From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 1/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:37:22 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 This is a sequel to Heartsong, which I posted some months ago. Hopefullly, this story stands on its own, to a certain extent. It is set in two time periods..... 2262.... An Alternative 5th Season, which tells of John Sheridan 2305....Which tells of his son David Some characters appear in both sections.Oh...and Locherly doesn't exist. Thanks to my beta readers, Sue, Adele, Paula and Julie for providing so much help and support. Soulsong Part 1 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 1 - 2262 The stars shone brightly every night, the stars shone brightly every day. Susan Ivanova hated them. She hated having to stare at them, glowing before her just like nothing had ever happened. The view had once been awe-inspiring. It had reminded her of the first time she had seen the Southern Cross, the Magellanic clouds, watched a meteor storm. The stars had represented the future for a girl who had lost almost everything she cared about. Where were those youthful certainties ? Despite her troubled childhood Susan Ivanova was certain that she had them once. She had passed tears, screamed, railed against the universe, cursed God, but He had not let her die. Who made that decision ? Who had decided that her life was worth more than another's ? Deep down she knew the answer but she couldn't bring herself to say his name. Sometimes, late at night, she could still feel him. Sometimes she said things, words her own mind could not have formed. Somewhere deep inside , the remnants of the life he had so selflessly given. Duty was all she had to turn to, so here she was, at her post, pretending everything was normal. It was easier than being off-duty, than being alone. Funny, she had never used to mind solitude. Now it served to remind her that someone was missing. That was the wrong word, it seemed to imply that he was coming back. Why was she still on Babylon 5 ? The decision had not been an easy one. Stay where the pain was greatest, or run away. The Interstellar Alliance was very much in its infancy. Two short months had passed since the battle for Earth. Life on Babylon 5 seemed remarkably 'normal' considering the fact that the President of the Alliance now resided there, although as captain of the Station she had to endure the constant complaints of her Chief of Security. Every day he came to her with some new worries about the safety of President Sheridan. Ivanova often found herself on the edge of antipathy with regard to the subject. Unfamiliar feelings, which she continuously fought against. She was tired. That much she did admit to herself. The past year had drained them all, but relaxation was out of the question. There was still so much to do. Even now, in what was supposed to be the middle of the night, she was trying to mediate ambassadorial wrangles, worker's disputes, the hectic docking schedule. And now..... " Captain," Lieutenant Corwin interrupted her thoughts, " We have a signal coming through." " Patch it through to my station," Ivanova replied, moving to her control desk. The message was verbal, but in a language she did not understand. She set the computer to translate and trace the source of the message. Modulated tones, scales, it was like music. Ivanova found herself listening attentively, trying to make sense of the notes that trickled from the speaker. It had a strangely soothing quality. "You must be going senile, Susan," she told herself. Angry that her mind was straying from her duties. " I'm sorry, what was that ?" Corwin asked, interrupting her thoughts. " Nothing Lieutenant." " Are you all right Ma'am ?" " Yes." Susan immediately regretted snapping at him. Corwin always got that hurt expression on his face. It made her want to pat him on the head and give him candy. Damn, but she was going to be forced to get some sleep soon. The computer was taking its own sweet time. Maybe it wasn't a recognisable language after all. Reluctantly she turned to speak to Corwin, " Lieutenant, signal me as soon as the computer comes up with the translation." " Yes Ma'am," he replied. Susan didn't return to her quarters. She found herself heading towards Red Sector. Couple of drinks, that was all she needed, just enough to see her to sleep. She almost made it to the bar. Three steps away when a voice said, " Could I speak with you a moment ?" Ivanova manufactured a smile and turned to face Lise Hampton, " I really am very busy..., "Susan protested " This won't take long." Lise nodded towards one of the tables, unwillingly Susan seated herself. The other woman hesitated for a moment. " It's about Michael," she said eventually. Susan was silent. Michael Garibaldi was the last person she felt the need to discuss. Undeterred by the cold reception Lise continued, " Don't you think he's been hurt enough ? He's trying to put his life back together and quite frankly you are not helping." " Look, I let him back on board, against my better judgement, I might add. That's the only help he is going to get from me." " Really......I think all you've accomplished is to make him worse." " He should have thought of that before....." " Before the Psicorps kidnapped him ? " " I know what those bastards do ," " No.....no you don't. You don't have to hold him every night to stop him screaming in his sleep, so don't for a moment think you understand what's going on in his mind. " Susan felt angry tears forming . Garibaldi wasn't the issue here, his betrayal of her trust was. God, she needed to get away , learn to cope with her own grief before coming to terms with someone else's. " Susan...!" John Sheridan's voice interrupted any further conversation between the two women. Ivanova turned to face Sheridan, Garibaldi was with him. She couldn't help noticing the way Michael hung back, just a little. The fear wasn't just her imagination. " Join us for a drink ?" Sheridan asked. " Its late," she protested. " I should be going to bed." 'Please someone save me,' Susan prayed. If there was a God surely he would intervene. Three sets of eyes were focused on her, waiting for a reply. She opened her mouth just as her link bleeped. Corwin...bless the boy, " Corwin to Ivanova." " Ivanova here, go," she replied. " The computer's finished the translation you requested." " Great...I mean, pipe it down to my quarters." " What translation ?" Garibaldi asked, his curiosity piqued. Ivanova couldn't bring herself to look at him as she answered his question; " Just a stray message we picked up. Its probably gibberish. Still I should check it. Sorry, I'll have to take a raincheck on that drink. Enjoy the rest of your evening." She hurried away, slightly more rapidly than protocol demanded. Even so their voices reached her ears.... " Is she all right ?" Garibaldi was asking. " I wish I knew...." John replied. Susan quickened her pace. What did they expect ? Was she supposed to make believe the events of the past year hadn't happened ? Was she supposed to pretend that everything was status quo ? Was she supposed to forgive ? Where had that thought come from ? Some people were not worthy of absolution. She glanced over her shoulder. Garibaldi's eyes met hers. It was a relief to enter the sombre darkness of her quarters. Every day was becoming more of a struggle. Each moment closer to the one where her control would be lost and she would break down on duty. Duty, she was starting to hate the word. Marcus had been right, she had always neglected the duty to herself. That in mind she poured herself a large vodka before turning her attention to the message light that was flashing on her terminal. " Here's to the Wolf," she whispered to herself. " Computer, play message." " We are dying. Send help. Cannot sustain. Where are you ? Need answer. Need help," the computer intoned. " Message origin ?" " Co-ordinates Sector 12 by 34 by 5." " That's Vorlon space ?" " Translator units confirm Vorlon language." The Vorlons were gone. They had left the galaxy with the Shadows, the First Ones, Lorien....This couldn't be possible. Unconsciously she poured herself another drink. No one had ever checked to see if the entire Empire had been deserted. If there was still some trace of Vorlon influence what should she do about it ? Another glass of vodka and she still wasn't sure. It was a distress call, and as such she should find a way to respond. " Ivanova to Corwin," she spoke into her link. " Yes." " Tell maintenance to prepare a shuttle for launch." " Yes ma'am." There was a pause, he obviously expected something further in the way of an explanation; " The message was a distress call," she told him. Still silence. Susan gave up and shut the link down. ************************************************************************ ******* " Station 2 take over for ten minutes." Corwin ordered, removing his headset. He shouldn't be doing this. Leaving the Observation Dome when he was still on duty, but Ivanova always said that you had to bend the rules sometimes. It wasn't as if Corwin knew exactly what he could do. Or what he could persuade someone else to do. One of her friends had to be able to help. If they couldn't see what was happening to her they had to be blind. Corwin hesitated about confronting her himself. She would probably just order him away. Either that or put him on report for leaving his post. Besides, being close to her outside of a work situation made him nervous. He would never pluck up the courage to say what he needed to. So here he was, standing outside Michael Garibaldi's quarters, debating whether to push the door signal or not. Garibaldi may not have been the best person to ask, considering the way his relationship with Ivanova had deteriorated. Even so he was the person she had been closest to, with the possible exception of John Sheridan. There was no way Corwin was going to knock on The President's door. " Okay David, " he told himself. " Just bite the bullet and do it. " " I thought you were the last person to be sent over the edge by this place," a voice interrupted him. " Sir ?" Garibaldi was standing behind him, Lise by his side. " Talking to yourself," he explained. " I need to speak with you sir...." " Sure." " In private." " Oh...right." " I know when I'm not wanted," Lise smiled and left the two men alone in the corridor. " So ?" Michael asked. " It's Captain Ivanova, sir. I wondered if you would talk to her." Garibaldi looked surprised. Talk to Ivanova, he'd rather jump into shark infested waters. It would be safer. He knew that John had done some very slick negotiating to persuade her to let him back on the Station . He had often wondered why the hell she had agreed. " David....as much as I would like to help....Ivanova an' I aren't exactly on speaking terms anymore." " But you are her friend." " She wants to shoot me." Corwin raised an eyebrow, Ivanova hadn't been the only one. " I am the last person she will want to see, never mind talk to," Garibaldi continued. " I could order you to." " What !" "Technically I outrank you, so I'm ordering you to speak to the Captain. " Garibaldi's mouth fell open. He was speechless for a least ten seconds. " Have you got a deathwish Lieutenant ?" " No, but I think Captain Ivanova might have. She should be in the shuttle bay." David didn't wait for a reply. He spun on his heel and walked away . Garibaldi ran his hand over his head, considering Corwin's words. In his heart he knew that the younger man was probably right. If something did happen to Ivanova and Garibaldi hadn't tried to help her......Thoughtfully, he let himself into his quarters. Lise was curled on the couch watching the vid screen. He sat beside her, pulling her body against his own, absently planting a kiss on her hair. " What is it ? " Lise asked, sensing his abstraction. " Ivanova," he explained." Corwin's worried about her. I have to admit that I am too. I think maybe I should go see her. Ivanova's not been herself since Marcus died and I'm afraid she's gonna do somethin' stupid " " Michael, she wants to shoot you." " I know, sometimes it's the fact that she hasn't tried that scares me the most. She's taking a shuttle out......I think I should go with her." " What makes you think she'll talk to you ?" " She always has before." The expression on her face told him that Lise was not happy. He couldn't really blame her, but he felt uneasy explaining the other reason he was forcing himself into Ivanova's company. Part of him needed to be with her, needed to have some measure of forgiveness. The others may have acquitted him but without Ivanova's friendship it meant nothing, apart from a constant reminder of everything that had been done to him. He had something to prove both to Ivanova, and to himself. " Lise. Ivanova's my friend. Before...before I went away, she always trusted me, believed in me. She's part of what made my life here so much better than it had been anywhere else. On Mars, you were the only person who gave a damn . " " Is that why you left me ?" " Hell, do we have to go through this again ? How long do you think we would have had ? How long until I damn well drank myself to death ? I had a job I hated, where they treated me like scum. I tried to make it work. You know the hours I had to work, what my CO put me through. If I didn't call it was because I was so damn tired 'coz I'd worked a sixty hour week on riot duty or stuck in some ghetto stopping the lurkers from raiding the food stores. Jeff gave me the chance to escape an' you know what ? You could have come with me." His voice was breaking up and he turned away from her, ashamed of his anger. Lise didn't reply, she just held him for a long quiet time. Concern for his friends was part of what made Michael....well, Michael. She knew that these people had helped him in ways that she had never been able to and he was anxious to repay that debt. " I know," she whispered eventually. "You have to go with her." " Really ? You don't mind," he looked up, surprised. She gave him a long serious kiss before replying, " Get out of here so I can start eating chocolate and watching romantic comedies." " I love you," he told her with a gentle smile. He was always so careful to say that, she realised ruefully. She thought he meant it. Hoped he did but.... She playfully pushed him out of the door. When he had gone she turned slowly, surveying the empty room. This is what her life amounted to now, what she had known would happen if they returned to Babylon 5. It was a fact she would never get used to. Michael was married to his job first and her second. Although sometimes she felt as if she were much further down the list. What were they really doing together ? They loved each other, true, but that wasn't enough. A need to repair the mistakes of the past had driven her back into his arms. This time, when he had asked, she had come to Babylon 5......And hated the place. ************************************************************************ *********** The shuttle bay was earily silent. Susan worked alone at the end of the bay, rapidly checking her shuttle prior to departure. She looked up sharply when she heard familiar footsteps. " What are you doing here ?" she asked. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders; " I thought we could talk." " I don't think we have anything to say." " Look I know you're still pissed at me, hell I'm not exactly happy with myself....but we're still friends right......Right ?" There was fear in his voice, he was almost pleading with her for reassurance. She ran her hand through her hair, pulling it out of the loose braid. It wasn't something she wanted to talk to him about. The memories of his betrayal were too close, too distressing. She could empathise with his pain, but the one fact she couldn't escape from was that he had been somehow tainted by his experience. Changed in ways she could not imagine. There were some who had been willing to forgive and forget but how honest were they being with him ? Was he really free of Bester's influence ? John was convinced that Michael was now himself again but Ivanova wasn't so sure. Who knew what else those Psicorps bastards might have done ? Her solution to the problem was to keep as far away from him as possible. No wonder she was feeling so isolated. All her friends seemed to be so far away, most divided from her by the impenetrable barrier of death. Maybe that was why she was taking the mission, part of her wanted to launch itself into the void and never return. " Garibaldi, can the soul searching wait ? I have a distress call to answer." " That message ?" " I'm just about ready to leave." " Mind if I tag along ?" " Yes." " Great." He started up the steps to the shuttle. " I meant yes I minded, not yes you could come," Ivanova objected. Garibaldi halted and turned back towards her. There was a speculative look on his face as he came closer. Bending towards her he gave a suspicious sniff. " Can I smell alcohol on your breath Captain ?" he asked mildly. Ivanova blushed angrily, it was enough of an admission . " Well, in that case you're not authorised to take this shuttle out, " he stated. " Go to hell." " My duty, as an honest citizen of Babylon 5, is to call security. A quick blood test and I'm sure we can clear up this little matter. " " You wouldn't ?" " Ivanova, you know me well enough not to ask that question. Of course you could let someone else fly the shuttle for you. " " And you'd volunteer ?" " Can't see another qualified pilot here." He'd caught her, fair and square. There was no smile on his face, he wasn't playing games. Standing here arguing with him was wasting precious time. As much as it pained her to admit it, she wasn't going to win the argument. " Well, come on, if you're coming," Susan muttered. Garibaldi sighed and followed her into the shuttle. Perhaps attempting to re-establish his friendship with Ivanova wasn't such a good idea. It didn't seem like she would welcome the overture. All he was trying to do was to get his life to resemble some form of normality again, if it was possible. Ivanova's acceptance meant a great deal. She was the only one who still regarded him with overt suspicion. Not that he could blame her, but she was obviously hurting for other reasons and he thought that, under the right conditions, she might talk to him. Marcus' death had been a blow to them all but Susan had taken the news very badly. Considering the way Marcus had died that wasn't surprising. Michael didn't really want to think about it. His own life had been saved by the same machine....For the first time he really appreciated the risk that Sheridan and Franklin had taken. " So where we goin'?" Garibaldi asked as they settled into their seats. " Vorlon space," she replied. " What ?" " The distress call came from Vorlon space. If there is some remnant of their civilisation we need to know about it. " " Logical....What if we come across one of those Planet Killer's ?" " We run away and Garibaldi any more comments like that, I'll space you. Understood ?" " Loud and Clear. C+C have given us clearance to leave." Susan inclined her head in reply, as he guided the shuttle smoothly from its moorings. ************************************************************************ From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 2/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:24:16 +0100 Soulsong Part 2 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 2 - 2305 Mike Garibaldi didn't quite know what to think of his first views of Earth. He had barely been on the ground ten minutes before he was hurried into a ground car and driven away. He wasn't entirely sure where he was being taken, or why. What had David Sheridan said ? The Minbari Embassy ? Mike struggled to recall his friend's instructions. Who was he supposed to speak to ? Delenn ? That was the name. He suddenly realised that he wasn't even sure if his contact was male or female. In that moment his home felt very far away. He supposed it was, although he was unsure as to how the Earth people would measure the distance. Sitting in the back of the car, he closed his eyes, seeing the sun setting over the jungle, inhaling the scent of the forest blooms, listening to his father's voice reading poetry to his mother. The thoughts calmed him somewhat. It had been the confrontation with the telepath that had scared him the most. He had never been in contact with a mind so twisted. It had been difficult to block the intrusion. Mike wished that he was a strong a telepath as his brother had been. His mother had been surprised that he had any ability at all. " How long ?" he asked the woman beside him, David's executive officer, Commander Claire Hunter. " Half an hour," she replied. Mike lapsed into silence again. He glanced at his companion. At five foot tall, she barely came up to his chest, but she had the most commanding presence Mike had ever experienced....apart from possibly his mother. Her short blond hair was impeccably groomed, her uniform spotless. She sat beside him, calmly reading over some reports. Either she was a very good actress, or the events they had experienced that morning were completely routine. She didn't seem to be worried about her commanding officer. As the journey continued Mike found himself becoming more and more agitated. What had happened to his friend ? " We're here," Hunter announced. " About time," Mike heard himself reply. " Delenn is expecting you. Good Luck." " You're not coming with me ?" " No, I'd better get back to base. I get the feeling Captain Sheridan may need my help." He found himself standing outside, watching the groundcar disappear. Feeling very lonely, Mike turned towards the building he had been deposited outside. It was a tall, gracious structure. As beautiful as it was functional. He knew instinctively that it had been designed and built by a people who weren't human. Slowly, he walked inside. The long hallway was quiet, a depth of peaceful silence. At one end a stained glass window dominated the room, flooding the area with light and colour. " Hello," he called nervously into the emptiness. His shout seemed to attract attention. Silently a robed attendant glided into view. Mike found himself staring. It was the first non-human he had ever seen. The man.....Minbari, Mike corrected himself, was humanoid. The difference being that he appeared completely hairless; the back of his head surrounded by a bone-like structure. He was greeted with a bow, " May I be of assistance ?" the Minbari asked in accentless Interlac. " I was told to speak to Delenn," Mike replied. The attendant nodded and moved away. Mike followed. The corridors they walked down were diamond shaped, flanked on either side by crystalline walls which illuminated their path. He was eventually taken to a vast office, politely shown to a seat, and asked to wait. Mike stretched his long legs out before him, resting his head against the wall. He suddenly realised how tired he was. It was doubtful as to whether he'd managed to have a decent nights sleep since he had left home. His eyes were just closing when he heard the footsteps. A human had entered the room. " I've been told that you wish to see Delenn," the man said in cultured tones. " Yes," Mike replied, wondering what the human was doing among the Minbari. " I am afraid she's on Minbar..." " No, she is not," the melodious voice surprised both men. Mike scrambled to his feet and matched the other man's bow. There was something about Delenn's very presence that demanded respect. Instinctively, Mike knew that this was David's mother. She had his human features, combined with the headbone that was characteristic of the Minbari. " Delenn !" the other man exclaimed in surprise. " I didn't think you were due back..." " I know, but David called me." Delenn came towards Mike, took his hands and kissed him fondly on the cheek. " Welcome, Michael Garibaldi," she smiled at him. The other man looked shocked. Delenn nodded, " This is our Michael's son," she explained. " His mother..." " Susan ! But...?" " They survived," Delenn explained gently. " Oh my God ! Did you know about this ?" " Not until David contacted me five days ago." The man gave a curt bow and left the room. Delenn raised her hand, reaching after him. " Excuse me," Mike interrupted. " Could someone explain, please." " I am sorry. I was hoping to break this to him more gently," she sighed. " What does he have to do with who I am ?" " His type of love is a rare and terrible thing. It never dies, never wavers. The strength sustains, heals, but causes great pain. " " Why ?" " Because it is unrequited. A very long time ago Marcus Cole fell in love with your mother." ************************************************************************ ********** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 3/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:25:08 +0100 Soulsong Part 3 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 3 - 2262 He was cold. His limbs felt heavy, it was an effort to breath. He was alive. That was the first thought that screamed through his brain. Why was that so unexpected ? He thought about opening his eyes, but the effort was just too much. His very struggle to find conciousness had been exhausting. Sleep, beckoned. Darkness stretched out its pleasent fingers. " We're losing him." The voice was close, far too close. " Damnit, no, not after we've brought him so far." " Lifesigns are fading." Why were they shouting at him ? He was just trying to sleep. How could he hear all this ? For a moment he almost remembered....something about someone being dead. No, that wasn't right. Someone had been dying. " That's better, he's responding. I'm detecting electrical impulses in the brain. " He was cold...so damn cold. Stiffly, he moved his fingers, flexing them slightly. There was pain. Was he moving ? He thought he was. Maybe it was his imagination ? No, damnit he was alive, he was....he opened his eyes. The light hurt him. He wanted to run away from it. There was some reason he couldn't. If only he could remember.... " Susan !" the word was torn from his throat. A gasp from a voice he had almost forgotten how to use. " Shhh, Marcus. Don't try to speak." " Where is she ?" " She's fine, now rest." " What happened to me ?" " You've been very sick." " I died ?" " Marcus....." " I remember now....I died...." There was a hiss, Marcus could feel himself becoming drowsy. Unwillingly, he slept. Stephen Franklin sat by his patient's bed, his head in his hands. He had achieved the impossible, brought the young man back from the....Feelings of regret shouldn't be coursing through his mind. Marcus had sacrificed his life for Susan Ivanova. If she wasn't here wouldn't it have been kinder to leave Marcus the way he was ? " How is he ?" Sheridan's voice interrupted the doctor's self-doubts. " We've restored his metabolism to something like normal. He retained consciousness for a brief period, but we put him out when he became agitated." " Does he remember anything ? " " I think so." " Damn." " I take it we haven't heard anything from Ivanova or Garibaldi ?" " No." " It's only been three days." " As near as we can tell that's a day too long. Hell, Stephen, we should have told her. " " I know....I know...But it might not have worked, and what would that have done to her ? We can't be certain that Marcus' condition had anything......" " Corwin seemed to think so. In fact he spoke to Garibaldi about her just before they left. She didn't file a flight plan, we've had no communication......Who knows what was going through her mind." Stephen was silent. Unable to answer. " Keep me updated on Marcus' condition," Sheridan said. " There's someone I have to see." *********** " Damn duck," Lise Hampton tore the picture off of the wall. She had always hated the thing. Alone, waking in the night and seeing it hanging there...it gave her the creeps. Where the hell was Michael ? He hadn't said where he was going, when he was coming back. One moment he had been going to talk to Ivanova, the next thing she knew they had both taken a shuttle out to answer a distress call. Why ? It wasn't his job, he wasn't head of security anymore. If only he had told her, but he hadn't. She had found out from Lieutenant 'wet behind the years' Corwin. This was such a mess. They should have stayed on Mars and kept away from John Sheridan and his quest for universal domination. The dreadful suspicion raised its head again. Ivanova seemed to be more important to Michael than she was. Just as Jeff Sinclair had been all those years ago. Why was that ? Now, as then, she could not answer that question. She knew that she was being petty. Michael must have had his reasons. Besides, she was worried about him, scared for him. Since they had returned to Babylon 5 he hadn't faced a situation that was outside his experience. If there was something he couldn't cope with..... The door signal. For a second Lise was too scared to answer it. " Come in," she managed to croak eventually. John Sheridan stepped through the door. He stood just inside the threashold. " Well ?" Lise heard herself snap. " Nothing," John replied. "I'm sorry, Lise." " Stop it. Stop talking like he's dead." " Lise...Even if they are alive, in trouble....we don't know where to start looking." " Not good enough dammit." Stepping forward, John took hold of her shoulders, " We are trying to trace their path through the jump gates. It should give us some idea about which sector they were headed for and can start to search the