lurkers-guide/synops/115

<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)</h3>

<i>ISN News Broadcast:
<P>
"Meanwhile, on Earth and Minbar preparations continue for next month's
celebration marking the fifth anniversary of the Interstellar
Alliance. Aside from one brief conflict with the Centauri Republic
early in its first year, ISA President John Sheridan has delivered on
his promise to maintain peace among all its member worlds. Although
ISA Vice-President Delenn continues to make appearances during these
preparations, Sheridan himself has not been seen for several
days. Speculations on his absence range from the flu to a good will
mission to Narn.

<P>
"In other news, ground was broken today in Earthdome for a monument
dedicated to the many who died in the recent telepath crisis,
including..."
</i>

<P>
Sheridan has not been seen because he has joined Garibaldi on a secret
trip to oversee the final stages of the construction of the prototypes
for the destroyer class White Star ships (<a
href="../guide/105.html">"Movement of Fire and Shadow"</a>). Garibaldi
is taking a bit of time away from managing Edgars Industries on Mars
(<a href="../guide/108.html">"Objects in Motion"</a>) at Sheridan's
request.

<P>
The head of the construction project, Drake, is being too
cautious for Garibaldi's taste. But Sheridan points out that reverse
engineering Vorlon and Minbari technology to fit human technology is
uncharted waters, and caution is necessary. The construction is top
secret, not the least because the other races are likely to object to
Earth, Minbar, and Sheridan being the sole beneficiaries of the
project. Sheridan is sure no one can follow them to the construction site,
as they are aboard a
White Star, the fastest known ship. But he is wrong. A small probe
follows them into and through hyperspace, projecting the image to a
small crystal globe.

<P>
The globe is held by a man called Galen. He is interrupted and told he
must explain his behavior and account for his activities to something
called "the circle," and everyone involved. Although annoyed, he agrees
to do so.

<P>
Sheridan and Garibaldi arrive at the construction dock. Two prototypes
are there, the <i>Victory</i> and the <i>Excalibur</i>. Sheridan is
welcomed by Drake, who gives him the tour. They are still battling some
minor problems, haven't fully figured out the artificial gravity for
example. But the ships are mostly ready, and the controls are intuitive and
easy to master for Earthforce personnel.

<P>
"How does she handle?" asks Sheridan, excited; but they haven't
actually tested it yet. And when they try, the propulsion system
fails, despite Drake's assurances that there would be no problems.

<P>
Sheridan is told a message from Delenn has arrived. He takes it by
himself in the conference room, but the message is all
garbled. Sheridan is transfixed, seemingly for a few seconds. But
Garibaldi enters, breaks the spell, and claims Sheridan has been there
for almost half an hour. Garibaldi suggests he get some rest while
Drake works out the bugs. Sheridan agrees.

<P>
"Things were so much easier on Babylon 5," muses Garibaldi.

<P>
On Babylon 5, a female alien arrives, and a weapons violation is
detected. Zack Allan demands she turn over her weapons, and she does
so silently: about a dozen or more blades and other low-tech
weapons. Before leaving, she asks where the lost people, the neglected
and forgotten, go. Zack directs her to Downbelow, Brown sector.

<P>
Aboard the <i>Excalibur</i>, Sheridan dreams. He finds himself on a
desolate, burning world, ruins aflame all around him. A voice calls
out to him: Galen. The world is dead, Galen says, murdered. Not an
attack, but a test. Galen says he is the one who sent the message
Sheridan received earlier; he needed a connection for the electron
incantation.

<P>
A ship arrives. Galen claims it is the killers, come back to check on
their work. He and Sheridan must leave, to ensure his probe goes
undetected. Before leaving, he shows Sheridan the name of the
world: Daltron 7.

<P>
Sheridan awakes as the ship begins to move. It is being towed to the
firing range.

<P>
On Babylon 5, the alien female works her way through Brown sector,
following hidden signs painted on the walls and ceilings. And she is
being followed. Finally, she makes her way to an opening in the
ceiling, where she is hit on the head. She falls unconscious to the
ground...

