From: Mr G D Williams Subject: To Hear The Machine Part 1 of 3 [AT] Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 13:03:30 +0100 (BST) "It was a time that would later be called the dawn of the third age of mankind; a time when it seemed unlikely that mankind would even survive this age. Their homeworld was destroyed, their people decimated and scattered, existing by the most fragile of handholds and through the strength of one ship and the courage of one man. The ship was the Babylon, and the man was Captain John Sheridan. "But these were dark days for all, not just humanity. The Minbari's quest to complete what they had begun over fourteen years before was turning them away from their ancient prophecies and customs, and onto a headlong rush into the abyss. My own people were so consumed with war and hatred that they did not see what could be found directly at their feet, and the Centauri... well, they never change. "But it was humanity that was falling the faster and the farthest. Born out of a combination of terror and hatred, they had made an alliance with a Darkness rising, not knowing and not caring they would have to pay. "But, as my uncle once told me, there is always hope. The denial of hope is the denial of life, and the loss of hope is the loss of a reason to live. "But then, as another wise man once said, a man without hope is a man without fear." The personal logs of Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar, leader of the Narn Rangers. ------------------- Hello people. Apologies for the delay with this but Real Life's been getting in the way a little. The next two parts should be out fairly soon however. Many thanks to everyone's who's sent me encouraging words so far. I'm very glad you're enjoying it. Feedback is always welcome and chould be sent (up until the end of June at least) to: csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk. This story is the latest installment in my parallel universe saga, where the Minbari did not surrender at the Battle of the Line and went on to conquer and destroy Earth. It is recommended, but not essential that you first read "A Dark, Distorted Mirror," "Heeding The Warning", and "Warrior Souls". The time is May 2258. There are no overt Spoilers in here, but I am drawing upon all elements of the B5 universe in writing this and those who have not seen up to the first quarter or so of Season 4 may be inadvertently Spoiled. Legal Disclaimer: B5 and all related characters are owned by JMS and / or Warner Bros. I am making no money out of writing this and do so purely for pleasure - my own and that of the reader. Personal Disclaimer: I am a hopeless romantic. I am however not a particularly nice hopeless romantic. You have been warned. -------------------------- To Hear The Machine, Part 1 of 3 [AT] by Gareth Williams, csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk He would never be able to explain the sensations he gained from his contact with the Great Machine. Words could not put it across; it could not be described in terms of sight or sound or taste or colour. It simply was. It were as though he were a part of the universe, very aware of his own, minute importance to the greater scheme of things, yet instead of being in despair at his own insignificance, he was elated at the grandeur of which he was a very small part. Yet now that elation was despair, for Varn was dying, and if he died, then the Machine died with him, the planet died with him, his people, their legacy and everything that they were died with him. There must be hope for the future, and there could be no hope for the future without memory of the past. The Machine would provide both. If one survived to occupy it. Varn had seen the stars, he had scanned throughout the galaxy, seen the beings that walked through the sands at Sigma 957, seen the ancient force returning to power at Z'Ha'Dum, seen the Vorlons readying themselves, seen the Minbari and the humans, and the Narns and the Centauri, all fighting their own little wars, but preludes to the Great War. A Darkness was coming. Varn had never claimed to be a champion of Light, but the one who came after him would have to be. But Varn was dying, and he could not reach out far enough or long enough to touch those he needed, and so he had sent out his servants, the custodians of the Machine. He had sent out ten, but only two still lived, and only those two had reached those they were sent for. One was returning now, but the other... the other had made a detour. Varn did not understand. Zathras had known the importance of his mission. G'Kar had been made to understand and had agreed to come, so why had they altered their path? And why were they heading for a world that had welcomed the Darkness into its own heart? ----------------------- Captain John Sheridan was trying very hard not to run into anybody. Hiding was a skill he had taken great care to learn - in a galaxy where every Minbari in existance wanted him dead, it was a useful survival trait - but he had managed to use it when necessary in his own corridors of power. The Main Dome of Proxima 3, a place that was - in theory - his home.. In practice his home was the EAS Babylon, last heavy class warship to survive the war with the Minbari, and last, best hope for humanity. The Babylon had seemed almost a part of him by now, after he had commanded it for over fourteen years, since the beginning of the war, and he was used to its little quirks and idiosyncracies by now. Oh, all his crew had to do to find him was send a message to his Link, but that wasn't the point. He could hide if he wanted to. Here... here was a very different matter. He was not in charge here. Here, on Proxima 3, he was answerable to the Resistance Government, and here he couldn't hide from them, although he tried as often as he could. It wasn't just the Resistance Government he was hiding from however. He was also hiding from his wife Anna. If he was lucky, she was simply very drunk by now, and willing to insult him and everything he held dear, including their dead daughter Elizabeth. If he was unlucky, she was sober and quiet and loving and nearly the woman he had married. Those brief periods of normality hurt worse than any barbed remark or drunken argument, because they were reminders of times he could never have back. He was also hiding from Marcus. The man had sworn himself as Sheridan's personal bodyguard. Everyone else around Sheridan seemed to take this as fact and gave Marcus the same accord they gave all the other members of Sheridan's command staff. It was annoying and downright infuriating sometimes but Marcus at least meant well. Sheridan understood that Marcus was, at the moment, being cornered by Miss Alexander in yet another stage of her relentless pursuit of him. Sheridan silently wished her every luck, and acknowledged that she would need it. He had seen corpses less stiff than Marcus. He was also hiding from Susan, a meeting he definitely did not want. Ever since his return from the Narn homeworld a few months ago, he had been experiencing grave doubts about Susan's mysterious friends, accepted by the Resistance Government as allies against the Minbari. Delenn had been trying to warn him about them ever since he had captured her from the Minbari homeworld. Well, fair enough. Ivanova had said that the Minbari and the... others - Sheridan would have to find a decent name for them soon - were ancient enemies, and it did make sense that the Minbari wouldn't want what was left of the Earth Alliance having any allies at all. But then Sheridan had met G'Kar. Greatest hero of the Narn / Centauri War that had ended in bloody stalemate a few years ago. G'kar had disappeared from view immediately after the war. Sheridan had met him as a preacher, ostensibly preaching a creed of his religion to fellow Narns while secretly running an underground network of agents whose purpose seemed to be preparing for the return of Susan's friends. G'Kar's words - and something else, the vision he could barely remember except in his dreams - had reached something within Sheridan, something he wasn't sure still existed. And someone else had managed to touch him as well. Satai Delenn, brought here in chains forged by Sheridan himself, questioned and tortured, mentally and physically, she had coaxed from Sheridan the first act of kindness he had ever displayed to a Minbari. Food, drink and sleep. He had listened to her, spoken to her, and eventually had her removed from her cell and given a secure room aboard the Babylon. He had caught seven kinds of Hell from the Resistance Government for that, but they all knew that there was nothing they could do to him. He was Captain John Sheridan after all, greatest hope of the human race. What could they do to him - demotion? Court martial? No, Sheridan was safe enough. From the Resistance Government as well, although if what Satai Delenn and G'Kar were saying was true, then no one would be safe soon. So, and this was the $64, 000 question: why wasn't he broaching these concerns to the Resistance Government themselves instead of keeping them quiet? Answer: they wouldn't listen to him, and he wasn't even sure if he should. Sheridan had seen the work of Ivanova's friends first hand. Two Minbari cruisers destroyed in a matter of seconds. Power like that was worthy of respect, and for the moment at least, they were the allies of humanity. If they could be kept that way, all well and good. If not... then he would be ready for them. He'd have to be. Thinking all this over had taken time and effort, and so he was taking care to hide. Delenn was on board the Babylon, Marcus being hunted down by Miss Alexander, the Resistance Government meeting with Susan over matters of deployments, treaties and so on, Anna was anywhere but not here, and Commander Corwin - Sheridan's XO - was holding Starfury exercises with Lieutenants