area." " Sure." " Lise, we really are doing everything that we can." " I know. I'm sorry, John." " Don't worry about it. " " Before he left....I didn't want him to go, we fought about it. Now I 'm so scared that I'll never see him again." There, she'd said it. The fear that had been growing within her for the past three days. She couldn't help it, tears started to flow down her cheeks. Hesitantly, John put his arms about the sobbing woman. " We'll find him," he whispered to her. " And if you don't ?" " We will. Both Susan and Michael are very important to me....." " So what the hell did she say to him to make him go off like that ?" " Probably nothing. Knowing Michael, if he thought that Ivanova was in some kind of trouble, he would have invited himself along....and not given her much choice in the matter." Lise didn't reply, she turned away from Sheridan. " I would like to be alone now," she told him. " Lise..." " Please leave." Sheridan nodded and reluctanly stepped through the door. He was tempted to hit something as he walked down the corridor. He'd handled that with all the subtlty of a freight train. Poor Lise, she was desperatly trying to hold herself together. Without really thinking about it, John headed towards C+C. He had to talk to Corwin agian. There must be something they had missed. He refused to accept the fact that he had lost two of his closest friends. There was one comforting thought, whatever had happened, at least Ivanova hadn't been alone. She had been so isolated for most of her life. " Mr. President," David Corwin snapped to attention, as Sheridan walked onto the Observation Dome. " At ease, Lieutenant." " Something I can do for you sir...Mr. President...Sir ?" " That message...?" " As I told you it is no longer within our system. The Captain must have erased it." " But you heard it ?" " Yes, I did." " Have you any idea who sent it ? Anything at all ?" " I'm sorry sir, but I couldn't even begin to understand it. The language wasn't one that I ever heard before." " Any luck with the jumpgates ?" " Yes, I traced the path through gates E29, 40 and 13." " And then ?" " They entered 13D, but didn't exit hyperspace from any functioning gate." " If something went wrong...they could have been lost in hyperspace." " Highly probable, sir." " What was the last message you had ?" " Five hours after they left. Mr. Garibaldi contacted the Station just after they went through gate 40. He didn't give indication of any trouble. He gave an ETA of six hours." John closed his eyes, there was nothing else he could do. Three days with no communication ? Was it long enough to declare them dead ? " I've authorised a search mission to the area around gate 13D," Corwin said. " Thankyou, keep me updated." " Yes, sir." The young man watched the President leave the Observation Dome. He turned back to his console, wanting, wishing for a signal to come through. This was all his fault...all his fault. He could have stopped Ivanova leaving. She would have killed him, but he could have done it. And Garibaldi ? David just hoped that he didn't run into Lise anytime soon. Her angry words ate into his mind. It had fallen to him to tell her about Garibaldi's departure and the reason he had left. She blamed him, and who could fault her ? If it hadn't been for his big mouth she wouldn't have lost the man she loved. What the hell had happened out there ? The shuttle had been functioning perfectly. Garibaldi wouldn't have let Ivanova do anything stupid. His duty was to do what he could to find them and bring them back safely. ************************************************************************ *********** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 4/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:24:47 +0100 Soulsong Part 4 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 4 - 2305 David Sheridan was shown into a conference room on the ground floor of the government building. Sunlight flooded through the window lightening his mood slightly. He knew what was coming, knew what Bester would do to him, but......No he wouldn't have acted differently. His thoughts took a melancholy twist once more. God, he'd been an idiot. Walking around in some sort of dream world for so many years. His mother had seen it begin, and had tried to stop her son's association with Bester. Not that he had paid any attention to her words. Her mistrust had been well placed. Why the hell hadn't he seen it before ? He couldn't recall exactly what Susan Ivanova had said, what she had done to cause such a radical change within his soul. Perhaps it was simply her solid belief in those she loved. Something that had touched his spirit. How much longer was Bester going to make him wait ? As long as it took him to get over Mike's little surprise, David guessed. The very thought made him smile. He hoped Mike hadn't been too overwhelmed at the things that had happened to him. It wasn't the best way to treat a guest, bundling him off to stay with relatives. The Minbari Embassy was probably the safest place for him. Bester didn't like to let any sort of telepathic power slip through his greedy little fingers. Delenn would know what to do. Of that David was sure. He trusted his mother's judgement. He smiled to himself again, there was a first time for everything. The door creaked open. David snapped to attention as the Admiral walked in. " David, David, " the shorter man crooned, " when have things been so formal between us ?" " Sir !" David replied. " Sit down, David and talk to your Uncle Al." " I would prefer to stand." " Sit....down." David sat, it was almost a conditioned reflex. You didn't argue with Bester when he used that tone. " Much better," Bester smiled. " You know I remember talking to your father, just before he was made President of the Universe...In this very room." " How interesting." " Don't interrupt. Your father threatened me with the most dangerous weapon he had....I often wondered what had become of Mr. Garibaldi's thirst for revenge. Thankyou for satisfying my curiosity. Your little friend is quite powerful, he quite took me by surprise." " I bet he did." " We bred that into him you know. Our alterations to Mr. Garibaldi weren't all mental. I always had an interest in his offspring. Of course he ruined it all by disappearing with the wrong woman." " What do you mean ?" " He looks like his father....except he has more hair. From his mother's side I guess. You never mentioned where exactly you found them." Bester's eyes were boring into him now. David knew that the real interrogation had started. He tried to keep his mind blank. " That won't work David," Bester said, an ungloved hand reaching out. David pushed himself to his feet, stumbling backwards over the chair. He couldn't allow Bester to touch him. If that happened he was lost. " An experiment is worthless until the results are noted and conclusions drawn. The unknown genetic element may have had adverse effects." The telepath was coming closer. David did the only thing he could think of, he kicked the smaller man solidly in the groin and made for the door. There was nowhere he could really run to. The door had been guarded and the security forces had been alerted by Bester's screams. David didn't manage to go more than ten steps. One of them brought him to the floor while another punched him hard enough to make sure he wasn't going to give them any more trouble. In fact they were very enthusiastic about their duties and Bester didn't see fit to restrain them. " Take him below," he said eventually. " We tried it the easy way David...now I get to have my fun." ************************************************************************ ****** It took Commander Hunter an hour to persuade the authorities that she needed to see her former Captain. She stood in the doorway of his cell, " You've looked better," she commented. David gave her a watery smile. Even that small gesture hurt him. He was sure a couple of his ribs were broken, he was missing a couple of his back teeth, add to that numerous bruises and contusions....yes he had looked better. " I take it you were uncooperative," Hunter added. " Damn right," he replied. " That was sensible." " Seemed like a good idea at the time." " So when did this start ?" " What ?" " This sudden urge towards mutiny." David was silent. Hunter moved further into the room. She sat beside him on the metal bunk, " You know there's nothing I can do to help you." " I'm not asking you to." She nodded and rose to leave, " Claire," David called after her. " Yes," " Do you think I did the right thing ?" " How should I know ? I'm an officer in EarthForce, Captain. The only thing I know about is following orders." Hunter shrugged and left him alone. She walked quickly through the halls, in a hurry to leave the building. She never came in here unless she absolutely had to. There was a stink about the place that offended her greatly. It was a relief to breath fresh air again. She paused for a second when she reached the outside world, turning her face towards the gentle breeze. What David had done had been mind-bogglingly stupid, but she almost admired him for it. If it wasn't for the fact that he could be about to get a lot of people killed.... She wondered what had gone on between him and the Ivanova woman. Perhaps the man they had brought back would have a better idea. Coming to her decision she called a ground car and headed towards the Minbari Embassy. ************************************************************************ **** There were five of them at the meeting; Delenn, Mike Garibaldi, Commander Hunter and Marcus Cole. Mike didn't really know what he was doing there. They were talking about people and places that he didn't understand. He remained quiet, just listening, trying to gather as much information as he could about this strange new world he had found himself in. " So Bester has my son once again," Delenn said. " Not in the way you think," Hunter countered, " Seems he put up some resistance. I think Bester's going to have a little trouble walking for the next couple of days." " Couldn't happen to a nicer man," Marcus interrupted. " That may be, but Bester has other methods to get information from Captain Sheridan and it won't be much longer before he puts them into practice." " What does he want from David ?" Delenn asked. " At the moment, just the information he erased from the data files on The Hercules. We did detailed scans of the planet. There is a hell of a lot of old Vorlon equipment down there and you know how EarthGov. feels about alien technology." " If they had stayed within the Alliance....No matter, what's done is done. David's message to me said as much. The planet....does it have a name ?" " Mom always called it Zilyonaya, " Mike replied. " It means green, in Russian," Marcus added. Mike looked at him sharply. Delenn's words regarding this man had disturbed him. He didn't like the idea that Marcus Cole was in love with his mother. He got the feeling that Cole was capable of precipitous action where she was concerned. Now that Cole knew she was alive, what would he do ? " I will send part of the Alliance fleet," Delenn decided. " Is that wise ?" Marcus asked. " I cannot think of another way to protect them." " They aren't part of the Alliance. " " That is easily remedied. I will travel with them and speak to Susan." " I'll come with you." " Commander Hunter, you have helped us in so many ways over the years...." " Don't worry, Delenn, I'll get David back for you," Hunter replied. " Thankyou." " To be honest, six months ago, I wouldn't have cared. Now...well, I actually like your son. " Delenn looked troubled for a moment, even though Hunter's comment had been in jest. " There's just one thing...I need Mike in with me on this," Hunter continued. " Me !" Mike exclaimed. " You definitely had Bester off balance. If you can do it to him, you can do it to any telepath. I might need you." " I'm flattered, but....... " You could always come back to Zilonaya," Delenn added. " No. We haven't spent that much time together, but David's my friend, I want to help him." " Good. I'll meet you back here at 0200 tonight," Hunter ordered. " Delenn, Marcus, I'll see you later." She bowed to Delenn and left the room. " We must join the fleet," Delenn rose to follow. " I will see you when I return." Mike caught Marcus' arm as the other man tried to leave, " Just a second, " he said " Look, I don't know you Cole, but I do know my mother. She is still mourning for Dad. The last thing she wants is you intruding on that grief. If you truly love her, you will leave her alone." " Is this some kind of warning ?" " No, just friendly advice. I don't want to see her get hurt." Marcus looked at the younger man. How could he possibly understand ? Marcus had only fallen in love once and that was with Susan Ivanova. History had given him another chance to tell her and he wasn't about to waste that. He shook off Mike's restraining hand and followed Delenn. ************************************************************************ ****** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 5/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:27:55 +0100 Soulsong Part 5 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 5 - 2262 The Security Chief was starting to become annoying. He hadn't stopped griping since they had started the investigation. Corwin was regretting asking him to the meeting. If it wasn't for their joint concern for their missing comrades, Corwin would have been reaching for a PPG right about now. " You sure Gate 13 was their last point of entry ?" Allan asked. " Yes." " If they're lost in hyperspace, we'll never find them." " I'm aware of that." Corwin took a deep breath and counted to thirty. " Gotta start thinking logically here," Zack continued. " We know their ETA was six hours after leaving Gate 40. Two hours to 13 giving a hyperspace transit time of four hours." " So ?" " So, where could they have got to ?" " There are three gates they could have....no, wait...four...but gate 34c is no longer sending out a lock on signal." " When did it go down ?" " Roughly....72 hours ago." " Seems to me that has to be where they were headed. Did you trace the message ?" " I thought so, but we seemed to have suffered a communications malfunction...." " So you lost it ? Why doesn't anything work right around here ?" " So I went through the security records. We have a recording, which I distributed to all personnel. The computer couldn't translate from that alone but I believe Ms. Alexander has something to say on that subject." Corwin couldn't keep the smug expression off of his face as he turned to face the telepath. Lyta had been silent through the heated discussion. She had heard the message. The haunting song still coarsed through her mind. Yes, she knew who had sent it...what it said. Memories of him, of Kosh. She had given everything to be with him, even her own humanity. The pain of his death still haunted her. Just as the fear and pain his replacement had caused still invaded her dreams. No one would ever understand how much Kosh had meant to her...she had loved him. People would hate her for that. Kosh had cared about his human charges. So much so that he had given up his own life to protect them. No one would ever know how difficult that sacrifice had been. They were looking at her now, expecting her to speak. Hating herself for it Lyta did as they wanted. " It's a distress call," she said, " the language is Vorlon, they're asking for help." " But the Vorlons are gone." Zack protested. " I know." " It could be an automated beacon," Corwin suggested. " Yes," " And Captain Ivanova did mention that she was answering a distress call." " Gate 34c is in Vorlon space...Makes sense to me," Zack said. " Without the jumpgate, we'll need a ship capable of solo jumps...I'll talk to the President and see if we can take one of the White Stars. Ms. Alexander, will you accompany us ?" " Do you really need me ?" she asked. " You are the only human who has returned alive from Vorlon space," Zack added. " I'll be there." " Thankyou," Corwin told her. Lyta remained at the table as the two men started to leave the room. Zack paused and turned back to her, " You don't want to do this, do you ?" " No," she shook her head. " It could be Michael's only chance." " I know that. Don't worry Zack, I'll do my duty." He smiled at her in thanks, " Can I buy you a coffee ?" " Maybe another time, there are a few things I need to take care of before we leave." ***** Marcus Cole struggled back to conciousness. Every time he surfaced it was a fightegain his memories, his identity. He remained quiet this time, giving himself a chance to become aclimatised. Every time he asked questions they just put him to sleep again. It was almost as if they were trying to protect him. There was something wrong, he could feel it. If he kept his eyes and mouth shut, he might just be able to find out what it was. It wasn't a long wait. " I'm leaving on White Star 2 in an hour." It was Sheridan's voice. " They might be in bad shape...." " So you want me to come along," Franklin concluded. " If you can leave Med. Lab ?" " Marcus is stable. Dr. Hobbs can cope as well as I can." " Thanks Stephen." " You really believe we'll find them ?" " I have to." The voices faded away. Marcus allowed his eyes to open. He had to think clearly. There was something he was missing....Someone ? Slowly, he raised his head. His body was free to move, the monitors had been taken away.Everything appeared to be quiet. At the periphery of his vision he could see a couple of members of the medical staff, but no one was particularly paying attention to him. Experimentally, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. It wasn't quite the mistake he had thought it would be. There was a brief sensation of dizziness, but it quickly passed. He took a few steps. His legs felt weak, as if he hadn't used them in a long time. He doubted that he would be able to move very far or very fast. Carefully, he edged his way towards the door of the Med. Lab. The two nurses remained oblivious. Once he reached the corridor, Marcus realised that he actually had no idea where he was headed, much less while still wearing a med.lab. robe. Luckily no one saw him as he slipped into the transport tube. Out here his disorientation was growing worse. Maybe motion hadn't been such a good idea. What time was it ? By the lack of personnel he reasoned that it had to be the middle of the night. She would be in her quarters. That was where he was going. He needed to see her. Check for himself that she was alive and well. Stephen had said so but...His last memories were of her still, beautiful face, surrounded by the technology that was desperatly trying to keep her alive. It hadn't worked. He was sure about that. She had been dying. That was why he had died himself. Susan had been angry when he had told her that he was going to take her place. That was a surreal thought. He remembered the argument they'd had...as if it had been a real conversation. The transport tube doors opened, depositing him in the corridor opposite her quarters. In his weakened condition, the short walk seemed like miles. Determintaion pushed him onwards. There was something wrong. A sixth sense warned him as he stood outside the door. He knew she didn't sleep that well, the noise of the door signal would have awakened her. Nothing. Where would she have gone ? C + C most likely. Marcus looked back towards the transport tube. He didn't really have the energy to go much further. No matter, he would stay here and wait for her to come home. He leaned against the wall, sliding down it's supporting surface until he sat on the floor of the corridor. The soft footsteps disturbed his dreams. Marcus' eyes snapped open, hoping...it wasn't her. Delenn's face came into view. " Marcus," her softly accented voice was filled with concern. " You should be in Med. Lab. " " No....," he mumbled, dropping his head back to his knees. " Come, let me help you." " I said No !...I need to see Susan. She'll be home soon." " You mean they haven't told you ?" " Told me...told me what ?" Gracefully, Delenn knelt on the floor before Marcus. She took his hands in hers. " Marcus, Susan isn't here. She and Mr. Garibaldi left the Station to investigate a distress call." " Then I'll wait until she comes back." " They left three days ago. We haven't heard from them since." Marcus' eyes showed only incomprehension. " Where is she ?" he repeated. " No one knows," Delenn said gently. " John is heading a search mission. They will find her." She didn't add that there may not be anything to find. The reality was beginning to dawn on Marcus. Tears spilt unnoticed from his eyes. Delenn gathered him in her arms. " She's dead isn't she ?" he sobbed. " We cannot be certain," Delenn tried to comfort him. " After everything we went through...." " Marcus, you must come with me....back to Med. Lab." " No !" Marcus tore himself away from her. He staggered to his feet. " I have to go with them." " Marcus..." " Delenn please. I need to be there. If they find her, she may need me." Slowly, Delenn stood up. She looked at Marcus with infinite sympathy. Her mind skipped back to those dreadful days when John had been missing. Marcus was barely able to stand, but the passion of loss was in his eyes. Delenn couldn't deny him the chance to regain his hope...or accept his life. She wound her arm about his shoulders. " Come, I will take you to the shuttle." ********************** The White Star's corridors seemed strangely unfamiliar as Marcus made his way to the flight deck. They had tried to force him to rest, but he couldn't stay in the sleeping quarters alone. Too many memories. " You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he had heard himself whisper to the empty room. No one was paying much attention as he slipped onto the main deck. The red chaotic glow of hyperspace still dominated the outside view. Captain...no President Sheridan, sat in the centre seat, flanked by Dr. Franklin and Lyta Alexander. Delenn was serving as second officer. Marcus came to stand with the group. Wanting, more than anything, not to be alone. " Standby to make jump," Sheridan ordered. " Set co-oordinates a couple of hundred kilometers from the gate. I don't want to get too close if it is malfunctioning." " Entering normal space," Delenn announced. " Scan the surrounding area." Sheridan waited impatiently, his fingers beating out a nervous rhythm on the arm of his chair. " Anything ?" he snapped. Delenn did not reply. She choked back any retort she might have made. Her husband was tired and understandably worried about his friends. His condition was causing her more than a little concern. Since Susan and Michael had disappeared, he had been like a man posessed. There were no smiles, no laughter. He was dangerously close to exhaustion. " Delenn ?" he urged. " Data coming through now. I'm not getting a reading from the gate...but I am picking up debris," she replied. " The shuttle ?" " No...the gate. I am also picking up several small objects." " Classification." " I am not certain. Sensors seem to indicate explosive devices." " Seem to indicate ?" " It is Vorlon technology...but the devices are spread at equidistant points throughout the system." " The shuttle must have been caught in the explosion that destroyed the gate," Franklin deduced. " Agreed." " But they must have survived or we would have picked up some remains." " Delenn, any planets capable of supporting humanoid life." " One," she replied, " but the path lies through the minefield." " They may have got lucky. Can we set a course ?" " Yes. Transit time....four hours." " Then let's do it." ********************** Corwin glared at the stars. After all the work he and Zack had put in to find Captain Ivanova and Mr Garibaldi, they were the ones who had been left behind while the big boys carried out the search. It wasn't fair. That probably wasn't a very worthy thought for the lieutenant but it was the way he felt. He wanted to find her as much as they did. " Allan to Corwin," the Babcom system burst into life. " What is it ?" Corwin snapped. " Something you had better look at." Zack didn't seem to notice the younger officer's bad mood. Corwin glanced at himself in a reflective surface. Perhaps a beard would help his perpetually good natured expression. " Well ?" he continued. " Not over the airwaves," Zack's tone was deadly serious. " I'll be right down." His surliness forgotten, Corwin devolved his responsibilities and made double time down to the security office. " I discovered this half an hour ago," the Sercurity Chief didn't waste time with small talk. Corwin found himself studying the reams of data. He wasn't actually certain what he was looking for but he wasn't about to admit that fact to Zack. The man obviously had too much time on his hands, if he spent hours going through.... Wait a second...there was something. " What's wrong with our data stream ?" Corwin asked suddenly. Zack grinned at him, he hadn't been sure that the young man would have been able to spot the inconcistency. " Someone's been tapping into it. Copying every damn message we receive or send out. Then look here," " Sending it to Earth." " It's subtle. If I hadn't been bored out of my mind waiting for the White Star to come back I would never have spotted it." " Can you trace who ?" " Yeah. Even if I couldn't, there's only one person...." " Well ?" " Garibaldi." " What ? Why ?" " I can't work it out. My best guess...someone is still pulling his strings." " But I thought he was free..." " I guess Lyta didn't scan deep enough," " So what do we do ?" " I'll dismantle it." " That's not what I meant." " I know," Zack turned away, trying to give himself time to think. Since the Chief....Michael had been back he had been like his old self. A little more paranoid perhaps....then again who wouldn't be ? There had been no sign that he was still under Bester's influence. " The situation is academic at the moment," Corwin interrupted. " Are you sayi|n' that if the White Star comes back without them, we say nothin' ?" " I wouldn't want to." " Tell you the truth....neither would I. He's not resposible for what he's done. " " That's agreed then." " I'll get to work undoing this mess....and Corwin.." " Yes," " Thanks. The last thing I would want to do is spoil his memory." " Me neither." ************************************************************************ ********** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 6/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:28:29 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Soulsong Part 6 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 6 - 2305 The room the Minbari assigned him was comfortable enough, but Mike did not sleep. He lay on the bed, contemplating the ceiling. Part of him thrilled to the events he now found himself entwined in. Wasn't this what he had left home for ? The excitement of meeting new cultures, seeing new places was dulling his mind to the danger. His mother's cautious words were forgotten as he lay there, tense with anticipation. It was almost time. Commander Hunter would be calling for him soon. He rose, pulling on his clothes, taking a moment to glance at himself in the mirror. A tall, scared looking man stared back. Mike tried to compose his features. Fear he hadn't allowed himself to recognise was showing in his eyes. These people were different from his own. They dealt in the realms of planets and civilisations rather than a single city on a forgotten world. He wondered briefly what had made his mother and father give all this up. They had never really explained. For some reason that realisation was painful. Their words may have helped his current situation. A few Minbari still walked the corridors as he made his way to the rendezvous with Hunter. For some reason they all bowed to him. It made him even more nervous. Despite the fact he was several minutes early, Commander Hunter was waiting for him. She was no longer in uniform, having replaced it with black civilian clothing. A gun was strapped to her thigh, another in a shoulder holster, a third tucked into the waistband of her trousers. She looked at him grimly, " You OK ?" she asked. " I guess so." She nodded, handing him a gun. He didn't take it, " I've never used one of those," he protested. " You may have to learn." Mike hesitated, then took the weapon, finding a little consolation in it's solid weight. He followed Hunter out of the building. Snow was falling. Mike looked at it with a childish amazement that made Hunter smile. He stretched out a hand, feeling the feathery touch on his fingertips. He'd never seen anything so beautiful. The way it blanketed the trees, the mountains... " Come on," Hunter told him, resting her hand on his shoulder, " we can play in the snow later." His eyes were still on the sky as they climbed into the waiting groundcar. Hunter found herself smiling at his fascination. She couldn't recall the last time she had looked a something in that way. Ten years ? Could have been longer. Snapping her mind back to the task in hand she hoped that he wouldn't always be so distracted. It wouldn't make their job any easier. Hunter couldn't deny that she was more than a little curious about him. She knew about his parents and their connection to John Sheridan. The Earth Administration had attempted to corrupt the stories, but the truth had a way of making itself known. Earth hadn't been able to totally cut itself off from the rest of the galaxy. She stopped the