From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE; EPISODE IV. Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 00:27:48 [Cue Dramatic Music] KLAIRIKA ALIDIAE We are the Watchers... [Klairika standing on the bridge of the SHARD OF NIGHT, an image of the EXCALIBUR hanging in the air in front of her.] SHEYNELL KEYNES We are the Warriors... [Images: Sheynell at the tactical station, the battlecruiser firing its main gun and destroying a Drakh capital ship] LARIEKEN We are the Guardians... [Image: Larieken defending his Captain against Z'shailyl attackers, warrior pike in hand] VEYSHAHK We are the Healers... [Image: Veyshahk at his desk in MedSection, an image of the Drakh virus on his computer screen.] DASOURI and NICHOLAS DAWSON We are the exiles... [Image: Nicholas in Engineering, Dasouri at the helm of the SHARD] JULIA TIKOPAI And I am the Seeker. [Image: Julia's face, lit by candles, the stars of the Galaxy beyond] KLAIRIKA ALIDIAE We are the Rangers of the SHARD OF NIGHT, in this, the Earth Year 2267. [Image: The SHARD OF NIGHT enters, from the left...] JULIA TIKOPAI This is our story. [... before engaging darklight mode, and going into hyperspace.] S T A R A N D C I R C L E "T H E S E E K E R' S F I R E" * * * STAR AND CIRCLE created by David Goldingay * * * Legal Disclaimer: BABYLON 5, CRUSADE and all characters and situations thereof are the creations and copyrighted property of J. Michael Straczynski and Babylonian Productions. This series is a non-profit creation for the purposes of private entertainment only. Original characters and situations are copyright of the author, 1997-99. * * * <> March 8, 2267. This far out on the Rim, as darkness fell each evening, the sky could be divided into unequal portions of darkness and light. Centuries before, a man of Earth had called a world just like this one 'Terminus', and in his writings, had tried to do justice to how the galaxy would appear from such a place. Of course, the truth of things had not been known then... how the billion-fold stars of the galaxy that humans named the Milky Way could blaze in all their glory from the viewpoint of this dead world, orbiting the galactic core more then thirty degrees above the plane of the great whirling system. Empires had waxed and waned as the world had walked its way around that galactic core. And while there *was* an ancient-tech jump gate in the system, the former inhabitants of the planet had not believed in defiling the Passage Between Places with *that* mechanical construct. They had instead come and gone as they pleased...drifting between the phases like ghosts. And finally, feeling the call as all did, after the battle that the humans had named Corianna VI... the battle that had ended the last of the Shadow Wars, they had gone beyond the Rim to follow the First One, obeying his call. And now, their world walked alone... alone with its dusty memories and deadly secrets. Secrets of any kind had always been dangerous... secrets tended to draw attention, and had. But out of all the expeditions that had come to this place over the millenia, only one had ever returned to known space... a terrified Centauri crew who had subsequently labelled the world, in accordance with their own gods, religions and beliefs, in the following way. Amaranth; the world of the whispering dead. A monument to a God best forgotten; a place to avoid at all costs. A place that seemed to kill any who approached it. A place of secrets that could never be solved. Unfortunately, there were always those who didn't believe this was true; who believed that there was no secret that couldn't be solved, and whose need to find answers to their own problems caused them to throw caution to the wind. History was about to be repeated, as far above the surface of a world named Death, space crackled, tore, and then opened up into the blue radiance of a jump point. And out of this passage sprang a ship that could not be seen by any technology known to the Interstellar Alliance. The machines of Amaranth, of course, noticed the ship's arrival almost immediately. And began preparations to receive their newest visitors. Their latest sacrifices. * * * "From all that we've heard about this planet," Julia began, as she stepped onto the bridge of her command, Klairika at her side, "Some would say we'd have to be crazy to want to attempt this." "But the question is," the Brakiri Ranger replied, a frown on her face, "Do any of the dark myths and tales of terror that surround Amaranth actually have a basis in the truth?" "That is a very good question, indeed." Larieken dryly noted, as he turned away from his station to face his commanders. "A question that we do not, as of yet, have answers for. There is only the name, and the meaning behind that name. This place is the world of the Dead, according to the Centauri at least. "But why," she mused, as she took her seat at the center of the bridge, "Would they give it that name, of all the names they could have chosen?" Larieken sighed. "Unknown. However, the fact that there are a number of empty ships orbiting the planet should give us reason to carefully consider our next move, here." "How many?" "Over two hundred." Sheynell replied from the weapons station, her eyes deeply concerned beneath her ash-blonde bangs. "They're all cold and inert... and some of them are fairly close to falling into the atmosphere. There's a few familiar designs, but also many that don't seem to belong to any of the races in our part of the galaxy." "And no surface activity? Defenses of any kind?" Sheynell shook her head. "This entire system seems to be dead as a doornail." "And yet, those crews came here to Amaranth looking for something..." Julia replied to the bridge-at-large, as she absent-mindedly twined a lock of her dark hair between two fingers. "If this world's been empty since the First Ones left us, then what killed them?" "If you intend to take teams down to the surface," Larieken added, after a moment, "And I know that you do, we learn that answer to *that* question soon, at least. But we must also be *very* careful; if something here bears ill will towards us, we may have to respond very quickly to such a threat, if any of us are to survive." "Not to, how do you say it?... dampen the mood any further," Klairika darkly noted, as a sensors report shimmered into being in front of her, "But the whiskers have just detected a rather large set of structures on the far side of the planetary surface, that I believe may interest you." "Show me!" she commanded, and rose to her feet, nevertheless, as an image of Amaranth's far side rippled into view in front of her. As far as she could see, the surface was covered with a matrix of identical buildings, angular, cold and black, beneath the orange light of Amaranth's sun. Her breath caught in her lungs then, because, for all intents and purposes, the constructs in that labyrinth of night looked like... Tombstones. * * * Yet again, it was time for them to discuss matters. And for these two Soul Hunters, the Fhedayar and Praetor Questus who had been commanded by their Primarch to follow and observe the Ranger warship named SHARD OF NIGHT, there was no need for preamble or introduction, so long had they served with one another. "Again and again, we have tried to warn the others about this place." the Praetor Questus commented. "They never listen to us, of course; they do not trust us and never will. Indeed, it is true that most of them fear us because of what we do and who we are, regardless of the valiant attempt made by my brother at the human station named Babylon 5." "They fear us, however, for the wrong reasons." the Fhedayar noted. "*Always* the wrong reasons." The Praetor Questus took the point as moot. "And now, after so long, it has happened again, exactly as the Well said it would. It is inevitable that one of the new visitors will grow too curious; and then..." "Inevitable." the Fhedayar agreed, his expression thunderous for his kind, but he was merely a youth, by their standards, having lived rather less then a human millenium, to date. "This is a dangerous thing, more dangerous by far then that which we observed occur at the world of the R'kaht. The Sha'naktoweire, bold with her successes, walks upon her path with impunity, not knowing that path is fraught with danger." "Yes; a dangerous path, indeed. But that is the way it must be, as well you know, if what is to come to pass, will come to pass. We have our instructions from the Primarch, instructions we cannot ignore. You shall aid me in this." "It shall be as you say." the Fhedayar replied. "Be warned, however, that we will not be able to conceal ourselves from them this time. Indeed, if all goes as I expect, we may even be called upon to save her from herself, with the aid of another. "What other do you speak of?" The Praetor Questus smiled mirthlessly, then. "The Fallen one; the one who has decided to aid the humans in their schemes for his own reasons. The one who presently resides aboard the greatest warship their kind has ever helped to build, a ship both cursed and blessed, at the same time. A ship named... EXCALIBUR." * * * Amaranth. The Labyrinth of Night. One hour later. The bloody sun of this place rising behind her, Julia slowly approached the gigantic black wall of the 'tombstone' in front of her. It was an obsidian obelisk more then a mile long and wide, and over three miles high, high enough that the wispy clouds slowly drifting through the icy blue skies above were *below* its sharp-edged peak. The breath caught in her lungs for a moment, and then shimmered out into the cold morning air, as she cast her gaze up the nearly featureless face of the thing. It was simply enormous, the largest built structure she had ever seen! And as Klairika had told her prior to their descent, there seemed to be thousands of them on this continent, alone... each seperated from the next by a distance exactly equal to its height. She shivered, then, before drawing her long black field jacket more tightly around her shoulders, and turned to address Mikhail Breznev, one of the younger Rangers who'd been assigned by Larieken to 'guard' her while her Minbari protector was busy elsewhere. After all, she mentally added, a moment later, while the Entil'zha had long ago tasked Larieken with keeping her safe, he couldn't be at her side *all* the time, now could he? As if to prove the point, she'd sent him on to the obelisk immediately west of this one with a team of his own, to see if it actually was identical to hers, while Sheynell had done the same with the one to the north. Meanwhile, the rest of the Rangers who looked to her were conducting a perimeter search, looking (perhaps in all futility) for an entrance. Her first officer, of course, was still up on the SHARD with the rest of the crew. Julia sighed, then; given the Brakiri's objections as she had prepared to make the descent, it seemed clear that her First had wanted it the other way around; a continuation of the argument they'd been conducting ever since the SHARD had left Minbar, two months before. Klairika had been overruled on that, however. Again. The curiousity to see what these things *were* had been too strong to be ignored. Was this her Observer side, crying out to learn of things it knew not? She didn't know the answer to that question, but did it really matter? As Sheynell had pointed out on their arrival in orbit, there certainly didn't seem to be any activity down here; no movement, nothing but tens of thousands of these incredible black towers. "So." she muttered, as Breznev approached across the smooth, stony surface of the enormous 'avenue' they stood on the edge of. "Mr. Breznev; when you joined the Rangers last year, did you expect that you'd be standing on a former homeworld of the First Ones, looking at something like this?" The young Russian, barely out of his teens, snorted before shaking his head. "I will be honest with you, Captain. These things, they frighten me... more so even then what I was taught about the Shadows. The Dark Ones were, in the end, an understandable enemy. These things, however; they have no entrances, no exits, emit nothing and do nothing. And yet, your command stands among the most advanced in the galaxy, and our whisker network could not penetrate their surfaces. This tells me much, Captain. And none of it is good." She nodded...and then, as if drawn by a magnet, slowly walked towards the surface of the obelisk, Breznev close behind. On closer inspection, the featureless face of the construct began to resolve into a multitude of decagonal polygons, and if one looked at those at the right angle, one could see reflected the slowly drifting clouds in the skies above... "Captain!" Alexov called out behind her, his voice full of alarm, as a bronze flare of light appeared in the obelisk's black walls. "Look!" Julia whirled, and in a perfect world, she would have been more careful. But that was not to be, this day, as her errant left hand fell full upon the surface of the obelisk, and a eldritch shock not of this world passed through her, head to toe... * * * The SHARD OF NIGHT. Moments later. "Battle stations!" Klairika exclaimed, as the bridge crew sprang into action. The command had come from her lips almost instinctively, as a thin, possibly dangerous beam of energy had energed from an obelisk over the horizon from the landing team positions. It hadn't even come close to the SHARD, of course...but out here on the Rim, it was best to be careful. And as she had already learned first hand, it was sometimes necessary to shoot first, and ask questions later. "Our tactical status is *green*." Warren Holm informed her, his voice level and sharp as always, his stance indicating his readiness to engage any foe that appeared. "The beam wasn't directed at us, Na'lai, or at any of our whiskers. In fact, it now seems to be dissipating quite rapidly." Then what had been the point? "Dasouri." Klairika began, turning towards the helm, "Direct us into an orbit as far away from those obelisks as possible." The Drazi curtly nodded, and even as the SHARD canted out of its current orbit, she turned her attention towards the next objective... making sure that nothing had happened to the teams that were currently down on the surface. "This is the SHARD to explorer groups: if you are able, please respond!" "This is Anla'shok Larieken to Command; our status is nominal." came the first reply. "This is Anla'shok Keynes, likewise." Sheynell reported a moment later. "Na'lai Alidiae. If I may inquire?... "Not *right* now, Tactical!" she all but barked. "Val'na Tikopai. Are you there?" A moment passed, and then, a signal came...a message that she *didn't* want to hear. "This is Anla'shok Breznev to SHARD OF NIGHT. We have a problem, I'm afraid. A rather *serious* one." * * * The SHARD. *A* SHARD. Another time. Another place. "...Tha'ssele? Alyt Tha'ssele Tikopai, wake up!" Julia fuzzily arose towards consciousness, to find a hologram of Larieken looking critically down at her. What... what was this? The last memory she had was being down on Amaranth, brushing against the surface of that obelisk, and now, somehow, she was back on the SHARD. What in Valen's Name had happened? "Larieken?" "Larieken?" the Minbari critically noted. "It's a good job, Alyt Tikopai, that the rest of the bridge crew isn't looking over my shoulder. Even in times of rest, I will remind you gently, *if* firmly... and only because we are close comrades, that aboard an Alliance ship of the line, one must always refer to one's command staff by their proper rank! In this case, Pa'trakar, as well you know. But beyond that matter, I have a message for you." At that point, the whole situation began to sink in. Something *definitely* wasn't right, here; the ranks that Larieken had just referred to... what were they? And then, she stiffened, as she finally got a good look at the uniform that he was wearing. And what it wasn't. "Your