Franklin and Connally. All was quiet, but Sheridan knew that things would not stay that way. He was hiding, waiting and preparing himself for the inevitable explosion. Sure enough, his Link activated. It was Corwin. David knew - as did everyone on the Babylon - that when Sheridan went to ground, nothing bar the sudden arrival of twenty Minbari cruisers should disturb him. This wasn't the arrival of twenty Minbari cruisers. This was worse. ------------------- "I must say," Sheridan was saying, "I'm surprised you didn't give us any notification you were coming. Security here is as tight as ever. If I'd known in advance..." "That would not be possible," his guest said. "There are certain... individuals here who would not be receptive to my presence. We hitched a lift aboard a cargo ship whose captain is a part of my network. He asked no questions, and I sent a message to Commander Corwin, arranging for us to be brought on board." Sheridan sat back and looked at his guest. G'Kar had apparently recovered from the injuries that had so nearly killed him a few months back. He was moving like a perfectly fit man, but there was something in his eyes. A steely determination that had always been there, and a quiet terror that had not. "Who is us?" Sheridan asked. "You didn't bring Neroon here?" Sheridan still found it hard to accept that one of G'Kar's most trusted agents was a Minbari. "Oh no, that would... not be wise. He and Ta'lon are still working on the rebuilding of our fortifications in the G'Khorazhar Mountains. I have brought along a most... interesting companion." "Oh," said a voice Sheridan had never heard before. "Is being very honoured to meet you, yes. Very honoured." And then a strange clicking noise. "A great destiny lies before you, yes. A great destiny indeed." Sheridan looked at his second, who had brought a mysterious hairy humanoid into the ready room aboard the Babylon. Corwin shrugged, "Don't ask," he said. "If he's here, at least we know where he is." Sheridan looked at him. "And you are?" "I is being called Zathras, oh yes, and I is being come with Holy One G'Kar here to be meeting you, Captain Sheridan. You must come with us, oh yes. " "I..." Sheridan looked at G'Kar, who made the Narn equivalent of a shrug. "I do not know much either, Captain, I am afraid. He came to me during my recovery, and spoke of a place where I was urgently needed. He did not say where, or why, but he knows about the Great War that is coming and he knows about the Enemy, and he knows about you. He would not tell me why or how he knows these things, and I did not ask." "Well, I will. Look... Zathras? I can't just drop everything and leave here on your say so. I'll have to justify something to the Resistance Government, and they might be interested to know where I'm going." "Oh no no no no. Must not tell them, no. They is being corrupted by Darkness, yes. Very bad, very sad, very bad." Sheridan placed his hand on his forehead. "I'm not following this, G'Kar. You actually trust him?" "Yes." "Mind telling me why?" "Your destiny leads with us," Zathras said. "Many lives, yes. You must see, you must learn, must understand. You have a destiny, a great destiny. More than leader, more than StarKiller, more than messiah. Yes yes, must come, to understand." "What destiny?" "Ah no, Zathras is being very sorry, but Zathras not being allowed to tell you that. Varn give Zathras list of things not to say, and that was... ah, no, Zathras not being allowed to say what Zathras not being allowed to say. You not trick Zathras. Zathras knows what not to say, and Zathras is not being saying it. You must come. That is all." "Come where? Or aren't you allowed to tell me that either?" "Oh no, Zathras being allowed to tell you that. You must come home - see Varn. Yes, Varn wants to see you. Well no, Varn not want to see you, but Varn need to see you. Varn not understand, Varn not know. Varn is being old, and dying. Very sad." "I suppose there's no point asking you who this Varn is?" Zathras shook his head. "Or where your home is?" "Oo. Please be waiting a minute. Zathras be thinking. Yes, Zathras is being permitted to being telling you that. Zathras tell you where home is." "Just as well," Coriwn muttered. "Or how would we get there?" "Home is... known to you as third planet in Epsilon Iridani. Yes, that be home. Called... Euphrates. Yes. Zathras call it home, but you call it Euphrates. Zathras think home is better name, but what does Zathras know?" Sheridan and Corwin shared a glance. "I see. G'Kar, can we have a word alone for a minute here please?" G'Kar nodded, and Corwin led Zathras away, a looked of pained exasperation on his face. When they were gone, Sheridan turned to G'Kar. "What the Hell kind of story is that? Epsilon 3 is deserted, and I know that for a fact. I did a survey of that whole area three years apart looking for potential sites of the Babylon Project - Mission 4. We scanned the whole area, and there was nothing even faintly unusual. What are you trying to pull on us here?" "Scans can be obstructed, Captain. You must trust me on this matter." "Aw Hell! Look, I need to think about this for a while. I've still got no idea what I'm doing here, and I think the Resistance Government is going to want me to run a mission out on the Rim for a while. I'll need to get back to you on this." "Of course, Captain, but do not take too long. The road is running away from us faster all the time. Unless we choose our own path on the road, we will be forced where it takes us, which is seldom where we would like to go." He pulled something from his pocket. It was a data crystal. "I would appreciate it if you would give this to Delenn. It is a message recorded for her by Neroon. You may watch it first yourself to ensure it contains nothing dangerous to you. Neroon accepted that that may be a possibility." "That won't be necessary," Sheridan said softly. Suddenly, his Link bleeped. "There's a Gold Channel message coming from President Crane, sir," Corwin said. "I'll take it in here," Sheridan replied. "I don't think it would be a good idea for her to know you're here, G'Kar. How many people know so far?" "Just yourself, Commander Corwin and a few security guards. Commander Corwin assured me that they could be trusted." "Good. David will show you somewhere to rest tonight while I think this whole thing over. You never know, the Resistance Government may just want me to fall on my sword or something." "Of course, Captain. G'Quan be with you." G'Kar thumped his fists on his chest and bowed his head as he left the room. Sighing softly, Sheridan turned to the commscreen and activated it. He clasped his hands behind his back and tried to present the image of a dignified, stern Captain. Appearances counted for a lot with the Resistance Government. President Crane's face appeared on the commscreen. "Captain Sheridan, we wish to see you before us immediately. Do not tarry." And then the screen went blank. Sheridan groaned. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. -------------------- "I hope this reaches you, Delenn. G'Kar has said that he will do all he can to ensure that it does. He is a good man, a very good man. Better than Sinoval, perhaps better than Branmer. I told you before that I felt my destiny lay with G'Kar. Now I am certain of it. "I cannot tell you what I have been doing, or where I am. This message may be intercepted. I... simply wanted to give you some form of comfort, Delenn. If there were any way I could help you, I swear before Valen I would. Sheridan will try to help you, I think. He is an honourable man, and can be trusted. "I wish that there were something I could say to you, Delenn... anything that would make this easier. I would only remind you of the Shryne. I do not need to tell you to be strong, but I hope you can be at peace. I am. "Valen walk with you, Delenn, and know that you are always in my thoughts. Always, and forever." The message ended, and Delenn stared at the silent viewscreen. There was a faint, tragic smile on her face. --------------------- "The planet's name is Euphrates," General Hague was saying. "The third planet of the Epsilon Iridani system. I believe you've been there before." Sheridan looked at Hague, managing to keep his expression carefully neutral. Hague was standing in front of the half circular table where sat the Resistance Government. Sheridan could practically feel the dark eyes of Vice President Clark boring into him, but he ignored them. Clark had been the biggest proponent for having Sheridan punished over his actions concerning Delenn, but he had been voted down. Sheridan was indispensable, and everyone knew it. "Yes, General," Sheridan replied. "I performed a scouting mission there while searching for sites for the Babylon 4 mission. It was uninhabitable, deserted and worthless in itself, but it was found to be a suitable site for the..." "We all know that, Captain," spoke up Vice President Clark. "It appears that your scouting mission was a little lacking." "Vice President?" Sheridan was a master at the neutral tone when he wanted to be. "Our probes have been picking up unusual seismic activity from the planet," Hague said. "One of them was destroyed by some kind of long range weaponry. Very powerful weaponry. The planet Euphrates is not as worthless as it may have seemed." "You've hypothesised all this from one destroyed probe?" "We've had a little... extra information on that score." "The planet is known to my friends," spoke up a female voice. Sheridan kept his expression perfectly level, but he turned to see a woman step out from behind the table. "There was once a powerful, technologically advanced race living there. My friends came across some exiles from that race and they told us everything we needed to know." Susan Ivanova smiled and Sheridan dug his finger nails deeper into his palsm, keeping his hands behind his back. "It