car about a mile from the government buildings. They would cover the rest of the distance on foot. Some of her concerns regarding Mike were eased when they started to walk. He kept up with her easily, moving silently as they entered a belt of trees. " This goes right up to the east wall," she told him. " Then what ?" he asked. " We start to pray." Mike ignored that comment. The forest cut out the light of the moon, the stars. They could hardly see each other in the all-encompassing darkness. The ground was covered in pine needles, dampening their footfalls. Robbed of sight, of sound, Mike could almost believe that he was alone. He was glad to be back amongst trees. Some part of him had missed them. Their path led them up a steep hill and the wall Hunter had described stood at the summit, painfully illuminated. They remained in the shelter of the trees. Sinking low into the darkness. " We made good time," Hunter hissed. " It'll be another twenty minutes before the lights go off and we can get inside. " " Why do they turn the lights out ?" Mike asked. " Switch over to a different generator. We'll have about a minute and a half. Now the branches of one of these trees stretches over the wall, so we should be able to climb across and drop down the other side. " " Won't there be some sort of guards ?" " Probably. That's where you come in. I'm hoping you'll be able to sense them before they see us. Can you feel anything now ?" Mike closed his eyes, stretching his senses to their very limit, " Not at the moment," he replied. " Good, they patrol these woods. Now...how are you at climbing trees ?" He grinned at her in the darkness. Keeping low, they moved towards one of the more massive pine trees. Mike had to jump but he managed to swing himself up into the lower branches. He pulled Hunter up after him. " I'm glad one of us isn't vertically challenged," she told him. She gestured upwards, and the two of them started to climb. Hunter called a halt when they were high enough to see into the compound. They were looking over a level tract of snow covered grass, towards a large graceful house. It was built from red brick, strangely incongruous in light of the surroundings. Ivy twined its way up the side, almost covering the windows. A paved area surrounded the house, with steps leading down to the lawn. " When the lights go out, we have to hit the ground running," Hunter explained. " How long ?" Mike asked. " Twelve minutes. Now head for the house and get into the shadow of the steps." " Right." " How you feeling ?" Mike laughed softly, " To tell you the truth....Like I'm out hunting back home. You know, excited....a little scared." She nodded. That feeling was familiar. She wanted to say something reassuring, but couldn't find the words. Hunter felt sorry for him. This was a path he had been forced to follow. Her own decision had been reached many years ago and she had more than enough reasons to hate what Earth had become. Hunter could feel her own body tense as she mentally adjusted herself. They sat in silence, counting off the seconds. Hunter held up a hand. As she snapped her fingers, the lights went out. Mike swung himself down from the branch, hanging for a second before dropping to the ground. He landed awkwardly, falling to his knees. There was a dull thud as Hunter hit the ground somewhere close. He couldn't see anything worth a damn. Mike struggled to his feet and started to run in what he hoped was the right direction. How long had the lights been out ? He wasn't sure, but he couldn't have much more than thirty seconds of darkness left. Taking a chance he dived to the ground. He collided with the bank that surrounded the house and Hunter collided with him. There was a small gap between the stairs and the bank, as the lights blazed out once more they managed to hurl themselves inside. Silence. They hadn't been seen. Mike smiled grimly to himself. That was the easy part out of the way. He looked at Hunter, she was breathing hard, massaging an ankle, " You're hurt," he whispered. " Just landed wrong...it'll be OK," she winced. " What now ?" " This house is old, most of the security is on the outside. We should be able to crank open a window. Come on." Keeping to the shadows they crept round the house. One side was more or less covered in greenery. Hunter gestured towards one of the upper windows. Mike nodded and followed as she started to climb. They were both praying that no one happened to look up. The upper rooms were in darkness. Hunter managed to effect a more or less silent entry. They crawled through the open window, rolling onto a carpeted floor. Luckily the room was empty. It was some kind of office. Hunter pulled the curtains over the window and switched on the lights. She was limping quite badly. Mike could see the pain etched into her features. " Can I take a look at that ?" he asked in concern. " No time," she snapped in reply. " At least let me bind it up. You should be able to walk on it easier." She was rummaging through her backpack, pulling out various items of clothing. Mike caught the bundle she threw at him, " Put those on," she ordered. " We may as well try to look like Psicops. Now you'll not only have to stop them reading your thoughts, but mine as well." He nodded. Now they were actually inside the building his fear was tangible. It seemed to be echoing all around him. With effort he controlled his emotions. Hunter gave him a tight smile. " You'll be OK," she told him. Mike changed into he clothes she had given him. He looked down at himself: black boots, black suit, black gloves. Hunter also dressed in black, but with a skirt that reached to her ankles. She was struggling with one of her heeled boots. " Damn foot's swollen," she swore. " Now will you let me...." Mike said. " You might as well." He made her sit down and took her foot in his hands. She hissed in pain as he probed it gently, " It may be broken," he told her. " Just strap it up." Mike ripped up the shirt that he had been wearing and fashioned it into a makeshift bandage. He bound her foot and ankle tightly and then helped her pull the boot on. It was doubtful that she would manage to get it off again, but that was the least of their problems. She stood gingerly and grinned at him, " Not Bad," she said. " Just one more thing," She took a badge out of her pocket and pinned it onto his lapel. Hunter was about to open the door when Mike put out a hand, " There's someone out there," he whispered. " We'll have to wait." ************************************************************************ ******** It was fifteen minutes before Mike signalled that it was safe to move. They crept out of the room into an empty corridor. Hunter started to lead the way through the building. Those people they did meet seemed to take one look at their uniforms and move quickly on their way. Non- telepaths mostly, Mike noted. When possible he had been carrying out cautious scans. Dropping his shields was uncomfortable. The whole building seemed to be permeated with dark emotion. There was something else too. It was almost akin to a sense of deja vu, but Mike knew that he had never been here. The strain was starting to show. He couldn't let his telepathic shields falter...even for an instant. Add to that the fact that he was protecting someone else....... They descended several levels underground. Hunter seemed to know where she was going and she didn't want to let him in on the secret. The lower levels were bleak. Narrow corridors, stone grey walls. More and more of the personnel they passed were telepaths. They sent him silent greetings which, somehow, he replied. He must have given the right answers because no body stopped them. Now they walked past others. Prisoners was the kindest word for them. Some on their feet, hunched in pain. Others secured on gurneys. Once a scream rent the air. Mike couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this terrible place before. My God...he remembered it now. He had been a child, ten or so, woken in the night by the same scream. Scared he had gone into his parents room. He had never forgotten the scene. His father cradled in his mother's arms, tears running down his face. Mike had been confused. He had never seen Dad cry before. The worried boy had crept to the bedside and put his arms about Dad, just the way Mom was. For a few seconds the three of them had sat there, just holding each other. Dad had then pulled himself together and made some kind of joke. Mike had laughed, feeling that if Dad could smile everything was all right. He had never understood the images he had seen in that brief time. Indeed they had been quickly forgotten. Now it all came crashing back. This was the place he had seen. These were the people who had hurt his father. He felt his anger building. Hunter glanced at him, sensing his agitation, " Cool it," Hunter hissed at him. " I can't." " What is it ?" Mike suddenly realised that he had come to a halt. " My Dad was here, " he replied. " I know, but you have to block that out of your mind. " " They hurt him. " Hunter laid a sympathetic hand on his arm, " It's this way, " she said. " No !" Mike removed her hand and headed in the opposite direction. Hunter swore to herself, she couldn't call out to him. He was moving quickly, and she was hard pressed to keep him in sight. Pain was stabbing through her ankle. If they ever got out of here, the first thing she was going to do was swallow a small bottle of pain killers. He was moving into areas that Hunter didn't know. How he was choosing his path, she wasn't quite sure. They entered a long corridor. A dead end, supplied with a single door. Mike stopped. He put his hand on the door. Slowly, he pushed his mind through the obstruction. " In here," he told Hunter. " There's no one else." " You sure...." He looked at her, raising an ironic eyebrow. " Yes...of course you are," she shrugged. " Wait here, shout if you see anyone." The door was open. Hunter went in, PPG in her hand. " My God, " she breathed. Mike had been right. David was strapped to a chair, his face still showing signs of severe beating. He was trying to say something. Hunter bent closer to him. It was difficult to make out the words at first. All she could feel was his breath on her cheek. " Mary had a little lamb, Mary had a little lamb, Mary had a little lamb......," over and over. " Captain Sheridan...... Captain Sheridan..... David !" Hunter tried to rouse him from his catatonic state. " No !" he mumbled, " You can go to hell !" " It's me, you idiot. " Gradually his eyes focused on her, looking past the disguise. " Hunter." " Yes, now we're going to get you out of here." She rapidly undid the straps that bound him. David tried to stand but his legs wouldn't hold his weight. Aware of the need to hurry Hunter, called Mike into the room. " He can't walk, help him, " she ordered. " Can so, " David protested. He tried to pull himself upright again. Mike clamped an arm about the other man's waist and held him straight. " How were you planning to get out ?" he asked Hunter. " Same way we got in.....," Hunter didn't allow Mike to ask any more questions. David was in far worse condition that she had expected. She swore to herself, hoping that Mike was good at improvisation. The first obstacle was to get David out of this part of the complex....preferably without being seen. " Mike, can you project a telepathic illusion ?" she asked abruptly. " I have no idea," he replied, " What do you want ?" " Just make sure no one realises who Sheridan is." " I'll try my best." " Let's go." Mike concentrated for a moment. If he could just blur David's features.....turn him into another faceless prisoner. Hunter was waiting anxiously, but Mike couldn't hurry. He had to get this right. Eventually he nodded, and, still supporting David, followed Hunter back out into the corridor. He recalled little of the walk back. His mind was fully occupied. Maintaining the shield was harder than he expected. Add to that the fact that he had to protect both himself and Hunter from telepathic scans.......Sweat was pouring down his face by the time they returned to the empty office, every muscle burnt. He allowed David to slide to the floor before he let himself collapse onto the carpet. His pulse was racing and he struggled to draw an even breath. Hunter was already at the window, sliding it open. The sky was still dark with heavy clouds. The gentle snowstorm had developed into a blizzard. Eventually, Mike managed to haul himself to his feet and join her at the window. " Do you think we'll get him down there ?" he asked. " We'll have to try. Can you carry him ?" " I doubt it " " Then he'll have to go under his own power." They turned to look at David. He looked slightly more aware of his surroundings. This wasn't going to be easy. " I'll go first, " Hunter decided, " then Sheridan, you come last. " She disappeared over the sill. A low call signalled that she was ready to help David. Mike got the other man to his feet, and over to the window. He seemed to know what was required of him and managed to struggle through the opening under his own power. Mike started to follow, but something made him hesitate. Almost without realising it he pulled out his PPG. The door handle turned. His first instinct was to scramble out of the window and make good his escape. He fought he impulse. David and Hunter were both wounded. They needed time to reach the ground. Thinking quickly, he slammed the window shut and dived beneath the desk. Maybe they would think the room was empty. He lay very still, the metal of the gun digging into his palm. The door swung open and a gloved hand switched on the light. Mike froze, hardly daring to breath, to think. He knew that, in this place, his own thoughts could give him away. Footsteps. Several people had entered the room. " You can come out, Michael, " a voice said. It was the man he had met when he first landed on Earth....Bester. " I won't hurt you," Bester continued. " But I will hurt your friends....." Mike scrambled out of his hiding place, his PPG pointed directly at Bester. The man just smiled. " Don't play with guns, they're dangerous," Bester said. " So am I," Mike replied. One of the other telepaths took a step forward, but Bester waved him away. " At ease," he ordered, " Michael won't hurt me. After all.....we're almost related. " " Go to hell." " You've been associating with Sheridan for too long. Why ? He's a mundane. You don't need him, you don't need any of them. " " They are my friends, but that wouldn't mean anything to you." Mike could feel the edge of Bester's mind, pushing at his own. He longed to tear himself away, but his own thoughts were too weak. His abilities had been strained to their limit. All he could do was stand there stupidly, with a weapon he knew he would never be able to use. " You're tired, Michael. Come and rest. We can talk in the morning. " Bester's voice was hypnotic. " They can't understand you......mundanes never can. All they will do is use your power to their own ends. You need to be with your own kind. Did your mother never tell you that ? We will know you completely. It is a wonderful experience. " " You hurt my father," Mike spat. " That was war, Michael....or can I call you Mike ? He helped us, and then never let me express my gratitude. " " Shut up !" " Come with me, and I'll let your friends go. That's what you want, isn't it ?" " No !" He couldn't accept that. Somehow he knew that Bester would never keep that promise. With the last of his mental strength Mike sent a flash of pain through the minds of the assembled telepaths. As they screamed he took a step backwards and threw himself through the window. Glass shattered. He barely felt the splinters as they dug into his flesh. This was how he was going to die, far from his home, from his friends. No, dammit, he hadn't come this far just for his own funeral. Somehow his hand caught a strand of ivy, halting his fall with almost enough force to pull his arms out of their sockets. There wasn't even enough time to breath a sigh of relief. He swung himself in towards the wall and climbed down as fast as was remotely safe. Even so he missed his footing and fell the last few feet. He lay on the ground, winded. " Nothing like making, an entrance, " an amused voice told him.. Hunter helped him to his feet, just as the first PPG blast hit the earth. The snow vaporised with a hiss, revealing scorched soil. " Let's get out of here !" Hunter shouted as she returned fire. They started across the lawn, as the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard. The air was alive with PPG fire but, the blizzard was aiding their progress. The shots were not hitting their mark. Despite the blazing lights visibility was poor. Mike almost ran into the wall. " You first," Hunter told him. " But what about you ?" Mike protested. " I'll catch up." " But....." " That's an order." Her tone didn't leave any room for argument. Mike leaped and managed to catch hold of the branch with his fingertips. He swung himself to safety. David was next. With Hunter pushing and Mike pulling they managed to haul him up. Mike made sure he was safely propped up against the trunk of the tree before turning his attention to Hunter. He could see the black figures emerging from the snowstorm. Hunter spotted them too. She took a few steps backwards and took a running leap, reaching for Mike's outstretched hands. He caught her, pulling her over the branch. Another shot took out some of the wood above them, showering them with flakes of burning bark. Again, Hunter turned to return fire. Mike heard screams as her shots found their mark. He felt slightly sick and turned his attention to helping David down to ground level. There was a sudden silence. Mike looked up in concern, but was rewarded by the sight of Hunter climbing towards him. " Catch me," she hissed at him as she prepared to drop. Hunter let herself fall into Mike's arms. He set her gently on the ground. She didn't stay there for very long. Placing her full weight on her foot was a mistake. The leap for the wall must have done more damage. Funny, she hadn't felt it at the time. She leaned against Mike, trying not to cry out with pain. " It' s bad," she said in answer to his silent inquiry. " What's going on ? " David asked, rousing himself suddenly. " You're being rescued, sir," Hunter replied. " Can you walk ?" David got gingerly to his feet. He swayed a bit, but there was no sign of the former weakness. " I think so, " he replied. " Good. Mike can you carry me ?" she asked. In reply Mike swung her into his arms. He wouldn't be able to move very fast, but at least they would be moving. It wouldn't be much longer before Bester sent people to search the woods. Their path led down hill, but somehow that was more difficult that the uphill journey had been. Snow had begun to filter through the pine trees and Mike's feet were continually slipping. Hunter was huddled against him. She felt cold. Her body was starting to shake with pain and shock. Although she wasn't a great weight, Mike was staggering by the time they reached the groundcar. He was certain her foot was broken, but she insisted that she was able to drive. Mike kept on glancing back. He couldn't believe that Bester would let them go so easily....would let him go. The air in the car was warm, but Mike felt himself shivering as he cast another look out of the window. He was in the back of the vehicle, Hunter and David having taken the front seats. They were talking in low voices. He took little notice. Bester's words were running round his head. " Did Bester get what he was after ?" Hunter was asking David. " He got it," the other man replied abruptly. " You sure ?" " No point in fooling myself. I'm not strong enough to resist him. The only reason he didn't kill me was because he had quite finished playing with me. Thanks for coming to get me," David continued. " Although I'm still not sure why you did it." " Captain, I haven't exactly been honest with you. My role on your ship went a little beyond that of first officer. I have been working for the Interstellar Alliance for some years now, as an intelligence agent," she explained. " You were spying on me ?" " I wouldn't put it in quite those terms. I never peeped when you were in the shower." David found himself laughing. It was almost as if his whole outlook on life was being rewritten. Standing up to Bester had been the most difficult thing he had ever done. It was like....hitting his father. He didn't want to admit that it had hurt him, more than he would have thought possible. His mind was telling him that remorse was the result of telepathic conditioning.....it didn't help. The Embassy was like a haven. It was still snowing when they arrived. David helped Hunter out of the car. They went into the building. Mike followed, slowly. He was feeling slightly redundant. Now they were here he no longer seemed to have any purpose. He stood in the entrance hall, picking glass out of his hair. His two companions were in deep conversation with a uniformed human. What had Delenn called them....Rangers ? Mike hung around, catching snatches of the whispered conversation. He hated the feeling of being useless, or even worse, a commodity to be used when needed. No one was paying him any attention. He wandered back outside, standing staring into the snow. His shoulders and neck were starting to ache, a result of his dive out of the window. The storm had lessened, and he was able to see a little of the black, sullen sky. Silence, apart from the low hum of an airborne vehicle. He listened to it's rapid approach, trying to assess its direction. " Mike ? You shouldn't be out here. Its too dangerous." He turned to see Hunter limping slowly towards him, " Shouldn't you be getting some medical attention ?" he asked. " I'm not the only one. You're a mess. " She touched his cheek, and showed him the blood that stained her fingers. Mike smiled ruefully. He found himself wanting to return the gesture, but his attention suddenly returned to the sky. The noise was getting louder, it wasn't just one vehicle. " Come on, we'll get you cleaned up......" Her voice faded. She could hear it now. " Military shuttles, coming in fast !" she exclaimed. " Damn, I thought it was too easy. Inside, and I mean now !" " But..." " Dammit man, do you have to argue with every order I give. Move ! " Unconsciously he put out a hand to help her, but she shook him off. They entered the building together, to find David waiting for them, " There's a transport out back, " he told them. " We're leaving. " Mike opened his mouth to ask questions, but closed it again when Hunter glared at him. The Ranger escorted the three of them through the building to the waiting ship. " Where are we going ? " Mike managed to ask as they strapped themselves in. " Somewhere you might be interested in." The Ranger added. He was piloting the craft. A man in his late sixties. Despite their situation, he had a smile on his face. " Where ?" Mike repeated. " Babylon 5." David's jaw dropped, " I though B5 was destroyed." " We just moved it." ************************************************************************ ******** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 7/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:28:54 +0100 Soulsong Part 7 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 7 - 2262 They did not look at the planet with their own eyes, Lyta realised as soon as they went into orbit. She could feel the thoughts of the people living below them, yet the sensors did not want to acknowledge the fact. Her eyes could see the lights of a single city, enough to indicate a sizeable population. No one else could see it. At first Lyta thought that she was going mad, then she heard the whisper in her mind. It was the touch of a Vorlon. He caressed her thoughts, reminding her of the being she had loved. " Lyta...?" it was Marcus' voice. " Are you all right ?" Lyta nodded, glancing at the man's concerned face. " My God," he breathed. " What is it ?" she asked. " Your eyes," The telepath transferred her gaze to the reflective surface of one of the control panels. Her eyes blazed white. She fled from the bridge. Marcus made a move to follow, but something stopped him; the seductive view outside on the screen. " Anything ?" Sheridan was asking. " No, John," Delenn replied. " No humanoid lifesigns have been detected." " Damn...I was certain..." " Sensors are registering a metallic mass," Franklin interrupted. " What ? Where ? Is it the shuttle ?" " I think so...but it's submerged in fifty feet of water." There was no reply. No one wanted to acknowledge the death of hope. " Shall we take a shuttle down ? At least recover the remains," Franklin asked. Sheridan gave a curt nod. " Hold us in this orbit, Delenn. Stephen you're with me." " Wait a mintue ! " Marcus protested. " Marcus, I 'm sorry. You are in no condition to undergo the strain of re-entry," Stephen said. " To hell with that...." " We'll call you the moment we find anything." Marcus couldn't bring himself to stay any longer. He made his way to the Observation deck. The planet was so beautiful. Sadness threatened to overwhelm him, the blue of the sea reminded him of the colour of her eyes. " Heartsong, cry into the wind, Soulsong, shine through my night, When the rain falls I'll see your face again, Hold you, Love you, Whisper to you in shadows, tread through your dreams..." " That's beautiful," Lyta's voice interrupted him. " Who wrote it ?" " I did, for Susan," Marcus replied. " Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want to be alone ?" " Please." " Lyta ?" " Yes," " What happened to you....your eyes ?" She hesitated before answering, " Just a telepathic reaction, something to do with being in Vorlon space," Her reply seemed to satisfy him. Lyta wished she could answer the question herself. Looking down at the planet she could no longer feel anything unusual. The sensation had only been brief. She couldn't even say that it had actually happened. Her senses were in doubt. Why should her eyes see what no one else had been able to ? Her ears, hear the voice of the Vorlon ? Yet she had been unable to speak. Even the memory was fading. They were telling her to forget, it wasn't important. ************************************************************************ ********** The storm hit just as they entered the lower levels of the atmosphere. Sheridan had trouble holding the shuttle on course, and Franklin nearly lost his breakfast. Visibility was low. John was flying more on instinct than anything his eyes were telling him. If this was a fair example of the weather conditions indiginous to this world, he held out little hope that Garibaldi or Ivanova could have landed the damaged shuttle safely. He was having enough problems when all of his systems were working correctly. " How much longer ?" Franklin asked weakly. His dark skin had taken on a greenish cast. Sheridan wasn't feeling much better. He had forgotten how rough planetry landings could sometimes be. " Making final approach, " he replied. " Another ten minutes." The shuttle landed, more or less, on a wide stretch of empty beach. Sheridan took a deep breath to steady himself, before sending a message to Delenn. " Anything more on the scanners ?" Sheridan asked. " All I'm picking up is the other shuttle. That and some miscellaneous wildlife." " So we search." The two men then pulled on waterproof garments and opened the airlock. Stepping out onto the sand was like walking into a wall. The force of the wind was almost enought to pull them off their feet. They looked at each other. The chances of them finding anything in these conditions were slim, but they had no choice. If their friends were marooned in the storm.......Sick, in need of medical attention. John hated to think that they might have just been too late. The days they had waited preyed upon his mind. " The shuttle's in that direction," Sheridan pointed down the beach. Franklin squinted through the storm, " You sure ?" he asked. " Near as I can be. Let's go." They started to walk along the line of the surf, their eyes on the ground. The rain continued to lash down, the wind hurling spray and sand into their faces. If anything had been swept inland.... " What's that ?" Franklin pointed to a spot some way in front of them. He set off at a run. Sheridan narrowed his eyes, he couldn't see anything, but he hurried after the doctor. There, caught under a rock, " What is it ?" he asked. " A spacesuit glove." Franklin said. He handed the object to Sheridan. John turned it over in his hands. By the size it had to belong to Ivanova. He looked inside, the lining was stained with blood. " So they made it this far. Susan was obviously hurt.....Scan for the rest of the suit." Franklin swept his hand scanner over the surrounding area. He indicated the heaving ocean, " A hundred metres out. Two of them. Close together, " he replied. " Anything else....anything at all....." " No, " Sheridan shivered. He wasn't so certain that it was the storm. There was something about this place. He could almost hear the cry of a Vorlon. His mind ran over what might have happened when the shuttle crashed. Could Susan and Michael have made it to the beach ? He had a healthy respect for their survival instincts. How badly had Susan been injured ? The facts were slipping from his mind. It seemed to be impossible for him to think logically. For a second he tasted fear. " If they made it to shore, we'd have found some sign," he heard himself say. " Assuming they stayed here, " Franklin