message, Pa'trakar Larieken?" "We have received a communique from the Earth-sect Warlock Class Destroyer ENCHANTRESS, Alyt Tikopai; Sha'var Alyt Sheridan's flagship, as I'm sure you're aware. He and his battle group will be drawing alongside within fifteen standard minutes; a situation has arisen that requires our immediate attention. Ready yourself." The signal abruptly cut at that point, and she rose to her feet, still trying to figure out what was going on. Julia paused in front of the mirror, and then, things got a whole lot worse...as the image cast in that mirror seemed to shake its head, and laughed a mocking laugh that only she could hear. she cried out, trying desperately to turn away from the mirror, and not succeeding in the slightest. For all intents and purposes, it appeared she'd lost control of her body to this other... self? The mirror-Julia raised an eyebrow ironically, her smile malicious. * * * In the ruins of a dead world, a Ranger hung onto the side of an obelisk, her eyes closed, her breathing slow but steady, while her followers stood nearby, their indecision plain. They could not see the whole picture as he could; could not see how shimmers of light and dark were now crossing the face of that construct, converging upon the outstretched hand of that Ranger. They did not know what it meant. The Technomage named Galen gazed upon the image of the Ranger's knelt figure, and allowed his expression to darken into a scowl. He knew exactly it meant, of course, and none of it was good. "You were warned," he whispered. "You chose to ignore that warning, and that message, and through your own carelessness, you have opened a door that should have stayed closed for all time. You have stepped through that door into a place you know not, and now, it appears that I and the others must act to save you from yourself, before it is too late." His face stony, the decision made, Galen made his way out of his ship, and down the corridors of the EXCALIBUR. This was a bad time to leave, but there was no choice in the matter. The final pattern of interaction between the EXCALIBUR's crew and their secret protector, a protector that only he knew about out of all the crew, had yet to form. It would not do for the commander of the SHARD OF NIGHT to be lost at this point. The opening moves had barely been concluded, after all. And the door? The door would have to be closed, and this time, there could be no mistakes, and no hesitation. The door would have to be closed, and the key to that door shattered. While young Tikopai, the brilliant yet flawed commander of a warship that was, for now at least, one of a kind, might yet be saved if he acted quickly. Galen's mouth quirked into an ironic smile, then; he would save her, if only to see what would result when she and Matthew Gideon finally encountered one another. The resulting verbal fireworks might actually turn out to be quite... entertaining. But that was for the future, and the future was never set in stone. For now, the present situation required that he say his farewells to Matthew and the others, and then... "And then," Galen added out loud, "We shall have to see what happens, now won't we?" * * * "OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES", Act I. Coming soon! http://www.connect.ab.ca/~dgolding/index.htm From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: STAR AND CIRCLE: "THE SEEKER'S FIRE", EPISODE IV, ACT I Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 21:36:25 Writer's Note: attendant acknowledgements for this episode must go to fellow VS6 producers Gareth Williams and Anne Clements for getting me 'interested' in playing with alternate versions of the B5 reality, and then doing the research to actually figure out *how* such a deadly 'reflection' could come to be. And also, interestingly enough, to a popular horror writer of our age, who was brave enough to wonder what would result if two souls got into the same body at once, and what would be the result? Anyhows, on with our regularly scheduled fanfic. * * * "STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE" EPISODE FOUR "OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES" (disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture) * * * <> March 8th, 2267; onboard the SHARD OF NIGHT. #There# It was a disconcerting feeling, to say the least, to watch her fingers lift and braid her hair, and know those fingers were not controlled by her, but by the *other*. To look into the mirror, and see that Other smile a smile of purpose, a smile she would never willingly choose to wear, a smile of cruelty and control. It was like standing in a doorway, a doorway walled over by invisible crystal. She could see, touch, hear and feel. But not act. It was terrifying, it was... It was then that she realized what had happened, of course. In a moment of carelessness, she'd allowed her hand to touch the obelisk on Amaranth, and somehow, she'd fallen through this door and into... what? An alternate reality? An alternate body? The Other laughed, as she closed the clasps on her studded, midnight- black uniform, a uniform of purpose, a variant of the uniform the Minbari Warrior Caste wore in her own reality. The Dark Ones, the Other had said; did she mean the Shadows? Had Mankind somehow become a servant race to the Shadows in this timeline? But How had this happened? How could such a twisted version of the universe she knew have come to be? What had happend to... She cried out, then, as the Other sent a spike of devastating pain in her direction. the Other demanded, each of her words punctuated by a stab of blinding pain. The contact ended then, leaving Julia one option, and one only; to watch, through the Other's eyes, as she left her quarters and made her way through the corridors of this reality's SHARD OF NIGHT, a darker shade of the vessel she knew. The Shadowman, she had said, but who was the Shadowman? Had he been the one responsible for drawing her to this place, and if so, how? Soon enough, though, she had other concerns and other sorrows to deal with, as some of those she cared for, served with and knew as friends began to appear... * * * The new telepath's integration, Pa'trakar Larieken dispassionately noted, seemed to be proceeding without too much difficulty. The previous telepath to fill that position, one Harriman Grey, had been too strong willed, and the current of dark purpose that gave this ship its strength had broken him utterly. They would not make the same mistake again, of course. The Z'shailyl and the others had made quite sure that the new candidate was ready for the task before they had placed her into the interface. With some interest, Larieken noted the dozens of black organic strands that twisted out of the wall to interface with the implants on the telepath's face and beneath the long blonde strands of her hair. Their liason aboard, a Z'shailyl named Moreil, checked the connections with its instrument, and hissed its approval. All was proceeding as planned. Behind him, the door shimmered and then rippled aside, and Larieken turned away from his comtemplation of the SHARD OF NIGHT's newest 'core' to meet the icy gaze of the human woman the Drakh, and the Dark Ones before them, had commanded him to protect. He knew the story of course, how the Drakh had discovered Julia Tikopai on Earth eleven years before, and *altered* her to serve their own purposes. How she had rapidly risen through the ranks to become squadron leader of one of the most feared Vaar'la units in the Empire, a squadron that had been responsible for destroying the warship of the traitor Kalain, the Minbari who had been one of the Army's greatest commanders during the most recent War of Chaos and Order. And how, when this ship had been finished, the Sha'drakh had picked her to command it, in their name. He bowed. "Alyt Tha'ssele Tikopai. The Watch is yours." His commander inclined her head slightly in his direction as she assumed her seat-of-command, while he assumed his own station behind and beside her, and then she smiled. "And I accept it, knife-brother. You will forgive my earlier lapse, Pa'trakar; the dream you woke me out of was a... rather disturbing one." "There is nothing to forgive, Alyt." he replied. "The matter is forgotten; it never happened." "No... you're right, it didn't. Your report?" "The integration of our latest telepath prisoner, a Sheynell Keynes, is proceeding well, Alyt. Moreil wishes me to inform you that unlike the previous core, this one will not give us nearly as much trouble. The Nak'laht have perfected their methods of altering human mental pathways; he assures me that her communion with the Master's 'Machine' will soon be a complete one." "And she is a P12, is she not?" "Yes." "A remarkable catch. The next time I encounter Lasek'vah Ivanova, I shall have to complement her and her team of operatives on their interception and neutralization of the enemy's latest operative. For now, however, Pa'trakar, I believe it is time for the rendezvous, is it not?" "Affirmative." And as if to confirm this statement, a moment later, Larieken's command-board warned him that two jump points had begun to form ahead and below of them, and all then heard the welcoming cry the SHARD cast across space to its larger, more primitive brothers, a cry that was responded to in full. "Nine human Warlock-class warships have just emerged out of hyperspace, accompanied by six Minbari Zhevri-class warcruisers, and a number of smaller attendant Drakh vessels. We are being hailed by the task group flagship, the ENCHANTRESS." "Open comm channel at once." was his Alyt's next command, and then, even Larieken stiffened, as the face of the silver-bearded Earth-sect supreme commander appeared, his expression terrible to behold. "Sha'var Alyt," his Captain began, one of her eyebrows raised with interest, "We were not expecting to see you again quite so soon. May I inquire..." "No, Alyt Tikopai," Sha'var Alyt John Sheridan informed Larieken's captain, "You may not. There is a time and a place to discuss such matters, and this is not that time, or that place. You and your Pa'trakar are to come aboard the ENCHANTRESS immediately; we have a great deal to discuss, and a great deal to do. And time is running out." * * * Amaranth; the Labyrinth of Night. #Here# "What do you mean," Klairika exclaimed, "That it 'is as if her hand is fused to the surface'" Veyshahk sighed, before turning to face his first officer, while Taylene Nividia and the other members of Veyshahk's staff slowly laid out Julia's body on the well-padded, but feather-light stretcher they had brought down from the SHARD OF NIGHT within moments of learning what had happened on Amaranth's surface. "Perhaps I should be more specific. Her hand is not fused to the surface, the surface and the hand appear to be woven through each other at a cellular level. Also, there is a substance in her bloodstream that I do not recognize..." "Doctor," Sheynell cut in, her expression terrible to behold, as nearby, Nividia deftly inserted an intravenous needle into her captain's arm, "You do not mean nanotechnology, do you?" The Minbari physician's mouth tightened. "I have had the unpleasant duty of dealing with shadow biotech on several occasions in the last several years, when Anla'shok have drawn too close to the enemy, and suffered from the... attentions of their colleagues. I assure you, I am able to recognize the signs of nanotech, and no such signs are visible here. There are no nanites in her blood, Anla'shok Keynes; I do not know what the substance is, but it does not appear to be harming her..." "Yet." Sheynell darkly concluded. "And as a matter of fact..." "When I was a member of the Corps, I..." "Enough!" Klairika exclaimed, and after a moment, Sheynell subsided, but not before casting a *very* resentful look in her direction. "Doctor, you were saying?" "As a matter of fact, if I did not know any better, the substance appears to be sustaining her body. A difficult proposition at best, for as near as I can tell, this obelisk has placed her into a very deep coma. Her brainwave activity is minimal, and she is barely breathing." "What do you suggest?" "Until we are able to determine what has happened here," Veyshahk replied, "And come up with a possible solution, it is my judgement that we must erect a shelter around the Val'na to protect her from the elements. This place is not a warm one, and I for one would not like to be exposed to the conditions here after nightfall." "Your suggestion has merit, Doctor." At that point, Klairika beckoned in the direction of her tactical officer, and the still-angry and resentful Sheynell followed her to a discreet distance. "Sheynell, I require you to return to Larieken's side on the SHARD OF NIGHT; it will not do to have too many of our senior crew on the surface, as long as this crisis continues." "But...!" "Do not presume to make the mistake that this is a discussion." Klairika coldly informed her. "As long as our Val'na is incapacitated, I command in her place. There is a clear and present danger here, and the need to defend the SHARD against all comers is greater then ever. Do you understand me?" "I do. Na'lai." Sheynell coldly bowed in her direction then before turning away. A moment later, Klairika allowed herself a sigh. When this was all over, when Julia had been rescued, she feared that she would have to do a great deal of apologizing to her new comrade. But that was the future; for now, the cold sun of this place was already starting to descend towards the horizon. And night would soon be falling. * * * #There# "As sword-sister, I greet you." Julia began, as the heel of her left boot came to rest upon the shimmery, midnight-black deckplates of the ENCHANTRESS. "Do I have your permission to come aboard?" "You do." the captain of the ENCHANTRESS replied, and without pause, she strode foward, her pa'trakar behind and beside her; his left hand, as always, upon the bluish-gray steel of his zei'tak'u. "He has told me a great deal about you... are the stories true? Did our allies find you, and bind you to the Great purpose? Did you face the same trials as the Sha'var Alyt and I, when we were your age?" She nodded briskly, as they walked. "A great honour it was to be chosen by them, I will tell you. Out of all the Bound Houses, only one Ring is allowed to enter the Fortress of Zsheil each cycle, and they told me that I was the greatest they had seen in generations. They say, 'if the war is to be won, that I may even go on to greater heights then he, in the years to come'." "*If* the war is won." was Alyt Tha'ssele Elizabeth Sheridan's bitter reply. "Even with all the aid we possess, our ships powered and protected by the Dark One's ancient ways, time passes, lives are lost, and the battlelines draw ever nearer to our worlds." "This will not last forever, I assure you." she replied. Julia briefly winced then, however, as a particularly forlorn cry of pain and despair emerged from the Other inside her; damn the Shadowman for putting her through this, but she had to endure it, that was the way of things... that was what he had told her. That the ancient Ch'akra themselves had predicted this moment; that a visitor would come through an unexpected door, and a great trial would have to be endured. "My command is the first of many to come, a ship borne of the alchemy between Earth, the Drakh and the masters that the Enemy banished from our side. Shi'mael Dawson, my worker of miracles, assures me our primary battery will be capable of destroying any ship in the Army of Light's arsenal, even up to and including the new fleet of Vorlon-tech warships we have heard rumour of." "That's quite a bold claim," was Elizabeth Sheridan's reply. "But if my husband is correct, you and your new set of Knives will be put to the test soon enough." "Exactly." Both women whirled, then, as John Sheridan slowly moved into view behind them, two of his warrior guards