appears that your scouting mission was sloppy, Captain," said Clark. "I wonder where else you have been negligent." "With respect, Vice President," Sheridan said coolly. "I had to perform complete scouting reports on four star systems in the space of three weeks at a time when the Babylon was poorly manned, poorly equipped and in poor condition." "We are at war, in case you hadn't noticed. We have neither the resources nor the time to give you everything you ask for. You will simply have to make do with what you have, but we still expect nothing but the best from you. If you can't give us that, then maybe we should appoint someone who can." "Morgan, please," whispered President Crane wearily. "Actually, the Captain is not to blame,"Ivanova said. "Almost certainly amongst the technology on that planet are sophisticated cloaking devices. If it weren't for my friends' prior knowledge, then I doubt anyone could find it." "Your instructions, Captain," Hague said, "are to go to this planet, and make a full survey of the resources available to us. You are to lay claim to that planet in the name of the Earth Alliance and begin the construction of bases and encampments for scientists and tacticians to evaluate the technical resources there. If anyone... anyone at all - friend or foe - tries to stop us laying claim to those resources, then you are to destroy them. You are not to flee under any circumstances. Is that understood?" "Perfectly, General. Will Miss Ivanova be accompanying us?" "No," Susan said. "I'm sure you can handle this one on your own. If you do need any more firepower however, I'm sure I could dispatch a few of my friends to go along with you." Sheridan nearly winced. He remembered what Susan's friends had done to those two Minbari cruisers aboard Vega 7. "That will not be necessary. I'm sure they'll be needed here in case the Minbari attack." "That need not concern you, Captain," said President Crane. "The information we gained from the prisoner you brought - gained by Mr. Welles and verified telepathically by Miss Alexander - indicates that the Minbari will not attack until the power struggle within their Grey Council is resolved. They cannot choose a new leader until the period of mourning for their old one is over, and that will not happen for several months. You need not worry about the Minbari." "Yes, Madam President." Sheridan made a formal bow and salute and stalked from the chamber. Only when he was outside did he realise that he had dug his fingernails so tightly into his palms that he had drawn blood. -------------------- "It could be a coincidence," Corwin said. He looked at Sheridan's furious expression. "All right, so maybe it's not a coincidence." "She had to know. Somehow, Susan knew about this." Sheridan was sitting casually in his smaller ready room off the bridge of the Babylon, lounging back in his chair and resting his feet up on the control panel. It was hardly the proper posture, but he didn't care. "How could she have known?" He looked sharply at his second. "Have you had any contact with Miss Ivanova lately?" "No. I don't know what it is. It's like she's been avoiding me." "I did a little digging into her personnel files. It was exemplary. First class. That's why she was entrusted with such a secretive and high class mission but... I don't know what it is. There's something... Oh I wish I could put my finger on it. I'm sorry to bother you with this, David, but have you noticed anything unusual... anything at all?" "Aside from the fact that she's been ignoring me completely for over two months?" Sheridan groaned. "Aw Hell. You're right. I'm sorry." "No, sir. I have noticed something. She's changed. She's very different from the woman she was. It's... almost like I've lost her again." Sheridan silently cursed himself. Why did he never notice these things? "I'm sorry, David. I shouldn't have..." "No, sir. We all have a duty to humanity, and to the Resistance Government. That takes precedence over private concerns." "Not always. How long until we get to Euphrates?" "Three and a half hours or so." "Long enough. You - go and have a talk with G'Kar. Tell him how you feel. Believe it or not, he's damned good at this sort of thing. That's an order, Mr. Corwin. I know it won't be easy, but at least talk to him. He has a rare gift, and we should at least get some use from it, don't you think? Call it part payment for ferrying him out here. Mr Corwin... that is an order." "Yes, sir." Corwin did not move. "Sir? Who are you going to talk to?" "I... don't know." Then he smiled softly. "Yes, I do." -------------------- "Ah, Captain." Delenn smiled softly. "It is... good to see you. My thanks for bringing Neroon's message to me. "It was... my pleasure," he said, looking at her carefully. She was seated in her small cot, hands folded demurely in her lap, seemingly at peace with the world and everything in it. Sheridan knew better. He'd read some of the transcripts from her interrogation by Mr. Welles, and he knew that Delenn was definitely not at peace, with anything. Beneath the demure exterior lurked a soul at conflict with itself, perhaps even more than Sheridan was. Was that the reason he had come here? When all was said and done she was still a Minbari, and not just any Minbari, but a Satai. Welles had not uncovered the precise role she had played in the war, but Sheridan did know that she had been a powerful and respected member of the Grey Council. She had represented one side of a dangerous power struggle in the Council. How much blood was on her hands? How much of a part had she played in the instigation of war against his people? How much pain and loss did he owe to her? And why had he come here seeking peace? "Was I interrupting anything?" he said slowly, hesitantly. "No," she replied. "I was just... meditating. It has become harder for me of late." "You miss your friends? Your home?" "I would be lying if I said that I did not, but no... it is more than that. I long ago accepted that I would go where I must, and I would go into darkness as easily as light." Sheridan shook his head. "I don't think I caught any of that." "I am sorry. Our ways must seem... strange to you. I have little right to cling to them, I suppose. I am not on Minbar any longer. I am alone here, and fully aware of how I am regarded by those around me." "Nothing will happen to you," he said. "Everyone on this ship knows that you are not to be harmed. They won't disobey my orders. I promise you that." "I am not afraid, Captain. This body is but a shell. There are few people who can touch me in any way to hurt me." "But Welles did." Delenn looked away slowly. "Welles managed it. I've read the transcripts of your questioning. I saw what you looked like when I got back. Look at me, Delenn!" She turned and met his eyes. "Everything he said to you was true, wasn't it? Everything he got from you was true." Softly: "Yes. It was. The blood of billions is on my hands, and I can find no reason to justify it to myself. The war was not fought for a good cause, for duty, or honour, or light. It was fought for anger and pride and selfishness. It has taken me a long time to realise this, Captain. Far too long." "And so why am I continuing this war then?" he asked. "More pride, more selfishness, more anger? Well tell me, Satai Delenn! Tell me!" He was shouting now, and she was visibly quailing from his verbal onslaught. "No," she whispered. "You are continuing the war because you do not know how to stop it." He stepped backwards slowly, a numbed feeling spreading through him. She was right, and he was right. Each of them was right about the other. That was precisely why their words hurt so much. "And do you?" he whispered. "No. I am afraid that I do not." Sheridan fished something out of his pocket and held it before her. It was a small metal triangle that he had taken from Delenn during her capture. She had called it a Triluminary, and had intended to use it to scan his soul. The Resistance Government did not know about it, and Sheridan was not sure why he had kept it. Yes he did. It was important to her, and she was the closest thing he could find to a true kindred spirit in this whole damn life. She met his eyes, her expression a mix of many things - fear, hope, despair. Slowly, he put the Triluminary away again. "We should be at Euphrates soon," he said. "I'll have to return to the bridge." "Of course," she whispered. "Thank you for coming, Captain." "It... was... a pleasure. My pleasure." He looked at her and then left. He had to talk to G'kar, and try and get some more answers from Zathras and try and find out what he would expect to find there. He had expected that he would not be alone, but he had not expected what would be waiting there for him. Someone else knew about the Great Machine. To Be Continued... From: Mr G D Williams Subject: To Hear The Machine Part 2 of 3 [AT] [MV] Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 22:57:07 +0100 (BST) Well, and so it continues. This is the latest part of my parallel universe saga - set in a universe where the Minbari did not surrender at the Battle of the Line and went on to conquer and destroy Earth. It is recommended, but not essential, that you first read "A Dark, Distorted Mirror," "Heeding The Warning" and "Warrior Souls." The time is May 2258. Feedback is always very welcome and should be sent - up until the end of June - to: csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk There are no Spoilers as such, but I am drawing upon all elements of the B5 universe in writing this, and people who are not up to date may be Spoiled. Legal Disclaimer: B5 and all related characters are owned by JMS and / or Warner Bros. I am making no money out of writing this and am doing so purely for pleasure. Personal Disclaimer: I am a hopeless romantic. I am however not a very nice hopeless romantic. You have been warned. To Hear The