suggested. " Where else would they go ? " The storm seemed to have increased its fervour.. The first rule: don't move from your position. Would they have forgotten that ? They would have known that was their only chance for rescue. If they had sheltered in the jungle finding them would be a mathematical impossibility. The scanners still refused to acknowledge any other human life forms. The voice inside was telling him that they were dead. He had to stop trying to believe in the impossible. His friends' final resting place was on the ocean floor. " Shall we recover the remains ?" Franklin yelled. " In these conditions, I don't think we stand a chance. " Franklin opened his mouth to argue, but Sheridan stopped him, " We'll leave a beacon. If we get the chance, we'll come back." Reluctantly they were forced to turn away. John Sheridan cast a single glance back as he climbed into the shuttle. He didn't believe in his heart that they would ever return. Chances were, the bodies would be swept further out to sea. He didn't even want to think about the predators that could be lurking in the depths. No, he would not see his friends again, or weep by their graves. " Rest in peace, " he whispered to himself, " Susan Ivanova, Michael Garibaldi......We will remember." *********************************************************************** *********** The funeral arrangements were simple. Just those that had been closest to them. John Sheridan presided over the ceremony, but there was very little emotion in his voice. It was as if he had detached himself from the events of the past days. Delenn feared that some part of her husband had joined his friends in their watery grave. They stood for a time, when the other guests had departed, staring at the markers that had been placed in the garden. " It's a beautiful spot," Delenn said eventually. " I think Susan and Michael would have approved." John grunted in reply. She wanted to speak to him of their death, of the way they had died. It was not entirely for his benefit, she needed to talk of these things. " I'm glad they were together," she said, breaking the silence again. " So am I," John replied. Her words had touched something within him. John didn't want to die alone. His own mortality felt very close in those moments. Twenty years...no he corrected himself....only nineteen now. God, where had that year gone ? Was the time going to fly past so quickly ? He had thought that his friends would all outlive him. " I think I had better go and look in on Lise," he told his wife. " She didn't turn up for the service. I had better go and see if she's all right." Delenn's thoughts took an uncomfortable turn. The fact that Lise hadn't come to the service disturbed her. She had spoken with the woman, it hadn't appeared that her grief was incapacitating. Delenn dismissed her musings. So many things that humans did were still so strange to her. " Her grief must be very terrible," she replied sadly, then, " I have an appointment to see Dr. Franklin. I will see you for dinner." John kissed her gently and left the garden. If he met anyone on his journey, he didn't remember. He just felt too numb. His failure to track down his friends ate into his mind. They were dead and he was going to have to damn well get used to the fact. " Lise," he spoke into the Comm. Unit outside her quarters, " It's me, John, can I come in moment ?" The door slid open, almost reluctantly he thought. Lise was inside, sitting on the bed. She gave him a watery smile, " How did it go ?" she asked. " As expected, " what else could you say about a funeral, " We expected you to be there...." " I know...I...I just didn't think I could face it. " She stood up and started pacing, running nervous fingers through her hair. John stood patiently. Sooner or later she would start talking. " Please, sit down," she said suddenly. " Can I get you some tea or something ?" " Yes, please." He took a seat as Lise started towards the kitchen. She paused when she got there, looking almost confused. A muffled sob escaped as she buried her face in her hands. John jumped to his feet and rushed to her side. He took her in his arms, holding her gently, just allowing her to cry. " He loved to cook," she sobbed. " Even during the bad times he would always find some peace just making us a meal. I miss him so much, John, in everything I see, everything I do." " I know," he replied. " I can't bear to stay here, but I don't want to leave." " We can find you new quarters..." " No...not yet." " Lise..." " I don't know what to do any more John. I need him so much." " Look, I don't think it's healthy for you to lock yourself in here all the time. Why don't you come for a walk ? It's late, they're aren't very many people about." She sniffed and nodded, " Maybe you're right." He wrapped a jacket about her shoulders and guided her to the door. Lise took a deep breath, and, for the first time in a week, she stepped outside her quarters. John had a purpose. They weren't just strolling aimlessly. Inexorably, he was steering her towards the garden. He wasn't sure that it was the smartest idea, but he thought that she might want to see where Michael's memorial lay. The lights in the garden had been dimmed, and the airconditioning turned to maximum. In human terms, night had fallen and a fresh breeze blew through the foliage. As Delenn had observed earlier, it was a beautiful spot. Rose trees bloomed, in memory of Susan's love for the flowers. Their fragrance flavoured the air. The plaque was simple. A stone, engraved with their names. There was no need for anything else. Lise stood before it, her arms crossed. John moved a little way distant, giving her some space. " Mr. President," John jumped at the sound of Lyta Alexander's voice. " I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, " she continued. " I just wanted to see....well, you know." " Could you wait ? Lise is there right now. " " Of course. " They stood silently for a few moments. " You know, whether he liked it or not, Michael and I were actually very close. Sharing someone's hell does that to you. He never wanted to betray you. Even towards the end he had doubts. " " I know. " " Did you ever tell him ?" " No....We never discussed it. I tried, but he didn't seem to want to." " There are always unfinished conversations." It seemed like an obvious remark to make, but for some reason John took some slight comfort. He wanted to continue the converasation, but Lise was coming down the path towards them. " It's getting a little crowded here," she said, " Please take me home, John." " Sure," he replied. Lyta watched as the two of them left. There was something wrong here. She hadn't scanned either Sheridan, or Lise but still....there were strong emotions that she hadn't managed to block. It was still puzzling her as she moved to occupy the place where Lise had stood. She waited there for a very long time, but she felt nothing else. Nothing at all. It was almost as if she were unable to grieve. Eventually she just turned and walked away. One more shadowy figure visited the site that night. He wrapped himself in his cloak and sat before the stone. Dawn broke before he left. ************************************************************************ ******* John crept into his quarters. It was later than he had thought. Lise had kept him talking for several hours after they had returned from the garden. She had spoken a little of Michael and the life they had started to rebuild for themselves. John had done most of the talking. He had found himself telling her about Anna. It seemed right somehow. He had thought that Delenn would have been sleeping, but she wasn't. She was sitting on the couch reading. " I'm sorry, I'm so late," he apologised immediatly. " You and Lise obviously found much to talk about," Delenn said calmly. " Yes, I guess we did. I know how she feels, Delenn. When I lost Anna, I had nothing. She's in that position now. " " Alone...yes, I know that feeling, John." Her eyes spoke of Z'ha'dum, but she did not let that name pass her lips. " We have each other...," he continued. " At present, but we both know exactly how long we will have together. Have you calculated the moments ?" " It's something I've been trying to forget." He touched her hand, gripping it tightly. Yes, he knew, every precious second. " How did you meeting with Dr. Franklin go ?" John changed the subject. Delenn looked at him, for the first time since he had entered the room. To his surprise there was a slight smile on her face. " I thought you would never ask," she said. " I'm sorry." " John, the reason I am saying these things.....I have a gift for you." " What ?" His wife was acting very strangely, and it seemed to be amusing her greatly. " Delenn," there was a warning note in his voice. He wasn't in the mood for this. " I...We...I'm pregnant, John." John stared at her. " Run that past me again." He just wanted to hear her say it a second time. " John," she said slowly. " Yes." " I am..." " Yes." " Going to have..." " Yes..." " ....A baby." " That's what I thought you said.....wooo-hooo !!!" His whoop of joy was probably heard a good distance down the corridor. He gathered his wife up in his arms and swung her round. There were tears in his eyes when he finally released her. " Delenn, I can't describe how this makes me feel," he stammered. " I love you so much." He pulled her close again, taking joy in the simple pleasure of holding her. Even in this moment, his grief threatened to intrude. He fought it down. This was a time for celebration. Besides, Delenn wasn't giving him time to think. She kissed him urgently. Drowning him in her sweetness. He allowed himself to sink deeper and deeper, until the world just didn't matter anymore. ************************************************************************ ***** For the first time in what felt like years, Stephen Franklin had a smile of his face. A result a being able to deliver some good news for a change. He was actually whistling as he made his way though the Zocalo in search of breakfast. He just wished he could tell everyone else. Might raise morale a bit, it could do with a serious boost. Unfortunatly that was the perogative of the happy couple. God, it was good news. He hadn't been absolutely sure that Delenn would be able to conceive, and had been reluctant to offer any other means. The atmosphere in the Zocalo was still subdued as he weaved his way thrugh the breakfast crowd. The entire population of Babylon 5 seemed to acknowledge the loss. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he wanted to believe that they all cared, even just a little. He glanced round the crowded area. By herself, in a corner, he spotted Lyta Alexander, nursing a cup of coffee. She always seemed to be alone, he mused to himself. " Mind if I sit here ? " he asked. " Go ahead," she replied. He caught the eye of the waitress and ordered himself a substantial breakfast. After advising Lyta, not to tell anyone about it. " You're cheerful this morning," she told him wearily. " You'll find out soon enough," he grinned, being more than a little annoying. She rolled her eyes up to the sky. The best thing to do was to ignore him. " Are you OK ?" he asked, looking at her more closely. " Sure, I just didn't sleep well," Lyta paused for a second, " Stephen, can I tell you something ?" " Of course. Anytime, Lyta, you know that." " I forget sometimes. It's about Lise. I saw her last night, in the garden, and I sensed the strangest....I wasn't scanning her. It was background thoughts. I'm being paranoid..." " No, Lyta, tell me." " She didn't seem to be greiving for Michael. If I had to describe it her emotional state was one of anger." " We deal with grief in different ways. Maybe she was angry." " There was something, well....cold about her." Stephen sank back in his chair, appearing to think for a moment. " Look, there isn't a great deal I can do. I already suggested some counselling, but she wasn't too keen. I'll talk to her again." " Thankyou." At that moment the doctor's breakfast arrived. Lyta raised her eyebrows, " If any of us tried to eat that you'd never let us hear the end of it." " You want some ?" he offered. " I thought you'd never ask." ************************************************************************ From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 8/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:29:32 +0100 Soulsong Part by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 8 - 2305 They came in the night, shocking Susan Ivanova from sleep. She struggled out of bed, cursing her failing body. Wrapping a robe about herself she made her way outside. Most of the city's inhabitants were standing before their homes, staring into the sky. The city was lit by the glow of the ship firing its after burners....but the ship....It was not an EarthForce Shuttle, of the kind that David had used. The shape was beautiful, achingly familiar. Susan couldn't look at it without tears forming in her eyes. If it wasn't a White Star it was based on the same design. The badge of the Interstellar Alliance was displayed proudly beneath her wing. " Mom ?" Ria whispered, " What is it ?" " My past," Susan replied quietly. " I used to fly a ship just like that one." The White Star. She had to think of the ship in that way. It may have another name now or simply be a number, but in her mind it was the same vessel that John Sheridan had commanded. She looked at her daughter, Ria's face was filled with wonder as she watched the ship gracefully come into land. This was the world that Susan and Michael had turned their backs on and now it was reaching out to claim their children. She felt herself shiver. The White Star could only be here for one reason.....to offer protection. Susan felt old instincts kick in. Something must have gone badly wrong when David Sheridan returned to Earth. She prayed that he'd sent her son back. It was a futile thought. Mike was too much like his father. If there was trouble he would do his best to be in the middle of it. Susan's thoughts turned inevitably towards her husband, missing him with every breath. She shook away the pain of emptiness, " We'd better go and greet our visitors," Susan said. " It looks like they came down a couple of miles away...." Ria started. " Don't say it." Ria decided discretion was the better part of valour and didn't argue. " I'll bring the horses round," Ria said quietly and disappeared into the night. Susan stood for a while, listening to the night return. Her gaze wandered to the stars, seeking out the point of light that represented home - Earth. She couldn't find it. A smile ghosted across her features as she turned back to the house. She chose her clothes with care, a blue dress, the colour Michael had always liked to see her wear. Her hair was pulled out of its braid, falling in a silver stream down her back. It was time. She was ready. The past was no longer her enemy. ************************************************************************ ****** " This wasn't here before," Marcus insisted as the White Star flew low over the city. " It has been many years," Delenn reminded him. " Not enough time for someone to build this....it's beautiful." Marcus still had the heart of a poet. He couldn't take his eyes off of the buildings, searching....searching... " If we'd have stayed a little longer..." he whispered. " Marcus, according to David much of this was built by the Vorlons. We may not have been allowed to see it." " We could have found her..." His voice was almost catatonic. Delenn touched his arm in concern. They couldn't change the past...or reclaim it. " Marcus...." she began again. " Bringing her down," he announced, shaking off her hand. Delenn moved away from him, leaving him to his dreams. They would be shattered soon enough. She sat in the centre seat and watched the forest as the ship glided into land. The landing site was some distance from the city. They had to wait for the surrounding area to cool before walking down the ramp, but when they did......The night air was thick and heavy with moisture. Delenn took several deep breaths. She had never been in a place which smelt so alive. For all her years, she had never lost her sense of wonder when confronted with a new place, a new experience. With childlike reverence she set foot on the new world. Marcus came to her side, his eyes turned outwards towards the forest, " Delenn, is this wise, we don't know what could be lurking in the trees," he warned. Delenn chose not to listen. She moved away from the ship to examine the clearing in more detail. The landing had caused some damage, she noted with regret. In her heart it was not a good omen. She did not want people to fight over this world, destroy the forests, lay waste to the city. This planet had brought peace to two troubled souls and as such deserved a measure of reverence. Marcus remained at the foot of the ramp, in conversation with one of the other crew members. Delenn watched him for a moment. She had the feeling that he was hoping too much. In the short time she had spent with Mike, Delenn had realised that his parents had been very devoted to each other. That kind of attachment would not be forsaken easily. Her own love for John Sheridan was a prime example. The pain of his passing had not diminished. Even as the days had stretched out into weeks, the weeks into years. " Sensors have picked up life forms moving towards us," Marcus continued. " What kind ?" Delenn asked. " Human...and some kind of animal." " Which direction ?" " From the city," They were coming. Delenn straightened her robes and raised her head, " Then we must go and greet them," she said. She allowed Marcus to lead the way out of the clearing. He walked before her. Tall, proud, the years had not been unkind to him. Clean shaven, his iron grey hair was still worn long, tied back with a leather thong. Delenn could sense his anticipation. A path wound away from the clearing. Narrow, but obviously well trodden. They had landed three miles outside the city boundaries, but had only been walking for fifteen minutes when they heard the unmistakable sounds of muffled hoofbeats. There were five of them, riding horses. She rode at the head of the party. Marcus felt his heart falter, his eyes feeding on the very sight of her. She was still so beautiful, so alive. Last time he had seen her she had been dying. He remembered holding her failing body and then.... Susan reined in her horse before them and dismounted stiffly, " Mom," one of the other riders cautioned. Marcus looked at the woman who spoke. Susan's daughter, he could see the resemblance. He took a step towards Susan, his hand raised to help her. She ignored him completely, " Delenn ?" Susan asked. The Minbari nodded silently. The two women regarded each other for a few seconds. " My God, I...," but Susan couldn't find the words. She took Delenn's hands, gripping them tightly. " Mom, " Ria repeated, unsure of how to react. She swung herself out of the saddle. " Delenn, what are you doing here ?" Susan asked. " David sent me," Delenn replied. " He thinks you may need our help." " How's Mickey ?" " Well. " Delenn hesitated. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she could see Marcus' eyes fixed on her. Susan hadn't even looked at him. " Susan, there's someone else....Marcus," Delenn began. " Marcus Cole ? What do you mean ?" " Hello Susan," Marcus said quietly. She turned to face him. " No..." she whispered. Susan stumbled backwards a few steps. The man caught her arm as she swayed unsteadily, " Bastard !" she spat, pulling away from his grasp. She turned her back on him and hauled herself back onto her horse. Gathering the reins she urged her mount into a gallop and disappeared into the forest. Angrily, Ria turned back to the visitors. She had never seen her mother so shaken. There was a hint of ice in her voice as she addressed them, " Please, follow us. " ************************************************************************ ****** The door signal made Mike jump. He was stretched out on the bed in the room he had been given, attempting to get some sleep. Again, he had found himself alone. David had gone straight into an emergency meeting, Hunter to the Med. Lab and Mike had been escorted to these rooms. " Open," he called. " Hi," Hunter smiled at him. " Hi," Mike replied, " How are you ?" " Torn ligaments, can I come in ?" " Sorry....of course..." She hobbled into the room, looking around appreciatively, " You got the red carpet treatment." Mike shrugged. It was comfortable, more so than on board ship.....or the Minbari bed. He didn't like to think that he was being given special treatment, just because of who his parents had been. Back home, they hadn't been anyone that special, despite the fact that Mom had sat on the Ruling Council. Dad had been a teacher. Here....he wasn't quite sure how they were regarded. Heroes...and he was expected to be the same. " Look I just wanted to say thanks....for everything you did to help David," she began. " I just wish it had turned out better. So what's going to happen now ?" " David thinks that Earth is about to launch an assault on your home world." " Why ? " " The Vorlon technology." " But it was destroyed." " They don't believe that." " We have to do something !" " Delenn will have made contact with your mother. The Alliance fleet will gather here." When he closed his eyes all he could see was his home in flames; the beautiful city torn out of the ground. " What's all this stuff ?" she asked, gesturing towards a stack of boxes. " I don't know," he replied. " Some guy said it was stuff my Dad left behind." " And someone kept it here for thirty years ?" " Yes." " A shower !! " Hunter exclaimed suddenly. " What ?" " You know, I dream about real water when I'm out in deep space. " " Be my guest," he told her. She grinned, " I'll try not to use all the hot water." He watched her disappear into the bathroom. Knowing that he would not be able to sleep for a while he wandered over to the boxes and started to dig through them. There was a bewildering array of items: a uniform, a book of hand-written recipes, a box of crystals, a handgun. Mike spread the items on the bed. Vaguely, he could hear water running, and Hunter singing softly to herself. He couldn't help thinking there was something missing. This wasn't all his father had been. For some reason his parents had rarely spoken about their life on Babylon 5. Whether they didn't want to, or perhaps it was too painful. Even so, in his mind, he had only pictured them together. Why wasn't there anything here to show that ? He picked up one of the data crystals. Now if he could only remember how to access the information it held..... The first was an animation. Mike watched the duck and the rabbit for a few moments. It was strangely compelling. He skipped the next few crystals, which only held more of the same. On the tenth crystal he struck lucky. The only thing it held was his father's voice, " Personal Log: Michael Garibaldi. It's started. They're really doin' it. This is what I was afraid would happen. Ever since Sheridan got back. Before he went to Z'Ha'dum he never would have gone up against his own....our own government like this....." Mike fast forwarded to the next entry, " Mars, three times before this place almost killed me and now I've finished the job I can't feel anything anymore. I don't know what I care about anymore, except Lise, I screwed up both our lives pretty good....." " What's that ?" Hunter asked. She was standing before him wrapped in a towel, running a hand through her wet hair. " My Dad's personal log," Mike explained, " I just started listening to it. Commander, do you know who Lise was ?" " Name doesn't mean anything to me, but I never was very good at history." Hunter sat herself beside him, on the bed and started to look at some of the other items. Mike almost told her to stop, it was all too personal. This wasn't something he particularly wanted to share with anyone else and Hunter was a relative stranger. He picked out another crystal at random. It had been so long since he had heard his father's voice, " If I were you I'd start at the beginning," Hunter said quietly. She had moved closer to him, touching his hand in sympathy. The physical contact sent shivers through him. He could feel the thoughts flickering through her mind. A myriad of images that he wanted to study closely. He felt his mind sink deeper.... " I can feel you ?" she said suddenly. He realised that he was clasping her hand tightly. " I'm sorry," he mumbled. " It's OK. I just didn't expect....It was different." " What do you mean ?" " Every EarthForce Officer has to undergo several loyalty scans. It's a painful process. I still have nightmares about the last one and that was five years ago, just before I started working for the Alliance.....So are you going to listen to those things all night or do you want to go and get some dinner ?" " I need to do this." " Do you want some company ?" Mike was about to say no, but...he realised that he didn't want to face his past alone. He nodded. " I'll go get us something to eat," she said. She went back into the bathroom to find her clothes. Mike picked up another Crystal, " Personal Log: Michael Garibaldi, I don't trust telepaths. I never have....I never will." ************************************************************************ ******* Susan sat on the hill, next to her husband's grave. She laid her head against the cool stone. " Why the hell did you leave me, Michael ?" she whispered. Forty years hadn't been enough....not nearly enough time to spend with the man she loved. She wished that she could recall every day they had spent together, every time he smiled, every time they laughed. A silence hung over the world. All she could hear was the noise of her horse cropping grass. Susan closed her eyes, almost feeling his presence. " This is a very beautiful planet," Delenn's low tones interrupted Susan's thoughts. " Please, Delenn, I need to be alone right now," she replied. " I think...Susan...you have been alone too long." Susan laughed. Delenn would never know how funny that statement was. The two women hadn't seen each other for forty-three years. So much had changed. For Susan the rest of the Universe had ceased to matter. Her energies had been diverted into loving one man, raising a family, living as part of this community. No, she had not been alone....even when Michael had left her. If she sought solitude occasionally, it was no longer a route towards self-destruction. That was one thing that, in a strange way, she should be thanking Marcus for. Under any other circumstances she may have done, but that look in his eyes....He wanted more than she would ever be able to give him. His desperate kind of love was not something she could requite, even if Michael did not still live in her soul. The fact that Marcus was alive numbed her mind. " It's been a long time," Susan said quietly. " Michael is buried here ?" Delenn asked. " Yes." " When did he pass away ?" " Six months ago. He caught pneumonia last wet season and never really recovered. His heart, I think. He died in his sleep." The picture froze in her memory. They had been sitting together, in the warm twilight. Michael had merely said that he felt tired and was going to bed. He had paused on his way to the bedroom, turned to look at her and smiled, " I love you," he had said. The last words he had ever spoken. Susan felt herself smile sadly at the memory. One last beautiful moment. " I am sorry, " Delenn whispered. " You must have loved him very much." " Yes, even if I did make his life hell for the first year." " What do you mean ?" " It was very difficult for me to realise that he wasn't going to leave me, so I gave him every opportunity. How much has Mickey told you ?" " Very little. We didn't have much time to talk." " I was pregnant with someone else's child.....artificially inseminated. I was scared, I didn't know what I was carrying. I took it out on Michael. He must have hated living with me, but he stuck it out. I guess we got all the bad times out of the way early on. Then when John was born....Everything changed. Michael and I married and we had two more children," " John...?" " Was killed when he was eighteen." Delenn watched as Susan seemed to withdraw into herself again. It only lasted for a moment. The Susan Ivanova who had once commanded Babylon 5 resurfaced. " Why are you here Delenn ? It can't just be to chew over old times." " Susan, there was a war, between the telepaths and the normals. The Psicorps now dominate the Earth government. They are no longer part of the Alliance. We believe you...this world, is in great danger. The Earth Administration knows that the Vorlon's had a colony of sorts here. They want the technology. David tried to hide the information but...." " He didn't have a chance." " I know. At the moment I am not sure if he is dead or alive. Susan, we can protect you but only if you agree to join the Alliance." " Delenn, I'm not the one to make that decision. You'll have to speak to the council." ************************************************************************ From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 9/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:32:47 +0100 Soulsong Part 9 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 9 - 2262 President John Sheridan pushed another cushion under his wife's feet and handed her a cup of tea . " Is there anything else you need ?" he asked her. " No, John," Delenn replied " Another