Destroyers
Chapter 1
--- Preparations ---
Part 5 of 5
Written by Shaule Sachs
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[Babylon 5; Commander Sinclair's office
Febuary 14, 2257]
/* Paperwork. It's a simple word made from two other simple words,
'paper' and 'work,' */ thought Jeffrey Sinclair, Commander of Babylon Five.
/* Remove the word 'paper,' as what has happened, and you're left with the
'work.' */ Such thoughts had filled the Commander's mind all morning and the
end did not seem in sight. Sinclair sighed and noticed that someone was
waiting on him. Looking up he saw it was Lyta Alexander, the station's
telepath, at the entrance. She seemed nervious. /* I don't know why, */
he thought, /* a Changling Net would fool anyone. */ Turning towards
her, he signaled her to come in. Once she was close to Sinclair's desk,
he asked, "What can I do for you Ms. Alexander?"
Alexander seemed to hestiate for a moment before saying, "I .... I
just wanted to see you before I had to leave for Earth. It's been a
pleasure being on Babylon Five with you and Ambassador Delenn. I wanted
to thank you for introducing me to her."
"Why are you leaving Babylon Five?" asked Sinclair surprised.
/* They have not told him... yet, */ Alexander thought. The next
thought was /* He's worried about me and the station. */ She could
understand the station part but she was surprised at the concern
directed towards herself. "I've been ordered to return to Earth, no
reason given." She did not expect one. Psi Corp was more militarian than the
Armed Forces. /* Not that we don't have reasons for our actions. */
"I was not informed of a transfer. When do you need to leave?"
Sinlcair asked.
"My orders are to leave A.S.A.P.," Alexander said.
"And who's replacing you?" Sinclair asked.
Alexander hesitated. She tried to look at anything but Sinclair.
"They're not sending a replacement, are they," Sinclair said
resigned. "It took a year and half to get someone assigned to Babylon
Five." Sinclair sighed and said, "Babylon Five is as much a place of
business as a diplomatic station. What place of business does not have
a telepath for contact negotiation! How long until we get a replacement?"
"I .... I don't know Commander," Alexander said softly. Lyta saw
Sinclair shake himself, look at her, and for a moment she felt remorse
from him for his outbrust.
"Sorry," Sinclair said apologetically. "Just one of the problems of
running an Earth Alliance Station outside the Alliance boundaries."
"I understand Commander," Alexander said, "I just wanted to say
'good-bye' and to thank you for everything ...."
"You're welcome," Sinclair returned. "As long as Babylon Five is
here, you have a home here."
'Thanks again Commander," Alexander said.
"Sinclair here," he said in answer to the beep of his commlink.
"Takashima here," the commlink said, "there's a PsiCorp transport
here to take Lyta Alexander to Earth sir."
"Understood Lieutenant Commander," Sinclair said to the commlink.
He said to Alexander, "You're rides here." He tried to smile but he was
sad to see her go.
"Right," Alexander said as she headed for the door.
[Babylon 5; Command and Control
Febuary 19, 2257]
"Let me be the first to congratulate you Commander," Sinclair said
to Takashima as he steped into C'n'C.
"Thank you Commander," Takashima replied. She moved slightly to
allow Sinclair to take her place at the main console.
"Ready for your first command?" Sinclair asked with a mischievious
smile.
"No. But I've learned a lot from you sir," Takashima answered,
"I'll miss you."
"I bet, after five days when the real work begin, you'll be
enjoying yourself so much that you'll forgot about us," Sinclair said.
"Never. I'll always remember Babylon Five and you, Commander, even
if I live to be two hundred," Takashima said happily.
"So when do you ship out?" Sinclair asked.
"The _Icarus_ will be here in a few days to pick me up," Takashima
said, "you have until then to pick my replacment from the 'pool.'"
The 'pool' was a computer database that contained every available
EarthForce member that filled the computer's idea of the perfect person
for a job. /* It's a great idea, */ Sinclair thought, /* only some of
the suggestions are ... questionable. */ Outloud he said, "Right. Well,
how did it feel to have your last shift in C'n'C?"
"Well, it was quiet for a change. Are you sure you can handle
everything until my replacement shows up?" Takashima said.
"Yes, I'll manage," Sinclair replied.
[Babylon 5; MedLab
Febuary 23, 2257 Late morning]
"All finished Lieutenant Commander," Dr. Kyle said, "and it's nice
to see you again. Especially under more pleasant circumstances...."
