent a long ruddy laser beam across the Raider battlewagon's bow, which was already turning to run. His first thought was, oh my God, they're from Earth, now even *if* they take out the Raiders, we're sure NEVER going to get to Babylon 5, now. And then.. "*This is Captain Tikopai of the NIOBE to Raider party; you are attacking a convoy bound for Babylon 5; you will stand off and prepare to be boarded. Failure to do so..." The Raiders, as it turned out, were not very thrilled to be facing an Omega Class Destroyer; the fighters were already fleeing into a cluster around their battlewagon, which had opened a point of its own. One thing about pirates, when the authorities showed up, it usually paid to be on your toes, it seemed. Less then a minute later, they were all gone, and the captain changed frequencies to hail the destroyer, his relief enormous, as Starfuries and Thunderbolts formed into a perimeter around the convoy, and the larger capital ships slowly came into range. It was obvious they had come to escort them in; chasing the Raiders was a distant, secondary priority. "Thanks, NIOBE; you have *no idea* how happy we are to see you." "No thanks are needed..." the destroyer's captain came back at him. "As long as we stand free, and Babylon 5 stands free, we have a hope of taking back our Home. And you're helping Babylon 5...that shows me, quite well, where your loyalties lie." * * * Raider HQ... "What happened?" A grimace. "Bad news; three of the rebel Earthforce ships showed up, and drove us off." A bitter nod. "Too bad; well, there will be other times, and other traps to lay. Sooner or later, Babylon 5 is going to need some new Quantium-40 for their jump gate; and when that happens, we'll be ready, and waiting." * * * (continued next part) From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on The Storm, Part 9a Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 21:12:40 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 9 "THE LEGACY OF SURVIVAL" PHASE I OF II **"...though it take a Thousand years, we will be *free*." - Comment made by Ambassador G'kar to Ambassador Londo Mollari at the end of the Narn-Centauri Conflict, Late Autumn 2259 * * * Minbar...September, 2315. Again, the candles burned, and again, Andreas had come, to listen. The histories given to him, so far, had been nothing but surprising; the accounts that Sheridan, Mollari and others had passed on had been almost completely lacking in Ranger histories for the period between the end of the Shadow War and the dawn of the Interstellar Alliance. But now, courtesy of *her* submissions, the gaps were slowly being filled in. But the task was not finished yet, and as such, he would come, to listen, until the end, whenever and *wherever* that might occur. He bowed. "What then, will you tell to me tonight?" A smile answered, deep in the glow of the candles. "Unfortunately, although I know your enthusiasm for the continued histories of William Westcastle, tonight, Andreas, we shall stray onto a slightly different avenue, for a time; to tell the story as it was told for me, long ago. But do not put on such a long face, for you never do know what else will come out, in the process..." * * * What I was is no longer as important as it used to be; what I am now, is another story. My name is G'kael, and I have, for some years now, been a prominent member of the First Circle of the Kha'rhi. I make this record for the benefit of friends and comrades that aided me for longer then I deserved; even now, long after the birth of that thing which, in the end, helped to save us all, I feel that I will never be able to repay them for what they did in those years. The 'thing' I refer to, of course, is the Interstellar Alliance; but Jennifer and Julia insisted that I not deal with that matter *just* yet, but instead, review the state my world was in a short time after my return, and try to explain for them and you, their followers, what my survival had meant, to *me*, what legacy awaited us, the Narn, in the aftermath of the war, and most importantly, how I, G'kael, found myself both surprised and given new determination; the reason for both of these, you will soon discover. By the human calendar, it was the end of March, 2261, and the tasks ahead of us were enormous and varied; but the Narn have long been a resourceful people, and even as I returned from my exile at Narhlak, it was to learn that teams had already proceeded, using ships the Centauri had left behind them in their, shall we say, frantic retreat from Narn (which was, of course, instigated with the aid of my good friend G'kar, who had, at that time, just become the Ambassador to Babylon 5, once again) proceeded to repair our primary jumpgate, and begin similar taskings on the few orbital facilities that remained to us. But by far the most *critical* of all problems was the conditions on the surface of Homeworld; things were, indeed, quite dire when I arrived. Together with the other members of the reborn First Circle, I looked upon the task with no small trepidation; for while the Centauri had exerted their tyranny over the Narn, little could be done, for the Centauri were not interested in seeing my people regain much, if any of their pre-war industrial capablility. Even after a full passage of seasons, the survivors of that tyranny had done little more then finish the process of burying and burning the millions killed in the mass-driver strikes, and had also begun the enormous task of rebuilding their homes and places of work. What had happened before, had happened *again*, but my people had not forgotten the lessons of the last time this had happened, and beneath that which the Centauri saw, the planning began again; no matter how long it took, my people decided, they would drive the Centauri away; and *this time* it would be for the last time. But then, to their astonishment, they found themselves once again *free* of this oppression. Many will never know the true story of what happened that day, when G'kar was brought before their mad emperor, Cartagia, and many should *never* know that truth, for it would both hurt and dissapoint them, and they would not, in any case, understand. But the truth they *knew* was startling; Cartagia had, it seemed, suffered a fatal heart attack during his visit to Narn in the closing days of the war, and their Prime Minister, Londo Mollari, had ordered a full retreat from our space; a retreat that did not end until their fleet and their soldiers were all gone, recalled to protect Centauri Prime, which at that point was facing the dire reality of attack by the Vorlons themselves. And we all *know* what happened after that; but that is another story, for another time. As for I, in the weeks after my return, and especially after my visit to G'kar at Babylon 5, I approached my tasks with steadiness and continued beliefs in the teachings of G'quan, whose tome had, in some small part, helped to bring about the final exile of the Great Enemy themselves. But steadiness and belief did not make up for the loss I believed I had suffered, a loss I would have to live with for the remainder of my days. That this is an account I have not, as yet, ever dictated is reason enough to tell it now, but to you alone; if the account is to be passed on, as you decide, it must be with *good reason*. The grim tale stood at this turn; during my service as shipleader and, later, Spymaster of the Intelligence forces, the work I performed made it near impossible to contact any of my relatives on Homeworld; and then, cursed destiny awaited me, for even as I was, by necessity, forced to retreat before the Centauri advance, or be destroyed along with the rest of the Government, opportunity for any warning to be passed on to those relatives was denied me. And After my return, I stood on the edge of the devastation surrounding the ash-filled crater at the center of what had once been the city of K'rah'nimon, and nodded sadly; the others saw my display of guilt and anger, and were quick to point out that I could not have predicted what would have happened to the city of my birth. I cared not for predictions, I replied to them; like so many others, I found myself to be the last of my line; for it seemed fairly clear that all of my family had been in K'rah'nimon that dreadful day. That was my belief; however, no more then five cycles later, I found, to my astonisment, that I was wrong. The day was a bright one, with strong winds blowing from the deserts, as I stood outside our parliament, just now beginning to be surrounded with scaffolding, together with the rest of the First Circle. As I recall, we were, yet again, deeply involved in a conversation about the Reconstruction, when out of the corner of my eye, I observed a small group approach; a group that walked proud, and surrounded one who had, to go by his scars, taken injury, not as great as mine, but it seemed that he wore those injuries as badges of honor. I turned to take a closer look, for as yet, I had not had my lost eye replaced, and could not, at first, credit that which I saw as the truth. He who stood at the center of that group was someone I had thought dead since my return!...that Narn was no other then my first cousin, G'vek! In the times now lost, G'vek had been a prosperous member of the Ministry of Trade, and had served our family well in that respect (a path I did not choose to follow, to my father's ultimate anger and regret) But as the Centauri had advanced on our world, ties to the stars beyond had snapped, one by one, and when last I heard, my cousin's lot in life had become grim, for how can a trading official live his life if there is nothing to be traded? Words did not need to be spoken; each of us were able, at first glance, to determine and then pass on what we had originally intended to say to one another, and so, we stayed silent, but moved aside, and into the building where Cartagia had once held court, and where he had died. Now that all the trappings of Centauri excess had been ripped away, the original style of the building was once again visible; above us, great rents in the roof had only just begun to be repaired, while around us, traces of the rubble created by the Great Bombardment still remained; but all the workers then present saw us enter, and quietly left us to our own thoughts. They *understood*, it seemed. And then, the moment arrived. "Cousin..." G'vek began, and then, he shook his head, and laughed grimly. "So much has changed since last we spoke; so much pain has been endured, and far, *far* too many haved died. But you know this already, I am sure, and we are not here to review our past guilts." It is difficult for me to see this as you do, I replied. You must understand, I told him, that the government and the military did, through a lack of conscience and repeated denials, due to the *LACK* of available channels, they said, cause me to lose contact with you and the rest; and then, Narn fell, and I was called into a task beyond my status, beyond *anything* I could have imagined. "And if you *had* made contact, what would have happened, then?" G'vek queried me, his expression sardonic. "Our fathers would have discounted your message, G'kael; as you know, they did, for the duration of your career in the Service, see you as the rebellious one of us two; your father did not want you to go to the stars; he, and mine, wanted us to work together, to carry on with the business as they had done before us. But you decided that this was not to be so; ah!...but this is past! What I am trying to say, my cousin, is that until it actually happened, our fathers, and the rest of our cousins in the business, did not *want* to believe that Narn could fall so easily, that our prosperous Military machine could be decimated, so. There are, indeed, elements of this matter that I do not as yet fully understand; but I have heard...tales, G'kael, tales of how you suffered your injuries, at the hands of those we called Greatest Enemy; tales of what you did, in the darkness, and what brought you to your present position; are the tales true?" I gestured him to sit, then; and I began to talk, and all that I told was the truth. I told of the Shadows, and the trap they had laid; I told of the adventures that I had undertaken with the human Ranger, William Westcastle, at the start of his career among the stars; I told of the desperate last outpost at Narhlak, and how, beyond all expectatations, the rebels among the humans had gathered there, as well. And I told him of what had happened to end it; how John Sheridan, the commander of that destined place named Babylon 5, had, with the Minbari Delenn, changed *everything*. And all this G'vek heard, and took in. And then, when at last I stopped the missive, he replied... "Astonishing; and yet, I have never known you to tell a lie, my cousin. It would appear you have fallen in with legends; I find it astonishing that you are on such close terms with the great G'kar, but perhaps this is not that much of a surprise, after all. You have been many places, and done a great many things, in the service of this thing called Light; and yet, I now find that I must tell you something of my story, as well, to make the bargain complete." And so it was agreed; we retired from the ruined parliament chamber, and moved to a place more suited to the tale. A meal was assembled, and once satisfied, my cousin began to talk. * * * That morning, so long ago now, was a morning of brilliance and lost fire; our fathers sat together, discussing the matters of the business as they always did, when I decided that I would retire for a time to dwell among the hills above the city. While you have long walked among the stars, my cousin, I walked upon the land; and it was a good thing that I decided to do so on this day, as you can no doubt surmise. Soon enough, my long stride left the edge of the city behind, and between the hiss of the wind and the brilliant reddish rays of the sun, I once more found myself nearer at peace with myself, and with the teachings of the great G'quan. And then, I realized that something was *happening*...something dreadful. Great flaming OBJECTS were falling through the atmosphere, and at great speed. Distant thunder rang, and then, it was the turn of the people of Kha'ra'nimon to come under the guns of the Centauri Republic. I threw myself to the ground as the fire descended, but saw what happened, regardless. A great fireball arose from the heart of the city, and a airshock spread out, knocking everything flat. Fires burned everywhere, and smoke and soot filled the air. Even as far away as I, fragments of white-hot rock fell; I was unlucky enough to be showered with such...the burns you see on my skin, I suffered that day. As I later learned, the Centauri had, using forbidden mass driver technology (though the Centauri apparently *decided* to ignore *that* convention) dropped a rather large kinetic *missile* on our Home city. All across Homeworld, this was repeated in the days to come, for any city the Centauri saw, they bombed, acting on their hate of our people; but is that such a great surprise?...for we hated *them* in turn, and so it has gone, from father to son, in both races, for *far* too long. During the Bombardment, a great many died; but as it continued, the people hid themselves, for conditions were dire. Choking dust filled the air, and soon enough, the temperature began to drop. As you see, we have barely begun to escape from the Long Winter the Centauri imposed upon us. At last, it ended, and when I returned into the ruins, it was to find our great dwelling a splintered, burnt out remnant; as you surmised, my cousin, there had been no survivors. Our family, once so great, had been extinguished in an instant, destroyed by a simple small fragment of rock thrown out from the impact; but this fragment was more then sufficient to destroy all that I knew. And as far as I could understand, *I* was the last survivor of our family, for the rumour had come down that all the ships of our great Navy had been destroyed. For a time, then, I lost hope; I watched as the Centauri soldiers descended upon us as they had before; their faces smug with the knowledge of what they had done to us, and full of the belief that it had been *right* for them to do what they had done. Their Republic was expanding again, you see!...and they equated that with might, and treated us accordingly. The humans have a saying, and how true it may be, in this case; 'pride goeth before a fall.' The humans learned this the hard way; and sooner or later, the Centauri will do the same. They will pay the price for what they have done here; I do not know how, only that it *will* happen. But I drift from my tale, my cousin. As time passed, and it appeared to many that there was nothing we could do, for now, to drive the Centauri away; the devastation had been immense. For the first third or so of the Occupation, we were busy enough just burying the dead, and finding enough food to survive the bitter weather...but then, the old patterns began to reveal themselves again, and we learned that the Centauri overlords had begun to send out parties to systematically *murder* any of us they felt to be a threat to their Rule. Needless to say, at that point, the pride that had nearly been erased in the Great Bombardment began to reassert itself, and there was those among us who began to plan a return to the days of old. This then, was the game we played with the Centauri among the ruins; surviving as best we could, while striking back at them wherever possible. Some of us were captured, and some of us were executed; but we had learned the lessons of the