cushion ?" " I'm fine." " Yes, she's fine, " Franklin added. Sheridan didn't appear too convinced. He wandered off in search of a blanket for her. " Is this normal ?" Delenn whispered. " Everything is progressing as expected." " Not me....I'm talking about John." " He'll get used to the idea." " A pity. I like him this way." Delenn flashed Franklin a conspiratorial smile. Stephen laughed, and packed his instruments together. He bid the couple goodnight and left them to themselves. Eventually John stopped fussing and settled himself beside his wife. She curled up against him, sighing happily to herself. There was a definite sense of awe in the way he looked at her. She liked that. Everything they had worked for, suffered for, those they had lost were all caught up in that expression. She carried their hope for the future. Delenn didn't think for a second that he had forgotten about Michael and Susan, but he spoke their names a little more easily. He seemed to be allowing them to rest peacefully. If only she could find a way to force Marcus to accpet what had happened. Three months had passed since the funeral, and no one had seen him. He had discharged himself from Dr. Franklin's care and literally disappeared. There was a rumor that a shadowy figure slept under Susan's memorial stone each night. Delenn had never managed to catch him. Whoever it was they came very late and left before daybreak. She prayed to Valen to protect him, in whatever dark places he was walking. " Mr. President," Zack Allan's voice, interrupted their peaceful reverie. " What is it Zack ?" Sheridan replied, blatantly refusing to move. " Sorry to disturb you, but I think we have a problem. Could you meet me in security ?" " Sure....Sheridan out." He looked at Delenn, " I'm certain they have this place bugged. I better go and see what he wants. Stay here, I'm going to be a quick as possible." " I won't move," she promised. " I think we will be quite glad when the new captain arrives." John's face darkened. He did not say anything, but Delenn had a glimpse of something he had surpressed deep within his soul. She kissed him softly in recogniton of his pain, sharing it with him for a brief second. " I'll be back soon," he told her. He didn't want to face reality, not on that night, but duty had called him away from Delenn's side. Delenn was right, his life would become easier when Ivanova's replacement arrived. They could spend more time together, concentrate on the dizzying prospect of raising a family. Corwin and Zack were both waiting for him in the Security Office. " This had better be worthwhile gentlemen," he told them. They looked at each other. He couldn't help notice the nervous glance that passed between them. " Mr. Allan ?" " 'Bout three months ago I picked up some irregularities in the communications system. Seemed like someone was transmitting sensitive information," Zack began. " Who to ?" " Unknown, but I traced where the information feed was comin' from...." " And ?" " Mr. Garibaldi," Corwin supplied. " And you said nothing ?" " We didn't think there was any point...I mean Mr. Garibaldi had just been declared dead." " There has to be something else. Otherwise you would have both kept quiet." " Yes sir." " The last message, if you look at the date and timestamp. I didn't correlate the two, but Corwin here did," Zack continued. " It's not right. The shuttle departed at 0030, the timestamp on the message is 0045," Corwin supplied. " There was no time delay instruction, he couldn't have sent it." " Someone else did. Makin' it look as if Michael was responsible. Knowin' that if we found out we'd blame him. I mean he betrayed you once, why not again, right ?" John suddenly realised that the two of them had been correct in their action. If he had found out about this earlier...he hated to think what he would have done. Even Zack's words were rousing an uncontrollable anger. " Who then ? " he snapped. " You must have some idea or you wouldn't have called me." " Someone who has access to Mr. Garibaldi's quarters," Corwin replied after a moments hesitation. Silence. Zack and Corwin shared another worried glance. They could almost feel the anger building within the President. He did not speak again, but spun on his heal and left. " Damn, " Zack swore, " Corwin go after him." Obeying instantly, Corwin ran from the room. Zack, summoned a tactical squad and sent them to Garibaldi's quarters....just in case. *********************************** **************************************** Lyta didn't quite know why she was standing inside Lise Hampton's quarters. The conversation she'd had with Dr. Franklin had preyed on her mind. So she was here, trying to rationalise her visit. Even without an active scan, Lyta was confused by the background thoughts she was picking up. " Can I get you something ?" Lise asked. " No, I'm fine...I...we haven't really seen you since Michael's death. I was just wondering if you wanted to get some dinner...or something." That sounded so stupid. Lise obviously thought so, anger flashed across her face. " I wish you people would just leave me alone," she sobbed. " Let me deal with this in my own way." The force of the woman's emotions made Lyta take a step back. She couldn't identify it at first. Fear, but not for herself. Grief, but not for her recent bereavement. " Do you think Michael would have wanted to see you this way ?" " Don't...don't do that." The mention of Michael's name had brought fourth another wave of emotion; " You're not sorry he's dead, are you ?" Lyta reaslised suddenly. " God, forgive me," Lise sobbed, real tears evident in her eyes. It was the first honest emotion that Lyta had sensed. She took a hesitant step forward. " Lise, you have to tell us." " You won't understand." " I might if you give me the chance." That chance never came. The door slid open and John Sheridan stormed through. He completely ignored Lyta, " Why'd you do it ?" Sheridan's voice was low, dangerous. " I don't know what you're talking about," she sobbed. " Yes, you do. He loved you, trusted you and all you wanted to do was destroy him." The tears were streaming down her face as she backed away from the angry man. He didn't care. His pain and anger was focussed towards her. His two best friends were dead and this woman had been bent on discrediting one of them. In some ways it was a relief that Michael had never known. The man's mental state had been more fragile than he ever let on. His doubts as to his own trustworthiness would have resurfaced. He would have believed the accusations, not being sure that his mind was free. " You weren't doing this alone ? Who are you working for ? " Sheridan pushed. " How many times do I have to tell you ?" she screamed " Mr. President ! " Corwin arrived at the door. Sheridan barely heard Corwin's voice. The young man caught hold of the president's arm. Lise started screaming when the security team burst through the door. " Get her out of here," Sheridan hissed. He couldn't bare to stay in the same room. If he did he wouldn't be responsible for his actions. Zack took a deep breath and turned to Lise, " You're under arrest. Charges of espionage. Get her out of here." One of the remaining guards took her arm and led her away. *********************************************************************** ******** Zack Allan watched her on the cell monitors, calm, composed. It was a different woman who stood before the ombuds on the following day. Zack almost felt like aplauding her performance. It was doubtful that her case would ever go to trial. She had manipulated those around her with consumate skill; a certain professional quality to everything she had done. Garibaldi obviously wasn't the first person she had used in this way. At least Zack wouldn't be haunted by the hurt in his friend's eyes. Michael would never know...it was better that way. " Why ?" he found himself asking her as he escorted her to her cell. " Why'd you do it to him ?" " You can't really expect me to answer that Mr. Allan." She appeared weary for a second, her facade slipping. He almost felt sorry for her. " There are forces at work you can't possibly understand. Not everyone on Earth was happy with the peace Sheridan rammed down their throats. You would do well to remember that." " What ? What do you mean ?" " I'm surprised you haven't managed to work it out, Zack." He grabbed her arm, " Then you explain it to me." Zack never quite knew how she did it. One moment he was standing in the corridor, the next he was flat on his back staring at the ceiling. He scrambled to his feet, but Lise was gone. " Stupid, stupid, stupid," he muttered to himself. " Allan to Security, Code 4-98, Blue 3. Kill all Transport Tubes." He should have known that escorting her alone was a dumb idea, but he had never considered her a threat. Not the kind that could flatten the chief of security. He rubbed the back of his head. Lise was stronger than she looked, Garibaldi must have given her lessons in self-defence. His hand automatically went to his hip... Damn...she had taken his PPG too. " Note glyph is armed and should be considered dangerous, " he amended his orders. He had to find Lise, and soon. She wasn't that familiar with the Station. Where the hell was she going to go ? Then again, if Garibaldi had given her any information, she might be able to go to ground and not resurface. Zack wasn't about to allow that. There was someone who could help him...If she would agree. He found Lyta ALexander in the garden. She was seated on the bench in front of the stone garden. Zack hesitated before disturbing her. She looked tired. It was an exhaustion that seemed to be affecting them all. The strain of carrying the burden of greif was telling. He hoped that the effects would diminish...eventually. On impulse Zack plucked a flower from a nearby bush. He handed it to Lyta with a flourish. She gave a weary smile at his gesture. " What do you want, Zack ?" she asked, accepting the bloom. " If you haven't got pizza in your hand it's bad news." " Lise....she got away from us...well, me actually." " And ?" " If it was Garibaldi, where would he go ?" " How am I supposed to know that ?" " You went inside his mind..." " Zack, that was an intensely personal experience for both of us. There are parts of it I am not willing to share." Zack hesitated, trying to get his thoughts in order. " Look there's ony one reason that someone could want the kind of information she was sendin'... to use against the Alliance. Now there's a fairly short list of agencies who might want that kind of stuff...." " And Psicorps is one of them ?" " I need to find her, Lyta." She sighed to herself. Mentally she pictureed the patterns in Michael's mind. Drifting through the images, towards the darker areas. Fear, pain, betrayal.....what would he do ? " If it were Michael, he would disappear Down Below. Get a new ID from Drake in Brown 14 .... then leave the Station ASAP." " Thanks," Zack shouted over his shoulder as he jogged away, " an' don't make any dinner plans. " Lyta looked at the flower she stil held. Her smile was a little wistful. " Sure, Zack," she whispered to herself allowing irony to seep into her tone. Maybe one day someone might have a normal conversation with her. She sighed to herself as she rose from the bench. Something was still bothering her. What Zack had said was true. She had been inside Michael's head and she knew how much Lise meant to him. She didn't like to think that his faith had been entirely misplaced. ************************************************************************ ********** Marcus Cole pulled his cloak about him as he settled down to sleep. Head down, no one gave a second glance. He was one body among many. How long had it been since he had slept in his own bed ? He hadn't, not since the failed rescue mission. It was easier to keep moving. Eat and drink when he needed to. Sleep where he dropped. His long hair was matted and tangled, his clothes stained...he stank. In fact indistingushable from the people who surrounded him. At least Susan couldn't see him. Would she have cared....or even noticed ? He coughed violently. It was cold down here, damp. He could feel the atmosphere eating away at his lungs. His joints were starting to stiffen. Often the pain was enough to keep him awake...and walking. He hadn't spoken to the others for weeks. They reminded him too much of the world that Susan Ivanova had given her life for. Too short an existence. So beautiful, so passionate...Something was very wrong with the universe; to take her away, yet leave him living. If he could call it a life. She had filled an emptiness within his soul; now, that void ached once more. He was alone again. Drifting without purpose. His fingers caressed the Ranger pin that still adorned his clothing. The familiar contours seemed to sense his betrayal of their ideals. The bitter thoughts tainted his sleep, invaded his dreams. It was barely two hours later when he woke. He was still exhausted, but he struggled to his feet and started walking again. " Marcus ?" the woman almost screamed his name. He whirled round, disorientated. She was some way behind him, but she ran to catch up, " Marcus, you have to help me," she sobbed. It took him a few seconds to recognise her. She was almost as dishevelled as he was. " Lise ? What are you doing down here ?" " Please...." She was on the edge of hysteria and Marcus couldn't get a coherent word out of her. He held her for a second, unsure of what to do, resenting her intrusion on his private grief. " It's okay," he told her. It was so long since he had spoken to anyone that his voice sounded strange....unused. " But they're not far behind me...," she sobbed. The question of who hovered on his lips, but he didn't think Lise was in any condition to give a coherent answer. Why should he care ? He buried that thought. Marcus cared because, despite Susan's death, he was a Ranger. That part of him was still lurking beneath the surface, and he didn't have the strength to argue with it. " Come on, let's get out of here." He placed a comforting arm about her shoulders and hurried her out of the area. For some reason he took her back to his quarters. There didn't seem to be any other place they could go. She adamently refused to return to the command level. It took him some time to calm her down to the point where she was coherent. She sat on his bed, clutching a mug of tea. " Station Security, they arrested me, put me in the brig. I've never been in such a dreadful place. I got away somehow....I tried to find one of Michael's contacts and get a new ID but..." " Wait a minute. Why were you arrested ?" " I don't know.....I don't know. I want Michael to be here....I want...You have to help me get out of here, Marcus...please." " I'll see what I can do. Rest now. You're safe for the moment." He took the mug from her unprotesting hands and helped her to lie down. She seemed to sleep almost immediatly. Marcus slipped off her shoes and covered her with a blanket. He made sure she was resting peacefully quietly leaving his quarters. It was time to rejoin the living. The door slid shut. Lise waited five minutes before she threw off the blanket and walked over to the Babcom unit. The public terminals had been monitored and she couldn't risk using them. If she was to save her neck she had to get a message off-station. Her timely attack on Zack had bought her perhaps fifteen minutes head start on the Security forces. By the time she had reached Brown sector they were crawling all over it. She hadn't been able to get anywhere near Drake. If she hadn't run into Marcus it would only have been a matter of time before she would have been apprehended. Her bitter thoughts turned to Michael. After all his promises he had left her again. She should never have let him talk her back into bed with him. Then again, it hadn't entirely been her choice. If she had been free....but she wasn't. Hadn't been for a long time. There was a certain need for her to try and recapture the relationship but she realised now that her own feelings held little of their former passion....even if he was still good in bed. She waited anxiously for the Stellarcom transmission to connect. Marcus probably wouldn't be that long. As soon as he found one of the others the security forces would be here . Why was the damn system so slow ? She couldn't let them take her alive....her instructions had been quite specific. Lise didn't want to die. Not yet. ...Which was why she found herself in this situation. She didn't know who to blame. Michael for leaving her, Franz for sleeping with the blond of little brain, her own needs and desires. She had sold her soul......At last, the monitor flickered into life. " Lise," the face on the screen, " You look a mess." " They found the transmissions, " she blurted, " You have to get me out of here." " You were careless, I warned you about Mr. Garibaldi." " Michael's dead." " Then you are no longer any use to us." " I think you ought to know that I accomplished the other part of my mission." " Are you sure ?" " Yes." " There is a ship standing by in hyperspace. They will be with you in approximately two hours. Are you safe ?" " For the moment." " Be in the docking bay in two hours. We will make provision for your transfer." " Thankyou." " Tell me....is it a boy or a girl ?" ************************************************************************ ******* From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 10/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:33:19 +0100 Soulsong Part 10 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 10 - 2305 " With all due respect...." the Captain of the Station began, but David was no longer in the mood to listen. He had been in this room for three hours. Three totally pointless hours. By the time the Alliance kicked itself into action it would be too late. They didn't understand how rapidly the Earth Administration could move. If there was something that Bester wanted.....No one here knew that as well as David did. " I've told you, they have ships waiting in hyperspace. The second Bester dragged the co-ordinates from my brain, he would have been in contact with a dozen other telepaths. That's when they would have started to move and there is only single White Star out there to stop them. " " The White Star ships..." " Are not as advanced as you like to believe." " We cannot commit our forces without Delenn's report." " Then we have nothing else to say." " Captain Sheridan, I understand your frustration...." " No...I don't think you do. Go study your Declaration of Principles a little longer, and when you finally decide to help these people let me know." David shoved his chair back and got out of the room as fast as he was able....before he hit someone. He couldn't believe that no one would make the decision. What the hell were they waiting for ? He couldn't help thinking of his mother, in the front line of fire. The past lay before him. He had failed her so many times, but he wasn't about to now. Unfortunately he couldn't think of a damn thing he could do. He was beginning to regret leaving his EarthForce career behind. If he still had his ship.....What would his father have done ? Started a revolution, probably. Babylon 5 was no longer the place of legend. The centre of the Alliance government had relocated to Minbar almost forty years ago. B5 was still here for people like David; in need of a place to hide. The Station had been built to house a quarter of a million lifeforms, but only a fraction of that number now called it home. David found himself wandering through empty corridors, staring at abandoned shops and restaurants. The garden had withered, only the hydroponic crops being considered necessary. If he closed his eyes he could remember the confusing images from his childhood. Yes, there had been stones...stones set in sand. Thinking about his childhood, his father, his mother only reinforced his desire to get off of the Station. It was doubtful that he could do any good, even if he did manage to reach Delenn before Bester. He just wanted to be with his mother. A childish sentiment, but he couldn't help himself. The mess hall was the only area on the Station which was crowded, although the smell that emanated from the kitchens wasn't appetising. David slipped into the room, searching the crowd for Hunter. He saw her limping her way towards him. " I was just getting Mike and I some dinner, you want ?" she asked. " No...Hunter, have you got a moment ?" " Sure," He guided her out of the room and into a deserted corridor. " I guess the meeting didn't go too well," She observed. " That is an understatement," he almost laughed. " I don't know what's wrong with those people." " Captain..." " They won't move until they get a message from my mother. I don't know why. I thought the Alliance was about helping people." " It is. Permission to speak frankly ?" " And if I say no, you'll do it anyway." " Sir, you have been working for Bester and creeps like him for a long time. You can't expect Captain Corwin to trust you straight off." " Do you trust me ?" " Yes," " Then help me get out of here. " Hunter sighed, running her fingers through her hair. " Give me until tomorrow morning. I'll see what I can do." She smiled grimly as she left the mess hall. Now what the hell was she supposed to do ? Who did she owe her allegiance to ? David or the Alliance ? If she didn't help him, David would go anyway. She had thrown away her career and now he expected her to sever links with the Alliance....an organisation she had actually allowed herself to believe in. Why the hell did he expect her to be able to do anything ? As if she could single-handedly talk the Alliance round to his point of view. If history was anything to go by, this seemed to be a Sheridan characteristic. Unwillingly she found herself heading towards Captain Corwin's office. Corwin looked at fifty as he had done at thirty, twenty and probably in his cradle. He sat behind a pile of paperwork and barely looked up when Hunter announced herself. " Something I can do for you, Commander Hunter ?" he asked. " I just had a conversation with Captain Sheridan...," she replied. " I thought as much." " About the White Star fleet." The commander of the Station ran his hand through his grey hair. " Boom , tommorow," he muttered to himself, " There's always a boom tomorrow...." " Would it hurt to have a few standing by in hyperspace ?" " Already done. " " Why didn't you tell David ?" " He didn't give me a chance. As soon as the Earth ships jump in we'll be after them," " And the rest of us ? You were planning to leave us here ?" He hesitated. " That's exactly what you're going to do, isn't it ?" Hunter snapped. " Commander, you are not in any condition to go into battle," he tried to reason with her. " I'll take the centre seat then ! " " I'm sorry." " What about Captain Sheridan ?" " The man has been actively working against the Alliance all his life. You'll forgive me if I don't cheer at his change of heart." " You have to let us go." " I'm sorry," he said again. It seemed like he had spent his whole life apologising for some damn thing or another. The fleet was already on its way, there was no way Sheridan could catch up, even if Corwin gave him permission to leave the Station. " I know you think that I don't trust him....and you'd be right. " " Why ?" " Because when someone has been in Bester's pocket as long as Sheridan has, the Psicops don't let them go that easily." The man paused for a moment, his eyes turned inwards tot he past. Hunter remained silent, waiting for him to speak again. "It's a very long and old story," he said. " Maybe some other time. Thankyou for expressing your concerns, Commander." The interview was at an end. For some reason Hunter couldn't think of any more words to say. ************************************************************************ ********* " I'm sure she could freeze over the Pacific but....I don't know......There's something about her. I think we're goin' to be close for a long, long time." Mike switched the player off. A smile played over his face. Against Hunter's recommendation he had selected random chrystals from his father's collection. Enjoying putting the pieces of the man's life together. This one had recorded the first time Michael Garibaldi had met Susan Ivanova. There had been no flare of passion, just a gentle journey into friendship. He lay back on the bed, arms behind his head. For the first time he realised that he felt comfortable here. " Goddammit !" Hunter swore as she came back through the door. " Corwin's an idiot," She ran a hand through her hair, glowering at the world in general. " What happened ?" Mike asked, standing up. " I don't know. Sheridan expects me to be able to change the world. I tried but...Hell ! Corwin won't give us permission to join the fleet." " So why don't you leave anyway ?" " Because I have to follow orders at some point. I can't just throw everything away again." " But I thought David was your friend ?" " Two weeks ago he was Bester's lapdog." Hunter sighed at his naivety. She couldn't really expect him to understand. It wasn't a matter of friendship. She had known that her time with Earthforce was limited, but she always had the Alliance in the background. If she abandonned that to....For all of her life she had belonged to something. She wasn't sure what she would do if suddenly she had nothing. " We can't do anything," she said, " Corwin was right about that. At best we'd fly straight into a firefight." " What if we get there when it's all over ? What if my mother and David's mother need our help, then ? If people are hurt, my home...?" " I'm sorry, Mike, I didn't mean...." " I guess not. " " I'd better go." " If you can do anything...?" " Why do people keep asking me that ? " " Its no less than you asked of me." She looked up at him. His face was strangely tinged with pain. She sank down on the bed. Tired, so damn tired. Her foot was throbbing. It felt worse now than it had when she first injured it. " You OK ?" Mike's tone had changed to one of concern. " Yeah....I guess so. " He saw everything in black and white. No shades of grey, half truths lurking in the darkness. In some ways he was so innocent but......there was an inner strength about the man. " I told you about my last loyalty scan...." " Five years ago......" " Yes. This was before my association with the Alliance.The Psicops dragged me in because there had been a rumor that I was invovled in...well never mind what it was. They kept me for three weeks. The irony was that, I hadn't done anything wrong......at that time. " " What did they do ?" " It started with surface scans, moving deeper and deeper. In the end it was like fire ripping through my mind. " " I'm sorry, I can see why you hate them." " The hate came later. I was so insensible at the time that I couldn't feel anything. Afterwards I started to look around and see what the Earth Administration was doing to our people. The Alliance stood for all the things I believed were right. I offered them my services, my loyalty. " " And you have no loyalty to me ? " "If I didn't there wouldn't be a problem. I'll help you get home , Mike. You just needed to know why I might hesitate." Hunter closed her eyes. Her mind was playing over, Corwin's words. She couldn't help thinking about David. Did Bester still have a hold over him ? It wasn't something she had even considered. An old story, Corwin had said. She felt the mattress dip as Mike sat beside her. Hunter found herself looking up at him. He offered her a wordless hug. She surprised herself by settling into the warmth of his arms. There weren't enough people around to hold her when she needed it. Mike cleared his throat, " Didn't you say something about dinner ?" " Hell, must have left it in Corwin's office !" " Doesn't matter. It can wait." ************************************************************************ ************* Marcus waited anxiously outside the council chamber. He couldn't understand what they had to talk about. The threat was clear. All they had to do was sign on the dotted line. It hadn't surprised him that Susan was a member of the ruling body, although this was the first time she had taken an active role since her husband had died. For some reason his mind still refused to link the name Michael Garibaldi with the term. Susan still hadn't spoken more than two words to him. He could understand her initial shock and anger, but not her subseqent silence. All he had done was live. He couldn't see how that was a crime. Did he deserve punishment for just being in love with her ? He paced the corridor again. This didn't seem like the Susan he had known....the Susan of his memory. He just couldn't see her living out her life here. Cutting herself off from the stars, her career. His own life had been spent wishing that she was by his side. A useless waste. The dream had been stolen from him. She was less alive to him now. In his mind she had always been young, always been laughing. No sorrow had touched her. Noises from the chamber. The council was breaking up. Marcus waited anxiously, he took a step towards Susan as she came into the corridor. Delenn intercepted him. " They have agreed," She told him happily. " That's wonderful," he agreed, trying to move past her. Delenn's grip on his arm was like iron. " Marcus I want you to go back to the White Star, contact Corwin. Tell him to have the rest of the fleet jump in." " Delenn..." " I know you want to speak with Susan....." " If I don't do it now...there may not be time