Starting with this episode, I will be moving more towards the 'virtual TV' mode of writing in S&C then I have been in the recent past. As you can see below, 'guest starring' actors and actresses of today's world will now be chosen for the roles in S&C wherever possible (just like in VS6) -- and guest roles in prior episodes on my web site now also share this trait. This done, in response to S&C now being part of the Phoenix Online TV network located at http://www.pvtonline.com. Check it out!
And with that said, on with the show!
The Author
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"STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE" |
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EPISODE SEVEN: ULTIMATUM |
(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
GUEST STARRING
ROBIN SACHS as Aielyn
LEA THOMPSON as Nirisha
TERRY O'QUINN as Tharvonn
LARA FLYNN BOYLE as Sech Jennifer Westcastle
WITH
RUSSELL CROWE as William Westcastle *and*
BRUCE BOXLEITNER as President John Sheridan
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<<ACT ONE>>
Minbari Colony Xax'the Major - high orbit. May 15th, 2267, human reckoning.
Her eyes never showing the fear she felt inside at what might still be ahead of them all, Nirisha gazed down upon the alien world from her viewpoint in the sanctum aboard TIELDA'S PRIDE, the Nai'shrawn-class flagship that had carried them all the way through the silent, abandoned territory of their greatest enemies and into this calmer quadrant of the galaxy, in search of that which her father the Speaker sought.
In search of the one she feared. The Observer she had to meet at all cost, if any of her kind were to survive.
She was also, of course, an Observer -- one of the few in any species born to touch upon the currents of history and record the events of the present for posterity -- and in the five and a thousand turns since the Exodus Fleet had arrived in the Cradle of Stars, her species, the Eloi'a, had been senior amongst those known to harbour Observers... or 'Watchers' as some named them -- the first to develop the touch called *gla'ima*, the genetic heritage that made them what they were.
Gla'ima. Nirisha sighed anew, and shook her head then -- it was one of the great mysteries of the ages how such an ability could be shared by so many species... an ability that allowed Observers to call out to one another across the vastness of space (if the gifts they possessed were strong enough) and occasionally even see into the futures-that-might-be. The loose confederation of Cradle species that answered to the Elder Eloi'ae in their flame-crystal towers all possessed the heritage of her kind -- but then, as all knew, the spread of their union outwards from the Cradle had halted -- as an age began in which her species and their allies had been forced to retrench and retreat before the onslaught of an enemy not unlike those spoken of in the Book of Exodus.
Like the enemy that had destroyed their former home, now lost forever.
The Dark Ones her mother had named them in Nirisha's youth, and dark they had been in truth. Their black, many-armed warships had first come screaming out of the void into the outskirts of the Cradle more then four thousand Turns before, and nearly her kind had been destroyed then. The times since had been divided into movements of peace and of war, and luckily for the Eloi'a the times of War had been predicted by their greatest Observers well in advance of the actual arrival of the Great Enemy... enough so that the Militarists had been able to undertake significant warship construction programs turns before the Dark Ones had come upon them.
But then... then, at the height of the latest outbreak of terror and pain, the Dark Ones had abruptly, *mysteriously* turned their legions of chaos aside and vanished from sight. Cautiously the squadrons had pushed out into the void, and even down into the great whirling disk of stars below their cluster-home... and they had found nothing, no sign of the enemy at all!
What had caused this to be, the militarists had asked? Yet again the commanders had turned to their Observers for guidance, and *one* Observer had answered the call -- that Observer had reached out across the darkness and received the answer that everyone sought.
She had been that Observer, and even now, Nirisha clearly remembered the message that had come to her in the night -- the message she had subsequently given to the disbelieving flight-leaders that protected them all.
"The One has driven them away." she had cried out, all those turns before. "The one who is Three -- the Three who is one... the three that is alien to us." It had not stopped there, of course, oh no -- the vision had continued. "The One who is served by two of our Order, lost ones they are... nevertouched, misguided... but they will change our future, and walk upon the walls of divison. They must be found... or we are lost for all time."