close behind. "That is the reason the Council of Ascension sent us out here; and the reason I summoned you and your most-favoured protector to the halls of my flagship. We are at war, Alyt Tikopai, and that war may be won or lost dependent on the actions we take in the next twenty-four hours." "Do you wish to be more specific, Sha'var Alyt?" "I do, yes." was Sheridan's reply. "Attend to me, my Captains! We have a council to conduct." * * * #Here# "What's going on?" Sheynell burst out, as she burst onto the bridge at a run. All the way from the transport, the chime-warning had been calling her... "The ancient-tech jumpgate in this system is coming online." Larieken icily replied, "Not that this is a surprise, for our whiskers have been following the approach of the two ships about to pass through it for the better part of the last half hour. They are not attempting to conceal themselves." "They?" she exclaimed. "They who?" "See for yourself." the Minbari replied with no small measure of venom, and the image rippled down, to reveal two tiny whorled and spiky ships in hyperspace. "It is an ominous sign." "I... *know* I should recognize those ships," Sheynell carefully enunciated, "But why don't you help me out, just this once, okay?" "They are Soul Hunters." Larieken spat, as if he had tasted something foul beyond words. "They came for our great leader Dukhat when the war with your people began, more then twenty of your years ago. They only appear when the great, the precious and the unique are about to pass beyond the Veil. I invite you, Anla'shok Keynes, to *examine* the possibilities for their presence here." Oh, Valen, no. "You don't mean...?" "It is the obvious choice." Larieken ground out, "They would not be here for another reason. It is not their way to be here for another reason. She lies close to death, Sheynell; they can sense such things." "When are they due to jump out?" "NOW." "Dasouri!" Sheynell commanded, "Bring us into close proximity with their vessels. Mr. Holm, bring primary and secondary battery to bear. Larieken, open a channel with those... Soul Hunters. Let's see if they've noticed there's a focused-beam Vorlontech strike cannon pointing in their direction yet." "Ready." Larieken replied, even as the SHARD surged forward towards the approaching Soul Hunter vessels. "This is Anla'shok Sheynell Keynes of the Interstellar Alliance Battlecruiser SHARD OF NIGHT to intruder vessels!" she began. "You will cease your approach to the world behind us immediately, and you will declare your intentions to me at once!" "We are being hailed." Larieken began. "Do you wish...?" Sheynell curtly nodded. "Let's see what they've got to say for themselves, *before* we decide to cut them in half." An image sprang into being, then, of a bald-headed humanoid figure with a well-trimmed black-and-silver beard, a figure that possessed what appeared to be a *third* eye to go with the other two. "Rangers." the Soul Hunter began, shaking its head sadly. "You walk in places you should not have entered. SHE is close to death, apart from her body, apart from this place and this time. Occasionally able to sense such things, we are." "Tell me truthfully, Hunter," she replied, very slowly, *very* carefully. "Do you seek her soul? Answer carefully, for if the word you say is yes, know that I shall cut you down where you stand." "Difficult question to answer, Ranger named Sheynell Keynes," the Soul Hunter mused. "Seek her we do, but not to capture, NOT to collect. Orders we have; she is young, her greatness not yet attained. Cut down she has been by great mistake made; door has been opened. The door must be closed; your captain must be saved. Much yet to do, this we know." "Are you trying to tell us," Larieken incredulously exclaimed, "That you want to try and help us *save* her?" The Soul Hunter laughed. "Minbari. Always suspicious, always fearful, and always for the wrong reasons. Yes!... believe me or do not, but my brother and I are here to aid you, to help your captain, to free her from the trap she has entered." "Why would you do this thing?" "The door must be closed." the Soul Hunter insisted. "Souls are lost forever, lost through the door. It must be stopped." "When can you begin?" "Soon." was the reply. "Very soon." "Why not now?" "All involved in this matter have not yet arrived. Another will soon join us, one your captain knows, one who knows you. ALL of you. We will wait until his arrival to act." "While you delay," Larieken angrily burst out, "She could be dying!" "Die?" the Soul Hunter scornfully replied. "We would know if the Link had been shattered. It has not. For now, she is safe, the Machine keeps her safe for its own reasons, reasons the *Other* will describe to you soon enough." "And if you save her... what then?" "Price to pay, there will be." "Price?" "It is the way of things." was the Soul Hunter's final, biting comment, as the image began to fade to black. "Now say no more, we will, until the Other comes to this place. Be ready for his arrival." * * * #There# Aboard the ENCHANTRESS. Council chambers. "All across our domain, at this moment," John Sheridan told the circle of attendant captains and lesser officers around him, "Battlegroups like this one are coming together. The Interstellar Alliance has made a crucial error, and it is time for us to press that advantage to the fullest. It has been brought to our attention that a conference of their greatest generals and leaders will shortly be taking place aboard their flagship. This vessel, protected by a battlegroup of similar size and nature to our own, will shortly be coming into orbit around Zander Prime. They believe this meeting to be a secret one; they believe that we do not know what is they are planning." Sheridan smiled a smile of purpose. "They are wrong about this, on all counts. Our operatives, after much infiltration and collection of information, have been able to pin down the location and timing of this meeting to an enviable extent. As such, my fellow Sha'var Alyt in the Imperial Third, Seventh and Ninth Orders will shortly be undertaking major flanking attacks into Alliance space. It is our belief that this will draw away whatever forces the enemy may be able to draw upon when our attack against their flagship begins. And it is the belief of the Council of Ascension that if this attack succeeds, the governments and navies of the Alliane will be sufficiently disorganized for us to press the issue. Not only should we be able to retake territories lost over the past three years, we should also be able to press deeply into their central domain, as well. Do you have any questions at this time?" "Not a question as such, no." Sheridan turned, then, to meet the icy, almost *amused* gaze of the SHARD OF NIGHT's commander. "I will assume that we are to play an important role in this attack of yours, then?" He nodded. "Your command's stealth characteristics and sheer offensive firepower are key to the success of this mission, Alyt. While the larger, more visible human and Minbari capital ships engage the flanking vessels at Zander Prime, it will be your task to move upon the Alliance flagship without warning anyone of your presence. And it will be your duty to open fire on that warship with all the weapons at your disposal... And destroy it completely." * * * "No!" Julia cried out, as she beat her 'hands' against the wall of her prison. "I won't let you do this! What you're planning, it's murder, murder of the worst possible ki..." Flames rose around her, and she screamed. The flames faded away, just as quickly as they had appeared, and she raised one shaking hand in front of her, to find herself unharmed. the Other hissed. A maelstrom of despair whirled through her, then, as she slumped against the portal, one hand against the surface, the other balled into a fist. This place she had fallen into, it was horrifying; to see Sheynell, helpless and bound, surrounded by shadows... and to see this reality's version of President Sheridan, gloating over an opportunity to conduct a sneak attack, was almost too much to bear! the Other's mocking voice whispered in the distance. "No!" she cried out angrily, "I will show you nothing more!" And before she even knew what she was doing, she hammered her balled fist into the invisible, but seemingly impermeable wall in front of her. And was suitably astonished when a faint, glowing crack appeared in that surface. * * * Elsewhere. Two figures met, one tall and grey-haired, the other slightly shorter, with a dark hood over his head that hid every feature on his face. "How do matters proceed?" the First inquired. "Reasonably well. The plan that my Master made with you before he passed beyond the Veil is proceeding apace." "The link between here and there? Is it fully operational?" "Yes, and will continue to *be* fully operational, as long as circumstances warrant, and as long as the Gatekeeper is able to maintain control. This will not last forever, of course; even now, forces may be marshalling on the far side of the Doorway, seeking to reclaim the poor lost soul of the Child who would be Captain. A child *just* inquisitive enough to make this Linkage possible." An eyebrow raised. "You're not telling me that the one he contacted is *also* commander of the SHARD OF NIGHT, are you?" The second man sighed. "He observed the Child's soul carefully during the transition, and while the circumstances of the command in that other place are not the same, the answer to your question is yes." "I see. Now, the question is, can she take control, when it matters the most?" "We will learn the answer to that question soon enough, I think." The first man nodded, and turned away, fading into the shadows. The second paused for a moment, and then added one more comment. "Which may surprise everyone involved before this is finally over." * * * To be continued... http://www.connect.ab.ca/~dgolding/index.htm From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: STAR AND CIRCLE: "THE SEEKER'S FIRE", EPISODE IV, ACT II Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 21:41:45 "STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE" EPISODE FOUR "OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES" (disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture) * * * <> #There# The SHARD; captain's quarters, the night of March 8-9, 2267. She had waited a long time to be sure, but it had finally happened. Her counterpart had fallen asleep... and now it was time for her to press the advantage she'd recently acquired; an edge provided to her by the fact that, for now at least, she didn't seem to need sleep; an unusual situation, to say the least!... but not something she was about to question, given the present situation. On second thought though, maybe this wasn't such a surprise, after all; back in the 'regular' universe, her body was probably being tended by Veyshahk, Taylene Nividia and the SHARD's other medical staff right at this moment. The link that still remained between here and there, however tenous, looked like it was giving her (soul?) some much-needed reserve. Somehow. At the same time, this period of peace and *aloneness* hadn't come quickly enough for her. The past few hours had been spent observing the other Tikopai work herself into a frenzy during a battle practice that had shocked her to the bone... although there HAD been the slight distraction of slowly circumventing the barrier the Other had established in their shared mind. While at the same time maintaining a constant, strong image of herself, dejected and beaten, within the prison of thought she had broken out of hours before. But now the Other was asleep, it was finally time for her to begin getting a few answers about what had happened in this reality to make it so different from the one she knew. Slowly, very slowly, Julia moved *forward*, somehow shunting her counterpart aside in the process... and moved into control. It was like... how could it be described? Like the joy of putting on a worn and familiar pair of gloves, after those gloves were thought to be lost forever. And so, wearing a body she didn't own, Julia rose out of bed and moved over towards the computer that lay atop the harsh, blackrock desk that stood nearby. Julia shivered then, however, as she sat down at the terminal. One thing for certain, the Other's fashion sense left much to be desired. Well, best not to beat around the bush; nearly *everything* about her left something to be desired! Her reflection was everything she wasn't, and more. And after a careful sifting of memories, the reasons for this were becoming much clearer. "No!" cried out the girl-that-had-been, as she rose to her feet, and desperately tried to escape from the fate that awaited her. "Not again. Please! Not that!" The Drakh beckoned, and the guards moved to restrain the struggling child, while a Z'shailyl approached from behind its overlord, whip in hand. "You will be silent, human. Warned you were, not to rise above your place in the Ring and the House. You ignored us... and now, you must pay the price for that ignorance." "The pain makes me stronger." the girl-that-had-been ground out, her teeth already clenched against the agony to come. "The pain makes us *all* stronger." the Drakh reminded her, before nodding in the direction of its 'assistant'. "You may begin." She had screamed loudly, that dark night, so long ago. And after it was all over, a little more compassion had leached out of her counterpart. Was there any left? Julia blinked, then, and came back to the here-and-now; there were answers she needed, and from another earlier observation, she knew exactly how to get them, now. "Computer." she began. "Download recent histories of the Empire to this terminal; period, three hundred and fifty years before present up to and including present day." This would not appear suspicious, as the Other had revealed herself to be a student of battles and warfare, just before she had fallen asleep. "Ready." "Display earliest records, and begin to scroll." * * * Hyperspace. Nearby. Their ranks dark and ominous, the multitude of Empire warships proceeded silently through hyperspace, the formation englobed by two hands of Vaar'la fighterwings. Above and behind this procession, a flash of light briefly flickered upon the hull of another starship, before the chameleon armour of that vessel compensated for the random pulses of light that were all too common in this domain. The vessel had a name and a number, of course. To those who had ordered it built, the starship was named White Star 175, and it belonged to the Intelligence squadron of the Interstellar Alliance's First White Star Fleet. Its present master, however, had decided that an inappropriate title. Shortly after the warship had left its construction orbital around the world named Sanctuary, Val'na Talion Quintara had rechristened it 'Aurora'. "Tell me..." his first officer, a Drazi named Dasouri, had inquired that day. "Why Aurora?" "Well, Dasouri, that's a bit of a factoid from the ancient history of my race, pre-Empire." Talion had replied. "Back in the time period before the Minbari invaded and conquered Earth, one of our governments was in the process of designing their second generation of surveillance aircraft. The story goes that the project was named 'Aurora'..." "Ah! Now I understand; we are surveillance White Star, so Aurora we are named!" On this day, however, a worried Dasouri was very glad that the ships below could not see them, very glad indeed. The combined firepower displayed was sufficient to lay waste to several heavily populated Alliance systems... "Dasouri." a familiar voice inquired, and he turned, to see his Captain standing in the entrance to the bridge. "Can I assume they haven't changed course, yet?" "Not yet, no." he affirmed, as he moved to the secondary station nearby. "The enemy leader, Val'na, appears to have taken the 'bait', as your kind says." "And it's a damn