later. Don't you understand, we never made enough time." She stepped back from him. Time, enough time....it was the luxary she and John had never been able to share. Marcus had to follow the calling of his heart. She let him go without another word. It was growing dark. Marcus hurried through the streets of the city, following the dim shape of the woman in front of him. She was heading towards one of the low buildings. He heard the sound of a door slamming. He hesitated for a second.....before knocking on the door. There was no reply. Nervously, he pushed the door open. She was sitting on the floor, before a fire. There was no other light. The fire patterns softened her features. He could almost imagine that she was dreaming. " Susan...." his voice sounded strange, almost pleading with her to acknowledge her existance. " Hello, Marcus," she replied, her eyes never leaving the fire. There was so much he wanted to say to her. He took a step into the room. " I'm glad to see you again," he ventured, " Sorry to hear about Michael." " Thankyou." Silence again. She wasn't going to deliberatly start a conversation. " Why didn't you come back ?" he asked suddenly. Susan's head snapped round. He saw the characteristic fire flash in her eyes, " That isn't any of your concern. You were dead, remember ?" That hurt. He recalled only too well why he had died. She stood stiffly, really looking at him for the first time. He met her gaze, " I love you, Susan," he told her, " and the sad thing is, I've had to wait forty years to tell you." He was ready for anger, he was ready for laughter. " No you didn't, you idolised me," she said very quietly. " Can't you see the difference ? I'm a normal human being with normal flaws. Face it Marcus, I would never have lived up to your expectations." " That's not true," he protested. " Think about it. " She walked towards the fire place, running her fingers over the brickwork. " Michael, built this," she said. " Did he ?" Marcus couldn't follow her train of thought. " He did it because he loved me. " " I don't understand." " We saw each other as normal humans, with normal flaws. It was tough at times, but we lived with that.....and were so damn happy. He didn't have to die for me...." Her voice trailed off, her eyes full of angry tears. She gazed steadily at the fire, hearing Michael's voice in the hiss of the flames. " He never left me," she heard herself whisper. Marcus reached out a hesitant hand, it was the first time he had touched her. His fingers caught her hair. A sob escaped Susan's throat. He withdrew his hand. " I'm sorry, " he said, " sorry for being here.....for living." " I'll forgive you that much," There was the vaguest hint of a smile about her face. It was almost as if a unseen person had whispered something amusing in her ear. Marcus drew his cloak around him, suddenly aware of a chill in the night air. Her thoughts had wandered again, back to Michael. " I know what it's like to lose someone close. For forty years...," he tried again. " Will you stop throwing that forty years crap in my face. Look, Marcus, I didn't want to boff you forty years ago and I sure as hell don't want to do it now." " I didn't....." " Just get out of here, Marcus." " Susan...." " I mean it. " He had forgotten how terrible her anger could be. Marcus took several steps away from her and the fire that blazed in her eyes. " I'm sorry," he tried to apologise, " I shouldn't have come." " No you shouldn't." Susan didn't say anymore. Turning her back to him she waited until his footsteps moved away, and the door shut behind him. Moving to the window, she watched as his firm stride took him back into the city. Poor Marcus, she did feel sorry for him, but his protestations of undying love were not what she needed. She stepped outside, into the cool night. It had been a long time since the stars had meant anything but pretty lights in the sky. Now, they hung above her head with menace. The threat to her peaceful existence came from those points of light. Forty years, the number floated through her head like a mantra. Long enough to lull her into a false sense of security. She had thought that she was safe, that no one could ever touch her again....or her children. The stars were calling out to her again, reaching for her soul. Deep within the black a blue light appeared, followed by another. Countless jump points seemed to form above her. It was over, her splendid isolation. Everything she had built here was suddenly for nothing. She had sought escape, but the truth was she couldn't run far enough. Her arms wrapped themselves around her body. In imagination, she felt a warm hand caress hers, the strength of love. It was time. ************************************************************************ *********** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 11/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:34:10 +0100 Soulsong Part 11 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 11 - 2262 Corwin was almost asleep.....almost.....He had been working double shifts for months. Delenn wasn't the only one who would be glad when the new captain finally arrived. He had been on his feet for almost fifteen hours. His relief would be here in another hour...if he was still awake. Occasionally he glanced longinly at Ivanova's chair. It was better if he didn't sit in it. She would only find out. Corwin didn't like the idea of being reprimanded in the afterlife. He stared out of the window...no viewport.....why couldn't he remeber these technical terms ? It was late. No more ships were expected that day. He idly tossed a couple of pens in the air, catching them deftly. Juggling on duty wasn't exactly forbidden, was it ? For some reason his mind turned to Ivanova again. He missed her. If he thought about it he missed Garibaldi too, but the former security chief just wasn't David's type. ..... " Vorlon ship observed, thought to be heading towads human or Centauri space. Transit time ten hours," the voice echoed from the speaker, almost giving Corwin heart failure. Quickly he snapped back into military mode, " Say again ? " " I repeat, Vorlon ship ten hours........" The voice was drowned by static. Corwin frantically tried to get the signal back, with no success. He stood there staring into space for all of ten seconds. He couldn't have heard right. The Vorlons were gone, the Shadows were gone......there was no one left......And the voice. He could have sworn it was Mr. Garibaldi. He quickly dismissed that thought. Whatever the source of the message he knew he should bring it to Sheridan's attention. He paged the president, " Sheridan, go," the man's voice sounded weary. " Sorry to disturb you Mr. President, but...I think you'd better come to C+C." " On my way." Sheridan still appeared to be rubbing sleep from his eyes as he walked into the Observation Dome. " This couldn't wait until morning, " Corwin explained hastily. The president just grunted, but he sat to listen to the message that Corwin had received. His first reaction was the same as Corwin's. " It's a hoax," he exclaimed. " That's what I thought, sir but.......it sounds like.....Mr. Garibaldi." " Is there a White Star availible ?" " Yes, White Star thirteen has just completed repairs." " Tell the crew I'm coming aboard." " Aye, sir." " And get the others to home in on my position ASAP. If this turns out to be genuine we may well have a fight on our hands." Whatever the source of the message, Sheridan had a sneaking suspicion that he should not ignore it. He left a message for Delenn and started towards the shuttle bay. " Mr. President !" Marcus' voice stopped Sheridan in his tracks. " Marcus...are you...?" he began. The Ranger stopped to catch his breath. He had run all the way up from Brown Sector. " I've seen Lise," he explained. " I think she may be in some kind of trouble." " Inform security." " No, I mean serious trouble. " " Marcus, she was under arrest. We caught her sending sensitive information off-station. " " I think it's more than that." Sheridan paused for a moment, torn between wanting to hear more from Marcus and his wish to board the White Star. The White Star won. " Where is she ?" he asked. " In my quarters." " Inform Delenn...." He started to hurry away, something made him pause. " There's a Vorlon ship out there, Marcus, fancy a little target practice ?" Marcus agreed without hesitation. ************************************************************************ ********** Lise moved rapidly through the garden. It wasn't the direct path to her rendez-vous, but it was the safest one. This was what Michael would have done......The thought occured to her as she passed the memorial stone. Despite herself, she paused, taking one long look. The roses were still blooming. Her fingers reached out, caressing the stone, the way they used to run over his body. " Lise, " Lyta Alexander said quietly. She jumped at the low voice, spinning round expecting to be faced by a security squad. The only person there was the telepath. " Why don't you sit down ?" Lyta continued. " I can't. " " Security won't be here. I sent them down to Grey Sector. " " Why ?" " Becuase Michael loved you and I want to know why you betrayed him." " Go to hell." " I'll tell them you were lying. I know the psicorps, what they'll do to you." Fear flashed through Lise's eyes. Yes, she knew too, but it was the only way she could leave the Station. She wouldn't allow herself to be captured. " I can help," Lyta continued. " All you have to do is tell me." Very slowly, Lise sank to the ground.......She looked up a Lyta, into the womans green eyes. A depth of understanding lay within them. This woman knew desparation, had felt the cold fist at her throat. Lise reached out her hand and opened her soul. Lyta gently pushed her way into Lise's mind. At first the strong emotions: fear, hatred, self-loathing Waves upon waves, the telepath dived through them. At the core of it all, a small voice, calling out to its mother. Warily, Lyta approached the child. It was a girl. She was four years old at the most. Her hair was raven black, her face wet with tears. She held out her arms to Lyta. Before Lyta could respond, the child was gone. Unbearable lonlines, broken only by the whispering of a familiar voice. Promising so much. There was only one thing she had to do..... Marry him.....Then she could have her child back. He's dead...Now ? One more thing. Follow him to Babylon 5. Now ? No, not until we have finished our experiment....... " My God !" Lyta shrieked as she tore herself away from Lise. " Is that what you wanted to see ?" " Oh Lise, I am so sorry." " So am I. I knew they wouldn't give me Deborah, but part of me wanted to believe. So I married William Edgars, but he never let me close enough. I couldn't find what they wanted. Then Michael turned up, Bill was killed......And they still wanted more from me." " Why Garibaldi ? " " Bester had altered him genetically....thought he could breed the perfect telepath. I was supposed to carry the child. I didn't want to. I only wanted Deborah back. " " Who has her ?" " The Psicorps. My ex-husband let her go." Lise drew her knees up to her chest. She was rocking slightly as she stared at the memorial stone. " Michael was a very sweet man. He didn't deserve to be used in that way. I'm glad he's free. I just wish I were still in love with him.....I wish......I guess it doesn't matter any more. What are you going to do now ?" The telepath smiled, " Get you out of here. We'll go and see Dr. Franklin. He's been helping people escape from Psicorps for years. The others need never know. As far as they're concerned you'll have just disappeared." " You'd do that for me ?" " Yes, and for anyone else who wanted to escape the Psicorps. Besides....it's what Michael would have wanted." She helped Lise to her feet. ************************************************************************ ********* Delenn awoke with an odd sense of dislocation. John was not beside her. This in itself was not unusual, he often rose early. Even so, she couldn't help thinking that something was terribly wrong. She rose, showered, dressed. The feeling just wouldn't go away. Then she saw it. The message light on the Babcom terminal started to blink. " Computer, play message," the words tumbled out of her mouth. John's face appeared. " Delenn, I'm sorry," he started with an apology, it was not a good sign. " We had a message, a warning. There's a Vorlon ship heading for Earth space. I have to stop it, Delenn. I have to. I've taken White Star thirteen. I don't know when I'll be back. I love you." Delenn felt a flash of anger. When would John trust her enough to stop leaving her messages. If they had to say goodbye, she wanted to do it in person. If he had to die, she wanted to be part of his death. It was true she did have their child to think of, but he could not believe that she would do anything to harm the new life that was growing inside her. That in mind, what was she to do ? She couldn't just let him face the Vorlons alone. Surely he would have waited for back up ? Delenn wasn't entirely convinced that he would have done. Not if there were lives at stake. Sitting around their quarters was not the best way to stop herself worrying about him. She dragged a brush through her hair, and headed for the Observation Dome. Lieutenant Corwin was on duty again. The young man looked tired, but he greeted Delenn pleasantly. " Something I can do for you, Ambassador ?" he asked. " President Sheridan ?" she asked. " Ah....that." " He just took a single White Star ?" " Yes, but the rest of the fleet is on it's way." " How far behind ?" " The closest will be with him in five hours. " Delenn appeared to think for a moment. Her mind weighing up the odds of what she was about to do. " Is there any ship passing close to Babylon 5 ?" she asked. " White Star four could rendezvous with us..." " Very well. " " Ambassador...should you really be...I mean in your condition." " Tell me....Lieutenant Corwin, have you ever been on the bridge of a White Star ?" " Well....no Ma'am." " But you completed your training course ?" " With honours." " Would you like to accompany me ?" The young man's face lit up. ************************************************************************ ******** " I'm not sure if I can help you," Franklin said to the two women. " Can't or won't !" Lyta snapped in reply. " Lyta, security is tearing the Station apart looking for her. " " And that makes a difference ?" " Hell, yes." " Maybe I should go," Lise began. " No.....," Lyta told her. The telepath took a deep breath. She couldn't understand Franklin's attitude. Didn't he trust her judgement ? Lise was running scared, she needed their help. " Stephen...please. You know the Corps as well as I do..... " " I can't help you...I'm sorry." He turned away from them. Pretending to himself that he hadn't seen them. Perhaps they would get the hint and leave. " Will you tell Zack ?" Lyta asked. " About what ?" Stephen replied. A hand rested on his shoulder for a brief moment. When he turned around Med. Lab. was empty. " I thought you said he would help us," Lise accused as the two women slipped into the telepath's quarters. " Round here, alot of the time, it makes sense to help yourself," Lyta admitted, dryly. " I will get you out of here, all the way to Mars if I have to. Stay here, I'll be back." She wasn't sure where she was going, who she would turn to. There would be someone on this Station who had the availible resources. Hell, passenger transports left every three hours. There had to be a way to get Lise onto one of them. Her mind was so occupied with the problem that she almost ran into Zack Allan. He had a pizza box in his arms and was heading towards her quarters. " Not running out on me ?" he grinned. " Er.....no....Zack something's come up," she stammered. The Security Chief's face fell. " Anything I can help with ?" he offered. " Not exactly, it's just....my quarters....maintenance is in there at the moment. It's a total mess." " No problem, we can go to my place." " I have to meet a client. I just got the comission. It's not something I can pass up." " Oh....guess I can't argue with that. Some other time ? " " Sure, Zack." She walked away from him as fast as was polite. Poor Zack. Lyta couldn't help feeling sorry for him. He was trying so hard. One day, when she had more than ten minutes to spare for herself she would give him the surprise of his life. He was the only one here who seemed to give a damn about her. Even Franklin had let her down. Yes, he had done it very nicely but he had betrayed the core of her faith in him. He had proved unable to trust her judgement. Not for the first time in her life, Lyta Alexander realised that she was totally alone. As she had said to Lise. The only person she could rely on was herself. She kept reminding herself of the fact as she took the core shuttle to brown sector. It was a touch annoying that Zack had chosen that moment to turn up. She wondered if his suspicions had been aroused. Probably not. He didn't quite have the sixth sense that Michael had possessed. She had often wondered if the former security chief had some latent psi ability.....or just the benefit of vast experience. Thinking about Michael was unsettling. She still carried his whole life in her head. The memories surfaced at the most inoppertune moments. She caught herself thinking thoughts that were not her own. Odd things, like a recipe for a dish she had never cooked, the memory of taste and flavour. It was his feelings she was using now. He would ultimately guide Lise to safety, back to Mars. ************************************************************************ ******** It was a big galaxy. Sheridan wasn't sure how he knew where the Vorlon ship would be, but somehow..... With confidence he ordered the White Star onto her new course. He was certain that his instinct was true. After all he a carried a Vorlon inside him for many months. He knew how they thought, if any human could truely understand those creatures. Of all the aliens he had met, they were the most....alien. Delenn would just be waking, finding his message. John was feeling a little guilty. Perhaps he should have spoken to her in person. Deep down, he was afraid that she would have insisted on coming too, and he couldn't alow that. Not now they had the baby to think about. He felt that warm glow difuse through his body. Every time he thought about becoming a father he got this stupid grin on his face. He noticed the crew staring at him, and schooled his features into a stern frown. A Vorlon ship. The words still failed to register. How could there still be a Vorlon ship out here ? He remembered the end of the war, the departure of the First Ones. Even now, he couldn't understand what had happend. How had they actually managed to win ? For months the events had run through his mind. They still made little sense. What he was certain of was the threat that this single ship could exert over the numerous planets that made up the Alliance. He had seen what these ships were capable of. Weapons of mass destruction. There was no clue as to the size of the ship. If it was a planet killer..... Who the hell had sent the message in the first place ? Corwin had thought it sounded like Garibaldi. Sheridan admitted that the voices were similar, but there had been so much static that he wouldn't allow himself to hope. Three months.....it was too long to start to believe again. He dismissed the thought. All that mattered now was the Vorlon ship heading for human space. Ten hours would place them in a prime position to start attacking Earth's outermost colonies. He was dammed if the White Star fleet didn't make it in time. A message had been transmitted to the Earth Administration, but they had nothing that could contain the might of even a single Vorlon ship. Marcus was working quietly beside him. The man seemed focussed, no sign of his previous confusion. That in itself was another source of worry. Sheridan had the feeling that, given the chance, Marcus would try to do something stupid again. There was a part of him that still wanted to die. " Ten minutes to jump," Marcus announced. Sheridan shook himself. He hadn't realised they were so close. " You certain they're here ?" Marcus asked quietly. " Yes, " Sheridan replied. He could feel them calling out to the part of him that had once been named Kosh. " Jumping into normal space," The stars rushed towards them as the ship burst free. There was a planet beneath them. Vaguely John recognised it. An Earth colony, home to over a million people. " Scanners do not register the presence of any other ships," Marcus announced. " There's nothing here. " " They'll be here." Sheridan said. The words were barely out of his mouth before an alarm sounded. Marcus' fingers ran frantically over the controls, " Another ship jumping in. " " Identification," Sheridan snapped. " Sensors confirm Vorlon configuration." " Let me see it." There was silence as the hologramatic systems placed the surrounding space in front of them. There, the blue glow of the opening jump point. In the centre the Vorlon ship. One word forced itself past Sheridan's lips, " Planet killer !" ************************************************************************ ********** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 12/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:34:30 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Soulsong Part 12 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 12 - 2262 The shuttle had been waiting for them. Hunter privately suspected that Corwin had something to do with it....he wasn't as unsympathetic as he seemed. No one had challenged them as they left Babylon 5. At most they were half a day behind the Earth fleet. Both Hunter and her commanding officer had enough battle experience to know that they were probably going to be too late. All they would witness was the aftermath. " Time to take a break, Commander," David ordered. Hunter stretched her hands behind her head as she relinquished the controls. " What's our ETA ?" he asked. " Three hours," she replied. " We jump in two." " Get some sleep. " " I intend to." David settled himself as comfortably as he could. He was trying to control his fear. If there was any fighting, he would bet good money that his mother would be in the middle of it. It was difficult to remember that she was still one of the most powerful people in the Alliance. Her combat record was formidable. There was a rumour that a fleet of Earth Ships had fled from her when all she had done was spoken to them.....but that was just a story. Hunter moved aft, to the bunks that lined the rear of the shuttle. Mike was stretched out on one of then. He was obviously too tall to rest comfortably, his legs were hanging over the edge. " You awake ?" Hunter asked. " Do I look awake ?" a muffled voice asked. She chuckled to herself as she took the bunk opposite. Her eyes closed and she tried to force her body to relax. She had about as much success a Mike seemed to be having. This was nuts. Here they were, three of them flying into a warzone in an unarmed shuttle. If she'd done any stupider things in her life she couldn't recall what they were. The two hours crawled past. When David woke her, Hunter couldn't accept the fact that she'd slept at all. The shuttle moved smoothly out of hyperspace. Mike inhaled sharply as his homeworld came into view. A blue-green disc in the living night. Earth had been beautiful but the sight hadn't aroused this type of emotion in him. From this distance it looked calm, peaceful. Even straining his eyes he couldn't tell if there were any ships in orbit. " Anything ?" David asked. " Scanning......I'm picking up several other vessels....no sign of weapons fire," Hunter replied. " So it's all over ?" Mike asked. " Let's not jump to any conclusions," David warned. " Shall I open communications, sir ?" Hunter asked, automatically slipping back into the formal mode of address. " No....not yet." David paused, his eyes on the planet before him. He was trying to think rationally, but his instincts were screaming at him. There was something very wrong about this situation. He refused to believe that the battle was over.....without a shot being fired. " Any identification on those ships ?" he asked. " Two earth destroyers, a fleet of White Stars," she replied. " That doesn't make sense....any debris ?" " No." " One of the White Stars is breaking formation. Heading towards us." " Match vectors for docking." Ten minutes later, the shuttle was safely stored in the White Star's shuttle bay. David was the last to disembark. He hesitated on the steps. It had been a long time since he had seen his mother in the flesh. She was waiting for him, as beautiful and gracious as he remembered. Her eyes sought his. He could see the marks of the pain he had caused. " David," Delenn smiled. Like a small child he ran into his mother's arms. She held him for what felt like a lifetime. Her presence purging the last traces of Bester's foul taint. He had forgotten how small she was, how frail she felt in his embrace. Gently, he released her. " Welcome home, David," she whispered. Her gaze then fell on Mike, she smiled at him, " Thankyou," " You're welcome," he replied. Mike didn't want to interrupted the family reunion, but he was desperate to know what had happened to his home. Hunter caught his nervous glances, " Delenn, we expected to fly straight into a fire fight.....What happened ?" she asked. " I underestimated Mr. Bester. He did not come here to fight a war. He has more subtle means to get what he wants. " " My family ?" Mike urged. " We don't know. The first thing Bester did when his ships jumped in was send in a ground assault team. He had no intention of fighting a battle in the skies. " " Have you had any contact since then ?" David wanted to know. " Yes, Mr. Bester was kind enough to inform us that he had taken hostages. If we make any attempt to land.......he'll kill them." Hunter sent a sharp glance in Mike's direction. The man looked sick. " Those are innocent people down there, " he raged, "we have to do something." " We have tried to negotiate...." Delenn began. " To hell with that." " I see you have inherited your father's vocabulary....." " I'm sorry, but...." " Believe me, I understand, but hopefully we can keep him talking long enough to allow us to send in a small team. " A feral grin spread across Mike's face. In his mind he could see exactly what he was going to do to that man. He owed Bester a debt, a debt of pain. " When do we leave ?" he asked. " Are you sure about this, Mike ?" Hunter asked. " I'm the only one here who knows the territory." " You may leave as soon as we are back in orbit," Delenn told him. Without another word, Mike spun on his heel and headed back to the shuttle. Hunter followed him. Before David could move, a hand reached out, imploring him to stay. " Mother, I have to go," he told her. " No David, I do not think it is a good idea for you to face Bester again. You are your father's son. We need you here." " I don't understand. " " Whether Mike succeeds or fails, there will be fighting in the skies above this beautiful world. You need to take command. " " Why ?" " Because people will follow you.....just as they followed your father. " " I am not my father !" David raised his voice in angry exclamation. This was an old argument. His mother's efforts to turn him into someone he wasn't....into the man who had been a hero to millions. It was what had driven him away so many years ago. " The crews of those earth ships are normal humans. Your presence may turn them to our side," Delenn continued. " You have power within you, David. Just as John did. " " You sound just like Bester." " I have more right.....I'm your mother." He stared at her. Delenn's lips twitched. Suddenly, they were holding each other, laughing like children. " Embrace your heritage, David," she told him, " it is an honourable one." " I'm sorry. I have to go with them.....but I will be back." He embraced his mother, holding her as tightly as he dared. Delenn let him go regretfully. She had the strangest feeling that she wasn't going to see her son again. ************************************************************************ ************* Susan was lying in the sun, its warmth playing on her naked skin. Her head rested on her husband's chest. She could feel the coarse hair brushing her cheek. " So this is what death feels like," she heard herself mutter. " Not yet," the figure beneath her said. She sat up suddenly, glaring at him for spoiling her mood. His fingers reached out to entwine themselves in her hair, " I'm sorry, honey, this is just one of those out of body experiences. You still have things to do." " It's not fair," she complained. He bent towards her, blue eyes glowing with love. The lips that touched hers were warm, soft. The kind of kiss he used to give her after making love. She closed her eyes, wanting to drown in him.... " Susan !" " Mom !" The voices tore her away from her pleasant dream. " What happened ?" she croaked. Her mouth was dusty, it was a struggle to form words. Ria gave her some water, and helped her to sit up. They were in the main square of the city, crowded together with perhaps a hundred other citizens. Men in black surrounded them. It was almost midday, the sun was approaching the zenith. Susan looked up, shading her eyes against the heat and light. It was not the best time to be out in the open. The next thing she saw was Marcus. " Damn you, " she told him, " you