In the turns since those words had been spoken, Nirisha had come to conclude that there were some things should never have been said. Long it had taken her father to convince the Elders to send an expedition out across the void that seperated the Cradle from the galaxy below, but in the end, they had done so -- and moving slowly, trusting in their gla'ima, the two of them had guided the squadron across the years-of-light and through the reddish murk of the gap-between, until they had arrived at *this* place, the world named Xax'the Major by the race who had colonized it.
A race named the Minbari. Nirisha turned away from the view, then, extended her wings, and glided across the Sanctum interior and into the passageway that connected it to the nerve centre of TIELDA'S PRIDE -- the command sphere.. the place, even now, where her father resided.
"Ah, Nirisha..." Aeilyn-Trakande-Xexus noted a moment later, his voice penetrating thorugh the hubbub of the command sphere, "There you are." His gray and emerald plumage well groomed as always, the Speaker drifted down on his own wings to join her. "The warriors are becoming anxious, I am afraid -- the waiting does them no good."
"The wait will be over soon, father, as well you know and understand. Our scout drew in a warship of these Minbari as we had hoped, and soon enough, you gave the call to jump in and surround their vessel. Fight they did not, as honorable and intelligent beings should..."
"If there had been more then one of their ships," Aielyn darkly replied, "The story might well have been very different, my daughter. In any case, the 'Ael-leet' of their vessel was quick to warn us that his fellow warleaders would soon be joining him at this place."
"And they will not be alone, father." Nirisha reminded him. "We have woven this net carefully... and they will respond." She ground her sharp teeth, then. "They *must* respond -- for if they do not, negotiations with these warrior Minbari may not go well at all."
"You would speak, Observer to Observer, to an alien outcast who knows nothing of our kind and ways?" Aeilyn cautioned. "Who, indeed, may not even know how to touch her 'gla'ima' properly?"
"Even so, father -- it is our only chance. We *must* negotiate in good faith and show the races of this domain that we mean them no harm -- or this first contact will be doomed to failure."
"Still I question this concept of 'equals', Nirisha..." was the other Observer's next comment. "By what right should they be treated so?"
"If they had not done what they had, we might not now live!" she retorted, her eyes flashing dangerously close to anger. "We must not insult them, Father, for they clearly played an integral part in driving away the Dark Ones -- this I have seen already."
Aeilyn snorted. "We shall see, I suspect, soon enough whether you are right or not."
"Speaker!" the master of TIELDA's crew suddenly exclaimed, "Disturbances forming -- confirmed!... eight vortexes opening, quadrant perimeter seven-high polar perspective."
"I see them, my Wingleader -- how many vessels of the Minbari do we have?"
"five full claws... in addition to a handful of smaller vessels..." the Wingleader blinked, then, as new data was relayed to his station. "Interesting, my Speaker -- the smaller vessels *appear* to be more advanced then the larger ones in some respects -- we are being hailed by them in several languages, including the Minbari tongue we have translated named 'Light'."
"Translate to Eloi'shalaai and project!" Aeilyn commanded.
All Eloi'a in the sphere gazed to the heart, then, as an image shimmered into being of what appeared to be a Minbari female on a sleek, purple-yellow- white bridge that made Nirisha shiver in anticipation of what was to come. "This is Anla'shok Val'na Levann of the White Star Fleet to unknown intruders in Minbari territory. Know that I represent the Interstellar Alliance, of which the Minbari Federation is an integral part. You have surrounded one of our warships, and under our laws, we now require you to free this vessel, or face the consequences of that refusal."
"Anla'shok Val'na?" Aeilyn muttered, his expression puzzled.
"It... roughly translates as 'watcher-captain', my Speaker," the sphere academatrix announced. "The situation grows more and more complex -- it is apparent that these 'White Star' vessels are part of the military force serving this Interstellar Alliance the Minbari female has mentioned. Perhaps the leader of this 'Alliance' seeks to avoid shedding-of-blood?"
"Perhaps... and yet, the Observer has not yet come?" Aeilyn inquired of his daughter.
Nirisha shook her head. "No, my father and Speaker -- neither of them have as yet appeared."
"Then for now, we keep our silence."
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White Star 77.
"Observe that the ELOSHANN has not yet been harmed, Val'na..." White Star 77's first officer commented. "The alien warships, while numerous, have not harmed them in any way that we can observe... they have only chosen to scramble all communications into this area."
