Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2000
Hypocracy Now part 3
~~~~~
Council Room, Babylon Five:
"Now I don't know who started it," John Sheridan was telling his senior officers, and Delenn. "All's I know is that somewhere along the way, they stopped fighting by their rules of engagement and codes of conduct."
"Thank you," Ivanova told him. "Now, Captain, since you took yourself out of the war...." looking from him to the door; he got the hint, and excused himself. Once he was gone, she turned to the rest. "I don't know what he expects," guessing what Garibaldi was going to ask.
"We could barely stop the Shadows," Garibaldi remarked. "Now he expects us to stop the Vorlons too?" A look around the room. "Any ideas?" mostly sarcasticly.
~~~
Hyperspace:
The little Shadow scout passed along the edge of the folded hyperspace, sensors on maximum. What it detected set off internal alarms, emergency programs within.
Backing out as quickly as it could, it zoomed off, beaming a steady signal to a predefined point in space. They must know, they must know, they must kno-
The craft died as the beams of energy sliced out from a Vorlon gunboat. ^None will know^ the gunboat-pilot knew, ^Now to handle where they sent that packet of information...^
~~~
Zocolo, Babylon Five:
"Our main story tonight is a sad one for all those allied with - as well as those loyal to - Earthforce. At 2258 Geneva Standard Time on Earth, President Clarke was the victim of an assasin's bullet. Once aprehended, the shooter is reported to have cried out these words: `free the colonies.' The President's condition, according to hospital authorities, is currently stable."
"Well what do you know," John Sheridan muttered. "There's something good to being a nexus after all." That'd been part of one of his conditions when he'd left Zha'ha'dum a little over a week ago.
"How so?" asked Garibaldi from across the table, a glass of water in hand.
"Before I left, I said that it would be easier to make a decision if we didn't have Clarke and his bunch looming like a specter before us." A glance at the wall of monitors. "Didn't think they'd do that, though."
"Hey, like you said, you're important to them. A real turn-with-you sorta thing." A pause. "Just don't let it go to your head, John."
Nod. "It won't, Micheal. But thanks for the concern."
"Hey, if you get a god complex, who's gonna tell Ivanova to back down?" Smiles on both men.
"Captain Sheridan?" John looked up at the interupting speaker; a Drazi. "I have a message here from some aquantainces of yours," holding out a data crystal.
Sheridan accepted it. "And the message is..?"
"I know only that I was to give it to you, and that you will handle it responsibly. The rest, as they say, is up to you."
As the alien walked away, Garibaldi said, "Blunt, without revealing anything. Vorlon or Shadow?" half-serious.
~~~
War Room, Babylon Five:
"I mean with the Captain out of the war, we need all the help we can get," Ivanova said to Delenn and Marcus. They nodded, as did Doctor Franklin. "Delenn, how many Minbari Cruisers do you think could get here in spur-of-the-moment?"
The ambassador hesitated before answering, "At least twenty. Within a day, more than a hundred. The Grey Council is in support of our actions."
Susan nodded. "Good, good. Stephen, how's Medlab doing?"
"Well, this lull's been pretty helpfull; not just in finishing up the surgery and repairs on the refugees and fighters from before, but its also given us a chance to start expanding Medlab -- even if its only temporary."
~~~
Sheridan's Quarters, Babylon Five:
John inserted the data crystal into the port once he'd returned to his quarters. The information and skematics popped up instantly. "So many," he whispered; and then it hit him just where they were. The hyperspace route was unmistakable. He hit his wristlink; "Sheridan to Security."
"Zack here. What's up?"
"I need you to bring Miss Alexander to the council chambers as soon as possible. I've got a few questions for her."
"Got it," Zack replied. "Out." And the link beeped off.
Sheridan clicked the small `Forward' button on the screen, telling it to send copies to the senior staff and Delenn.
John's eyes wandered back to the two-dimensional map on the screen. "Here?"
~~~
Corridor, Babylon Five:
Zack Allan walked down the corridor untill he arrived at Alexander's quarters. He pressed the button which would tell her that company had arrived. "Yes?" came her voice.
"Lyta, it's me - Zack. Can I come in a moment?"
"This...this isn't a good time," Lyta's voice said weakly.
"If it's a bad time, I can come back later.....but the Captain just wanted you to know that there's going to be a council meeting soon, and your presence was -" the door opened. "requested," he finished, more to himself.
He stepped inside. "I know you've probably got a busy schedule and all, but -" and stopped both talking and walking. Lyta'a quarters were bare, save for a white-sheeted matress in one corner. Lyta herself was about a foot away from the babcom unit. Zack didn't say a word, and tried not to look around too much.