The Lieutenant Commander looked at him quizzly as she got dressed.
"I don't remember meeting before Doctor...."
"Kyle. Benjamin Kyle. I was your mother's physician during her last
years...." Kyle voice has a sad quanlity to it as he said that. He
noticed the Lieutenant Commander's face. "So much like your mother....
Aren't you, Susan?"
"What do you mean?" Susan Ivanova asked too quickly.
"I suppose nothing," Kyle replied. After finishing the prelimary
medical exam all EarthForce members had to take after being assigned to
a new post, he walked over to an unlabaled cabinet, removed a bunch of
items into an unmarked bag, and walked to Ivanova saying, "let me show
you to your quarters Susan."
"Why? I've studied the schematics of the Station, I should be able to
find my own quarters," Ivanova asked.
"Why take chances? Besides I've been here almost a year and a half,
I can show you the sights not on the schematics," Kyle countered. "Come,"
he said as he half-pushed, half-dragged Ivanova out of MedLab with the
bag tucked under his other arm.
"Now that wasn't so bad," Kyle said humorously as they entered
Ivanova's quarters.
"I knew that there was a varity of aliens on Babylon Five but to
see them all ...." Ivanova said awed.
"I'm sure you'll get get use to it fast," Kyle said. "Now if you'll
excuse me, I've to go pack."
"Pack?" Ivanova asked not understanding.
"I'm being transfered to Earth. EarthForce wants to know everything
I know about my operating on a Vorlon," Kyle said sadly.
"You operated on a Vorlon?" Ivanova said incredibly.
"Yes, don't worry Zax'll protect me," Kyle said seeing Ivanova's
worried face. He set down the bag unto her table and walked towards the
door.
"Your bag..." Ivanova began.
"I'm sure you'll know what to do with what's inside Susan," Kyle
said simply as he walked out. Softly he added, "it's never the same."
"But ...." Ivanova had a feeling what was inside but she was afeard
to look inside. After seeing the bag's contains she paled and hid it as
best she could.
[Babylon 5; Commander Sinclair's office
Febuary 23, 2257 Late afternoon]
/* Typical day in an atypical week, */ Sinclair thought, /* I've
lost my exec, chief surgeon, and the Station's telepath. I've gained a new
exec and I'll have to wait on the other two replacements. */ Sinclair noticed
when the stranger entered his office. From her uniform, Sinclair guessed
who it was. "Your shift begins in thirty minutes Lieutenant Commander
Ivanova."
"So soon sir?" Ivanova asked hestiately.
"You're qualified. No sense in wasting time," Sinclair said.
"Yes sir," Ivanova replied.
"I have the shift after yours so I'll see you in six hours,"
Sinclair said.
Noting a dismissal when she heard one, Ivanova left the Commander's
office for C'n'C. She was worried about being stationed on Babylon Five
but the simple meeting with the Commander had convinced her otherwise.
/* Now why do I feel that way? */ she asked herself. /* He only said
twenty-nine words in three sentences to me and yet I trust him as my
commanding officer already. Because he's willing to trust me that I'm
willing to trust him must be a reason. Enough thinking Susan, go to
work. */
As Ivanova left his office, Sinclair could only shake his head and
retrieve a special data crystal from its storage bin. Although all data
crystals were standardized to allow the passing of information between
the different space-faring races in the Galaxy, Sinclair could not shake
the feeling that this crystal was Minbari. True, Ambassador Delenn had
given it to him, but he had given her a bunch of data crystals when she
had asked for some, about a week after coming to Babylon Five. The
crystal could be one of those, but he felt the crystal was older than it
was possible for an Alliance's crystal. For the fifth time thay day he
looked at the contents of the crystal.
"You know that information has been editted, don't you?" Zaxxon
Hunter asked.
"What? Oh, it's you," Jeff said, "one of these days you'll give
me a heart attack doing that."
Zaxxon just smiled.
"Why do you say the information is 'edited?'" Jeff asked.
"Because there isn't any race more secretive than the Vorlons
Jeff," Zaxxon said matter-of-factly.
"Delenn doesn't keep secrets from me," Jeff said defensely.
"True, those /secrets/ that are her own she'll tell you if you ask,
but secrets of others I'd doubt that," Zaxxon said. "Besides she can
only tell what she herself knows."
"True," Jeff said, "so how do you know my new exec?"
