"Now you understand the initial movements. The next twelve months were, to us, as moments of twilight in an ocean of darkness..."
* * *
Mid March, 2266.
On the world named, by some, Sanctuary, the technomage known as Galen stood, as he had ever been, alone. This was not the first time this had been the case, and it would, if all went as he believed, certainly not be the last. And then, a movement alerted him to the fact that the One who had agreed to meet with him had arrived.
"Galen. I have come, as you requested...ask your question."
"Damane. Is it true?"
"Yes...it is."
"I must know everything about this matter." Galen paused contemplatively for a moment, evaluating the other's expression. "And while I understand that this does not please you...ask I must, for it is necessary."
The human, one of those who had left Babylon 5 with a Vindrizi within him, three years previously, nodded at this, and passed a message crystal to the Technomage. "We understand the need...but we do not have to like the reason. We have decided to help you...*this* time, for we remember the bargain your kind and ours made, thousands of years ago. You would, however, be wise NOT to press us too closely, in the future...we do not like to be used in such a fashion."
Galen half-bowed, his expression solemn. "I understand, Damane...more then you can possibly know. But this is a necessary evil; if the need had not been so certain, I would never have approached your kind for this information.
However, time is running out, and soon enough, I must put even this matter aside, for a time, and deal with a far more...*critical* issue."
"That is for you to decide." Damane replied, his expression cold. "Now, we shall take our leave of you *and* your world, Technomage. We have fulfilled the bargain; the rest is up to you."
Galen nodded, and once more faced into the fire, his own purpose clear.
It was time to cast the spell...
* * *
The world named Talangahta IV...on the Rim of known space.
There was, upon the face of the universe, at the edge of the part of the galaxy known to Mankind, one part of a group of refugees from chaos, who named themselves Z'shailyl. Their former Masters, known to most of the younger races as the SHADOWS, had long since been banished from this wheel of stars by the Younger Races...and the Z'shailyl had made a choice, a terribly practical choice, when they had turned aside from the rest, turned away, essentially, from the Path, and gone their own way. This, as the remnants of what had once been called, by some, the Dark Circle, had left Z'ha'dum's funeral pyre behind.
It had not, apparently, been the correct one for them to make.
Their faces bitter and fearful, the Z'shailyl Elders sat at table, and discussed what had come to pass...something terrible, something they had *never* thought to see again, in their lifetimes. They had come to Talangahta IV, believing that there was a way, now that the Masters were gone, for them to start making a new life for themselves, for their families...their young ones.
That hope had been shattered; the previous day, a mighty fleet had appeared in their skies, a fleet controlled by those who had once stood above them in the Circle; the ones who named themselves...Drakh. And behind that fleet, its blackness covering half the sky, had come a planet destroyer, one of the greatest, and by far the *deadliest* of weapons their former Masters had created. A weapon they had also never thought to see again...for it *frightened* them, as it never had before.
And the Drakh had sent an ultimatum; the Drakh knew that the Z'shailyl had turned from the Path, and while the Drakh understood the reason they had done it, and why, the Drakh had decided that the time was now coming when such a thing could no longer be allowed. The High Drakh had decided that all members of the former Circle who could be found were to return to the Path at once...and in return, the Drakh would have mercy on them, and forget what it was that they had done.
But...if these 'refugees' decided that the Drakh's wise *suggestion* should not be taken literally? Well, it would then be obvious what was needed...that a lesson would need to be given, to ensure that the remainder of the refugees would willingly step into line. The Drakh had decided to be explicit as to how this would be brought about...their other servants had found, and reactivated the planetkiller for them...eventually, there would have to be a test, after all...
"So..." the Eldest stated, his face grim, as he turned his gaze upon the others around the black table. "Our choices are clear-cut; either we return to the Path, or we, and our kind, all but cease to exist as a race. I have decided, after consulting with you, that we shall...accede to the Drakh demands. If we wish to survive, we have *no* other choice."
The Eldest knew, of course, tha there was one among them, Moreil by name, who would not accept this decision...could not, and had argued this point since the Drakh's arrival at their new home...and now, Moreil stood, to make his point FINAL. "This is *intolerable*, Most High! The Drakh, the race we once worked with, were closer to the Masters then the rest of us...and were the first to make the Great Pact with the Dark Ones. But they are not them! This demand of theirs...it cannot be borne!"
