Writer's Note - Sigh, delays, delays and more delays -- some days, you just gotta hate RL, but that's what keeps the bills paid, I suppose. In any case, the events of this episode take place during the same timeframe as the last episode of CRUSADE -- "Each Night, I Dream of Home" -- hereafter, we is walking in uncharted waters!
* * *
"STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE"
EPISODE TEN: "AND NO ONE SHALL PASS"
GUEST STARRING
PETER WINGFIELD as Palakz
NANA VISITOR as Raeznon
GEMA ZAMPROGNA as Tirivail
KARI WUHRER as Illithan
NICHOLAS LEA as Rahkeel
ALEXANDER SIDDIG as Meshik zum Berane
*and* HOLLY MARIE COMBS as Islane Refa
* * *
(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
* * *
<<ACT ONE>>
"In darkness, find me."
- the Book of the Observer
* * *
ISAS SHARD OF NIGHT -- deep patrol near starship EXCALIBUR. 10:50 hrs, July 9th, 2267.
"In another age," Julia began, as the Rangers who had served at her side for over six months now took their seats around the conference table, "A man told someone close to him that it was time to draw a line in the sand -- a line against the darkness, a wall to hold out the night." She paused, and a bitter smile appeared on her face. "Our galaxy has changed beyond all recognition since that day, but the watch never ended. And now, the enemy has drawn up his troops to make a charge at the wall, sure in the belief that *this* day will be the day it falls."
"A marvelous speech as usual, Captain," Nicholas interrupted, his tone dry, "But why don't we cut past the rah-rah stuff and right to the point this time? I don't have to be Hawking to figure out that this is about the Drakh."
A sharp retort almost escaped from her lips at that point, but finally Julia sighed, and nodded ruefully. There were days when her Observer's side got *right* out of hand -- and she was lucky, all things considered, to have her senior staff around to keep that part of her in check. "An accurate observation, Mr. Dawson -- intelligence reports, combined with data collected from the more distant elements of our own sensor network, has revealed a disturbing pattern in the movements of the Drakh warships we know about -- which allows us to make inferences about the rest we can't see."
"Let me guess -- they're coming together in one spot, and then... disappearing, maybe?"
"Drakh are gathering warships again!" Dasouri growled. "Prelude to new attack, this Ranger believes."
"Almost certainly." Sheynell replied, her tone clinical. "As we all know, the last two times this happened, the Drakh attacked Earth and Sinzar -- what happened at the end of the first engagement, of course, lead to our present deployment... while the second could have been just as bad had we not managed to take the wind out of their sails at an opportune moment."
"Not difficult to figure out what Drakh target may be *this* time." the Drazi darkly observed.
"The EXCALIBUR, perhaps?." Larieken observed, his expression speculative. "But why now?"
"Must know answer to this question before we proceed!" Dasouri declared. "Has Val'na used her gifts to deduce motive of Drakh attack on Gideon's command?"
"The only motive that matters, of course." Julia replied, her fingers now steepled. "With a little bit of assistance from outside parties, it looks like Captain Gideon's crew is about to make some progress -- something the Drakh probably don't care for in the slightest."
"Val'na," Sheynell inquired, her eyebrows raised, "Would you care to be a little more... specific?"
"A short time ago," she explained, "Sources loyal to the Anla'shok revealed that the Earth Alliance Warlock-class destroyer FOXFIRE recently rendezvoused with the EXCALIBUR, and two passengers, an Earth Alliance senator and a civilian, came on board. This... source has also passed on word that someone else will soon be joining them... an individual familiar to some of us in this room.
Dr. Stephen Franklin."
"But..." Nicholas began.
"He was on Earth when the Drakh attacked, yes." Julia replied. "And that, as a matter of fact, appears to be one of the key elements of this experiment. If all goes well, they may *finally* learn the true nature of the Drakh virus -- and from that point on, anything is possible."
"Which," Larieken observed, "Would seem to explain the... haste of recent Drakh movements. It is all too likely that they have gathered together sufficient ships to destroy Gideon's command -- one group, or 'order' of Drakh vessels, he and his crew can deal with, but several at once?"
"That's where we come in." she firmly replied. "In response to this threat, Interstellar Alliance President John Sheridan issued a statement at 0900 hours this day, for our ears only -- the statement reads as follows.
