There is an old saying that certain members of the human race have used for centuries, passing down the wisdom of those words from father to son for as long as any can remember -- that home is where the heart is. For many of us, that means Earth... a home poisoned by the Drakh Plague, a world containing a valley my family has called home for generations... a place I may yet return to if the mission we share with the crew of the *Excalibur* succeeds.
A place I have not seen in seven years, now.
Now, consider the Drakh -- our enemies, the race we have joined in battle with on more than one occasion in the last eight months. As many have surmised and a few understand, the Drakh once lived at the feet of their masters on the world named Z'ha'dum... a world torn to shreds at the end of the war that banished those masters forever. And now, the Drakh wander amongst the stars homeless, their need for revenge forever unquenched.
And therein lies our problem -- therein lies the reason that only one side in this conflict may survive what lies ahead. It has also been said on occasion that to defeat one's enemy, one must understand him. The question is... is it even possible for us to understand a species that has no home... a species that has sworn to destroy my people, if we do not destroy them first?
* * *
Sector 800, 21x14x47 -- August 22nd, 2267, human reckoning.
Primary Drakh rendezvous point.
"You have failed us." the Sha'drakh named Uneenvaz icily whispered, as he and the rest of the Council of Return gazed down upon the Vekh'shivaht who had volunteered to lead the search for the missing Zha'vanare named Palakz, as well as those who followed him, many days before. "Explain this to us, you will."
"Failed, you say..." the warrior captain bitterly replied, as he met the gaze of the Drakh elders glare for glare. "Forgive me for these words... but I would *disagree*. All of us know and understand the risks that were taken when we cast La'skaa and his order of battle against the human daggership... while *all* of us have heard the claims of the Zha'vanare, of his apparent need to track down the enemy vessel he names 'Adversary', and destroy it..."
"A vessel whose crew may have destroyed the warships commanded by La'skaa and A'aveilz..."
"And perhaps the Zha'vanare's, as well. Long and hard we have searched for Palakz and his missing warriors... to no avail. I would suggest that he and his followers were destroyed, as well..."
"Failed, they said." another voice spoke from out of the darkness, a voice dripping with menace and sharp as a blade. The Vekh'shivalht stiffened as another member of his race stepped out of that darkness, a Meris'shaal, she was -- dark of skin and sharp of claw, a member of the clan who had once, long ago and far away from this place, served the Ancient Masters as *deinarakh* and *meizhal*... that time, however, had now passed, and while the Meris'shaal were not as common as once they had been, this one's name was well known -- one of few deinarakh who had survived the assault that the human named Sheridan had conducted upon the Master's greatest, and final, city -- the human who was now the leader of the Interstellar Alliance. "The claim was accurate, if *that* is what you believe."
"And you think you can do better... za-deinarakh Mei'riki?" the Vekh'shivalht replied, his words twisting the once honorary title into something contemptous.
"With certainty." Mei'riki whispered, as she turned to face the waiting elders above. "You will allow me to make an observation at this juncture?" Uneenvaz nodded. "As all know, Palakz and his order are Zha'vanare, one and all... as such, he and the crews of his warships are, if they should wish it, able to *hide* themselves from the Entire at their leisure..."
"Hide?" another councillor hissed. "What you describe, za-deinarakh, is an attitude unknown to our race..."
"How *low* we have sunk, if that is what you believe!" Mei'riki suddenly snarled, her voice full of venom. "Palakz is the leader *they* have been waiting for since long before the Minbari and humans drove the Masters beyond the galactic rim -- the Drakh who will, they believe, guide the Zha'vanare to a greater and better destiny, beyond the call of the Entire."
"This cannot be allowed!" the councillor replied. "If the humans learn of this..."
"Fear not." Mei'riki said, her tone suddenly companiable. "All is not yet lost. And while this one believes Palakz to be dead, I know better. I have known him from since before we were both summoned to Z'ha'dum to serve at the feet of our Masters... and I will find him, if alive he is."
"We hold you to this promise." Uneenvaz declared, his leathery face stern. "For if you should fail us, as well..."
"I shall either return with him," Mei'riki replied, "Or not. And if not..." The meaning was obvious to all present in the chamber -- the only reason deinarakh failed in their missions was if their targets managed to kill them during the course of the operation... and this outcome had only happened twice in the order's long history.
"Unlikely, that is." the elder allowed. "You will return him to us, Mei'riki -- alive, if possible." The hunter nodded, and without further word, melted back into the shadows. While the Vekh'shivalht listened to the Entire whisper the conclusion to that sentence even as he waited to learn of his own fate.
<And dead... if not.>
* * *
ISAS 'Shard of Night' -- on patrol near the Hyades Cluster. 00:01 hrs, EST -- August 23rd, 2267.