Machine, Part 2 of 3 [AT] [MV] by Gareth Williams, csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk Alyt Kalain was, first and foremost, a warrior, and proud to be so. He still remembered the first day he had set foot upon the Trigati, the ship that was to become his home. It had been a moment of pride, and power and duty. He had knelt before the ship's commander - Sinoval - and had sworn his loyalty. That had been over twenty five cycles ago, and during that time Kalain had risen far. He now captained the Trigati, and had done so ever since Sinoval was raised to the Grey Council. Kalain had been a part of the climax of the jyhad against the Earthers. With Sinoval watching, Kalain had torn the heart from the Earth Alliance, enacting fitting justice for the murder of Dukhat. Kalain's victory had been hollow, however. The memory of his glory over Earth had been forever tarnished by the memory of his shame over Mars. Kalain and the Trigati had been leading the attack on the Earther colony there, cleaning up after the destruction of Earth, when, tearing through the heavens like a demon creature from legend, there came a ship he would later know to be the Babylon, captained by John Sheridan. The Babylon, acting on pure fury and little else, had torn apart the Minbari defences, and bore down upon the ship containing the Grey Council itself. Kalain had tried to respond, but his warrior nerve had left him at the sight of that ship, and he had panicked. Sinoval was before the Grey Council themselves, and the Trigati had been leaderless, standing by paralysed as Sheridan tore out the heart of the Grey Council. Two dead - one warrior, one religious - three more badly wounded and still sorely ill, mere shadows of their former selves. Sheridan had escaped, whatever fury had driven him giving way to the practicalities of common sense, and Kalain had been left to deal with his guilt. He had tried to atone. In fact, he had tried suicide in penance, but Sinoval had found him, and stopped him. There were new days coming, Sinoval had said. He had been elevated to Satai in place of the dead warrior, and he would need a loyal cadre of followers. A new dawn was beginning, and the war must be the catalyst that swept away the old, and brought the Minbari back to their rightful place in the galaxy. Kalain had listened, and wept, and begged for forgiveness. Sinoval could not grant forgiveness, and he had told Kalain why: *I cannot forgive you, Alyt Kalain. Only the dead can do that. But you can forgive yourself. Let your deeds after this moment be enough to expiate your failure. Perform your penance for the sake of our people.* And Kalain had agreed. The Trigati, badly damaged during the war, had been rebuilt and strengthened, and made the new flagship for a new Minbari fleet. Kalain was proud once more, but this time for his people and not for himself. The Trigati was needed to replace the Black Star and to fight in the greatest war of all. Not against the Earthers, but against the Shadow. Kalain had been told the full truth by Sinoval, one of a handful who knew. A ship belonging to the Ancient Enemy had been uncovered below the surface of Mars during the assault on that planet. It had tried to rise, and been destroyed. A second had been found on a moon belonging to the largest planet of their solar system. This one, the Enemy had returned for. There had been a bloody and devastating battle fought over Ganymede, a battle that had left four Minbari cruisers destroyed and hundreds dead. The Shadow was returning and the Rangers were formed to meet them. The Rangers would need a flagship, and that flagship would be the Trigati. Kalain knew Branmer - the former Ranger One - well. In fact, he had served Branmer during the war. Branmer had been a great man, but he had been too soft. He had not been strong enough to fight this war the way it should have been fought, and now he was dead, and there was no one to lead. Alyt Neroon, Branmer's aide, was gone. Kalain was not a Ranger, and had no wish to lead them. That place belonged to Sinoval, as it now did. Sinoval, now Entil'zha, had come to Kalain a few days before. He had spoken again of his dreams, and of his ambitions and of the part that Kalain would play in them. He had brought someone else along with him - an old, feeble man named Draal - a man who had taught all three religious members of the Grey Council. Draal had gone to Satai Lennann and had asked for his help on a matter of some importance. A mission to a desolate planet, to take two people - Draal and one other - and to leave them there. Those were the official details, but in private, Sinoval had mentioned something else. The planet was more than it seemed. There was power there, a power that could not be simply abandoned to an old man and a mysterious alien. The planet the humans called Euphrates now had to belong to the Minbari. And now that he was here, Kalain could only find one problem. Emerging from the skies again, a dark fury in its motion, a terrible beauty in its flight, was the EAS Babylon. Aboard which would be Captain John Sheridan. The StarKiller. ---------------------- "It's a Minbari cruiser all right, Captain," Lieutenant Franklin said. "A big one." Sheridan groaned softly and looked down at G'Kar and Zathras. The Narn was standing patiently and still next to Sheridan's chair. Zathras was running about, examining things, and generally getting in everyone's way. "Have they seen us yet?" Sheridan asked. "Almost certainly." "Fine. Power up forward batteries, and activate red alert. Launch StarFury squadrons Alpha and Delta and ready a fusion bomb." Sheridan drew in a deep breath and sat back. The fury of battle was starting to rise in him now. He welcomed it gladly. There were few constants in his life, but battle was one of them. It was the one thing he did well, and the one thing he could do that mattered to anyone. "Captain," said G'Kar. "We do not need to fight here." "With all respect, G'Kar, they're Minbari, and they're doubtless after the same thing that we are. We don't have time to debate the issue." "You have one of their Satai imprisoned on this very ship. Surely they will not open fire and risk killing her." "They did last time." "It cannot hurt to make them aware of this." Sheridan looked at G'Kar, saw the wisdom in his eyes. "And what do you know about this?" he asked Zathras. "Varn send out many of us. He not being sure of right one to replace him. He intend in gathering all viable choices at Great Machine, let Great Machine choose. One does not choose the Machine no no no. The Machine chooses you. " "And one of those other choices is a Minbari? Not a hope. I was told to take custody of that planet, and I'm going to..." Sheridan paused and looked and G'Kar. The Narn made a motion that was probably a shrug. "Captain?" asked Commander Corwin. "Aw Hell. Launch the StarFury squadrons, and keep the forward batteries powered up. Broadcast a message in Interlac telling them we have Satai Delenn on board, and get her up here to the bridge. If they so much as blink in our direction, blast them." "Yes, sir," Franklin said. "And for desserts, a strawberry ice cream." "Vanilla, Lieutenant Franklin. I hate strawberries." Sheridan looked at G'Kar. "Now what?" "That." Sheridan looked where G'Kar was pointing. His eyes widened. "Good God." ------------------------- "I am telling you, Alyt Kalain, we will not attack that ship!" Kalain regarded Draal sharply. His patience for the old man was limited in the extreme. This was a mission carried out for Sinoval, not for Draal and that absurd little alien. "I am Captain here," he replied harshly. "And my orders will be obeyed." His words were stern, but they could not disguise the fear that he felt. This was Sheridan, the StarKiller. Kalain had followed Sheridan's path ever since the incident over Mars, picking at his shame irrationally. The involvement in the Narn / Centauri War. The destruction of the Emphili and the Dogato. His capture on Vega 7 and his escape from Minbar itself, with Satai Delenn. Kalain was both exhilarated and terrified. This was his chance for redemption, for atonement for his cowardice over Mars. But this could lead to further shame and defeat. He dare not risk further shame. Sheridan had to be destroyed now. "You heard their message," Draal snapped. "They have Delenn with them. You will not jeopardise her life for your own revenge." "They were lying." "You know they were not." "Then if Delenn is with them, she is so willingly, and is therefore a traitor and not worthy of our concern." "Mathras!" Draal cried. "Can you do something here?" "Mathras not, no, but Mathras know one who can, yes." "Shut your yapping gok up!" "Gok? Mathras not is gok. Mathras not even know what gok is. Mathras... Ah. See. Mathras told you, but you not listen to Mathras. No one ever listen to Mathras. Not even Zathras listen to Mathras." "What does he...? Valen's Name." Before him, hovering slightly, was a vision of an alien Kalain had never seen before. Superficially, he resembled a Markab, but there was an age and wisdom in his eyes that could not belong to any member of that dead race. "Greetings, visitors," said the image. "I am Varn, custodian of the Great Machine. There will be no violence above this planet. You were all brought here for a purpose, and that purpose is to decide who will replace me in the heart of this Machine. Zathras and Mathras, my friends, you have done well. Bring your choices to the surface, and the Captains of these vessels. It will be for them to understand and spread word of what will happen here. Do not worry about the atmosphere here. I have rendered it quite breathable to your species. "And to be clear: any hostile action made by either side will be met by the destruction of that ship. There will be no violence here. Neither I, nor the Machine, will permit it." The image faded, and