Fragments (a STM5/B5 crossover AU)

[Skeet]

This chapter was actually interesting. I liked the fact that Archer and Kirk are in B5verse now. Griffin should have an interesting time looking and speaking to his Federation counterpart.

I can also see that Clark and the others have a legitimate concern about becoming a dumping ground for Federation universes and I can also see the other B5 races becoming concerned as well. Be that as it may you almost tempted me to add Archer to AIB instead of my other choice. But I won't because I promised. Needless to say I enjoyed the chapter although I make my one unusual comment about so many characters that it takes a lot to really follow it.
Otherwise.... not too bad.
AG

[madbob]

..holy snap...the people on B5 have to do be going into techno shock with all the cool stuff falling out of space everywhere...

[Trivia Freak]

Originally Posted by Skeet

This chapter was actually interesting. I liked the fact that Archer and Kirk are in B5verse now. Griffin should have an interesting time looking and speaking to his Federation counterpart.

I can also see that Clark and the others have a legitimate concern about becoming a dumping ground for Federation universes and I can also see the other B5 races becoming concerned as well. Be that as it may you almost tempted me to add Archer to AIB instead of my other choice. But I won't because I promised. Needless to say I enjoyed the chapter although I make my one unusual comment about so many characters that it takes a lot to really follow it.
Otherwise.... not too bad.
AG

Err... I think it's ST2009!Kirk (Young!Kirk) and the other Young!Ent Bridge Crew...

[Richardson]

I think no-one is paying attention to the Kirkling, with the frakking HALO instalation that was just dropped on them.

[JovianJeff]

Thanks for the comments everyone, they are very much appreciated. Chapter 30 is coming along and (hopefully) will be up 'on time' this Friday.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

glad Kirk is in this...was wondering how things would had turned differently in the new movie if Spock had directly violated the Temporal Prime Directive and upgraded starfleet...as for the technology, it should had been late 2380's tech as the movie occured in OTL at 2386...several years after Voyager had returned and over some years after the deployment of slipstream to ship of the line vessels...as for that massive nova that consumed Romulus, it's probably a hypernova...very rare but natural event, the only bad luck was that the Romulan capital system was in range of its explosion...anyway i've been considering what a 2380's upgraded version of the new Enterprise would had been if Spock had arrived first in the altered timeline considering that he went in first into the singularity...

Now that I'm over my first jitters writing Kirk I'm glad he's in this too.

The concept I was trying to come across was that 2379 is as far as Spock was able to progress before Nero showed up. Another few months, a year and he might have reached the 2380s and where technology was at his time.

He simply ran out of time and so went with what they had.

I doubt this will come up in a side story, it might, but its not much of one. Essentially between the Niven and ShiKahr at any given time the work would go by leap-frogging. In other words, one ship has to be ready to go at any time, the other one is worked on to improve just a little more.

It just so happens when Nero showed up the ShiKahr was the ready ship and the Niven was the one being upgraded further.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

as for the Genesis matrix can't create complex technology, why not create a techno-organic lifeform in which it's sole purpose is to develop a carbon-neutronium alloy shell for the dyson sphere that will maintain its exterior shell and provide artificial gravity in the inisde....anyway more comments later after i read the story...was wondering if there's a guilty spark in the Halo on top of Icon...can Icon be considered its senior AI...

You are brilliant! Imaginative, that's an awesome concept. I might end up using that later. I can see from a study of Talyn (and later Moya and poor Elack--you'll see later why 'poor') to contribute to that and poof a biomechanical dyson's sphere made from a nebula.

Now -that's- scifi, coming up with mind-blowing concepts. Great thinking Inquisitor.

Originally Posted by Deathsheadx

one word....

KIRK!

I'm glad you liked it (at least I hope that is what that meant). He's still intimidating to write, but fun!

Originally Posted by Vianca

LOL, now that's good.
Wondering how anybody is thinking about that old NX now.

That is Icon's worry. It might not come up next chapter, but he (at least) wants to go lay low and out of sight for a while.

Originally Posted by kclcmdr

Vat a crazed update..

at least thee saved Elizabeth, daughter of Trip, daughter of T'Pol, of possibly from another age where Vulcan is supreme....

Errr...yes a bit manic and crazed.

Yaaay! I was hoping someone noticed. I -so- wanted to write Elizabeth being saved.

Vulcan is supreme is based off a TOS book 'Killing Time' by Della Van Hise.

I imagine maybe Q, Lorien or Nagilum might explain it later, but here it is for now in case I can't find a convient exposition;

The VSS ShiKahr is a Vulcan starship of an alternate timeline that was the result of the Romulan's Second History project, which interfered in the timeline at a key moment in human history.