last time, and as long as we could the Centauri unbalanced and off guard, we could hurt them; and as long as they stayed, we would *continue* to hurt them. And to my surprise, I found myself becoming somewhat of a leader in the Resistance; but then again, now that I see what you accomplished, my cousin, should I have been surprised? Time passed; and to our astonishment, once in a while, we observed a human walk among the broken stones, a human dressed all in black. In time, we learned that these were Rangers, or, as they sometimes preferred to be called, the Anla'shok. They hid their movements from the Centauri remarkably well, and when they could, they tried to aid us...but mostly, it seemed that they were merely there to observe. Even *they* had to concentrate on their true calling. And rumours came; rumours of a Great War, in the heavens; of a desperate struggle waged against the Great Enemy described in the Book of G'quan. Rumours of a center in the struggle, the human place named Babylon 5; every Ranger that visited us mentioned this place with a near reverence we found confusing at first. But then again, the final liberation of Homeworld found its start on Babylon 5, didn't it? So, yet again, I will refrain from being judgmental on that matter. Finally, those among the Resistance learned that the Centauri Emperor himself, the young but mad Cartagia, was coming to Narn. We also learned, to our dismay, that the great G'kar had been captured, and was to be tried, here, on our soil. We decided, then and there, that we would try to free him, before he was killed. However, history moved to pass us by; and in the ending of the War, do we reach the present. That is my tale in brief; now, together, we must move on, towards the future. There may come a time when I feel I need to tell you more; but for now, I am sure that there are elements of the things we have done that should remain ours to know, and ours alone. * * * So many differences, and yet again, so many similarities, were revealed that day. When faced with the defeat we faced, many of my people decided that there was no hope, that the great Future they had seemed to have after the First Liberation was a falsehood. But we showed them they were wrong, did we not? Both G'vek and I did what we had to, *when* we had to, and the rest *saw* this, and their hope returned, first slowly, and then... And then, through an act of fate and an act of sacrifice, we were freed. And if the legacy of our survival is that we must drag our people out of their hateful past and into a, I hope, better tomorrow, for as long as we now shall live, then I can think of no better fate. * * * (continued next part) From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 9b Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 21:20:25 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 9 "THE LEGACY OF SURVIVAL" PHASE II OF II Babylon 5; April 15th, 2261...evening; Julia's quarters. She was *so* tired; but she would not give up, Julia told herself grimly, as she knelt before the filled candlestand that Larieken had purchased for her, several weeks before. She had fulfilled the terms of Shival's 'punishment', and had gone on beyond that; but at the end of the day, it juse seemed that sometimes the tiredness never went away, and most times, the loneliness was worse. While Larieken was, as always, close at hand, that did not make up for the missing companionship of those she called friends, and mentors. William, Brianna and the rest had been out on the Rim with the White Star Fleet for weeks and weeks now; most of the time, they were so far out of range that even communication through hyperspace wasn't possible. Mother, of course, had had to leave far too quickly, and who *knew* when and where she and her fleet would pop out next. And Jennifer, her former Mistress, had, at the instigation of the Entil'zha, gone to Tuzanor to pass on to the next generation of Rangers some of her skills with the warrior pike. Which left her *here*, training, practicing, and sometimes, being completely bored out of her skull by the whole thing. After all the adventures she had taken part in during the Shadow War, sometimes it just didn't seem *fair* that the universe should subject her to this!! And then, the room behind her filled with a strange, out of place, orangey glow... She jumped to her feet, and whirled, ready to attack...and then halted in confusion, to see a tall but stout Minbari male look about him, as if in some sort of satisfaction... "Um...I...don't mean to be rude, but...*WHO are you, and how did you get in*?" The Minbari sighed. "All alike, some of you are, hasty, and presumptous. Ah well, I suppose I cannot blame you for wondering, it was a little bit of an experiment, you see...but come!...I jump ahead of myself! *I*, am DRAAL! And as for how I got in, well, I'm not really here, you see..." Draal, she thought to herself, names and places whirling through her infuriatingly ordered mind. Now where have I heard that name before? Of *course*. Part of a conversation she had had with Entil'zha Sinclair came back to her, from the short time she had learned under him at Tuzanor. At one point, he had told her about the planet beneath Babylon 5, the Great Machine within it, and the wise Minbari who lived within it...and then, having ferretted out a Ranger report about the few times Draal had visited the command staff, here on the station. "I see that you now remember..." Draal added pointedly, but kindly. "I wondered, for a time, but perhaps that wasn't necessary! The Great Machine has shown me many things about the universe, as I'm sure you can understand, having *remembered* what *he* told you...and one of the things it has shown me is that there seems to be a great **DEAL** of interest revolving around such a youthling of a human. After all, it isn't *many* your age, in any race, that get the chance to rub shoulders, as you humans say, with the giants on the playing field!" "Wasn't my idea...that's just how things turned out!" Draal snorted. "Indeed *not*! We all make choices in life, and regardless of what is set up for us to fall into, you *CANNOT* tell me that everything you've done has been prearranged for you, surely?" She thought about that, and then ruefully nodded, a small smile coming to her face. "I guess...you're right." "She *guesses*...well, I suppose *that's* a start. Now, as to the core of the matter of why I have visited you this evening, child; you have a problem that needs to be solved, and while all those who you count as dear friends and 'Mistresses' are elsewhere, I have, in my wanderings through the stars in the Great Machine, found someone who needs my *help*, again. And while the task may be difficult, not only does it seem you need someone to advise you wisely from time to time, but sometimes, I do not doubt that you, young Julia Tikopai, would **also** appreciate simply having someone to *talk* to!" Time to quick think. "That would be...nice." "**NICE**?" Draal exclaimed. "Good?" "You're getting *closer*..." "Welcome?" Draal sighed. "I suppose that will *HAVE* to do." "Ah..do you mind if I ask you...a few things?" "Isn't THAT why I'm here?" "Uhhm...yeah, I guess it is!...sorry. Does anyone else know you're here?" "Not this time; the first time I made my presence known to Sheridan and the rest, I asked the Machine to be, shall we say, a little *noisier* then it really had to be; I wanted to get their attention, you see...I succeeded, of course. But *now*, it seems rather prudent to keep our dialogues a little more discreet. It wouldn't *DO* to have the Captain and his colleagues running all over the place, trying to find out whether or not I had put in an appearance, and to who, now would it?" She laughed. "You see my point. Next?" "Do you think...that I might *ever* get to, well, come down and see the Great Machine first hand?" "Perhaps, hmm, perhaps, in due course! But for now, it is getting late, as your kind measures things, and I'm sure that tomorrow is going to be just as long a day for you as today was, but *now*, you may feel secure in that anytime you wish to simply *talk* about matters, that I will hear you, and come...and we will talk...if other matters do not, shall we say, *intrude*." She bowed. "*Thank you.*" Draal chuckled. "And with *manners*, too..well! Perhaps there is a hope for the future, after all..." And with that cryptic statement, Draal faded from sight. Julia shook her head, hardly believing what had just happened. It seemed that she would be living with Kosh's legacy for a long time yet to come...she had attracted the attention of *how many* very important people, now? Oh well...it seemed that the legacy of her surviving being shot in the side was still well on its way to maturity. But what had Draal meant by that last statement? Only time would tell... **************************************************************************** ********** To be continued... Next time: It is the anniversary of a certain engagement, and you know what that means! However, a wedding day in the Babylon 5 universe means SOME things are guarenteed not to go smoothly!! "The Stars Burning Brightly" the 10th part of "The Riders On The Storm" coming in a day or two... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On The Storm, Part 10a Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1998 22:57:32 Greetings all. Once again, I must apologize for the increasingly long delays between segments, but all being well, this gap will be the longest for some time to come. And while most of the tales of the Rimstalker have flowed willingly, occasionally, there comes a time when progression is a little...stickier. Nevertheless, here we go again; a moment of happiness (!?) before the nastiness returns... RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 10 "THE STARS BURNING BRIGHTLY" PHASE I OF II **"So many things lead to this day; so many events that could have gone differently. In hindsight, when I look back on what we both did to reach this point, and where we had been, it could almost be termed a miracle that both of us survived to reach it!! What with the secession of Babylon 5, the battle at Sector 83, the subsequent kidnapping and trial at Z'ha'dum for both of us, and *then* the Battle of Corianna VI, there were many opportunities where things could have gone the other way...but didn't... ..at one point, Delenn and I spoke on the matter, and she seemed to think that all of 'us', all of the ones who *had* to be in the right place at the right time, for all that mattered, were destined to survive; were fated, somehow, to live, despite our own actions. An absolutely *frightening* way of looking at things, if you ask me... However...there is still so much to tell, so let me come straight to the point. We existed in a moment of perfect beauty...a pause between great movements. And in between the fires of the past and the pain still to come, we found a moment of joy; and that was *all* that mattered..."** - From "Storm Crossing: The Shadow War, and Other Responsibilities" * * * Babylon 5; May 20th, 2261; Mid Morning. N'rothak looked about the quarters, and nodded in satisfaction. G'kar had worked quite hard to refit the rooms in a style befitting that of distant Narn, not unlike the Ambassador's own quarters, that suite that G'kar had lived, dined and raged in for more then five years now. But ever since Homeworld had been freed, regardless of his condition, G'kar had, from N'rothak's point of view, been in an unusually good mood. But who was to question the motives behind that? It was enough for him to understand that G'kael was in an equally good mood; a lot of *that* had to do with the fact that the two humans who meant the most to his Master were about to be joined in their Ceremony of Union a mere two days from now. This was what many humans would call 'marraige' but from what G'kael had been telling him of the event, William Westcastle and Jennifer Clifford had decided to apply a decidedly *non*-human style to the event. This was not terribly surprising, given that they had emersed themselves both in the Minbari culture, and, more importantly, the doctrines of the Rangers for some time now. Not surprising at all... Behind him, the door twisted open, and N'rothak turned, to see G'kael enter the chamber. It took a moment to understand what was different about his Councillor and Master, and then, the moment took hold... "So how does it look?" "Your eye!!..." G'kael nodded in satisfaction, as he turned to gaze around the quarters. "Stephen Franklin, the chief physician at this place, has done a great deal for me in the recent past, N'rothak, and what I received in the hour just past was the greatest gift of all, greater even then what he did for my burn scars! He has returned my sight to me, N'rothak! However, there were, shall we say, a certain few complications..." "How so?" G'kael turned fully towards him, and N'rothak nodded, now understanding the comment in full. "The eye that Doctor Franklin was able to find for me; the eye that G'kar *insisted* I recieve, even before his!...was constructed for use in humans, and as such, does not conform to our styles and physique. It is unfortunate, but we must face the situation together, G'kar and I..." "If it is only a matter of the colour..." N'rothak chided, "Then what is the concern?" "You, as well as I, understand that there are those on Narn who would look on me, and see imperfection. Well, the time will come when they will realize that the matter of the *gift* is more important then the appearance, my friend. For now, however, there are, shall we say, *events* to involve ourselves in..." * * * C&C; 1500 hrs... "Jumpgate online..." Corwin reported, as Ivanova gazed on, a look of slight annoyance on her face. "It's a part of the White Star Fleet, Commander; *ten* of them, to be precise; a fairly unusual number, for them, wouldn't you say?" "Not if you understand the significance behind that formation, Lieutenant...." Ivanova dryly replied. "The White Star in the Center of that group is White Star Four; and the *commander* of White Star Four is a senior member of the Rangers named William Westcastle." "Of course!.." Corwin earnestly replied, checking his instruments with only part of his attention. "From what I've heard, Ranger Westcastle, well, distinguished himself on numerous occasions during the Shadow War..." "If only you knew, Lieutenant; if *only* you knew." Corwin decided, rather wisely, not to pursue that avenue. "So what brings him back to the station?" Ivanova told him, and Corwin shook his head, and sighed. "How soon shall we call on the Chief?" "Immediately; an event like this *always* means trouble." * * * Arrivals Lounge; one hour later. "Too long, this parting has been..." G'kael expounded, as William and Jennifer stood close together with him, the rest of their attendants nearby. "Far too long. And after so much sadness and pain, and so much loss, it is only *right* that all who care for you, all who have stood by your side loyally throughout the course of the dread war just past, and even all those you have served, if their hearts are just, shall join us, to see what should have long since come to pass, finally be realized." "I see, G'kael, that being exiled to the edge of Beyond hasn't affected your powers of speech..." William replied, his smile broad. "Not that I had *noticed*, no...in fact, on certain occasions, it was that which allowed me to hold the remnants of the Fleet together..." "And how, may I ask, did you gain an *eye( to replace the one you lost?" "And why is it *blue*?" Jennifer inquired, a slightly amused look on her face. "Please don't tell me that you had that done just to upset the more traditionalist elements on your Council?" "Hah!...no, nothing of the sort, although the idea does have merit, now that you mention it!! No, G'kar and the Doctor of this place, one Stephen Franklin, whom I understand you have had close dealings with in recent months, conspired to gain me an artificial replacement for that which I lost in the battle against the Shadows; but come...enough talk of the eye, it exists, I use it, and that is enough! You must tell me what you have both been up to, since the end of the War." "Well..." Jennifer mused, "It seems that even in peace, our tasks never ebb...between my aiding Durhan in some of the training at Tuzanor, and William running around the Rim investigating the ruins of a few abandoned Vorlon observation posts, while rescuing as many groups of cut-off survivors of the War as he could find, we've kept ourselves fairly busy for the last couple of months..." "Ah...yes, I can understand that that would be enough for anyone! Another inquiry; I note that while we have begun to assemble in this place, there are, shall we say, certain *details* lacking in reference to the *event* itself..." William laughed, and drew G'kael aside. "Let me explain..." A short time later, the two rejoined the rest, and Jennifer raised one eyebrow, as G'kael finally laughed out loud. "By G'quan!...well, I am sure that you will please the Minbari in attendance, in any case." "We shall see...." William's reply trailed off in mid-sentence, and G'kael observed his two friends abruptly stride across the lounge, and approach a dark haired, still quite young human female, dressed, so it seemed to him, more or less as they were. After a brief conversation, the three rejoined him. "And who, then, is this?" "G'kael..." Jennifer drolly replied, "I have the distinct *honour* to introduce you to my one-time Acolyte, and now Trainee with the Rangers on Babylon 5, one Julia Tikopai." G'kael bowed to the girl, which she half