"We must bear it, Moreil!" the Eldest sternly replied. "The Drakh, those we worked beside beneath the Dark Ones, have never been known to bluff. If we refuse to accept their demands, they will destroy us!"
"Then LET them destroy us!" was Moreil’s reply . "They are pretenders to the throne of chaos the Dark Ones left behind them...they do not deserve our servitude!"
The Eldest shook his head, sadly. "The decision is made, Moreil...it cannot be undone. You have to understand, also, that we cannot have you among us, disrupting what is. You will leave us, Moreil...NOW. From this time forward, you shall be shunned by the rest of the Z'shailyl; this is something that you have brought upon yourself by the choices you have made. We are sorry...*I* am sorry, Moreil. But as things stand, there was nothing else we could do for you."
"So *be* it." Moreil snarled, as he strode out of the chamber, a specter of red and black in his robes. "I fear that we will not speak to one another again this side of the Veil...Eldest. By the Darkness, it is sworn." And with that dire pronouncement, Moreil left them to their thoughts...and their despair.
"It had to be done, Eldest." another of the Elders stated, a moment later. There was nothing else we could do! The Race must be preserved!"
"Yes..." the Eldest muttered...but then, is was as if the shadow of death passed across the table, and the Eldest looked up, to meet the unflinching gaze of the Drakh emissary who had come upon them, before.
"*You have...decided. Wisely, I hope?*"
"We have." The Eldest replied, knowing, in his heart, that what he did was for the best. It *had* to be for the best. "You may tell your Masters that, save for one who is now lost to us, forever...
We are theirs to command."
* * *
White Star Four.
All alone in her quarters, Julia stared intently into the candle, and thought about what had happened over the last half year. Back in Tuzanor, Sheynell was well along her path to becoming a Ranger, not that this was at all a surprise to anyone involved with the matter. Her training as a member of the Psi Corps had already given her a disciplined mind; this, combined with her *need* to follow in Brianna Tolmanes' footsteps, had made the rest far easier.
She smiled wryly, then; the most difficult thing, in fact, for Sheynell to accept had been the necessity to unlearn some of what she had previously learned. But Sech Turval, Jennifer and the others would ensure that this would come to pass...she *knew* that they would.
And because this was so, two months previously, she had returned to her duties beneath the Sha'vei, her tasks in Tuzanor for the moment, complete. Although, quite certainly, that Brakiri Ranger, Klairika Alidiae, would be someone she would find a reason to talk to again, as soon as possible. Klairika had *such* a fascinating personality; what little time they had spent together let her believe that there was even a possibility they might become friends, eventually.
Suddenly, she yawned; it seemed clear that she had been up for far too long, already. With a deep sigh, Julia slowly laid down on her bed, which was inclined, as was proper, in the Minbari fashion. She smiled, at that thought; it had taken her far longer then it should have, for her to accept *that* ritual...but she had, in the end, understood the reasoning behind it. The room shimmered around her, and she blinked, and rubbed her eyes; in Valen's Name, she hadn't thought she was this tired!
"The'kash shau'ray..." she whispered, and within a moment, the White Star's main computer had complied with her request, as the lights in her quarters faded to low, leaving the candle to dominate the room with its slow, pulsating...rhythym...
She blinked...
...And rose to her feet in astonishment. If *this* was a dream, it was absolutely the clearest dream she had ever experienced! All around her, the darkness was paramount...there was evidence of great trees beyond the circle of light...while overhead, two moons lit the sky, together with the uncounted fires of the night that filled the skies over this impossible place.
"Not a dream..." a voice pronounced, and she whirled, to see a fire...and around it, a great ring of dark stones, and the figure, robed all in black, who had spoken to her. "Not...entirely; it's been a very long time since I've cast an incantation quite like that one, but I've noticed, over the time I've been watching you, that you seem to have an *obsession* with candles, of all kinds, and shapes...it seemed to be the easiest way to summon you here."
"What?...who are you? And why..."
"Are you here?" the robed figure replied, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Now that is the question, isn't it? And as to who, and what *I* am, well, that is something I will have to tell you eventually; it may as well be now, Ranger...although you may already be far more then that...as you will soon learn.
I am named Galen...and my order, as you will understand from the tales your former mistress has woven for you over the years, was most responsible for starting her and her husband, the man you think of as Rimstalker, on their travels..."
Of *course*. "You're a Technomage!"
