From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Notes on Endgame and Planetary alignments.... Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 23:13:06 Interlude: Planetary Alignments, and the 'error' in ENDGAME. While this is not a part of the RIMSTALKER, it DOES have bearing on the part to follow, and this 'technical' error has been a bee in my bonnet ever since ENDGAME aired. In this, my other interest as a amateur student of things astronomical comes into use. The item in question is the position of Earth relative to its Moon, and the relative phases and, additionally, WHICH part of Earth was facing the moon at the time in question. The description is based on the use of the REDSHIFT III astronomical software. 'FACTS'. 1. It was made very clear to us, via ISN, that the fleet following Captain John Sheridan jumped into Earth system at 1:45 Earth Standard Time, which jms has, elsewhere, identified as being equal, all things considered, to the Greenwich Mean or Universal Time of today's era. (So at the time, it was 1:45 am on the Island of Great Britain). 2. It is made equally clear that the Liberation Fleet jumped into Earthspace just over the North pole of the Moon, or perhaps just off to one side, given that the camera POV shifts around almost 180 degrees to look into the opening jump points. JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE RESULTS. 1. With today's precision and computer accuracy, one is able to determine that on the day and hour in question, North America WAS, in fact, facing the Moon at the time of jump out...but NOT in daylight! THE RESULTS THEMSELVES! 1. At the time, the waxing half phase moon is located in the constellation of Capricorn, more or less dead to the south at nightfall. Night has long since fallen on the East Coast...in fact, night is about to fall on the West Coast! It is 8:45 pm Eastern Standard Time in New York, and 5:45 pm Pacific Standard Time in Los Angeles. And, for completion, 2:45 am Local at Earthdome in Geneva. IE, President Clark *never* sees Sheridan's fleet jump into the system...the moon has long since set on that side of Earth. 2. In the fifth season, we were shown Londo gazing upwards in desperation at jump points opening in the skies above Centauri Prime; it is CLEAR from this that jump points can easily be seen in full daylight when close to the surface; at night, their appearance is VIVID! From the North American West Coast, in twilight, a dozen or more jump points opening around the moon at lunar radius would have been unmistakable. Anywhere else, they would have been impossible to ignore, for any watchers of the skies. 3. And one would HAVE to assume that the Resistance would have leaked out news that Sheridan's fleet was coming. They may not have known exactly WHEN the fleet was coming, only that the arrival was imminent. Finally, the billions of people living on Earth would probably have been VERY tuned to what jump points looked like, having been exposed to the hundreds and hundreds of points that opened at the Battle of the Line. 4. In summary, then, the next part of the RIMSTALKER will be, for all intents and purposes, astronomically accurate. 5. And this is what the citizens of Earth in the B5 universe, primarily the Americas to start with, WOULD have seen, that fiery night at the start of November, 2261. The rest of the battle...gets even MORE interesting. IE, if the whole fleet jumped in together, HOW and WHY was the AGAMEMNON all by itself, later in the same act? My thoughts on the answer to that question. Coming Soon. The Author From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker: Writer's comments Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 00:01:15 In THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS, the now starting final arc of my tale, the saga of the Rimstalker comes to a close, almost fourteen months after I first sat down to tell the story of how William Westcastle escaped from the wreck of the Earthforce dreadnought ATLANTA; something that spun off into something remarkable...the tale of how two people came together in love, fell prey to a destiny of remarkable proportions, and brought together the host of followers that would walk with them through the storm of the Great War. Just like in BABYLON 5, there were some things about the story that surprised even me...and some parts that wrote themselves. What follows is a review of my favorite moments from the story; I would more then appreciate it if you, the other members of the list, would care to write to me with what YOU may have enjoyed, or not, about the story. Writers cannot be writers if they cannot accept criticisms of their work. >From 2259...RIMSTALKER, DESTINY'S CALL. a) My initial thoughts on who "The three beneath the three" would be were William, Jennifer, and Walther Gideon. As you all know, this was NOT what happened in the end. About 3 chapters into DESTINY'S CALL, my muse clouted me on the side of the head, and the character of Brianna Tolmanes was born. Subsequently, Walther fell into darkness, and eventually death, at William's hands...and Brianna went on to become the third member of the triad, AND servant to Ulkeah, a.k.a. Dark Kosh. Funny how that all worked out. ALSO: One of my friends in Edmonton, upon learning the character name for the Captain of the Starship EXCALIBUR in CRUSADE, wryly noted that one of MY characters shared the same last name. It was all a coincidence, I ASSURE you. b) Jennifer's encounter with Durhan on Minbar, in Part 6 of DESTINY'S CALL. What is even MORE interesting about that one was that I wrote it at the University of Alberta...finished it up...and then, BEFORE I could post it, the system CRASHED. Which meant I then had to write it all over again, from memory. c) Sebastian coming to question Jennifer's loyalty to her calling and to the Forces of Light, due to her former service beneath Walther Gideon. A nice touch...and in that one, I could ALMOST hear Wayne Alexander speaking the words, *imagine* the scenes as they might appear. Very neat. >From 2260...RIMSTALKER, DARK CIRCLE. d) A first person viewpoint of the dark day at Jupiter, after the declaration of Martial Law; Bethany Tikopai and her fleet, drawing the fire that could have destroyed the ALEXANDER, before General Hague and Major Ryan even had a chance to make their run. And in the next chapter, a fleet combat between Captain Tikopai and a certain Captain Elizabeth Lochley...while I also managed to introduce the character of her daughter, Julia Tikopai. And where Julia went, in the year and a half that followed, was almost the most astonishing part of the whole saga. e) Jennifer, Shival and others tracking down an escaped group of Nightwatch, just prior to B5's secession, and teaching them the REAL meaning of terror. f) Later on, on Minbar, William and Jennifer binding a contract between them, in the Minbari way, and afterwards, Sinclair passing to him the task of training the commanders of the White Star Fleet. g) Julia receiving a letter from Valen, which reaches her scant hours after the departure of Sinclair to Babylon 5 (War Without End), to meet his destiny and travel back in time on Babylon 4. This letter explains to her the reasons why Sinclair left, and what he had become, and, far more importantly, what he wanted *her* to become, for him. h) A view, like in DECONSTRUCTION OF FALLING STARS, into the future in jumps, to see how my creation, the Book of the Observer, comes to be. i) And...Walther and his dark companion kidnapping Jennifer during the Battle of Sector 83 (Shadow Dancing) which, of course, draws William to the dark city in Z'ha'dum right around the time that Sheridan arrives at the same spot in White Star One...sooner or later, there's always a BOOM... Now THAT was both one of the hardest things to write that I've ever done. It's never easy to do potentially nasty things to characters you have created, but sometimes, it's necessary. And that was, as I previously mentioned, written to the music of Z'HA'DUM, courtesy of Mr. Franke and his record company. In many places throughout the story, I have had Mr. Franke to thank for getting me in the proper moods to write the story as it went. >From 2261...RIMSTALKER, THE RIDERS ON THE STORM. j) Lorien coming to William in his dreams, and later on Babylon 5, to discuss matters of some importance to the Ranger. And, the reason Lorien's ship was able to gain entrance to B5 so easily... k) Sheridan's speech (The Summoning) from Julia's point of view, as she and a few other Rangers stand ready to protect Delenn, if Lennier failed at that task. Luckily for them, that wasn't necessary... l) What the strike of a Vorlon Planetkiller would have looked like...from Ground ZERO. In which the world on which the story began meets its maker. m) Ericsson's Sacrifice (The Long Night) from a quite DIFFERENT point of view; and then, the battle that ended the Shadow War from the POV of the CORIANNI! n) Bethany finally tracking down her daughter on Babylon 5, and hearing the full tale of what happened to her. The analysis of this info was, at the same time, funny and serious to write. o) The resolution of a hanging thread left from the start of the story, in which Mr. Bester makes a deal with Brianna to save William's life. The end result of that deal, of course, has yet to be determined... Over the next three weeks, THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS will resolve the threadlines of all my characters (more or less). And in closure, while all things must come to an end, even the RIMSTALKER... The story NEVER ends. Just look at JMS, and you may understand *some* of the meaning behind the preceding sentence. Stay tuned... David Goldingay Edmonton, Alberta; November 4th, 1998 From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in the Darkness, Part 1 Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 00:40:32 Writer's Note: In the nine parts that make up this final arc, and the epilogue that will follow, the fates of my characters to the end of the Earth Year 2262 are revealed. ...and, in some cases, beyond. This will, of course, mark the passing of the Companions who assembled around William Westcastle...his "Riders on the Storm.", if you will. But as we are now seeing in the final five episodes of BABYLON 5, the Storm is now gone, and their lives beckon them onwards, towards the end of the tale... RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 1 "EMBERS" **"Things fall apart...the center cannot hold..."** * * * Tuzanor, Minbar; October, 2315. "We're nearly there, aren't we?" Andrea Walken asked, as beside him, the figure that had become his life over the last few months, her silver and raven hair swept back in the breeze, turned to him, and nodded, with a smile. "Such an incredible tale it has been. You revealed some of it in your written works, but not all." His companion laughed; a shimmery sound, beneath the brilliant Minbari sun. "That was entirely the point, Andreas. There were certain things, when I wrote those works for the people of Earth, that needed to be told, that needed to be revealed. But we humans, are, more or less, not interested in following an intricate tale such as the one I have been telling you...it takes a *very* special breed to follow things through to the end; a very special breed indeed. And as such, the details were hidden from them; kept safe, until the time was *right* for the One who Listened to come to me..." Walken nodded. "Me." "Exactly. But a promise was made to you, Andreas, and the promise will be kept. I'm not sure, now, what William would have made of this telling of his life's story, what *any* of them would have thought...but it's too late for regrets, now...too late to go back. So many years, I've lost...I'm the last one left, now. What would he...what would *any* of them have thought of these meetings, these tellings?" Walken thought for a moment, and then said, "I'm quite sure he would have be pleased that in the end, the story of his life, and of his Companions, was finally told, the way it *should* have been. It is a honour to his memory, a honour to them all, that the story was finally told..." "Ah, but you jump ahead of yourself again, Andreas...a fallacy I shared when in my youth, as I walked with legends, beside William, beside Jennifer, beneath the footsteps of giants, in the sight of Sheridan and all who followed him. The story...isn't quite finished yet..." Walken nodded intently, and moved to follow her, into the violet-tinged shadows within the tower. "No; this was easy to see, of course. When last we talked, the Companions of William Westcastle were rejoicing in the final victory over the forces of Clark; the event that marked the end of the Great War. But as we learn from the histories of Sheridan and Mollari, there was almost another full year before Sheridan and *his* Companions parted their ways, and left Babylon 5 behind, to its destiny..." "Precisely. And as if to echo them, William and all those who followed him...and those he had touched, followed their own course beneath those bright, disparate lights. The greatest actions of their lives were behind them, but it would be unfair of me to leave out the closing chapter." Andreas Walken took his seat, made ready to write, to Observe...as was his calling, and replied, "Ah; for in all stories, as I have learned, from the greatest to the least, from Sheridan's, to Mollari's...and yours, there is a beginning, a middle and a end. I have learned of the Rimstalker's beginnings, I have learned of his triumphant ascension to command the First White Star Fleet...but what of his fate, and all those who followed him?" "Indeed, Andreas...indeed." came the whispered reply, as the smile his companion had worn before passed into an expression of lost years and lost joys. "But understand this well; before you learn and understand those fates, I take you to a moment of shadows reborn, but not in the way you have understood the term. A moment of transition, in a life of wonder; an ending, but in that ending, a new beginning could also be seen..." * * * Tuzanor, Minbar. December 27, 2262; just after midnight, local time. Hours before, they had left her alone, on the stones, knelt towards the mountains, knelt in meditation as the man and woman who meant so much to her had done in this place, almost four years before. Her eyes glistened as she remembered...how a man and a woman of Earth, bound by their love for one another and called to this place by destiny and prophecy, had moved on to do what they had done, in the name of Light, in the name of their commanders, in the name of Valen. How history remembered those actions would probably be dependent on how well she wrote of them, and the words Jennifer was even *now* setting down, as well. But that would be the telling of a lifetime's work; that task stood ahead of her, until the end of her days, the telling, and the writing, would be finished when she *felt* the time was right.. That time was not yet. For now, it seemed impossible that she would be able to decide *when* the time would be right...but she WOULD know. *Eventually*, something would give her a sign that the time was right. But not yet; for now, there were other, *greater* concerns, beyond her calling of Observance. For now, on this, her last night on this journey of Learning she had followed since William had rescued her on Proxima III, there was still time to look back on it all, one last time, before she rose at the dawn, to receive her second sigil. Which of the two she would wear, after tomorrow, was the more important? Only time would tell. She shook her head in irritation; so tired she was already, but the night was far from over; the stars overhead, the patterns she had come to recognize in the skies of one of the few places she could call *home*, told her there were at least six hours to go until dawn. She gritted her teeth silently, and settled herself back down into peacefulness. The walk through *this* darkness would be a difficult one, but necessary. One of the things that Turval, Tharvonn and others had drilled into her was that until you could understand where you had been, you would not be able to respond well to what still laid ahead, in life, and in her calling as a Ranger. She smiled at that thought, but then, the smile faded. The past two months had seen the ending of a great thing; while the understanding was there as to *why*, that did not mean there was no sadness. On the *contrary*...it was well known that humans, among other races, yearned for stability; for a thing of happiness and enjoyment to live on forever. But that way lay stasis; life did not allow such situations to remain forever. Life went on. And so, while the force that had come together to fight the Great Darkness had hung on for a time, now, the currents of life had taken hold of those Companions, heroes all, and drawn them away to newer destinies. She wiped away the single tear that had fallen onto her cheek. How silly she was being; it wasn't as *if* she wouldn't see them again, after all, even though so many of them had gone their separate ways, to follow their callings. In her travels, in the years to come, she would see them, meet them, learn of their adventures, and, undoubtedly, write of them in the times to come. But at the same time, it seemed that a great thing had passed; a thing that none now alive would ever see again. The wind blew against her dense cloak, and she shivered; to think back to the end of the previous year was to understand *some* of why, and how, it had all begun to come apart. After the end of the tumultous civil war that, in the end, had ousted President Clark and created the new Alliance, she had walked with William and Jennie for a time, among the stars, on the White Star Four. Seen things she could never have dreamt of; stars being born, great planets of fire and gas, terrible flares as gas spiraled down to the event horizon of a black hole. All these things she had seen, during the time when the President and the Entil'zha had taken White Star Five on their honeymoon...in the time William had taken them out beyond the Rim, for no other reason except *because* they could. "Take my ship..." she could remember William asking the President, before they had left. "It's only right that you should have the first that now is." The President, of course, firmly backed up by Delenn, his new wife, had refused, making a very valid point. "William..." the President had reminded him, his smile knowing, "Our commands become us, and we become our commands, until sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference between the two. You'll know when the time is right for you to move on...that time's not yet, though. You and *your* wife have done so much for us, it's only right that we should all be happy...at least for a little while. Keep your White Star...we'll do just fine with another." And so, they went their way, and we went our way. And for a little while, around Christmas, all the friends they knew, near and far, came together to celebrate the holiday...even G'kael, from far away Narn, came to Babylon 5, at the year's turning, because he knew how much the holiday meant to his friends. That season was a briliant one, as the station, newly reopened to traffic from Earth now that Clark was gone, enjoyed its new-found bounty. For a while at least, peace lay across the galaxy far and wide, and the guns of war had fallen silent. And as the Earth Year 2261 became the Earth Year 2262, William discovered, to his astonishment and joy, that his wife was with child. In September, two new lives, two new *Westcastles*, would enter the galaxy their father and mother had helped to create. And in that moment of peace and joy at the Year's turnover, we could congratulate them, and be content. She shook her head, and tried not to cry. So ephemeral that moment had been. In the year between then and now, so much had changed, so much had passed on, never to be seen again. The embers of what had been was all that remained. And yet, at the same time, she found that she had to grudgingly accept that all the fates they had met had been part and parcel of the lives they had followed in the battle against the Darkness. They had *made* the future for what it was, for better or for worse...now, they had to live in that future. William and Jennifer, and their children, had found their new life together, and would follow their tasks with pride, until the end, in the name of the Entil'zha and her husband, the President, and Shival and all his people would do the same on Babylon 5, for as long as it remained. Tashann and Talion would do well, out there...and in time, she might see them again, who knew where she would go now, after her Ceremony? G'kael would be on Narn...that was an easy enough place to find!...and Larieken, Larieken had all but promised he would never leave her. Her mother, and Deitrich, of course, were also out among the stars...a little harder to find, but not impossible, and she and her mother had *promised* their promises to one another. So many tasks, so much pride...so why was it she still felt so much sadness? Brianna, of course...there was always the matter of Brianna; a matter never far from her mind, with the growing telepath crisis showing that around every corner, there was always another kind of darkness. Sooner or later, they would have to deal with her, and the master she now unwillingly served. But that time was not yet...and not now. For now, she supposed it was time for her to go back over how it had all changed, in the end; how the cadre William had built had gone their seperate ways; indeed, how William and Jennifer, themselves, had seen the need to give up their own cherished tasks, for another. An ending...and a new beginning, the past year had been. Not just for them. *Never* just for them. * * * To be continued... **************************************************************************** ******** Next time: In "Witch and Warlock", Part 2 of "The Walkers in the Darkness", the fate of Captain Bethany Tikopai and her executive officer, the ever loyal Deitrich Alwhin, is revealed. Coming soon. From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in the Darkness, Part 2a Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 00:26:13 Writer's Note: Once again, in this chapter, I have decided to fringe over into Wandering Star" territory, with