returned, a small smile on her face. "Ah, yes!...the youngster who dared to deal with Ambassador Kosh himself, before his departure beyond the Veil, and faced death at the hands of the servants of the Shadows. I have a heard a *great* deal about you from those you see as teachers and leaders, on a great many subjects..." "Good, or bad?" the girl shot back at him. "Well now; that all depends on your point of view, I am afraid." * * * A short time later, a smaller group of Rangers entered through the Arrivals section, carrying a small, but apparently quite *heavy* object between them, completely covered in a gray veil. "You're *sure* that they're gone, and did not see us arrive?" Tashann asked of Talion, his gaze pointed. "*Quite* sure; trust me, Tashann, between Julia and their friend, the Councillor from Narn, there's *quite* enough to keep our esteemed leaders occupied for the rest of the day." Tashann nodded, a small smile on his face. "Very well then; Valen willing, you are right; those who gave this to us *insisted* that the gift should be a *surprise*; I would not want their trust in the completion of that task to be wasted." "So are *you* going to tell me what this is all about, Tashann?" "In due course, perhaps; come, we still have a great deal to do, and there is only a handful of hours seperating us from the Ceremony itself; and this is among the most *important* of all our Ceremonies. * * * Elsewhere...on the Bridge of White Star Three... "All plans have been set in motion, as you requested, Sha'vei Vikotal; although the request *itself* seems to be a little, shall we say, unusual." "That may be..." Vikotal replied, as many on his bridge tried to hide their smiles, "But be sure, we are going to perform the display as *I* command. On the occasion soon due, great honour shall be ceded to them; they have done more for the Rangers, more for Mankind and the Minbari, more for *all* in this Galaxy, then you could possibly comprehend; and while Captain Sheridan and the Entil'zha did more *still* for us all, this day belongs to the Rimstalker and his Chosen. And because this is so, we will do them the honour they so deserve." "As you command, then. The full assembly of the Fleet only waits for the return of the Honour flight that accompanied them to Babylon 5." "Good; time is growing short, we would *not* want to be late." * * * Babylon 5; 1900 hrs.... "You're *sure* you want to do this, I suppose?" Larieken inquired. Julia nodded, as they moved down the Zocalo together. "Absolutely; I've waited for a change in...I guess you could say *style*, for far too long; and some of the things they want me to do, require a somewhat, I guess you could say, *different* approach." Larieken sighed. "That is a significant *simplification* of the true situation, as you well know." Julia tutted impatiently. "Yes, yes; now *come on*." * * * Later... "Ah..." the Tall Man mused, as he read the short note, shook his head, and laughed. "So; I was right, yet again...they are, as my mother once told me, 'taking the plunge, for good or ill.' For myself, I believe it will be good, but who can say? Now what shall I wear?" he mused, brow furrowed. It was an *interesting* and *unexpected* problem. * * * The Zocalo...that evening. It had been a long, but stressful movement, but finally, Tashann, Dreann and the rest had been satisfied with the hiding place they had found for the gift, and now, Talion decided, before things *really* got underway, that there might be time, if all went well, for some dinner... "Talion." An all too familiar voice intruded, and he turned his head, quite slowly, to see Brianna standing a few feet away, a dangerously irritated expression on her face. "Tashann and Dreann are hiding something from me; you wouldn't happen to have any idea what it is, would you?" Now how fair was *this*? So much for dinner. * * * Brianna sighed, as Talion dissapeared into the mob; there hadn't even been time for her to try even a *surface* scan... * * * Between one day and the next... William stood on the bridge between two of the Ranger towers, and waited. All around him, the lights of the Garden shone through the dimness, some bright, some dim, and *many* less then in the hours before. While the business of the station continued at all hours, this was the time between, when many of the residents of Babylon 5 had retired from the waking world. There would be no such luxury for him, this night; not until it was all over would he once again find rest. But this was the way things had to be; *he* knew that his love for Jennifer was absolute; he had gone to Z'ha'dum to prove this to her, and in the end, she had believed in him, and all that had followed, was partly as a result. *Now*, however, he would have to prove to all his friends and comrades, near and far, that this was so. A sharp crystalline chiming sound alerted him, and he turned, to see Shival, dressed all in gray and white, ten paces along the bridge, waiting, with staff in hand, his expression stern. "Why do you come?" "To prove my dedication to what is." "And for what do you seek?" "The Other Side of my Soul." A slight smile appeared at the corner of Shival's mouth. "Then follow, Rimstalker, we shall walk through the Shadows of this long night, together, and talk of things past, and things yet to come; of lost sorrows, and joys hoped for..." * * * The cool glow around her made her shiver; it was already ten minutes into the new day; what could *possibly* be the delay? She sighed. It was, of course, the tradition of this Ceremony that someone should walk with the Two Seekers, through the night and into the new day...to tell the tale of *what* had brought them to this point, on this day, and why. But *who* would walk with her, this night? "Jennifer; the Night awaits." "Julia..." she replied, and turned. "I should not be surp..." But she found, to her astonishment, that she *was*. Julia's long dark hair was *gone*, replaced by a pixie-ish cut of midnight black curls, somehow darker now then it had been before, barely visible beneath the hood of her robe. It made her look, somehow, both younger and more mature at the same time, if that were possible, which was aided by her expression of combined solemnness and joy. "Why do you come?" "To reveal what must be." she whispered. "And for what do you seek?" "The Other Side of my Soul." Julia's smile was brief and to the point. "Then follow, my former Mistress; and let us talk of many things, but mostly, I think, of a day, long ago, far away, and in another age, on a lost world named Nighthawk..." **************************************************************************** To be continued... Next...the Main event! From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 10b Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1998 01:42:52 This one is a bit of an experiment; unlike many of my chapters, most of this one is from the FIRST person perspective. Now, *which* of my characters are doing the relating, is the question...there are hints, however! RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 10 "THE STARS BURNING BRIGHTLY" PHASE II OF II **"The Path conspired, to show us joy, to give us to our Fate; from Fate most dire, we felt the fire, the love twas demonstrate. Through dark we walked, and bared our souls, no secrets did remain; for love so true, and fire so hot, the stars, they sang our names..."** - From the Book of the Observer * * * I have, among others, been asked to tell this tale; I accept that task willingly, for I, among others, will never be able to repay those we honored, that day. The day was a day of realization, a road travelled to its ultimate end; this particular road had started on a doomed world, and along its travel, had captured the rest, and taken us on towards a destiny we did not understand. But while we had not been given cause to understand this, more was still to come, much more, indeed. For in their own way, the two humans who we among the Anla'shok had come to call the Rimstalker and the Observer had helped to bring about the new Age we lived in, in ways both large and small. It was, by the way humans count time, the twenty-first day of their fifth Month, in the Year 2261. A day of Union, and a day of remembrance for lost friends. But that would come later...for above all, to no great surprise, the day was also one of *surprises*... * * * The Lights of the Garden had just risen to their full daily brilliance, and Shival gazed out upon the scene, his thoughts content. Within the tower behind him, the human he had served, and the Ranger who had, in some ways, revealed his deepest secrets, had now parted ways with him. They would not see each other again the Ceremony itself, but that was the way of things, the way it *had* to be. He sighed. It had been very hard for William to return to all the places of pain he had been to reach this point, very hard indeed. Shival had travelled with him to a station destroyed, onto a dark mountainside on Homeworld, and finally, onto a precipice on lost Z'ha'dum; and in all these places, the Rimstalker had revealed the core of *why* he had, in many respects, done the things he had. Amazing it was, the hold this emotion had over the humans; amazing, and yet, at the same time, understandable...for if the tales Shival had heard were true, even Captain Sheridan himself had undertaken some of his actions for similar reasons. One could even surmise that the force of their emotions, and the beliefs they held because of them, had helped to bring about the Elder Race's exile. A curious notion, but if true, then this day's Observations were all too just. * * * They rescued me from darkness, from deaths committed in the name of chaos; *he* brought me back to the Light, in a way most unusual, and unpredictable. But that has been his nature all along, has it not? Confound enemies, do the unexpected, make the hardest choices, work behind the scenes, and above all else, serve the One, in ways both seen and unseen. We followed him through the Fire; and now, in the name of our survival, we give them blessing. * * * The Eleventh hour... "You know what, Mack..." Bo remarked, as the two maintenence workers stuck their heads into the Sanctuary, to observe the setup inside, "I haven't got a clue how all those Rangers we've seen around in the last day or two are gonna fit in here." "Like sardines, maybe?" "Trust you to think of food at a time like this." "Yeah, yeah; so do you remember what this is all for?" "Yeah; some pair of high Ranger types are 'coming together', I guess." "You mean, like, getting married?" "Well, you know those Rangers; I've heard they never *quite* say what you expect to hear." "True enough; hey, I guess I'm starting to get hungry, too...want to go for lunch?" A shrug. "Yeah, why not?" * * * She came to me on Minbar, unsure of herself, unsure of her place in this life, to reveal part of her past. A challenge we would not learn of until later was given, and she left us, with Durhan's blessing, an owner of one of the few and valued warrior pikes available to the Anla'shok at that point. She *earned* it; and later, used that knowledge to keep herself alive; one of only three humans to survive the horror at Z'ha'dum. As long as we both do live, we shall be true comrades...and perhaps, even, what the humans would call... ...friends. And for these reasons, and for reasons unsaid, I stand in the doorway of Babylon 5's Sanctuary, this day, with the distant fire of the stars revolving beyond in the endless night, and shall observe their Ceremony of Union. In this, I honour her, and give her blessing. * * * C&C; The Thirteenth Hour.... "I don't believe it..." Corwin muttered, his eyes wide. "Don't believe what?" "Look for yourself, Commander..." Corwin replied, as the image relayed from the hyperspace probes began to display itself more clearly on the screen. "That has to be *all* of them, waiting out there.." * * * I have been asked to speak, by the others, of what I saw in the Sanctuary that day; what little must be said will be said, for this is, in many respects, a private matter. Before the War of destiny that brought us together, we saw things differently, the humans and us; but in that war was forged the Anla'shok as they now are; and this is a bond that may now never be broken, if all goes well. However the matter, all the Rangers of Babylon 5, as well as Rangers from all across known space converged on the place called Sanctuary that day. Never had I seen the uniforms so perfect, the respect on every face so true, our sigils burning jade and silver. All of us, together, had moved to face the Enemy, and we were the survivors of that rite of passage; and so, we came that day, to honour the Ceremony, and to give our blessings. Beyond the assembly, near hidden in the back, but never far from our minds, stood our Entil'zha, and she stood with the human who, above all others, had captured her *soul*, and had lead us all to victory, the human named John Sheridan. Tall he stood that day, his expression solemn, but at the same time, with a hint of pride for what happened. From the beginning, as I was told, William and he had crossed paths; indeed, Shival told me, not long ago, what William told him; how Sheridan had saved him from the wreck of his former warship, and began all that followed. And then, it was time; first came William, with Shival, the Ranger he had chosen to guide him through the Long Night before. Exhausted by now, he must have been, but he did not show it. Midnight black he wore, and a robe of darkest gray. The silver streak in his hair stood out in bold contrast to this. They came before the dias, and for a moment, paused, before the Facilitator of Union...as history records it, I shall repeat it; Sech Devariax had come, that day. Devariax; he of the High Council of the Anla'shok, and of the Religious Caste, and versed in the many arts of the Ceremony. Rarely had we seen him at Tuzanor, and rarer still had he ever left Homeworld. But the respect invoked in the request of the beseechers, and seconded by our Entil'zha, could not be ignored, and so, he had come. Now, William knelt before him, and wait he did. Then, chimes did sound, as was proper, and *all* the Rangers present did kneel, save for Shival, who stood by William's side. Now Jennifer entered, in palest gray, together with her conscience, she who had come into the story only at mid mark, but had assumed a status far beyond her years. In her we saw our future, and a bright one it might be, yet...but this has yet to be determined. Before Devariax they did come, and kneel, she did. Of all those present, only Shival and Julia Tikopai did remain standing, for *they* had been the Confessors, and to *them*, the attention was first focussed. These two come before us, and desire Union, Devariax stated, his expression stern. Sworn in Valen's name, they have walked through the Long Night with their Confessors to reach this place; Sha'vei Shival, Lakotal Tikopai, you shall explain to us whether they shall be justly allowed to continue in this. Explain they did, both of them; and the nature of that explanation captured all of our attention. From the beginning, much if not all of what they had done had been in support of their love for one another; William, indeed, had gone to Z'ha'dum, knowing death was certain, because he could not bear to be seperate from Jennifer, should her death be near. It was made clear to us all, although certain members of the congregation had known this from the start, that if they were to die, they fully intended to die together. Many other things were said, but that was the core of the understanding. In due course, Devariax accepted this testimony, and as one, Shival and Julia did kneel, and William and Jennifer did rise. Then, were the words said that mattered, and while the rest, I have revealed, the words they spoke to Devariax and to one another, must remain theirs alone. Suffice it to say, the dedication they had to one another was shown in their actions, and in their eyes. The fire that dwelt there could not be ignored, and while all were in observance, it was clear that the Rimstalker and his Observer, at that moment, had eyes only for each other. And then, the end drew near, and as William and Jennifer placed their hands close, but not touching, Devariax drew out a honored ceremonial blade, and spoke the words of finality.. "It is agreed, then, in Valen's Name, beneath Valeria's gaze; they are as seperate halfs of the same Soul made..as *one*." In that instant, did they close their hands upon the blade, and their blood, it did mingle. But at the same time, did the core of those present, shift their attention to the stars beyond...and a great *many* moving objects, that had not been there a moment before... * * * The wait was over. Corwin smiled, and said three, very simple words. "Here they come." * * * It was an image I will never forget, not as long as I live, and after the Shadow War, I believed that there was very little that was *ever* going to surprise me again, but this did. The Rangers gathered, and William and his new bride, married according to Minbari customs (exactly *how* much of this am *I* going to have to go through, I don't know, but perhaps I will wait to ask, since it's never quite honestly clear to me, sometimes, what answer *she* is going to give, from moment to moment.) With hands clasped, they stood, and in an astonishing constrast, I realized that a sharp formation of jump points had come into being outside, the instant they closed their hands upon the blade; and out of those points came White Stars...not a few, but the *whole* fleet, in myriad flypast. For their commander, they flew; no higher honour do I know. * * * I was not, you see, privy to their Ceremony, for I am not a Ranger, and as I explained to Westcastle, never will be; but I will help where I can, and when. But now, I tell a tale of the last surprise we saw that day. With the Ceremony complete, the Rangers had retreated to their compound for the Meal that followed, and while there, a small number of gifts were passed on to them. The most surprising gift, however, came from a source none of us had anticipated, not even *I*...and *this*, indeed, may be counted as surprising. All the previous gifts had been given when a robed sentient I was not familiar with approached. I soon learned that this was a V'cha'richae, one of the few survivors of that race rescued by Westcastle and his command. Hak'rah was its name, and as it approached, all the Rangers fell silent. Hak'rah, by that point, had the full attention of everyone in the room, and began to speak. 