'The crew of the stealth battlecruiser SHARD OF NIGHT, as directed by its captain Julia Tikopai, are to make every reasonable effort to ensure damage to the starship EXCALIBUR is kept to a minimum during this critical period. Remember that from the beginning, this has been the prime objective of your deployment. We are all counting on you to get the job done. Godspeed, and good luck to you all.
Message ends."
"Sooner or later, we knew this day would come." Klairika noted, her voice ringing clearly across the interior of the suddenly silent conference room. "From the day we left Minbar, it was inevitable that one day the EXCALIBUR would need our aid -- for if they fall..."
"Humanity," Nicholas concluded, "Hasn't got a hope in Hell?"
* * *
Interstellar Alliance Space Station Babylon 5.
"Move, Centauri..." the voice whispered, "And you shall certainly die."
For a moment, a part of her wanted to ignore that threat -- wanted to force the assailant who had come upon her from behind to kill her, to end this nightmare -- but it would not go so easy as that... the Keeper was, of course, watching carefully to ensure that no 'mistakes' would be made. Her end, when it finally did come, would be far more painful.
Islane sighed. "Do you always greet prospective allies in this fashion?"
The dark figure let out a hiss of anger and moved to strike, but then, another voice spoke from the darkness beyond, and the knife-hand paused in mid strike. "I would choose my words more carefully if I were you -- my... associate is not known for her patience in situations such as these."
She turned her head, then, to discover that the one holding the dagger to her throat was a Minbari -- her chin narrow and eyes full of suspicion. A memory whispered in her mind, a sending of the Keeper, perhaps... and she nodded. "So my master has told me. May I assume that I am speaking to Sha'liat Tirivail of the Storm Dancers, and that your 'associate' is Worker Illithan of Las'tredani? A curious alliance -- but my master is rarely wrong about such matters."
The individual in the darkness laughed before stepping forward, and Islane shivered as she beheld the *intensity* that lived within the eyes of the young Minbari warrior named Tirivail. "A curiousity, yes -- but also a necessity, in these... uncertain times. Remove your weapon from her throat, Illithan -- this is the one we have been sent here to meet."
"It shall be as you say," the other Minbari allowed after a moment, as she backed away and sheathed her dagger. "But do not ask me to trust this *creature*, Tirivail -- I believe I made my position clear to the Alyt before we left the..."
"Be silent!" the other Minbari suddenly commanded, as she turned back to face Islane. "And now, Centauri -- we would hear of this 'master' you speak of -- his message to my Alyt was found to be of great interest... but sadly lacking in *details*. May I assume that you have been... authorized to tell us more of this 'alliance' he seeks?"
"You may -- but before we discuss such matters, perhaps it would be prudent for us to retire to a more secure location? I trust not the residents of this place -- Chief Allan and Director Halloran have ears in *many* places."
"Your suggestion is a wise one," the Minbari leader allowed "For a Centauri, that is. Follow, then, Islane of House Refa, you of the cursed name... we shall give you what you seek."
She took a deep breath, then -- and prayed that the information Palakz had given her would satisfy them. For if it did not...
<Failure is not an option.> the Keeper hissed, as she followed Tirivail down the corridor, Illithan and her dagger close behind. <Know your place.>
Oh, she knew her place -- wished she didn't, wished there was a choice. This operation would either lead to success -- or to death, if the Minbari chose not to believe her. And in her opinion, death at their hands were eminently preferable to death at the hands of the Drakh.
Eminently preferable.
The keeper, of course, did not care for that idea in the slightest. But it knew when to act, and when not to. It had its own masters, as well.
* * *
Elsewhere on the station, another transaction was taking place -- but this one was somewhat different - and the target, slightly more specific. The five dark-clothed figures moved through Down Below at speed, paying no heed to those around them. At one point, a local gang leader and his underlings attempted to bar their path -- a decision he regretted soon thereafter as the dark-clothed individuals drew short metal-sheathed staves from their cloaks and moved forwards as one. None of the injuries inflicted by those weapons were life-threatening, but all were painful. Which, of course, had been the intent.
Eventually, the group moved out of the darker sections of the station and arrived at their destination -- a suite of rooms controlled by an information broker named V'larris. V'larris was a member of a minor Narn sect of little power and importance, as was suggested by his name -- but as had been noted from time to time by the two heads of security that Babylon 5 had possessed up until this point, the 'crawlers underneath the floorboards' sometimes picked up on things that more 'visible' individuals did not.