good job he did, too." Talion mused, as he settled into the chair that Dasouri had just vacated. "Tri'no'kal Tolmanes has been telling me about the rumours coming down from the top; whatever this is all in aid of, it's big, and revolves around the commander of that *new* Empire ship, the tiny one right in the middle." Dasouri spat a curse. "A blasphemy that is, to see the Empire build such a blatant echo of our own White Stars, using the Great Enemy's technology." "Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, you know..." "Yes... hold!" Dasouri exclaimed, as his board began chiming at him. Message coming in on ship-to-ship private band." Dasouri's eyes widened, then. "It is from White Star Prime, Val'na!" "On screen!" Talion barked, and both Rangers rose to their feet, then, as the image of their Entil'zha's greatest battle commander rippled down. "Good morning, gentlemen." Sha'vei Marcus Cole began, his expression its usual mix of deadly seriousness and bitter humour. "How goes the chase?" * * * #here# "Jump gate coming online." Larieken reported. "We've got one ship coming through, unknown configuration." "Show me." Sheynell commanded, and then, the telepath frowned as an image of a tiny, diamond-shaped black craft shimmered into existence against the background of the jump gate's blue vortex. "From your comment, am I to assume that you actually don't recognize this one?" "No." a somewhat perplexed Larieken replied. "I do not, and this is surprising, since my people have now managed to encounter most of the races in the local galactic region... wait. We are being hailed." "About time." she muttered. "Maybe *now* we can start making some progress towards getting Julia's hand off of that obelisk." Then, however, she jumped, as the rippling image shimmered and stablized to reveal a dark-hooded and clean-shaven man, his piercing gaze almost frightening to behold. "I am Anla'shok Keynes of the..." "I know who you are, and what ship you command." the hooded man icily replied. "I know more about you then you know about yourselves. I have been watching all of you for a very long time, and now, it appears I must bow down to your level to teach someone a very important lesson." "Who are you? And *what* are you talking about?" "The meaning of my words will become obvious, soon enough. And my name... is Galen." "Galen? I see. Do you need..." "That will be unnecessary. My ship is more then capable of landing on the planet below. I would, however, suggest you join us down at the surface, Miss Keynes. I will be requiring your services in short order." "Can you save her?" she bluntly asked him. Galen paused, then, a pause she didn't like. "It is possible that we will save her, yes. If all goes according to plan. If nothing... unexpected occurs." "Life is full of unexpected surprises." Larieken noted. "Why, yes, so it is!" Galen sarcastically replied. "But that's what makes it so interesting, isn't it?" With that final, biting rejoinder, Galen's image faded from sight. "Larieken. Are the..." "Affirmative. Both Soul Hunter ships have broken from orbit, and are following Galen's craft down towards the Labyrinth." "Then I've got to go. Will you..." Larieken smiled, and nodded. "Yes, I will keep the ship safe until your return. Only bring her back safely, that is all I ask." "I will." was Sheynell's final comment, as she all but ran from the bridge. "I swear." "You had better." Larieken muttered, as he settled into the captain's chair. "Because we, and especially *I*, will have to face Sech Westcastle's wrath, if this gambit fails." * * * #There# Hyperspace. Approach to Zander Prime. Dureena Nafeel was one of the best intelligence operatives the Interstellar Alliance had, and even she was in a sour mood about the upcoming operation. Dureena turned towards the commander of the Interstellar Alliance's latest and greatest flagship at that point; she had some concerns to air, and over the past six years, this captain had shown himself to be a valued comrade, and also, someone who would listen when it counted. An important characteristic, in a human. "Did you pass on my comments to him, word for word?" The Captain nodded. "I did." "You told him that, in my opinion, he has got to be out of his mind to want to do this? That this is the first time the new ships will be tested in a full, head-to-head engagement with the Earth-sect Warlock Class Destroyers and their Minbari counterparts, and how we don't even know if the new weapons will work against their Shadow armour?" "Yep." "And finally, that conducting a full scale military engagement in the skies of MY PLANET does not, how shall I say it, make me very happy?" "Dureena, what part of the above two responses *didn't* you understand?" "So what did he say?" "Our great and glorious leader took it all in, and said exactly two words in response. Faith manages." "He," Dureena muttered, "Is *definitely* trying to get us all killed." "As I recall," the Captain mused, "You've said that, oh, about a hundred times since the Shadow War started. Have we died yet?" "Trust you to point out the obvious." "Captain!" the helmsman announced. "We're approaching Zander Prime." "And so the games begin!" the Captain said in reply. "Stand by to jump to normal space." "Ready." "Jump!" * * * The new day had begun, and while the Other went about her duties, Julia sat in the little niche at the back of their mind that she had 'constructed' during the night, and slowly took in what she had learned, during her intense, crash course review of the history of this domain. And a frightening review it had been, too... Over a thousand years before, the Shadows and their allies had decimated the Minbari fleet... and Valen, the Minbari she also knew as the human named Jeffrey Sinclair, the human who had been Entil'zha when she had first aligned herself with the Rangers, he had not appeared when he should have, while Babylon 4 had not appeared out of the future to aid the Minbari when they needed aid the most... and after that, things had gone very badly indeed. Oh, the Vorlons and the rest of the Army of Light had driven off the Shadows eventually, but not before the damage had been done. After the war had ended, history had turned down a darker road as the Warrior Caste had blamed the Religious Caste for involving them all in a conflict that had killed many of their kind, and more death soon followed, as a massive civil war then swept across Minbar's surface. Most of the Religious Caste who had not fled had been killed... while those who HAD fled had followed the Minbari 'who could not be named'. The histories also named this individual 'traitor', and from that description, combined with the Other's earlier response, Julia already had a pretty good idea who the Minbari in question was. Which meant that her earlier guess might actually be true; that Jeffrey Sinclair might actually still be around, in the here and now! Her mind had wandered, where had she been? Oh yes. Soon enough, the 'light' Minbari who had fled their homeworld began the forging of a great Alliance of worlds to combat the darkness growing on their ancient home... a darkness compounded by an alliance with the Drakh established in the late 19th century, human reckoing, and an invasion of Earth conducted by the Warrior Caste Minbari less then a hundred years after that. The rest, as the old saying went, was history. The Interstellar Alliance and the Drakh-Minbari-Human 'empire' had stared at each other across their mutual border for almost 400 years now, and while it looked like the Vorlons had managed to keep things from progressing beyond the saber-rattling stage for most of that time period, once the Shadows had gotten themselves involved, it hadn't taken long for the war between the two great powers to start. And now that both Elder Races were gone (the histories, interestingly enough, hadn't told her *how* that had happened, or why) the Drakh had been free to attack the Alliance in retribution for the loss of their Masters, and the war looked set to enter a new and potentially equally bloody phase. At that point, she set her thoughts aside; her counterpart and this reality's version of Larieken were discussing something that sounded important, something related to the 'mission' that this reality's harsher, brutal version of John Sherdian was presently conducting. And so, putting her thoughts aside for the time being, she came 'forward' to observe what was going on. "So, Pa'trakar... what do we know about these new Alliance warships?" "Very little." the Warrior Caste Minbari admitted. "The Alliance engineers, cursed be their names, are suspicious and distrustful enough that every spy we have sent to infiltrate this project has been detected and elliminated. While to date, none of the lesser vessels to encounter these new ships have survived to make a report about their capabilities." "How *considerate* of the Sha'var Alyt to keep this from me." "It is my belief," Pa'trakar Lariekn carefully replied, "That the Sha'var Alyt believes our numbers sufficient to defeat this new threat... and does not, how shall I say, wish to *discourage* his captains, especially you. And while their flagship certainly is one of the new class, our analysts do not believe them to be overly numerous as of yet." "Do we even know what they look like?" "Yes. They look like this." Very nearly, Julia cried out then, a cry that would have alerted the Other, without a doubt, to the fact that the prison she had placed her 'weakling sister' in was now well and truly shattered. But it had been hard... because the flagship of the Interstellar Alliance, the ship that her doppelganger and crew had sworn to destroy... That ship seemed to be the EXCALIBUR. * * * Elsewhere. "You will come?" the man on the screen asked. Warmaster G'kael of the Narn Regime nodded firmly. "I have waited a very long time for a rematch with the Earther Sha'var Alyt named Sheridan, old friend, as well you know from our previous conversations. There was a day, not so long ago, when Sheridan and his screaming black ships tore my command asunder, a day he left me for dead. That was, I fear, the greatest mistake he will ever make. Yes, we will be at Zander Prime, and in *strength*." "I only wish we didn't have to fight this battle, that more good men and women of the Alliance didn't have to die." G'kael shrugged. "We must fight for what we believe in, or fall beneath the Empire's heel. And that, I will not allow." * * * Once again, space rippled over Zander Prime's northern hemipsphere, and with a shudder, six Naielsha-class ISA war cruisers fell out of hyperspace, their long tapered hulls gray against the darkness of space. Captain William Westcastle, the group leader of that squadron, looked out upon the the small shoal of Alliance warships that rode between the planet below and the stars above from the bridge of his warship, the FURIOUS, and smiled bitterly while more jump points continued to tear space asunder around his command. It appeared as if everything was actually going to come together on schedule, for once... "You seem far away, sir." his young first officer inquired. "May I know your thoughts?" William turned towards the young Brakiri the Supreme Commander had assigned to his side two years before, then, and shook his head sadly. So many her age had already lost their lives in this long and harrowing conflict, how many more would have to pay the price for upholding the freedom of Alliance? And would the day of battle to come finally be the day his luck ran out? "We are the exiles, Zhailxi." he replied. "The Minbari exiled from their home for generations, and the humans proud enough to leave their world behind, and bold enough to fight to reclaim it. While you stand among those strong-willed enough to follow us into the fire, without question. My father was the first of my family to take up arms against the Empire, and in all respects, I am my father's son. For generations, the Alliance has fought to free our respective worlds from the Tyrant's grasp... and now, if our leader is correct, the battle ahead of us stands a chance of changing the balance of power in this galaxy. Forever." "No oppressing power lasts forever." his First reminded him. "While the Tyrant of Minbar, along with the other members of his Council of Ascension, are deluding themselves if they believe there is no opposition to their rule and their commands. On both Earth and Minbar, resistance is spreading daily." "While we stand a very real chance of either capturing or killing their greatest commanders, in the deadly game we are playing here." "Ah, yes. I had heard that Sheridan himself was commanding this mission for the Empire." his Zhailxi mused. "Is he really as fierce a fighter as the stories suggest?" "I have fought against him myself on two occasions." he reminded her. "The stories are true, I assure you." "And what of this new captain of his, the one they call 'The Darkness Born'? I am given to understand that she was the one personally responsible for the murder of Alyt Kalain and the destruction of his command. The rumours say that she will be at Sheridan's side... but are the rumours true?" "It sure looks like it, yes. In fact, although I do not know all the details, it would seem that the Supreme Commander is counting on her presence, and that many of the more *specific* details of this operation evolve around her capture." "Interesting." was Zhailxi Klairika Alidiae's next comment. "Why do you suppose that might be?" "I don't know. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, though." * * * "This course of action you are pursuing," Shai Alyt Sinoval exclaimed, "It is madness!" "You dare to call me mad, after all that I have endured for you, and for our people, in the last twenty cycles?" "Yes! Fight your battles for you, I will; I have long since sworn to uphold the ideals of the Free People and of the Alliance, so that one day in the none too distant future, I might yet set foot upon my homeworld as a *free* Minbari. That time may be drawing nearer, and this battle will certainly be a critical one on the road to that day... but what if that dark madman Sheridan pulls off another miracle, and you and the others are killed?" "Then others will take on our tasks, and continue towards the ultimate end, Sinoval, as well you *know*. Valen himself predicted this day would come a thousand years ago, that a great battle would be fought at the world named Zander Prime, and a fate decided." "How *suitably* vague." he angrily replied. "Do you now even presume to question the words of the Minbari who lead us out of the Darkness to sanctuary, Sinoval?" "That would not be overly wise of me, now would it?" he wryly admitted, as he forcefully set his anger aside. "His prophecies have been right too many times since the Shadow War began for any of us to ignore them." "Yes. And while this pattern is something I have always found disturbing, for now we have greater concerns, and nothing must upset the pattern of light and shadow we will shortly be weaving at the world of Confrontation." "I understand." were Sinoval's next words. "You will, however, allow me to convey you to that world personally, I hope?" "So. You intend to stand against Sheridan and the Lost, as I thought you would." "There will be other battles to fight that day, but this is the one that matters to me the most, the one I cannot miss. Do you understand why this is so?" "I do, yes." Delenn whispered, as her battle commander turned away, and left the chamber. "Better then you will ever know." * * * #Here# March 9, 2267. The Labyrinth of Night, mid-morning. Her heart heavy, Klairika stepped out of the thermal tent and into the cold light of Amaranth's morning. A storm front had emerged out of the north-west during the night, and enormous flakes of snow were now falling out of the lead-grey sky, while the icy wind that snow was carried on seem to bite right through her thermal jacket and the