'We, as a race, are forever indebted to you, the Rangers we come to know as friends. Without you, we would have died, forever entombed on the satellite of our lost Home. Now, we begin to prosper in this place; but have learned of your Union... honorable this is, and an occasion we could not ignore. Told your subordinate Tashann we did, what we wanted to do, and he returned to our satellite to retrieve a very special gift for you...almost did not find, but luck was with us.' Then it was that a small group of Rangers approached with a covered item between them; quite heavy, it seemed, and yet was quite small. They placed it on a table before William, and Hak'rah then continued. 'Last of its kind, this may be, beyond the two my people still possess; all others, destroyed in the loss of our world. Now, we give over ownership of this to you, William Westcastle, Rimstalker, and Ranger, in the hope that it may help you.' Then, the veil was drawn away, and revealed a long, sharp, white crystal. 'Singing crystal this is..' Hak'rah did say. 'Vision caller, seeker of future; not always accurate, not always certain, but *sometimes* useful. Note, please, that many crystals of Homeworld were unable to predict the great destruction; but help you, it may.' And then, Hak'rah bowed one last time, and departed. * * * One more night did they spend on Babylon 5, my former Mistress and her new husband; and then, they boarded White Star Four, and vanished from our sight, taking along no one but themselves and their few, closest friends among the Rangers. Their comrades would pilot their White Star for them, in the time they needed to themselves, for even in the Rangers, it was decided that they should find time for what we humans call a 'honeymoon' of some sorts. And so, once again, I was left behind; left to my studies and to my practice; left to hone myself against the Future, against the fears yet to be. Unfortunate that is, but of all the fears we knew, the fear that would assault us next was one we could not never have predicted. And William and Jennifer would return from their leave just in time to see it happen; a time of chaos and pain in our lives, and of change unbidden. Brought about by something the Cha'hal'zhamon had *tried* to warn us about with their veiled mysteries, and had failed. Something called *Thirdspace*... * * * To be continued sometime in the next 24 hrs.. **************************************************************************** ********** Next time.."Through the Looking Glass, Darkly." From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders On the Storm, Part 11a Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 23:25:57 This, then, would be my take on "THIRDSPACE", ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy! * * * RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 11 "THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, DARKLY" PHASE I OF III **"Besides...it is mine, I told myself; and that, as it turned out, was one of the biggest mistakes I will ever admit to making, and it nearly killed us all..." From John Sheridan's "No Retreat, No Surrender." * * * I am the Observer, and once more, I speak of what was. History has fated me to this task, among the Rangers, to tell the story of something that should never have happened, an event of terror and of compromises. This events were brought about by pride unbidden, by mistakes ancient, and through promises that never should have been made. But happen it did, and regret it, we *all* did, in the end. For after the joy that was found, the pain lead us into a path that none of us would have willingly chosen. To the tale, itself, then; it was the middle of the Earth Year 2261, and our honeymoon was about to come to a sharp, and terrifying end... * * * It was another, seemingly ordinary day on Babylon 5; a day of low traffic, and of abscences, and once again, this left *him* in charge of C&C. Corwin leant against the main board, and did his best not to laugh; three years ago, for him to be *commanding* the station traffic would have been impossible; but after this, who knew what the future would bring? "Jumpgate coming online.." one of the techs in the pit annouced. "We've got a single small transport coming out, ID says it's out of Jericho III." Interesting, *indeed*; it would *seem* that Clark was not blockading a lot of the colonies in the Outer Rim territories as closely as he might; not terribly surprising really; between the President's concern over keeping control of the Alliance's Core worlds, and the loss of so many carrier groups under the command of Captain Tikopai, from time to time, that let a ship slip through. And now that the Captain and the Commander had both moved to take care of the latest Raider threat, such events *might* happen more often, despite the blockade. "Message coming in, sir." #"Delta Squadron to Babylon Control; do you copy, Babylon Control?"# Corwin sighed; even while the Commander was out in her Starfury, her thoughts were *never* far from her station. "Confirmed, Delta Squadron, this is Babylon Control..." * * * The group that came onboard a few moments later *appeared* to be fairly nondescript, but appearances, in this case, were deceiving. There were four of them, a pale haired man of Oriental descent; a shorter woman with dark hair that appeared quite pretty, until you saw the coldness in her eyes; and a set of twin women, their matched, fiery red hair unusual enough for many second glances. None of this mattered to these four, however; they had come to Babylon 5 for a very specific reason. The leader raised his hand, and began to speak into the device secured there. "Initial report; we have attained entry into Babylon 5, and will now progress to a location from where we can begin to assess the current location of the target." "Understood.." a faint voice replied in his ear. "Move carefully, and do not attract attention, and above all, be *careful*. Remember that all that you are is now hidden, and that the attitudes you find common must not be displayed. If *she* even begins to suspect that we are hunting her, then all that you have done to this point, all the weeks you have spent constructing your cover, will have been for nought. Remember, always; the Corp is Mother, the Corp is Father...do not fail us in this." "We understand." the connection was swiftly cut, and the leader met the gaze of each member of his team in turn. The job they had been sent to do was made far harder by the fact that while *each* of them were, of course, Bloodhounds in the employ of the Psi Corp, their chief and only job to hunt down and retrieve rogue telepaths, the command staff of this place were notorious in their dislike of most anyone in the Corp (and especially the 'mentor' who had sent them here) and additionally, the target they were searching for, one Brianna Tolmanes, was a member of a quasireligious organization that called itself the Rangers; this made their task harder then would be normal, but their mentor had ordered it so. It was, the leader decided, a game that *he* played with the leaders of Babylon 5; a deadly game, and of deadlier relations. But it was one that *he* seemed to enjoy, in some way. And so, before they had left Headquarters, back home, *each* member of his team, including himself, had willingly endured being implanted with a technology only recently developed; a technology so *secret* that if the normals realized it existed, they would, more then likely, immediately attempt to subjugate *them* or the technology, in some way, as they had tried to do so many times before, since the founding of the Corp. A technology that allowed the members of his team to conceal, fully and completely, their telepathic nature, on command; experimental, and only just recently made possible; but this had seemed an *ideal* opportunity for an initial field test of the devices...and so far, all had gone well. And if all *continued* to go well, then while the job of tracking the rogue would be far more difficult, given that while activated, they could not use their telepathic abilities *either*... Tolmanes *herself*, however, would have no warning of their approach, until it was *far* too late. * * * The Ranger Compound; Day One; Darkness falling... "Something is happening, Shival..." Tharvonn commented, as he fell in beside his Master. "Something unusual; and with the Rimstalker and his command due to return to the station in less then six hours time, I feel that we must *closely* observe this occurence, and as necessary, act to prevent any harm that may come to those that we count as comrades." Shival *immediately* noted the seriousness in Tharvonn's voice; normally quite good natured, Tharvonn's tone, this day, spoke only to him of unsettling concern. "Explain your comments, if you please." "A short time ago, most of the shuttle and Starfury compliment of this place departed into hyperspace, and word has come back that the Starfury Delta Squadron discovered something...unusual in hyperspace, an artifact of some sort, it would seem; a *large* artifact." Shival frowned. "And what, Tharvonn, do *you* define as *large*?" "It is, if rumour holds true, bigger even then one of our war cruisers." He stopped in mid-step. "And they are *bringing* it *here*?" Tharvonn nodded. "Perhaps, now, you see my concern?" * * * The doorway of the Sanctuary, a short time later. The word had come down...'IT' was coming through; Julia near ran through the corridors, so familiar to her now, her tunic and robe abandoned in her haste to *see*; and where better to see the arrival of the artifact, then in the place where William and Jennifer had come together, less then a month before? Almost, she rushed into the chamber, and then, abruptly, came to a halt; for someone was already *there*...someone she recognized, and a knew a little about, through what Brianna had deigned to tell her. Lyta Alexander. Around the edge of the door, she peeked, and out beyond; her gaze, soon enough, came on the distant struts of the jumpgate, farther apart then they normally were; and she blinked, as the distant sparks of the gate resolved into the point itself... Almost she cried out, but not quite; *it* was coming out, dragged invisibly by ships she could not see, but *it* was unmistakable, long, black against the blue fire of the gate, an oblong cross shape on edge, spiny, so spiny, twisted against space, against time... Colder then space, older then all of them, it *had* to be; but what was *this* she was feeling? All the way out, now. And then, Julia jumped, as Lyta whirled, her eyes horribly intense beneath fiery hair, and rushed by her, nearly colliding with her; collide with another man behind her, Lyta did; but Julia did not wait to see the outcome of that collsion, but faded into the Sanctuary, and out towards the window. Julia rubbed her arm, the arm that Lyta had touched, and shivered. * * * White Star Four...five minutes out from the Epsilon 3 jumpgate... "The gate's *off limits*?" William commented, his tone incredulous, as Jennifer and several other of the Rangers manning the bridge rose at his arrival. "Would someone care to tell me *why*?" "It is surprising, yes..." Dreann replied from the helm. "But expected, given the current situation." "That, Dreann," Talion drolly added from Operations, "Is the understatement of the *year*." Dreann nodded wry acknowledgement of the younger Ranger's barb. "Nevertheless, the message that Babylon Control has just passed on to us indicates that Commander Ivanova and a squadron of their Starfuries discovered something...unusual in hyperspace, earlier this day. They decided to bring it out of hyperspace in Epsilon system, and as such, this...object is currently near enough to the gate that it is blocking all entry into the system." "The situation..." Jennifer added, as they paused and kissed briefly, before he took the captain's chair, "Would seem to only be temporary, William. However, Babylon Control has requested that we come out of hyperspace by ourselves...and out of the way of this 'artifact', if we would *please*!" "I see; well, if the Captain felt it interesting enough to drag this thing out here, then this is something I've definitely got to see for myself." "Understood..." Jennifer replied, now amused; ever curious, was he, and this would never change; not, of course, that she wanted it to! "Course change enabled, jump engines online." "Then take us out!" * * * Chronicles Log; observations.. Soon after our arrival, and before we disembarked, I decided to contact both my Entil'zha and the Captain, and requested permission to undertake a close pass of the artifact, *close*, in this case, was about five kilometers or so. As of yet, the scaffolding that would later grow around the object had not been assembled, and it hung, all alone in space, its mysteriousness all too unique. Both of them cautioned us that the object might be very dangerous; but I countered with the argument that it was our duty, as Rangers, to observe and record events, and report back with all we had learned. This was accepted, and so, many on the station watched as a single tiny moth decided to be the first to bear the possible flame that this thing represented. In this case, however, the pass did little more then give us reasons to understand the artifact was like nothing we had ever seen before; curves, spirals and other organic details were visible down to the limits of vision, with a hatched set of angled spires on its crest, and a tiny, by comparision, incised circle at its heart. I looked upon this, and incredibly enough, my first thought, a thought I later dismissed, was that this circle seemed, almost, to be a *seal* of some sort. If only I had paid attention to that thought, some of the pain later endured might have been avoided; but the moment came and went, and as we moved ourselves into a more distant parking orbit, a group of Starfuries moved in, together with a couple of the station's worker bots, to undertake the first stage of the station investigation. *Then* is when we should have rightfully been watching; as the first mistake was made...the first *new* mistake; a worker bot too close, an observation missed; a clue so easily missed. So many mistakes, we made, and there was so little time to react to what was still to come... * * * The Garden Maze; early in Day Two; Ever since she had returned, the experiences had grown stronger, more concerted in their focus. Brianna wandered along the paths, her destination unimportant, her focus only on trying to determine what she was feeling. This was *different*, but what was causing it? She stumbled; stronger, that time, almost a whisper, but who was doing the whispering? Or *What*? >>Wrongness<< >>Stop them...ancient mistakes...stop them; the memory, the curse, the ancient curse, remember, there is danger; all will die, destroyed, destroyers, destroy them, destroy them all!