"And yet," Val'na Levann replied, as close to anger as she had come for as long as he could remember, "They ignore our offers to talk, and spurn all communication." The Minbari rose from her command-chair then and began to pace. "What could they be waiting for?"
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It was at that moment, of course, that her sixth sense kicked in, and Nirisha shivered all over and whirled upon her clawed feet, as a sharp alert-signal sounded in the sphere, and most of the militarists on duty suddenly *surged* into action. "What has happened?" the Speaker demanded.
"It is... curious, my Lord Speaker!" the flummoxed Wingleader replied. "A *new* vessel has just appeared as if out of nowhere, next to the Minbari vessel we cornered upon our arrival in this place." TIELDA's commander drew in a deep breath, then. "My Speaker! -- this new vessel appears to be emitting *more* power per mass unit then our greatest dreadnoughts -- certainly enough to tear a link through our jamming systems."
"Impossible!"
"The technology of this vessel is extremely advanced, Lord -- perhaps equal or greater to our own in many respects."
It was then, of course, that Aeilyn realized his daughter was paying absolutly *no* attention to what was going on, and instead was focused completely and totally on the new arrival to the exclusion of everything else.
"Nirisha!" Aeilyn exclaimed, "Is it them?"
"It is *her*..." she whispered, the thrill of fear running along her spine at the words she spoke. "The one spoken of only in whispers -- the breaker of rules, the maker of destinies.
The Seeker of change."
"We will speak of this later, Nirisha... not now."
"But Father!..."
"You will be silent, Nirisha!" And even as she obeyed his command, the Eloi'a Speaker for the Cradle of Stars gave another command. "If only to listen to my words. Now that she has come, this is what you shall do for us..."
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"Your analysis, Larieken?" Julia inquired, as the face of Levann, still showing surprise from the sudden appearance of a warship she had obviously known nothing about up to this point, faded from the holographic screen in front of her.
"The formation consists of twenty-one capital vessels and over thirty smaller vessels of White Star size or greater, Val'na." Larieken replied, his eyes showing his clear fascination as the specs of the alien vessels were downloaded to his station. "The largest are more then three of your kilometers long, and heavily armed... and even their smallest ship-of-the-line carries more firepower for their size then almost any ship your race has ever built... the only exception being, perhaps, the various iterations of the Warlock Class."
"Are they powered up?"
"Negative... their weapons systems are, for the moment, completely powered down."
"Very good." Julia took a deep breath, then. "Hail the ELOSHANN for me please, Klairika."
"Done." the Brakiri replied, a moment later.
"Alyt Vahnell, this is Anla'shok Val'na Tikopai of the Alliance battlecruiser SHARD OF NIGHT. Are you and your crew well?"
A moment later, the air in front of Julia shimmered, and the face of the ELOSANN's Alyt appeared. "Well enough, yes -- although I will admit, by Valen, that my crew was somewhat, shall we say, *surprised* by your sudden appearance here, Val'na! We were not aware that such a vessel as yours had even been constructed..."
"And that is the way it must stay for the time being, Alyt!" she warned him, as she had Levann a moment before. "President Sheridan only allowed this mission to proceed because we are inside Minbari space -- there are races and individuals known to us that must never know this has happened."
"I understand your words." Vahnell seriously replied. "For the present, however, there are other concerns -- firstly, do you believe that there is a chance your sudden arrival may have given our opponents cause to rethink their strategy?"
"I do not know the answer to tha..." Julia paused in mid-sentence then, however, as a strange shimmery sound began to grow in the air around her. "Klairika, do you hear that?"
"Hear... what?" the Brakiri replied, her expression one of puzzlement even as the sound grew louder.
<Do not bother asking them if they can hear the sound, Observer..." a soprano voice announced. <They cannot hear what they cannot understand. You are touched by gla'ima, Julia-Seeker-Tikopai... and now, we are as one. Welcome home, outcast, welcome to the Circle that is.>
"Is this... telepathy?" she replied, rising to her feet as the rest of the bridge crew began to realize that there was something *very* strange going on, and Klairka suddenly and abruptly decided to sever communications with the ELOSHANN. "And who are you?"