should have left while you had the chance." " I couldn't," he managed to reply. " How many escaped ?" " Almost everyone. They fled into the forest, just as you ordered. " Susan's mind couldn't focus. The details were still fuzzy. She put her hand to her head, encountering a makeshift bandage. It had been late in the night when the ships had fallen from the sky. Susan had responded immediately. Instincts she barely knew she still possessed had kicked in. The evacuation of the city had been made in good order. These people were at home in their forest. Once enshrouded in its depths, Bester would never find them. He was here, she remembered seeing him.....she remembered trying to knock his teeth out. There had been some fighting from those who had been left behind, to give the others time to disappear. Susan had been in better shape than she had realised, and Marcus had been fighting at her side. Just like he used to, a calm, steady, loyal presence. " Delenn managed to launch the White Star," Marcus was saying. " I think the rest of the fleet must be up there somewhere, because Bester issued an ultimatum two hours ago." " What does he want ?" Susan asked. " This place, the Vorlon technology. The systems that control this city are still far in advance of anything else in the known worlds. With the Alliance ships in orbit he knows he won't be able to get away with just taking it. Bester is claiming this planet in the name of Earth, apparently the natives were transplanted by the Vorlons.... " " So he's holding us hostage...." " Until the Alliance comes to some kind of terms." " We won't let him and his kind touch this place. We'll destroy it first. " " Susan !" " You don't understand. When we first arrived here these people were ruled over by telepaths. It was just one step up from slavery. " " And you and Michael set them free ?" " They freed themselves. Michael may have acted as the catalyst, but the decision was theirs. You see the ruins between the pyramids ?" " Yes. " " That was where the Chosen Ones ruled. They destroyed themselves. We would do the same. I know what Bester would do to us. I owe him his death." Marcus realised that she was deadly serious. This world meant so much to her that she would give her life to protect it. He smiled to himself, they had more in common than she suspected. " What can I do to help ?" he grinned at her. But Susan's attention had shifted. Her eyes were following a black clad figure that was heading towards them. She drew herself up, not wanting to appear weak before this hated man. He represented so much of the pain that had been dominated her early life. " Commander Ivanova, how pleasant to make your acquaintance again," Bester smiled. Susan was tempted to wipe the grin off his face, but she decided that it wasn't worth the energy. " And how is Mr. Garibaldi ?" he inquired, politely. " Laughing at you. Now what do you want ?" " A pleasant chat. A trip down memory lane.....If you would accompany me ?" " Susan....," Marcus cautioned. " I'd be delighted, Mr. Bester. " She followed the man out of the open area, leaving Marcus looking forlornly after her. " Nice planet you have here, " Bester said as they moved into the coolness of the council chamber. " I like it," she replied. " And the climate should be just what I need." " There's a storm coming." Susan almost whispered those words. It was the truth. She could feel it in the air. For a moment she was struck by the unreality of her situation. Why the hell was she talking to Bester ? Because Marcus didn't want her to ? There was something very childish about that. " What do you want, Mr. Bester ?" " Come Susan, lets not be formal.....Call me Al." " How about I call you a slimy, disgusting worm ?" " Captain Ivanova, I'm dying." " Good." He gave a small laugh, " This was a Vorlon world and the Vorlons possessed immortality...... " Susan looked at him in horror. The very idea of what he was suggesting left her cold. He was insane . Had to be. All those years of manipulating people had finally sent him over the edge. "You're mad !" she told him. " I don't think so. There is so much I need to do. My telepaths still have a destiny. You and your children can be part of that." " Over my dead body." " That could be arranged." He wasn't joking. This bastard was after her children. Her precious children. " Of course I could be persuaded to leave." " Why would you do that ?" " Open this planet up for me. What I've seen so far is fascinating, but it isn't what I need. There must be more. Our scanners reveal massive chambers below the surface, but we can't find a way in." " There's nothing down there." " You really don't expect me to believe that." " Can I go now ?" " No. Not yet." His hand flashed out, grabbing Susan's wrist. She let out a hiss of pain. For an old man he was strong. The pressure on her wrist increased, " Old bones are brittle," he told her. " They break easily...." He twisted his hand, Susan screamed. She clutched her wrist to her chest, willing the pain to go away. " So....so....you resort to torturing a tired old woman," she breathed, " won't work, Bester. I don't care if I live or die.....try a younger victim." " Pain, Susan, the ultimate emotional response. " " Get out of my head !" ************************************************************************ ********** It was raining. Marcus almost thought he heard something through the storm. He pulled his cloak about him, although it offered scant protection against the weather. The hostages were huddled together in a corner of the square. Marcus had lost track of Ria. She had moved back to her people, leaving him standing alone. She didn't trust him. Somehow she regarded him as a threat to her mother's happiness. The last thing he wanted was her open hostility. It wouldn't help their present situation. He looked around the square. Despite the rain Bester's men were still in evidence. He couldn't tell whether they were telepaths or normals. No one could tell anymore. There was a movement. Something was being dragged towards them. The body was dumped at the edge of the square. Marcus heard a low cry. A figure flashed past him, only to be pushed back by the guards. She slugged one of the men on the jaw and darted through the gap. Marcus tried to follow her, but the men weren't to be fooled a second time. All he could do was watch as Ria knelt by her mother's side. The still form was already soaked, he could see the water running from her body, pooling red. From this distance he couldn't tell if she was breathing. His mind flashed back forty years. To those terrible moments when he had pulled her body free of rubble and carried her bodily from the ruined deck of the White Star. He wanted to love her, to have the right to go to her. Jealousy surged within him as he watched Michael Garibaldi's daughter attend her mother. Why Garibaldi ? He still couldn't answer that question. Susan loving him didn't seem to make any sense. This wasn't the time, or the place, he told himself. He wasn't angry with a dead man, he was annoyed with himself for not being able to help these people in any way. It was time he started paying attention. Several of the guards had left the area. Whatever Bester had wanted it was possible that Susan had given it to him....very unwillingly. " Keep your heads down !" the shout came from the surrounding jungle. Marcus caught those closest to him and dragged them to the ground. Something exploded. His ears rang, for a moment he could hear nothing. He took a chance and raised his head. The square suddenly seemed to be full of people. He recognised the Ranger uniforms as he leapt to his feet to join the fray. The fight was a brief one. The distraction had been enough to push the native people into action. Marcus spotted a couple of Ranger uniforms....Delenn had obviously sent in the cavalry. He fought his way past three men before he was able to reach Susan's side. " How is she ?" he asked Ria, breathlessly. " Not good," she replied. " I'm not sure how much I can do for her." " We need to get her back to one of the White Stars." The chaos around them was dying. " Mom ! " Mike joined them, crouching beside his mother. Susan seemed to respond to her son's voice. Her eyes opened and she attempted to focus on his face. " Mickey ?" she asked. All he could do was nod. " Who did this ?" he asked. " Bester," she whispered. " The bastard....." " Listen to me Mickey, you have to stop him. He's going inside...he can't be allowed to take what's there." " What is it, Mom ?" But her voice had faded. " Mom !....Mom !!" His voice had a hysterical edge. Ria place a hand on her brother's knee, trying to calm him down, but he evaded her gesture, climbed to his feet and started to stride away. " Where are you going ?" She yelled after him. " Damn !" She wanted to follow him, to hurt the man who had come so close to taking her mother's life but.....her duty was to heal not to harm. If she didn't act quickly her mother would die. Mike would have to take care of himself. " Someone get after him," she ordered. " We have to stop Bester," David Sheridan replied. Ria hadn't noticed him appear. A petite blond woman stood by his side. " Mike will find him," she told them. " and he's the only one who knows the way." " Commander Hunter, can you get the shuttle back up to the White Star ?" David asked. " Yes sir.......but what about Mike ?" she said. " I'm going after him." For a moment Hunter appeared to be about to argue with him, but she snapped smartly to attention. ************************************************************************ ************* The jungle beckoned. Mike found himself in its depths. As a child he had always run to the trees, but this journey had a more serious purpose. His direction was not random, or silent. He didn't care if Bester knew he was coming. Anger ate into his soul. He had never felt this before, the need to hurt someone to ease the pain within his own heart. " Mike !" He heard David's voice but ignored it. The other man was running, gaining on him. Mike didn't slow. " Mike !" David's hand clutched at Mike's shoulder, pulling the other man to a halt. " Let go of me," Mike shouted. " Listen to me, you can't go off like this. " " You people are so keen on tellin' me what I can and can't do. Well this is my planet, my home, my mother an' I'm gonna take that son of a bitch apart." He broke away, plunging back into the undergrowth. David had no choice but to follow his friend. Barely a glance passed between the two men as they walked shoulder to shoulder. The rain was still falling. As long as the bad weather conditions continued Hunter had a chance of slipping the shuttle past the Earth ships and back to the White Star. It was the only chance Susan Ivanova had. Hunter was a good pilot, the best officer he had ever served with and his friend. He knew she would have rather been here. " How far ?" David asked, hoping to persuade the other man to start talking. " Not far," Mike grunted. Through the falling water, David was beginning to make out shapes. Hills that were too regular to be natural formations. This had to be the abandoned part of the city. At first he thought that this was their destination, but Mike led them through the green clad buildings. David could hear water flowing. They were approaching a major branch of the city's complex irrigation system. The banks of the fast flowing stream cut deeply through the undergrowth. Mike turned upstream. The hill they climbed was one of several that surrounded the city. Cascading downwards the stream flowed away from them to join the main river. In places the greenery gave way to outcrops of rock, the occasional dark emptiness that signalled the presence of a cave. It was towards one of these openings in the hillside that Mike led them. The entrance was narrow and neither men were what might have been described as skinny. David left a layer of skin on the sharp rock. Dim light shone through the entrance, but the increasing blackness didn't seem to make any difference to Mike. He knew exactly where he was going. David stumbled along behind, questioning the other man's sanity. The sound of water running echoed through the walls; the stream they had been following had its source somewhere within the cave. Mike stopped suddenly at the water's edge. Turning to his left he placed his hands on a wall of solid rock. " Did we take the wrong turning ?" David asked. " No. We go under. Keep you face towards the current and follow the light," Mike ordered. There was a dim splash as Mike eased himself into the water. Shrugging out of his jacket, David followed. He opened his eyes as he ducked under the water. Mike had been right, the light was strong. He reached above his head, using the rock to propel himself through the channel. They surfaced in a brightly lit room, bare of any adornment. " What is this place ?" David breathed. " Power source for the city...and our route into the under city. I doubt Bester will come this way." " How did you find it ?" " Dad showed me the entrance." " What is Bester looking for ?" " The last Vorlon....and what he's protecting." " I don't understand." The weariness was suddenly apparent in Mike's voice and posture. " You will," he whispered as he led the way deeper into the complex. ************************************************************************ *********** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 13/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:34:50 +0100 Soulsong Part 13 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 13 - 2262 " Any sign of back-up forces ?" Sheridan asked hopefully. " Not yet. Looks like it's just us," Marcus replied. Sheridan cleared his throat. " Open communications channels." " Do you think talking to them is going to work ?" " Who knows ? I talked my way out of the Shadow war." " I never did quite understand that." " Tell you the truth neither did I.......Vorlon ship this is President John Sheridan of the Interstellar Alliance. You are in violation of Alliance territory. I demand that you stand down. If not we will open fire." To Sheridan's total unsurprise the Vorlon ship did not acknowledge the signal. " The Shadows are no more," he said. " The First Ones have gone beyond the rim. It is time for you to join them." Static was the only reply. Didn't they realise that their kind were no more ? Sheridan suspected they did. He could feel them....mad with grief. They could not understand where their fellows had gone, or why they had chosen to leave. All they knew was that they were alone. He smiled grimly. This was mostly supposition on his part. Maybe he was romanticising. " Move us to within firing range," he ordered. Marcus guided the White Start closer to the vast ship. He found himself staring at it, watching the skin patterns shift and change. " Fire all weapons, " Sheridan ordered. There was barely y a tremor as the White Star discharged her deadly load. " We didn't even get their attention," Marcus shouted. " I will not be ignored ! " John rose from his chair, stalking towards the front of the flight deck. He stood there for a few seconds, brooding on the inexorable approach of the Vorlon ship. " I have been to Z'Ha'dum," he whispered, " I have been touched by Shadows. They have to sense that. They have to follow me." The ship was turning. Very slowly, as befitted its size and bulk. John clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palms. It was coming for him. It had sensed the traces of the darkness that Anna had left within is soul and was willing to destroy him. The rest of the bridge crew were tense, awaiting his order to withdraw.....to turn and fight. His eyes were held by the approach of the ship. Larger and large it loomed until it completely blocked the field of view. John could see the patterns in its skin, ever changing, he could hear the song in his mind. He almost understood the words....it made him wish that Kosh was still here. " John.....," Marcus cautioned. " Set course 3-7-1," John snapped the order. " But that will take us...." " I know." The White Star curved away from the Vorlon ship. John didn't need to look at the instruments to know that the Vorlons were following. He would destroy this ship if he had to. Fly it straight into the sun. It was getting imperceptibly warmer. John shrugged off his jacket, watching the flaming globe draw ever closer. By the time they realised what was happening it would be too late. The momentum of the great ship would prevent escape. A muffled explosion shook the ship, then another. Somewhere within him John felt pain. He suddenly realised that he was no longer standing. The Vorlon ship had fired, trying to prevent the White Star's headlong dive. John turned his head. The bridge was a mess. Several crew members lay prone on the deck. " They're breaking off, and heading back towards the planet. " Marcus yelled suddenly, having regained his station. " What ! " Sheridan snapped, he tried to scramble to his feet but his legs wouldn't hold his weight. He settled for crawling back into the command chair. " Jump points forming." " White Stars ?" " And Earth Destroyers, including the Agamemnon." The cavalry had arrived, but John wasn't sure what use they would be. It was almost as if the Vorlons had sensed attack from another quarter. " Tell them to open fire," John ordered. Many ships might achieve what one ship could not. " Pursue, give it everything we've got." Several precious second passed. Still the sun grew larger. Sheridan flashed a worried glance at Marcus. The Ranger was preoccupied with the controls. The heat was building. Sweat was running down John's face and back, matting his hair to his scalp. " Marcus," he urged. " Can't pull away," he gasped. " That last blast must have damaged something." " How long ?" " Five minutes at most." " Switch view to the planetkiller." John didn't want to look at the instrument of his death. He watched the Vorlon ship, and the smaller vessels that swarmed around it. Fire erupted all around it, but still it flew remorselessly on. A beam flared in the night, scarring the planet's surface. John winced, sick to his stomach. He prayed uselessly to himself, not wanting to imagine the number of lives that had just been lost. The attack continued. Somewhere, John could hear Marcus counting down the minutes of his life, but all he could feel was a profound sense of failure. ************************************************************************ ********** The White Star fleet burst out of hyperspace, weapons blazing. There was no intership discussion, they all knew exactly what they had to do. Delenn ached to know where John was, but there was no time to ask that question. Just move in, fire, dance away again. She saw the Vorlon ship fire on the planet, heard the sound of a thousand voices die. A sob threatened to escape her throat. This was no time for emotion, she told herself. " Agamemnon to White Star Fleet," a voice blared out. " We're receiving you," Delenn replied. She recognised the man; Captain James, John's former executive officer. " If you people know any weak spots in these things we'd appreciate the information," he continued. " There are none, just blow it out of the sky." Delenn felt sidelong glances from her crew. Maybe that hadn't been the right expression for a Minbari ambassador to use. " That could be easier said than done......," James muttered. " Excuse me, Ambassador," Corwin cleared his throat nervously. " Yes," " I noticed, when they fired at the planet.......the energy readouts dropped significantly. That may show a weakness in their defence.....but....we'll have to wait until they fire again." " Thankyou, Lieutenant.....Agamemnon, did you copy ?" " Affirmative," the other ship replied, " You're not suggesting that we just sit back and wait ?" " We have to." " Ambassador....!" " White Star Fleet is falling back, I suggest you do the same. " Supressing her need for comparison, closing her eyes, Delenn muttered a brief prayer. Somewhere across the centuries Valen would hear her, give her the strength to sit back and let these people die. She prayed for their souls, and her own, for making this decision. " Vorlon ship powering up," Corwin shouted. The young man's face was flushed with excitement. Delenn's eyes remained fixed to the viewscreen as the deadly beam lanced out again. This time she heard herself cry out, " All ships, open fire !" she ordered. She could feel the vibrations as the White Star's weapons fired in continuous barrage. " Corwin ?" she asked. " Not enough, " he answered. " Damage is minimal." They had precious few seconds. If weapons were not enough.... " Set course straight for them....." All credit to her crew, no one questioned her order. "...wait....Agamemnon is breaking formation," Corwin shouted. The Earth ship was picking up speed. Weapons blazing it screamed towards the Vorlon ship. Delenn found herself on her feet, hand raised towards the screen..... She did not avert her eyes as the two ships exploded in terrible harmony. Tears were running freely down her face as the souls fled. " Ambassador, I've located the President's ship," Corwin exclaimed. " Yes ?" " They're falling into the sun." " Set course, prepare grapples." She wasn't going to let him die.....not again. Their own danger was just a profound, but no one tried to argue with her. Two more ships joined her own, ready to snatch their fellows back from the inferno. Even at this distance she could see that the ship was in poor shape. It was listing to starboard, engines firing in a futile attempt to maintain position. Vaguely she could sense Corwin behind her. His concentration entirely focused on the stricken ship. Ever closer, his fingers tensed over the controls. He was muttering to himself, at first she thought it was a prayer, but she recognised the mantra to Ivanova. Delenn felt herself smile tightly. This was one manoeuvre he had to do by eye. There were no instruments to rely on. One false move and the President of the Alliance was toast. He could do it. Corwin had to have faith in his own abilities, his own reactions. His world had narrowed to the screen, showing one small ship, and the mechanism under his poised fingers. He couldn't afford to move, despite the flashes of pain that were travelling up his wrists. " Almost there....." he whispered, "....almost.......Activating grapple !" The White Star shuddered. " Reverse course," Delenn ordered. " Grapple slipping.....," Corwin shouted. " Reduce speed." " Good.....she's holding. " " White Star twelve and six attach grapples." Slowly, painfully, the three ships pulled their damage sister to safety. ************************************************************************ ********** The recycled air caught in Lyta's throat. Somehow the atmosphere that man had generated on Mars felt as dry as the desert outside the dome. Even here, in William Edgars' magnificently appointed home. She had wandered through the rooms with a vague feeling of awe. Despite the size and the comfort, she felt vaguely unsettled. The place seemed to be full of the remnants of strange feelings, odd vibrations that assaulted her sixth sense. The room she had been shown to had been reassuringly small. There was little to show who its previous occupant had been, but a thin layer of dust stained everything. " Is there anything else I can get you ?" Lise asked. " No," Lyta replied. " You're free to stay as long as you like. To be honest, I could do with the company. This place.....well the memories aren't very pleasant." " I understand." " Goodnight," Lise said, not waiting for Lyta to respond in kind. It would be several days before the next flight left for Babylon 5. Despite everything she was keen to return. She had never felt at home on Mars. The domes were claustrophobic. It was almost as if Man was trying to turn the planet into something it wasn't.....and Mars was striking back. The trip had been easier than she expected; once the correct identicards and visas had been obtained. Leaving Babylon 5 had been the rate determining factor, but slipping past security had been easier than she expected. All she really had to do was wait until Zack had been off shift. No one else would have thought to question her. Why couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal ? The telepath threw herself onto the bed, flinging an arm across her face. She tried to relax, but her uneasiness was growing. In her mind she could see Zack's plain honest face, he was mourning for her. Her skin was suddenly cold with sweat. She sat up in the darkness, realising that, despite everything, she had fallen asleep. Something was very badly wrong. Throwing back the covers, she struggled out of bed. She had to get out of here, had to leave......had to leave now....... The house was in complete darkness. Lyta fled through the rooms, hurting herself in her need to escape. She had no idea what time it was, where she was going. All she was aware of was an uncontrollable need to leave the house. She couldn't tell where the feelings were coming from. There was no one else here apart form Lise....... Lyta Alexander came to a sudden halt. There were others here. Reaching out her mind she could feel them. Not the random thoughts of mundanes, but the highly ordered minds of other telepaths. " That's right," she knew the voice all too well. She was trapped, there was no way out. Lyta was almost calm as she waited for others to enter the room. Lise was there, holding a small child in her arms. She only remained in the room briefly. Just enough to whisper words of sorrow and regret. " Welcome back, " the black voice hissed. " Don't you remember our agreement Mr. Bester. I have to die of natural causes before you lay one finger on me." " You will, my dear, you will." She had been snared from the very day she had been given into the Corps care. Her years as a rogue hadn't meant anything, she had just been held on a longer leash. Somewhere Lyta heard the child cry. The sound filled her with a strange longing. At least someone had got what they wanted. " Come home, Lyta," Bester crooned. " You make it sound like I have a choice." " Not really, but we never do. The Corps is mother, the corps is father. We love all our children. " ************************************************************************ ********** " What hit me ?" John Sheridan croaked. " A Vorlon planetkiller, " his wife replied lightly. Now that he was conscious again she felt justified in teasing him, just a little. " Are you OK ?" he asked. " I'm fine....both of us." " Last thing I remember...the ship...the sun...." " You have Lieutenant Corwin to thank. That young man is a very fine officer." " I know." John lay back against the pillows. He allowed his eyes to close, enjoying the feeling of Delenn's cool hand holding his own. He was home, he was safe, that was all that mattered. " The Vorlon ship......?" he asked suddenly. " Destroyed." " Any casualties ?" Delenn allowed hesitation to creep into her voice. " The Agamemnon, " she admitted. In stilted tones she told her husband of his comrades sacrifice. He said nothing, but she could see from the set of his jaw that the news had affected him deeply. She caressed his forehead, brushing the greying hair from his temples. For some reason he seemed to be older now than when he had left. The harsh lights of Med. Lab. were not kind to his face. It was almost as of his body was wearing out faster than it should...... " Dr. Franklin !" Delenn called suddenly. The Doctor appeared with appropriate haste. " What is it ? " he asked. " John....." Stephen hesitated. He hadn't wanted to say anything.....not until he was certain. There were still tests to run, conclusions to draw. Scientific proof. Delenn seemed to have seen beyond that. Viewed John Sheridan through the unblemished lens of her emotions. He took a deep breath..... " His injuries may have accelerated his ageing process." It sounded so cold and clinical, but Stephen couldn't find any other words. " How long ?" John asked. " I don't know....Five years....maybe six. Your recent brush with the Vorlons is only part of the problem. The time you spent incarcerated on Mars really drained your system. I'm sorry." John tried to smile, " You haven't signed my death warrant yet Stephen. " " No......Garibaldi did that." Stephen couldn't help his bitter words. He knew that it hadn't been the other man's fault, that the Psicorps had messed with his brain, even so....There had to have been some part of Michael that hadn't wanted to betray his friend. If Michael's will had been a little stronger.....Useless speculation. Franklin left the couple alone, so he could deal with his own anger, his own grief. Delenn sat very quietly, her hands folded in her lap. John could see the emotions playing behind her eyes. " I'm sorry, Delenn," he whispered. " I couldn't even give you the years I promised." " You gave me our son, that is enough," she replied stoically. His dear, brave wife. He had never loved her more than in that moment. Struggling out of bed, he knelt beside her, resting his head on her stomach. " I won't see him grow and learn.....I won't be able to teach him to play baseball....." Delenn held his face in both hands, forcing him to look into her eyes, " That is not true. You will see him again in the place where no shadows fall......where you will teach him many wonderful things." " I know, Delenn.....I just wish someone had the foresight to build it with windows. " ************************************************************************ ********** The message had eaten in Sheridan's