<< "No..." she whispered, almost a whimper, and gazed about the corridors of green, the terror growing within. She had believed this gone, the madness, the ugliness that William had banished from her, so long ago...but it was back. A single tear trickled down her left cheek; it was back. And then, bad swiftly went to *worse*. * * * A select few other visitors to the Maze that morning were somewhat astonished to see a Ranger stride by them; a human woman, red of hair, in darkest black. But while it was normal to see Rangers moving with purpose, as this one was, there was something different, in this case, something that attracted attention... For all were given cause to see the emptiness, the terribly frightening *emptiness* in this Ranger's eyes...and hear the words she was whispering.. "They are coming; I remember, there is danger; they are coming..." * * * The Ranger Council Chambers...that evening. "So." Shival pondered, as William paced from one side of the chamber, making his irritation plain. "An interesting turn of events, *this* is." Unsettling things seemed to be happening, things that seemed to give indication of, he felt, worse to come; but there was, as yet, no proof; it was just a feeling. Now, the question was, what would William say on this? "That is *not* the words I would use, Shival, and you know it!! Interplanetary Expeditions, and their expedition leader, that *Trent* woman, have *ensured* that *they* are the only ones to have access to the artifact! I cannot *believe* that the Captain would have agreed to this!" "The Entil'zha told us that this was so, and the reasons behind it..." "Yes!...and as you know, Shival, in some things, she defers to the Captain, because of their bond..." "This is so..." "...and while IPX has traditionally had the greatest experience in dealing with xenoarcheological problems like this..." "You do not believe it *fair* that we, and in 'we', meaning 'you', should not have at least a little access to the artifact, yes?" Shival laughed then, at William's angry gaze. "In Valen's Name, my friend, do not give me *that* look, for it is true, is it not?" William's gaze softened, and he sighed. "You do that to me *far* too often, Shival." Shival conceded the point. "Perhaps this is so; but while the mystery in this object is clear, I, among others, have now been given a clear mandate to keep you safe; for if you perished due to an error we were unable to prevent, your lifemate would, as you humans say, no doubt take it 'out of our hides.'" William paused, and then laughed in turn. "You do have a point, I guess..." "Yes; now go to her, William; tomorrow will bring more news to our ears on this mystery." "As you say." On the way out, William paused, and turned back. "By the way, Shival; have you seen Brianna recently?" A cold doubt began to assert itself in Shival's heart; another thing to add to the list... * * * Outside, in the darkness, the men and women of Interplanetary Expeditions, who had, in their travels, but without meaning to, already awakened enough pain and terror to last a hundred generations, were about to make what would almost be their greatest mistake. The human-built structure around the artifact was finally finished; and after a command from their leader, back on the Station, the lighting grid around the artifact came alive; stayed that way for a moment, and then began to flicker and fade, before intensifying once more, on a call for *more* power. This was the second clue, and like the first, it was ignored; for IPX only saw the beauty in the artifact. Not the horror. * * * Between the Waking moments... Julia's eyes opened, and she saw light; but this was...impossible, wasn't it? Light in the doorway, a light as dark and brilliant as...she didn't know what to compare it to. Julia rose from her bed, intensely curious, and walked forward. she screamed into the darkness. a cultured, superior voice replied. A coldness sank through her bones at this statement; she turned in the darkness, looking, but the darkness was absolute. she shrieked disbelievably into the darkness. the voice replied approvingly. the voice sadly replied. It was then that she heard the hissing; Brianna briefly considered using the gills the Vorlons had given her to filter out the compound, but then decided against that choice; *those* were an ace in the hole to be used...but not now. The bitter smell of the gas filled her lungs, but before she passed out, there was enough time for a rebuttal. * * * Babylon 5; the next day... It had happened again, just like the first time...only this time, Draal had had the *decency* to let him get all the way through the shower first, and almost out the door. But not quite. "Captain!..." Draal pontificated, a broad smile on his face. "I do apologize for the interruption, but after the long absence, in which, I must admit, you have done quite well in taking care of many of the problems we faced when last we talked, and *without* utilizing the services of the Great Machine...it is time, once again, for us to, shall we say, reestablish communications..." "You know, I could've done with this talk a few days ago; if it hadn't have been for Ivanova running into one of the Zathras brothers down below, the Voice of the Resistance wouldn't have, no *couldn't* have gotten off the ground!" Draal sighed, and nodded. "Yes, yes, I do understand, but at the time, my attentions were needed, shall we say, *elsewhere*; now, that has abated somewhat...but come!...it is time for me to come to the reason I have visited you this day, of all days. It is a simple request, but as the Captain, *I* felt that you still should have a right to know about this." He sat down, now a little more interested. "Okay...*now*, you've got my attention. What's this all about?" "Nothing for you to be *truly* worried about, Captain, only a matter of protocol. There is, among the Rangers in this place, a young female of your kind who is *well* on her way to becoming the best in a generation of Rangers yet to come. And while we cannot say what she will become, the commander of that you call the White Star Fleet has had words with me on the subject, and we have come to a mutual understanding of sorts...." "I *see*; and did you visit *him* like you've visited me, these last couple of times?" Draal harrumphed. "Hmm; in a matter of speaking, *yes*. In any case, it is his wish that this young Trainee come down to Epsilon Three to visit me personally; and there, she may YET learn more about the past that was, the present that is, and the future that may YET be." "Well...if William seems to think that this necessary, I guess I shouldn't have any objections...in fact, during the few times we've had to talk on things, while we haven't mutually been in the middle of the largest battles the galaxy has ever seen, I think he *may* have mentioned this Trainee of yours, from time to time..." "Excellent; you have no objections to the plan, then?" "Only notes; I'm going to assume that William assigned someone to take this 'trainee' down to Epsilon 3?" "Of course." "Then if there isn't anything else, I think I hear breakfast calling..." Draal smiled, and bowed. "Indeed, I think I remember that call all too well. Good day to you, then, Captain." * * * Julia slowly looked up from her meditation routine as the door to her quarters slid almost gently open, and then felt her eyes go wide. Oh my...she sprang to her feet, to meet the tall, long haired, and openly *grinning* Ranger who had arrived on her doorstep... "Anla'shok...Cole?" She SHOT to her feet, all moping forgotten. "With all due...respect, what brings you to..." "Your door? Well now, for starters, I thought that I might try and brighten your day somewhat, but if that didn't work, I was asked by someone to do a favour for you; and after all that you went through with that Thirdspace thing, maybe *this* will cheer you up a little." Boy oh boy...she resolutely stopped her arms from shaking, and tried not to get lost in those *marvelous* eyes. It would be horribly *easy* to develop a crush on him, with enough exposure..."And...that would be...what, exactly?" "Seems that Draal, the caretaker of the Machine on Epsilon 3, wants you to come down for a visit. One of the great and all powerful Sha'vei, of which there seems to be terribly twice too many running around the station these days, told me that he's visited you once or twice...and now, he wants to meet you face to face, I guess..." "*Now*?" she squeaked. "I...there's an awful lot of space between here and there, you...know." "That...is where *I* come in." Oh...wonderful. "Then...I suppose we better get, going...then?" And there went that smile again. "After you." * * * Transfer Gate...two jumps from Babylon 5. "Well..." Colvhar drawled, his expression pensive. "Since we couldn't go towards the blockade, I guess we had to go outwards. You're *sure* that they got the message?" "Yes..." William replied, his mood expectant. "And they should arrive any..." "Jump point forming..." Talion interjected, a sneaky grin on his face. "Right on top of us." As one, Colvhar and William turned to gaze out the viewport, as most of the space ahead of them faded and twisted, revealed the gigantic blue flower of a jump point, out of which sprang the all-too familiar shape of an Earthforce destroyer... "Covert 1 to NIOBE." William sent, his smile broad. "And top of the morning to you, Captain Tikopai; your daughter sends her regards." "I've heard that in the crisis the people of Babylon 5 just went through.." the reply came, as the NIOBE drew alongside the small Ranger shuttle; "That your wife and my daughter came to blows...would you care to resolve the truth on that rumour, Mr. Westcastle?" The other Rangers watched a flicker of grimness pass across their leader's face, and wisely held their silence. "That...I am afraid, is someting we will need to discuss in private, Captain." There was a pause, and then, "Understood; forward bays are standing by for your ingress; make it speedy, gentlemen, you never do know what patrols are hanging out nearby..." * * * Later... The red and black nothingness of hyperspace curdled around the NIOBE, and matched Deitrich Alwhin's mood, as he arrived in his CO's office, report in hand. "They've got to be out of their mind to want to do this, ma'am; is it true, that it's almost all in aid of one of their own that they lost, by mistake?" Bethany nodded, a little sadly, now that she knew the whole story of what had happened during the 'Thirdspace' crisis, weeks before. "In a matter of speaking, Commander, yes; but at the same time, it can be also be treated as a test for us; sooner or later, we're going to have to go back to Earth, and if we can confuse them, make them think we're not the ship our ID says we are, then practices like this one will make tossing Clark out on his ear easier later on." "Noted." "Of course; what is our ETA, Commander?" "We'll come out in Neptune orbit in a little more then four days and six hours, Captain; after that, they're on their own." "Until they signal us...." Bethany reminded him. "And *then*, it's going to time to pull a few more strings of our own." * * * Mars... With a minimum of fuss, Brianna felt the world once again resolving back into itself around her, but this time, there appeared to be a number of significant differences. The black cell of the previous waking period was gone, replaced, astonishingly enough, by a well laid out, if small sitting room, with pleasant carpeting, plush seating, and a remarkable view of the red sands of Mars, just outside. What *was* this? And what did it all mean? It seemed almsot preposterous, after the threats the Corp telepath had made, to find herself in *this* place. With a click, the door on the far wall slid open, and Brianna jumped to her feet, tense, and ready. Whoever that was coming in through the door was about to get one *hell* of a surprise... "Feel free to try and disarm me if you wish..." the short, dark haired man addressed her, his smile pleasant. "But I assure you, Miss Tolmanes, that that would do you no good at all." Brianna's eyes narrowed; this man was wearing the uniform of a Psi Cop, and as such, could not be trusted. But perhaps there was enough truth in what he said to make her pause. "What am I supposed to think, after that *place* you put me in? Escaping from this place is my only option, given that you kidnapped me from the only place I call home, took me away from the only friends I have in this universe, and brought me here, to a place with no hope, no comrades, nothing at all that I hold dear!" "Well said..." the other replied, his gaze now serious. "And taken in the context you understand, completely accurate. But while the others would like to believe you were brought here for reasons they can understand, there comes a time when the controlling force of an operation may feel the need to bow down and contact the focus of his attentions; this is one such time, I am afraid." What? "Are you...trying to say that you brought me here for reasons OTHER then..." "Precisely; and while you may not believe what I say, understand that in all the things I have done, occasionally I find myself indulging in a moment of compassion; you see, tools used to the best end available should, in the end, know that they were used well, and as a reward, turned loose, to make their own destiny, such as it is." "You're not..talking about.." "You?" The dark haired Psi Cop laughed, and shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not...do not overwhelm yourself with the belief that since you are a telepath, and were involved with the Vorlons, that you exist as a center in the universe. It is a fact, is it not, that dear, *dear* Lyta was called upon to save you from yourself, on a number of occasions, was it not?" "Yes." Quietly. "Then we both understand I am not referring to you. No, Miss Tolmanes, if you cooperate, and you seem to be doing an enviable job thus far, then perhaps, in due course, an unusually visible avenue of escape will make itself known to you...but that is for later, not for now. For now, you exist as the center to a hunt that is, ever so quickly, drawing in he who is my *true* target." Brianna felt her mouth go open, ever so slowly. "William? You *wanted* William to come hunting for me?" "Indeed I did, Miss Tolmanes." "But..why?" The Psi Cop's smile mocked her to the core. "That is for me to know, and for you to find out...if you're smart enough." "You bastard! You should *die* for this! To bring me all the way to Mars, just for THIS? You should *die*." "You will have to stand in line, I'm afraid." The Psi Cop turned to go, but in mid step, turned one last time. "And since you want to remember my name to kill me by, it's *Bester*...Mr. Bester. Be seeing you, Miss Tolmanes." The door shut, just before she collided with it. * * * To be continued...soonish! ***************************************************************************** Next time...William arrives on Mars, and walks right into a trap set by Mr. Bester, who is just about ready to go to Babylon 5, but not quite! Meanwhile, Julia finds a revelation in the Great Machine, that leads her to begin a new quest to find a treasure, lost a thousand years in the past..."Blood and Red Sand", the next part of "Riders..." coming soon. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on the Storm, Part 13a Writer's note... Things are, as a matter of course, beginning to come to a climax point, both in pace and in arc resolution, in the world of the Rimstalker. Just like another writer we are all familiar with, it is growing near to the time where setting up and setting up eventually must be paid off. In the six chapters now remaining to THE RIDERS ON THE STORM, I fully intend to wrap up and or finish a good number of my story threads; there is an end coming, after all, an end that will be more or less coincident with the airing of SLEEPING IN THE LIGHT (there will be a Rimstalker V, but it will, it all respects, be the denouement to this epic.) And when the story is told, it is my hope, that in the end, the telling will have been worth it, as my characters, so to speak, take their bows, and wander off into that proverbial sunset. *Most* of them, anyways; that is all I will say, for *now*...although an element introduced *here* should be sufficient to give you a clue or two... RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 13 "BLOOD AND RED SAND" PHASE I OF II **"The trip that Westcastle and his very small, very covert team made to Mars at the end of July 2261 to rescue their lost comrade was, in many respects, one of the only truly great errors that the honoured Ranger commander ever made in his career, for it began the inevitable process that too often, takes hold of any great organization; if I may paraphrase, things fell apart, and the center, in the end, did not hold..."