Second History was a Romulan project to change the shape of history and ensure that the United Federation of Planets never existed, thus making the Romulan Star Empire more powerful.

However the results were not what the Romulans intended. While the United Federation of Planets did not exist in the timeline, the Vulcans were still powerful, and able to keep the Romulans from conquering all of known space.

I diverge off of this by having T'Pol come up with the IDIC project that has a mixed racial crew on her ship and Archer will take further to found Starfleet, albeit one under Vulcan High Command.

Originally Posted by JEKrug01

*sudden grin* Now we're talking... never thought I'd see a ship named after the ol' birth-town (I'll leave it to you all to figure THAT one out). Nice one indeed!

This is probably wrong, but I'll take a wild stab to say the Baltimore?

The Baltimore, Othello and Colossus (as well as the type 20 shuttlecraft) are all from the works of David Lovejoy at the Journal of Applied Treknology. I just fell in love with his work and wanted to have it show up somehow.

If that birthtown is something else, I guess the mystery remains unsolved for now.

I'm glad it works!

Originally Posted by Skeet

This chapter was actually interesting. I liked the fact that Archer and Kirk are in B5verse now. Griffin should have an interesting time looking and speaking to his Federation counterpart.

Awesomelicious! I'm really glad you found this chapter interesting.

I am looking forward to Kirk and Griffin meeting and working together. I have a picture in my head of the two back to back facing somehting. Its rather indistinct at the moment, but I am looking forward to getting these two together.

Originally Posted by Skeet

I can also see that Clark and the others have a legitimate concern about becoming a dumping ground for Federation universes and I can also see the other B5 races becoming concerned as well. Be that as it may you almost tempted me to add Archer to AIB instead of my other choice. But I won't because I promised. Needless to say I enjoyed the chapter although I make my one unusual comment about so many characters that it takes a lot to really follow it.
Otherwise.... not too bad.
AG

Yes everyone is concerned, although there is the sharing going on, or so it will be seen this upcoming chapter.

I do remember reading when you made that promise. It is a shame, I'd -love- to see what you would do with Archer. Your Kirk is outstanding and of course I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't like the dynamic you created with the alternate Picard, Garrett and Sisko.

I'm glad it isn't too bad. The trick will be to improve or at least be consistent.

Though I do agree with your comment, too much. Manic ideas keep pouring out.

Originally Posted by madbob

..holy snap...the people on B5 have to do be going into techno shock with all the cool stuff falling out of space everywhere...

B5 and the White stars will benefit the most, the ISA to come will have much to offer.

Although not all the ships will be sharing for various reasons.

Originally Posted by Trivia Freak

Err... I think it's ST2009!Kirk (Young!Kirk) and the other Young!Ent Bridge Crew...

Correct, young Kirk and young Bridge crew. I don't think I'm up to writing the TOS crew. Well not yet.

Originally Posted by Richardson

I think no-one is paying attention to the Kirkling, with the frakking HALO instalation that was just dropped on them.

There is that. It will take time to sort everything out.

Again thank you everyone for reading and leaving a comment, correction or asking a question.

Jeff

[Inquisitor]

thanks for the reply...never considered the Moya or any techno-organic vessels that came into the B5 universe...

was reading the StarTrek Countdown comic series, it's the prequel for the neoStarTrek 2009 movie...Spock's ship the Jellyfish should had arrived shortyly after the Narada had arrived in the alternate past...anyway i'm already considering how things would had turn out if Spock showed up around the same time as the USS Kelvin had crashed into the Narada in the beginning of the movie...the Jellyfish would had escaped and Nero wouldn't have any idea that Spock had already arrived and left for federation space as the Narada's main systems were damaged...anyway Spock probably realized that the Narada was using Borg technology...he would had gotten involved with the past and started getting the Federation ready in combatting the Borg...even with the Federation ship of the line Ent-E wasn't able to damage the Narada so Spock has to design a ship that's more than capable of taking out a Borg enhanced vessel...


the Vanguard class would be the new design that Spock had helped starfleet with and it's going to be based on technology from post Borg invasion and around the mid-2380s, several years after Voyager had returned...anyway can u imagine alternate Kirk being in command of a 2380's tech version of the Enterprise...

[JEKrug01]

Originally Posted by JovianJeff

This is probably wrong, but I'll take a wild stab to say the Baltimore?

The Baltimore, Othello and Colossus (as well as the type 20 shuttlecraft) are all from the works of David Lovejoy at the Journal of Applied Treknology. I just fell in love with his work and wanted to have it show up somehow.