the permission of the author of that tale. This time, a bit of impressionism and reflections on 'the rest of what might be'...until jms reveals his own thoughts on the Warlock Class. Regardless of the above, Mr. Barringer had already sent his respects in my direction, and I have *more* then respected his series in turn...it is excellent, and I look forward to what yet lays ahead in that saga, even as I move towards the end of mine. DGG RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 2 "WITCH AND WARLOCK" PHASE I OF II **"If we had all been living in an ideal world, then the amnesty that President Luchenko and then-Captain Sheridan worked out at the end of the war would have given everyone what they wanted; but ideologies never equal reality, and hates sometimes follow you to the end of your days. And in the corridors of power, those who sought revenge got what they wanted, even if the methods were subtle. But in the end, after the dust had settled, most everybody admitted, if not in public, that maybe some of us managed to have the last laugh, after all..." Captain Bethany Tikopai(ret), as quoted in Michelle Yanwar's "Hopelessless and Despair: Rebels, Generals and Prophets, 2258-2269" * * * Jupiter orbit...the Earthforce fleet yards; the last week of January, 2262. Not so many days after the departure of the first vessel of the Warlock class, a vessel that had moved away on a long trail of fusion fire, hull black against the night that had given it birth, a jump point opened, and a ship that was all but twin to the one that had recently departed passed through that hole, but different, just the same... A field trial had just finished; a field trial that *everyone* in the Earth Alliance was supposed to know about. As far as ISN and certain other news agencies understood, this arrival was *only the second* of the new Warlock Class destroyers, just returned from field trial; a class that repesented a quantum leap over the older Omega Class...but while bigger and more powerful, it was made clear to those agencies that the Warlock Class was still, after all, a ship of Earth... And yet, the first thing that almost everyone commented on was the distinctive *colour* of this destroyer...or rather, the lack of colour. And the response they received was one that seemed to make sense; think of what we have just been through, ladies and gentlemen, thew were told...wars in which our older, more visible, weaker warships were the ones to die first. In these times, the ships of Earthforce must be harder to kill, not easier. More defendable...not less. And if those ships cannot be seen, if they are stealthy enough to do the job that must be done, then we will have succeeded in our mission, the only mission that matters. A great many heard these words, and nodded thoughtfully; at the same time, the newshounds were also consistently reminded that the first Warlock Class destroyer, SAINT-GERMAIN, presently under the command of Captain Susan Ivanova, had already departed towards the Rim, and would not be heard from for some time...a few years, at the very least. Certain *other* powers in Earthgov knew better, of course; and while the news agencies found it a bit strange that this was the first Warlock Class ship to appear in the media, they didn't push too hard. After the nightmares they had endured during Clark's reign, this was a trait that had been almost bred out of them. Onboard the new arrival, the hundreds of engineers, technicians and other personnel made their final reports, and nodded solemnly to one another. They had succeeded in their aims; indeed, it *could* be said that while certain 'attributes' were missing from this capital ship, in the end, it wouldn't matter all that much. As long as the job got done, as long as Earth, and Earth's best interests, were protected, then they would have succeeded in their aims. Later on, they would talk with those of their comrades who had worked on Captain Ivanova's command, and what they said to one another seemed to share several similarities. That the Warlock Project was the biggest, most exciting thing they had ever worked on before. And that there was a VERY good reason that the *first* Warlock Class Destroyer had not appeared clearly on ISN. Or a handful of the others that might yet be. A very good reason *indeed*. * * * Earthforce Headquarters; Earthdome, Geneva; January 30th, 2262. East Wing, Level Seven. 1315 hrs, local time. Keeping her face carefully controlled, Bethany strode down the corridor towards the transport tube alone, her thoughts troubled, as she went back over what had brought her to this place, at this time. For almost three months now, the restored government had been busy cleaning away the wrack of Clark's dictatorship, and while on the surface, some on both sides of the war could be civil to one another, the rest were clearly *forcing* themselves to be pleasant to those who had fought on the other side. The complicated tangle of hates, reprisals and bitterness would take a long time to play out...but in her case, given that she had been the primary rebel fleet commander beneath John Sheridan during the final run to Earth, time had finally run out, so to speak; a doom delayed by her recent medical leave, but that doom was finally about to come home to her. In the last several hours, she had been forced to endure what had probably been the most direct attack against her career and choices that she had ever been forced to face in her life, not that this had been a surprise, by any means; but at the same time, a new hope, and a shocking turn of fate, had been revealed to her... * * * Less then ten minutes before... "Sir, if I may interject!..." "*Captain* Tikopai..." General Veyan Shatoku interjected, his expression stern, "You must understand, that in this case, we unforunately cannot listen to as many of your arguments as we would like; the interrogative questions you have answered for us reveal everything we need to know and understand about this situation." Her heart became cold. "I...see, sir." "Captain!...keep your responses civil, until you hear what we have to say to you! This board of inquiry has very little time to spend on this matter, due to the great number of destroyers and cruisers either heavily damaged or completely crippled during the civil war, and as such, we have arrived at a decision, regarding your situation." She stood then, her position formal, her chin high. "Then I am ready to hear it." Shatoku smiled briefly...if bitterly. "This board of inquiry has finished its deliberations regarding the loss of the Block Seventeen Omega Class Destroyer NIOBE, lost in combat while destroying Defense Platform A-Y 17 early on the morning of November 2nd, 2261, Earth Standard Time. Before you hear our decision, Captain, let me remind you that as per Earthforce law, the Captain of any Earthforce capital ship must nominally answer for the loss of that vessel, whether it be in rightful combat with an enemy of Earth, or, alternately, destroyed by just such an enemy. In either case, the capital ship's actions are determined by the will of its captain. Do you understand the meaning of those words?" "I do, sir." "Very well, then; the findings of this board can be summarized, as follows. One: In following the former Earthforce officer and Commander of Babylon 5, one-time Captain and now President of the Interstellar Alliance, John Sheridan, you, Captain, demonstrated willing cooperation with a noted conspiracy against what was, at the time, the rightful Earth government. Under normal circumstances, this action would have been considered treasonous!...but, the circumstances as noted are as far from normal as we could possibly imagine. In following Captain Sheridan to destroy the platforms orbiting Earth, you managed to prevent the deaths of billions of civilians at the hands of President Clark, who, upon realizing he could no longer control Earth, sought to destroy it, instead. Ironically enough, we find that you should be commended for your actions, Captain; but the matter of your stand against Earth must *still* be answered for, in whatever manner we, and in tandem, the Chiefs of Staff, deem appropriate. But to continue....Two: During combat with aforementioned Platform A-Y 17, the destroyer EAS NIOBE sustained critical and crippling damage to its engineering and fighter bay sections, forcing your executive officer, Commander Deitrich Alwhin, to detach the engineering section and move the habitat section to a safe distance before your command's fusion reactor could explode, and kill you and your crew. This action was performed with all due speed, at your order. The end result is thus noted: while the orders you gave ensured that the great cities of Asia survived President Clark's final rebutal, the serious damage your command suffered during the last battle for Earth required that the NIOBE be scrapped, sharing a fate that many other destroyers in Earthforce have faced, during this conflict. This has been a hard time for Earth and her fleet, Captain, a hard time indeed, and the decision of whether you should be blamed for the loss of your command was the hardest one we have *ever* had to make...and President Luchenko's guarentee of amnesty has not made the task any easier, I assure you!..but a decision was made, and it is *this*. Captain Bethany Tikopai...it is the decision of this board that through your orders, you are ultimately responsible for the loss of your command, the Earthforce Omega Class Destroyer NIOBE; and yet, we also find that the actions you performed as her captain were both right and honorable ones. As such, and due in part to the amnesty agreed to between Presidents Luchenko and Sheridan, the nominal dismissal from Earthforce, or worse, courtmartial normally assigned against a line officer such as yourself in situations like these, will be waived, at this time." "SIR?" What the *Hell*? General Shatoku nodded grimly. "Indeed, Captain. While we were not pleased that you lost your command, the actions you took in the name of that loss have, shall we say, saved what is left of your career." "Thank you, sir!" "Don't thank me just yet, Captain...at least not until you have heard what General Lefcourt has to say to you about your next assignment. Good day, Captain...you are dismissed. The General is waiting for you in his office." * * * 1330 hrs... Her heart pounding, Bethany paused before the entrance to what was, officially, the pinacle of authority in Earthforce. On this, the fifteenth and highest level of Earthforce Headquarters, here the Joint Chiefs of Staff could be found, when they weren't busy dealing with problems of state over in Senate Hall, or elsewhere. For now, however, the man she had been sent here to meet with *was* present, this she knew without question. General Lefcourt, the flag officer who had stood against her and John at Mars, and the same man who had later taken his command out of hyperspace to save the AGAMEMNON and all her crew from what would certainly have been a ship-destroying ramming action. With more or less sure step, although she *still* wasn't sure what it was she would find here, she went through the door, and as it clicked shut behind her, she quickly glanced around the wood-panelled rooms within, before settling on the figure of the officer standing at the edge of the reception area... Captain Erilyn Devaie, Lefcourt's aide-de-camp since the start of the New Year, and until then, commander of the destroyer PERSEUS, one of those that had suffered the attentions of a telepath during the battle in Mars orbit. She winced, and met Devaie's cool, near hateful gaze. "Captain Tikopai; you will forgive me if I do not congratulate you on surviving the board of inquiry on the loss of your destroyer. Unfortunately, I do not believe congratulations are in order, and even though we may both agree that your actions helped to remove the monster that Clark had become, I still do not agree with the stand that you and your former commander, John Sherdian, took against Earth. In addition, I will add, it seems to me that you have lived somewhat of a charmed life; as a rebel, you and all who *followed* you should have died, long before this moment. Perhaps, if you had, and Fate had looked the other way, we would not be having this meeting now, and my day...would have gone, how shall I put it?...far more smoothly. But that is, of course, *my* opinion, and does not reflect the opinions of other, stronger voices within the Force, such as the man I have been called upon to serve. In any case, General Lefcourt awaits you within." Quite wisely, she decided to refrain from responding to those remarks. Feelings continued to be strained between the two sides in Earthforce, and that would, all things considered, continue to be the case for some time yet. There were captains who had been courtmartialed and dismissed; captains who had been lucky enough to have their commands repaired in short order, and were even now back out on nominal patrol...and, captains, like herself, who through the luck of chance had found their commands shot out from under them. Some captains like her would have to wait for months, if not years, to receive their next command, and had found themselves relegated to desk jobs all across the Alliance. With resolute stride, she moved across the reception area, and into the inner sanctum of what was, most of the time, one of the most powerful man in Earthforce. What *her* fate would be, was about to be answered. "Captain..." General Lefcourt greeted her, his expression all too serious, after they had finished saluting one another, "Before we begin, let me say how much I regret what you just went through. Both you *and* Sheridan were brilliant understudies in your time; but life, and the choices we've made, guide us on to new and different destinies. Sheridan has found his, guiding this new Alliance of his; now, I'm afraid that it's finally time for you to face yours." She nodded firmly, taking the seat the General gestured to. "Of course, sir; I'm not ashamed of the actions I took to remove President Clark from power; what I needed to do, needed to be done. And yet, at the same time, my respect for you remains undiminished. You taught both me and the President what it was to be loyal members of Earthforce, and you saw fit to give help to the President and his final command when he needed it the most. As such, I come here today, hoping that whatever you have decided, whatever duty you feel I must perform, in the name of Earth, and her people, that there is every chance you will treat me with that same respect. The decision is yours, sir; I await it." Lefcourt sighed, and cast her an all-too frank gaze. "Never fails, does it? Both you and John Sheridan have always had a way with words; both your greatest accomplishment, and, at the same time, your greatest hindrance. "Sir?" While I do respect you, Captain, and much of what you did, both before the war, and during it, there are all too many people here in Earthdome who do not share that respect for you. They *know* you followed John Sheridan on his crusade; they *know* that in the beginning, you broke away from the rest of Earthforce in the name of General William Hague. They *know*, Captain, and because they know, if we keep you here, sooner or later, one of *them* will act to hurt you and what you represent. And because I respect you, and what you represent, I cannot allow the experience you have gained over the years to be wasted in such a manner. But at the same time, I must, unfortunately, say some of the same things to you that I was forced to say to newly promoted Captain Ivanova a month ago. There is a command waiting for you, out at the Jupiter yards; and while she's powerful enough to take on the task waiting for you, the other elements in government, the elements who would rather destroy you and all you represent, have to be, shall we say, bribed. They want you to fail, Captain, and if you dissapear or are killed on this mission, they won't be dissapointed. But I expect better from you then that, Captain; better results from someone I've invested a lot of time in over the years." Lefcourt opened a drawer in his desk, and drew out a small, thin, datafile player, and passed it into her waiting hand. "Those are your orders, Captain; and I do expect you to fulfill them, without question. And remember, if you do reject them, I might not be able to protect you from those who would like to destroy you." With breath slightly held, she ran through the files...and sighed deeply. It was certainly clear what was happening; most if not *all* of the officers who had served beneath John Sheridan during the civil war were becoming pariahs, of one sort or another. If they couldn't be destroyed, then they could be removed. And if they couldn't be removed, then what the Hell! Why not send them to the Rim, or beyond, and let the aliens destroy them? The implications...were clear. But she was *damned* if she would let implications rule her life. She never had before, and she wasn't about to start now. And as for her command...the just completed, second Warlock Class Destroyer EAS DE'MOLAY...an experimental, overpowered unknown. Second of its kind, behind the destroyer given to Captain Ivanova, back at the year's turnover; a ship even now vanished on its own, improbable, unknown mission, and harbinger of those yet to come. "These orders..." "Are part and parcel of the most difficult task you will have ever faced in your life." General Lefcourt replied, his smile grim. "The mission statement is to the point; certain elements within Earthforce and the government, including myself, were able to discover some of the things that happened while Earth was sealed away from the galaxy, tied by the strings of President Clark's dictatorship. That a war of apocalyptic proportions occurred between the Vorlons and another, equal or more powerful race; a war that President Sheridan and all who followed him at Babylon 5 were partially responsible for stopping..." "You knew?" she blurted out, before realizing what she was saying. "You *knew*, sir...and you did *nothing*?" "Captain, remember your place." the General warned her, a scowl on his face...and then, the General's expression cooled back down towards normalcy. "Yes, Captain, we suspected *some* things..but if we had acted on those suspicions, then Clark would have moved to remove us from the offices we hold, and replace us with those he trusted more...and Earth would have fallen farther then it did. However; this did not happen...we have survived, and now, we are free to act...but in a limited fashion. Your orders are clear, Captain; some among us suspect that the alien race that opposed the Vorlons *may* have had allies of some sort. But suspicions do us no good at all, Captain; if these hypothetical creatures pose any threat to the Earth Alliance, we must attempt to identify their current location, and if the threat is clear and present, we may, in due course, be able to pull together a strike force to repel that threat...for instance, when more Warlock Class destroyers have been completed, over the next several years. But that time is *not* now, Captain; for the next several years, we must work *hard* to rebuild our fleet, to replace the ships that were lost in the war just finished; and to add to the number of Warlock Class destroyers, beyond those commanded by yourself and Captain Ivanova. It will be a difficult task, Captain, but not an impossible one...if these aliens exist, we have to find them. If you prevail..." She nodded, and rose to her feet, even as a cold lump of doubt settled within her. "I understand, sir." Lefcourt smiled again...finally. "Excellent! I knew that I could count on you, Captain. For now, however, you have to hurry; an orbital shuttle is waiting for you at the Earthdome primary port, *and* someone who knows you all too well; someone who has stood at your side, ever since this whole mess began, is waiting for you on Station Prime, with a few other members of your old crew." Her eyes widened; he couldn't mean..."Commander...ALWHIN?" "Exactly; while the other powers in Earthdome were looking the other way, I was able to convince the rest of the Chiefs of Staff to keep you together, as well as a number of other more junior officers from your former command. The argument I used, is one you won't want to hear...but you were also lucky, Captain; over the last two months, ISN has done its best to get back at the government that hurt it...doesn't matter if the face have changed, the news carries on regardless, doesn't it? In any case, since ISN decided to 'exclusively' cover the story of how you and your crew survived the war, and all you did to reach the position you did...at the moment, Captain, it would be politically...difficult for them to break up your senior crew right now; but that does *not* mean they don't want you gone. And if, out on the Rim, you happen to run into some of those aliens, and the toss is lost..." She nodded, her gaze bitter...the message was clear. Whether Deitrich, or Mariallah, or Paul Telluride, or even her former fleet CAG, Arietta Gage, would appreciate all these horrific subtleties, was not something she was going to address, for now. "Agreed, sir; until things cool down here a little bit, it only makes sense for us to be as far away from the center of things as possible; these orders do *just* that. And if we happen to come across any of these hypothetical aliens of yours...then my command will hold her own, sir; I guarantee it." "Of course, Captain; I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours, and once your tour of duty is completed, perhaps we'll meet again." The implication of that statement was clear, as she moved out of the General's office, and past Devaie's chilly gaze. 'Perhaps'. *If* she succeeded. Too many ifs. Far too many ifs for *her* liking. * * * **************************************************************************** *** To be continued... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in the Darkness, Part 2b Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 00:27:50 RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 2 "WITCH AND WARLOCK" PHASE II OF II **"It was a dangerous game I was playing, a far more dangerous one then any I had played before. Beside this, the enormous task of pulling together the fleet beneath John Sheridan nearly paled by comparison. Because the day I took command of the DE'MOLAY, was the day I began to understand exactly how badly the powers that be wanted the stars to be theirs... All theirs. And then, along the way, those powers, those *men*, decided it would be safer if they began removing, began *exiling*, the only force that could stand in their way. Which, of course, was one of their *first* mistakes." Captain Bethany Tikopai(ret), as quoted in Michelle Yanwar's "Hopelessless and Despair: Rebels, Generals and Prophets, 2258-2269" * * * Station Prime; February 1st, 2262. "Explain to me again, why they're doing this?" Alwhin demanded, as Bethany slowly strode down the corridor, a small gaggle of her new crew moving behind. "This never happens...ever; it's simply *not* done." "You would have prefered a courtmartial, Commander?" Alwhin winced. "That was uncalled for, and you *know* it." At that, she drew him aside, while beyond, Paul Telluride winked knowingly and directed the rest to a respectable waiting distance. "Snap out of it, damnit!; I know you, I've worked with you for years now, Deitrich!...and this charade you're putting on, it simply isn't you!" Alwhin threw her a bitter glance. "Under ordinary circumstances, as you well understand, I *would* have received my own command by now!" She sighed; so that was it. Given the *huge* number of line captains killed in the Earth-Minbari War, and now all those disgraced during the course of the civil War, it was only justified that he had been hoping for a command of his own. And but for one *unfortunate* matter, he might have received that command. The unfortunate matter being that Deitrich Alwhin was now infamous for being the right hand to the woman who had stood at John Sheridan's side during the final battle for Earth. No one presently alive, courtesy of ISN, would ever be able to forget that. And now the legacy of that fame was about to come crashing home. "These are *not* ordinary circumstances, Commander, and you know it. One by one, the big boys on Earth are tidying up the mess the only way they know how; by making their problems dissapear, they don't have to think about them anymore. Oh sure!...the Presidents may have made their deals, but don't assume for a minute that means the Powers that Be still won't get their way. They can't courtmartial us, they certainly can't *kill* us, so their next, best alternative it to throw us in the river together, the famed crew of a dead ship, and hope that it drowns us. But as I just said, I know you better then that...because behind all that bitterness is a man who has faced the Shadows...and lived. Who has seen beginnings, and endings, and change beyond measure. Once before, I called you to my side, Commander; and now, the fiery heights await!...a new ship, deadly, unknown...a difficult task, but not impossible." At that, she extended her hand. "My new command is a difficult one, Deitrich; an untested ship, a crew of unknowns. If half of what I've heard about the Warlock Class is true, I'm going to need you, every second, of every day, from now until our mission is complete. Please!...I would have no other stand by our side, in what is to come." There was a pause, and then, she realized Alwhin was laughing...and then, the German took her hand, and shook it firmly. "I always thought it would come down to this. Some call it loyalty, some foolishness, but to Hell with all of them. When I first came to the NIOBE, I saw a glimpse of the future in a young captain who would have things her way, and no other...a captain with a destiny. I've heard some of the things that have been said about your daughter, Julia...now I know where she gets 'it' *from*." At that, she shook her head, and nearly laughed herself. "Very well, then, Commander, now that you've finished making up your mind, and getting back on my good side, how long until we can get out of here, and back out to where we belong?" "Not so long, Captain; not so long at all. In fact, a good chunk of the crew is already out at the Callisto yards, running simulations, battening down the hatches, painting crests on their Thunderbolts...that sort of thing; and while we *will* have to stop at a few stoppovers along the way to pick up the rest..." "I..see, even though I *don't* understand. Any warship can run on a skeleton crew, Commander; if we're here, *why* wasn't my command brought to Station Prime?" Alwhin cast a knowing gaze at her, and her joy at returning to space momentarily evaporated. "Oh no...they wouldn't....they *couldn't*!" "It seems that ISN has been informed, by the Earthforce Office of Public Relations, that the Earth Alliance Warlock Class Destroyer DE'MOLAY launches from Callisto at 0900 hrs, February 7th, 2262, to depart through the Tranfer Point at Io. It seems that the 'people' have a right to know, and to see the launching of their latest, greatest protector, and then, of course, the novelty is gone, and the Force can move on to do what it does *best*..." "I *see*..." Little did she know, how the meaning of those words would come home, in the months and years yet to come. But ever and always, she had never been known as someone who played by the rules. Since it seemed that commanders who played by the rules tended to die, in sometimes spectacular ways. * * * Late the following evening, as the twilight began to fade towards darkness in the skies over Geneva, and the Gardens around Earthdome grew quiet, two men met, once again. Somehow, they had survived Clark's fall, survived it by vanishing into the shadows that had, in some way, protected them in the past, and would, if all went well, protect them again in the times ahead. Even though the Shadows themselves were gone, other shades waited in the wings. Both men knew this for a certainty. "So!...I have heard that Tikopai is, even now, enroute to Callisto." "Yes; *they* are playing a dangerous game; but there you have it, if the game is to be played, better, by far, to play for high stakes." The other snorted. "High? Come now, old friend, you know the realities of what is. We are, essentially, starting afresh, and while the new technology destroyers will come under our control if we wait long enough...for now, we have to be *careful*." "Although I still fail to understand why the first Warlock was given to...*Ivanova*." Bitterly. "There is a reason behind all things, as you will see; hands must be played, and Presidents appeased. Slowly we will build up our force of Loyalists again, and even if we have to wait until our decendents in the Game appear to hold the reins, we will have it all back again...in time. But before this happens, those with strong will in the Fleet, commanders such as Ivanova, and Tikopai, must be brought to heel. And so, yes, while it does appear we have given them ultimate power in the name of their commands, matters are not always as they seem. Listen, now...and hear of the way things will be..." * * * **This is ISN special reporter Roger Ireland reporting to you from the Transfer Point station off of Io; Dateline...February 7th, 2262. At this very moment, a moment measured in history, the image I see is breathtaking, one I will not soon forget. On one side of the station, Jupiter fills the sky, a thin crescent facing the sun, while beyond and behind the dark side of this enormous planet, two of the four Galilean moons look back at me. From this spot, a little more then three years ago, thousands watched as Earth Force One, with President Luis Santiago aboard, pinwheeled to destruction, and dreams died, squashed beneath the authoritarian boot of President Morgan Clark, with billions more tuning in to the horror from across the Alliance. Today, however, a very different ship will make its appearance; the newest guardian of Earth, the Warlock Class Destroyer DE'MOLAY, her guiding hand, the hand of one of the heroes of the Civil War, Captain Bethany Tikopai. Now, we have a very special announcement for all our listeners. The Earthforce Joint Chiefs of Staff have issued a statement describing for the listeners of ISN the background and capabilities of this new, and very different warship, an exclusive to ISN watchers near and far! It reads, as follows: 'Over the past fourty years, Earthforce engineers have learned their lessons, a lesson earned in blood and the lives of lost men and women of Earth. In the past, it was sufficient for the Earth Alliance to operate a military in which simple, straight-forward technology was enough to protect Earth's interests. As time has passed, however, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is no longer sufficient to protect our families; our children. In a galaxy full of hostile enemies, we now find it necessary to reach beyond that which we know; to believe in the impossible, to create a force strong enough to make most enemies pause, and consider, before attacking our worlds. From this policy, a new design has sprung forth, based upon the best elements of Earthforce ships past, and utilizing the most modern, up-to-date technologies available. This new design is the Warlock Class Destroyer..."** * * * EAS DE'MOLAY; Earthforce Callisto Fleet Yards, Platform Number Two; 0847 hrs, February 7th, 2262. Absurdly enough, the leather in the captain's chair was uncomfortable as Hell. Bethany grimaced, and cast a glance across at Alwhin, who nodded in response; they both realized that what they had on their last command could never be reclaimed...for in the moment they had made their final approach to the DE'MOLAY, it had been made clear how very *different* a command this was going to be then any ship she had commanded before. The Warlock Class had, of course, been designed before the promise that Ambassador Delenn of Minbar had made, several months before. Artificial gravity ships-of-the-line were several years away at the least, and probably more..and until that happened, the basic design that had been born in the Omega Class would continue to serve the Alliance. The Warlock Class was an obvious outgrowth of that tried-and-true design; longer, meaner...and, of course... Darker. That was, by *far*, the most obvious facet of the new design, in her opinion, beyond the more advanced weaponry, beyond the still (to her) truly *strange* carbo-silicate the whole ship was constructed out of...if one looked *closely* at the walls, one could see faint tendrils of something even *darker* woven through nearly everything. And from outside the ship, upon their approach, her new command had nearly melted into the space beyond, a black hammerhead shadow against the night; and if she so choose to extuinguish the running lights, her Warlock Class destroyer would be nearly invisible...a mere shadow. Which, of course, reminded her of things she wanted to forget. Where *exactly* had the designers found their ideas? The black, screaming ships of the Shadows resounded too closely in her memories for her own liking, along with the rumours of the advanced destroyers that Clark had thrown against William Westcastle and his myriad Ranger-crewed White Stars. Echoes of the past becoming shadows of the present? She sighed, and shook her head. She had *no* doubt that she would find out the truth in due course. But that was for later...not now. But back to the matter at hand. Her Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Jaiena Mithrush, yet another of the apparently enormous clutch of enthuiastic engineers who had brought the Warlock Project into being, had explained to her that there was a whole *network* of chained polymer fibers built into her destroyer. Woven together with the rest, it made the hull at least three times more resistant to attack, even up to the neutron cannons of the more advanced races, then any of the ships that had come before it. Not that, Mithrush had assured her, anything in the known Galaxy, as far as she was concerned, would *want* to fight them, if they had a choice. Which was, partly, the point. The DE'MOLAY was faster, larger, more powerful, and packed a harder punch then anything Earth had ever built before. Besides, perhaps, she mentally added, the DE'MOLAY's sister ship, the now vanished SAINT-GERMAIN. She sighed; Where *they* were going, they would need *her* abilities to the utmost; her orders were about to take her new destroyer far out towards the edge of Alliance territory, out into the territory covered by the massive Explorer ships...and beyond. Out towards the far reaches. Such was the price of fame. And then, Alwhin nodded at her; the time had come, and she grinned, a bit too fiercely, it seemed, for some on the bridge, who widened their eyes and looked the other way. They would learn her moods, in due course, and realize what those fierce smiles meant. "This is the Bridge; Engineering, you're going to tell me we're ready for departure, aren't you?" "Acknowledged on that request, Bridge!..." came Mithrush's throaty, and still, it seemed, *excited* reply. "All systems are stable, reactors reading at full output. All systems in the green, we're ready to go when you are, Captain!" One hurdle down, several to go..."Bridge to Platform Command; this is the EAS DE'MOLAY; we are standing by, ready for departure, on your word." "DE'MOLAY, this is Platform Control, your request is acknowledged; stand by for release." Mere seconds after that, Alwhin cut into the ship's intercom systems, overruning the computer...he was *damned*, as usual, if he was going to let a *computer* announce something this important. "All decks, this is the executive officer; stand by for zero gravity...I say again, stand by for zero-G." Not the part she enjoyed the most about ship's operations, but once you'd served on a Hyperion cruiser, you could put up with just about anything, she thought as the destroyer slowly pulled away from the Platform, first on inertia, and then on maneuvering thrusters, all they were allowed at this stage. "Commander??" Alwhin grinned, and nodded. "Initiating spin gravity...*now*." Slowly, and then, with gradually increasing speed, the central section of the DE'MOLAY brought the relief of returned gravity to the bridge. And after a brief check to ensure they were well clear of the Platform..."Engineering, this is the Bridge; anytime you're ready..." "Main engines are champing at the bit, Captain!..." came the reply from Engineering. "And the Jump Engines are ready anytime you are." She laughed silently to herself; when was her new chief engineer going to calm down below 'buzzed' was the question of the day. "Mr. Telluride; bring us up to one and a half gravities... slowly. Our course, to the Io Jump Station. It seems that half of the Jovian system, and a billion more besides, want to see us jump into history, or so I've heard. I suppose it wouldn't do to dissapoint them, now would it?" * * * **"...What we've just seen, out here at Io, tells us all that even after all that's happened, all the battles, all the war that the people of Earth have been through, there's someone watching out for us. Slightly more then ten minutes ago, in what I'm *sure* was somewhat of a breach of regulations, Captain Tikopai swept her new command by us at a range of what I would have to say was far less then a kilometer. Everyone here was able to get a *nice* close look at the DE'MOLAY, and an impressive looking ship it is. All I'm going to say is, I'm *very* glad she's on our side, very glad indeed, and best of luck and Godspeed to the Captain and all her crew...I'm sure they'll need it, going where they are. This is Roger Ireland, signing off, for ISN News..."** * * * All around her, the deep thrum of the DE'MOLAY's engines resounded; such a familiar sound, and yet different at the same time, as she laid her head back on her pillow. Both the pillow and her precious Tolkien novels had survived the destruction of her last command. Whatever she did, wherever she went, from this time on, she meant to ensure that would not be repeated. And all those who served with her, her past, present and future, were, somehow, it seemed, dedicate to the same. She had made it, escaped into a fate far different then she could have imagined, even a week before. She smiled; Erilyn Devaie had named her 'charmed', after all; it almost made sense, for in the old days, 'charmed' was equated with otherworldly abilities, abilities arcane in nature. Ironic, she supposed, for a witch to be commanding a Warlock. All too ironic. And then, the door chime sounded, and she rose with an irritated glance at the time; far too late. As usual, she *really* needed to do less thinkinga and more sleeping..."Yes?" "Captain, this is Lieutenant Mithrush; may I come in?" "It's late, Lieutenant; can't this wait?" "I'm afraid not, Captain...now that we're away from Earth... There's something you should know." * * * To be continued... ***************************************************************************** Next time: As the spring of 2262 dawns, and William continues to guide the White Star Fleet through crises at the Enfeeli Homeworld, at Babylon 5 and elsewhere, it is becoming increasingly clear that a new destiny is waiting for the Rimstalker on Minbar..."Reflections in Shadow" the next part of "The Walkers in the Darkness" coming soon. dgolding@connect.ab.ca **************************************************************************** *** From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in the Darkness, Part 3 Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 01:26:16 Writer's Note: Apart from the first element, which ties off yet another of those sneaky hanging plot threads, the majority of this part takes place shortly after the events depicted in the fifth season episode "View from the Gallery." RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 3 "REFLECTIONS, IN SHADOW" **"A light kindled in the sky, a blaze of yellow fire behind dark barriers..."** Tolkien, 'Return of the King' * * * My words, are the words of the future; the words of pain, and of a faith undeserving. I can see it happening, as I take up the task of writing it all down; see it in my memories, all the things we did, all the things we went through. For what we were is not what we are, and where we are going is a place that *he* will not willingly approach; for I know my Rimstalker, and know him true. And at the same time, what I've just seen, what I've just done, is, without a doubt, among the hardest things I've ever had to do to him. One last time, before my term progressed too far, before Brianna took my place at William's side, until his final return to Tuzanor, I went with him to Earth. It was the middle of February, 2262, less then a week before the President sent William and the Fleet to save the Enfeeli, and we had come to Earth, accompanied by a single escort, to act as a high-level courier between President Sheridan and his counterpart at Earthdome. Amazingly enough, President Luchenko had managed to hold onto the reins of power, and our commander-in-chief, as always, had some things up his sleeve...some items of interest that wouldn't pay off for some years to come. But you have to start somewhere, I suppose. But that task was not my chief concern on this trip; because something far more *critical* happened, as we slept, that night, far above Earth. When I came to, eyes narrow with exhaustion, it was to see William standing in front of the mirror in our quarters aboard the White Star Four, an expression of astonishment and disbelief on his face. With slow steps, he then moved to gaze out on the panorama of Earth, and the ships who orbited her...including our White Star escort. And then, he doubled over, seemingly in pain, and I drew close to him, close enough to see a shimmer of light pass across his body. What *was* this, I asked myself?...what was wrong? And this I asked him, and received an answer in forgotten memories. Out of time... And then, in the several minutes that remained, I fought a battle with myself that I pray I will never have to fight again. For in those few minutes, I looked through my husband's eyes, and into the soul of what he had once been; before all the pain, the suffering, and the darkness we had passed thorugh together had changed him, hardened him. I couldn't even tell him what *year* it was, for fear something might be changed...some tiny element that would have let the shadows that were destroy what we had become. And then, the man that William had been was gone, back to 2259, and I caught him, as he collapsed into my arms. And the following day, I was discreetly able to determine that he couldn't remember *any* of what I had seen. Perhaps that's for the best. The circle has closed, time's arrow has reached its target. What he saw, is what we have become; and even after all we've been through together, all we've seen in the service of John Sheridan and our Entil'zha's, I'm not so sure I'd want to change a thing that we did. It has, after all, been one Hell of a ride; enough adventure for a dozen lifetimes. Shouldn't that be enough for anyone? * * * March 15th, 2262; the Ranger Compound, Babylon 5. "They *must* have known..." William ground out, his expression fierce, as across the table, Shival and the Tall Man nodded solemnly, while Jennifer simply stood in the corner and *looked* at him with that gaze of hers, with Brianna almost doing the same. He had come to *hate* the implication of those looks...it always seemed to imply that it was *his* fault that things had gone...awry. "If at least *part* of the White Star fleet had stayed behind, those aliens would *never* have attacked the station. As it was, we barely got back in time; too many good men and women died protecting this place, performing a duty we could have spared them!" "It has happened before, William, and it will happen again, I assure you." Shival replied patiently. "It is the way of things..and that you feel anger and pain at what occurred here is understandable. While President Sheridan and our Entil'zha were put in danger by this assault, they have faith in your abilities, William...they *knew* that once you learned of the danger, you would move, as you humans say, Heaven and Earth itself to return to protect them from those who would do them harm. And as we saw, you went so far as to leave the Fleet in the capable hands of Val'na Tashann and press on at the limits of your command's endurance... For, was it not *your* White Star that first emerged into the chaos of that battle, and renewed the hopes of