<P>
... and dreams. She is on the dead planet Sheridan was on. "No. I
can't be back," she says to herself. Sheridan suddenly appears, and
she throws herself at him in rage. But she passes right through the
image, and as she does, Sheridan changes, becoming a Drakh. The Drakh
holds in his hand a miniature galaxy. He closes his fist over it, and
disappears.

<P>
And then Galen appears. "This is not your world, Dureena Nafeel," he
booms at her. "But it shares the same fate as your world. When the
time comes to choose your target, be sure to pick the right
one. Because you will only get one shot." An earthquake hits, and
Dureena falls; she awakes back on Babylon 5.

<P>
She is chained, lying on a small platform, surrounded by many beings,
both human and alien. She is asked her name, and to show a mark: a
tattoo bearing the same designs as the markers she followed to get
there. It marks her as a member of the Thieves' Guild. She is asked
the name of her teacher, and his teacher before him. She answers, and
says she has been a thief long enough to be good at it. But
apparently, she is challenged, not good enough to avoid being followed
and chained up.

<P>
"What chains?" she asks simply, and the manacles fall in pieces to the
ground. Dureena attacks the man who followed her, knocking him
out. She was captured only because she chose to be captured, to meet
the Guild. The leader of the Guild welcomes her and gives her the
local rules: no inteference with other members, nothing violent,
nothing to draw attention to them. They'll protect her and give her a
place to stay in exchange for ten percent of her take; but if
captured, she is on her own. The Guild must remain a secret
organization.

<P>
The leader has one more question: they have never seen an alien like
her before. She is far from home; why did she come to Babylon 5? "I
don't know," she replies, and leaves.

<P>
On board the <i>Excalibur</i>, Sheridan is shown the weapons. He is
not impressed with Level One, though; it isn't much more firepower
than an average White Star. As destroyers, these ships should pack
more punch. Garibaldi orders Drake to go to Level Two. But Drake lets
them know there is a problem. The main guns are based on Vorlon
design, and were intended for far more advanced ships.
They use up almost all available power, and should be used only
as a last resort. Sheridan orders a demonstration anyway.

<P>
Before he can give the order to fire, the view changes: the
<i>Excalibur</i> is aiming straight at Earth. Sheridan is confused,
gives orders to stop. Sheridan looks again, but the Earth is
gone. Sheridan sits back down and orders the main guns to fire. They
do so with impressive results, but all lights dim inside. According
the Drake, there's barely enough energy left for life support and
gravity. After firing, the ship cannot maneuver or fire again for at
least one minute.

<P>
Sheridan starts to reply, but finds himself elsewhere again. Several
robed men are around a campfire. "It's a mistake! You shouldn't have
brought him here!" one of them says. They are chastising Galen for
breaking the isolation without proof. But Galen claims that they need
to break it to get the proof. And Sheridan is the only one who can get
it. The others relent, but warn Galen he will be the first to die if
their security has been compromised through his actions. They
disappear, leaving Galen and Sheridan along. Sheridan can now piece
together the clues: Galen and the others are technomages (<a
href="../guide/025.html">"The Geometry of Shadows"</a>). Galen
explains they are not hurrying to return from hiding. They have,
however, been watching the Drakh. They think the Drakh are preparing
to move. Sheridan points out that the Drakh have no homeworld and the Shadows
are gone; how much power can they possibly have?

<P>
Galen replies that Sheridan himself must find the answer to that
question, because Galen believes the Drakh will start by
attacking Earth. Sheridan begins to ask more questions, but Galen has
said everything he is allowed. Sheridan and his companions must
discover the rest. However, he is not to tell anyone about what he is
doing or why. The Drakh have spies everywhere. Before leaving, Galen
shows Sheridan four faces: a Drazi, a human, Sheridan himself, and an
alien, a good match for Dureena Nafeel; and an image of Babylon 5 high
overhead.

<P>
And then, Sheridan finds himself back aboard the Excalibur. Drake is
explaining that the hull can reflect 80% of any energy weapon. "We
have to go right now," Sheridan interrupts. Garibaldi wants to know
where. "It was above the faces," replies Sheridan, "above them
all. Babylon 5."