uniform beneath, and sink into her bones. The wind and the snow, however, did not seem to bother the three individuals now approaching from the west. And the combination was an upsetting one, to her at least. A bleak-faced Sheynell, who had rushed back down from orbit at the command of the leader of the trio, peeked out of the tent doorway, her expression bleak. "What did you call him, again?" "The signs are clear to me." she replied, her thoughts distant and elsewhere. "Time and again during our history, as the Comet has made its passes through the inner worlds of my home system, they have come to observe the Day of the Dead for their own, incalcuable reasons. They are magicians, Sheynell, and they are mysteries unto themselves... and he is one of them, I am certain of it." "A Technomage." "Indeed." And with that said, she left the safety of the doorway, and strode forward to meet the approaching delegation, walked until only a handful of paces seperated her from the new arrivals. "I greet you, Technomage Galen," she formally began, in the cadence of her kind. "And you also, Seekers of souls. I have heard it said you come to aid us in our present trial; tell me that the words my Rangers speak are true ones." "The attempt will be made." the older of the two Soul Hunters replied. "No more can we say at this time. Much, there is to be done; you will let us pass, and approach your captain?" "I will." she allowed. "And if there is anything I can do to help..." The technomage named Galen levelled his staff at her, and her heart chilled as she heard the words that emerged from his lips a moment later. "Help? YOU are her executive officer, Brakiri. If you cannot protect her from herself, what good are you to any of us?" * * * To be continued... soonish! http://www.connect.ab.ca/~dgolding/index.htm From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: STAR AND CIRCLE: "THE SEEKER'S FIRE", EPISODE IV, ACT IIIa Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 22:24:17 Having taken a bit of a pause 'to consider', here is the latest installment in the 'mirror' universe subarc within SEEKER'S. Thanks go out to Stephen Barringer for help with some Warlock class naming nomenclature -- and a word of 'warning'... there will be a cliffhanger at the end of the episode... and unlike previous ones I've written, it's going to take at *least* two weeks before the resolution appears. Blame this on me going to the other side of the planet to see some sort of orbiting body cover the sun... * * * "STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE" EPISODE FOUR "OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES" (disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture) * * * <> March 9th, 2267; Amaranth -- The Labyrinth of Night. #Here# A moment before, the air had seemed cold, but that cold was nothing compared to the icy pain Klairika now felt as she listened to the words spoken by the just-arrived technomage, Galen. And the worst thing of all was this -- they were, of course, true ones. Several times already since the mission had begun, her Captain and Val'na had gotten herself into situations that could have quite easily killed her -- the battle at Talangahta IV, for instance. And then, she had let her come down to Amaranth, and look what had resulted! She could not meet the accusation visible in his eyes, and turned away; almost, she began to leave the new arrivals, when Galen suddenly spoke again. "You know what it is you have done: would you now walk away from us, and admit your failure openly to all those you serve with? Would you display your guilt to all those who consider you honourable, a leader to be respected? Would you turn your back on the only hope your captain has?" She whipped angrily around, at that barb. "Make yourself plain, Technomage! Are you here to help me, or shame me? Why do you remind me yet again of the wrongs I have done, of the actions that have resulted in this tragedy?" Galen smiled an ironic smile, and shrugged. "It is a necessary evil. The mistake, once made, should not have been repeated." "That's easy for *you* to say. Do you have any idea..." "How hard it is to say 'no' to her? Hmm... must be difficult indeed to fight against one so charismatic as your captain." the Technomage admitted. "She is so used to having her own way all the time, isn't she?" "Yes." What else needed to be said? "Did you know that attitude nearly killed her once, long before your first met her? And while she isn't in mortal danger at the moment, this could change at any time. I make a bargain with you, Brakiri..." Galen continued, his gaze now intent. "When we have saved her, when we have retrieved her from beyond the gate, you will be more diligent about protecting her from her worst enemy." "Herself?" Galen nodded. "Precisely... herself. You will teach her the meaning of the word 'no', Klairika Alidiae; you will draw the line she cannot be allowed to cross. Because unless this occurs, she will kill herself before your first year aboard the SHARD OF NIGHT is concluded. I have seen this; it will come to pass, *unless* you act." "You have my word." she promised. At that point, a new thought came to her, and Klairika's eyes narrowed. "Your first words to me..." "Were said for their shock value, yes." Galen admitted, with a small laugh. "But now that I have your solemn vow, there is indeed a task I would like you to perform for me; a very important task, when the moment comes. Someone will have to step into the gate to meet her halfway, when she returns to us. To hold out a 'lifeline', if you will, to drag her out of the place she now finds herself trapped in." "You want me to go into that thing alone?" "No." Galen replied. "Not alone. I will be there to aid you, in your time of trial." "And we, as well." the older of the two Soul Hunters added. "We will begin what must be begun, if you will finish the task. That is the way of things." "What are we about to attempt," she asked, as they drew near to the enclosure that was protecting Julia's body from the elements, "Will it be dangerous?" "Life is dangerous." Galen replied. "Some parts of life, however, are more dangerous then others. This will be one such occasion, I am afraid." * * * #There# Onboard ISAS EXCALIBUR, flagship of the Interstellar Alliance. The man that some named Admiral casually reclined in the chair at the end of the EXCALIBUR's conference table, and watched his comrades and fellow warriors enter the chamber. They were worried, of course, but if only they knew what he knew, perhaps they would not have been so concerned. But that could not be allowed -- he gift of foresight provided to him by assorted, somewhat *unusual* means could not be passed on to others. Yet. The letters, of course, stayed close to him at all times, hidden in the inside pocket of his dark brown and black tunic. If the others knew what the letters had told him... Well. Some of them would not believe, and none of them would understand. "I hope you know what you're doing, sir." William Westcastle began. With a combination of frank interest and sadness, the Admiral observed how the gray in his battle leader's hair had spread in the last several years. Years of constant warfare, they had been; Hell, all of them had been aged during the struggle against the Darkness. And the struggle wasn't over yet. "William," Marcus Cole chided his friend, "Do you think the Entil'zha would leave the greatest warship and leaders of the Interstellar Alliance open to Imperial attack for the Hell of it? No, he's got a plan, and that's the reason he's summoned us all here, to tell us what we have to do, and why." The Admiral sighed at that point. 'Entil'zha' had been the first title he had received, long before he had earned the present one... a naming presided over by Delenn, the leader of the 'Light' Minbari. The Rangers had answered to him for nine years, now; there were some days, however, when he wasn't sure whether he appreciated that or not. "Always so sure of yourself, Marcus, aren't you?" Warmaster G'kael noted. "We know that Sheridan is coming this way with many Empire warships; we know that our flagship is to be left lightly defended on *purpose* to draw the enemy in, and it is certain that when battle is finally joined, many on both sides will die. But I *trust* the Admiral, Marcus -- he has managed to pull of too many last-minute victories in the last few years for us not to trust him by now." "You speak bravely, Warmaster..." Lord Vir Cotto replied to his Narn colleague, "But there have been some days in the past century when the fleets of the Tyrant of Minbar have nearly overrun my people. Time presses on, and their technology continues to improve!" "So does ours, my Lord." Westcastle shot back. "The destroyer-class starships that have begun to follow the EXCALIBUR off of our assembly lines are more then equal in firepower to the ships of the enemy. And when you factor in the new enhanced armour..." "Which has *yet* to be tested in battle against their Warlock Class Destroyers, I might add!" "The armour will be more then sufficient to repel the weapons of the Empire, I assure you." came a cool voice from the corner of the table, and all present turned that way to hear the words of Alyt Dreann, the chosen representative of Delenn and her warrior leader, Shai Alyt Sinoval, at this meeting. "The forces of Darkness are slowly being pushed away from our worlds on all fronts, and the day will come, soon enough, when we will stand upon the surfaces of Earth and Minbar. The day the Tyrant and his Council breath their last breaths." "And how many more of my people must die before that day comes?" exclaimed Lethke Kullenbrok, the Alliance ambassador for Brakir. "Thousands? Millions?" The meeting was spinning out of control; there was a time and a place for everything, and now was the time to call an end to the madness. The Admiral stood. "Enough." Instantly, the entire room fell silent. "We haven't come to this place to argue; we've come here looking for resolution, for a way to find the end to a conflict that has torn this galaxy apart for generations. It must end, and today, I will reveal to you the means to that end. We have located the key -- now we must capture that key out of the hands of the enemy." "If you don't mind me asking, Entil'zha," Marcus inquired, "Exactly *what* key are we talking about, here?" "This key." he replied, as the image of a young human woman in Imperial black sprang into being on the conference chamber viewscreen behind him, a woman whose cruel smile told everyone around the table what they needed to know. This woman, though barely more then then a teen, had been named 'The Darkness Born' for a *very* good reason. Instant consternation followed that revelation, of course. The Admiral waited patiently, a small smile on his face, as the outburst of denials, shouting and oaths reached its height, and then faded away. "The Murderer of Kalain!" Dreann exclaimed, her eyes full of anger. "Admiral, do not presume to tell me that that human is the key to the peace we have all been seeking. It CANNOT be so." "It IS so. When the truth reveals itself, you cannot argue." "And who, exactly, revealed this 'truth' to you, sir?" Marcus inquired. "They did." As one, everyone around the table whirled towards the door at that point, and beheld two women who hadn't been there before. Women who wore matching, close-fitting black and grey tunics and even darker hooded capes. Women who carried short, but deadly looking silver-and-ebony staffs. "They're not... who I think they are, are they?" The Admiral smiled, and nodded. "Ladies, why don't you introduce yourselves?" "It shall be as you wish, Admiral." one of the new arrivals replied, as she cast back her hood to reveal long, pale hair beneath. "My name is Isabelle, and this is my companion, Jaenisara. We are Technomages." * * * The bridge of the SHARD OF NIGHT. Several Hours later. With no small measure of irritation, Julia ran a lacquered black fingernail across the armrest of her chair-of-command. Something was wrong about this whole situation; something she couldn't quite put a finger on. The 'other' Julia, the visitor from a reality peaceful enough to almost make her sick, had been far too silent as of late, for starters. she shouted at the shimmery, only half-seen mirror-place in her mind that marked the location of her unwanted 'guest'. came the disbelieving echo. she exclaimed. Her anger hot enough to incinerate, she cast out a burning thought towards her echo, only to *feel* the shimmer of the other mind move, and fade away. It was at that point that she clenched her left fist tightly enough to draw blood with the nails, so angry had she become. "Alyt. Are you well?" It was her Pa'trakar, of course; with a blink, she forced herself back into the here-and-now. It would not do to show weakness before him and the rest of the crew. Of *any* kind. "You need to ask?" Larieken nodded. "You appeared, how shall I say it?... preoccupied. May I ask what with?" "That would be *none* of your concern." The Minbari stiffened at that point, and bowed coldly in her direction. "As you say. Alyt. In any case, a priority-Alpha transmission from Earth has just arrived aboard... your eyes only." "Then the bridge is yours. For now." With that parting remark, she made her away out of the command-bridge proper, and into her inner sanctum. "Computer!" she exclaimed, "This is Alyt Thas'sele Tikopai; accept and decode private message, in the name of the Empire!" She quailed then, however, as she beheld who it was that was in the image... a dark-cloaked, dark-hooded man, his mouth grim; the man most responsible for bringing her to her present station within the forces of the Empire. Without hesitation, she went down on one knee before his image, and bowed her head. "Shadowman. It has been... long since you have last spoken to me!" "Has she joined you?" "Yes." Julia admitted. "My 'companion' has been with me for almost a standard day, now. She is a weakling, produced by a weakling shadow of our own reality. If you had not warned me she was to come into my mind, I would not have believed it the truth..." "Be wary of her," the dark-cloaked man warned. "She is stronger then you suspect. She may even attempt to take over your shared body, if given the opportunity." "I assure you," she haughtily replied, "I do not intend to give her that chance. I have, in my own way, broken her already; I do not anticipate any further problems in this regard." "We shall see." "If I may ask... how much longer must I *endure* this?" "As long as is necessary." "What is the purpose of it?" she shouted. The Shadowman smiled. "You will learn the answer to that question soon enough, my Darkness Born. Be assured of that!" And with that proclamation, the contact ended. * * * #Here# As the day had progressed, the sun slowly emerged out from behind the stormwrack, and the snow had faded away to scattered flakes of ice blowing on the wind. This did not, of course, disturb those working within the thermal enclosure that protected the body of the captain of the warship SHARD OF NIGHT. They had more pressing concerns then the weather to worry about, at least for the time being. "The gate, you said," Sheynell noted, as the seniormost Soul Hunter, who had earlier identified himself as a 'Praetor Questus' slowly approached the wall of the obelisk with a small and pointy silverish instrument in one hand. "I just don't *see* how this black monstrosity could be a gate!" The Soul Hunter sighed. "Gate it is, telepath, disbeliever. A gate of the Soul. Your Captain has fallen through the gate and into the beyond... the place of fear. We must send a probe through the gate to try and find her, before progressing further." "It doesn't *look* like a gate!" she protested. "And what is a gate?" Galen asked her. "A doorway to somewhere else? A partition between here and there? A portal into someone else's mind, perhaps?" The