Galen nodded. "Astute...but you've *always* been astute, haven't you? And as your wisdom has grown, through the Fire, through the Storm, that quality has grown. You are correct...but come. I did not bring you here to discuss matters such as these; there are greater things for us to worry about...and darker. I must tell you, even if you do not wish to hear it, that your life is about to change, and quite possibly, for the worse.
Attend!..." Galen commanded, his gaze intent. "There are things my Order knows that many others do not. We have walked between the stars for longer then I know, or *you* can understand, and we know many things. And one of the things we know is this: eons ago, as the great Shadow Wars began to wreak their havoc upon this galaxy, there existed a race named the Ch'akra..."
"Then they were..."
"First Ones...yes." Galen's mouth twisted ironically. "Before they transcended and passed beyond the Rim, they endured a period in which they gained the dubious ability to see things which *might* yet be. The Ch'akra did not consider this a gift...but a burden instead...but they were diligent about the matter, and wrote down all they could see, and some of what they saw was good.
They saw, for instance, that there might eventually come a time when the *One* would stride forth and end the Shadow Wars...forever. As you know, Julia Tikopai, this time has now passed us by. And if we are to believe the Ch'akra, this passage has set other events in motion...great and *terrible* events, some of which we must work to prevent. For their prophets said the following: that a Great Sacrifice might be necessary, if all were to be saved. And that the Sacrifice would be guided by a child who is many things...and none, at the same time."
"Now *wait* a minute!... you can't mean...you can't be trying to say..."
"I am...and I do." Galen snapped. "Do not interrupt! As I was saying...a child who is many things, and none. A Watcher. A Warrior. A Seeker of truths. The one who is *Promised*, beneath the Stars and within the Flame of the Dark!...to save all, through the Sacrifice she will make.
I believe that you are this child...a Promise of the future yet to be...or, if things go badly, perhaps instead, a damnation to us all. Like so many others in this time, you may be the pin on which destinies turn...and only *you* will know which way is the right one, when the time comes."
"In Valen's Name..." she whispered, half in shock, half in horror. "And I'm supposed to believe your claim that a race now passed...beyond...saw *this*? Was able to predict my birth, and my fate, from what, a million years in the past?"
"*You* will have to decide the answer to that question yourself..." Galen replied matter-of-factly. "I am only the Messenger. Although, I believe, from time to time, if you do make the right choices, there may be more...Messages that I can relay to you." Galen thought about the matter for a moment, and then said one last thing: "Though this aid will come only in a place, and time, of my own choosing. For now, I can tell you no more; the time for this meeting has come to an END."
"Wait!..."
"*Sleep*." Galen commanded, his gaze bright, and focused.
Julia slept.
* * *
For all of thirty seconds, or so...and then she arose into consciousness, her scream loud enough to wake the dead, themselves.
There was a moment of confusion in the passageway outside, and then Larieken burst through the door, his expression one of alarm. "Julia! Are you...well?"
"I..." She paused, then...what exactly, could she say about what had just happened? "A nightmare, Larieken...I think...I *hope*, it was just a nightmare."
The Minbari paused for a moment, looked at her closely, and then nodded, if a bit irritably. "I *see*. Perhaps, then, you can, in the future, refrain from screaming in the middle of the night? Then, I will not have to do this again..."
She laughed, and even if the laugh was a little bit forced, it was a genuine one. "Heard and understood, friend...now, go back to your own rest, Larieken; I'll be fine...really!"
"It shall...be as you say, Julia." Larieken bowed to her, then, a bow she half-returned, and then he was gone, leaving her alone with her memories of what had happened in the Dream...and her fears. Because, if what if what that impossible Technomage, Galen, had told her *was* true...there would be more nightmares coming into her sleep, soon enough.
* * *
Personal Log of Anla'shok Larieken...
Several standard months have now passed since what I must consider to be a determining moment in the career of the Ranger I have sworn to protect even unto death. Something is worrying Julia, and I do not know what that something is...though the longer this goes on, the more I wonder what it is all about, since every time I have asked her about it recently, she shuts herself behind a shell, and will say no more. It seems *clear*, however, that she is more worried about the future then she was...but while this may be true, she approaches her duties as Anla'shok with even greater zeal then before the night I awoke, to hear her screams.
It is a curiousity. It is a question that must be answered. And eventually, I will find the answer to that question.
By Valen, I swear this to be true.