Kalain shot a sharp glance at Draal and Mathras. "Told you, Mathras did. Yes yes. Told you, but you not listen. No one ever listen to Mathras. Very sad life, yes, but meaningful too. Yes yes. Mathras not complain. Mathras have purpose." "I told you, Draal," Kalain said. "Shut him up. Well, you heard that... thing. We have to go to the surface." And the StarKiller will be there as well. ------------------ "I may not go back," Sheridan breathed as he looked around. "This is... this is... Hah. I think I'll have to invent a word to describe it." A flippant remark, but true. There were no words to describe what he saw around him. To think that an alien race could have built this and kept it hidden, disguised from intruders, and live their lives here, so far underground... the whole thing was breathtaking. "Is Great Machine," said Zathras. "Is very great, no?" "It certainly is that," Sheridan breathed. He looked at his other companion, but G'Kar was whispering quietly to himself. Sheridan recognised a hint of the Narn dialect, and he knew a prayer when he heard one. And then Sheridan's Link activated, and his illusion was broken. "Everything's still up here, Captain," came Corwin's voice. "The Minbari don't seem to be making any hostile action. We did see a shuttle go down a few minutes ago, however." Always a serpent in paradise. "Thank you, Mr. Corwin. Let me know if they make any aggressive move. And... keep Satai Delenn safe. Sheridan out." "There will be no fighting above here, no no," Zathras said. "Is being against Varn's wishes. Fighting be not good. The art of fighting is knowing when to fight, and who not to fight.... Ah, no no no, please be forgiving Zathras. What Zathras meant to say, is, the art of fighting is knowing who to when and fight to fight... Ah no. This is not good. Who to fight and when to fight who not. Ah, no. You have very strange language. Zathras not think he like this language. Is not making sense." "Well done," Sheridan congratulated him. "It took the rest of us several hundred years to figure that one out." "Welcome, my friends," said an old voice. Sheridan rounded a corner, Zathras scampering about at his heels, and he came to an abrupt halt. Zathras crashed into the back of his legs. "You is not wanting to be doing that. You should at least have given Zathras some warning, but no. Ignore Zathras. Zathras not important. No, Zathras does not mind." "But you are important," said the voice. It was the same voice that had greeted him aboard the bridge of the Babylon. "We are all important, Zathras, each in our own way. And greetings to you too, Captain Sheridan, and to you, Ha'Cormar'ah G'kar." The Narn pressed his fists against his chest in salute. Sheridan simply stared. The alien did not look like anything special. He partially resembled a Markab, but he was shorter, and his facial structure slightly different. His voice also seemed quieter and less assured than it had. Physically, Varn was not very impressive, but then nothing would look impressive when compared to the mass of machinery and lights and colours that surrounded him. The whole sight was awesome, rising impossibly high into the rock all around them. Varn seemed as much a part of the machinery as were the wires and cables that joined him to it. Varn - or rather, the image of Varn, who was standing several steps out from what was presumably his body - turned and gave a brief nod of his head. Sheridan turned also. There were three new guests. One of them looked exactly like Zathras. The other two... were Minbari. Always a serpent in paradise. ------------------ "But Lieutenant Ivanova, surely you can see our position here!" President Marie Crane of the Resistance Government was tired and hungry, and she very much wanted to rest. She did not want to be fighting against half of her own government and the woman standing before her. "We need confirmation of your friends' good faith. We will need to establish treaties, codes of conduct, exact details of what we expect from each other as allies. Trading agreements, even. Perhaps even an ambassador. We are taking every that we have been told so far simply on your word." "And the reports made by Captain Sheridan," Ivanova said quickly. "Yes well, young lady," spoke up Vice President Clark. "Captain Sheridan has a... reputation for being somewhat economical with the truth in his reports." "To be blunt," snapped General Takashima. "He often downright lies to us, and that's when he can be bothered to say anything at all." "Really?" Ivanova said. "I thought he was... better regarded than that." "Oh, we have the utmost respect for his talents," Clark said obseqiously. There were still a few members of the Resistance Government who respected Sheridan and trusted him to use his abilities and resources to the best needs of humanity. But only a few. "He is a soldier, however, not a diplomat or an intelligence agent. He is merely... being forced by circumstance to enact roles which are unfamiliar to him." "Aren't we all?" replied Ivanova. Clark spluttered and looked at Crane, who was trying very hard to stifle a smile. In these times, you took your pleasures where you could find them, and seeing Clark humiliated was pleasure enough for the moment. "And with regards to the other matters, I am afraid that my friends cannot send an ambassador. The atmosphere here will be poisonous to them, and they are very reluctant to leave their homeworld. It is a very holy place for them. "Can you at least put us in contact with them?" Crane asked. "Some form of... long distance communication or something?" "Their technology doesn't work that way. They prefer sort of... telepathy, I'd imagine. A link with an agent who can leave Z'Ha'Dum. Like me. Anything you need to know can be relayed to them directly through me." "Telepathy," Clark said. "Perhaps we should ask Miss Alexander to take a look at you. Maybe she can uncover something helpful about this link. I understand Miss Alexander has been quite free lately, since our Minbari guest just walked away..." "No!" Ivanova cried out suddenly. "No telepaths! Not near me!" Crane looked at her, surprised by the vehemence of her reaction. "They would... damage the link. It is a sensitive affair. Anything you need to know can be relayed to me, as I have said." "I do have one question," said Takashima. "What are we going to call these allies of yours? They do have a name, I trust?" "Yes," Ivanova said slowly. "But it's ten thousand letters long." "Ouch," said Clark. "Exactly. I can speak Russian, and I can't even pronounce it. If you want to call them something... I understand the Minbari name for them would roughly translate as... Shadows." "Shadows?" Crane said softly. An ominous name, which may have been the point. The connection between the Minbari and these Shadows certainly seemed to be an appropriate reason for them allying themselves with the Resistance Government. "Shadows," she repeated. The name chilled her, and she was certain she caught a gleam in Ivanova's eye every time she said the word. "I like it," Clark announced. "So what do these Shadows of yours look like?" "Fairly ordinary," Ivanova said. "Fairly... ordinary." -------------------- "There is a war coming," Varn said. "A dark and terrible war which will tear the heavens and rip worlds asunder. Billions will die and whole empires fall, but there is hope for peace, great hope. There must always be hope. All of you gathered here," he said, indicating G'Kar, Sheridan, Draal and Kalain, "know, in parts great or small, of this war. "Some of you," he said, looking at G'Kar, "believe you are ready for what is to come. Others," Kalain. "doubt your own worth, and are afraid of where you will stand at the end. Another," Draal. "refuses to admit his place and would be surprised to learn that you have any place at all, while you, "Sheridan, "refuse to believe with your head what your heart is telling you, and will not accept with your heart what your head screams out. "No matter the cost, the war must be fought, and it must be won, or every free thinking race in the galaxy will fall to tyranny and despair. There must always be hope, and justice, and light. This Machine will be a part of that hope, and will bring some of that justice, and will shine part of that light. "I have been here for over five hundred years, and now I am dying. During my time, I have gathered knowledge, travelled to far and distant worlds and seen things both terrible and majestic. All these memories, and all those thoughts, are stored within the heart of the Great Machine, and it is for the Great Machine itself to know who will inherit them." Kalain was only half interested in Varn, and only slightly more interested in the sights around him. His attention was focussed on the StarKiller. Kalain was surprised. He had not expected Sheridan to be so... fragile looking. Kalain estimated that a single blow with his pike would be enough to rip the human apart. Surely this could not be the creature responsible for the Black Star, for the attack over Mars, for bringing terror to Kalain, Alyt of the Wind Swords himself? And yet... there was something in his bearing... Sheridan was not the StarKiller here. Here he was just a man, a warrior divested of his armour and his robes and his blade. He may as well have been naked. His ship was what made him the StarKiller; it was as much a part of him as his arms and legs and clothing. And then the impact of Varn's words struck him, and he stepped forward. "You say this place is to be used as a fortress of light? Then who better to take it than the ones who will be leading the Army of Light against the Darkness? The Rangers did so a thousand years ago and they will do so now. Satai Sinoval, my leader, has been appointed Entil'zha, walking in the footsteps of Valen, and it will be in his name that I claim this place." "No," Varn rasped. "You cannot claim the