Lyta explained her surroundings to him, not entirely sure on the Why..... "The new ambassador instructed me to get rid of everything but the mattress, and even that was a concession to the Human need for sleep. He said it was a distraction from the work."
"I'm surprised he didn't make you whitewash the walls while you were at it," Zack said, both observant and trying to lighten the mood. It worked: Lyta cracked a smile. "So, you coming?"
A shake of her head. "I cannnt," her eyes flickered pure black for an instant, brief enough that - had Zack blinked - he would have missed it entirely. "Sure. Tell the Captain that I'll be there."
Zack blinked at her sudden self-contradiction, but nodded anyway; things'd been stressfull for everybody lately, even with the pause in the war. He activated his link, and reported that she'd be there. Clicking it off again, he looked at her. "You need anything, Lyta, you just let me know, okay?" She nodded, said she would.
As Mr. Allan walked out, Lyta silently cursed the Vorlon within her -- the Vorlon indifferent to her curses and entreaties.
~~~
Minbari Ambassador's Quarters, Babylon Five:
Eyes wide, Delenn looked at the extrapolation of where the fleet was heading.
Making a rush decision, she clicked the Babcom unit on. Delenn was going to let the Grey Council know of this.
~~~~~~~~~~
To Be Continued.
Wed, 09 Aug 2000
Part Four:
~~~~~~
Zocolo, Babylon Five:
"Is this seat taken?" Zack Allan asked, startling Lyta from her internal review. She shook her head, and he sat down. "You okay, Lyta? You're kinda pale."
"I'll be alright, Zack," she reassured him. It was nice that somebody was concerned about her.
"Not that its probably any of my business, but what did the Captain want with you?"
A wave of a gloved hand. Zack's eyes flickered, checking for a PsiCorp pin, not finding it. "Actually, it was Mr. Garibaldi in the room; Sheridan was called out on some sudden, urgent business," Lyta told him. "And he just talked about little things, Zack: the weather, sports scores, how to torture Bester on his next visit...." trailing off.
"Well nice to hear that the two of you are getting along so well," Zack said, smiling at her; she couldn't help smiling back, even just briefly. "And don't take it personally: Sheridan's been running all over the place lately, preparing for something-or-other." A pause, looking at her with concern. "Lyta?"
Lyta Alexander's eyes were darkening, her voice dropping an octave and growing huskier. "Sheridan. Of course." She got up and left in a hurry, not even thanking Zack -- not that she would have been able to.
~~~
Minbari Ambassador's Quarters, Babylon Five:
Delenn waited patiently for a reply to her message. There was nothing on Babylon Five for her to do, so she waited here, resting her body -- her mind was showing no signs of relaxing. The Babcom screen beeped, and was replaced by an errand boy of the Minbari Grey Council, with a cloaked Council member behind him.
"Has the Council recieved the message I sent to them?"
"They have."
"And....?"
"No."
No. The weight of the Minbari words struck her like a physical blow. "Why are you refusing now?" asked an exasperated Delenn to the onscreen representative of the Grey Council. "Now, of all times?"
Patient and calm, the representative answered her. "Our people have been allied with the Vorlons for a thousand years, Ambassador Delenn. Perhaps you have forgotten that, but we have not. Was that all you wished to discuss with us?" Sadly, she nodded. "Then good day."
Once the screen blinked back to the Babcom display, Delenn whispered, "Then may Valen protect us all."
~~~
White Star 42, just outside Babylon Five:
"White Star, you're cleared for leave," Garibaldi said from C&C. "Hope you find it."
"So do we, so do we," Susan replied from onboard the White Star. Then she broke the connection. To Marcus, "Let's just hope he's where we left him."
"Well, that First One did say to `Come to this place'," in a passable imitation of that One's voice. "So, all we have to do is get there -- as fast as possible, of course," seeing Susan's face.
She nodded. "Then, engines on full, and maximum burn!"
~~~
Vorlon Fleet, leaving the solar system of the former Centuari III colony:
One more world out of the way. No hiding there for the Shadows, not anymore.
Several gunboats were dispatched to deal with the refugees fleeing this dammed world. They would not escape, the Vorlons knew; none escaped from the wrath of the Vorlons!
~~~
Captain's Office, Babylon Five:
But Sheridan was not alone, she/it saw. Garabaldi stood in riot gear behind him, as did several other members of the guard -- both Human and Narn, with several Minbari telepaths standing to either side.