* * *
Mid June, 2266...Primary Ranger Training Facility, Tuzanor, Minbar.
The heat of the morning was beginning to make itself felt, now, but Sheynell ignored that heat. She knew that everyone who had helped her to reach this goal was watching the Ceremony unfold...Julia, her comrades Larieken and Klairika Alidiae, and others. She *suspected* that Veyshahk was also out there, somewhere, watching as well. The heat was unimporant...for the vows she was making were even more important then the vows she had once held, in service to the Corps.
And all too distantly, she heard herself say the final sentence..."We live for the One...we die for the One." And as hundreds of Rangers before her had wondered, over the last few years, exactly who *was* this 'One'? An interesting question, a question that no Minbari she knew in this place would give her an answer for.
She rose to her feet, then, and moved to join the circle of Rangers around Julia, now that the final Ceremony was complete. "Anla'shok Tikopai; what an astonishing coincidence it is to find you here, this day!"
Julia smiled a calculating smile, in response. "Anla'shok Keynes...as we have learned, there are never coincidences. The Universe knew what it was doing, when we first met on Babylon 5...and this, of course, would be the *end* result of that meeting."
"That would be, I assume, a Minbari belief?"
"In part..." Larieken interjected, "You are correct. Although, I am afraid, Sheynell Keynes, that it goes on from there...for some time. Perhaps when next we meet, I will have time to explain it all to you."
"But that time, as we all understand..." Klairika cautioned from behind, a smile on her face, "Is not now, Larieken! Our duties within the Fleet call us onwards, and there is no time to waste on, shall we say, *idle* discussion."
"You just had to remind me about that part, now didn't you?"
"You have nothing to fear, Sheynell. Val'na Montoya is respectful, for a human...you will do well serving beneath him. And, more importantly, this service will allow you an opportunity to practice the tactical skills you learned in the Psi Corps in a different, and also, a *better* environment."
"Well said, Larieken!...I couldn't have said it better, myself."
"So...when you believe we'll next see one another?" she asked. "Could be a while, couldn’t it?"
"Indeed..." Julia muttered. "As long as The Telepath War continues back home, the Sha'vei will probably keep us on full alert. And afterwards, who knows what may happen next?"
Before they left one another's company, however, Sheynell could feel, at the top of Julia's mind, a pool of dark worry and uncertainty. She seemed to know *something*... something she was hiding, deep inside, where only a deep scan could pull it out...but Sheynell was going to be polite about this for the time being. When her new friend was ready to tell her, was ready to tell them all what she knew, or suspected...then they would know.
And not a moment before.
* * *
Elsewhere...
"You may be interested to hear of this."
"Ah...this is about Dasouri, is it?"
"Of course it is! During the course of his training, we were able to determine that Dasouri was, to our great surprise, a star pilot of notable character and disposition. As such, the Council has decreed that he shall be trained as a flight control officer..."
"For a White Star?"
"Exactly." came the droll reply.
"Astonishing...I would not have believed him capable of such a feat..."
"Dasouri has surprised us already, my friend; I do not doubt there may be more shocking discoveries ahead of us with that Drazi, if only we know how to look, and what to look *for*..."
"Ah well, in any case, from what we now know of him, there is little doubt he will do well in his coming duties."
"Very true...now come! The day is wearing on, and there is still *much* for us to do, before the shadows come upon this place."
A regretful nod. "Such are the trials of life."
* * *
And Elsewhen...in passing...
"High Councillor."
"Mr. President."
"And how is the matter we've decided to set in motion progressing?"
"Finer then I might have believed, the last time we discussed this matter. Give me nine more months, and I think we'll be ready to finally move on this..."
* * *
Unfortunately, the Drakh decided not to give us that much time, and all things considered, I *should* have worried more then I did...tried to find out the answers to the questions, and revelations, that Galen had posed, that fateful night. But duty called, and the months flew by...months in which we moved on, hoping that the worst was now over...
Months in which Sheynell allowed herself to relax into her new tasks, now that the Telepath Crisis was over...the Psi Corps, her dark nemesis, dissolved. Months in which we allowed ourselves to hope that things might go on as they were, for just a little while longer.
We should have known better, of course. And it was only chance that allowed the completion of the EXCALIBUR and VICTORY, in time to meet the enemy's first, fateful move.
And with that move, the future that Galen had predicted, a prophecy that had waited a million years for my birth, began to come to pass...