planet... the planet... claims... you..." But his words were not heard, except perhaps by G'Kar and Draal, who alone understood them. Kalain's gaze was focussed upon Sheridan, and upon the future, and upon the glory he would receive when he returned to Sinoval with news of this place... glory enough to remove his shame. And Sheridan... He too was not listening to Varn. "Like Hell you will!" he snapped. "We laid claim to this planet while on a scouting mission two years ago." "Oh? And what were you scouting for exactly?" "None of your business!" G'Kar reached out for Sheridan, but then lowered his arm. Kalain looked at the Narn and snorted. This one fashioned himself as a warrior, but he was merely a talker. Narns had no stomach for doing what needed to be done. Only the Minbari did, only the warriors did, only Sinoval did. Draal made to perform a similar action, but Kalain brushed him aside. The fire of revenge was burning within him now. Varn's image was shaking, coughing and spluttering. "Too long," he whispered. "Too... much... Help me." Zathras had abandoned the confrontation growing in the middle of the chamber - unheeded by everyone except Mathras, who went with him - and was rushing around the socket where Varn's body rested. As he worked, the imnage faded and vanished, and Varn's body, previously motionless, began to move. The old alien was dying. Kalain felt the whole ground lurch beneath him. "A trick!" he spat. "You, StarKiller, are without honour!" Here at last, was his chance for redemption. Great would be the cheers when he returned to the Trigati, holding Sheridan in chains, and returned him before the Grey Council. Kalain would earn his redemption, and his forgiveness, both in Sinoval's eyes and his own. And after that... there was a position on the Grey Council vacant. So what if Delenn's replacement should be from the religious caste? They had dominated the Council for too long. Satai Kalain. It had a nice sound to it. Sheridan was also moving. Towards the dying alien. G'Kar was beside him, but neither were moving very fast. The whole planet was shaking. "Kalain," barked out a voice from his communications device. It was Alyt Deeron, his aide and second. "The Earthers fired at us, a missile of some kind." "Crush them!" he ordered in reply. "Destroy them all!" Yes, Satai Kalain. Or perhaps Shai Alyt Kalain. Yes, that way he could lead, still have respect and yet be able to lead in battle. The Earthers would be crushed soon, and he would lead against them, all shame gone, all penance performed, all absolution granted. "No!" Zathras was crying out. "No, this not good. Varn is being dying. With Varn dying, the planet is dying too. The Machine needs a heart, or the Machine dies, and then the planet dies, and then we die. All defence systems are activating. Automatic defences are activating. Humans not attack. It accident! Accident!" Zathras knew almost as much about the Great Machine as did Varn. He also knew that the Earth / Minbari War had begun over just such an accident, and now it seemed as though a second accident would plunge the war into a new stage. "No," Varn whispered. "Not fight... not..." Kalain didn't hear him, either him or Zathras. Shai Alyt Kalain. Yes, in all respects his vision of the future would be correct. All aspects save one. Sheridan would be presented to the Grey Council not as prisoner, but as corpse. To Be Continued... From: Mr G D Williams Subject: To Hear The Machine Part 3 of 3 [AT] [MV] Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 17:14:29 +0100 (BST) Hi people. This is the latest installment in my parallel universe saga where the Minbari did not surrender at the Battle of the Line and went on to conquer and destroy Earth. It is recommended but not essential, that you first read "A Dark, Distorted Mirror," "Heeding The Warning" and "Warrior Souls" (and the first two parts of "To Hear The Machine" naturally.) The time is May 2258. Feedback is always very welcome and should be sent to: csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk. Be aware that I will not have access to this address from the end of June, but I will have a new address from late September or so when I'll (hopefully) be beginning Season 2 of this tale. There are no Spoilers as such, but I am drawing upon all elements of the B5 universe in writing this, and people who are not up to date may be inadvertently spoiled. Legal Disclaimer: B5 and all related characters are owned by JMS and / or Warner Bros. I am making no money out of writing this and am doing so purely for pleasure. Personal Disclaimer: I am a hopeless romantic. I am however not a very nice hopeless romantic. You have been warned. ---------------------- To Hear The Machine Part 3 of 3 [AT] [MV] by Gareth Williams, csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk If Commander David Corwin had been given a pay raise for every time he had been in danger of losing his life, he would now have enough money to buy his own moon and get away from this whole damned war to somewhere safe. On the other hand, so would just about everyone else in what was left of EarthForce. He hadn't joined EarthForce back in the days when there was still an Earth to give it meaning, but he had seen the signs. Greatest adventure of them all, they said said. If only they'd known. To put his life in some sort of context, staring down at a Minbari cruiser directly in front of him, above an apparently deserted planet that was in fact far from deserted, which the Captain had gone down to, along with the greatest Narn hero currently alive and a mysterious alien who babbled a lot about destiny and the Great Machine, with a Minbari Satai - to whom the Captain had apparently become friendly with, in spite of the fact that she was a Satai who had been involved in leading the war against Earth, and therefore deserved nothing less than a lingering and unneccessarily painful death - on board, and on the bridge, nothing less... was all in a day's work. Which day's work didn't seem relevant. The strategy for fighting the Minbari had been outlined in detail by the Captain over a period of time. It had been thought that destroying a Minbari cruiser was impossible. They were faster than Earth ships, stronger than Earth ships and had some kind of stealth system that made it impossible to lock on to them. And then, there had been the Black Star. The Minbari flagship, no less, and the Captain had destroyed it. Corwin hadn't been on board the Babylon at the time, but he did remember the celebrations after news of it reached Earth. So what if the Captain had had to use mines and a faked distress signal? It had worked. The Minbari could be beaten. It had given them all hope. Hope that was sadly misplaced. Not even the Captain could do much against the searing Minbari onslaught that had descended upon Earth and proceded to destroy the entire planet. Hardly anyone survived. And then the Minbari had turned to Mars, and the Captain had arrived, raining fire and fury and causing even the Minbari to back off long enough for people to escape. One of those people was David Corwin, and destiny had interfered. And now, David Corwin was second in command and executive officer on board the Babylon, and staring down Minbari cruisers was a routine affair, even if it never did entirely lose the feelings of terror and anger he always felt when staring at the beings who had destroyed his home and his family. Vengeance never died, and, as far as David Corwin was concerned, it was a dish definitely best served hot. Except that now he had a Minbari on this very bridge. Corwin had never been sure of what to make of Satai Delenn. He hadn't had very much dealing with her, and he wanted it kept that way. He had heard snippets from her interrogation by Security Officer Welles, and he knew that she had played a large part in the beginning of the war. On the other hand, the Captain seemed to trust her - he'd even ended her interrogations and given her quarters on the ship, something which had earned him a very large shouting at by the Resistance Government. Corwin wasn't sure why the Captain would choose to do that for a Minbari, but the Captain was the captain after all, and he must have had his reasons. so, Corwin abided her presence, but he did not have to like it. "It was the Trigati," Satai Delenn was saying. "You have to let me talk to them." Corwin wasn't listening. He knew the procedure for combatting Minbari vessels almost by heart. You couldn't lock on to them with missile fire, so you have to use dispersion fire techniques, and hope you find the right frequency and direction. You also send out the StarFuries, both to engage the Minbari flyers, and to continue attacking the big cruiser with more dispersion fire. When you made enough damage to get a heat lock on the ship, you pulled back the StarFuries as a screen, and released the heat sensitive fusion bomb - sold at exorbitant prices by the Narns - and let it make its way to the Minbari. Sometimes it didn't work, but often enough it did, especially with the Captain's luck and skill guiding it. Corwin was not the Captain, and he had neither the Captain's luck nor his skill, but he did have persistance. The Captain was on that planet below, and he had orders from the Resistance Government to claim it. Corwin would rather space himself than be the cause of the Captain's failure. Assuming he had a choice of course. -------------------- Captain Sheridan meanwhile was having problems of his own... The ground was shaking beneath his feet. Sheridan wasn't sure of the specifics, but both Zathras and his almost identical companion had stated that as Varn died, the Machine died with him. It needed a controller to keep the Machine and the planet - if there was a difference between the two - in stable condition. With Varn's obvious ill health, the planet was in anything but stable condition and the