"Knew her parents," Zaxxon said sadly. "Sad about her mother."
"Huh?" Jeff asked perplexed, "Sad? Suicide's a major sin."
"That's one of the difference between Judaism and Christianity
Jeff," Zaxxon said. "Doctor Steven Franklin should be here in a day or
two. How you got him, is beyond me. And I'll help you with Psi Corp
sending some one up here."
"You know you sounded like a secretary just now," Jeff said, amused.
"Well someone has to keep you in order," Zaxxon replied.
"Heh, I thought that was my job," Michael Garibaldi said as he entered
the office.
Jeff laughed and said, "Fine. Let's continue this over supper."
"Sure," Michael said.
"I'll pay. I make more than both of you combined," Zaxxon said.
"Sure, rub it in," Michael said cheerfully.
"You could make more if you come work for me," Zaxxon responded
only half-joking.
"Come on gentlemen, let's eat," Jeff said to stop Zaxxon from hiring
Michael away from him.
"Okay," Zaxxon said in defeat. So the three left the Commander's
office after Sinclair replaced the crystal back into it's holding.
[Babylon 5;
Febuary 24, 2257 Morning]
"And this is Earhart's," Sinclair said. "Most of us eat here."
"Oh, is the food that good?" Ivanova asked.
"No," Sinclair said laughing. "It's the company." Seeing Ivanova's
confused face he said, "look around...."
"Except for the few in EarthForce uniform, I don't see anything
unusual," Ivanova said after looking around.
"Would it help if I pointed out most of the causally dressed people
here *are* EarthForce and that there are no aliens here?" Sinclair asked.
"Oh," Ivanova said, "So Earhart's only for EarthForce personnel."
Ivanova nodded with a smile on her face.
After getting their breakfasts, they sat down, and Sinclair started
the history of Earhart's. "It began with most of the construction
workers gathering here since this was one of the first areas
finished. Mostly the Station Engineers would eat here. When the
EarthForce personnel started to show up they tended to stick with the
engineers since they were the most fimiliar of those working here. It
became a tradition." Sinclair sighed and continued, "you could tell how
much more there was to do by inversing the porportion of Knight
employees to EarthForce personnel."
"So the tradition is that Earhart's is an EarthForce only resturant?"
Ivanova asked.
"Basically. The exception is Knight Enterprise employees like those
two over there." Sinclair pointed the two out to Ivanova. "Knight has
an office/store in the Zocalo. One of the biggest business we have on
Babylon Five."
"What do they sell?" Ivanova asked.
"Sophie's Chocolate bars mostly," Sinclair said with a smile which
grew with Ivanova's reaction to the mention of chocolate. "Most of the
stuff that Earhart's has comes from Frost Food Company," Sinclair
said. He hastly added, "a division of Knight Enterprises" upon Ivanova's
confused look. "Earhart's a place to get away from the grind. The
custom at Earhart's is that if you mention anything work-related while
here, you have to pay for everyone's drinks."
"I remember that," Ivanova said with a smile.
"Right," Sinclair said as he smiled back. He saw someone on his
right and waved him over. "Michael Garibaldi," Sinclair said as he pointed
out the person just joining them, "Chief of Security. This is Susan
Ivanova, our new Executive Officer."
"Hi," Garibaldi said, "welcome to the club."
The two Knight employees were getting ready to leave when Zaxxon
motioned them to remain. Zaxxon said to the first one, "everything
alright?"
"Yeah boss," the employee responeded. "Sales are slow since we sold
out on the chocolate bars."
"Right," Zaxxon said, "I'll have Henry send some more."
"Okay," the employee said as he left.
Zaxxon turned to the other and asked, "And how's our other projects
running Hawkeye?"
Hawkeye simply said, "Okay so far. The _Agamemnom_ won't return
for a year. The _Icarus_ is headed to Z'Ha'Dum. Delenn has the
triangle-thingy." Zaxxon smiled at the name. Hawkeye continued, "Kosh is
getting used to having all us kids around and Lyta is on Earth at the
moment. Everything happening the way History says it will, boss." After
looking around he added, "Does He have to use that voice with us? I like
Chance's voice better. Her's doesn't get on my nerves like His does."
"Let it never be said that History does not have a sense of humor,"
Zaxxon replied.
"Some humor," Hawkeye countered.
[=== End of Part 5===]
[*** End of Chapter 1 ***]