Technomage stopped, then, as the disbelieving frown on Sheynell's face grew deeper. "Oh, very well. I suppose we'll just have to show you, then." "If we must." the Praetor Questus muttered, as he cast a baleful glance in Sheynell's direction, before turning towards the other Soul Hunter, who nodded in understanding. "Show them, then, what cannot be seen." "A waste of time, this is..." the younger Hunter replied. "And energy. But he has requested it, so reveal the gate we shall." And with that, the Soul Hunter drew a small globe out of his robes, and raised it high above his head. The globe promptly began to glow. "Do not look at it!" Galen entreated, as the glow became a painful flame. "You would become blind before too long. Look at the WALL, instead." They did, and as one, all the Rangers present drew in a long, shocked breath. "In Valen's Name..." Sheynell whispered, as she beheld the long, slowly moving light-and-dark streaks crawling across the face of the obelisk towards Julia's hand. "I find that I must apologize to you all!" "There is," Galen cryptically noted, "A first time for everything. Now then," the Technomage continued, as the Praetor Questus placed his instrument against the wall of the obelisk very close to where the streaks converged at Julia's hand, "The time for talking is past. The time for action... has come." "Begin, we must." the Praetor Questus agreed, as he closed his eyes, and opened his senses to the gate. "The search for her soul... Begins now." * * * #There# "Delenn." the Admiral began. "Thank you for coming." The Minbari leader, who had often wore frowns of late, smiled up at the tall, gray haired man in front of her. "We both know how much this means and what will come of it, even though *I* still have many doubts as to the way you are progressing with this matter." "I had doubts too, once... but not any more. The fleet of warships commanded by Sha'var Alyt John Sheridan, a fleet answering to the Tyrant of Minbar's call, will be jumping into the skies around Zander Prime any time now, drawn here by a lure they cannot hope to ignore." "And this fabrication we have woven, of the defenseless flagship of the Interstellar Alliance protected only by a scant handful of escort vessels, you believe that they have accepted this as the truth?" "They have, yes. Their forces have suffered enough defeats in the last eighteen months that they begin to fear for their lives. Sheridan, especially, believes that his master will replace him before too long unless a remarkable and dramatic victory is arrived at." "While this human female we seek, the human servant who killed Kalain and his crew -- she is coming at Sheridan's side?" "Our sources say so, yes." "And our sources are always right?" "Not always." the Admiral admitted, "But let's be honest, Delenn; they're desperate for a victory, any kind of victory. And if that victory involves a sneak attack against the flagship of their enemy, then so be it." "I have heard word of this dark echo of our White Stars." Delenn replied, her eyes glinting dangerously. "This *obscenity* that the Empire has ordered built. We will not allow its intended mission to succeed." The Admiral was about to reply, when a movement at the corner of his eye alerted him that the moment they had been waiting for was finally coming to pass. "Captain. Your report?" "Admiral. Intelligence White Star 175 has just entered the system. Ranger Quintara is waiting on the link to speak to you." At that point, the Admiral wasted no time getting to the bridge; Talion Quintara and his Drazi accomplice were among his finest Rangers; that they had survived as many missions as they had was no small testament to their mastery of the arts of skulking around behind the scenes. "Val'na Quintara." he gravely began, his flag captain close behind and beside him. "Your report?" "Entil'zha. I beg leave to report that an Imperial battle Squadron consisting of nine Warlock Class Destroyers and almost as many Minbari warships is less the five minutes away from jumping into the system... and the Drakh have come along for the ride, as well." "And so it begins." the Admiral muttered. * * * White Star Prime. Moments later. "They're coming." Catherine Sakai stated as a matter of fact, as Marcus Cole burst onto the bridge of his command at a run. "Aren't they?" Marcus tersely nodded as he settled into the captain's chair of the warship that had been his for almost eight years, now, and his first officer assumed the secondary station beside it. "Talion and his crew jumped into the system only just ahead of them; the question is not 'is', it is now 'when', Catherine." "And this stealth ship they've got," Sakai inquired, "Are you sure we're going to be able to see it when the time comes?" "The Admiral," he replied, "Assures me that our recently arrived 'allies' will take care of that for us. Apparently they've got a quite unusual reception planned for it..." * * * The FURIOUS. "Fighterwings away, sir." Zhailxi Alidiae reported, as William arrived on the bridge of his command. "The DAUNTLESS and her battlegroup have formed up on the other side of the EXCALIBUR, while the forces loyal to G'kael and Enzorr of Brakir flank us above and below." "And the White Stars?" "Sha'vei Cole and the First and Third Fleet elemenmts have formed a perimeter just inside the fighter screen.. We would appear to be as ready for this engagement as we're ever going to be. Sir." "Now," William muttered, "The question is, will Sheridan commit to battle, once he realizes some of what he believes is true, isn't? And will he advance far enough into the system to make closing the trap a worthwhile action?" "I believe, sir, there is a point you have forgotten..." * * * Hyperspace. Silent and waiting, the shoal of ISA Minbari and Narn warships were far enough off the Zander Prime transfer beacon that it could be hoped the Imperial technologies, new or otherwise, would not detect them. Sinoval detested the waiting, but Delenn had explained to him, at some length, what would occur if he jumped in too soon, and scared away the target of this mission. The experience, his leader had informed him, would not be a pleasant one. And so, he waited patiently for his enemy to enter the system; waited on the bridge of his great warship, the VELANN, for the moment to come. The wait would be over soon. The moment of trial he sought was close at hand. Then, and only then, would battle *truly* begin. * * * Elsewhere, a dark-robed figure observed the developing situation, and smiled a grim smile. His love and her comrade had arrived onboard the EXCALIBUR as planned, while his other associate had pulled the necessary strings to bring the *other* matter the Order had been concerned about to a necessary conclusion. It had been a long and harrowing ordeal for his friend, but a necessary one. All too necessary. "And soon," the man noted, "The guest will make her move." * * * From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: STAR AND CIRCLE: "THE SEEKER'S FIRE", EPISODE IV, ACT IIIb Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 21:53:17 "STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE" EPISODE FOUR "OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES" (disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture) * * * <> "Jump!" Sheridan ordered, and without question, without pause, the Vaar'la fighterwings peeled away from their motherships and fled down the maws of the just-opened jump points. The ENCHANTRESS, accompanied by its flanking Warlock escorts ATLANTES, AKHENATON and BASILISK, emerged into normal space shortly thereafter, the remainder of the battlegroup close behind. While the SHARD OF NIGHT rode between the black hulls of the larger Imperial destroyers, invisible for now. Invisible until the moment came for it to open fire on its intended target... "Are they here?" Sheridan demanded. "Our intelligence," his partner and flag captain replied a moment later, "Would appear to have been accurate, this time around. The EXCALIBUR and a small number of Alliance warships are riding in high orbit around Zander Prime, with a minimal screen of fighters and White Stars in attendance." "Excellent!" Sheridan declared, as he straightened and focused on the enemy ships, now that battle was close at hand. "Our flanking attacks into Alliance space appear to have drawn away the supporting forces, as our analysts believed they would. Prepare to..." "Hold. Signal coming in from the EXCALIBUR." "I can never understand why he keeps doing this, but what the Hell, since he's going to be dead soon anyways, we may as well let him have his say. On screen!" Sheridan allowed his gaze to become hostile then, as the image of his opposite appeared. "This is Sha'var Alyt John Sheridan of the IAS ENCHANTRESS to commander, Alliance starship EXCALIBUR: you are outnumbered and outgunned; surrender, or be destroyed." "Did you really believe for a moment that we'd comply with that order, Sha'var Alyt?" the reply came, a reply that Sheridan had been expecting, of course. "You may have surprised us here, but don't believe for a minute that we'll lay down arms and surrender to you just because you've got more ships then we do. Many battles have been fought between our forces in the last few years; have you ever known us to surrender?" "So be it. Admiral. You, your entire crew, and all your precious guests have just signed their death warrants. ENCHANTRESS out!" At that point, he gave the inevitable order, an order given by dozens of Imperial commanders before him. "This is Fleet Command to all vessels -- acquire enemy targets. Fire at will." * * * The moment was coming soon, she knew it. Now that her opposite's commander had committed his forces to a full engagement with the small group of Alliance warships protecting the EXCALIBUR, the time was coming for her to strike -- to make her move. The moment when her and the Other would switch places, for as long as it took to find a way out of this mess. And as for why, well that was an easy question to answer. Julia had sworn to her own reality's John Sheridan that she would protect the EXCALIBUR from harm. It was an easy step to take, all things considered, to go from that to protecting *all* possible EXCALIBUR's from harm. And even though that action might mean her death in this harsher, more brutal reality, so be it. She would die, knowing that she had done the right thing. And in this here-and-now, that was all that really mattered. * * * "Begin." the dark-cloaked figure ordered. * * * "*SEE*." Isabelle the Technomage entreated, as she stood on the bridge of the EXCALIBUR, and prepared to make the only move that mattered. * * * "Prepare to learn the meaning of what is, and what will be." the individual that one woman named Shadowman declared -- a man at peace with the universe for the first time in a decade, now that his final acting job had been performed. "And surprise even *yourself*." * * * While in a dimly lit set of quarters aboard the EXCALIBUR, a familiar, if unexpected figure toothily grinned, and began to laugh. "See? Told you, we did! It has happened, just as we said it would." The figure shook its head, and tutted reprovingly. "It is destiny. It is unavoidable... told you, we did. But *no* one ever listen to Zathras, oh no." * * * To be continued... http://www.connect.ab.ca/~dgolding/index.htm From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: STAR AND CIRCLE: "THE SEEKER'S FIRE", EPISODE IV, ACT IV Date: Mon, 02 Aug 1999 22:13:49 "STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE" EPISODE FOUR "OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES" (disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture) * * * <> #There# The sounds-of-warning rang throughout Zander Prime's capital city as Dureena strode forth from the landing pad, her pace decisive, her face grim yet composed -- while silently, but deadly in meaning just the same, the emerald and white-green flashes of light from the battle in orbit reflected on every surface of the darkened dome in front of her. A moment later, the Elder who had been waiting for her at the main entrance to that dome stepped forward, and began to speak. "Dureena -- it has been a *long* time since we have seen your face among us." "Too long." she admitted. "And I wish the visit was under better circumstances, or could be a longer one, but..." "We understand. A message, you have for us?" She nodded. "The human who commands the forces of Light asked me to relay this message to you, and it is this: 'while things do not look good at the moment, this action we are taking is a necessary one, and all is not as it seems. While the forces of the Empire will not be allowed to land upon your world.'" "We have been watching the battle unfold, Dureena." the Elder reminded her, "And while your Battlemaster has never let us down yet, whatever he is doing up there, he had better do it *soon*." * * * The EXCALIBUR. #crrrangggg# The Admiral winced, as another glancing blow from one of the advancing Empire destroyers rebounded from the EXCALIBUR's hull. Thankfully enough, the claims of Dreann seemed to be true ones, this time at least -- over 90% of the incoming energy from the Shadow-augmented weapons of their enemies was being reflected by the hull; they could certainly take a few more shots like that one, but not many more. And since Sheridan had now committed his forces to battle, the time had come to begin turning the tables on the enemy. And also, to show them exactly *how* powerful the main gun of this destroyer actually was. "Damage report!" the Admiral's flag-captain, Matthew Gideon, inquired, his senses sharpened by battle, sensitive to every blow his command was taking. "20% damage to outer hull, Captain." a crewmember reported. "Nothing significant yet, but if we take several direct strikes from their primary batteries at the same time..." "So noted." was Gideon's reply, as he focused his hawk's-eye glare on the approaching Empire destroyers and accompanying heavy cruisers, while off to one side, one of the weapons emplacements on their lighter ISA escorts took a series of hits from one of the enemy fighter groups, and exploded with a flare of silent, deadly light. "Are any of those Warlocks in range, yet?" "Affirmative, sir. Two of them are now approaching kill-zone distance." "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Bring us to bear on the first likely enemy target, prepare to fire main gun." "Target acquired." the weapons officer announced, as the EXCALIBUR's helmsman slowly turned the massive destroyer through space towards one of the approaching Warlock-class warships. "Ready to fire." "Take them out." Gideon ordered, and everyone on the bridge flinched a moment later, as three brilliant streams of orange-white light sprang off the three weapons nodes above and around the bridge, focused out at the prow, and then sprang off towards the enemy target, striking it head-on. Within seconds, the organic black hull of the enemy vessel glowed first red and then white-hot, and then burst asunder. "Target destroyed, Captain. Twenty-five seconds to recharge." The Admiral smiled at that. The Minbari and Human engineers at Sanctuary who had been responsible for designing and building the EXCALIBUR and her sister ships had crammed as much of their micro-fusion technology into the weapons-grid systems as they could manage. And even at that, there was still a forty second pause before the main gun could be fired again. "Admiral." He turned, then, as the Technomage named Isabelle approached his chair, her expression grave. "Jaenisara has just reported she has finished making the necessary second-circuit modifications to the primary weapons system of this vessel, and since the enemy warship we seek is certainly even now preparing to strike, I for one do not believe there is any more time to waste." "And just what, exactly, is this 'modification' supposed to do, again?" Gideon inquired, as