Machine was automatically reacting to anything it perceived as a threat. Such as the two ships currently in orbit. Sheridan had heard a Minbari message to the effect that a missile had been fired at their ship. They assumed it was from the Babylon, whereas it was really from the Machine. The Minbari either didn't know this, or didn't care. Under other circumstances, Sheridan might have been able to intervene, but he currently had his hands full. The Minbari captain lunged at him with the pike, swinging it at Sheridan's head. He managed to duck and leap backwards, having to avoid both the pike and the falling rocks and shaking ground. Sheridan had fought hand to hand against Minbari a number of times. The last such occasion had left him with a massive headache and a one-way journey to Minbar in chains. He'd learnt a bit since that occasion. Rule 1) Minbari were faster than he was, much faster. They were also stronger, and could wield those bloody heavy pikes like they were made out of air. Stay out the way where possible. Rule 2) If you could blast them from a distance, do so. It wasn't fair, but nothing about this war was fair. Sheridan was doing his hardest to obey Rule 1, and trying to follow Rule 2, but he spent too much time trying to regain his balance that he had little time to draw and aim his PPG, and he knew he would only have on chance to use it. "G'Kar!" he cried out. "Give me a hand here, for God's sake!" Sheridan wasn't certain if the Narn heard him or not. If G'Kar did hear, he made no sign, and left Sheridan to the fight alone. --------------------- Lyta Alexander had not slept well in months. Of course, a full, dreamless night's sleep was the preogative of someone who hadn't lost everything they'd ever had with Earth, but this was different. These weren't nightmares about Earth burning, or people dying, or the Minbari. These were... these were strange dreams. Very strange dreams. It was just a voice. A singing symphony that was many voices rolled into one. A voice that asked just one question over and over again. "Who are you?" It sung in her dreams, it sounded in her thoughts. Sometimes she heard it when she was awake, or working. She had had to work less with commercial Narn traders because she kept hearing the voice whenever she scanned anyone's mind. There had been little official work to keep her busy ever since Captain Sheridan had taken away Satai Delenn - and Lyta was glad. Scanning Delenn had been the most brutal and traumatic experience she had ever suffered. All of this left Lyta alone, alone with the voice that sang and asked a question she couldn't answer. And it was when she was alone that she heard it louder. Was that why she had taken to pursuing Marcus? She wasn't sure if he was interested in her the way she was interested in him. (God, those eyes! she thought to bring her comfort in her dream.) But she chased him anyway, because she couldn't bear to be alone. She pressed herself to him, moving their relationship at a pace she knew he wasn't comfortable with, but that she continued anyway. When he was here, she spent every moment she could with him, hoping to drown out the voice with his nearness. She knew that he had duties as Captain Sheridan's bodyguard, but she needed to be with him anyway. When he was not here, she drank, hoping to push herself so far that she did not hear the voice. Narn liquor was probably the easiest thing to find on Proxima. There were many who sought to lose themselves and their memories in drink. Lyta had few friends to be concerned about her, but Marcus didn't like her drinking. He had drunk himself once, and he was clearly afraid of her becoming what he had been. She was afraid too, but she never drunk around him. It hurt him, and besides, his presence was enough to drown out the voice. But now Marcus was gone, left Proxima with Captain Sheridan on some mission a few days ago. He was in danger now. She could feel it. She didn't know exactly what, but she could feel his danger. She had been inside his mind so often - usually without his knowledge or permission - that her thoughts had become aligned to his. She could feel his heart beating faster, and thoughts of terror rising. She wanted to be with him... she wanted... But not where Sheridan was. She had scanned him once, out of curiosity, and she had been terrified by the sheer anger within him. Sheridan was, inside, already dead. His body just hadn't noticed yet. Lyta was afraid that Sheridan's death wish would lead him into a situation from which he would not return, and that Marcus would go, willingly, with him. *"Who are you?"* *"I don't know!"* she screamed in reply. *"Leave me alone! Who are you? What do you want?"* Pain again. She should have remembered. Never ask that question. Never. *"I'm sorry,"* she breathed. *"I'm sorry... I don't understand."* *"Understanding is a three edged sword. Wake!"* *"What?"* *"They are here. Wake!"* Screaming, she came awake, although that gave her no succour from the voice. She could feel something, something outside, not far away. It was moving and watching her. Her heart began to beat faster. She heard a buzzing, crackling sound. The owner of the voice in her mind was angry. Lyta felt her mouth opened, but the words that came forth were not from her voice. *"Go! They are not for you! Leave this place! No!"* The crackling faded and Lyta slummed back on the bed, too tired, too exhausted, too afraid to even think. Her whole body was covered with sweat, and every muscle ached. Lyta Alexander got no more sleep that night, but that did not mean she did not dream. -------------------- "Lyta?" Marcus Cole spoke her name slowly, reverently. He didn't understand why. Lyta was back on Proxima, surely. She was safe. She couldn't be in a Starfury staring at a huge Minbari cruiser. "Are you all right, Marcus?" came a voice over the comm system. It was Lieutenant Neeoma Connally, leader of StarFury Squadron Alpha. "Never been in battle before, eh?" "Er... no. Not like this." "Don't worry. You'll be fine. That ship's a lot bigger than we are. Easier to hit, you see." "What about their flyers? There's more of them." "Exactly, makes them easier to hit too." "Somewhat optimistic, aren't you? Just like... Katherine." "I'm sorry?" "Nothing. not important." Marcus was supposed to be Captain Sheridan's bodyguard. He should be where the Captain was. He was not a StarFury pilot. But no, the Captain had gone down to the planet without him, and now Marcus was flying a Starfury he had only had thirty or so hours practice in, up against the pride of the Minbari fleet. Katherine would have told him he was being too pessimistic, but Katherine was gone, died in the inferno that had engulfed Vega 7. She was dead, and he had never told her how much he cared. How could he? She had been his brother's wife. And his brother was dead too. And now Marcus was staring at the beings he held responsible. In this pit of his mind, he knew that it wasn't the Minbari who had destroyed the Vega 7 colony. He remembered the black ship rising from beneath the ground, and he remembered the other ship that had come to collect it. But those ships weren't here, and the Minbari were. "Fire at will," came Neeoma's voice again. "Oh, and stay alive, won't you?" It was advice Marcus intended to keep, but he doubted anyone would care if he didn't. --------------------- G'Kar raised his head and met the eyes of the Minbari who knelt opposite him over Varn's dying body. The Minbari - Draal - met his eyes and nodded slowly. Whichever one the Machine deemed fit would inherit it. There was no room for matters of race here. Narn. Minbari. Warrior. Teacher. None of it mattered. The Machine was all. "The... Machine... will tell you everything... you need," Varn rasped. "Much of it... instinctive... but it will take... time... to learn. You must be... strong... be... ready... be... ah." "Hurry!" Zathras said. "Machine is failing and Varn is dying. Yes, not good." "No no," said Mathras. "Varn is dying and Machine is failing. You always get wrong. One of you must replace Varn, yes. Stabilise the Machine, and..." There was a PPG blast and Mathras started. He raised his head, and G'Kar knew he could see Sheridan and Kalain still fighting. "No no!" Mathras was saying. "Must not fight! Not here! Not now! This not place for fightings, no!" "Not work," Zathras replied. "Many years of hate not washed out by your words. Enter the Machine, stabilise the planet, and then stop them fighting." G'Kar looked at Draal. The old Minbari understood. He felt a calling towards the Machine. He felt, in his heart that he was right. G'Kar nodded and then bowed his head. Draal rose to his feet, and staggered forward. His movements were slow, and the ground was shaking more and more all the time. Zathras had headed off after Draal, pointing out bits of the Machine to Draal, while G'Kar and Mathras remained beside the dying Varn. G'Kar held no regrets. This was to be a fortress of light. There were few enough places like that. Besides, G'Kar was needed back in G'Khorazhar, with his agents, his Rangers. The Enemy had to be fought. G'Kar looked up at Draal settled next to the socket which had held Varn. At Zathras' directions, he was about to step into the Machine... There was a noise and a light and a motion all in one as a PPG blast hit Draal squarely in his back. The Minbari slumped forward. Zathras tried to catch him, but G'Kar could see that it was pointless. Draal was either dead, or dying. The whole planet shook, as if mourning one who would have been its custodian. -------------------- It had taken Susan Ivanova three corridors and two rests before she stopped shaking. She knew that her fear was pointless, and she knew that she had a task to perform, but she could only remembered the voice that had spoken to her, a voice that knew exactly what she was, and who she represented. Even her allies