<P>
While enroute, he refuses to tell Garibaldi why they are going; and
he makes a sketch of the three faces he saw in the vision. Garibaldi
is worried; he offers to stop by Minbar and talk to Delenn, but
Sheridan insists he is fine. He also asks Garibaldi to find out
everything he can about Daltron 7. "Never heard of it," says
Garibaldi. "Me either," replies Sheridan, a response that adds to
Garibaldi's doubts and misgivings about Sheridan's rationality. On his
way out, he asks for a connection to Capt. Lochley.

<P>
The <i>Charon</i>, and Earth Alliance destroyer, is in hyperspace
also on her way to Babylon 5. The first officer is questioning the
Captain on the new destination. They are disobeying orders and not
informing Earthdome. "I know what I'm doing," answers Captain
Anderson enigmatically, and adds to himself: "I hope."

<P>
Lochley welcomes Sheridan aboard. He gives her the drawings, and asks
her to find out where they are. "Are you sure they are here?" she
asks. "No," replies Sheridan. "But if they aren't here yet, they soon
will be... I think." With that, he leaves Lochley and Garibaldi, both
utterly confused.

<P>
In the Zocalo, Dureena is stealing wallets and money belts when
security arrives with the drawing. She tries to flee, but is stopped
and captured. Lochley informs Sheridan. "Who is she?" he asks. Lochley
doesn't understand; after all, he drew her. Since she was caught with
stolen wallets, she is being deported. Sheridan asks where she is
from, and is told she is from Zander Prime. Lochley thought it was a
dead world, however. It is now, replies Sheridan. It was one of the
last planets destroyed by the Shadow planetkiller (<a
href="../guide/071.html">"The Long Night"</a>) during the Shadow War.

<P>
Sheridan then gets a message from Captain Anderson. He doesn't know
him. "Hello, Mr. President," says Anderson. "By any chance, have you
been looking for me?" Lochley looks at Sheridan's drawing: Anderson is
the human drawn there. "So it would appear," replies Sheridan with a
faint smile.

<P>
They meet in Babylon 5's conference room, and Captain Anderson
explains the man in his dreams told him to find Sheridan. Dureena is
then brought in, and when she sees Sheridan, she attacks him like she
did in her dream.

<P>
Dureena blames Sheridan for the destruction of Zander Prime. For
attracting the Shadows, and not being there to help despite
requests. But Sheridan explains they didn't know about the attack
until it was too late; and even if they had heard, they didn't have
anything to stand up to the Shadow's planetkiller. He's asked himself
over and over, since the war, if there was anything he could do to
save more people. But there wasn't. He also points out it was the
Drakh and the Shadows who destroyed her planet, and the Drakh are
still around. She then recalls Sheridan's transformation in her
dream. Sheridan offers her the chance to strike at them. Dureena
relents. Perhaps this is what the dream meant.

<P>
Meanwhile, Garibaldi is in Lochley's office. "You think he's lost it?"
he asks. Lochley isn't sure. Finding Dureena and Capt. Anderson, dead
matches for Sheridan's drawing, has given her pause. "All I know is he
isn't behaving rationally," she adds. "It's almost as if he's acting
under some sort of outside influence."

<P>
Sheridan is worried the Drazi hasn't arrived yet, but they cannot wait
any longer. Why us? asks Dureena. Sheridan thinks each of them brings
something to the mission to increase the odds of success. Captain
Anderson points out the <i>Charon</i> isn't powerful enough for the
sort of thing they are contemplating. They need something bigger, and
nastier. "I think I may just have the thing..." replies Sheridan.

<P>
In the morning, Garibaldi arrives in Lochley's office for a meeting
with her and Sheridan. But Sheridan isn't there. He skipped out and is
well on his way to the construction yard. Garibaldi asks for a line to
Drake, anticipating him.

<P>
But Sheridan is a step ahead. He contacts Drake and tells him there's
been a breach in security. All messages should now come through a new
frequency, and no other messages should be replied to or acknowledged.
Garibaldi won't be able to delay him.