he turned his chair towards Isabelle. "The next time you fire your main gun, Captain," Isabelle patiently reminded the EXCALIBUR's captain, "Instead of firing a focused linear beam, the main battery will produce a wave-front of energy which will destructively interact with the particular brand of Shadow technology this stealth vessel possesses." "Temporarily disabling both the ship and the technology, and making it visible to us?" "Precisely." "Captain." the weapons officer announced, "Power recharge concluded; we can fire the main gun again any time you wish." "Very good -- stand by to fire non-directional burst into the enemy fleet. Admiral?" He rose to his feet, and grimly smiled. "Send the signal, Captain. I think it's time that Shai Alyt Sinoval crashed this little party." * * * Aboard the ENCHANTRESS, the smiles of anticipated victory had soon faded when the main weapons system aboard the enemy flagship had been revealed for the first time, and were soon replaced by tense frowns and great concentration as the crumpled black fragments of the Warlock Class destroyer BASILISK began to rebound off the hulls of its surviving sister ships. Sheridan silently cursed, even as the lead elements of his battleline began to pierce the fighter and White Star screen surrounding the EXCALIBUR. It was now quite clear why no one had ever returned to report on the strength of this new Alliance weapon -- it seemed to be sufficently strong to destroy or badly damage any of the Empire capital ships presently in service. "Alyt Tikopai! Your status?" "We are just coming into range now, Sha'var Alyt -- and we are *more* then ready to fire." "Destroy that ship!" he commanded, his gaze intense. "Destroy it now!" * * * The moment had come, the moment she lived for -- the moment that made it all worthwhile. Julia rose to her feet, her smile triumphant, and turned towards her weapons officer, who nodded; they were in range. "Na'shar Riddek!" she commanded, "You may..." came an unexpected shriek, and instictively, Julia shrieked herself then, unable to defend herself against this unexpected attack from within. It felt like her head was exploding, it was... HER. The 'other' Julia, the visitor from elsewhere -- she had tricked her, she had escaped from her prison! She had... The astonished bridge crew could only watch then, as the desperate, pain-filled cry of their captain faded away, and she suddenly slumped to the deck, *quite* unconscious. That was all it took -- and the delay had been a deadly one, as almost simultaneously, two things happened that were destined to turn the tide of battle. The first, an unwanted signal of jump warning, announcing to Pa'trakar Larieken and the rest of his crew that a group of unexpected warships was about to enter the skies of Zander Prime. And the second? The unexpectedly quick, *certainly* unguided shot from the EXCALIBUR's main gun, a moment after that. The results of that firing were, however, just a little bit different, this time around. * * * The flare of light that sprang from the front end of the EXCALIBUR in that dreadful, fateful moment was nothing like the one that had come before it. A shimmery white hemisphere of light, it expanded towards the Imperial battleline at a speed no one on the battlefield could clearly comprehend. While moments after its production, the expanding wavefront of energy found the target its creators were seeking. Found it and disabled it, as the half-living construct that was the Imperial battlecruiser SHARD OF NIGHT suddenly screamed, and began spinning out of control, its senses blinded, its systems thoroughly, if temporarily, disabled. Moments after that, the now-dissipating wavefront passed through the rest of the Empire ships, giving the living portions of those larger, cruder vessels only temporary discomfort. But the damage had been done, the confusion sown. And there were many in that moment ready to take advantage of that confusion, as behind the suddenly disorganzized Empire vessels, over twenty more Interstellar Alliance capital ships suddenly sprang into the system, and joined the fray. * * * Aboard the VELANN. "The EXCALIBUR has fired its wavepulse; our gambit would appear to have succeeded, Shai Alyt." "This is well." Sinoval allowed, as his battlegroup began to open fire on the Empire forces, now trapped between his forces and those of the Admiral's. "Alyt Tirivail, do we have a fix on the Imperial stealth vessel's position?" "We do." his first officer reported, her smile a smile of triumph. "The workings preformed by our Technomage allies appear to have succeeded in their aim; the vessel has been detected in Battle Quadrant Six, quite near to the EXCALIBUR -- they are spinning out of control, their energy signature much weakened. The assault teams are ready for launch, as you have ordered." "Then you may proceed with the launch at once." Sinoval grimly replied, as the great warship's communications personnel began passing orders to the other Minbari cruisers in the squadron. "We will surround the enemy, and then board his vessel; it will be up to you, Tirivail, to capture and return to us the enemy commander named Tikopai, as our Great Leader and the Entil'zha have demanded." "Alive?" Tirivail inquired, with a small, disbelieving frown. "Yes. Alive." "It shall be as you command, Shai Alyt." was Tirivail's only reply, as she left the bridge. "*Now*." Sinoval mused, as the VELANN and several of its sister ships swept through the broken Imperial battleline, spitting blue fire, "Where is Sheridan's command?" * * * #Here# Amaranth -- The Labyrinth of Night. The night of March 9-10, 2267. "How goes the stuggle?" Veyshahk inquired, as he entered the enclosure. "The struggle?" Sheynell replied, as she walked over to meet the SHARD's just-returned physician, "The elder of the two Soul Hunters... he's hovered over his instruments for hours now, saying nothing to us, ignoring everyone but the other Soul Hunter -- and Galen, of course. None of us know what they're doing..." Nearly she fell, then, before Veyshahk caught her, his face now full of concern. "What time is it?" she whispered, the exhaustion finally getting to her. "By the timings of this place, it is now the first hour after local midnight. If you do not mind me saying this -- if I may, as your kind says, 'be frank', you have by my estimates now been awake for far too many of your hours, most of them spent in the chill of this place. I would suggest you echo the actions of the rest of the crew, and return to the warmth of the SHARD OF NIGHT to sleep. There is nothing more you can do here, tonight -- it's simply taking longer to find her that we were all expecting. Even them, apparently." Briefly, Sheynell turned toward Galen, and after a long moment, the Technomage sighed, and nodded in agreement. "The search is not going well at the moment... the doctor is right, return to your ship. When we have made progress, we will summon you back down to this place." "And you, Technomage," Veyshahk inquired, "Do you not need rest, as well?" Galen laughed, an terribly ironic sound. "I have stood vigils far harsher then this one in my time, Doctor. I appreciate your concern, but no... I require no rest for the time being." "Veyshahk, do you intend to stay down here this whole cold night, alone?" "I am rested, and have also endured many cold nights as a result of my involvement with the Anla'shok," was Veyshahk's reply, "But no, not alone. Another comes to stand vigil with me this night, one to whom her safety means everything." "She will not come to harm." a familiar voice declared, and Sheynell turned, and smiled a smile of gratitude, as an all too solemn Larieken entered the enclosure. "Not here... not in the house we have built for her, to protect her from the Darkness." "Then I go." she whispered, "But I *will* return." "We will be waiting." * * * Shortly thereafter, a conversation began. A conversation that none of the individuals involved wanted the Rangers to be privy to. "Your Veil of Silence is useful, Technomage." the Praetor Questus allowed. "Let us now discuss what we have learned here." "As you say. The wedge I have placed in the gate widened it just enough for you to send a probe through, looking for young Miss Tikopai's soul. Did you happen to find it?" "The thread from her body travels into the heart of a great congregation of souls in conflict. War there is on the other side of the gate... a terrible war. Many are dying, many souls have already been lost. But yes, we have found her." "If she dies on the other side, the search we are undertaking will be disrupted. The quest we are on may fail." The Praetor Questus raised a finger in warning. "More we have learned that may give you pause, Technomage, in your need to return her to this place so soon. We have observed a pattern in the congregation, a great MOVEMENT of souls from one form to another. It is likely that the movement began when the one we seek *arrived* in the -beyond-. You know what this means, do you not?" Galen sighed "I do, unfortunately, and what you're saying doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I told her once, not so long ago, that she was the pin on which destinies might turn. We must be careful, however, not to let this matter progress too far. The gate, while stable, is also unreliable; if it begins to close, we must bring her back immediately." "It shall be as you say. If all goes well, your worries will be for naught -- the pattern will be completed, and she may then return safely." "If all goes well, yes. It is, however, my experience that nothing ever goes *completely* well in situations like this one. In any case, when she has returned, I must make sure this never happens again." "A precious gift will be lost, but yes, we understand why this must be so." "Then we are agreed." "We are agreed." "Good. Now then, there is another matter we must discuss, almost as critical. The Rangers will not understand our need to keep her there, for now at least. We must, how shall I say it, 'delay' things a little more then we have already, while still making it look like we are making progress." "As well as involving *them* in the search?" "We must, and soon." The Praetor Questus thought about this for a moment, and then he nodded. "Attend then, Technomage. This is what we shall do." * * * #There# The boarding action, when it came, was swift and decisive, and because of the unexpected arrival of the second wave of Alliance ships, there was nothing that the Imperial forces under Sheridan's command could do about it. All of the Imperial vessels had already been forced away from the EXCALIBUR and the still-disabled SHARD OF NIGHT, the only other choice being to suffer what would amount to catastrophic, crippling damage at the hands of the now numerically superior Alliance forces. Meanwhile, surrounded on all sides by Minbari warships, the disabled, still keening form of the Empire battlecruiser continued its uncontrolled spin through space, as three full hands of boarding craft moved towards their intended destinations. Latching onto the spinning hull was easy enough, and burning through it was even easier -- the Alliance troops had a lot of experience with this sort of thing, after the years and decades of war with the Empire and other, greater forces such as the Shadows. A small group of pods even managed to latch onto the hangar doors at the rear end of the ship, and using a sequential command their spies had stolen from the Empire, instructed those doors to open, blowing a small number of surprised Imperial soldiers out into space as they did so. The remainder of the boarding action proceeded apace at that point, even as in the near-distance, a frustrated John Sheridan, facing certain death from behind if he did not leave the field of battle, ordered his damaged squadron to jump out of the battlezone. There was no question in the invaders' minds about what had to be done-- those that fought were to be killed or disabled, while those that surrendered were herded into one strategic location. Meanwhile, the efficient, hard-faced Warriors commanded by Alyt Tirivail silently combed the decks of the enemy ship, looking for the target they sought. The first place they thought to look was the bridge, and the searchers were quite surprised to find that the captain of their boarded target *wasn't* there, and neither was her first officer... while the Minbari telepath in the boarding party was swift to disconnect the SHARD's 'core' from her organically-spun prison. The telepath knew this woman by name, and silently cursing the Empire for what they had done to a close friend, moved off down the corridor at speed carrying her in his arms, hoping that the recent attack on this ship's organic systems had not permanantly damaged her mind. The search continued then, and quickly narrowed down to a surprisingly sustained pocket of resistance around the ship's Med-section, a pocket that Tirivail herself soon arrived at, when all other possible alternative hiding places had been exhausted. "Is she in there?" The Warrior in command of the unit beseiging the doors of Medsection nodded curtly. "Yes -- and her first officer is, as well. He is the problem; he has managed to kill five of us already with his zei'taku." Tirivail's hand moved instinctively to her denn'bok at that point, and a moment later, a touch slammed the weapon open, a weapon wielded by her father before her, and his father before him. "I will take care of this *myself*." "They thought the same as you did." a mocking voice announced from around the corner. "I proved them wrong." Nearly she screamed out a challenge in the Ancient Way at that point, but restrained herself, just in time. Her father and her sister had died fighting the forces of the Empire, had died in missions that should have succeeded, but hadn't. This was her mission, a mission that the Shai Alyt himself had sent her on, and by Valen, she was not about to let *one* enemy defeat her -- not when they had come this far! "A challenge is it, then, my enemy?" she sharply replied, as she moved, cat-like, into the Medical section's entryway, noting first the scattered bodies of defeated Warriors on the floor, then the small gaggle of medical personnel beyond the black-cloaked Minbari in front of her, and finally, the outstretched figure of her target on one of the beds beyond. Her opponent nodded. "It is clear enough that you seek to take my Captain as prisoner -- I cannot allow this to happen." "That is an unacceptable response." she replied, as they began to advance towards one another, weapons at the ready. "My Shai Alyt has ordered this mission's success, and I will not allow you to disturb such plans. If you will not stand aside, you will be destroyed." "Enough talk! The time has come to fight!" And with that, the enemy warrior strode forth, and battle was joined. After a moment, Tirivail allowed herself the observation that his skills were actually quite good -- good enough to have defeated those he had faced until her arrival. But not good enough to defeat her, the last surviving child of Warmaster Takier. It would take time, of course, but eventually he would make a mistake, and when that moment came... The waiting, terrified medical personnel gasped, then, as Tirivail's pike spun beneath the defender's guard, and bone shattered beneath the impact of her weapon; a moment later, her opponent collapsed. Still breathing deeply, she knelt beside him then, and said the only thing that seemed to matter. "Remember these words, for when the war is ended -- remember them for when you are finally freed, having paid the price for the crimes you have committed. There is one thing you cannot fight against, and that thing is INEVITABLITY. The tide has turned, and your Empire is dead -- and the day will come, soon enough, when the corpse finally realizes its heart has stopped." The warrior spat at her then, of course, but she had already risen to her