seemed affected by that voice, leaving her alone for the first time in years, and leaving her afraid. Why was she even there? Her mission tonight didn't even involve Lyta. Was this some perverse self-punishment, or a chance for her to overcome her greatest fear? If it was, it didn't work. She was even more afraid now than she had been before. "Yes, I know," she whispered. "I know." Her allies were speaking to her. They were angry. She had jeopardised their secret. There was an enemy here. "I'll deal with her," Ivanova said. "Please. Trust me." And now back to the true purpose of the night. Ivanova knew where she had to go, and her little detour to watch Miss Alexander had not cost her much time. Her allies had been very generous with their cloaking technology, and so none of the Security guards had seen her as she had crept past them. As far as anyone was concerned, she was asleep in her room. Vice President Morgan Clark certainly thought so. He was very surprised when she woke him. "Lights," he muttered. She shed her cloaking equipment and stood there at the edge of his bed watching as the fog of sleep was replaced by growing comprehension in his eyes. He was alone. His wife had been killed on Mars, and he had not remarried. "Young lady, what are you doing here?" he asked. "I'm..." Young lady? She wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or patronised. "You're very valuable to my friends, Vice President," she said. "You're ambitious and you're immoral. We like qualities like that. You can go far, and you will. With our help." "What? What do you mean?" "What do you want, Vice President? What do you want?" "What do you mean? How did you get past the guards?" "That's my concern. Well? Oh, there's no need to answer. I know what you want. You want power. You want humanity back to their rightful place. You want to be the architect of humanity's restoration. We admire desires like that. You can be a great help to us, Vice President, and as a reward, I'm going to let you see my friends." She could see his eyes widen as the two Shadows by her side came into view. He was gasping, unable to find anything to say... "And we have a little gift for you." Susan opened her hands. The Keeper's eye opened. ------------------- Sheridan wasn't sure what had happened. He had managed to draw his weapon at last, and had been accurate enough to keep Kalain at a distance. The ground was unstable, and he hadn't yet hit his opponent. Then the ground had shaken again, and Kalain was the one who had fallen off balance this time. Sheridan had steadied himself, and aimed... ... and the ground had shook. He had fallen to the side as he fired. His shot missed Kalain easily, and had torn into Draal. Kalain had noticed this and simply looked at Draal for a minute. Sheridan was too stunned to fire. And then Kalain turned his attention back to Sheridan. He charged. ----------------------- Marcus had ceased thinking by this stage. His sole concern was on the ship that loomed up before him, huge and beautiful and deadly all at the same time. His sole concern was avoiding its fire, and in hitting it, no matter how weakly. At least he could do something. But no. He couldn't even do that. "Marcus! Look out!" screamed Neeoma's voice. He started, and a Minbari flyer fell directly into his view. It fired, and tore into his engines. He started and tried to respond, but all his shots were inaccurate, or weak, or ineffectual. "Eject!" Neeoma cried. "Marcus, eject!" Back on Proxima 3, Lyta Alexander screamed his name. ----------------------- G'Kar looked at Draal's body, and then at varn. "Go..." the dying alien whispered. "Go..." "You heard," said Mathras. "Go to Machine. Take Machine. Is yours now. Yours! Go!" G'Kar understood. Then this was to be his destiny. He rose, and ran towards the Heart of the Machine. The whole planet was unstable. It needed a guardian. It needed him. Zathras showed him how to fix himself into the heart. G'Kar whispered a prayer to G'Quan as he did so.... And the Machine welcomed him. -------------------- The first Sheridan knew of it was when the planet stopped shaking. The second was when he was thrown to the ground by a force he didn't see. His PPG was wrenched from him. He groaned as he hit the ground, and he looked up. Kalain was similarly felled, his own weapon far away. And then Sheridan turned to the Heart of the Machine. "There will be no fighting here," G'Kar said. "I have stopped you, and I have stopped your ships. This place is to be a sanctuary from the Darkness that is coming. There is to be no violence here. This is a place of Light. "Each of you has the potential to be a soldier of Light. When you realise this, return here, and swear yourselves to the Army of Light. For now, go and do not return under you are ready." Sheridan and Kalain were about to protest, when G'Kar cut them off. "Go! Or I will destroy your ships, and you." Kalain looked at Sheridan. "I will see you dead, StarKiller." "Tell Sinoval I'm waiting for another meeting. Make an appointment with him, won't you?" Kalain snarled and left, retrieving his weapon as he did so. Sheridan picked up his own PPG, but instead of making his way back to the shuttle, he went to Draal's body, and closed the Minbari's eyes slowly. "Minbari do not do that to their dead," G'Kar said. "I know, but Kalain seemed to have forgotten him." "He will be cremated here. He was nearly a part of this Machine, after all. His own people seem to have forsaken him, but we will not." "I'm... sorry. I didn't mean to." "Then tell that to Delenn. She knew him, and she loved him. Tell her you are sorry. Not me." Sheridan looked at G'Kar and then bowed his head. He left, returning to his shuttle. He missed seeing G'Kar look around in awe and terror. "Blessed G'Quan," he breathed. "Have I done the right thing?" "Of course," replied Zathras. "Of course. We will teach you how to use the Machine, and you will use it. A fortress of light. All alone in the night, but at least there is one hope now." "I suppose so. I will have to contact Neroon and Ta'lon. Our previous fortress was destroyed. We have a new one now." "Good good. Yes, very good. Sometimes, things do work out right." "Not for all of us." Zathras shared G'Kar's gaze at Draal. "No. No, not for all, but sometimes, for some, things go right. What more is there?" G'Kar suddenly started. He didn't know quite what, but he knew that something was wrong. But... "Don't worry," Zathras said. "Not for us to interfere. Is destiny, yes. We were not involved then, we cannot be involved now." "But..." G'Kar suddenly realised. "I did this. The Machine did. Or... I will do this?" Zathras smiled. -------------------- Sheridan had returned to the Babylon, and had listened as Corwin had listed the four dead in the battle, and the damage to the hull and other systems. The Great Machine had launched a number of missiles to keep the two ships from destroying each other, and one of those missiles had done some damage to the jump engines. Once more the Babylon had survived, but there was always a cost. Marcus had been quite badly hurt when his Starfury had been destroyed, but he had been recovered and taken to MedLab. Doctor Kyle said he only needed rest. Sheridan had hardly noticed any of this. He had simply asked Satai Delenn to meet him on the observation deck. He had looked at the planet sadly, and had watched as the Trigati left. Another enemy made, another death at his hands, four more of his crew gone. He hadn't completed his mission either. Euphrates did not belong to the Earth Alliance. It had been taken by a Narn to use in fighting an Enemy who was in all likelihood the very same allies who were bringing hope to the Earth Alliance. Sheridan would catch more trouble from the Resistance Government for this, but he didn't care. Them he could deal with. He didn't think he could cope with telling Delenn how he had killed her friend. But he had learned how to do what was difficult, and when she had arrived, two Security guards flanking her, he had looked at her, and slowly, methodically, relayed the details of Draal's death. She had bowed her head, and been unable to speak for a while, and when she did, she said; "I knew. Somehow I knew it when he died. He was all that remained of my father." "I... aw hell. I'm sorry. It was... an accident." "I do not blame you, Captain. Nor do I blame Kalain, nor G'Kar. It simply was, but that does not make it harder to bear. I... I will see him again when my soul is reborn, or when I pass beyond the veil, but for now... It seems that everyone I have ever loved is lost to me. My father, Dukhat, Neroon, Mayan, and now Draal. I am alone." Sheridan could not find anything to say. He simply turned and looked out at the planet below. It seemed so peaceful now, so tranquil. An unlikely place for a new fortress of Light. "He is down here?" she said. He nodded. "And he died trying to serve?" Another nod. "He would have sacrificed himself for others?" Nod. "Then he would have died happy. I am pleased for him." Sheridan looked at her, and met her eyes. She met his in turn, and there was silence, as the two spoke without words. And then Fate intervened. The whole ship lurched. Sheridan fell back against the wall, while Delenn steadied herself against the plastic. Sheridan activated his Link. "Corwin, what the Hell's happening? Are we under attack?" "No, sir. Tachyon emissions. They've gone up through the roof. God knows what... my God!" "Corwin, what?" And then Sheridan saw it too. Appearing from nowhere in front of him, directly in his view. And he recognised it. And he wasn't the only one. "Blessed Valen!" Delenn breathed. "That's impossible!" She turned to him. "You recognise it?" "Yeah," he said. "That's Babylon 4." Next: "The Shadow of Her Past, The Illusion of His Future" I'll give you three guesses what it's about. (And the first two don't count.) In about a week.