all those in this place?" Paused in mid-tirade by Shival's words of wisdom (as always) William gathered his thoughts, and a breath, and then nodded ruefully. "I pushed her far harder then I should have, Shival; but it was worth it; it has *always* been worth it. To protect this place, after the life it's given me, and those I care and know (at that, the cool gaze from the women in the corner softened somewhat...a moment of shared understanding) I would do anything to protect Babylon 5." "An enviable trait..." the Tall Man replied, his expression regretful. "But I did warn you that things might not go as planned after the mission to the Enfeeli homeworld, William, did I not? Sooner or later, you may rush into something you will not be able to escape from...and every time this happens, you increase the chance that your unborn children will be orphaned even before they enter this universe of wonder we have made for ourselves. This is not the gift they should receive, Rimstalker...not what they deserve." And with that, Shival and the Tall Man left the chamber...left him to his thoughts. And the firing squad, so to speak. If bullets were words. "He speaks the truth, you know..." Jennifer began, her expression regretful. "In seven months, or so Dr. Franklin assures me, our children are going to arrive into the world we've created for them. William, I know how much the White Star Fleet means to you, and I *understand* that you were all but responsible for building them from the bottom up, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end..." "And not just with us." Brianna added, her expression pensive. "The Great Alliance of Light that came together in this place; it is shifting...changing. It isn't easy to see, yet...but *I* can see it, William...and in the end, even *I* may fall prey to the tide, as well..." William frowned. What, in Valen's Name, was that all about? Not that Brianna seemed likely to give him time to consider the matter, she was already pressing on... "...in any case, you simply *cannot* take chances like you used to; and Jennifer is now arrived at the stage where she must step down from her position of authority at your side, or risk the health of your unborn children. The time is coming when you must admit a new change is coming; you will soon have a family to protect, William, in this new Age we have helped to bring about. And *that* duty stands beyond all others." "Their words are just..." a new voice intruded, a voice they knew all too well, and as one, all the Rangers in the room bowed as Delenn entered, her expression grave. "Do you understand them...William?" He nearly *jumped* at that point; he could not *remember* a time in which his Entil'zha had addressed him by first name; it would seem that all his friends, and his love, were right in what they had just said...as much as he didn't want to admit it, they were *right*. The Great War was over; the prophecy he had followed, was nearly complete. He had stalked the truth, in the far darkness, for years, now...but how was a warrior like himself to adjust to the new realities? He met *her* eyes, and nodded regretfully.. "As much as a part of me doesn't want to hear the words; yes, I understand them, and you, as always. Another change is coming; a change to something, perhaps better...different, yes, but better. And all things considered, if I *don't* have to fight to protect those I care for, if...others are present, to take up the burden..." His Entil'zha...Delenn, smiled, then. "There are always others to take up such burdens. You have set an example rarely seen in these times, and there are those waiting behind you who wish to shine by their own light. It is only right for you to step aside, and give them *their* time to do so." He nodded, yet still regretful in the understanding; he already knew *exactly* who he would pass his station on to; who would become the next Sha'vei of the White Star Fleet; and he *knew* that *she* would approve of the choice. "When, then, do you wish me to relinquish command of the Fleet?" "While an important task awaits you on Minbar, when President Sheridan and I move the Alliance headquarters to Tuzanor near year's end, it would not do for the *first* human Sha'vei of the White Star Fleet to break ties with his command..abruptly. No, for now, you may feel free to move slowly; and when the time comes, you will know who will stand to replace you, and can move on to your new destiny...at peace with the choices you have made." "This task you mention; may I hear of it?" A smile, partly mysterious. "Soon." And then, she was gone. "There, you see?" Jennifer whispered in his ear. "You've agreed, and spoke the words I wanted you to. Thank you." "She made it...somehow easier, you know. In the time we've served beneath her, in the time since I first spoke to her, back before the start of the War, I have seen all her moods, Jen. I've been warned, aided, and chastised by her...but this is almost the first time I can remember her *welcoming* me into something..." "Precisely." Jennifer nodded briskly to her companion, and after a bow to her fellow Val'na, Brianna slipped out of the chamber. "Now, if you've finished determining our future destiny, husband mine, let us retire to our chambers; my stomach is telling me it's time to eat." He laughed. "Ready to eat another horse, I suppose..." "And why would that be?" * * * White Star Five; on patrol; three days later; the quarters of the Commanding Officer. The chime broke Tashann out of his meditation, and the Minbari rose to his feet, and moved over to the comm terminal. "Yes?" "Val'na..." his Second informed him, "White Star 66 has just come out of hyperspace nearby, and is moving to rendezvous with us." Talion's ship...interesting. "I see; very good, I will be on the bridge shortly." In the few minutes it took to walk between one place and the other, he wondered what could *possibly* have brought Talion all the way out here. While a portion of the Fleet, including his command, had returned to patroling the outer reaches between the territories of the various Alliance members, Talion's command had been placed on reserve, by their Sha'vei, near to Babylon 5, so that what had occurred would not soon *re*-occur. A sensible precaution...and yet... And yet, now, here he was. As he entered the bridge, he quite rightly wondered what had happened. "Incoming message, awaiting your arrival, sir." "On screen." "Talion!...in Valen's Name, what brings you out here?" At that, his friend smiled. "Under ordinary circumstances, I would not have found the need, but I was ordered by the Sha'vei to find you. He has sent a message, a message that cannot, for now, be trusted as a person-to-person communique. He entrusted *me* to bring this message to you in person, and in turn, I have entrusted another we know to carry the message to you in person." He met his Second's gaze, and the other Minbari nodded. A small shuttle was, even now, on its way from Talion's White Star to his own. "Very well, then, Talion, I thank you for the trust, although I do wonder what the message contains." "It's important, as you will see, Tashann. You must go now...the messenger will soon be with you." His stride long, it did not take long for him to reach the shuttle bay, and even as he arrived, re-pressurization concluded, and the hatch of the shuttle opened, to reveal a very familiar figure... "Julia!" He moved forward, former worries forgotten, and he bowed to the journeywoman Ranger, the degree one used between close comrades, or friends. "I am not entirely unsurprised to find you as William's messenger." A smile touched Julia's face at that remark, but at the same time, he could not help but note a faint tinge of regret in her eyes. "I go where I am called to go; and in this case, Tashann, I was called...here! We can't always be on the bridges of our respective commands, and while I'm sure William and I will be off to the far reaches ourselves again, all too soon, for the present, I was able to carry an important message to someone who helped me when I needed help the most. This I have done; and now, we must go, for Talion and I are needed back at Babylon 5." A quick visit, then...how unfortunate. "Of course; such is our way. Valen go with you, Julia, and keep you safe from harm." "And you, Tashann." And then, she was gone; a black-haired whirlwind of energy, into the night. As he strode down the Grand corridor back to his quarters, it was easy to think back to the first time he had met her; a thin rake of a youthling, on the day after Babylon 5 seceded from the Earth Alliance. To compare *that* to the assured young woman he now saw, was as to seperate night from day. And yet, Julia had been through the Fire to reach this point, as they all had. The Fire had changed them all. Upon reaching his quarters, he immediately inserted the message crystal into his reader, and nodded, unsurprised, as the image of William appeared on the screen. But the words his commander and friend spoke in that message were *not* what he was expecting...not at all. His next action, was certain and deliberate. "Computer; establish tachyon relay to Babylon 5; attention, Sha'vei Westcastle." In a few more moments, the screen blinked, and a live version of the man who had filled the message appeared, his expression grave, if tired. "Tashann; I've been waiting for you to call." "This *message* that you had Julia bring to me; William, you cannot *possibly* mean to tell me that..." His friend nodded, and Tashann sighed; so, it *was* true. "I'm afraid so, friend. The time is coming soon when Jennifer will be leaving for Tuzanor; even in the advanced stages of her term, she will be able to pass on what she knows to the new Trainees who have come to us...and at the same same time, I believe she also wishes to begin chronicling what happened to us during the Great War..." "Of course; the Observer in her has been ready to tell that story for some time now. But after...?" "Afterwards, Tashann, there'll be the children to take care of; and even with help, she won't want to put them in danger; Minbari is, now, the safest place I can think of to raise them...we don't have a home on Earth anymore, after all that's happened. I believe she intends to become one of the first human Sech among the Rangers, Tashann, and I will not bar her from that wish. And where she is..." "You must be, too, for her sake, and for the sake of the children. I do not pretend to like this, my friend, but there is wisdom in the choices you have made. And as long as the Entil'zha approves, then my answer... "Is YES." At that, William smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot to me to know that one of our original cadre will move on to command the Fleet, after I am gone. And while it won't happen until September, I felt it best to get the matter out of the way...now." "Of course; if there is nothing else?" "Return to your rest, Tashann; I'll see you soon." And then, he was gone, and while he could, quite rightly, have returned to that rest, for the rest of his down period, he found no sleep, but instead, found regrets, and memories of what was...memories of a young cadre of Rangers, determined and true, who had set forth on a path, against the Darkness. So long ago, and far away, it seemed now. They had all aged, and one of them, a true friend, was dead now, taken by the War. Tashann smiled grimly. The wheel turned; what had been created, was now falling part, or passing on. And it was not *his* task to stand in the way of that wheel. No one could. * * * To be continued... **************************************************************************** Next time: As the telepath crisis on Babylon 5 reaches its tragic conclusion, Brianna attempts to comfort Lyta on her loss, and the more powerful telepath discovers the bargain that the Ranger made with Bester, and offers an alternative plan, of sorts... "Favours of a Darker Soul." Coming soon. dgolding@connect.ab.ca From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in the Darkness, Part 4 Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 00:21:27 Writer's Note: The readers of this saga can now probably *feel* the end coming, as I do. These are almost the hardest chapters to write of all, but that *is* the way of things. In any case, I expect to have parts 5 and 6 written by Friday, Part 7 by Sunday, and Part 8 by next Tuesday, having trimmed one part off the initially expected arc. And then..the final, epilogic movement of RIMSTALKER will be written at around 10 pm on Wednesday, the 25th of November, 1998 once I have watched the conclusion to that which has carried us on to farther shores then we possibly could have realized, five years ago. The Author RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 4 "FAVOURS OF A DARKER SOUL" ** "Damn me for what I did if you wish, for saying yes to her proposition; but at the time, all I could feel was time running out. The finest months of my life, my time among the Rangers, were running out of the hourglass with increasing speed, and as I couldn't tell William what I had done in his name, at least not yet, desperation was beginning to show in my actions, my words. And then, the telepath crisis burst upon Babylon 5, and in its passing, a great man died; one of my kind, a martyr to a cause that would eventually light a flame brighter then any might suspect. And as I was both favoured and unlucky enough to fall victim to her plot first, it fell to me to observe the dark walls of fear from the inside. But I survived the fall because of *her* help, I suppose. And while I was never able to reclaim what I once had, what I found as a result partly made up for the loss..." - Brianna Tolmanes, as quoted in the Earth Year 2266, after the end of the Telepath War * * * December 27th, 2262; the second hour after midnight, local time. Tuzanor, Minbar. The cold was biting into her now, but Julia did not move. Did not move to warm herself, for warmth was *not* what she had come here to find. Did not act to turn away from the memories, for they would help to guide her in the life that still lay ahead...shapshots of what were. There was no time to go over the entire year in her mind, for the hours were slipping by, and all too soon, the great sun of Minbar would shoulder its bulk over the Eastern horizon, and it would be time for her to leave this place. Snapshots of what were; that was all she had time for. And so...she had touched on the memory of her mother's new destiny; a destiny that Mother had told her about the previous day, when they stood together atop Gajn'darahl, and with the water thundering around them, had told each other secrets of the soul. Had touched on the beginning to William's final resting place, and the reasons why; *that* was unfinished, as of yet...before the dawn, there would be time for that tale to be laid to rest in her mind. Indeed, she had *no* choice in that matter. But for now, it was time to turn to another matter; the matter of the third member of William's triad; and *this* tale was one of greater sadness then any other she knew... * * * Late June, 2262. Babylon 5. For now, she walked alone, unbidden by any thoughts but her own. Reflections on what had happened in the past three years; her freedom, her service to the Rangers and to William...and her dark promise made to Bester, the year before; a promise that had allowed the Rimstalker and his team to escape the trap that the Psi Cop had set for them. If she had not made the promise she had, then that trap would have sprung, and forevermore, she would have had their deaths on her conscience. And that, of course, couldn't be allowed; in fact, she wasn't *yet* sure if she wanted William to know about the bargain. And yet...could she, with good conscience, simply vanish from sight? That might involve William dragging an enormous number of Rangers into a search for her again, and that, also, couldn't be allowed. So *what* was the solution to the problem she had? A sad shake of her head was all the curious passerbys noted, and this was wise of them. Not many knew of the history of this sad-faced, red-haired Ranger who walked in their midst, and that was for the best. Most of them would not have believed the story if they had known...of how the famous White Star Fleet commander William Westcastle had rescued a deranged, insane telepath from her fate, and taken her with him into the heart of the Fire; through the darkness, past the shadows, and into the greatest victories in a thousand years? But that was past, now; in fact, while Jennifer had asked her to act as William's first officer on White Star Two in her place, for now, even *that* duty had been set aside. William had been drawn to Tuzanor to deal both with matters of his coming position there on the Ranger High Council, as well as his wife's advancing pregnancy. Amazing that was, to consider that in only three more months, William's children would enter the world she had helped to create for them. Would they ever know what their parents had done, to give them that world? The sacrifices they had made? For now, that was a question best left unanswered. In their parting, William had given her broad powers to go with his command where she would, in the service of their Entil'zha...for she was, by now, a senior Ranger as well, a seasoned veteran of the Shadow and Civil war conflicts of the last two years, and a Val'na in her own right. And so, not giving reasons, or having them required of her, she had brought the White Star Two back to Babylon 5, for several, very different reasons. For starters, she had wanted to come back simply to enjoy the freedom of what they had all helped to create. For in this, the first year of the Interstellar Alliance, the station continued to serve as a focal point for many of the crises in the local galactic region, including the recent, mysterious attacks on Alliance shipping and even military ships, as well. Sooner or later, the alliance of friends and comrades that President Sheridan had built around him would find out the truth of the matter, and when that happened, she feared the recrimination against the guilty party would be extreme, to say the least. At the heart of it, she feared that this was simply an example of the realities they faced; remove one darkness, and another would come to replace it. William had told her, once, of the secret that few *indeed* knew; that before the destruction of Z'ha'dum, a gigantic fleet of dark spacecraft had escaped from the doomed world, and vanished, destination unknown. Some of those, the Drakh, had reappeared the previous year...but their Entil'zha had acted to destroy *that* force. But were the Drakh more then they seemed? And did they have a hand in the attacks? She also knew that the President, Delenn, William and all the others would learn the truth on that score far sooner then any of them would like, but at the same time, it was, unfortunately, time for her to begin facing realities of her own. 2262 was now almost half over, and when year's end came, regardless of what she wished, the promise she had made to Bester the year before would have to come to fruition. She would have to return to the base that William had freed her from (although *that* was not entirely accurate, she had refrained from telling him this, *so far*) and give herself over into Bester's hands, as his loyal assistant. That had been the second reason for her return, here. She would see Shival, and all the other Rangers under his command, for what *might* be the final time; for when it came time to say goodbye to William, the place would probably be Tuzanor, with his wife and newborn children at his side. This place had meant so *much* to her, over the years...it would be difficult to say goodbye...very difficult, indeed. But it *had* to be done. And the third, and possibly most *important* reason she had come was to once again meet with someone who had never really been a friend to her; an accomplice, yes, when Ulkesh had threatened them both. A partner in manipulation, yes, that was also true...they had *both* suffered that at the hands of the Vorlons. Even now, if she so wished, she could move through the Alien Sector needing no breather at all. And the mental enhancements the Vorlons had given them both were also a key concern and also, a liability at times. She hadn't gone as far in their service, hadn't pushed herself as far as Lyta had, for very good reasons, as the Rangers had taken up so much of her attention. But now, maybe it was time that *changed* a little. And if anyone could show her how this might be, it was Lyta. Lyta, who had suffered more then any telepath had a right to; who had acted in the names of so many, the President, and others...been used when she shouldn't have. And Lyta, who grieved at the loss of her love, Byron; another telepath who had once served Bester, a telepath who had died to further his cause. If she could give Lyta any comfort by coming to her in her time of need, then that was, perhaps, an additional reason for her visit. If comfort was at all possible, in a situation such as this one, she decided, as she arrived in front of Lyta's quarters. But there had to be *something* she could do. She would *try* to help, in any way she could. And having decided that, she reached out, and touched the intercom. "Yes? Who is it?" Resentfulness; sadness. Understandable. "Lyta...it's Brianna. May I come in?" Without a pause, the door slid open, and she stepped into the gloom beyond. Almost the only lights in the room were the candles scattered indescrimately here and there; and in the corner, a pair of liquid human eyes reflected those candles, beneath a presently unruly head of hair coloured not unlike her own. And then those eyes caught her own, and it began. A nod. A small smile, and then the two wordlessly embraced. Not a close embrace, but a knowing one...an understanding one, and in the course of that embrace, months of images were shared, images of what had happened, first hand, and after a few seconds, she raised her now tear-filled eyes and gazed into Lyta's, and nodded. Lyta nodded, both in thanks, and more. A flash of brilliant eyes. A pause, and then Lyta's eyes narrowed. A brief moment of shock; and then she ruefully nodded, and as the walls came down, Lyta's eyes went wide with echoed shock, and then with outrage. Lyta muttered darkly, as they sat down next to one another. A smile twisted the corner of Lyta's mouth. It took a moment for what Lyta was suggesting to strike home, and then her mouth formed into a o. Lyta suggested. * * * A moment of cold; icy cold. An image of fire, and of fear. Of a face she knew, twisted in a terror it had never displayed in life, never displayed until the end now arrived at. And of a Greek sigil, broken and melted, destroyed forever... <> A flash of light, and of dark. Of herself, in a tube, surrounded by fire, and by instruments arcane. Of pain...and change. <> <> <> So very *easy* to say. <> * * * After a time, she came back to hereself, and met Lyta's knowing, faint smile. The decision she made then was both the easiest and the hardest she had ever been forced to make. But she made it; and in the end, despite the pain it would cause, the distrust, the lost hopes...in the end, what Lyta had said to her had been the truth. The long run mattered more for the telepaths of Earth, and it WAS up to both of them to do something, while they still could. But it still hurt. Oh, *Valen*...it HURT. * * * Another meeting, another place. "Report." "Of course, sir; you may be interested to know that the Ranger telepath Brianna Tolmanes arrived at Babylon 5 less then 24 hours ago to meet with Lyta Alexander. I was unable to determine what the meeting was about, but I *was* able to gauge her strength, sir; this is the most critical matter of all. It is eminently *clear* that Miss Tolmanes continues to increase her telepathic level...indeed...I suspect that if she were rated, we could not possibly rate her any less then a weak *P12*." A pause. "I see; interesting. However, as you well know, she will not, *cannot* break her word to me, if she wishes Westcastle to survive. And with the esteemed Ranger hero of *every* conflict between here and the Rim currently in good health, and his dear children on the way, I assure you there will be no problem on this score. Indeed, Miss Tolmanes's strength will be a liablility to us once she has sworn oath; she will make an ideal assistant." "Of course, sir. I will continue to watch her, and when the time is right for her to join us, I will act as you have instructed." "I would expect nothing else from such a trusted operative. Very well, then, until next time?" "Sir." With a brisk nod and touch of a key, the connection was cut. It was, indeed, unfortunate that neither of the two men who had just conversed had any idea what they were getting themselves into in the few years that remained to them. No idea at all. * * * To be continued; five more times... ***************************************************************************** Next: It is a revelation of the darkest sort, and a fall into darkness and despair seen in prophecy. It is the Fall of Centauri Prime, and as Jennifer approaches the end of her term, William will ride with Sheridan and the White Star Fleet one final time, before passing on to what may be his final destiny at Minbar. "Fires and Darkness, in the Night" the fifth part of "The Walkers in the Darkness" coming in about 24 hours or so... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in the Darkness, Part 5 (corrected) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 22:34:18 This happens once in a while when you write in the middle of the night...corrections made. Yes, I am a perfectionist, even this late in the game... Writer's Note: A warning to the wise, ladies and gentlemen. From here on in till the end of the story at Part 8 of WALKERS, references, timings and new information will be used that viewers in the N.America will have discovered by watching the final five episodes of BABYLON 5, starting with "The Fall of Centauri Prime" and ending with "Sleeping in Light". If you don't want to know how it ends, ie, how it *really* ends, you may want to set aside the last few parts of this story until you DO have the opportunity to see those episodes. While I reference them here and for the remainder of the tale, I wouldn't want to wreck the experience for those who are still waiting for those eps. Otherwise, if you have, please do forge on, and discover the final fate of the Rimstalker... The Author * 10 * 9 * 8 * 7 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 * RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 5 "FIRES AND DARKNESS, IN THE NIGHT" **"..and the days of the Rings were passed, and an end was come to the story and song of those times.."** - Tolkien, 'The Return of the King' * * * Chronicles Log, Remembrances; August, 2262. I never believed I would see the day when she started to do it, but now that her term has advanced close to its end, it is one of the few things that gives her peace, and for that reason, I would support her, above all other things. For her love, and for them, I have come here, come to what will, in all likelihoods, be my final calling. So much change I have seen, and lived, but in the end, to have come back to this place, back to the side of the one who holds my heart in her hand, forevermore...I will not argue. Tonight, we decided to do something special, something...remarkable. We talked of the beginning, and we talked of the End, because, after all, she wasn't there to see the first movement; only I was. And in the end, it was finally up to me to tell her of that beginning, something I had never done before. It was harder then even *I* could imagine, to go back to that moment, that turning point where my life moved aside, and all who were with me perished, while I carried on. I hope that, in the end, they would have approved; that Captain Frye would have looked down on what I have accomplished, and nodded, and spoke to me of pride. Because, all things considered, along with all the others I stood for and with, I will never forget the men and women I served with on the ATLANTA; cannot allow myself to forget, and sully their memory. And with the beginning told, then, I moved on to something that was, in my opinion, far harder; the telling of the *end* of a great thing. And this was a great thing I had done, in all their memories; especially Vikotal's; we could never have done what we did if he hadn't been there to help me when it mattered the most; the White Star Fleet would not have been what it was if there had not been both Human and Minbari Sha'vei to make of them what they were. And that, at the core of it, was the problem that continued to gnaw at me as 2262 began. With only a human leading the Fleet, the matter had become unbalanced; for while both sides of our Soul flew in the White Stars, only a human lead them now; it could not continue, a solution *had* to be found. And then, as she has done before, and probably will do again, the Entil'zha...*no*, I suppose I will have to start learning to call her by *name*, now...even after Delenn asked me to move on in the Spring, even after I asked Tashann to become Sha'vei after my passing, the problem remained; for if Tashann lead, who would speak for the humans among the White Star commands? Initially, I thought I had a solution to that problem in Brianna, but as Jennifer and I later found out, that solution was to slip through our fingers, forever lost, intangible as a ghost. But I can see her shaking her finger at me as I write, and so, for now, I will set that matter aside. The problem remains, and has yet to be solved to my satisfaction; perhaps, there is a chance it will never be solved. Perhaps what Vikotal and I were will never come again; we will simply have to wait and see on that score. But for now, I will draw back, and fulfill her wishes; look back on what was, in my opinion, the hardest thing I've ever had to do. * * * Centauri Prime; orbit, after the attack by the Narn and Drazi fleets. White Star 4. His expression bleak, William gazed down on the great crescent of Centauri Prime, and what he saw below him caused spikes of cold to pass through him. Even now, hours after the bombardment of the surface by the Drazi and Narn fleets had ceased, smoke still filled the air over the major cities, most prominently the capital. What had brought them to this point, that such a thing could have been allowed to happen? He didn't know; he *simply* didn't understand how it had come to pass...how out of the peace they had found at the end of the previous year, a dark fall such as this could have been allowed to come to pass. Briefly, he met the gazes of the two women on his bridge, and saw the hurt he felt reflected in their eyes. There were few who meant more to him and Jennifer then these two, after all. Brianna sat at her station beside the captain's chair...his chair, her face a bleak mask, while behind his chair, Julia stood her ground in silence, her shock and misery still quite apparent, even after all the hours since their arrival. The hour in which they had sprang into the skies above the Centauri homeworld, to witness the horrible rain of fire and death spawned by the attacking Drazi and Narn. They both understood, but neither of them wanted to say what they were all thinking. What had happened; it simply *didn't* make any sense. From the beginning, when one of their own, Delenn's former aide, Lennier, now in the final stages of training to be Anla'shok himself, had revealed that Centauri ships had been the ones responsible for the great destruction and loss of life among the fleets of the various Alliance members. Following on that, the Centauri themselves had protested that the attacking fleet could not *possibly* have been controlled by them...but the Alliance worlds, particularly the Drazi, had not wanted to listen. They had lost too much due to the attacks by the dark, horned ships of the Centauri, too many lives, too much hope. They had lashed out, and the Narn, of course, had only been *too* willing to aid them. William's lips tightened. In due course, he would have to give his friend, Councillor G'kael, a call to inquire on the matter. While it had been *true* that the Narn had done a fine job of rebuilding a portion of the navy they had once had, the portion used here had been for a dark purpose, indeed. G'kael would never have condoned such an action; he and the President were reportedly on fairly good terms. But while Warleader Na'far had obviously hidden his plans from the Councillor, there were other deceptions and veiled truths in this matter that would be far harder to uncover, if at all. For from the beginning, this had felt like a setup of some kind...but *what* force had done this, if not the Centauri? Their new Emperor, the now cold-voiced Londo Mollari, had insisted that the previous Regent had been the one responsible for the attacks; that he had ordered the deep-space attacks without the knowledge of the rest of the Centaurum. But if that were true, which part of their military had acted on the orders of a madman? Even the Centauri military must have a conscience of some kind, after all. And *how* had the Regent been able to convince the Homeworld defense force to leave Centauri Prime, and, at the same time, turn off the planetary defense grid? That had been a miscalculation of the worst possible kind. But the end result was now clear to see; lead by their new Emperor, the Centauri were on the verge of vanishing from galactic society, acting on the orders of Londo Mollari. They would rebuild, but they would do so alone; until their Emperor told them otherwise, the Centauri had become a race of pariahs, en masse. In the years to come, they would, no doubt, become bitter and resentful, this much was already understood. But what twist of fate had brought them to this end? And how, in Valen's Name, could Emperor Mollari have changed as much as he had? And yet, William could not argue with the facts. History had been made, the actions were completed. There was, now, no going back to what was. And then, a chime interrupted his thoughts, and he turned towards Julia, who had come out of her reverie to answer the signal. "Sir; message coming in from White Star Five, sir; it's President Sheridan." He nodded; of course; he had been waiting for the order to leave Centauri Prime behind for some time, now. "On screen." A moment later..."William." "Mr. President." A rueful smile. "It seems that once again I have you to thank for backing me up on this matter. If things had come to blows, I can't think of anyone better I'd want to stand by my side, as commander of the White Stars beneath me, which, of course, has been your task for some time now. But we've managed to avoid that for now, William; the guns have fallen silent, and while I didn't want what happened to happen, the way it did, for now, our job is done here...we can do nothing more." "So; where am I to take the Fleet now, sir?" At that, President Sheridan managed to look both uncomfortable and regretful at the same time, and William felt his heart begin to go cold. "I'm afraid it's not quite so simple as that, William. Delenn and I have been talking about your situation, and the future of the White Star Fleet, for some time now, and while I'm sure you didn't want this day to come..." He bowed his head; and tried not to meet the astonished gazes of everyone else on his bridge. Some had not known this was coming, like Julia; some others, however, Brianna prime among them, had known for some time now. He swallowed deeply, and then met the President's eyes again. "So; this was my final mission, then; I understand completely, Mr. President. Since the spring, I have known that this day would come, eventually. I tried to put it out of my mind, even as my wife moved on to Tuzanor, to ready herself for the birth of our children; but now, as you probably know, the end of her term is drawing near. It is my duty to stand by by her side, and watch over them all, as a husband and father should..." "Your task as head of your family, yes..." another voice spoke, a familiar voice, as his Entil'zha, Delenn, stepped into view. "But your duty?...not quite. A short time ago, I told you that eventually I would speak to you of your next task among the Rangers, William; that time has now arrived. It is a critical task, as critical as the one you have performed honourably for us, all through the Shadow War, and beyond. For at Tuzanor, the place we, ourselves, will be drawn to, all too soon, there is a group of Anla'shok above all others; a group enlarged and strenghtened by Jeffrey Sinclair out of sheer necessity, once he knew of his fate." Of course. "The *High Council*." A regretful smile. "Indeed. For some time now, one of the members of that Council, Verethas, has been in ill health, but able to continue his duties; that has now changed. Within the last human day, Verethas has fallen into a deep coma, and now lies near death. He has served us well in his time, but he must be replaced; I choose *you* as his replacement." For a moment, he didn't know what to say, but eventually, the words *did* come. "I...I thank you for this trust, Delenn; you have...no idea how much this means to me." The smile now became enigmatic. "Perhaps so; and yet, this will, after all, allow you to serve both your family and the Anla'shok at the same time, will it not? A duty combining the best, as you would say, of both possible worlds." He allowed himself to smile, then; she had given him the opportunity he needed to retire gracefully; he would never be able to repay her for this, he suspected, but the reasoning was sound. As well, Tashann and other Rangers waited in the wings, to replace him, to carry on the duty he and Vikotal had begun, so long ago, it seemed now. "As you say...Entil'zha." And then, the President re-entered the fray. "Not so bad, William!...not so bad at all. And while I have to return to Babylon 5 for a while, eventually, even I will be coming to Minbar, and once I do, there'll be plenty of opportunities for us to talk. Our duties always seemed to prevent that in the past; but after I come to Minbar, maybe even *that* will change." He smiled. "I guess anything's possible...Mr. President." "*More* then anything..." Delenn finalized, her gaze knowing. "Now, you must go; a final flight awaits you, and a test of courage. For sometimes, leaving what one has helped to build behind is the hardest thing of all." And then, the signal faded, and he straightened, and met Brianna's gaze. "The President and the Entil'zha go with Tashann, this time; he will keep them safe, until they return to Babylon 5, and the Fleet...the Fleet will follow him, from now on, as they must..." "*William*..." Brianna replied, her voice full of emotion, "Are you sure you want to do this? Very sure?" A pause...and then he nodded, the hardest decision he had ever had to make behind him; and yet, the easiest at the same time, as he slowly sat down in his chair, and watched the rest of the Fleet ships begin to peel away, following Tashann and his important guests towards their own jump translation. "*Yes*. There comes a time when we must all move on to other, greater tasks, and I helped to make the White Star Fleet what it is, Brianna; but now...now, it's time to say goodbye. From time to time, we may fly with them again, as we are carried on wings of fire between the stars, between meetings and engagements...perhaps, if we are lucky, even to Babylon 5, from time to time. But the time has come for me to look to the future...to the lives of the children I will be protecting. G'kael once spoke to me of 'moments of transition'; this is just such a one. How can I say no, to such a chance as this? To see my children grow up, under a sun safe from shadows. I helped to give them that; *now*, let us fly, one last time...one last mission, even though it is a difficult one. Let us fly, and see this through to the end...before I change my mind!" Nodding thoughtfully, but with a faint smile for his last comment, Brianna turned to Julia, and the younger woman bent to her tasks with what was obvious regret. And William sat back in his chair, once again deep in thought, as his command wheeled in space, and vanished from the skies above Centauri Prime. So much he had been through, to reach this point, in this place, at this time. So many actions, so many victories, so much sadness. Perhaps, now, there would be time to reflect on it all; and with Jennifer's help, to begin telling the story of what they had *all* been through. That was, after all, his wife's legacy, was it not? * * * Narn. The Parliament Buildings. With pointed silence and near antagonism, Na'tok strode through the corridors of the parliament buildings, his expression steady and determined. Immediately after the attack he had conducted at Centauri Prime, the more senior Warleaders had recalled his command to Narn. This was not a surprise, of course; he had been expecting this fate, after all. He had defied President Sheridan; and that defiance would have to be answered for. He had no doubt he would be removed from his command; perhaps, a military tribunal would be convened to punish him. It didn't matter; in the end, he had done what he had felt was *right*. And nothing any government official could say to him would make him change his mind, or his opinions on that score. At least, that was what he thought until he turned a corner, and arrived at his final destination. A door opened, and then another, and Na'tok was ushered deep into the heart of the repaired Parliament, into an area he had never yet seen. The heart of the power base on Narn...the inner sanctums of the Kha'rhi. And there, a figure stood; powerful, sharp of gaze, and for the first time, Na'tok realized what his fate might be...and for the first time, he, Na'tok, began to have certain doubts as to what the outcome might be, as well. "Ah...Na'tok." Councillor G'kael drawled, casting a caustic gaze across the now slightly nervous warleader. "So *good* of you to come..." * * * Tuzanor, Minbar; several days later. "Thank you for coming with me, Durhan..." Jennifer said, as she looked up into the brilliant blue skies over Tuzanor. Standing and waiting for William to come back to her was becoming difficult as of late; the twins were big enough now that even *walking* was becoming uncomfortable. But in the end, it would all be worth it, she told herself. "It is a honour to accompany one such as yourself!" Durhan replied, his gaze full of humour. "You need not have asked. After all, once we learned that you intended to become one of the first human Sech to ever instruct in this place, the rest of us decided we would do anything for you. What we have made in you, Jennifer Westcastle, will now be reflected in the generations of Anla'shok yet to come. It is a honourable calling; and at the same time, as you well *know*, this event is a momentous one...and difficult, for both of you. When you asked, nothing I know of could have preventd me from coming!" She smiled, and bowed. "Thank you, Durhan..." And then, she noticed the tiny form growing nearer, and straightened *far* too rapidly for her own good. Durhan reached out a hand to steady her, and then shaded his gaze as well, to observe the new arrival. "So; it is happening at last. There were times, in the last few cycles, that I didn't believe he would ever do it; but now, here he is, just the same. What can it mean?" "I think I know *exactly* what it means..." she replied, as above and across from them, the shrill, familiar sound of a White Star main drive echoed through the air as the White Star Four passed directly over them, swung neatly around, almost as if on a pin (and she *knew*, only too well, at whose hand it swung) and almost gently sank down onto the landing pad. With as much dignity as she could manage, she approached the grounded starship, Durhan at her side, and then, her heart jumped as a small, barely visible hatch appeared on the underside of the ship, and three all too familiar figures emerged, and made their way towards her. She couldn't run, of course, but *he* could...and did. And soon enough, they were in each other's arms, at last. Too *long*, this last seperation had been; but all being well, this would be the *last* time. And only rightly so; for with all the times that William had promised to stay by her side, and she by his, life and duty had intervened all too often. And then, his lips met hers, and for a time, she forgot all other matters. Eventually, though, William straightened, and turned towards the figures of the two women who had accompanied him across the landing pad, the first, One who had been