If that birthtown is something else, I guess the mystery remains unsolved for now.

Good guess. Just hope it doesn't turn out to be a shuttle. o.O;

[JovianJeff]

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

was reading the StarTrek Countdown comic series, it's the prequel for the neoStarTrek 2009 movie...Spock's ship the Jellyfish should had arrived shortyly after the Narada had arrived in the alternate past...anyway i'm already considering how things would had turn out if Spock showed up around the same time as the USS Kelvin had crashed into the Narada in the beginning of the movie...the Jellyfish would had escaped and Nero wouldn't have any idea that Spock had already arrived and left for federation space as the Narada's main systems were damaged...anyway Spock probably realized that the Narada was using Borg technology...he would had gotten involved with the past and started getting the Federation ready in combatting the Borg...even with the Federation ship of the line Ent-E wasn't able to damage the Narada so Spock has to design a ship that's more than capable of taking out a Borg enhanced vessel...


the Vanguard class would be the new design that Spock had helped starfleet with and it's going to be based on technology from post Borg invasion and around the mid-2380s, several years after Voyager had returned...anyway can u imagine alternate Kirk being in command of a 2380's tech version of the Enterprise...

It happened roughly as you described it in the timeline I'm using for Kirk and company. Probably back in that universe Spock is doing just that, the ones in this story being fragments.

Originally Posted by JEKrug01

Good guess. Just hope it doesn't turn out to be a shuttle. o.O;

Nope, it isn't the shuttle:

Length: 812m
Beam: 388m
Height: 215m
Decks: 60
Mass: 8,450,000t
Crew complement: 1,720
Speed: Warp 9.915 (for 24 hrs)

New chapter going up shortly (and then its reading time, SotF's bolo story)

Jeff

[JovianJeff]

Fragments a UOC/TWS/AIB AU
Chapter 30
Three Months Later

Babylon 5

It is called the Third Age of Man.

Forty-seven ships of power now protect the last best hope not for peace, not for victory, but survival if I am to believe the reports from Dee and his encounter with the extra-dimensional aliens called the Prophets.

Ships sent not for the power of their weapons, or the hearts of their Captains, but the sentient minds that are the ships.

We are intended to be the immortal guard.

With minds like my own, we are entrusted with this failsafe of the multiverse, a place that will endure if the unthinkable happens and the time wars start collapsing most of the universes.

So this collection of ships were sent to rally around a place meant for peace, then victory, a central port where many species meet.

It is a microcosm of where these ships came from, timelines where cooperation between different species let them achieve miraculous technologies and near utopian cultures.

Like those we are experiencing here, at least with the technological advancements.

Yet sometimes in the midst of the large miracles such as the addition of the space ring now called La Barre, the littlest miracles loom largest of all.

"So doc she really is going to be alright?" Trip asked as he held his daughter Elizabeth having been handed him by T'Pol after this latest visit.

"It's been three months now, and everything looks fine," Stephen said knowing they'd like their own doctor to have conducted this latest physical of Elizabeth, but Phlox was busy with Talyn.

"So how are you settling into this universe," Stephen thought he would ask, "I understand that parts of La Barre are named now after planets where you folks came from."

"That is correct," T'Pol confirmed, "With those from other Earths naming their territory the Terrae province, my people have named a desert region the Vulcan province."

"So with the two of you...Terrae or Vulcan, which is home?" he hadn't intended that awkward question, but now asked he couldn't take it back.

"The Vuhnaya," Trip answered before T'Pol could, it was an awkward answer, one they really hadn't settled yet. Right now they weren't even sure about each other.

Well Trip was sure, convincing T'Pol was his problem as he saw it.

"The what?" Stephen latched on to what he hoped was a safe subject.

"The Vuhnaya, it means Diversity in Vulcan," T'Pol informed him and took Elizabeth back from Trip, with only a mild protest from the father.

"We couldn't really have three ShiKahrs," Trip said hiding his amusement at how often T'Pol silently declared holding Elizabeth was 'her turn.'

"So we followed the example the Enterprises had and renamed our ship."

"And Captain Spock's ship?" Stephen asked glad to move beyond his earlier awkward question.

"Va'es, which means Infinity," Trip surprised T'Pol by actually speaking it with a decent Vulcan accent.

USS Ambassador, B5 space

I can tell Rachel has mixed feelings about the Admirals and Ambassadors leaving the ship. For months we had hosted them as a kind of mobile Fleet headquarters, but now that buildings are going up at Union City everyone is moving down to them.

