"STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE"
EPISODE TEN: "AND NO ONE SHALL PASS"
(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
* * *
<<ENVOI>
ISAS 'Shard of Night' – on search within battlefield perimeter. July 11, 2267
Taking a deep breath as he reached his hand up to the signal, Larieken knew what he would see within his captain's inner sanctum. More then six human years he had known her, now… witnessed all her moods, the occasional rages, her icy determination to do the right thing. The chime of entry-sought sounded even as he thought this, and a moment later, as the doors slid aside and he stepped inside into darkness, found his suspicions proven correct.
She was knelt on the floor on the circle of black tiles in the center of her quarters, and in front of her stood the crystal-lined candle-stand that Klairika had purchased for her, four standard months ago. A single candle burned there, in front of her closed eyes… and Larieken suspected that tears had been shed since she'd left the bridge, but he could not be sure.
“You have news.”
He nodded gravely. “I do – though perhaps, Julia, not the news you have been expecting. Anla'shok Fenric and his men have located what is left of her fighter… and an interesting development has occurred. The cockpit of the wreck is missing.”
Julia's eyes snapped open. “WHAT?”
“Indeed. It would appear that our earlier hypothesis was an incorrect one. Some time during the period after the battle but before we located the wreck, another force managed to locate Na'lai Alidiae's fighter, and removed her body from it. Whether or not she was conscious when this occurred, I cannot say.”
“Another force…” Julia mused, as she rose to her feet displaying more energy then she had in hours. “And you know how I love mysteries. Damnit, Larieken, how is this possible? The someone or someones that picked her up would have to possess more accurate intelligence then any service we know of!”
“An accurate observation,” he continued, as Julia vanished into her wardrobe to put on her tunic and boots. “This 'force', as you call it, would appear to know enough about us to compromise our mission.”
“Maybe… but maybe you're wrong in assuming that we were the target. Firstly, they knew where the Drakh were going to be, and where we were going to intercept them. Then, they knew, somehow, that Klairika's fighter was going to be disabled during the battle… and finally, they were able to nail that location and retrieve her almost before we knew she was in trouble.”
“A disturbing number of coincidences, to be sure.”
“Not coincidences…” Julia clarified. “Precognitions.”
“Are you are suggesting that a seer aided this force in locating our First?”
“A seer,” Julia agreed, her eyes beginning to sparkle with anger, “Or an Observer.”
“Ah.” He had not considered that possibility. “I will admit, that is an interesting suggestion. Do you believe, therefore, that Speaker Aeilyn of the Eloi'a, having been thrown out of his position of stature as your ally Nirisha-Shalios-Trakande suggested he would be, has sent members of his kind into this region to aid our enemies?”
“I didn't think he'd retaliate this soon, Larieken…” Julia replied as they left her quarters, “But as we've learned from time to time in the last few years, sometimes it's the really outlandish options that end up being closest to the truth.”
“We shall, out of necessity, have to guard ourselves against attacks from these 'agents' from this time forward. ”
“Yes, yes!” she impatiently replied, her voice rising excitedly, “But most importantly, what we've discovered means that Klairika is, in all likelihood, still alive. Now, we just have to find her!”
Both Rangers fell silent then, as they considered the grim possibilities. Enemies on all sides, their first officer kidnapped to a unknown location… the task was, Larieken concluded, akin to searching for a gok in a sea of thy`ria grass. Unless the gok wished to be found, one could search the grass sea for many seasons and not find one's guest-animal.
“A most… difficult prospect.”
Julia nodded, her mouth now tight. “We need a clue, Larieken – just one. That's all.” Where the clue would come from, however… that was the question of the hour, now wasn't it?
* * *
Elsewhere in hyperspace, a small vessel moved slowly towards the rendezvous point chosen by its master. The owner of the vessel leant forward and reviewed the images he had recorded, some time before… most useful information, this was, most useful indeed. He had watched the battle unfold from a safe distance - seen again the fury cast out by the Ranger female he considered an ally… and also the damaging of one of their fighters. A brief scan had revealed the pilot of that fighter to be the Brakiri, Alidiae… and nearly he had moved forward to aid her, when the others had appeared. Cautiously he had watched the drama unfold then, as small one person armor-suits had detached the cockpit and spirited the Brakiri away. Curious as always, he had followed, and observed those individuals rendezvous with a much larger vessel of obviously Brakiri design. A vessel which had, shortly thereafter, set itself upon a course that the watcher soon deduced would take it towards Brakir itself. Eventually.
The Observer would be most interested in learning of this matter, the watcher determined. Most interested… indeed. With a hiss of pleasure, he checked to see that he was still on course – the Rangers would note his approach soon enough. And then…
Then, perhaps, the pursuit would begin.
* * *
In another part of the galaxy, the dark-robed elders of the Drakh Council of Return came together once again, to think on what had occurred. Yet again, the attempt they had made to destroy the human daggership had failed… but this time, the failure had revealed to the Entire several things to consider. A warrior they had trusted without question, as well as the order of battle answering to him, had vanished without a trace… while the other groups they had sent against the 'Excalibur' had also been thwarted in their aim. La'skaa's command ship had been destroyed when the daggership had pursued his vessel through into hyperspace… while A'aveilz's group had been slaughtered, apparently by the same force that had attacked the Zha'vanare at the human world Sinzar… Palakz's 'Adversary'… now unquestionably a real and deadly threat to the Drakh and their plans.