In the darkness, the chimes rang out the midnight hour as Julia meditated in front of her candles, her latest book of Observance laid carefully nearby. All was... for a wonder, quiet for the time being -- Captain Gideon and his crew were busy investigating an ancient colony world on the fringes of the nearby Hyades... while the Drakh and the other threats facing the *Excalibur* and her crew were posing no problems, at least for now. It was an extraordinary feeling, actually, after the multiple crises that had faced them during the last few months, for things to be as quiet as they were. As well as almost...
Darkness claimed her, then -- and after a moment, Julia rose to her feet as a faint frown came onto her face. Where she now was was *not* where she had been a moment ago, and that usually meant...
"Good evening." a voice announced from behind her. "Or, I suppose, it's morning where you are now."
"Galen." she muttered, even as she wrapped her black robe more tightly around herself and turned to face the equally dark-clothed Technomage. "It's been some time since you've 'visited' -- been busy, have you?"
"Ah... but that depends on how one defines 'busy', now doesn't it?" Galen replied, his eyes bright within his hood. "I do what I must, when I must -- and now, I come to give you a very important message, young Seeker... words you must take to heart if any of us are to survive what lies ahead."
"And of course the message will be cryptic, won't it?" she slyly observed. "You do have a reputation to preserve, after all."
"Perhaps. The message is this -- 'beware false messengers'."
"That's it?"
"That is *enough*." the Technomage replied. "And now, if I am not mistaken, someone is trying very diligently to get your attention..."
"Julia -- Julia, are you there?"
Her eyes snapped open -- and after a moment, she rose to her feet -- for real, this time -- and walked out of her private chambers and into the more public part of her quarters. "Don't tell me, let me guess -- something's come up."
The telepath nodded. "The whiskers have detected a distress call coming from a star on the fringes of the cluster, no more than about eight light years from our present position. Looks like it's been bounced off at least one transfer gate along the way."
"Any idea who it is that's in trouble?" she asked, even as she moved into action, shaking her head as she went -- so much for having a 'restful patrol'.
"The beacon type isn't one we're familiar with." the telepath admitted, even as Julia shrugged off her robe and began putting on her uniform. "Larieken and Mr. Dawson are trying to figure out the syntax of the beacon as we speak, though. While your first officer, who will be here shortly..."
"Wishes to know what we are going to do." Julia replied, as she finished putting on her ae'ishareith and reached for one of her handful of tunics. "Right?" Sheynell nodded. "Remember, then, that one of our many duties as Rangers is to investigate distress calls, and render aid, as required."
"But..."
"There's a few people in the ISA, Dr. Elizabeth Trent and my mother, for instance, who now know that this ship exists." Julia continued. "While thus far, each and every ISA citizen who's come onboard the *Shard* has been... persuaded that it's in their best interests not to let our secret out." Sheynell nodded wearily -- she had, of course, played a rather large part in the 'persuading' from time to time. "And if things look difficult, we can always relay the location of the ship to the nearest White Star..."
"The nearest is more than forty hours away from our present location, even at emergency speed." Larieken pointed out from off-screen.
Julia sighed, as she made for the door. "In that case, let's hope we can handle the problem."
"Indeed."
* * *
Sector 180, 41x17x5 -- 1:17 hrs, EST.
His expression contemplative, Rahkeel stood alone on the *Stormwind*'s observation deck, and tried once again to make sense of the message that had come to him, some time before -- a message instructing him to make a rendezvous in this sector at a very specific time. The warrior took a deep breath, and then turned aside from the vista of darkness beyond the viewport, and read the message again.
'The road you are searching for is within your grasp, even if you cannot see it. The secret will soon be revealed, to those who have earned the right -- while the meddlers and righteous will soon pay the price for what it is they have done. Come to us, and all will be as you have forseen.'
Come to us -- but who were they, and how had they learned of his secret mission, the mission he conducted while at the same time acting in the name of the Warrior Caste, and doing their bidding as they saw fit? It was most troubling...
"Alyt Rahkeel." Rahkeel turned aside from the screen then, as an image of his first officer sprang into being beside him. "You will please come to the bridge at once."
"May I assume, Tirivail, that we are no longer alone?" he inquired, as he strode briskly out of the observation area and down the corridor towards the bridge.
"You may." Tirivail acknowledged, her expression perplexed. "The vessel emerged from hyperspace only a moment ago -- it appears to be nearly as advanced as the *Stormwind* in terms of its technology."
"And its origin?" Rahkeel inquired. "Do you recognize in its lines the race that gave it birth?"
"I must regretfully admit that I do not." Tirivail said, even as Rahkeel reached the bridge and moved to stand at her side. "This concerns me."
"Show us this vessel, then." The younger Minbari nodded -- and a moment later, an image of the vessel sprang into being... and then it was that Rahkeel's eyes first widened with surprise, and then narrowed in concern. The vessel, while perhaps only a third the size of his own battlecruiser, was easily as sleek... while its marbled gray and black hull suggested the incorporation of organic technology. "Weapons systems?"