<P>
Sheridan, sitting on the captain's chair, asks Capt. Anderson if he
really wants to go through with this: going AWOL and risking his
career. Anderson explains that during the civil war, they had a chance
to join Sheridan but didn't; and they were wrong not to. Earth is in
danger now, and this time he intends to be on the winning side. The
crew feels the same way. "We let you down once," says Anderson. "We
won't do it again."

<P>
They arrive at the dockyard, and over Drake's objections they
commandeer the <i>Excalibur</i> and the <i>Victory</i>, leaving him
behind. Sheridan takes command of the <i>Excalibur</i>, and Anderson
of the <i>Victory</i>. Dureena joins Sheridan, and they head out to
Daltron 7.

<P>
Once there, they find the dead world of Sheridan's dream; but Daltron
7 is supposed to be the next best thing to paradise. A pattern of
craters seen from orbit is the same as that produced by the Shadow
planetkiller.

<P>
There are no life forms, but they do pick up a Drazi distress
signal. When they go down to investigate, they find the Drazi of
Sheridan's dream dead, a data crystal hidden inside his body.

<P>
Meanwhile, Capt. Anderson's people have been doing an analysis of the
planet and records. He asks Sheridan if he is sure this is the work of
a Shadow planetkiller. Sheridan is. "We have a serious problem then,"
replies Anderson. "Because if what I'm reading is correct, this just
happened over a week ago." The Shadows left a planetkiller behind. And
everytime Sheridan and the Alliance have ran into leftover Shadow
technology, they've gotten their butts kicked.

<P>
Garibaldi has by now reached the dock, and Drake explains that
Sheridan stole the prototypes, and seemed crazed. Garibaldi heads out
to Daltron 7, taking Drake with him.

<P>
Meanwhile, Capt. Anderson calls his wife and daughter on Earth, to
reassure her everything is fine and he hasn't deserted, merely been
"transferred by a  higher force." He also reassures his daughter, who is
afraid of going to sleep because of nightmares, that he will protect
her from the monsters.

<P>
Later, Anderson and Sheridan look at the contents of the data crystal
they found on the Drazi. He too had dreams, which led him to Daltron
7. There, he saw and recorded the Shadow planetkiller in action. Then
he followed the deathcloud to where the fleet was
concentrating. Finally, he returned to Daltron 7 to see if anybody was
left and to wait for the others, hoping the dark ones would not find
him first.

<P>
And then, five small ships arrive: Drakh fighters. The Drakh send a
message, trying to figure out who the two ships are; they don't
recognize the design. On Dureena's suggestion, they try to bluff their
way into the Drakh's good graces, pretending to be allies. But the
Drakh receive an extremely powerful tachyon-enhanced transmission and
start attacking.

<P>
Sheridan and Anderson fight back, destroying several of the fighters. A
few more try to escape, and head for a strange, black, null-area in
space. Sheridan orders the main guns to fire, and destroys the
fighters. But inertia carries him through the null field, unable
to maneuver for a full minute after firing. On the other side, which
matches the coordinates the Drazi gave for the Drakh fleet, the Drakh
wait. As soon as he can, Sheridan turns around and heads out through
the null field, a few small fighters in pursuit. The rest of the fleet
is already on its way.

<P>
Sheridan and Anderson move ahead, and jump to hyperspace before the
Drakh can catch up; the fighters are caught in the collapsing jump
point and are destroyed. Then, the <i>Victory</i> and <i>Excalibur</i>
slip past the main fleet in hyperspace, and head for Earth at top
speed.

<P>
Sheridan calls Lochley. He tells her of the Drakh fleet and the Shadow
deathcloud. Lochley is skeptical; she thinks Sheridan may have indeed
flipped. But Sheridan insists, and asks her vehemently for her trust
and help. Delenn is already scrambling as many Alliance ships as she
can together. Sheridan wants Lochley to call Earth and tell President
Luchenko (<a href="../guide/087.html">"Rising Star"</a>) to do the
same. Sheridan isn't much liked or trusted on Earth, so he needs her
to make the call. Lochley can hardly believe she is doing this, but
she does as he asks.