mind. He replayed it again and again. What if it was Garibaldi ? What if one of his friends was alive ? The warning had been all too real. He was back at work now. Trying to sort out the mess the Vorlon ship had left in its wake. EarthGov had not been happy. One of their ships had been destroyed, one of their colonies was in flames. So many people dead.....The only consolation being that the Vorlons had been destroyed before it could claim countless more lives. John had felt sorrow at their passing. A missed opportunity, they could have learnt so much. The last Vorlons. Something very beautiful had been taken from the galaxy. It was almost as if there was no mystery left. He wrenched his mind back to the problem of Earth. There had been rumblings of a secession from the Alliance. Something he wanted to prevent at all costs. He couldn't let it all fall apart. " Mr. President ?" Corwin's voice sounded worried. " Yes," he replied, glad of the diversion. " There's a message for you." " From where ?" " Unknown, we couldn't trace it. It's been password protected for your attention." Sheridan sat back in his chair, frowning. Who the hell would be sending him that type of message ? There was only one way to find out. " Patch it through. Computer play message....password griffin." " Hello, John," The voice nearly made him fall off his chair. " I guess you're surprised. I'm sorry we've been out of touch. We had a little local trouble. Don't try to trace this message. You won't be able to. More importantly....we don't want you to. John, I'm sorry. We won't be returning to Babylon 5. So much has happened to me, to Michael. This is a chance for us to find happiness and we're going to take it. I think I love him. I think he loves me. It's time for me to follow my heart, John. I hope you can be happy, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us for running away. Let us die. It is all we have left to ask of you. " There are so many things I want to thank you for, but this link is a little shaky, so I'll just wish you love and happiness. Goodbye John. Be well." Be well.....she couldn't know....had no reason to know. He looked down at his failing body. Five years. He buried that thought. The voice faded from his mind. He struggled to recall her face. Didn't want to come back ? Had the world hurt her so badly ? He was afraid that the answer was yes. And Michael.....Thoughts of the other man left him cold. They had never discussed the betrayal. John had never offered him forgiveness......Had never said, 'It wasn't your fault'. Was that why Michael wasn't coming back ? Could he no longer stand to work beside the man he had betrayed ? His first instinct was launch a White Star, force them to return.....but.....he couldn't do that. And Marcus ? What should he tell him.....what should he tell anyone ? Nothing at all. It was tempting. Let us die, she had said. Very well. He would accede to her wishes. It was the least he could do for his friends. Let them have this chance. He envied them. His last years would be taken up with the presidency. The time he could spend with his wife and son would be minimal. Suddenly, the five short years seemed like centuries. Live without fear, love without reservation. Those words had never been so important. He sat back in his chair, contemplating the ceiling, his thoughts light years away. " Mr. President....?" Sheridan wrenched his attention to his visitor. " What can I do for you Marcus ?" he asked. " I just wanted to say goodbye. " " I don't understand." " There's nothing for me here anymore. The memories are too painful. I need to go back to Minbar, go back into training. Being a Ranger is more than I have been. I need to rediscover myself, do it for the right reasons this time." Sheridan looked at the younger man. Was it kinder to tell him ? Somehow he didn't think so. Susan had chosen another man, another life, it would be easier to let Marcus think she was dead instead of cluttering his mind with might have beens. He wasn't particularly happy with that decision. Part of him wanted to go to Delenn for advice but..... " Let us die," Susan's words haunted him. To accede to her wishes no one else should know, but Sheridan did not know if he was qualified to make that decision. " Good Luck, Marcus," Sheridan managed to say. " When you're ready...." " I'll be back. I don't think you've quite got rid of me yet," Marcus grinned. ************************************************************************ ********** Susan Ivanova walked slowly back through the city that was to become her home. The light was failing. Michael would be wondering where she was. After sending the message she hadn't been able to face going straight back. Somehow it all seemed so final. It wasn't that she regretted her decision but..... She ran her hand over her stomach, feeling the mental contact from the child that dwelt there. Michael would probably have dinner ready for her. She wasn't sure she could face it. The pregnancy was not sitting well. Her back hurt, her feet hurt, she kept being violently sick. There was no way she would last the entire nine months. Taking a deep breath she headed home. Michael was lounging on the couch flipping through a book. In their time here he had developed a voracious appetite for reading. He looked up as she came through the door, " Did you send the message ?" he asked. " Yes," she replied shortly. She wandered into the bedroom. " I look fat," she announced. " You look gorgeous, " he replied. Michael was standing behind her. His hands slipped round her waist, and he planted a kiss on the nape of her neck. Susan laughed as she pulled away from him. " Want something to eat ?" he asked. " No. I think I need to sleep." " Okay." He kissed Susan again, before leaving her to rest. Michael wandered outside, enjoying the evening air. His walked slowly towards the main square. A fire was burning, several were gathered around it. They greeted Michael as he came to stand beside them. He stood watching the flames, thinking about Susan and the life they had chosen. Sometimes he felt that she was shutting him out again, others.....he'd never been happier. His mind dwelt briefly on Lise. It was getting harder to recall her face. There weren't too many regrets. His life was suddenly starting to make sense again. There were few regrets.....he had wanted to push Bester through a bulkhead, but he was sure someone would catch up with the little creep eventually. He just wished he could get hold of pictures. Unfinished conversations with John. In some ways Michael would never get the chance to redeem himself in his friends eyes. The again, maybe he didn't need anyone's forgiveness but his own. He smiled to himself. That day was closer now than it ever had been. His thoughts returned to Susan. He was determined never to fail her needs and desires. Sometimes she worried him. She still had a tendency to cut herself off from him. It was almost as if she was giving him some kind of test, one he knew he would pass with flying colours. Leaving her was not an option. He loved her too much to live without her. That thought scared him. Loving Susan was something he had never even considered until they had crashed on this planet. Or was it ? Something had driven him to follow her that night......Oh yeah.....it had been Corwin. Even so..... Well, thank God for the Lieutenant. He grinned to himself, looking up at the night sky. She was waiting for him. He looked forward to sleeping against her warmth. It was time to go. He said goodnight and walked home. Susan was fast asleep. He eased into bed beside her, pulling her close. His last thought as he slept was of fire. She had commented on it once. He'd build a fireplace for her. ************************************************************************ ********** From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 14/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:35:13 +0100 Soulsong Part 14 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 15 - 2305 Hunter eased the shuttle into the upper atmosphere, glad to be above the turbulent storm. She had tried to make the flight as smooth as possible, wary of her passenger's condition. Despite her best efforts the weather conditions had caused her considerable problems. She had heard the whispered conversations. Susan's condition was not improving. The clouds were below her, the blue of the sky gradually fading to black. Her eyes automatically searched for the point of light that was the White Star. Rendez-vous was supposed to take place as soon as she entered low orbit. There she was, arcing across the sky. A beautiful sight. In the corner of her eye, Hunter caught another movement. Two other ships converging on her position. She ran a quick scan...Earth Ships. " Strap in back there," Hunter called over her shoulder," this is going to have to be fast." " It will have to be, mother's pulse is fading," Ria shouted back. " Right, hold onto your hats. Hunter to White Star, we're coming in." She opened up the afterburners, blasting out of the orbit she had established. The Earth ships were approaching faster than she would have liked. As she left the last reaches of the atmosphere they opened fire. Hunter evaded the blasts as best she could, but the shuttle was shaken badly. The White Star couldn't return fire for fear of hitting the fleeing vessel. Another blast, almost too close for comfort this time. Hunter overrode the safety lockouts, nursing precious acceleration out of the protesting engines. The White Star started to move again, positioning herself for interception. Hunter muttered a few choice curses under her breath and actually closed her eyes for a few seconds as she made final approach. The firestorm was intense, she was flying on instinct now, skimming over the hull of the White Star. She hoped her passengers had strong stomachs. There it was, the entrance to the shuttle bay. Hunter flipped the shuttle round, firing the engines to kill their momentum. Almost delicately the lateral rockets fired, easing them into the bay. The shuttle came to a halt. Hunter slumped slightly over the controls. " Let's get her out of here, " Ria snapped. Marcus hit the airlock release, letting the medics into the shuttle. The efficiently shifted Susan onto a stretcher and carried her away. Marcus found himself jogging along the corridors behind them feeling strangely redundant. Ria was giving detailed observations on her mother's condition, unfazed by her sudden change of surroundings. He couldn't believe that this had happened. The universe wouldn't be cruel enough to let him lose her twice. Three times, his cynical side told him. He had lost her to Michael Garibaldi. That thought was gallantly quashed as he followed her into the medical bay. He stood against the wall as the medics rushed to stabilise her condition. Ria came to join him. " There's not much else I can do," she explained. For a second she buried her face in her hands, allowing herself a small moment of weakness. Marcus placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. He wanted to find comforting words, but couldn't think of anything to say. His mind cast back to a moment forty years ago, when he had stood on a similar ship, looking down on Susan's still, beautiful face. " Michael ! " Susan called out in her delerium. It was almost more than Ria could bear. Even now she was often haunted by thoughts of her father's death. As a healer she couldn't help wondering if there was something else she should have done. She hoped her own children would never have to watch their weaken before their eyes. At least her family were safe. They had been amoung those who had managed to escape the city before the earth people had taken the hostages. She had forced her husband to put their safety before her own. No doubt they would argue about it when this was all over. She hoped someone had the forsight to inform him that she was still alive and well. Marcus had been a real comfort. His constant presence was reassuring somehow. While he was still there Ria had the uncanny feeling that her mother wouldn't die. ************************************************************************ ********** The corridors they walked down were crammed with equipment. David could only guess at most of its function. He wanted to ask Mike some questions but the other man's demeanour was not one that promoted discussion of any kind. Bester was close, David's mind was attuned to his presence. His mother had been right. He was starting to realise that meeting the Psicop again was going to be one of the most dangerous things he had ever done. Glancing at Mike he realised that he couldn't rely on the other man's protection. All Mike's energy was directed towards the man who had hurt his mother. " Here," Mike said, "It's in here." " What is ?" David asked. " I don't know, it would never let me in." The chamber was vast, empty. Their footsteps echoed as they stepped into its cathedral depths. It wasn't empty. Light brightly illuminated the central section of the room. David walked towards the light. " Who are you ?" a voice whispered. David jumped. It wasn't a human who had spoken. The voice was old, the voice of a race who no longer inhabited the same galaxy that man did. He turned to face the speaker. The Vorlon glided closer, it was enshrouded by an encounter suit. David had heard the stories, knew what this race was capable of, but this was just one being. How much danger could he represent ? His father, despite the outcome of the war, had learnt a great deal from a Vorlon called Kosh Naranek. " Who are you ?" the question was repeated. " David Sheridan, " he replied. " What do you want ?" David didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't have to. A black voice replied for him. " Everything," Bester laughed, " your technology, your immortality." " You are not ready," the Vorlon replied. The psicop laughed again as he walked into the room. Half a dozen men stood with him. David looked about himself, Mike had disappeared. " Get out of here, Bester. Whatever's here, it's not for you," David spoke with as much confidence as he could muster. He moved to stand between Bester and the Vorlon. " You can't hurt me, David, " Bester sneered. " I'm going to try....." David didn't manage to complete the sentance. Pain shot through his mind, driving him to his knees. Within his mind he could hear a voice whisper. He tried to shut it out but is was enthralling, promising. There was so much he could have. He would be a great man, more powerful than his father. Everyone would follow him. David dropped to his knees. " No !" Mike screamed, running to his friend's side. " He's mine," Bester laughed, " he always has been." " Damn you, Bester." Mike concentrated his mind towards Bester, trying to force his way inside the Psicop's head. The other man's thoughts were still tunred towards David. " End it," he whispered. David's hand came up, his PPG grasped between unwilling fingers. Mike tried to dive out of the way, but the plasma caught him a glancing blow to the shoulder. He screamed as his flesh burned. " That's got rid of one annoyance," Bester grinned. He turned back towards the Vorlon. " Give me what I need," he ordered. " Why ?" the Vorlon replied. " Kill it ! " The guards raised their weapons, fireing at the encouter suit, the intense heat causing it to melt. There was silence. Bester surveyed the room. David was on his knees, the PPG still clasped in his hands. Mike lay very still, his hand pressed to his shoulder. With slow, measured steps the telepaths walked into the light. " My God," he breathed. Mike raised his head, this was the closest he'd ever managed to get to whatever secrets this room held. All he could see was a row of capsules. Two of them were illuminated green. Straining his eyes he could almost see......they were occupied. " Sir, I'm picking up lifesigns from these two," one of the telepaths said. " One human.....one minbari.....no...yes...its minbari." " They're still alive." " No...I'm not certain." " Scan them." " I feel cold. They don't know they're alive.....their bodies....being repaired." A laugh escaped Bester's throat. In that moment Mike knew he had to stop Bester, whatever it took. He reached deep into his own mind, deep within his very being. For some reason he couldn't get the picture of his father out of his head. He used that image. " Bester," Michael Garibaldi said quietly. The Psicop snapped round, his eyes widening with shock. " I always said I'd be back for you," Garibaldi continued. " You're dead !" Bester hissed. " No one dies entirely, Bester. You should know that. After all.....you nearly killed me. I think you should see that. I think you should feel what I did." Bester shouted in terror. His companions looked about themselves in confusion. " Can you feel it, Bester ? Pain......Betrayal.....everything you did to me. Feel it.....feel me....feel me hate you. More pain. More than even you can stand. You can't run from it. It lives with you.....the same way it lived with me. I always said I'd kill you Bester an' I'm gonna do it.....Right now." A PPG fired. The Psicop screamed once more, his body twisted, fell. He was dead before he hit the floor. Mike slumped down, exhausted with the effort of maintaining the mental projection. David shook his head, suddenly snapping out of his reverie. The gun in his hand was still warm, he had a only a vague memory of firing the shot, of the release Mike had given him. The telepaths were retreating in disarray. Shaken by what their leader had experienced. The psychic backlash had affected them all. " Better get after.....," Mike whispered. " No, the people on the surface can cope with them. Are you OK ?" David asked. " I don't know." " Rest a second." Mike nodded dumbly as David moved away from him. The light was beckoning, he had to see what was up there. " No !" the voice whispered. The sound of beating wings echoed through the chamber. " You are not ready," it continued, " Return in a thousand years !" ************************************************************************ ********** " What did he mean ?" Delenn asked her son. " Who knows ? The Vorlons always were a little obscure," David replied. " He was protecting something. " They were standing outside the Med. Bay on the White Star, talking in low voices. The last Vorlon. It was unnerving that the race still concerned themselves with the affairs of the younger species. David couldn't shake the suspicion. If the Vorlons were still here, what had happened to the Shadows ? Both races waiting for the opportunity to play out their cosmic games once more. That was pure supposition on his part. He shouldn't be looking for another war to fight. His own future was uncertain. He couldn't go back to Earth. Delenn thought he should take up a post within the Alliance but David knew that there were certain members of the organisation who would never learn to trust him. Why should they ? Even David wasn't sure what seeds Bester might have planted in his mind. The corridors of the White Star felt alien to him. He missed his own ship, his crew. What had his father said ? Live without fear, love without reservation. Great words....that he needed to live up to. His mother was right. It was time to stop running away from everything his father had died to build. Susan Ivanova had almost become Bester's last victim. The Psicop's death was already having repercussions. His grip on Earth's government had run deeper than anyone had ever suspected. War drums were sounding again. Delenn had been right. The Alliance needed John Sheridan's son. " David, I have something to show you," Delenn said suddenly. " What ? " " Come with me." David's curiosity got the better of him and he hurried to follow . The Vorlons weren't the only ones who could be obscure. His mother was smiling to herself. It was a strangely triumphant expression. He supposed that she had every right. She led him to the Observation Deck. They stood for several moments, staring at the stars. David took his mother's hand. Deep in the blackness a jump point formed, a vessel appearing at the centre. David's mouth fell open. The ship was beautiful. " She's yours," Delenn breathed. " But...," he stammered. " You are an explorer David.....like your father. You need a ship. It is part of who you are." " What's her name ?" " That is your decision." He thought for a moment, " The Agamemnon," he decided. Delenn smiled. ************************************************************************ ********* Mike Garibaldi brushed a strand of hair from his mother's forehead. He glanced nervously towards Hunter, who had slipped into the room. She wasn't certain that she had the right to be there, but Mike seemed to be reassured by her presence. Over the last couple of days it had been difficult to gauge his mood. His introspection was worrying her. Susan's eyes flickered open. " I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he smiled. " I wasn't asleep. Damn Minbari beds." She coughed weakly. It was difficult to accept that her condition was actually improving. " Commander Hunter told me that you killed Bester," Susan continued. " Yes," he replied shortly. Susan nodded. She understood that it wasn't something that he wanted to talk about. It was the first time her son had taken another life and she mourned the loss of his innocence. She wanted to go home, sleep in her own bed, dream before the fire. A few more days Ria had said. For a while Susan had thought that she would die up here in space. It wasn't what she wanted. She would rest in the soil of the planet below, beside Michael. " Are you coming home ?" she asked Mike. " For a while, " he replied. He glanced towards Hunter. Susan caught the look and smiled to herself. " I heard Marcus Cole has been appointed as our liaison with the Alliance," Mike ventured. " Seems I can't get rid of him," Susan muttered to herself. " Mom....I'm sure we can reverse the decision..." " No. Marcus wants to be with me. It's time he had that chance. I can't give him the part of my heart that belongs to your father, but I can give him my friendship. We're both old and I think we need each other, even if it's only for a few years. " She could tell that her son didn't really understand. Marcus was a good man. They had spent a great deal of time talking and he understood that her feelings would never progress beyond friendship. He seemed content with that. Mike sat with his mother until she slipped back into sleep. Hunter came to stand behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder. " Come on," she said quietly, " Let's go and get something to eat." He kissed his mother lightly on the forehead and quietly left the room. The corridor outside was empty. Mike found himself leaning against the wall, his face in his hands. " Mike ?" Hunter' voice was concerned. " I'm OK," he mumbled. Straightening up, he draped an arm about Hunter's shoulders, " So, what's on the menu ?" he asked. " Flarn," she grinned. " Is that the green stuff ?" From: Ruth King Subject: Soulsong 15/15 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 19:35:41 +0100 Soulsong Part 15 by Ruth King ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk Babylon 5 is copyright Warner Bros. & JMS etc. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights. Please do not reproduce without the prior consent of the author. PART 15 - 2267 John Sheridan stood in the doorway to his son's room, listening to Delenn reading David a bedtime story. He loved hearing her voice, especially now......as his time was getting short. He didn't want to leave her, had never wanted to leave her. She was everything to him. According to Franklin's estimate Sheridan should have been dead six months ago, but John had always been one for playing the odds. He smiled ruefully to himself. It wouldn't be much longer now. Somehow he could feel his body beginning to shut down. Every day, he walked a little slower, saw less clearly. So much had been stolen from him. Friends, loved ones....Susan and Michael.....he hadn't thought about them in months. It had been a difficult secret to keep. Some part of him knew that they were happy. It was the kind of happiness that he himself had experienced over these last years. In some ways he had been glad to leave Babylon 5 behind and move to Minbar. The presidency was nothing but an unpleasant memory. He had resigned a year ago, feeling the necessity to spend his remaining days with his family. Delenn had suspended her own interests. No doubt she would continue when.....He had accepted this a long time ago. Why the hell was it causing him so many problems now ? Perhaps he did have too much time on his hands ? He was thinking too much. There were many who would probably be glad of his passing. EarthGov for one. They had never forgiven him for the incident with the Vorlon Planetkiller. Their departure from the Alliance had come a year later. What else had he been supposed to do ? Just sit on his butt and watch ? He almost laughed at that thought. The story was coming to an end. Delenn closed the book and kissed their son goodnight. John followed suit. He nearly choked up at the sensation of the child's arms about his neck. David didn't know.....at least they didn't think he did. It was a subject they were careful not to discuss in front of him. In fact they were still unsure of what to tell their son when Daddy went away. That damn lump was forming in his throat again. It didn't take much. John left his son's room abruptly. " John...?" Delenn's voice was concerned. " I'm OK," he replied. " I just get...I don't know...." " You are still well, John, we have no reason to expect..." " I can feel it, Delenn. I just wish I knew what was going to happen when I'm gone." " No one can answer that question for you. It is our responsibility. " He hugged her tightly. Delenn returned the embrace, feeling the fading strength in his arms. She tried to ignore it. They still had time.....just a little more time. ************************************************************************ ********** " You are never going to touch me again !" Susan screamed. " That's what you said last time, " Michael replied calmly, trying to release his wife's hold on his fingers before she broke something. He glanced up at Mardra. She just shrugged at him. They had been through this once before. He should know what to expect. A stream of expletives broke from Susan's throat as she was gripped by another contraction. Michael whispered encouragement. " Not long now," Mardra said cheerfully. The spasms were coming more rapidly. It was almost as if they were out of control. If there was one thing Susan hated it was to be out of control. She had no other option but to let the instinctive movements take over. " That's it, we're doin' fine," Michael said. " 'We're' not doing anything," Susan snapped back. " You should try it some time. Maybe I'll shove a bowling ball down your throat and......" She broke off again. " At least you've managed to stay in the room this time," Mardra added. " Thanks for reminding me," he grumbled. " We did quite need that much hot water though. One pan would have been plenty." " Enough already. " Susan was almost laughing. Then her body seemed to writhe in one final massive effort. She let out a scream. For a brief second there was complete silence, followed by the sound of a baby's first cry. " Congratulations," Mardra announced. " You have a fine baby girl." " Wooooo-hooooo !" Michael yelped, kissing his wife. " Michael your wife is the perfect mother.....just look at the afterbirth...." " No thanks." The child was placed in her mother's arms. Susan held her daughter close, revelling in the sweetness of her touch. Michael felt the tears start in his eyes. He had never seen anything so beautiful. Susan her long hair brushing the new born as she bent over her. It reminded him of pictures he had seen of the Madonna and child. He passed his hand rapidly in front of his eyes, giving a suspicious sniff. Mardra grinned to herself. It was at times like these that Michael let his emotions get the better of him. She cleaned up as quickly and quietly as possible before leaving the room. Michael sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, placing his arms about both of them. Susan leaned wearily against him. " I love you," he whispered. Susan gave a contented sigh. ************************************************************************ ********** Solemnly the boy sprinkled the marker on the grave. He looked up at his mother, who smiled with reassurance. The crystal mountains of Minbar surrounded the group that had gathered to mourn John Sheridan's passing. " Can I go play ?" he asked. " Yes, but don't run too far away," she told him. He grinned at her. It was his father's smile, all teeth. Delenn watched her son run through the crowd. She knew he didn't really understand what had happened. It would hit him later. When they were alone and John wasn't there to tuck him in at night. The boy quickly ran away from the crowd. He didn't like those people. They said strange things to him....strange things about Dad. He stopped. What had mother told him ? Where was 'the place where no shadows dwell '? One day he would find it and see Dad again. He would be an explorer and fly a big spaceship. David warmed to that idea. He almost ran into the man in black. David skidded to a halt, looking up at the man. " Who are you ?" he asked. " I'm your uncle Al." ************************************************************************ **********