with them nearly from the beginning...the other, One whose adventures were really, all things considered, only just beginning. "Now, Brianna, I give her over into your capable hands. I know you will fly with her honorably, as I did, use her well, as we both did..." Jennifer frowned. Was that a touch of dark regret and pain in Brianna's eyes? And if so, what did it mean? "I will...Sha'vei. Or rather, I guess I should say, Sha'vei no'Raden...now." She watched William straighten, and mentally translated the Minbari title into English. High Councillor...of course. And Julia...until we see you next, serve Brianna as would me. With honour, and integrity, and utilizing all the skills you've built for yourself. The post is only temporary, of course; but until you return to enter your Ceremony, at year's end, serve her well; serve *both* of them well." "I will...sir." Jennifer noted, quite understandably, that Julia's eyes were near to brimming with tears. In fact, she was having a hard time controlling her own; "To the last." "Then *go*." And go, they did, last survivors of what had been built; walking proud, if sadly; determined, if regretful. Back into the starship that had been William's for so long, and now lay in his past. Ahead of them lay the future, a future she almost see, even as the White Star Four lifted away from the landing pad, and retreated out of sight beyond the crystal towers around them. And then, William and her turned towards one another, and for a long time, they said nothing, and only stood, taking comfort in each other, and trying to put behind them what was now gone, forever. She had not had an easy time of it, but for him, it would be far harder, this she knew with certainty. But then, a tiny kick against her skin reminded her of the reasons they had come to this place, put that part of their lives behind them, perhaps forever. Their time among the White Stars was done, now, and soon enough, they would see the world reflected in two tiny pairs of eyes. That, above all else, told her that they had done the right thing, in the end... * * * To be continued... **************************************************************************** Next time: As William and Jennifer's children arrive into a world still filled with more surprises then their parents can possibly realize, Julia begins to realize that something strange is going on with her commander..."The Price of Passage"...the sixth part of "Walkers", coming *very* soon. dgolding@connect.ab.ca From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in the Darkness, Part 6 Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 00:16:07 Three more times into the breach...plus a farewell, of sorts... * 10 * 9 * 8 * 7 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 * RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 6 "THE PRICE OF PASSAGE" **"As if *once* wasn't bad enough, now, here I was, about to do it to him again. First Ulkesh and the Vorlons, and now, Bester. The way I went about it was not the way I initially wanted, you see. As time passed, and Tashann and I began the job of commanding the White Star Fleet in its myriad tasks, I began to realize, with sinking heart, that it was almost *too* likely that Bester's deadline would arrive before I could return to Tuzanor to say goodbye...and explain. Instead, it seemed I would have to vanish again, this time for good; and that William's inauguration as a member of the High Council might be the last time I would ever see him in person. There was no going back on this sort of thing, you see; either I would be on time, or Bester would slam shut the doors of the trap still waiting for William. He's implied just that, you see; no shades of gray in the matter... and with William's children just having entered the world, I simply couldn't take the chance that anything might go wrong, that a message might be missed...and that assassins might be on the way because of that missed message. And so, I plotted my own downfall from grace; like another dear to those in the circles around the President, I was about to run away. Even now, I cannot forgive myself for what I did to him...I will never return to Tuzanor; there would be too many painful memories involved..." - Brianna Tolmanes, quoted privately after the end of the Telepath War, in 2266 * * * Early September, 2262; Tuzanor. The chambers of the Anla'shok High Council. In the darkness, a single ray of light illuminated the chamber. A room that had waited more then a thousand years to see its full purpose come to pass. From here, the decisions made could reach across hundreds of light years, and although it took time for those decisions to reach the farthest bastions of the Rangers, no command made in the chamber was ever ignored. But now, a time of both sadness and joy had also come; for something was to a happen, this day, that had never happened before. Inevitable, perhaps, but special, at the same time. The stone seats that ringed the other side of the chamber were full, this day, a rare occurence indeed. But a great many had come to see the event, and not all of them were even Rangers, by any means. Religious Caste and Warrior Caste Minbari had come, putting aside their past emnity to see the event come to pass...for word had come that the previous day, a lone White Star had been seen in the skies over the City of Sorrows, and all knew what this meant. The human that some Rangers named Rimstalker was coming home to the place that had given him form, and another moment of transition in a singularly impressive career was about to occur. Many of the younger Minbari who were there, that day, had come in part because they did not believe a *human* could have done all the things that this man, William Westcastle, had done. They had come to see this human in person; to look into his eyes, and there, see the truth. For if he *had* done the things that had made him and his command all but legend among the Anla'shok already, they would be able to see it. And then, a murmur passed through the waiting throng; for without sound, without warning, the seven living, present members of the High Council had appeared. Two of the seats on their great stone table were presently empty; one was set aside for the eventual return of their Entil'zha, Delenn; but that time had not yet come. The other... With a grating sound, the portals to the chamber slid aside, and a single human male entered, his Ranger uniform dark as night; his face, determined, behind a now slightly silver-streaked beard, and the increasingly long streak of silver in his hair announcing to all what he had been through to reach this place. For rumour had it that the Rimstalker had aged ten years in the last five in pursuit of his tasks, and now, the watchers could easily believe that such a rumour had truth. Behind this momentous arrival, some of the watchers observed several more human and Minbari Rangers enter the chamber, and they catalogued the faces, for future reference. One Minbari, tall and stern, his face and head marred by scars; Sha'vei Tashann, the new commander of the White Star Fleet. Two red-haired human women, one taller then the other, who appeared to be in the advanced stages of carrying a child to term...this, they knew, as the Rimstalker's constant companion and soul mate. A younger, blond haired man with a beard, and finally, a curly haired young woman, her dark locks just long enough to braid. Strangely enough, the watchers noted that this member of the entourage wore no Ranger sigil, but instead, a tri-pointed jade star set in silver. Many present had *also* heard some of the rumours surrounding this human, and wondered what the future would bring. In any case, the watchers now found due cause to subside; for the man named Rimstalker had come to a halt before the seven members of the Council, and merely waited. There was a brief pause, and then Rathenn, head of the Council beneath his present Entil'zha since the mysterious departure of Jeffrey Sinclair, rose to his feet, face stern. "Who comes before us, this day, of all days? Who strides in the footsteps of Valen and the Nine, to seek for that which is given, but at the same time, denied to so many? Who comes?" "I come." they heard Westcastle declare. "In Valen's Name, and in his footsteps, I come; for I have been called; down from the stars I have flown among, I have been called, returned to the place that created me as I am, in its time of need." At that, another member of the Council entered the fray. "The need is understood, the calling accepted; but what you seek is not easily attained; you must prove to us your worth!" A nod of acceptance. "It shall be as you say; in the cycles since I first came here, I have seen great Darkness, and been through the heart of the Fire. I have seen far too many pass beyond the Veil, to protect us from that Darkness. But against the Night, I helped to create a great Force; a force that has served us all in ways we never could have imagined when we began the task. And since then, I have flown with them, between the stars, protecting that which must continue. But there comes a time, in all things, when one must stand aside from that which is, for such is the way of life, and our way, *is* the way of Life. And so, I stand aside, in the name of He who followed me through all the battles, all the Darkness; it is his time, now." At that, the watchers observed a short, but pointed meeting of gazes between the Rimstalker and Sha'vei Tashann, and understood the meaning of that meeting of eyes, even as William Westcastle; Sha'vei, Rimstalker, and husband to the woman named Observer, knelt on the stone floor, before the assembled Council. Understood how *very* hard it must have been, for him to set aside the command of the White Star Fleet, the thing that gave him more joy then anything else...with one, small exception, of course. "And so it is, my fellow councilmembers..." Rathenn continued, his smile knowing, "That we observe the arrival of a legend into our midst; a legend who is, at the same time, noble enough to stand aside when the time was right; wise enough to attend to the Other Side of his soul, at her time of need. And yet, the Anla'shok cannot do without him; for we owe him much, much *indeed*. It is enough, I think, that the gift we give him in the name of his actions is a simple one. A gift of peace. For while he may, from time to time, yet sail among the stars with those he calls friends, this place now has a hold on him that is stronger then words. We call you home, Rimstalker; accept your beseechment to the position you seek. Rise, Sha'vei no'Raden Westcastle, you have *more* then earned your place among us." There were no cheers, as would happen in a human gathering such as this one, but the response was *quite* noticable. And then, several Religious Caste acolytes approached from the rear of the chamber, carrying a *very* important gift for the newest High Councillor of the Rangers. With care, Westcastle allowed them to remove his outer tunic, and then, they replaced it with the lighter brown tunic and robes of his new position. It was done, then; and with careful stride, the watchers watched this human take his place among the other Councillors, and then, a hush fell over them...for as expected, the Rimstalker had something to say. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this; wasn't sure if I even *deserved* this position you have given me, today. But I look out over those who have come here, to see this happen, and once again, I understand. Understand the reason I came here, four years ago, to take up the burden of the battle against the Great Enemy. I look out, and see the faces of all those who survived, when others did not. We fought that fight for all of you; and now, we must look to the future, to the generations of Anla'shok yet to be..." * * * White Star Four; one week later; on patrol, near the confluence of Minbari and Human space. "All is quiet, for now." Larieken declared from the first officer's seat, while above and behind him, Julia attended to the operations board, and tried not to meet his eyes. "And you, my young human friend; you are also quiet. Why might this be?" "You know *all* too well." she replied, finally looking up; Larieken, of course, narrowed his eyes when he saw her expression. "It almost seems...like everyone's...like everyone's beginning to go their seperate ways. What we built, what we had together; it's all starting to come apart." G'kael, gone to Narn. William and Jennifer, to Tuzanor, and their new tasks, their children. Like all things, this bond they had was coming apart at the seams. *Nothing* good ever lasted, she thought darkly. "*So*..." Larieken replied thoughtfully. "*That* is the cause of your latest dark mood. I do not mean to dissuade you, Julia, but this is the way things must be; this is the way of life. The Rimstalker and all his companions were drawn together by need; the Great War brought us together, and for a time, we Rode on the Storm in his name, and in the name of our Entil'zha, and the President, when Captain, he still was. As you humans say, we fought the good fight, and in the end, victory was ours." "But there's a price for that victory, Larieken...there's *always* a price. And we're not the only ones affected by this...condition. Haven't you heard?...even the people that gathered around Sheridan are starting to go their seperate ways..." "*Hold*. Just for a moment there, before you changed topics, it seemed to me that you were about to say something else. I know you too well, Julia Tikopai, for you to hide anything from me at this stage. We are loyal companions, and I have come to trust you in all things..." She sighed, and then ruefully nodded. "I should have known better then to even talk to you while this...other matter...was concerning me. Very well, yes, there *is* a problem; it's been growing for some time, but the closer we get to the end of the year, the more noticable it's becoming. It's Val'na Tolmanes, Larieken; I can see it in her eyes, and if *I* was a telepath, I have no doubt that her unhappiness would be leaking out and into my mind on a minute-by-minute basis. Something's *wrong*, Larieken; and I mean to find out *what*." * * * "Bester." Brianna stated, as she stared into the screen in her quarters. "I received your message; what is it you want?" In the screen, and light years away on Mars, Mr. Bester smiled his nasty smile. "Well now...let's just say that a little bird told me you paid a visit to Miss Lyta Alexander a few months ago, on Babylon 5. Now admittedly, she and you have something of a shared past history with the Vorlons, but where she went with them...well now, it was a little more then you did, yes?" Brianna slowly drew in a breath, and exhaled it. Had to stay calm... "That's right, Mr. Bester...I did...and it was. You may recall, at the time, that Lyta had just come out of a crisis that *you* helped to engineer." "Come now, Miss Tolmanes, false accusations will get you nowhere; you know very well that Byron was behind the whole thing. I tried to help him, tried to stop what was happening from going where it did; but you know what happens, sometimes; occasionally, even though you may have the best of intentions, everyone else in the universe seems to think you're out to get them. Byron, now...he thought that *I* was out to get him, and as a result...what happened, happened; a terrible tragedy...but *such* is life." Nevertheless, Miss Tolmanes, the fact that you and Lyta Alexander have had words implies, to me, that your leash needs to be drawn in...significantly. When we last spoke, on Mars, I implied to you that I would expect you to join with us at the end of this year. Due to certain extenuating circumstances, I fear I must advance that deadline, somewhat..." "WHAT?" "I'm afraid so...a week from now is about as far as my patience will last. " And then, Bester's gaze hardened. "Make no mistake, Miss Tolmanes, if you don't appear by the end of the coming week, the result will not be one you will want to see. After all, there is *his* new position to consider...and the *children*, of course..." You *bastard*. But she didn't say that aloud; she and Lyta had made certain...agreements that went above and beyond anything Bester could do to her with mere words. In the end, if it all worked out, they would tear his precious organization apart from end to end...if it all worked out. But for now, she merely nodded. "It will be...difficult. High Councillor Westcastle has only recently appointed me to my new position among the Rangers..." "Doesn't matter to me how you do it, only that you do. One week, Miss Tolmanes; be seeing you." And then, the signal cut. For a few moments, she simply sat there in silence, feeling the dark night of her soul drawing near. How would *any* of them be able to forgive her, after this? But long ago, she had sworn she would protect William, in all things... Even to this. "Computer." "Begin recording first of three personal messages. The first is to be addressed to Sha'vei no'Raden Westcastle; destination, Tuzanor. The second to Anla'shok Shi'vek Tikopai. And the third, to Sech Jennifer Westcastle, same address as the first." Brianna took a deep breath, and then began to speak. * * * White Star Five and White Star Sixty-six; elsewhere, and elsewhen... "Have you heard?" Talion inquired. Tashann smiled, and nodded back at the hologram of his friend. "Indeed, the message came just a short time, ago. Two hours ago, the Rimstalker and the Observer, Valen go with them, became the parents of a set of twin children...a boy and a girl, as you humans say." "Hmm. Richard William and Celia Dreanna. Interesting names..." "*Very*." Tashann wryly replied. "And knowing our comrades as we do, there is probably a hidden meaning in those names somewhere, beyond the *obvious*..." Talion nodded, and sighed. "You still miss her, don't you?" Tashann nodded, and looked out to the stars ahead of his White Star. "Yes, my friend; more then you will ever know." * * * Tuzanor...late-evening, local time; September 14th, 2262. Chronicles Log; Realizations. Out into the pale night, a scream...and then, another. Their mother never screamed, though, and even though Rishaa, her Minbari physician, offered aid during the process of labour, she never took it. So brave, she has been, in all the things we have been through; this was, I suppose, merely another chapter in the story. But *what* a chapter. What a turning point. When I first met Jennifer, all those years ago on a planet now destroyed, I never really believed that it would come to this, that there would be enough time for peace, enough time to bring two new lives into the world. But now, as I cradle my newborn son in my arms, and look out under the light of the Minbari moons, I can finally admit to myself that it was all worth it, to reach this point. In the years to come, as Richard and his sister Celia grow up, we will sit beneath the crystal towers of Tuzanor, and my son and daughter, sooner or later, will ask the all important questions... Why are we here? What did it all mean? And how was it that Father and Mother managed to stand so near to death, and avoid it? They will watch the images of what were, listen to the stories we tell them, and wonder what it all meant...how two great and powerful forces, ancient beyond words, drew us into something that will be remembered for a thousand years. At least, it will be, if Jennifer continues to write of those events at her current pace. But what a tale it will make, in the end. What a tale. She is sleeping, now, and so is Celia, in the cradles that the Minbari built for us. They are...an interesting design, to say the least, but after all, even the Minbari must look after infants of their own, yes? They will grow up amidst the crystal towers, and I can see a time when my son and daughter will, no doubt, speak the languages of the Castes more fluently then we do. Perhaps one or both of them will even understand enough to follow in our footsteps. Hmm. I must pause for a moment in this; there is a message coming in; it is a Ranger communication, I can tell that even from a distance. Never seems to fail; who could be calling at this hour, and for what reason? I must get it; I suppose I will find out, soon enough. * * * To be continued...twice more... ***************************************************************************** Next time: as the tale of the Rimstalker moves into its waning phase, William discovers what has happened to Brianna, and confronts Bester, one final time. Meanwhile, Julia and Larieken bring the White Star Four back to Minbar, for now that Brianna has fallen victim to her promise, what will be the fate of William's former command? "Bridled Rider" the Seventh part of "Walkers" coming tomorrow... From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, The Walkers in The Darkness, Part 7 Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 22:44:50 RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 7 "BRIDLED RIDER" "Let's have one last look at the place..." - Paraphrased from comments made by President John Sheridan during his departure from Babylon 5, December 2262 * * * Tuzanor, Minbar; the night of September 14th, 2262. The beep of the communications board in their quarters was harsher then it had to be, William realized, as he gently placed Richard in his crib, and then moved over to the terminal. Who, in Valen's Name, would bother them on this night, of all nights? And then, he saw the ident code for the two messages awaiting him...and also, the other side of his Soul...and he frowned. For *both* messages were from White Star Four...his former command, and now Brianna's. What could *possibly* have happened? He reached out a finger, placed his finger against a crystal that chimed...and then, once again, the world as he had known it turned... A face appeared on the screen; a face he knew all too well. And this face was now streaked with tears, her sadness more profound then he had ever seen before. "Brianna...?" But the message was *not* live, and as he listened to the words, the pain of this ending struck dearly into him; it was a time of endings, and of partings. This one, however...he had not wanted *this* to be; had not believed that it would ever happen, like this... "William...my *friend*. So much, we have been through together; so much pain, so much