The Zha'vanare – his order of battle was the one that had disappeared. Almost unique it was among the Drakh, in consisting entirely of his kind – a 'matter of pride' the Vekh'shivalht had called it. And now they were gone… and disquiet rippled through the ranks of the Entire. Gone without a trace.
The implications… were unpleasant. If some force had destroyed Palakz and his fleet without a trace, this was an enemy the Entire had to learn about, at any cost. While if Palakz and his warriors had disappeared by choice…
If they had resumed their pursuit of the Adversary and turned aside from aiding their fellow warriors, the implications would be very serious indeed.
It had been many generations since the Council of Return had named one of their warrior leaders a traitor to the Race and to the Cause. But before they did so, someone would have to try and find the missing ships and their crews. Will someone step forward to undertake this task, the Council of Return asked their warriors.
Someone did.
* * *
This place, Rahkeel dispassionately noted, may once have supported life, but not any longer. Some time in the recent past, an enormous asteroid body had come down upon the greatest ocean this place had once possessed, and excavated a crater large enough to ensure the extinction of life across the entire world. The seas had boiled, the surface and the very air had been set afire… and now, all was as ashes. It was to this place, to a headland between an ancient continent and the dry seabed beyond, that he came this day, the servant-of-darkness named Islane Refa at his side. To this world surrounded by Drakh warships and carefully orbited by his own – and as he watched, a vessel fragile in appearance and possessing six petal-like control surfaces gently set down upon the ground nearby.
A few moments passed… but then, a tall figure encased in a mottled-black survival suit emerged from the craft and made its way towards them, the movements precise and full of purpose. And soon enough, the Minbari gazed levelly at his Drakh counterpart, the range between them perhaps the narrowest it had been in recent memory, for two individual members of individual species effectively at war with one another, that was.
“A most interesting situation, this is.” The Drakh began. “You possess greater courage then I had believed possible, Minbari – for is not my kind born of darkness in your race-memory? Servants of the ones you call Shadows, the darkness now banished by Sheridan-the human?” At that, the Drakh bared his teeth. “Our instincts cry out that this is unnatural, that we should seek out each other's life's-blood – but all that has happened in this movement is, I sense… for a reason. You have something to tell me, Minbari – a thing that gave you reason to capture my servant, to draw me here across the void to this place. Speak of this, we shall, before you return my servant into my… care.”
Rahkeel allowed himself to smile… in Valen's Name, he had been right. This Drakh, a warleader that commanded hundreds of warriors and many warships, appeared to have, what was the best way of saying it?… a different set of principles that most others of his kind. Principles that allowed him to make the startling choice to speak with a member of a species most of his kind would have sought to kill at first sight. “You speak truly – and while we would ordinarily be enemies, in this day and this age I believe we share an enemy, a usurper who has taken away what rightfully should have been mine. A Vorlon changeling raised by the mighty and the powerful, but sadly lacking in experience.”
“A changeling, you say.” The Drakh observed, his eyes narrow. “A Vorlon changeling. Explain your words.”
“In time, perhaps. For now, however, I would ask a question of you, Drakh. Your servant has told me that you seek a vessel that cannot be seen, a ship that has destroyed many of your warriors and vessels. Do you seek this vessel out to destroy it, to eliminate the threat it represents?”
The Drakh spat several words in its own language that sounded suspiciously like curses to Rahkeel's ears. “This is so, Minbari – this vessel, I name 'Adversary'… many warriors who followed us were killed by this force… this changeling you refer to, does he command the vessel named Adversary?”
“*She* does, yes.” Rahkeel clarified. “And though we know much about the vessel in question, hidden from us it is, for now. But if I was to show you what the vessel looks like, would this aid you in our mutual hunt?”
The Drakh's eyes widened at this revelation… but then filled with suspicion. “Great your hate must be, Minbari, to overcome prejudice against my kind. You would share information with someone who may come back to kill you and yours in times to come, the dark ones be willing?”
“Until this enemy is defeated,” Rahkeel confirmed, “All other enmities must be suspended… but information is all I will share with you. Do not presume to believe I will fight at your side against this foe.”
“This is understood.” The Drakh agreed. “And now, the information you speak of.”
Rahkeel nodded, and opened his palm, revealing a holographic projector, a projector that, a moment later, sprang to life, revealing the image of a pearl-grey starship within… the starship that had once been his. “The vessel you seek is one of a kind, Drakh – a vessel possessing, as you know, stealth characteristics and weapons unlike any other in the known galaxy.
The vessel is named 'vi'dalae an'shaka' in my tongue.”
“*Kene`l`lan a`zeit* the Drakh clarified, translating the term into its own language, as it gazed with interest upon the image of the vessel which had caused its kind so much pain.
“Or, in the tongue of its captain, of course,” Rahkeel replied,
“SHARD OF NIGHT.”
“Another human, she is, then.” the Drakh dispassionately noted.
“Human, yes.”
“Enemies we may be again once this is concluded,” the Drakh concluded, as Islane Refa moved to stand at its side and Rahkeel passed over a crystal containing the data it sought, “But this will be remembered.”
Rahkeel nodded politely as the two moved away to the Drakh landing craft, his mind already turned to other matters. A movement begun, this was… and the beginnings of a trap laid. Everyone who had given him insult in this matter, Sheridan and all the rest… very soon now, they would understand that one did not do such things to a Storm Dancer.
He began to laugh, as the Drakh transport lifted off, and vanished into the darkness above. Very soon, indeed.
* * *
Return to "The Seeker's Fire" Episode Index