<P>
Meanwhile, Garibaldi is told someone aboard the White Star tapped into
communications a while ago. Before he can investigate further, they
receive a call from Sheridan. Sheridan tells Garibaldi about the
planetkiller. Garibaldi is also skeptical. Sheridan wants to warn him
the Drakh are onto them, and know about the new ships.

<P>
Garibaldi mentions that he has found out about Dureena's membership in
the Thieves' Guild. She is  not to be trusted, he says. Maybe it is
her fault. Sheridan is partly taken aback, but Dureena points out that
if she is the leak, she is stupid, as she could have gotten killed with
him.

<P>
"Killed how?" asks Garibaldi, and Sheridan recounts their brief
encounter with the Drakh, and the tachyon signal they received. The
signal told the Drakh who they were. Garibaldi makes the connection
with the anomaly in the communication system of his ship...

<P>
... and hears a PPG powering up next to his head: Drake. Mars born, he
owes no loyalty to Earth, and the Drakh made him a great offer. He is
the leak. Garibaldi cuts the communication. Then he points out to
Drake that if he shoots Garibaldi, the Rangers around him will take
him down. One of them activates a fighting pike, distracting
Drake. Garibaldi then quickly disarms him and puts him in a headlock.

<P>
"Now, you are going to tell me everything you know," says
Garibaldi. Drake, frightened, nods slowly. Garibaldi later contacts
Sheridan, and confirms everything. The Drakh are headed for Earth,
want to make a statement to the Alliance by wiping out Earth in a big
show of force. The only silver lining is that they only have one
planetkiller. If Sheridan can destroy it, they won't have another one
to worry about.

<P>
Sheridan arrives in Earth space. Lochley has apparently convinced
Luchenko, and Earthforce has mobilized its ships. Aboard the Earth
Destroyer <i>Hermes</i>, General Yuri Mikhailovich Denisov, in command
of the EarthForce ships, is annoyed and thinks this is all some sort
of exercise. Sheridan's assurances that this is for real are soon
confirmed, as the Drakh fleet jumps into normal space.

<P>
Sheridan tells Gen. Denisov to leave the fleet to the defense grid (<a
href="../guide/086.html">"Endgame"</a>). He wants the destroyers and
Alliance heavy ships to form a wedge around the <i>Excalibur</i> and
the <i>Victory</i> and lead them into the planetkiller itself. "Then
what?" asks Gen. Denisov. "Then we kill it," replies
Sheridan. "Somehow."

<P>
The General agrees and leads them in. While enroute, Sheridan uses
the <i>Excalibur's</i> advanced sensors, more advanced than anything
they've had previously, to analyze the deathcloud. It has a
superstructure inside, a lattice of some kind, which is what they must
destroy.

<P>
Sheridan notices the center of the lattice is bigger and reinforced:
probably the command center. That's their target.

<P>
<i>"When the time comes to choose your target, be sure to pick the
right one. Because you will only get one shot."</i> Galen's words echo
in Dureena's head.

<P>
"No," she tells Sheridan simply. "If you hit that part you'll fail and
your planet will be destroyed." She explains that a thief learns to
look where you aren't supposed to look; that the most valuable items
are never inside the safe, but next to it. Next to the central point
of the lattice is a joint, seemingly the same as others in the
structure. "There's nothing special about it," Dureena explains. "Then
why is it surrounded by short range weapons? Why are they so
determined to protect it?"

<P>
Capt. Anderson has been monitoring the situation. Enemy ships are
closing in, and the deathcloud is approaching Earth. They are running
out of time. They can hit one target but not both. Which one? Sheridan has
to choose quickly.

<P>
"Hers," Sheridan replies. The <i>Victory</i> and the <i>Excalibur</i>
accelerate towards the deathcloud.

<P>
But the deathcloud's defenses are formidable, and more Drakh ships
join the defense as they figure out what is happening. The fire isn't
getting through to the target. The <i>Victory</i> is hit severely, and
its main weapons array destroyed. The planetkiller is minutes away
from Earth.

<P>
"My daughter is out there, Phil," Capt. Anderson tells his first
officer. "I made a promise to her that I'd protect her from the
monsters. What kind of father am I if I can't keep my promise?"