Rachel will miss having the guest onboard, she will also be glad they aren't underfoot anymore. I will miss hearing the news first hand. Going back to second or third hand won't be as satisfying.

Of course if there is a possibility that an M5 might be installed in the Ring, and if so I can only hope that it likes to talk...okay gossip (I only have to admit that to myself).

It will be a massive undertaking, but a likely necessary one as the Ring apparently had something called a Monitor running it. Now that it lacks one, some kind of control has been determined to put in its place.

Commander Barclay will likely head that up along with the rest of the SCE, IF his wife lets him.

Scotty may not be as much a gossip as I could hope for, but he did share a funny anecdote about how Deanna told her husband 'bed-now' when she got back from the search for the Ring.

Reg has been pushing himself with the normal SCE duties and adapting our technology for Minbari systems. Scotty says that his Deanna often has to tell Reg when to sleep or he will try to skip it.

Of course Scotty tells me that other times she uses those words for other activities best left private.

Rachel collapsed on the sofa in her Ready room, swinging her legs up and her arm behind her head as she lay down.

"Is it really over?” she asked the air, fully expecting a response.

"The Shadow war, the invasion of the Ambassadors or the Admiralty?" Charlene responded to her friend and Captain.

"All the above, in any order you want to answer."

"Only a 52.35% probability that the Shadow war has ended. Lack of activity from them is hopeful, however the ShiKahr has tracked an expedition into Vorlon space and they appear to be searching for something."

"Vorlon space? Any reason why?"

"Unknown and Ambassador Kosh has not speculated even in cryptic."

That put a smile on Rachel's face, "Not even in his secret language? That must be bad."

"Likely a sore spot is the current consensus."

"Among the M5s? Well, I guess we'll consider that a fact..." she yawned.

"Why not take a nap, Rachel? I'll wake you in a little while," it was a promise made many times especially when her Captain had needed to catch just a few minutes rest in a crisis.

It was an offer Rachel did not refuse and without a word as she fell asleep. Charlene turned down the lights and let her Captain rest.

USS Enterprise-D, B5 space

It is illogical.

After 7.8 megaseconds, three months by my shipmates reckoning and I still feel intimidated.

It is irrational as I have the most combat experience, even over Dominic who is more a survivor or V'ger despite the additional memories she has from her other selves.

Yet the Colossus intimidates me. At 1,317 meters long it is the largest Federation ship of any of our timelines. It is in fact the largest ship in the Fleet, even over the Romulan and Reman warbirds.

It is not an unexpected result given it was designed during the Dominion War to counter the massive flagships of the Jem'Hadar fleets.

Equipped with heavy bombardment weaponry, it carries a huge garrison of soldiers on board, numbering beyond my three thousand.

Christened the Colossus NX-91010, after one of the ancient wonders of the world, it carries a crew equal to five Galaxy’s and an amount of weaponry equal to a full squadron of Sovereign-class cruisers. It could lead a task force of 20 ships, and it itself could equal the strength of the other 19.

With all of that the Colossus prototype never saw battle as the Dominion War ended before deployment.

I should not feel intimidated by it as Anu does not have even a fraction of my experience, yet somehow that M5 is intimidating. It is not logical.

Nor is it that I am not alone in my intimidation. I have noted that many are intimidated by the Captain of the Colossus, Namtar.

Just as in Lou's timeline, in Anu's timeline Namtar was found on the planet Omicron Theta by the USS Tripoli, the result of renegade geneticist, Kornata.

Unlike in Lou's timeline where his Namtar went the way of Starfleet medical, the future Captain of the Colossus chose a command career path.

He is now the tallest Captain in Starfleet history, many finding him quite intimidating. Including my own.

"I don't think he's after your job, Captain," Shelby said to her superior when she noticed he was looking off into space during their meeting. His gaze rested on the Colossus that held station behind Enterprise.

"What? Oh, no of course not Commander," Picard mentally shook himself.

It wasn't just the fact Namtar was eight feet tall, it was his quiet voice, the unspoken threat it seemed to carry, that...Jean-Luc ceased his reminiscences. Time to get back to reality.

"The Colossus was designed as a flagship and if the Shadow war flares back up, it might be an ideal platform for fleet command," he rushed on to assure his first officer, and possibly himself.

Shelby knew her Captain, time to change subjects and she knew one that would galvanized him. She hoped Judie would forgive her.

"Still no change with the Othello sir, and the SCE request a hold on that project until they clear a few more pressing items off their plate."

It worked, Picard snorted, "So we're stuck with a school teacher in command of possibly the greatest stealth ship in Starfleet history?"

"Well sir, it wasn't her fault," Shelby continued to herd the conversation where her superior needed to vent about something.