sorrow, so much life and so much death. You saved my life, a long time ago, and now, because of a promise I made to another, my hand has been forced, and in a way I could never have predicted. It came *so* soon...time's hourglass running out, the sands of my freedom running away, lost among the stars we loved so much. But even as the Third Age we helped to create moves on, another age is passing; an age of peace, an age of trust. We hoped...we *believed* that in defeating the Shadows and President Clark, we would find a peace to last a thousand years. We thought wrong, I am afraid. There are always more kinds of darkness, always something else hiding under the bed. And so, because of what we have had, I regretfully have to inform you of a truth I knew, over a year ago...a truth I didn't want you to know, until now. When we were on Mars, you believed that we had triumphed against the Psi Corp; that you rescued me, with your allies in the Resistance. I...I *didn't* want to upset what you thought you had done; a final trick, a full house played. But Bester...Bester doesn't work that way, William; Bester *always* gets what he wants...he always has a card up his sleeve. And, in the end, since he couldn't have Lyta, he arranged to capture the Vorlon's consolation prize..." He bowed his head, teeth gritted together in frustration; of course. Bester. In the end, it always seemed to come back to him. "If I hadn't agreed to his bargain, William, he would have killed you...all of you; I couldn't let that happen. And as a result, even as this message reaches you, I will have left White Star Four. I can't tell you where I'm going, only that I have to honour the promise I made, to keep you, and the children, safe. As long as you all stay alive, nothing else that happens to me *matters*, William; you have to believe that's true. Well; I...I suppose this is the end of our Ride, together, then..." At that, he watched Brianna nearly break down, but then, her eyes came to the screen, behind a glaze of tears. "I don't know if, or when, I will ever see you again; and maybe, it's better that way. In the conflict still to come between the Psi Corp and the rest of humanity, there can only be two sides. In serving my promise, I have shown what side I *must* serve, if you are to live. Farewell, my friend; my commander; Isil'zha Veni...in Valen's Name. I will *always* remember you." * * * White Star Four... "The crew needs to know the truth, Julia!..." Larieken insisted, as he and Julia strode down the grand corridor together. "We cannot hide this from them for much longer." "We have to be *sure*, Larieken!" Julia hotly replied, her gaze stinging. "As far as we can determine, *all* of our fighters and shuttles are accounted for. If this is true, then Brianna *hasn't* left us, yet!" Larieken sighed. "There is a saying that you humans are fond of, my young friend...and I quote; 'When all other answers have been elliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, *is* the truth'. You have said, yourself, that our Val'na has been acting...peculiar as of late. What this meant was unknown until her dissapearance. But it is clear that her quarters have been vacated; most of what she values has been left behind, *including* all of her uniforms. The only thing that she took with her, a symbol of what she has lived for and fought for alongside her friends and comrades..." "Her brooch; she took her brooch. And that, Larieken, tells me something *you* don't fully understand, because you weren't there to see it happen! The last time she was dragged away from the Anla'shok, she left it *behind*. This time, she took it with her...any questions?" "I see." the Minbari replied, his gaze now troubled. "You may have a point, after all." And then, the two, Ranger and Ranger-soon-to-be, reached the hangar bay of the White Star Four, and as the doors sprang aside, they strode within, and stopped. It was, indeed, as the sensors had indicated; the two fighters and shuttles presently aboard their command were all accounted for. And yet...Julia frowned, her concentration immense; was this, in the end, a message that Brianna had left behind her? And if so, what did it mean? Only *one* way to find out. Leaving a puzzled Larieken behind her, she strode, calmly and firmly, towards the nearest shuttle; walked up to it, her gaze appreciative, somehow; and as the others watched, she put her hand up to the purplish-silver skin of the shuttle... And smiled as her hand passed *through* it...and then, amid the consternation behind her, she winced, and closed her eyes for a second as a ripple passed through her mind, and then she opended them again...to find the shuttle *gone*. Of *course*; it had never been there *at* all. Julia smiled; she had long suspected there had been more behind William's trip to Mars then she had suspected; and it was true. And if Bester had somehow managed to snare her, the demonstration they had just beheld, a telepathic projection of *awesome* power, showed that Brianna might have more tricks up her sleeve then anybody realized. And later on, just as she was fading towards sleep, an all too familiar face appeared on her comm screen; a face of sadness, and of hope. A face of a friend, a voice of farewells...and she understood. And when she awoke, it was to learn of something both less and more remarkable. With Brianna gone, that left Larieken and her in command of what had, originally, been William's White Star. That this would not last was clearly apparent, for the High Council, upon learning of the situation, had quickly recalled them to Minbar. And she had looked into the mirror that morning, and seen a stranger look back. Fifteen years it had been since the Battle of the Line, the battle that changed history; fifteen years since her birth. But because of a gift she had never truly understood, and maybe never would, she now appeared closer to nineteen, or so; a young woman, pale of face, hair almost as dark as the uniform she wore...but her eyes were still the changable ocean colour they had been before this all had began. At least *some* things had stayed the same. And in the end, a remark she had made in passing to her mother, long ago and in another age, finally became the truth, that day... "You want me to do *what*? But I'm not even..." "Are you not?" Larieken replied, his gaze amused, as they walked down the corridor together. "In all but ritual, you are, Julia Tikopai, what has long since been intended. Forged of fire and pain, trained by legends. Your time is coming, an age the Anla'shok has yet to see. Consider this a first step on a long journey, if you will; the beginning of your own legacy." And so it was, that she met the gazes of those who had been William's crew, as she arrived on the bridge, alone. Some were astonished, and some...some looked at her, and nodded, their expressions all too solemn, and knowing. She sighed, as she stood, alone; a long journey, was that what Larieken had said? Well, you had to start somewhere... "Helm." "Ready." "Take us *home*." * * * "All of her messages were different...but in some respects, they all said the same things; they spoke of betrayal, of past glories, and of future fates. What we had shared, together, was now gone forever, stolen by a promise. In the end, though, we *would* speak again, as a final time of sorrow and regrets came upon us all. But there are things about that time I cannot speak of...even now, and here, there are books that must REMAIN closed, for all time..." - From "The Last Book of the Observer" as published in the Earth Year 2301 * * * October 11th, 2262... William smiled a bitter smile; it had taken a long time to make this happen, and a lot of favours called in, including some insistent pushing by a certain 'associate' of his, up on high, but eventually, it was always going to come down to this... "Mr. Bester." "Ah...High Councillor..." the Psi Cop replied, his expression bright and full of good cheer, "And *what* can I do for you, this fine morning? And *how* are the children? Well, I trust?" He forced himself to smile. "Fine; and they will continue to be *fine*, regardless of what I may have been told, by someone, it seems, we both care a great deal for, but for very different reasons." "Ah!...I must assume you are referring to Miss Tolmanes. I must admit, since she has returned to the only family she has ever had, Miss Tolmanes has established herself as a fine member of the Corp, and a fine assistant. Now how could I have predicted that would happen...High Councillor? After all, she came to us, we didn't even have to *ask*, after *all*!" Again the honorific, but twisted in the sarcastic tone that the Psi Cop always seemed to use, it seemed, somehow, like an insult.. "Ask, you say, Mr. Bester? Rather, let us talk about blackmail, and betrayal. About how a man twisted the loyalties a proud woman held to her cause, twisted it like a knife twists in the back, until there was no way out. You may *believe* she is serving you willingly, Bester...but as we both have learned during the last five years, nothing is *ever* as it seems." "I'll take that under advisement....High Councillor. Now, unless there's anything else, I have better things to do with my time, then exchange pleasantries..." William nodded. "One more thing, Mr. Bester, and then I'll let you be on your way. Over a year ago, you warned me to keep my guard up; admittedly, I didn't understand what I was guarding against at the time, but now I do, I make an equal promise to you. Sooner or later, all that you have worked towards, all that you covet, will come crashing down around you; and when that happens, when war comes again, those who care for life, and for love, and for comrades stolen through trickery, will be waiting. And when there is nowhere else to turn to, when true night falls upon your *beloved* Corp, all the people you have hurt, over the years, all the people who you believed could never touch you... Well; in any case, you should keep your guard up, Mr. Bester; because I *intend* to be one of them." Bester smiled; a final, cold, calculating smile, and then, he nodded. "We'll see." And then, he was gone, and William's smile became bitter, before he turned away, and walked out into the sunshine over Tuzanor. Another matter, for another day, and another time... * * * "And in the end, it was as the President had said; I had *known* when it was time to step aside. But at the same time, whether he knew it or not, the President finally *did* do what I had wanted him to; he never said anything, the day that day that Delenn arrived in Council for the first time; but our gazes met, and we nodded to one another; old warriors passing in the night; some things just *never* change... But just the same, even I have to admit, I suppose, that we're coming to the end of something, to another of G'kar's 'moments of Transition' (Blame G'kael for making me read *his* book, it wasn't *my* idea) And as for my ever-worrying Observers, I suppose that, in the end, some of what they've been saying all along, is true, after all. But at the same time, it doesn't really matter how many battles you've fought, where you've been, what you've seen, what you've done, as long as the really important things stay the same. As long as love, and life, and hope remains, nothing else really matters..." - From the Chronicles Log of William Westcastle, December 2262 * * * PsiCorp Headquarters...early December... "And what does this all mean?" Sheynell Keynes inquired, her face showing her interest in the matter at hand. "Something...remarkable." Brianna replied, one finger going down, as she spoke, to touch the shiny omega sigil on her jacket. So *very* interesting, how this child's viewpoint on the world had changed since she had touched what lay beyond... "Something remarkable, indeed." * * * To be (gulp) continued... Once more... **************************************************************************** *** Next time: The grand finale is at hand, as Julia takes her vows to become a full Ranger, and those who have survived show up, to see the beginning of a new destiny... "The Star that Lights the Way." the FINAL (yes, final!) part of RIMSTALKER, coming tomorrow... dgolding@connect.ab.ca From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker, the Walkers in the Darkness, Part 8 Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 23:02:08 Spoiler space, just in case...I can't think of any major ones to spoil at this point, so close to the end of the tale, but it never hurts to be sure, for the benefit of those who *still* haven't seen up to 'Objects at Rest'. This is, as previously indicated, the last *full* section of the tale. My final comments, thanks, etc, however, will appear at the end of the epilogue, still to come. DGG 10 * 9 * 8 * 7 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 * RIMSTALKER: THE WALKERS IN THE DARKNESS PART 8 "THE STAR THAT LIGHTS THE WAY" ** "And in the end, most of the players, great and small, walked peacefully away from what they had been, but not without a great deal of sorrow in the doing. The memories call, of a man standing proudly at salute, those he had known, facing him from what had been his home for so long. Of another, his child in hand, enduring a final farewell. And of the women who stood behind them both, for different reasons, and in different circumstances. Who could have predicted, when this chronicle started, where it would go, and how noble, the ending would be?" - From the afterword to "Holding the Line: A History of the Army of Light" * * * Chronicles Log; Finales...and new beginnings. There is closure, after all. I have moved through sadness, and past bitterness, and with the help of my new family, I have found acceptance. The man I was, when all this began, would not have been able to do such a thing, but I have learnt much, in the service of the Anla'shok, and this may have been the wisest thing. Certainly, what we did resounds in the memories of billions of lives on a hundred worlds; certainly, some of them will write of what happened, and why; let them, I say. I'd like to believe that I've fought the battles I've had to fight, by now; everything that's happened has managed, by happenstance, to teach me a little humility. And this is one reason, among many, why I accepted my present position...one among many. Less then a day ago, in this log, I spoke of love and life being among the only things that matter; while this is true, at the same time, I can never forget those coming behind, striding in our footsteps. And so, here I am, back at the place where it all began. Something very special is about to happen, you see, something that's been too long delayed... * * * December 26th, 2262, Human Reckoning... Primary Arrivals Facility; Yedor, Minbar. Amidst the bustle of travellers coming and going, (but mostly coming) two comrades came together. For all their lives, they had been Worker Caste, and they had worked on, and seen, a great many things come to pass over the last five years that would never come again. "So, my friend; what do you make of *this*?" A smile. "It is as we have always said; there are those who do *not* fear to tread in the path of giants. Ever since the President of the Interstellar Alliance and the Entil'zha of the Rangers came to this place, a steady flock of followers have come to us. Perhaps they do not yet understand the *real* reason why they have come, but in time, as they walk among us, and learn our ways, and learn what *they* mean to do, in this place, perhaps they will understand. And perhaps, they will go away, having learned of the *real* reasons they came." "Perhaps. But at the same time, the sheer *scale*, and nature, of some of the recent arrivals, deserves *some* mention..." * * * "It has been *too* long since I have last been here..." Shival declared, as he strode forth from the transport, into the milky light and sun over the mountains of the Valley of Sorrows. "Too long, by far." Tharvonn smiled, and nodded at his superior. "And yet, we have been busy, Sha'vei. Babylon 5 has, for a very long time, been the center of the whole affair; and while that time is now beginning to pass, for obvious reasons, the work will continue, for as long as is necessary." Shival snorted. "Work! Trust *you* to remind me of that, my friend. No!...for now, in this day, and the next, I set work aside to deal with the more important issues of *relaxation*! I am here to see something come to pass that has long been intended, Tharvonn. Too long we have held her back...held back by bars of ritual and training. But Larieken and I will have words, this evening, and if what he tells me is what I suspect, then there is nothing to hold her back, any longer." "Perhaps you are right..." the other Minbari replied. "She is a gift we must never forget; even though I cannot *help* but remember the stripling human that she was, when first she came to us; she has come far, aided both by her belief that she was doing the right thing, but also by the aid of the Vorlon Kosh, when his help was needed the most..." "Yes..." Shival's eyes went distant, and he sighed. "He gave his life in the name of our struggle, and there is much we still do not know about him and what he was, but in that, Tharvonn, I will not argue with you. But most importantly, we must remember that she has *also* been through the Fire that has tempered us all. She is a survivor; and all survivors eventually learn to play the game that is life...or die. She has lived, grown stronger, wiser, and more mature. This is, in the end, the greatest gift she has received..." * * * The Worker Caste Minbari looked at one another, and then one sighed, and spoke. "One Sha'vei of the Anla'shok was bad enough, and an important portent; but a short time later, another came, he who now flies in the footsteps of the human some Anla'shok call.... ...Rimstalker..." * * * "All is well out there, I trust?" Larieken inquired, as he fell in at Tashann's side. "It would not do, after all, for there to be an upset...so close to the arrival of something that means a great deal to us both." The older Minbari nodded gruffly, but then allowed a smile to come to his face. "All is quiet on the far Reaches, Larieken, and so, I can, for a little while, return to my home, return to the side of the humans who mean more to me then any others I know. And, at the same time, observe the 'matter' you speak of. How is she?" Larieken sighed. "She has...secluded herself, Sha'vei, and will see no one, until the time is right. But it is *her* right to do such a thing; before moving forward, one must reflect on what has been. *She* has been through much to reach this place, at this time, on this day." "Much, indeed. However, we must speak of another matter, now, Larieken, an important matter. For after her Ceremony, she must begin her full duties as Anla'shok, and I would not have such talent wasted unnecessarily..." * * * "Marvelous." G'kael declared, as William and the Narn stood together, on the point of Gajn'Darahl, and watched the great sun of Minbar slowly sink out of sight in the west. "I never believed I would find the time to come to this place, to see the things you have spoken of to me, in your letters over the past year and a half. But then, a time came when a High Councillor sent a missive to another High Councillor, and this Councillor decided, with all *speed*, that the duties of his station should be set aside for a time. It took a great deal of convincing, mind you, on the part of my...followers....but eventually, they came to realize that I would have my way, in the end!" William smiled. "The day when we become figureheads is the day I will give this all up as having been a waste of time, my friend. We've both been through enough in our callings...from time to time, it's good to remember we can stand aside from all that, and simply...get our own way, as you say. Let the bureaucrats argue, G'kael; *that's* the opportunity we can always use to slip away, unnoticed." "Ah yes!...indeed!" The Narn turned then, to fix his human friend with a knowing gaze. "You have learned a great deal since the first time I met you, William, a great deal indeed. You grew from a man broken and discarded by his superiors, to command the greatest force ever known, the force of spirit!...the force that says, 'We will NOT give up our right to live, to exist...to *be*. I learned this the hard way, and now that the engines of war have fallen silent for a time, I come to pay witness to another beginning..." * * * "They're far more of a handful then even *I* might have guessed; but then again, I did have to go and have two at once, didn't I?" "A handful, you say?" Bethany succintly replied, as Jennifer ever-so-gently set her finally sleeping daughter down to her rest, as beyond, Celia's brother rolled over in his own slumber. "This I can believe. In the short time I had with my daughter before I was called away to duty...it was almost the same thing. I'm only sorry I didn't get to see more of her childhood; before I knew it, the child I had known was stolen away, and a young woman was returned, in her place..." "Though I wouldn't try to equate the Vorlons with the mythical fairies of yesteryear, if I were you, although, in many respects, Julia is somewhat of a changeling, isn't she?" A slightly bitter laugh, but then the bitterness faded. "I suppose so. But at the same time, the letters she's sent me over the last couple of years only remind me that when she needed a helping hand the most, there you both were. Although there isn't possibly any way I can repay you two for all you've done for her...and although I wasn't there for all of it, thankfully enough!... there's something I'm going to say now that I couldn't before... *Thank you*." Jennifer sighed, and then nodded, thinking to herself, be glad you weren't there for some of what your daughter had to go through; there's some things that she hasn't told you yet; maybe she will, one day, but that day's not yet..."The simplest compliment, and yet, at the same time, simplicity sometimes works the best. But now that's past us, Bethany, why don't you tell me what you've been up to, since the last time we talked?" "Oh...this and that. My new command, the DE'MOLAY, keeps me busier then you can possibly imagine, and while I can't, unfortunately, tell you where I've been, and where I've yet to go, it's been an interesting