This was one of those occasions.
"*Khezedak* zum Berane," the Narn intoned, as he welcomed his visitors in, "And how are you this fine day?"
"To the Comet with your pleasantries, V'larris!" Berane snapped, as he whipped off his hood to fix the broker with a penetrating glare, revealing features that were considered... handsome for a Brakiri. "Do you, or do you not, have the information we require?"
"The information was difficult to obtain." V'larris replied with a shrug. "The Minbari are difficult to deal with, especially Minbari honor-bound to keep secrets..."
"Enough excuses!" Berane hissed, as he suddenly glided forward and laid a long, wickedly sharp blade against the Narn's neck. "Do not presume to believe you can play games with us, V'larris -- the *Nei Leidrei* has paid you a significant sum to acquire the information we seek -- if you have failed us..."
"My dear Khezedak!" V'larris blustered, "You jump to conclusions, too hasty you are. Be assured that I have the information you require -- and while the ga'zak nest you will shortly be walking into is one I would not consider entering even if my life depended upon it -- I believe that *this* will be sufficient for your needs." At which point the Narn withdrew a message crystal from the pile on his stone table, and passed it to the dark-clothed Brakiri, who promptly made his blade disappear as fast as it had appeared.
A moment passed, then, as Berane and his companions accessed the data, but finally, the withering expression on his face faded, and he grimly nodded. "So, V'larris -- yet again your have escaped the fate you deserve."
The Narn bared his teeth. "Begone, Brakiri -- take your little pack of hunters and be on your way. This business transaction is done."
Berane smiled, before bowing sarcastically in V'larris's direction. "The Krona thanks you for your services -- and will remember your sharp tongue."
"Ah... so your grand and mighty government has time to think about a lowly information broker, does it? Do not waste my time with empty warnings, Berane -- your have your information, and now I have enough funds to keep myself firmly enclosed in this humble little space for the forseeable future. And *now*, if you do not mind, I have other business to attend to."
"Of course -- I suppose we will be on our way, then." At which point, the Brakiri left the suite behind, and moved off down the corridor. A short time passed, time enough for the five to move into a transport car, but then, Berane turned to his followers, and said one thing, and one thing only.
"Elliminate him. At *once*."
* * *
Sector 471 by 67 by 24. System GC 18388.
GC 18388 was like many solar systems in ISA territory -- dominated by a brilliant A-class contact binary, while the only sizable world, a enormous Jovian-class gas giant, orbited the pair at a distance of just over a billion kilometres. The tides raised by the binary pair and the gas giant had been perfectly sufficient to ensure the shattering of every other prospective world in the system when it had first formed. As a result, the only regular visitors to the system were the miners who came to prowl amidst the nearly pure shards of iron that could be found scattered throughout the numerous ecliptic asterioid swarms ... and even those visits were rare nowadays.
Which was, as it turned out, ideal for certain other parties. In the midst of this ordered desolation, five jump points suddenly flared into being above the rings of the gas giant world, out of which emerged a Drakh order of battle - a command ship, five carriers, and numerous smaller vessels. After a moment, the whisper of a point-to-point transmission emerged from the ringscape below, and the Drakh vessels turned towards the pair of ring shepherd moons that guarded the outer perimeter of the ring, and moved carefully downwards. Eventually they came to station between the shepherd moons... and joined the two orders already present there.
<La'skaa,> Vekh'shivalht A'aveilz carefully sent, <With darkness we walk, with blades of fire we strike>. This opening-challenge had been used within his sect for more years then he cared to remember -- but with Zau Vekh'shivalht La'skaa, it was always best to carefully observe the rituals. La'skaa had commanded his order since before the Ancient Masters had returned to Z'ha'dum, and now, he was close to taking a place as Sha'drakh within the Council of Return.
A honorable career, his had been. For a Drakh, that was.