"Pulse cannon, no stronger than our own engine mounted weapons." Tirivail replied, as she moved to her own station behind him. "Nothing to compare to our own secondary and primary batteries. They have not, as yet, brought any of their weapons on-line."
"This is well. Prepare to..."
"Message incoming!"
"Is that so." Rahkeel muttered. "On screen!" The viewscreen shimmered down a moment later, to reveal a craggy-faced, stocky human standing on what apparently passed for the bridge of the other vessel, his hair just beginning to go to silver, and pulled sharply back into a long tail, his clothing set in various shades of grey. "This is..."
"Alyt Rahkeel of the warrior caste battlecruiser *Stormwind*." the human matter-of-factly replied. "I know who you are, Alyt -- I was the one who sent the message to you, after all."
"Who are you?"
"A dangerous question, that is." the other captain replied, his eyes now glinting dangerously. "Perhaps you will learn the answer to that question in due course -- and perhaps not. For now, though...
The Messenger will do."
* * *
The Hyades Cluster. 1:47 hrs, EST.
"We are approaching the location of the distress signal." Klarika reported. "Shall we jump?"
Finally! Julia stifled a yawn, and shook her head in exasperation -- why, in Valen's name, did these rescue missions always have to happen in the middle of the nightwatch? "Yes, please do... let's see who managed to get themselves into trouble, out here."
"In stealth mode, I will assume?"
"For now, that's probably a safe move." Julia agreed. The Brakiri nodded, and a moment later, Dasouri's hands moved upon the helm controls, and the *Shard* transitioned out into realspace, even as it faded from sight. "Okay -- do we have a fix on the position of that ship, yet?"
"One moment... yes. The whiskers have located it -- image coming up now." And only seconds later, the image of that ship shimmered into being in front of them -- and then Julia's eyes widened, for it was now quite obvious which race had built the 'crippled' vessel.
"The Drakh!"
"Fascinating." Larieken allowed. "They must *know* that Captain Gideon and his crew are in the area -- and yet..."
"And yet Drakh activated their beacon anyways." Dasouri said. "As if..."
"As if they wanted either Gideon or *us* to come looking for them." Klairika finished for the other Rangers. "And if this is true... hold. There is a message coming from the Drakh ship -- it is, I think...
For *you*, Val'na."
"WHAT?" Julia erupted.
"Aw, *Hell*." Nicholas Dawson muttered from his own station in the bridge's rear hemisphere. "Well, boys and girls, there goes our secret right out the window. Because if the Drakh know her name, and know we're out here..."
"No, Mr. Dawson," Klairika interrupted, "You misunderstand. The message isn't in her *name*, it's..."
"Let's hear it." Julia commanded. And a moment later, the words of the message emerged from the bridge speakers.
"We are Zha'vanare." the voice of the Drakh hissed from out of the darkness. "We seek the Observer. We come...
In *peace*."
* * *
[Cue Dramatic Music]
KLAIRIKA ALIDIAE
We are the Watchers...
[Klairika standing on the bridge of the SHARD OF NIGHT, an image of the EXCALIBUR hanging in the air in front of her.]
SHEYNELL KEYNES
We are the Warriors.
[Images: Sheynell at the tactical station, the battlecruiser firing its main gun and destroying a Drakh capital ship]
LARIEKEN
We are the Guardians...
[Image: Larieken defending his Captain against Z'shailyl attackers, warrior pike in hand]
VEYSHAHK
We are the Healers.
[Image: Veyshahk at his desk in MedSection, an image of the Drakh virus on his computer screen.]
DASOURI and NICHOLAS DAWSON
We are the exiles...
[Image: Nicholas in Engineering, Dasouri at the helm of the SHARD]
JULIA TIKOPAI
And I am the Seeker.
[Image: Julia's face, lit by candles, the stars of the Galaxy beyond]
KLAIRIKA ALIDIAE
We are the Rangers of the SHARD OF NIGHT, in this, the Earth Year 2267.
[Image: The SHARD OF NIGHT enters, from the left...]
JULIA TIKOPAI
This is our story.
[... before engaging darklight mode, and going into hyperspace.]
STAR AND CIRCLE:
"THE SEEKER’S FIRE"
"STAR AND CIRCLE" created by David Goldingay
<dgolding@connect.ab.ca>
* * *
Legal Disclaimer:
BABYLON 5, CRUSADE and all characters and situations thereof are the creations and copyrighted property of J. Michael Straczynski and Babylonian Productions. This series is a non-profit creation for the purposes of private entertainment only. Original characters and situations are copyright of the author, 1997-2000.
* * *
Coming soon: Act I of Episode 15: "My Master's Keeper"
* * *
Return to "The Seeker's Fire" Episode Index