** - From "Holding the Line: a History of the Army of Light" * * * The second week of July, 2261... It was, on Earth, an unseen action, but unseen actions sometimes are taken for very important reasons. In the tumultous records of Earth Central, a vessel that did not, in truth, even exist, was brought into being, a vessel called upon to observe the outer system for the Earth Alliance Planetary Resources Agency. While it was true that the majority of finds had long ago been mined, removed and used, there was always the off chance that a new find would be made, and even in this time of tyranny, that freedom was accepted, if looked upon with ridicule. That very ridicule, however, caused many members of the Ministry of Peace to laugh, shake their heads, look the other way, and forget about the matter, having more important concerns to attend to. This was the key, of course, and in this case, it would allow an all too important infiltration to occur... * * * Epsilon Three... With hand raised to shield her face from the blast, Julia watched from a place of safety as the ground to orbit shuttle that Marcus had used to bring her down to Epsilon Three rose off the otherwise empty pad, and vanished from sight, on its way back out into the massive crack in the surface of the world. It was apparent, from the remarks the Ranger had made on the way down from Babylon 5, that he had been instructed to part ways with her once the duty of transfer had been completed; but if this was so, how was she to determine where she should go, in this labyrinth? With a sigh, she turned from the landing pads, and began to walk, her pace measured and sure. As a trainee among the Rangers, she *had*, of course, been made privy to the knowledge that the planet the station orbitted was laced, through and through, with great fusion reactors; these served to power a 'Great Machine', a device that, through the agencies of its controller, had the ability to both look far into space, and, possibly, into *time*, as well. Even Draal, her occasional mentor, had stated that he, the heart of the Machine, did not, in fact, know *all* that it was capable of... *Now*, the problem was, how was she to find him? "Ah..." a low, toothy voice announced with relish, and she whirled, to see a small, slightly hunched figure approach, his face lined, but wide of smile, and wearing an astonishing array of clothing, among which was what appeared to be a fur coat of sorts... "There you are; Zathras was sent, yes, to meet you, so Promise of Future would not get lost in Great Machine; very bad *that* would be." She tried not to smile; Jennifer had, from time to time, related to her the tale of how she had met *this* individual for the first time; and now, apparently, it was finally going to be her turn. "Zathras, it is a honour to meet you, finally; William and Jennifer have both spoken highly of you to me." "Ah! So, Stalker and Watcher still following destiny, Zathras is not surprised; pleased, *yes*, but surprised, no. But, Zathras, this day, is focussed on other tasks, other problems. Draal send Zathras, through maze of Great Machine, to find Promise of Future; *you* are promise of Future, otherwise Draal would not be interested in you so much, Zathras know *this* to be a fact, yes..." A thrill of anxiety and anticipation ran through her at this statement; Zathras, in his bewildering style of speaking, had referred to her as the 'Promise of Future'; but what this meant was another problem entirely; Jennifer had *also* been fairly clear on the matter that while talking to Zathras, it was best to listen carefully, as Zathras tended to let slip information on matters that had not, as *yet*, come to pass. "Lead on then, and I shall follow." This, of course, came from the paradox of being a guardian to a machine that could sense and interpret currents in the streams of tachyons that were, as had been proven, moving from the future and into the past. The rift that her former mentor, Jeffrey Sinclair, had used to take Babylon 4 into the past, to a point in time where he had written her that all-important letter, was a reflection of the tachyon streams. But she saw other reflections, quite clearly, in the gleam of amusement and anticipation in Zathras's eyes, and then looked down, to find herself crossing a thin catwalk, over an immense shaft dropping down below her, seemingly without end, into the core of Epsilon 3. And wondered whether she should be intrigued, or scared out of her wits... Zathras tutted then, perhaps impatiently, but who could blame him? In some respects, she might be a gawking newcomer, but the rest awaited... * * * Mars...Syria Planum; PsiCorp facility. Two figures met in passing in a shadowed hallway, and paused to talk. "There are some days, Al, when it just astonishes me how many different matters and threads of importance you are able to keep track of; and how, in the end, the Corp is always served first..." A brief returning smile was given. "Come now, old friend, it comes with the territory; from the beginning, I have found it best to keep my finger on the pulse of events, and gently pull a string here, to create an effect there. Some things are harder to see then others, but all the movements result in what I want and need. In the end, I always win, as does the Corp. This you have come to accept..." "But what of this rogue you have bowed down to deal with? While I find it fascinating she was exposed to many of the same elements that our fellow experiment, Lyta Alexander, was subjected to, at the same time I find it difficult to understand why we should not simply reprogram her, and put her to work as a loyal member of the Corp." A chuckle, and shake of head. "Now, *that* comment, I find surprising! Such a direct manipulation would greatly decrease her value to us; Miss Tolmanes is, believe it or not, far more valuable to us as what she now represents; a target to draw in the other element I have wished to reunite with, for some years now." "A mundane; what *possible* interest could you have in a mundane?" "This mundane has been, believe it or not, a key element in all that has come to pass; while Sheridan and the rest moved in the spotlight, so to speak, this element worked, behind the scenes, to help bring about many of the events that Sheridan has taken credit for; an enviable record. But like Sheridan, the time is coming when we must work to rein the ambitions of this man in a little, to turn some of his energies aside; for if he rises too far, he could, in times to come, threaten us; this cannot be allowed." "I understand; but what of Tolmanes? As near as I have been able to determine, she possesses at least a P11 qualification, possibly P12, it is difficult to be sure; we *cannot* allow such a valuable resource to be wasted." "No...of course not, but Tolmanes is loyal to the Minbari organization known as the Rangers, and also to the other element I previously mentioned. A method must be found to break those loyalties in such a way that she will willingly, I say again, *willingly* turn herself over to us." "You can do this for us?" Disbelievingly. "Yes; it will not be easy, of course, but when have you known me to not enjoy a challenge?" A laugh. "I understand; very well, Al, we will talk again, but for now, I must bid you good day..." * * * Another meeting... "Viyana, I have heard that there is a *very* powerful blip captured in the dome; I think I want to go and *confront* her. I'm strong enough, I've heard that she's only rated as a P10 or 11." "I don't think this is a very good idea, Sheynell, and especially not without telling the Seniors." "To *hell* with the what the Seniors think, Viyana! We're *both* going to be Psi Cops eventually, all powerful, all knowing, and all doing! If *you* tell the watcher you'll relieve him for a while, as part of your extracurricular training, *I* can go talk to her, without the Seniors finding out what we've done... it ought to be *fascinating*, don't you agree?" * * * Outside the window, the colour of the Martian sky was the colour of blood, diluted beneath the rising rays of the distant sun. Brianna rested one ungloved hand against the glass, and imagined she could feel the chill leeching through, robbing the heat from her bones. How long she would have to stay what, while it was comfortable, with bed, and network services to receive the broadcasts and electronic dispatches from ISN and some of the other news services, was still, in the end, a cell. William was coming for her, this she knew; and there was absolutely no way of letting him know he was walking right into a trap set for him by this Mr. Bester, no way at all. She ran one hand through her short bob of hair, only now starting to grow back in after the humiliation Ulkesh had imposed on her earlier in the year, and asked herself the all important question; WHY was Bester doing this? Behind her, the door opened, and then closed, and she turned, mouth half opened with a sharp comment, expecting to see Bester, when she realized it wasn't, and shut her mouth again. Instead of the short, sardonic Psi Cop, a tall, thin, sharp faced girl stood there, all in black, with the sigil of the Psi Corp cleanly visible on her right breast. In Valen's Name, could it be so? It was, she could see it in this raven haired girl's eyes; no more then sixteen or seventeen years old, if looks could be appreciated, and already, her soul had been stolen from her. "So; you're the one..." the girl sadly commented, shaking her head. "I refused to believe in what I heard, so I came to see myself, to hear you say it. One of us, and you bowed to serving a *mundane*, no, a whole *series* of them. You don't understand, do you? No, I can see you don't, you weren't brought up as one of *us*, you couldn't possibly understand; but you will." She laughed. "So complacent, so sure of yourself, aren't you? So sure that what you believe is right...Miss...?" "My *name* is Sheynell Keynes..." the girl coldly replied. "I am a P12, and as such, my duties as a Psi Cop, once I have concluded my training, will, as a matter of course, revolve around the hunting and retrieval of blips such as yourself, Miss Tolmanes. And as for what I believe, we of the Psi Corp know much more then you could possibly comprehend; nothing you have done, and nowhere you have been in the service of those MUNDANE Rangers, has given you this understanding." Brianna shook her head disbelievingly; what an infantile little *brat* this girl was; so much power, and so little understanding. "Is *that* what you think...Sheynell? Such a pretty name, that is, but I suppose you don't understand *that* power, either..." At that, superiority faded away, just, in fact, the response she had been looking for, as the young Psi Corp telepath strode forward, her face now twisting angrily. "How *dare* you say such things to me? I could have you thrown out of this dome, to die on those red sands outside, and there would be *nothing* you could do to counter my say as a high ranking prospective officer in the Psi Corp. At the top of your mind, Miss Tolmanes, I see you believe you can teach me something...I *DARE* you to prove that improbable claim!" She bowed her head, and nodded; this was, in the end, the way it had to be. Reaching inside of herself, she touched on the center that the Vorlons had left behind, when they had gone beyond the Rim. "As you wish, young servant of darkness; learn what was, what is, and what may yet be, at our hands. LEARN." She whipped her head up, and watched the young woman recoil slightly; reflected in that shocked, fearful gaze she saw the dark pools of her eyes, and smiled; *reached* out, and briefly silenced the watching mind of the girl's companion, touched the girl's mind to its core, and opened the floodgates of memory. * * * "*What* happened in there?" Viyana demanded, as Sheynell emerged from the cell, her eyes wide, and stride unsteady. "I blinked for a moment, and you were turning to run!" "I'm not...sure." Sheynell replied, her gaze a little wild. "I saw images; of battles, and ancient places..." "If the Seniors find out we did this, we will be so *very* dead." Sheynell turned in mid stride, and fixed her friend with a sharp gaze. "We have to keep this a secret, Viyana...there isn't *any* other option I can see; I still want to be a Psi Cop, do you?" After a moment, Viyana nodded, and the pact was sealed. And a fate determined. * * * The Heart of the Great Machine... "So!" Draal proclaimed, as he slowly detached himself from the locus behind him. "It's about *time* you came to see me in person, young Julia, about time *indeed*. I do not doubt that we will have a great many interesting conversations in the time ahead of us, until you feel the call of your heart, to once more stride forth on your path towards becoming a Ranger. But that time is not *now*..." All during Draal's welcoming tirade, Julia walked ever so slowly towards the locus, her curiousity enormous. From here, Draal had observed all the events that had unfolded under the control of John Sheridan, William, and so many others, and had been wise enough to restrain himself from adding the full power of the Great Machine to the conflict; a wise decision, and a difficult one...for she understood that Draal had been as a mentor to Delenn, and from time to time, her Entil'zha had been placed in mortal danger. And yet, Draal had *not* acted; if he had, any aid given might have been more of a hindrance then a help; as a result of the shying away, her Entil'zha had become stronger, and would, if all went well, become stronger still in the years and decades still to come. And would she stand there by her side, as William and Jennifer did now? What would be *her* destiny? Zathras had told her that she was the 'promise' of the future still to be, but what did that mean? What *could* it mean? Finally, she got up the gumption to pop the only question that seemed to matter. "Do you mind if I...?" Draal snorted, scowled, and then sighed. "If I had *my* way, my girl, the answer would be *no*, but Zathras, who you have already met, *insisted* that it had to happen! This was why I detached myself from the Great Machine and placed it, shall we say, on standby for a while; it does not need me all the time, and occasionally, someone comes to us who needs it more, if only for a moment. Commander Ivanova was one such...and now, the boon is yours, for a short time. I have, at Zathras's impetus, requested *it* to accept you, for a time; that time is *now*." "What do I..." Draal laid a comforting hand upon her shoulder, as she reached out a hand, and touched the seemingly innocent contact point within the structure; one of *two*. "Turn around, my dear, and lean back a little, yes, that's it; you already have hold of the one contact, now reach out your hand, and..." In the instant her other hand made contact, is was as if a mild electric shock passed through her, from head to toe, and without volition, she relaxed, her eyes widening. "I...have it, I think..." "Indeed..." Draal replied, his brow furrowed in interest. "Very *interesting*, indeed! The good Commander took a great deal longer to relax to this point then you have; very well, the Machine is waiting for you, it will not guide, only help; you *must* provide the impetus for that which you seek..." There was only one thing that came to mind, at that point, and as she floated away, the awe inspiring buzz of the Great Machine all around her, she acted on that thought. * * * Another time, another age... A cave glittered with the light of a tall candle, and revealed the figures of two Minbari; one young, and one aged and wise. "Master..." the Younger declared, "I still do not *understand* the reasoning behind this act!" The Elder chuckled, and nodded. "I know, but you must accept that this is so; as Valen, may he now ever rest in the Light to which we watched him go, showed us, there will come a time, a thousand years from now, when what we have moved to create will be needed again, and will move forth to its ultimate destiny in the war against the Darkness. But beyond that, and more personally, I aided Valen in a special service, a task I must pass onto you. This line must be protected, from elder to younger, down the generations, until what is Protected shall be needed." "The letters." "Indeed, that is so; the three letters I helped Valen to seal away from the world, in his name; the letters to *Jeffrey David Sinclair*, to *Delenn*, and last, and most interesting, for I saw the sadness and hope in his eyes when he watched that letter sealed away, the letter for *Julia Tikopai*. Who these beings are, and what they will do, and how the great Valen knew of them, is a mystery we will never now be able to fathom the answer to; even the language two of them are written in is unknown to us!...but there is one last task you must undertake for me, before I pass on beyond the Veil, a task that Valen *himself* requested of me." With hand firm, the Elder withdrew his warrior pike from the folds of his robe, and with near reverence, closed it. "*She* must be buried, here, and now; there will come a time, or so I believe, when the *one* for which it is next intended will come to learn of this location. Valen implied, in one of his final conversations with me, that *she* would help to guide her next owner to a destiny that none of us could realize, or understand. I choose to agree with that determination; this wish, at least, I can grant, for I have so *very* little time left, now..." The Younger nodded. "It shall be as you say, in his name..." * * * With a faint cry of surprise, Julia fell out of the Great Machine, and with a snort of surprise, Draal moved to shore her up. "My goodness!...it has been only a moment, Julia! What did you see?" She looked up at the Minbari, her hands still trembling, and smiled. "A boon; a vision; a dream...and an answer." Draal sighed. "Well, I see that the lessons in mysteries your Entil'zha helped to teach the Rangers have rolled *extremely* far down the pyramid, but should I truly be surprised? No." "Forgive me, Draal!..but it was...surprising." Best to be vague for now, Julia. "Most things that the Machine shows me *are*, yes!...I do understand, however. I must assume that you are going to want to rush off somewhere, and do something, because of what it showed you, though..." "Soon..." she whispered, half to herself, still almost lost in the vision the Machine had shown her, somehow, from a thousand years in the past (was *that* past the time in which it had been constructed? She couldn't remember). Not right now, but *soon*.... * * * The third week of July, 2261. Amidst the tail end of a major Earthforce exercise in the outer worlds territory, a number of jumpouts by a single Earthforce destroyer went almost unnoticed. Brief electronic investigations revealed the destroyer to be the EAS HELENA, a member of the exercise intended to act as a stealthed, hard to find target. That *two* of those jumpouts were not made by the HELENA at all would have raised the eyebrows, and the ire, of many officers at the top of the chain of command. And on the second jump out, a small, barely noticeable transport detached from the destroyer in question, and began to move inwards, out of the practice zone. This, too, was noted, as the return of a prospector expedition out of the farther reaches of Earth System. The commander of the ship was chided, somewhat harshly, for straying into a practice zone, and then, because no other problems could be determined, the matter was dropped. Letting the three members of that crew prepare to move on their *true* reasons for coming back close to home. * * * "Well..." Colvhar muttered, as the distant gleam of Red Mars came into view, "That was fairly painless." "That was the easy part." William, who had, as part of his disguise, moved to grow back in his beard, at least temporarily, looked into the distance with a certain amount of loathing. "And now, we pass the kilometers by, and pray we arrive in time to do something about Brianna's situation." Talion, watching silently from the corner of the cockpit, could not help but note the growing number of silvery threads in William's once jet-black beard. His commander had aged, before his eyes, in the past year; how much more could the Rimstalker lose, before this was all over? Part of the answer to that question waited for them on that tiny red gleam still ahead, and Talion knew, in his bones, that none of them would like what they would find there. Not one little bit. ****************************************************************************** To be continued... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Riders on The Storm, Part 13b Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 01:40:08 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 13 "BLOOD AND RED SAND" PHASE II OF II **"It was only after a great many years had passed, when the time of the *Final* Gathering drew near, that William drew me aside, and told the story of what happened on Mars. And only then could I understand the reasoning behind what I had seen, that summer of 2261; how my husband, so full of belief in himself and what he did, could return, his eyes haunted by something he refused to tell me of, something that *all* those who followed him to Mars likewise kept silent about. It was terrifying, it was manipulation on the grandest scale, and the worst thing about the entire situation is that, to this date, I do *not* know if Bester did not do likewise to me. Because we were both there, that day, so long ago, on a lost world, in another age; back where it all began..." - From "Annontated Notes on the Last War of the Shadow" as published by Jennifer Westcastle in the Earth Year 2290, under her maiden name * * * Log of Anla'shok Lakotal Julia Tikopai; July 22nd, 2261. I am in a quandary; a quandary I do not know HOW to escape from. But if I am to resolve this conflict, perhaps it is best to go over things as they *were*... During my moment in communion with the Great Machine, it showed me a vision of two Minbari warriors, one old and wise, the other young and eager, and the burial of the Elder's warrior pike, a task commanded, or so it seemed to me, by Valen *himeself*. The Elder had spoken of 'another' who would come to learn of the location for that weapon, in the years to come, and become the next owner as a result of that knowledge. More frightening, in my opinion, the knowledge that the pike is, in part, meant to guide that owner into an unknowable, and possibly dangerous future; a future in which that owner would be placed in repeated, and perilous danger. And most terrifying of all, it seems certain that the 'owner' the elder referred to is almost certainly *me*. This, I could not tell Jennifer and Marcus, when they came back down from the station to pick me up, thirty six hours after my arrival in the Great Machine. Draal was unhappy to see me go so soon, but Zathras explained the situation, in that peculiar fashion of his, and the reasoning was prudent... "She feels the CALL..." he said; "Call of design, call of destiny, call of fate; this all Zathras forsaw, and told you, Draal, Zathras did, many things, this included. *She* must go, follow the call, fulfill what must *be*." Jennifer, of course, was astute enough to see something in my eyes, and later on, cornered me on the matter. And for the first time in our relationship, I was forced to keep something important from her. I *have* to, there doesn't seem any other option, for if the Council finds out about this, they would almost *certainly* not let me keep the pike, even if I *am* lucky enough to find it. And now, I come back to the quandary part; it also seems certain that the pike is buried somewhere on Minbar, and the impression I received was that the cave in the vision was *somewhere* beneath Tuzanor. But Minbar is currently embroiled in a civil war between the castes, and our Entil'zha has thrust herself into the heart of this conflict. As a result, many of the Rangers on the station and in the White Star Fleet are quite unhappy at the moment. I am *beyond* unhappy, however; I think the Great Machine *did* something to me, somehow; for the need to begin the hunt for this lost treasure grows in me, day by day, and the time may soon come where that need will overcome better judgement... * * * Mars... With eyes narrow, William cast his gaze up to the dome overhead as he, Colvhar and Talion made their way into one of the residential wings, and then, to the security and Nightwatch noncoms that were, as in all domes and settlements 'liberated' by the forces of President Clark, on overly active patrol since Mars had attempted to secede from the Alliance the previous year. Luckily, the covers they had constructed for themselves had passed easily, thus far; Captain Tikopai's crew had arranged to load some processed ores and strange ices into the cargo hold of the small freighter they had piloted in from Jovian space, and using the credit from those resources, the three Rangers had faded, quite invisibly, into one of the darker cracks of Martian Society. The three paused at the entry to a residence, and Talion, with seeming long practice, brought his knuckle up to the door, and rapped out a short, complicated drum code on the door. The door opened a crack, revealing a suspicious eye, and then all the way... "I honestly never believed that I would see you again, brother..." the tall, slightly stocky, blonde haired man in the door declared, a smile on his face. "Between your departure for Minbar, and then Earthgov trying its damndest to nail the coffin lid shut over the entire planet...." "We have our ways..." Talion replied, and then the two brothers briefly embraced, before everyone moved into the residence, and the door was well secured. "Let me introduce you; Shiane, these are my good friends Colvhar and William...gentlemen, this is my brother, Shiane Quintara." "Ah..." Shiane declared, his gaze suddenly sneaky. "It is indeed an honour to finally meet the esteemed commander of the White Star Fleet himself." William and Colvhar exchanged a long, curious glance, before returning their gaze to meet Talion's waiting smile. "No need to be confused, sir; my brother and I have, through the work of the few contacts brave enough to reenter Earthspace after the establishment of Martial Law, resumed contact in the last six months. Shiane knows *most* of what happened outside Earth system in the last year..." "And a right astonishing tale it is..." Shiane resumed. "But let me come straight to the point, Sha'vei William Westcastle, since this is your quest and rescue mission, and my brother and your other companion seem to just be along for the ride, so to speak. A number of days ago, a group of Psi Corp officers passed through a nearby transfer point on their way to the base in Syria Planum; fairly nearby, as I'm sure you understand, we see a great many telepaths around here because of that very reason. However, Talion managed to pass on the description of the Ranger you're searching for; their prisoner and your missing Ranger are one and the same." "Then let me come straight to the point..." William declared, his gaze firm. "You are quite right in your assumption of our presence here; the goal of the mission is to, if possible, break into this base at Syria Planum, locate Brianna Tolmanes, and depart with all expediency. The rebel units within Earthforce are, to a certain degree, working coincident with this operation; if all goes well, we will be away from Mars before the Psi Corp knows what's happened to it." "If 'all goes well' is the key here, I'm afraid..." Shiane replied, somewhat regretfully. "That base is one of their most critical nervepoints, and most of the time, they keep it locked up, stock and barrel. *However*, that does NOT mean it is impervious to covert infiltration." "Oh?" "The Martian Resistance has, during its investigations of the facilities all over Mars, mapped out as much of the Martian underground tunnel networks as is possible; and as far as we've been able to determine, since an experimental electronic surveillance AI one of our techs developed was, to our great surprise, able to break into fringes of their network recently, the young Ranger telepath you search for is being kept in a small residential dome near the edge of the Syria Planum base. Beneath this dome is an abandoned tunnel leading to a buried bunker of sorts about six kilometers to the south. We're *guessing* dates from when the Psi Corp built the base...there may be very few that know about it, even among the telepaths." "I find this suspicious, sir..." Colvhar put in, his expression forbidding. "Suspicious *indeed*..." "I understand your concerns, Colvhar..." William replied, "But it seems highly unlikely that the Psi Corp would be interested in setting bait, in this case Brianna. Their mode of operation is more likely to be focussed on breaking her loyalties to the Rangers, and to Valen's Name; but she's strong, Colvhar... they may have great difficulty doing that. And as a result, I'm going to assume we'll have the element of surprise on our side." "But once they know we're there, sir, we're going to have to move *very* quickly." "Agreed..." Shiane concluded. "And that is where the Resistance comes into the equation..." * * * Syria Planum Base... It was, according to the room chronometer, 17:00 Earth Standard Time (not that this matched up with the current position of the sun in the sky, by any means) , and as such, she turned her attention away from the ISN feed, and rose to approach the door. The three meals she received each day in this prison came like clockwork, and admittedly, she *was* hungry. She HAD been ready for every meal since she had pulled that trick with the young telepath, two days ago. And then, to her astonishment, the door opened, and Bester entered, carrying two glasses accompanied by a pitcher of what appeared to be juice of some kind, with another telepath behind, carrying a tray with two meals on it. She rose to her feet angrily, but came to a halt as the Psi Cop set the two cups down on the dining table, and raised a finger, smiled, and shook his head. "Good afternoon, Miss Tolmanes. If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from leaping at me *just yet*. You see, it is the dinner hour, and the matters we have to discuss are best discussed calmly, over a good meal; and for Mars, I assure you, this *is* a good meal, certainly better then those your jailers have been feeding you just lately..." "Is this a peace offering I see, Mr. Bester? Because if it is, you're going to have to argue long and hard to prove your case." "But of course." With a gesture, Bester indicated the seat, and Brianna took it suspiciously, watching as the other telepath poured her a drink, and then one for himself, before sitting down and commencing to eat his meal. After a pause, she did the same; it didn't seem likely, this time, that the meal would be drugged, and that, to no great surprise, ended up being exactly the case. After a time, Bester laid down his knife, and began to speak again. "Now that we've eaten, there is a matter we need to discuss; a quite critical matter, I'm afraid. As we both know, and from the clues I arranged to let drop to certain members of the local planetary Resistance, as well as allowing a, shall we say, primitive Artificial Intelligence to enter our system, three members of your Ranger organization have recently arrived on Mars, and after a short time, were able to determine your location; they are, as we speak, planning a strike against this facility...the goal, as you no doubt realize, to free you, and escape back towards Babylon 5." "That you know this is about to occur only serves to reinforce my opinion of the situation, Mr. Bester; you've drawn William in, and now you wish to trap him, for reasons I have not been able to determine. Why shouldn't I warn him that it's a trap, the instant they arrive?" Bester sighed melodramatically. "I assure you, Miss Tolmanes, that would not be in your best interests. You see, while all you say is true, there is an option I think you must take, an option that will, in due course, allow both you *and* your rescuers to leave this place, and if you wish, return to Babylon 5." "I don't know you well, yet, but I've always been able to smell CONDITIONS coming from a light year away." "Just so; but as things stand, it's either that, or a return to what you endured upon your arrival here; in my opinion, this outcome is far more pleasant." "We'll see; state your terms." "The terms are simple, and to the point. Since we know that a Ranger team, among them your commander, William Westcastle, are coming here to rescue you, we could, quite simply, arrange to kill them all, and thereby forbid your escape. However..." A sick horror had filled her at Bester's words, and what he clearly intended. "You bastard...that's blackmail!" "Some would define it so, yes; now, do you want them to live, or die? It's your choice." The next moment seemed to be the longest in her life; how *dare* he place this decision upon her? But there seemed very little choice in the matter; if she said no, then Bester could quite easily arrange to have William and his team destroyed, long before they reached her. She sighed, and met Bester's mocking smile. "Live." "Excellent; I *knew* you would see my side, in the end. Very well, this, then, is the way things must be. While your rescuers *will* be allowed to reach you, I must, for the sake of appearances, arrange to have them briefly captured, for I heard a great many things about William Westcastle's adventures in recent years; I should like to meet him again." "What do you mean, *again*??" "Didn't he tell you??" Bester inquired. "A long time ago, back at the beginning of this whole business, Westcastle and I crossed paths on a world now destroyed; ask his wife when next you see her, Miss Tolmanes...she will be able to prove my claim." "I *see*; and what, then?" "The guards I have placed at the supposedly 'secret' tunnel your friends will use to reach this place will be strategically withdrawn from their positions, and I will arrange to have the local forces withdrawn to meet a pressing emergency that will, at the time, be developing. However, there is one other, small condition..." "Which is?" This, she suspected, was the key one, despite Bester's wording. "I give you only to the end of next year, Miss Tolmanes, to wrap up your affairs with the Rangers. I do not care how you do this, only that it must be so; I will have you as a member of the Psi Corp, and nothing else. And, I must have your word on this, here and now, or, I'm afraid, I will be forced to take back my word, in reference to the continued survival of your friends." And so, that was what it came down to; either she left the Rangers for good, and all of her friends, or William and his team would die, at Bester's hands. But what choice *was* there? She couldn't bear to allow those murders to happen, and she couldn't kill *herself*, either; neither Bester *or* the Vorlon programming still within her would allow that to happen. "I'm waiting, Miss Tolmanes..." It hurt; *terribly*, but what choice was there? She nodded, dejectedly. "If the price I pay...is the continued survival of the man who saved my life, when no other could, then that is a price I *must* pay, Mr. Bester; you knew I could make no other choice, didn't you? Bester merely nodded. "As you said, at the end of December, 2262, I **will** part ways with the Rangers, in a manner of my choosing, and come to you, as a (say it, so he may live) LOYAL servant of the Corp; this I swear. For I cannot allow the man who saved me, the man named Rimstalker, to be murdered in cold blood...I simply cannot." Bester rose, and nodded, his sympathy blatantly false. "I'm sorry it had to be this way...Brianna, truly sorry. But the Corp is Mother, and the Corp is Father, and I am the Corp's loyal servant, in all things. The deals I make, I make for the sake of the Corp, and while I'm certain it will be difficult for you, at first, I'm sure you'll manage; the alternatives are, as you've indicated, not ones you wish to take. Good evening to you, then, Miss Tolmanes; we'll see each other again once more, before you leave, and then...well, I look forward to seeing you, at the end of next year." Bester opened the door, and smiled at her one last time. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you." And then he was gone, leaving her to her sorrow. So callous he was, and also the universe, to place this weight upon her. A bitter pill to swallow. So bitter. * * * Hyperspace... The rippling black and red clouds of hyperspace parted, revealing a single Hyperion class heavy cruiser; not that this was anything remarkable, indeed, this particular cruiser, CASCADE, was well on its way back towards the heart of Earthspace, after a particularly long patrol out beyond the Alliance Mid-range colonies. What *was* unusual was the approach of another capital ship out of the ruddy darkness, a destroyer; in different circumstances, this might have been seen as an attack, but no alarm was sounded as the much larger starship fell in beside the CASCADE. After a short time, a shuttle emerged from the belly of the cruiser, and made its way over to the destroyer... * * * "You know..." Captain Adam Paradis declared, his expression secretive and amused. "If the Chiefs of Staff knew we were having this meeting, I and my exec would likely be shot on sight." Bethany nodded solemnly. "No doubt you would, Adam; but I'm glad to see you've turned to our side, even though I won't, and can't, expect your mutiny from the Loyalist camp, not yet, anyways." "I beg...your pardon?" "Let me explain, Adam, and this is more of a favour then I would ordinarily ask of a friend, but hear me out. A short time ago, an associate of mine took a small team to Marsspace to rescue a comrade of his. Three days from now, they are going to be ready to escape; I *need* a ship to be there when that happens, and I *will* give you the code you'll need to respond to their pickup code, and the appropriate frequency to listen and transmit on." Paradis nodded. "I see; you would, if you could, take the NIOBE into Mars orbit...but you can't, not yet, anyway. No worries, Bethany; the crew of the CASCADE have been waiting to mutiny from under Clark's heel for some time now...the least we can do is carry out this favour for you, before we jump." "Thank you, Adam!...you have no idea how much this means to me." "Well, Bethany...I'm sure I'll find a way for you to pay me back in due course...say, after Clark is booted out." Bethany sighed. "I'll add you to the list." * * * Beneath the sands of Mars... Well before they had reached the tube transfer point closest to the Syria Planum Base, Shiane had taken them out into a small, local station, and, after contacting the local member of the Resistance, had arranged to 'hire' a surface vehicle. For hours, then, they had crawled across the surface of Mars, thorough a day and into a night, and well into the next day, before they had arrived at a barely seen door in the side of a hill, into which they had travelled. Within, the air was stale, and dank, not surprising for a bunker/tunnel combination abandoned for what was probably decades. Breaking out lights, they had began to walk; and now, *at last*, they were drawing near to their final destination. William placed one hand against the door, as Shiane inserted a codepicking device into the door lock. "I'm going to ask you again, Shiane; you're *sure* that what you're doing won't raise any alarms?" Talion cast him a single, disgusted glance, while the elder Quintara chuckled, and continue to pick the lock. "I've been doing this for a very long time, William; as near as I can determine, as soon as we're through this door, we should, if the information we have is accurate, be able to come out into the dome with a great deal of surprise. And if the AI did the job we asked it to, then our task will only be easier." "You'd better hope there aren't any high-powered telepaths out there..." Colvhar tersely inserted. "If there are, they could almost make us shoot *ourselves*, instead of them." "We'll have to take that chance." William replied. "I've come this far, I'm not about to give up now. And once we reach Brianna, there's a fair chance she'll be able to protect us, somewhat..." At that, the door clicked open, and without another word, the small party of Rangers and Resistance moved through, and into the vestibule beyond. Soon enough, they came to a ladder heading upwards, and slowly, and without sound, they ascended, one by one, Talion first. The young Ranger quickly ran a microwelder around the sealed manhole at the top of the ladder, and stuck his head out into an astonishingly quiet hallway. Even more astonishingly, the lights were flickering intermittently, and the shrill whine of a siren was sounding in the distance. Shiane stuck his head out behind his brother, and grinned, before whispering, "I told you it would work; the AI raised a false alarm; *most* of the guards should be gone. *And*, it seems that the dome's surveillance system is down, as well." "Right." With no sound, the team moved down the hallway, their senses at full alert. Hardly any of the rooms they passed were occupied, but there were a fair number, none the less. And then, they paused, as a guard passed; a low powered telepath, but one, never the less. In the Psi Corp, it seemed that the truly low powered ratings got the 'grunt' jobs. And as long as they were silent... With a single motion, William strode up, and wrapped a choke hold around the guard's neck, who grunted in surprise. "Now..." he whispered in the guard's ear, "I'm going to guess that you're the only guard left in this dome, since the rest were called away suddenly, to deal with a supposed Resistance 'attack' nearby; unfortunately, as I have to inform you, there is no such attack." "You won't...get away with this." the guard grunted. "I'm afraid that we will; your *friends* are too far away to warn, and I'm guessing that you're only a P3 or P4 at the most; certainly a member of the Corp, but ah well, we're not here to talk to you. You're going to take us to a room...a room that contains a friend of ours." The guard laughed. "So...you're Rangers, are you? We've been expecting an attempt like this; but I must admit, we weren't expecting you to call our bluff like that. How DID you manage to pass that false report our way?" "That's for us to know, and you to guess at; for right now, though, talking's over; my friend there is holding a rather light and very deadly weapon in the palm of his hand, and it might just spring open by mistake, and break several of your ribs, for starters, if you start being obstinate; for now, take us to Brianna Tolmanes." "I think not." William sighed, and with a single movement, Colvhar opened his pike, and knocked the guard unconscious; this was a state that would, all being well, last for at least fifteen minutes. Then, the team was on the move yet again, and soon enough, they found the guard station. Shiane spent all of three minutes breaking into the room database, and several minutes after that, the lockpick was working on the door that lead, all being well, to Brianna. After a short time, the lock fell to Shiane's attentions, and the door sprang open, revealing darkness within. With step light, the three Rangers stepped into the quarters behind him, and halted; for it appeared there was no one within! "Where is she?" Talion whispered, his eyes wide. To come so far, now would they face this fate, to find their information false? Not quite, but the reality wasn't pleasant, either, as the lights in the quarters suddenly sprang to full intensity, and the four men came swiftly together, their hearts pumping. "Did you call up the lights?" Colvhar demanded. Everyone shook their heads. "In Valen's Name!...if none of us did, then *who*?" "I'm afraid, gentlemen, that the answer to that question will not be one you will enjoy." a voice announced, and William grimaced...he *knew* that voice. All around them, men and women flickered into view, dressed in black and gray, their gazes mocking and sinister, and at the heart of the congregation, Brianna stood, together with a short, dark haired man, the source of that voice. "Bester!" The Psi Cop bowed. "Swift as always, Mr. Westcastle; I see that time has not slowed your reflexes, any. Unfortunately, you are mundanes, and in a room full of telepaths, the outcome, well, I'm afraid, was decided long before you entered this dome." William closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth; they had taken the chance, and hoped that the AI Shiane's accomplice had put into the network would have done its job, and that the tunnel was *indeed* forgotten. Neither of these seemed to be the case, however. "You have me at a disadvantage, Mr. Bester; a quite serious one. Your move." "Quite true, I'm afraid..." Bester gestured, and all too quickly, the group of harsh faced telepaths surrounded them. "Just out of interest, exactly *how* did you pull that trick off?" Bester shrugged. "A simple task; my telepaths merely worked together to convince you and your comrades that none of us were here; you looked past us, and saw the room beyond; in your mind's eye, we weren't here at all...until I decided otherwise." "I *see*; so now, the trap is sprung...what do you intend?" "I can be merciful, Mr. Westcastle, merciful indeed, for I have very little time, and a great many places to be in the near future, so let me be brief. Miss Tolmanes's destiny is no longer with your Rangers, but with the Corp; she is a telepath, and due to certain intervention by other parties, a rather strong one. This is a resource we cannot ignore, and as such, here she will remain, until she makes the correct choice." William met Brianna's gaze, and saw the darkness there; she nodded, and his heart sank. "It's so *hard*, William, to resist them, and everyday, it gets harder; you shouldn't have come." "And as such..." Bester concluded, his smile triumphant, "I invite you to turn away, and leave this place. One chance, and one chance only will I give, and if you decline, then dear Miss Tolmanes will, unfortunately, be present to witness your deaths, here and now." "Please, William..." Brianna begged, her eyes full of something he could not read. "I'm glad you made the attempt, but Bester knew you were coming long before you started. Leave, now, while you still have the chance!" William cast his gaze across the waiting group of Psi Corp telepaths, and sighed. Impossible odds...if they tried to fight, it would, in all likelihood, be over in an instant. "I...I'm sorry, Brianna; I had to try and rescue you, after the history we've had..." Brianna nodded regretfully. "I know, and I do thank you for trying, William, but there comes a time when life is more important then going out on the line, and this is one of those times. I'm asking you again, to turn your back on me, and walk away. Go back to Jennifer, back to your life, back to the Fleet. *They* still need you, William; I won't let you waste your life on this." He briefly met the eyes of all those who had followed him here, and saw the hurt and dissapointment there. For the first time in as long as he could remember, the gamble had failed. But there had always been that chance, in all the things he had done, on all the roads he had travelled, and so, he turned back towards his friend, one last time, and bowed. "Farewell then, I bid you, in Valen's Name, my servant. And if I do not see you again in this life..." Brianna nodded, a small smile on her face. "I will see again, both of you, in the place where no shadows fall." At that, he spun on one heel, his companions falling in beside him, but as he had worried, that was not the end of it. The worst was, in fact, still to come. "Ah!" Bester sighed melodramatically. "How *touching*; but I suppose that I shouldn't have expected anything else from the Rangers; for you, it seems that even saying *goodbye* is a ceremony." He spun again, his face now black with anger. "You have blocked my path, telepath; but do not *PRESUME* to insult what I am!" "Presume?" Bester shot back, his tone amused. "And how should *that* be an insult, when YOU do not even know what it is that you *are*, and why you have done what you did?" "What?" "Please...let me explain. I will take you back in time to the last meeting we had together, on the world named Nighthawk, a world now destroyed, a time in which your judgement stood unclouded by all that which the Minbari imposed upon you. You remember that meeting, do you not?" He nodded angrily. "Yes, quite well; what, exactly, is your point?" "Well..." Bester replied, with a shrug, "I'm afraid, Mr. Westcastle, that I'm going to have to burst your balloon of self-confidence a little bit; you see, I've learned to be quite good at keeping things to myself, things that I don't think others should know. But from time to time, Mr. Westcastle, even *I* change my mind occasionally; this is ONE of those times. And since you're so interested in the truth, I've decided that's it's finally time, shall we say, that you learned the *rest* of the story of what happened that day. Now where shall I begin?" Bester mused. ***************************************************************************** To be continued... Next time: After Bester tells William something rather astonishing, a chance arises for the Rangers and their goal to make an escape; but will Brianna take the chance, and trust in the bargain that Bester and her have made? Meanwhile, as the Civil War on Minbar comes to its searing end, Julia convinces Jennifer that she should accompany the Ranger and his command, for they have been summoned to Minbar by Delenn herself. The reason for this, of course, she does not say...the first half of "Beliefs and Silver Fire" the next part of "Riders", coming soon. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, the Riders on the Storm, Part 14a Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 23:16:38 RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM PART 14 "BELIEFS AND SILVER FIRE" PHASE I OF II "You want to know why we fought, against the Alliance? Well, I guess I'll tell you why; we fought, not for the sake of fighting, but in the hope of creating a better future. Captain Sheridan gave us a chance to act, and I wasn't *about* to ignore that chance..." - Remarks attributed to the Martian Resistance leader known in some circles as 'Number One', after the declaration of Martian Independence, Nov 2261 * * * Mars; Syria Planum...Late July, 2261. Twilight had come to Mars, and with it, the promise of the icy night still to come. Above the bunker that another small group had entered, some hours before, a small group of watchers had congregated on a hillside, their vehicle concealed nearbym waiting for the signal that would tell them the time had come to act. Some among the party looked into the rose-pale twilight glow, to note the brilliant blue star of Earth, so far away. It had all begun there, but now...now, so *much* of the future could be possible, here... Rather abruptly, the leader of the group straightened, and turned to his comrades. No radio signal was used during the conversation, but none, of course, was *required*. A bitter smile crossed the leader's features, as he nodded. another commented, his tone bitter. the leader chided his underling sharply. As one, the group rose, and began to make their way down the hillside. The time was drawing near... * * * Syria Planum Base... At a gesture from Bester, most of the telepaths had left them; only four remained, their purpose clear; to ensure that Brianna did nothing unwise, *and* to keep the rest of his team in check. William gazed upon his friends and comrades bleakly, before they were taken into the other room; it was clear from the look in the eyes of Colvhar and the Quintara brothers, that they did not believe their chances for escaping cleanly from this were good; and he could not blame them; even among the Rangers, the aura of nastiness that followed Bester around was well known. And now, Bester had inferred that what he considered a firm, solid foundation, the life he had been following ever since his last encounter with the Psi Cop on Nighthawk, was, in some way, flawed. That all he believed was not *quite* what it seemed. And unfortuantely, he knew *exactly* what Bester was referring to. William cast his memories back, to a time before the Shadows, before the Rangers, before Z'ha'dum, back to a time of innocence, a time in which he and Jennifer had only begun to discover their love for one another. He could still remember Bester's words clearly, even though it had been almost three years now since they had last met... "My task here, and Ms. Salient's, is not to harm Lieutenant Commander Westcastle in any way, but instead to determine whether or not the accident that destroyed the EAS ATLANTA *was* an accident, or the beginnings of what could possibly be a serious threat to Alliance security. Mr. Westcastle's partial amnesia does not make this job any easier, and so, here we are..." At the time, Bester had intimated that he and his companion had only been there to make cursury 'surface' scans to determine whether any threat to the Alliance existed. But now, doubts arose; between Bester and his companion, Ms. Salient, both, of course, P12 ratings, there had certainly been enough telepathic power present to not only overwhelm his impressions of what had happened, but also, Jennifer's and Mariallah's, as well... Across from him, Bester grinned suddenly. "I see that you're running back over your impressions of what happened on Nighthawk; it won't help you, of course, since what you remember is not what actually happened that day..." He closed his eyes, and tightly held in check the emotions that threatened to escape his control; doubt, despair, and anger at what this *telepath* might have done. The Rangers had given him this control; his experiences in the war against the Shadows had tempered him, made of him what he was. He would hear Bester out; but he would hold off on belief, for the time being. "I've often wondered, myself, the entire story behind that visit you made, Mr. Bester; as you know, we were, ultimately, completely in the dark about what was still to come. I now have my suspicions that you did not entirely share that problem, however..." Bester nodded agreeably. "Perhaps that is so; we *knew* that the Shadows were out there, plotting, maneuvering within Earthgov. It seemed obvious that President Clark, who was, at the time, the second to President Santiago, had fallen in with agents of the Shadows, and there were indications that the Shadows were beginning to make inroads with the Corp, as well. As you might well guess, this could not be allowed, and yet, at the same time, I could not, myself, move as I might wish. It seemed more likely, however, that a number of Mundane officers in Earthforce, such as Captain Sheridan, and yourself, might, in due course, be placed in positions where moving against the Shadows and their plans could be possible, in ways that we of the Corp could not hope to emulate..." October 18th, 2258...Nighthawk Central, Medical Facility "We may now proceed with your plan, sir..." Salient announced, as Bester cast a glance between the Doctor and the young, red haired Earthforce Lieutenant, Clifford, both of whom were now staring, more or less vacantly, into nothingness, their brains