feet and turned away, as she gazed upon the unlined, surprisingly youthful face of the human woman who had killed so many of her kind. The woman who had, until this moment, commanded the warship named SHARD OF NIGHT. The enemy captain who was now her prisoner. Strangely enough, she seemed to be unconscious for some reason -- had she, perhaps, suffered some sort of injury during the battle just finished? Tirivail did not know, and all things considered, did not care, either. All that mattered was that the mission had been a successful one. This time. "Alyt Tirivail." her troop-leader said. "Command us." "Take this one to my boarding craft -- as soon as I arrive, we will proceed towards a rendezvous with the EXCALIBUR, without delay." * * * A short time later. Onboard the EXCALIBUR. "Please!" Julia cried out, as she met the hardened gaze of the Minbari warrior in front of her, and strained against the bonds that held her into the chair she had found herself in upon waking up. "You have to believe me! I'm not who you think I am, I'm not supposed to be here! In Valen's Name, you have to..." She cried out involuntarily, then, as her captor ruthlessly slapped her face. "Disbeliever, servant of Darkness!" the Minbari ground out, "You do not have the *right* to swear in his name, in the name of the one YOUR kind dares to call 'Betrayer'." "Please," she began again, "I just want to talk to someone in charge, someone..." "Who will listen to you?" another voice sharply inquired, a voice she recognized all too well -- and she stiffened, then, as Delenn stepped into the chamber... but Delenn had *never* gazed as harshly at her as *this* Delenn now did. "You, who have commanded the murder of many of my kind, you would *dare* to ask for mercy?" She shuddered, then; there *had* to be a way out of this, but how? "I'm... I'm not asking for mercy, I'm only asking you to listen to me, if only for a moment. I'm NOT supposed to be here, I'm not who you think I am!" the Other caustically told her, from the deep recess that Julia had thrown her into... hours before? she screamed. "And who are you, then," another voice critically observed, "If not what I have made of you, in their image?" The owner of the voice stepped into the chamber, and Julia flinched then, as her counterpart cried out in terror, while the new arrival critically gazed down his nose at her. "Yes," a final voice reiterated. "In their image. And while you've done well, Alwyn, I'm afraid that this is a more unique situation then any of us can imagine. And with her help, I'm about to prove this to all to you, in a fashion that none of you will be able to ignore." It was at that point that she realized she knew who the final speaker was -- knew it in her bones, in her heart... in her soul. The speaker was a man who had helped to teach her so *much* of what she knew as a Ranger... and he was someone she had never thought to see again, in this life. And, as far as she could tell, the only one who could save her, in *this* here and now. "Entil'zha!" * * * To be concluded... http://www.connect.ab.ca/~dgolding/index.htm From: dgolding@connect.ab.ca Subject: STAR AND CIRCLE: "THE SEEKER'S FIRE", EPISODE IV; ENVOI Date: Mon, 02 Aug 1999 22:14:05 "STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE" EPISODE FOUR "OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES" (disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture) * * * <> #There# The dark-robed man came to his feet and nodded in satisfaction, as the images of the battle just concluded faded from the screen in front of him. For once, everything had gone exactly as planned. Perhaps Elric would even be pleased with him, for a change. "And now," Galen noted, "It is time for the veils to come off at last. Four ride forth, but will any of us return?" * * * On the bridge of the ENCHANTRESS, the crew went about their tasks silently. No one would meet the eyes of their Alyt; no one would speak to her, for it was the belief of all that any who tried would not survive the attempt, after what had just occurred at the battle of Zander Prime. "A trick." Elizabeth Sheridan angrily muttered. "I didn't want to say it to him; I wanted to believe this was the truth as much as he did. But now, someone will have to pay for the mistakes we've made here; someone will have to answer for the loss of the BASILISK and her crew, and all the rest -- and I'm *damned* if it's going to be me." She felt for him, she *really* did -- she'd been married to him for almost twenty-five years, after all. But in the end, the Council of Ascension would make their decision, and she intended to be ready for that decision, to make the process... Easier. For everyone involved. "Armsmaster." she snapped, and a moment later, a tall, stocky figure in black body armour stepped forward out of the shadows behind her command chair, a man whose greying hair was clipped close to his skull. This man had served loyally at her side for over a decade now, and he had saved her life too many times to count. And now, although this was a painful thing to do, there was only one man she would have do what needed to be done. And this man was that man. "Armsmaster, you are to take a detachment to Sha'var Alyt Sheridan's quarters, arrest him, and prepare him for transport to Minbar. Do you understand these orders?" "I do. And will gladly comply with that command... if it truly *is* your will." She turned, and met her protector's frank and inquiring gaze. "Until this matter is concluded, Armsmaster, one way *or* the other, I am suspending our union, for the good of the Empire. Do not make me say the words again." Armsmaster Michael Garibaldi inclined his head fractionally, at that point. "I don't think that will be necessary... Sha'var Alyt Lochley." * * * #Here# The summoning had been obeyed without question. And now, as the others looked on, Klairika approached the silver construct the Soul Hunters had attached to the obelisk the day before, Galen, Sheynell and the Praetor Questus at her side. It seemed to glitter slightly in the lamps that now illuminated the inside of the enclosure; a deadly gleam. Night was ending upon Amaranth, a 'between time' as the Soul Hunter had put it, and what they needed to do, needed to be done now, before another opportunity to look thorugh the 'walls' was lost. "So." Galen mused, "After the instructions we gave you upon arrival, may I assume that everyone knows what they're doing, here?" "You and the Praetor Questus are to be the Nexus on this side," she whispered, as they all arrayed themselves in the agreed-upon positions around the 'wedge' in the door of Souls -- a wedge that would allow them to look into the reality that Julia was trapped in. "Sheynell, because of her telepathic abilities, will serve as a link between that nexus and myself. While I, as one my Val'na knows well, will dangle on the end of the chain as a lifeline for her to grasp, when the moment comes. When we find her." "This is too dangerous!" Sheynell insisted. "What if the link is broken? What if we're trapped in that thing as well?" "It is up to you, telepath," Galen emphasized, "To ensure that the link is not broken. Not so long ago, I asked you if you were up to the task; you said that you were. Are you now telling us that these words were not true? That you do not believe we *can* save her?" "No! That's not what I meant. I..." "It is not a sin to admit you are afraid, Sheynell Keynes," the technomage noted, his eyes bright. "I have been known to be afraid as well, on occasion... when there was reason. There is not reason now. The Soul Hunters know what they are doing, and how this is to work... and the success rate of the procedure, in circumstances similar to this one, has been... admirable." "Then you're saying," Klairika exclaimed, "That some of the attempts have failed?" The Praetor Questus inclined his head fractionally. "They did not believe enough in what they were doing. The soul they sought was lost, and theirs were, as well." "The question you must ask yourselves is this." Galen continued. "Do you believe enough in yourselves and what we attempt to make this work? If not..." "We *have* to rescue her!" Sheynell insisted. "Where she is, now -- it isn't where she belongs! We have to bring her back." "She is our captain... and our leader." Klairika finalized. "We have no other choice but to TRY." "Then let us begin." the Praetor Questus stated, and under his instruction, Galen, Klairika and Sheynell placed their hands upon the construct as the Soul Hunters directed. "I will ask you all to close your eyes now; the machine will see for you -- the machine will show you all what you need to see." A faint, decisive 'click' sounded, then. "Prepare yourselves." Seconds passed, then, and nothing seemed to happen. "I don't see anything." she whispered. "What's going on?" It was then, of course, that it happened. And the darkness behind her clenched eyelids suddenly became... Light. * * * Interstellar Alliance Starship EXCALIBUR, in orbit around Zander Prime. #There# "Entil'zha!" Here was the man her captors had named 'Admiral' -- here was the man who was probably also Entil'zha of the reborn Anla'shok in this dark, terrible reflection of her own reality. And that he was still here, in the Earth Year 2267, meant that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong with the flow of history... but that appearance went far to explain much of the rest she had seen in this reality, to date. And with him came other faces she recognized, and their presence here wasn't surprising to her in the slightest... although the way that at least one of them was *dressed* was. "You will free her from her bonds." the man in the door instructed. "Entil'zha!" the Minbari who had slapped Julia a moment before exclaimed, "Surely you can't be serious?" "She is telling you the truth, Neroon. Release her immediately." And when that had been done, she decided to do something else that might convince the rest of her truthfulness. Julia rose from the seat and went down on one knee before him, drawing a gasp from many of the people in the conference room... while in a corner of her mind, the Other screamed her frustration at the action she was taking. "Entil'zha." she whispered. "I should have known it would be you." Jeffrey David Sinclair raised an eyebrow at that point, and turned to someone behind him that she couldn't see. "My apologies, old friend; I shouldn't have doubted you for a moment." Sinclair threw a hard glance in Delenn's direction, then. "She is the one we need, Delenn. You will release her into my custody. Immediately." "You are sure about this, Jeffrey?" Delenn pointedly inquired, her eyes terrible to behold. "Very sure." Sinclair repeated, while the mysterious 'Shadowman', this reality's version of the Technomage Alwyn, stood in the background, together with the other two Technomagi presently aboard -- one of which appeared to be her former mistress and firm friend, Jennifer.... although, for some reason, she went by the name of 'Jaenisara' in this timeline. And William as well, of course. "You must know that this one is the commander of the SHARD OF NIGHT, that she has killed many Minbari, many humans and many of our allies in the last five years, that she has shown *no* mercy towards any who fight for our cause! She is..." "The One we need!" another voice insisted; a voice that Julia recognized through the stories that William, Jennifer and the rest had told her. " She, we have searched for very long time to find. She is the Visitor, the Teacher, the one your Valen said would appear in our darkest hour. This, Zathras knows to be true." "Two souls in one body?" Delenn whispered, her face now showing shock. "It is not possible!" "Likely, no. Possible, yes." Zathras corrected. "Equal parts darkness and light, this one is. For now, light is the stronger of the two." "Who do you serve?" Sinclair suddenly snapped, and she stiffened for a moment as the Other sought to regain control of their shared body, but eventually, she forced the words out. "The One. In my proper space and time, I am Anla'shok Val'na, and commander of the Interstellar Alliance battlecruiser SHARD OF NIGHT... a brighter echo of the ship you know and hate. And I am on a quest to save humanity from the depredations of the enemy you also face here. The Drakh." "A good and fair response." Sinclair noted, before turning back towards Delenn. "Are you convinced, now?" "Convinced that this is an unusual situation, yes. Convinced that she is an ally to our cause, NO." At that point, Delenn turned towards her, and Julia shivered at that glare. "Choose your path carefully, *human*. If you betray us and the cause, you will be made to regret it. Do you understand me?" "I do." she managed. "We will see." was Delenn's final retort, as she swept out of the chamber. "She'll come around." Sinclair mused. "She always does, in the end. Zathras, you were saying?" "Hmm, what was Zathras saying? Ah, yes! Serves the One, she does, is here in right place, and at right time. Told you I did that this one was visitor from other place. This one may yet save us all." "Save us all?" she exclaimed. "What, in Valen's Name, are you talking about?" "Let me explain." Sinclair patiently replied. "While you don't belong here, Val'na Tikopai, one of our allies was able to summon you here to perform a very specific task for us. You must help us teach your counterpart what she needs to know." "Why?" she asked, even though she was afraid she knew the answer. "Myself, Delenn and Sha'var Alyt Sheridan share a bond, even though he does not yet understand the truth of what will be." "I understand, Entil'zha. Where I come from, it is the same, as I eventually learned. You are the One who Was; she is the One who Is... he is the One who will be." "You are also One!" Zathras insisted, as he first turned to William, and then to Jaenisara, and finally back to her. "And you. And YOU. Searcher. Inquisitor. Teacher. Zathras knows this to be true." "You're not implying that Sha'var Alyt Sheridan is capable of good, are you?" she demanded, fixing the short, quizzical alien with a harsh glare. "I've seen him in action, him and all the rest, and they are twisted, dark copies of the good people I know in my reality. Are you expecting *me* to bring him over to your side?" "No..." Sinclair replied, "Not quite. But maybe *she* can." Zathras heartily agreed. "You are the Teacher. She is the Apprentice. You are *both* the One, in this time and place. Zathras told that only one can do this... you are that One. Succeed we must, or Darkness will triumph. Forever. You will help?" "Well let's see if I've got this straight," she sarcastically retorted, counting off points on her fingers, "Here I am sharing a body with an alternate self that wants that body back more then life itself, there's a fleet of Shadow destroyers chasing us -- the fleet's commanded by John Sheridan -- who, incidentally, wants to kill you all... and you want me to show my alternate self how to bring him out of the Darkness and into the Light. And oh, yes... I'm trapped here, in previously mentioned body, and don't know how or if I can ever get home to my own. Does that just about cover it?" Sinclair nodded. "More or less, yes." "You're not going to give me any choice, are you?" "None whatsoever." "Now how did I *know* you were going to say that?" * * * Next: It's a race against time as Julia tries to teach her angry alternate self how to turn Sheridan away from the Darkness, Sinclair and Zathras prepare to make a final pilgrimage to a somewhat *familiar* point of call, while Galen, Klairika, Sheynell and the Soul Hunters make a valiant attempt to rescue Julia before the Technomage closes the door through the 'world walls'. Forever? "Their Proper Time and Place" the fifth episode of "The Seeker's Fire" coming in, oh, just over three weeks time, after I return from my holiday in Europe... http://www.connect.ab.ca/~dgolding/index.htm