<And thus we are unseen; our prey, they suffer> La'skaa replied, his voice a cold whisper across the mental band shared by most Drakh. <Your timing is ideal, A'aveilz... the Zha'vanare had only just arrived aboard the *Nightsfist*, I dislike dealing with his kind -- to think, in this age, that a member of their kind has ascended to command a full order of battle. In any case, your arrival gives me an excuse to cut short my discussion with Vekh'shivalht Palakz... he was just beginning to discuss with me certain... curious notions of his.>
A'aveilz frowned as he turned command of his own vessel over to his Vaarliht, Bakathz. In the recent past, some among the Entire had come close to voting for the cloistering of the Zha'vanare -- but the old instincts, as always, had prevented this from coming to pass. As it had been, so would it always be -- they were *the people*, and as the old argument went, even the crippled members of their sects deserved to be protected. The Ancient Masters, interestingly enough, had never insisted the Zha'vanare be exterminated. No one, not even the Sha'drakh who had been closest to the Darkness at Z'ha'dum, had ever dared ask the reasoning behind this choice.
What needed to be questioned for the present, however, was the stability of his fellow Vekh'shivalht, Palakz. Prior to the assualt upon the human primeworld, Palakz had been a fierce warrior willing to take on any target the Entire had chosen for him and his followers... but since then, word had spread of the obsession he had gained in recent times... this hunt he was conducting for the vessel he named 'Adversary'.
<So...> A'aveilz mused, <Warned you of the 'Adversary', did he?>
<Indeed he did.> La'skaa replied. <It is his belief that our assault upon the human daggership will draw the attention of this vessel he hunts and fears -- that the 'unseen enemy' as he also calls it, will come upon us during the assault and obliterate our orders. What think you of this matter?>
<It is... a valid concern, I will admit,> A'aveilz carefully replied, <If not an overwhelming fear, Zau Vekh'shivalht. The evidence gathered during the assault upon the human colony Sinzar suggests this vessel cannot be easily seen... and that the primary weapon of the warship is partially Vorlon in design. But aside from a possible engagement with our Z'shailyl hunters shortly thereafter, this vessel has not been encountered again since. This suggests to me that few of this class exist -- perhaps even only one.>
<And yet,> La'skaa darkly observed, <The same could be said for the cursed Alliance White Stars when first they appeared, yes? The shak'vez Sheridan used the first to openly attack the war-servants of the Dark Ones during the early stages of the final war of Chaos and Order -- and when one became many...>
It did not need to be said, of course. <Palakz lost many ships to this enemy during the attack on the human colony -- but between us we command three times the number he lead in that assault. Even if the 'Adversary' does appear,> A'aveilz concluded, <I suspect the engagement will not be so one-sided, this time around.>
<We concur, then.> La'skaa replied, his mental tone full of grim purpose. <Now that the element of surprise is gone, we need not fear this Adversary.>
That point dealt with, A'aveilz moved on to other matters. <And now, let us discuss the deployment of our forces...>
* * *
The bridge of Drakh carrier NELAZIZ -- shortly thereafter.
The doors-of-entry to the bridge slid aside, and several Drakh cast a quick glance in that direction... and then returned their attention to the tasks at hand with great haste as their leader stalked through the portal, his expression black.
"May I assume from the expression on your face," Raeznon cunningly observed, as they left the bridge and moved to Palakz's sanctum together, "That the great La'skaa chose not to heed your warning?"
"Our esteemed battle leader," Palakz spat, "Will remember the warning, and carefully examine the data accumulated during our prior encounter with the 'unseen foe'... and be assured, Vekh'shivalht Palakz," he continued, taking on the mannerisms of his commander, "Even if your Adversary engages our orders of battle, we possess sufficient vessels to deal with him."
"Have a care, Palakz..." the younger Drakh warned him. "As Zha'vanare, we must not seek to antagonize those who hold the power within the Entire, as La'skaa *does*. If you give him reason to strip us of command, what then will become of our hunt for the Enemy?"
A moment passed, but then Palakz reined in his anger, and curtly nodded. "Your warnings are appreciated as always, knife-to-my-hand -- but very soon, there may come a time when we must choose between obedience... and survival. Between blind loyalty to the mission... and the necessary hunt for the hidden foe that stalks us all.
When that moment comes, Raeznon -- what will you do? I must know, before this goes any farther."
Raeznon closed her eyes, and thought for a moment, then -- thought on the patron-Drakh who had sponsored her entry into the military... thought on the time she had first encountered her fierce elder-partner, in the times before the departure of the dark masters beyond the Rim. It was all a matter of balances and needs -- of the importance of the mission versus the survival of the race.
And finally, if they did turn aside to pursue the Adversary -- and if they were declared traitors by La'skaa for doing this... would this also be in the race's best interests?
She opened her eyes, nodded...
And gave her answer.
* * *
To be continued...
* * *
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