"Return Him!" came the thick-throated voice of a combined Lyta/Kosh, commanding Sheridan.
Sheridan looked up from the forms he was working on. "Thanks for coming, Lyta, but I'm busy right now; could you stop by later?" then returning his attention to the forms. But the guards and telepaths never let their eyes leave Lyta's body.
"Return Kosh Now!" she/it commanded. When Sheridan didn't comply, Lyta held her arms out, her body cross-shaped. Rising from her, like a pheonix, came the energy-body of Kosh. Several guards - as well as two telepaths - blinked, but otherwise remained firm.
When Zack came rushing in, the Vorlon was preparing to strike.
~~~
Sigma 957:
"Vorlons -- what now?" asked the many-sided mask, asked the First Ones.
"Well, if you don't count them blowing up entire worlds, committing genocide, and being just cranky in general," Ivanova answered, "then not much really."
"Vorlon nafoc-choul!" the First One said, a repeat of the epithet it'd used the last time they'd met.
"Yeah, well," Susan said calmly. "They've given up fighting the Shadows, and now're just trashing every world they come across, turning it to dust."
The mask began to fade out.
The mask was gone, leaving only a pinprick of strong light hovering off the floor. It just stayed there for several minutes. "We're getting an energy spike," Marcus told Susan, both reading the instruments and translating the crew's words.
"Location?"
Marcus looked up. "Right on top of us.....the ship, it's heading straight for us."
"Hm, maybe that last Vorlon comment was a bit much?"
"What Do You Need?" came the First One's voice, louder than before.
"Your help -- and any of the other First Ones, if that's possible -- in stopping the Vorlons."
Abruptly, the dot of light uncoiled into a serpentine energy-thing -- and bolted right into Susan Ivanova.
~~~
Corridor, Babylon Five:
Delenn walked towards the Council Chambers, thinking that perhaps she could have a word with Lyta.
However, as she neared the room, she could hear PPGs being discharged, fired at someone or something. She quickened her pace, getting there sooner. Peeking her head around the doorframe, she could see blacksuited Babylon5 security forces firing above a collapsed and paled Lyta, who was being cradled by Mr. Allan -- and he was firing at the same thing as his fellow security officers:
One near-crystal-clear being, flying about the ceiling of the room, clearly extremely angry if the amount of volts it fired was any indication.
And then it saw her! Two glowing red eyes, a pair, appeared suddenly on it, watching her; the only consolation, was that this required it to considerably step down its attack on the security forces.
And then it shot itself towards her, capturing her head with a single large tendril. It rushed into her frame, her body, obtaining shelter.
And to do one other thing......
~~~
Within Delenn's Mind:
All around her was grey. The uniform grey found in crystals. Everything was like that -- except for her.
"Where am I?"
"How typical, you don't know," snorted someone with a voice exactly like her own. Delenn turned.....and found herself face-to-face with an exact duplicate of herself.
"Why am I here?"
"You were born," the double answered. "You changed." A harsher tone. "You failed!"
"I've failed nothing!" Delenn protested.
"You have failed, Satai Delenn," her mirror image sneered at her. "You could not keep Sheridan on our side, and now everything will die.....And all because of your failure."
~~~
Outer Edge Of The White Star:
Susan felt wonderfull. Exhileration just didn't cover it.
She was a bird, a wasp, a White Star.......she was flying through open sky. Nothing could harm her. Nothing would stand in her way. Time didn't seem to matter anymore, she just wanted this good feeling to last longer.
Things stood in her way: planets and ships, adrift in both hyperspace and normalspace; she could skip from one to the other as easy - as easy as breathing!
And then she felt herself stopping, a part of her recognizing the impending space object as a place of work. The Susan/First One blend flickered, on the bridge of the White Star one moment, and the next, moving incredably fast towards the signatures of two Vorlons. And while she/it was gone, her shell would be adequately protected.
On the bridge of the White Star, Marcus Cole stood over Susan Ivanova's body -- a body encased in some sort of an energy shell.
He wondered if his friends onboard the station were having any better luck.
~~~
Garibaldi looked at the bodies sprawled on the floor of the room -- those that he could vaguely see through the energy shells or barriers or whatever-they-weres. Captain Sheridan, with a sickly yellow-green; Ambassador Delenn, in a pastey-white, like her chrysalis'd been; Lyta Alexander, in a brilliant yellow-gold; and Zack Allan, in drab grey.
All bound minds were linked.
~~~~~
The End.
...continued in Crystalization
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