ride, thus far, and I don't doubt that the most interesting parts are *yet* to come." "Of course." It was clear that pursuing *that* avenue would get her nowhere, however. Best to let bygones be bygones... "And what about you?" Bethany inquired, her gaze speculative. "I've heard that you're beginning to write your account of the War, what we all went through, what we all did. An enormous undertaking...too big for this girl." "Almost too big for this one, as well!...but it *needs* to be said, and while I've had a few offers from Homeworld already, the biggest hurdle I've faced so far in talking to them is trying to equate Ranger ranks with something the people Earthside will understand...I think I'll manage to sneak it past them eventually, but it's best to start slowly, I think." "And which name will you write it under...your's, or your husband's?" Jennifer smiled wryly. "Mine. My husband is already known for enough things around this galaxy, Bethany; this has to be *my* story. "Although, he *will*, by force of nature, be playing a *rather* large role in it." * * * Elsewhere... "Do you want to tell me again why we're doing this?" A smile. "Of course. Tomorrow, at first light, as the shadows pass into day, a Ceremony will occur, welcoming a new member of the Rangers into her calling. I have seen this young human grow, and learn, as we have, together, and I will be there, to honour her day of what you would call, I suppose, *ascension*." A pause, and then, a smile in return. "I can see how much this means to you; how could I say no?" * * * December 27th, 2262...sunrise. Julia stirred, and felt the warmth of the rising sun touch her face, at last. The long dark night of her soul was over; and while she knew there would always be questions, this was something she could not have avoided, even if she had wanted to. There were ghosts to be exorcised, many ghosts; she suspected that she would spend a good deal of her life in that task, but it was...a beginning. With sure movements, she rose to her feet, and with slow, careful stride, walked down off of the ledge, and across the grounds of that which had become her past, was her present, and had given birth to what would be her future. There was no hurry, but the appointment she had was one she could not, *would* not...miss. The grounds of the Ranger compound were silent, this brilliant dawn; but the silence meant little; she could feel the eyes watching her, all around. Knowing eyes, measuring her worth; pleased to see a child of Earth come to this point, far on the path that Kosh, and her, had chosen, so long ago, and far away, on the place that *none* of them would ever forget, for as long as they lived. Babylon 5. Last of the Babylon stations. William and Jennifer, and all the rest, had been drawn there, as if by a magic none of them could resist, and from that place, they had strode forth to shake the foundations of history. Something *better* had come of that upheaval, but the struggle hadn't finished yet, oh no. Julia set her mouth into a tighter line; the chaos surrounding the now cloistered Centauri Republic underlined that understanding, all too well. The allies of the Shadows were still out there, somewhere, and back on Earth, the Psi Corp remained...a force that had stolen away a friend, never to be reclaimed. And as long as the Darkness remained, *any* kind of darkness, there the Rangers would be. Hidden, or openly flying in the Fleet that her mentor's husband, the man some named Rimstalker, had helped to build; there they would be; there *she* would be. She looked up, and sighed. Before her, now, was the place where thousands of Ranger boots had tread, over the last five years; to all outward appearances, the place of assemblage appeared dark, this early in the day, but she knew better, *far* better then that. And with heart in her mouth, but gaze and stride still firm, she pushed against the stone door, and slipped within... ...to find the great chamber *full* of Rangers, and others, as well, all of them holding candles. Out of the crowd, she was able to pick faces she knew so well; the measured, if pleased, faces of Sha'vei'e Shival and Tashann; the now well bearded face of Talion Quintara, now a Val'na, and White Star commander in his own right; up front and off to one side, Larieken stood against the wall, his face expressionless, but watchful, while near the front, her mother sat, *her* expression disciplined, and true, her Earthforce dress uniform sharper then she had ever seen it... And in the front row, in Ranger brown and black, William and Jennifer, together, as should be. More shocking, however, were the *special* guests. Sitting beside William was a face she knew well, by association; the Narn Councillor G'kael...the one who had, more then any other, been responsible for starting William and Jennifer on their travels. And then, she very *nearly* turned around and walked out, for on the other side of the central aisle, her face solemn, but with a touch of smile at the same time, sat the Entil'zha, her husband, President Sheridan, beside her. She closed her eyes for a moment; courage, she told herself...I *will* have the courage to do this. If not for me, then for all of them...and especially, for *them*... "Who stands in the doorway?" came a voice, a voice she knew well, a voice that called down complete silence upon all those assembled. She looked up from her indecision, and saw Sech Turval standing at the center of the chamber, his expression peaceful, and appreciative. "Who stands?" "It is I..." she whispered...but the whisper carried, so all could hear it. "I have walked through the Long Night, I have seen what must be seen, known what must be known. I have walked through the Fire, at the side of and beneath those assembled here, this day; I come, to claim my heritage." Turval smiled, then. "Then, approach, young human, and show us your worth." And approach, she did, past all the serried ranks of Anla'shok come to see this impossibility...this *miracle*, come to pass. A miracle given birth through faith and by the magic of a Vorlon now lost forever, she walked, through the silence, between the watchers. And as she walked, she briefly met the gazes of all those who had come; associates to her commanders, friends to them, and to her, in turn. William and Jennifer, their expressions supportive, and finally, the Entil'zha. What Julia saw in *her* eyes was enough to make all the fears go away; they were all here for her, all of them; how, in Valen's Name, could she possibly think to disapoint them? And then, the walk complete, she knelt, alone, before Turval. It was time. "It is a great thing, to see such as this come to pass..." Turval declared, his voice carrying clearly to all those present. "What she who kneels before me has done, in her travels, and in her training, to make us *all* understand the worth of what she attempts, this day. We cannot deny her what is hers, and although the road ahead of her may be long, and difficult, she has reached the point where we can hold her back, no longer." With fingers sure and deft, Turval gently reached forth, and removed the Circle and the Star from the place it had held, waiting for another, and replaced it on her collar...before replacing it with something that meant *so* much more. "You will repeat after me. I am a Ranger. I walk in the dark places no others will enter. I stand on the bridge, and no one may pass..." As she spoke the words, Julia realized that Turval was gradually lowering his voice, allowing hers to come to the fore, until it was *her* voice that filled the emptiness. "I live for the One... ...I die for the One." * * * Though it is my hope that she will not come to that fate easily, or willingly. I have done well with her, better then I could have possibly believed, when first we met, on Babylon 5. She will fly for us; she will fly for *me*, and in the years still to come, she will draw a great fellowship around her, in our next time of need. It has happened before; it will happen again. And while *we* fade into the background, our greatest duties complete, *her* story is only beginning. I know this...I *feel* that this is the truth, a truth that words cannot describe. For what we have built in this place, and the other, out among the stars, *shall* endure... As long as there are hands to guide, and winds to follow... **************************************************************************** *** Not *quite* the end, however. The somewhat surprising epilogue to the tale of the RIMSTALKER, coming tomorrow...*after* I watch SLEEPING IN LIGHT... dgolding@connect.ab.ca From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: Rimstalker: Epilogue Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 00:26:12 Before anything else, having just gone through what the rest of us in North America have gone through, I have to thank J. Michael Straczynski for five years of my life that I will not soon forget. He was given the opportunity to finish his vision, and for that, we should all be proud of his accomplishment. And what he gave us, in the end, was a bittersweet parting as moving as he suggested, when he spoke to us in Calgary, four months ago... Now, on with the end of another saga. While only 14 months in the making, this saga has, through the sheer doggedness of its creator, charted almost the entire five year arc of BABYLON 5, and gone places that jms never had time to touch in his remarkable series. That was, I guess, in the end, the primary intent of the RIMSTALKER; while the path was lost from time, and glitches snuck in due to typing well past midnight once too often, in the end, the result was far more then I might have hoped for. But one man's vision, now resounding in the minds of millions, helped to create everything we have written on this list, and we paid his diligence back in full. No greater compliment do I know. More to follow. * * * Now, on with the most difficult part of all; the last, bittersweet, somewhat painful finale to my tale. * 10 * 9 * 8 * 7 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 * I...REMEMBRANCE. November 2281, Earth Reckoning; Tuzanor, Minbar. The space was brilliantly lit, and the windows beyond had been her constant companions for almost two decades now, but the woman who sat at the table in one corner had kept her gaze intent on the pages before her for hours now, brows furrowed beneath long silver hair, that still, if one looked closely, had traces of its former colour buried within. In the end, this had become her only comfort, beyond her children. But her children were not there, for now; gone to their own lives and duties; and that was just as well. Who else did she have? No one. Only the words; and so, she wrote... 'Long ago, a day was set aside in this month, to remember those who had fallen in the cause of duty. But I propose to spend the rest of my days attempting what some would call impossible. But I am an Observer, and I have come to understand, in some ways, that I have the power to make the impossible, possible. And I promised, you see; promised to his eyes, the day he began to leave me behind, that I would do this, that I would make it mean something. And this promise is one I will not break; they *will* remember what their sacrifice meant, if it is the last thing I do.' A short time later, she was able to regain enough composure to continue. 'There may be unforseen consequences if you choose to accept this path, is what I remember Taaldon saying, more then twenty years ago, now, in that moment between moments, on Z'ha'dum. I thought, at the time, the meaning was clear; after all, we lost five years of our lives helping him in our escape from the fate that John Sheridan created, and that should have been the end of it...but that wasn't the end of it, not at all. Because early in the spring of 2279, my husband disovered the awful truth of the matter. At an age otherwise considered the prime of life in present society, if not for the fact he appeared years older due to what we had both been through, something had begun to attack his neural system, a disease that none of the physicians we had access to could diagnose. And over time, all of our friends, great and small, who still lived, came to see him; for once it had started, the slide to oblivion could not be stopped, no matter how hard we tried. And over the long, hard months since then, the man I have known and loved has slipped away from me, little by little. Nothing they tried could stop it, nothing they thought of could help. We managed to keep it quiet, of course; it has been some years since his voice on the Council was heard loudly, in any case. And before it advanced too far, he told me all he wanted to; his view of all his successes, his failures, the dark blight of what happened to the Cha'hal'zhamon worse then any other. And now, he lies in state; and I sit, and wait for the end I know is coming, sooner or later. Is this the fate I will face, in some perilous time, still to come? For I escaped in the same fashion, using the same method. Of course, I have always been five years younger then he... But at the same time, the timing cannot be a coincidence, when combined with other, recent and dramatic events. John Sheridan has disapeared; and he was there with us, on Z'ha'dum, for different reasons, and under different circumstances. Of course, he suffered a far harsher fate then we did; most believe he actually *died*, before Lorien saved him, or so we are lead to understand; and now, the word is that he went to face his fate, alone. Julia has taken a portion of the Fleet to look for the White Star that he used on his final voyage, and I do not doubt that she and her Rangers will find that ship, eventually. My friend has been the Sha'vei of the Fleet too long now to do her duty poorly...' * * * Corianna System... Some things changed, but so many things stayed the same. They didn't number the ships of the Fleet as they had; but did it matter anymore? Julia rose to her feet as her command jumped into orbit around Corianna VI, the long braid of her hair swinging behind her; *had* he come here? The answer, of course, was yes. Soon enough they found the ship, orbiting alone high above the world that the Army of Light had saved, so long ago...empty. The man who had brought it here had vanished, as surely as if he had never been. A mystery; she hated mysteries, and after everything she had been through in her career with the Rangers, all the successes, the heartbreaks, the failures of the past twenty years, this was worse then most. For in the end, it seemed that no one would know what had happened to John Sheridan. He had come here to die, and if he had died, then what then? For they had found no body. A man who had done so much for the galaxy was gone, and as she turned away, as her ship turned away, and vanished into the night, she felt the sadness well up; for another man who had also gone to Z'ha'dum was even now, wasting away, on Minbar, victim of an incurable disease. He wasn't gone yet, but it was inevitable...no one who had gone to that evil world had come away the same; sooner or later, would Jennifer face the same fate? But for now, there was another matter to attend to, almost as sad as the other matter. Something that she had never believed would happen was also about to come to pass; and so, she gave command, one last time, to make best speed for Babylon 5. And said no more; her crew, and her trusted first officer, beside her so many years now, knew better then to speak to her when she was in such a mood. So many goodbyes, in so short a time. It wasn't fair, but then again, life never *was*. But even so, sometimes, saying goodbye to a place that had, more then anywhere else, made her what she was, was going to be so *very* hard. * * * 'I was there, of course, even though it wasn't safe to bring him; in his condition, he wouldn't have seen anything, in any case. We were there, to watch as the final curtain came down. Redundant, they called it; but this place, a place of dreams, a place of victory, a final refuge and a last bastion when needed, had escaped destruction so often, when the time finally came, I chose to see it that blaze not as one of defeat... But as one of *glory*, instead. And then, five short months later, it was time for another goodbye. A man I had loved, lived with, and followed through a section of history filled with legends, passed beyond the Veil, his long struggle complete. And at the end, he came back to us, if only for a short while, to say his goodbyes...and then, his eyes opened wide, and the man I had called husband, and that two generations had called Rimstalker, passed away, following, it seemed, in the paths of legend...' * * * In the Light, there were only questions, and fewer answers. "Why are you here?" "So you won't be afraid. This isn't the end, William... Only a new beginning." * * * * * II...THE FACE OF THE FUTURE. Tuzanor, Minbar...Early Autumn, 2315... "In the end, the story...was not what I thought it would be; it went to places even I could not have predicted!" "No; legends are never that simple; if you only allow yourself to see one side, the story is incomplete; The other accounts were great ones, and they revealed much that was important...but perhaps now, the galaxy will understand it is never as simple as it seems, that until you know the Rest of the Story, you cannot understand the story at all." Walken nodded earnestly. "Quite true; thank you... Sha'vei no'Raden Tikopai. Over the months, I have taken up too much of your time in this, but now, the record can be..no, WILL be considered complete." And then, Andreas Walken made as to rise, and she stopped him with a raised hand, and the piercing gaze he had come to understand *all* too well. "Is that what you think, Andreas? I am disapointed in you." Confusion filled his mind; what was this? "Forgive me...I do not understand your words. Is not...the tale concluded?" "*Their* tale is, yes. Something that needed to be done, something he would have appreciated, in the end. Something Jennifer asked of me, before she, too, passed beyond the Veil." Again, the piercing gaze. "But while their cycle is complete, Andreas, the story never ends, not until we die, and our eyes no longer see. I have kept my promise to them; now I make a new promise, and a covenant between us. I see how much the story of his life means to you, and I know, now, that when I am gone, the story will go on to another. In turn, you will find another, Andreas, another Observer, like us, to carry on the legacy...won't you?" A brief pause, and then he ruefully nodded. "You know me too well." "Perhaps. But the story lives in us, my young companion, and because it lives in us, there will come a time in the none-too-distant future when you will return to me. I have told you *their* story....from beginning, through middle, and beyond the end, and while there is *some* that certainly was not told to me first hand, it is all accurate; such is the way of our Gift. "But now...it is finally time to tell *my* story." Another brief pause, in which Walken's eyes widened with incredularity, and then..."Truth? You...you will break the vow of silence you made, so long ago?" "For you, Andreas..*yes*, I will. But the time is not now, friend; you will know when that time is arrived. And until then, I will be here...waiting." * * * After Walken departed, his eyes wide with renewed wonder at what still lay ahead, there was a pause; and then, Sha'vei no'Raden Julia Tikopai, High Councillor of the Anla'shok, one among nine, Observer, and Follower, to the end, of those who had come before her, leant forward into the light, and smiled. For in the telling, she had been able to make him *believe* the truth she had always known. While the story had a beginning, a middle and an end, at the same time, the story *never* ended. That had been one of the hardest things she had ever been forced to learn; Andreas would do well, in the years still to come. Well *indeed*. But that was for later...for now, there were...other concerns to deal with. She turned; "Old friend, he is gone now." "You have done well, Julia, better then we thought you could." "It needed to be told...and now it has been; for now, for ever, for all those yet to come." "And what will they make of it, I wonder?" Delenn whispered, as she emerged from the darkness. * * * Earth Year 3360; the Abbey of the Observer. Cornelius sighed, and closed the Book of the Observer. He turned, and looked beyond the foothills to the east. Any time now... A light rose above the hills, and blossomed into a fire, as the day came once again. Cornelius smiled. As long as hope lived, as long as the Rangers waited, the story would never be over... * * * The End of History... **Do not worry; I saw the End, and now I am coming** **Good; there is something you must see...something...interesting** The Ranger paused in interest...it seemed, even at this late date, that the story wasn't over yet... ****************************************************************************** Some last words... Some may wonder about the Rimstalker's final fate, but he chose to go to Z'ha'dum, just like John Sheridan, and in the end, there was always going to be a further price to pay, all apparent victories to the contrary. Jennifer, of course, went on for almost twenty years more, setting down her records of the Great War, and then, like her husband, she, too, passed beyond the Veil. Whether she joined him or not, in the end, is a question that will *never*, I suppose, be answered...or should. Lorien and Sheridan might know the answer to this question, but we never will... In any case, thanks go out to all the people on the list who have read this work, since its start, many months ago. I wish to particularly thank Julia Watkins, Anne Clements and Stephen Barringer for their kind words during the course of the struggle, as I walked through shade and shadow, saw destiny's call, feared the dark circle, rode on the storm, and walked through the final darkness. It was just this sort of thing that allowed me to keep on going, and find the courage to actually *finish* the tale, as jms has finished his. And while the *story* isn't finished yet, this particular corner of jms's universe has now seen the curtain fall. Go in peace, Babylon 5. You will always be remembered. David Goldingay Edmonton, Alberta November 26th, Earth Year 1998