<P>
Anderson contacts Sheridan. He suggests that Sheridan fire his main
gun; although it will probably miss at that range, and leave the
<i>Excalibur</i> vulnerable for one minute, it will clear away the
defending ships. The <i>Victory</i> can cover her for a minute and
get within range. Then the <i>Victory</i> will fire her main guns
while the <i>Excalibur</i> covers her. It's a long shot, but it is
their only one. Sheridan agrees and fires.

<P>
The <i>Excalibur</i> misses the joint barely, but destroys the enemy
ships in the way. Captain Anderson then issues the order: "Ramming
speed." Sheridan can't do anything, his ship out of power. The
<i>Victory</i> heads in, taking hit after hit. Despite extensive
damage, the ship makes it all the way to the joint, and destroys it in
a fiery crash. But the <i>Victory</i> doesn't survive.

<P>
Anderson's sacrifice isn't in vain. The planetkiller begins to
collapse. The missiles fire prematurely, hitting the superstructure
itself. With the <i>Excalibur</i> back on line, Sheridan heads out. He
escapes as the deathcloud collapses into itself and is destroyed.

<P>
Before they can even take stock, they see the remains of the Drakh
fleet heading towards Earth. They watch in horrified silence as the
ships descend into the atmosphere, and start releasing some
sort of dust. The defense grid hits many of them, but they only fall
towards the surface, releasing more dust on their way down. 

<P>
Sheridan looks down in silence. "What is it?" asks Dureena, who does
not understand what is going on. "What happened?"

<P>
Galen is looking over the results of the battle in his crystal globe
when a voice calls out to him. "The circle requires your presence."

<P>
Sheridan is back on Babylon 5, explaining to Lochley and
Garibaldi. "So, they finished analysing whatever it was the Drakh
sprayed into Earth's atmosphere?" asks Lochley.

<P>
"It's a biogenetic plague," replies Sheridan. "Earth has been
completely quarantined, nobody allowed in or out. The death cloud was
the only one the Drakh had left, but it wasn't the last weapon in
their arsenal. From the complexity of its structure, the bioweapons
division back home thinks the plague was probably engineered by the
Shadows."

<P>
"How much time do they have?" asks Garibaldi. "Looks like that's the
only bright spot in this," replies Sheridan. "The Drakh didn't have
time to finish adjusting it our biology, or they just didn't know
how. But either way, its going to take time for the plague to adjust
to a new host. They're saying 5 years. Could be less. But probably
five years is the best guess for now."

<P>
"And... at the end of five years?" asks Lochley.

<P>
"Every man, woman, and child on Earth will be dead. Unless we can
find a cure."

<p>
Since the plague is Shadow technology, they won't be able to solve it
on Earth in five years. "But since this came to us from outside," adds
Sheridan, "maybe we can find a cure out there." There are other races,
as old as the Shadows; one of them must have a cure. "We'll find
them. We have to."

<P>
Sheridan adds: "I've told president Luchenko we'll put all the resources
of the Alliance and the White Star fleet at their disposal. We'll turn
the <i>Excalibur</i> into a traveling research vessel, manned by the
best crew we can find. The Rangers will search every corner of space,
looking for clues to a cure. Then the <i>Excalibur</i> and her crew
will go in to follow it up."

<P>
On their way out, Sheridan says, the Drakh hit the construction dock, destroying
years of work. It will take time to make up for it, and so, for now,
the <i>Excalibur</i> is the only of one of her kind.

<P>
Meanwhile, Galen arrives on Babylon 5, and joins Dureena.

<P>
Sheridan finishes: "Those who command the <i>Excalibur</i> will never stop,
never give up, and never slow down until a cure is found. And we'll
take any help we can get, wherever and whoever it comes from. Because
this is a cause that surpasses borders, and differences, and
distrusts. This is a mission about the survival of Earth itself. What
we do over the next five years here, at home, and across the darkness
between the stars, will determine whether an entire world will
live... or die. It's a fight we can't afford to lose.

<P>
"And we won't. We won't."