<Of a sort, yes -- but not the same as that you know of as mind-speech. The rapport between us is made possible by the genetic heritage we share, Seeker -- the heritage that has drawn my father and I across the empty void of space to find you.>
"Who are you?" she repeated, shivering at the title the Other had given her... the same title Galen had bestowed upon her, months before. Seeker.
<My name is Nirisha-Shalios-Trakande, the names given, taken and prior among our kind. I am of the Eloi'a, and I serve the Elders of the Crystal Towers in our home, the Cradle of Stars. And as to what I *am*, have I not given you enough clues already? What more do you need to make the connection, to realize the truth that is?>
The sense of ice grew greather in her at those words, and suddenly, finally, and all of a sudden, she understood. "You're an Observer, too?"
<So we are called, yes.> came the reply, heavily tinged with amusement in response to her shock and confusion at this sudden turn of events.
"If it pleases you, will you show yourself to us?"
<We shall. Observe and understand.>
"Signal coming in from the alien flagship..." Klairika announced, her expression troubled. "Shall I..."
"Display on main viewscreen, and reroute to all other Alliance ships in-system!" she exclaimed, and a moment later, everyone on the bridge straightened involuntarily as an image rippled down revealing what appeared to be the bridge of the alien warship.. the Eloi'a warship, she mentally corrected a moment later -- and part of the stiffening was due to the surprise that everyone appeared to be feeling at the sight.
For standing straight and tall in the viewscreen were two... what could they be called? -- *avians* was probably the closest analogue, their faces sharp and beaked, their tall and shimmery wings folded neatly behind them. The first, his face wise and aged, was probably the leader or captain of that vessel... and yet, was clearly *not* the Eloi'a that had contacted her.
This individual, far younger then the first, stood behind and beside him, her plumage brighter but less complex, and while Nirisha of the Eloi'a was not smiling (nor, given her avian characteristics, was this probably even possible) she was quite obviously pleased that the meeting had now become face-to-face instead of mind-to-mind.
And also... almost *fearful* about something else. Involving her?
"The contact has been made, as we predicted it would, so long ago." the older Eloi'a began. "In the name of the Order and the Crystal, I greet you, Lost One, as Observer to Observer. We have travelled far to meet with you and your kind... travelled far to discover what it was you and the others did to drive the Dark Ones away. It is an honour to meet you at last."
"Your name, Elder?" she managed.
The Eloi'a... laughed? "You may call me Aeilyn-Trakande-Xexus, Julia-family-Tikopai."
"And are you and Nirisha related, then?"
"The one you refer to is my daughter, Lost One... the Observer who first gave us a reason to begin the search for you. And now that we have come to this place, anything is possible." Aeilyn bowed in her direction, then. "As Speaker for all who Follow, I invite you and your First aboard my flagship, TIELDA'S PRIDE -- the negotiations, they must begin."
"Before this occurs," she firmly replied, "I would have an answer as to why you cornered a Minbari ship-of-the-line, Speaker, and enacted a communications blackout throughout this system. These actions must be answered for if the Minbari are to think you a peaceful race."
"And so shall they be, Observer..." Aeilyn replied. "When you join us."
"'Round and 'round we go..." Sheynell muttered from the tactical station. "And where we stop, nobody knows."
She sighed. "A fair request, Speaker. We shall be coming aboard your vessel shortly."
"Then all is as it should be." Aeilyn concluded. "Until then, Julia-family-Tikopai, I and my daughter await your coming most eagerly." And with that, the image of the TIELDA's bridge faded away.
"Val'na..." Klairika noted a moment later, "Alyt Norann of the war cruiser SILAHTI is on-line waiting to speak to you, and Val'na Levann as well."
She winced at that -- Norann was probably furious that *her* ship had been the one to be contacted, while Levann probably just wanted more answers.
"Inform them that I will speak to them in my ready room, Klairika -- and would you please bring us into close proximity with the Eloi'a flagship while the argument is progressing?"
"It shall be as you say." Klairika replied, a hint of a smile now on her face as at the helm, Dasouri twisted the SHARD in space and moved her off towards the flotilla of alien vessels in high Xax'the orbit.
And now, Julia mused, as she moved through the door, it was time to moderate what was probably going to be the conference call from Hell...
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To be continued!
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