"I suppose not. She didn't ask to be the first officer onboard when the surprise attack came on the Daystrom Institute where the Othello was developed."

"She was leading the children and what civilians she could to the one of the few ships undamaged by the attack, she didn't know about its M5."

Another snort, "I'm glad they stopped that practice. I'm sue there are benefits to an M5 imprinting so it cannot be commanded by anyone with -just- the proper access codes, stolen or not, but..."

"But it did make sense to a ship designed with a cloak equal to the S'harien's, a ship whose missions placed it in enemy territory where the possibility of capture is high."

"Equal to?" came another snort from Picard, "Unlike the S'harien it has interphase cloaking -and- the holographic masking system."

He actually liked the fact Starfleet, a Starfleet came up with a system one better than the Romulans.

In fact with the Holographic masking system allowing her to enter hostile regions disguised as local traffic, it is the ultimate stealth ship. Something other Picards would have been appalled about.

This Jean-Luc saw the military advantages instead of this type of stealth technology used to create a false image of a starship for purposes of stealth and deception that also had a 'perfect' phase cloak.

However Picard was not happy about who was ultimately in control of such a ship, even with the 'advantage' it couldn't be used by an enemy against them.

"Yes, an M5 that can't be reprogrammed to accept an enemy does seem wise in light of the Othello's possible missions..." Jean-Luc shook his head.

Shelby inwardly smiled, "Yet it imprinted on a school teacher, Lt. Judie Ballard."

"I should be respectful of the dead, I know," he mentioned thinking of his own Lieutenant Ballard, who was in the sciences division assigned to the USS Enterprise-D and killed in the Klingon attack that started this trip into this universe.

"She is so much like our Judie, and did you hear in all the Lal's histories, she was their first teacher. I understand they're quite fond of her."

A grunt this time, Shelby knew this discussion was wearing thin as he mentioned, "She did get those children out, as well as Dr. Brahms. I understand the eldest Geordi La Forge was grateful for that."

Hearing the envy in his voice, Shelby thought to remind her Captain of some good news of his own, "I hear that Captain Varley has assumed command of the Baltimore sir."

That did put a smile on Jean-Luc's face. It was good to have his friend up and out of stasis, healthy and ready to be a starship captain again.

"Yes, although he complains about his ship ending up a ship of cadets."

"We had to start recruiting from the local populations sir, and as Admiral Garrett pointed out, it builds up trust," she immediately saw that was wrong to bring up Rachel Garrett.

It was probably only a secret to Jean-Luc Picard that there was more than friendship between them.

Better push past that subject, "While the governments are grateful to us for what we've done, half of them still expect an invasion even without ISN shouting that message to anyone who will listen."

USS Arella-E, cloaked in Mars orbit

Tessa and Amanda were back up on the Arella, both watching as the Celestial fired its Genesis cannon into the skies of Beta Durani and after it faded, how the colonist left their domes.

Amanda knew some of them as she'd talked with them for possible alliances in working towards a free Mars. She could see breathing mask come off and people breathing air.

Both women saw colonist looking up into the sky.

"You can do this for Mars?" Amanda asked a question she had months ago after footage of Proxima III and then Orion VII was viewed.

"Yes we can," Cal said still privately impressed himself with what the Celestial could do, "Captain Sheridan wants you to know we haven't forgotten you."

"We've liberated the rest of those who objected to Clark's rule," April Anaya, the Arella's First officer interjected.

"Mars is on that list, but since you're right smack in Clark's backyard, we have to be able to make sure we can keep you liberated," Cal said knowing he was building up to the not-so-great news of this meeting.

"Part of that is making sure you can be independent and that means terraforming your world," April said.

"If we want this," Amada said only to play devil's advocate.

"If you want this," Cal assured it was a choice, not a mandate.

"So what is the delay, beyond the terraforming? I'm sure we'd enjoy our freedom domed life or not," Tessa believed there was another reason for the delay, "It can't be firepower. We've heard what B5 has."

Cal shook his head, "You're right, it isn't firepower. It is guaranteeing once you're free you stay that way and I mean from all of your opponents."

Both women looked at him mystified, they could only think of one and surely Clark's forces couldn't match what Babylon Five could throw at it.

"Ms. Carter, about two years ago you met with Taro Isogi, the CEO of FutureCorp..." Cal lead.

Amanda followed not knowing where this was going, "To negotiate a deal that would us enough trade to make the colony self-sustainable."

"But he was assassinated," Tessa did want to know where this was going and now.

"The group behind that is called Bureau 13 and we're in the process of tracking them down," Cal shared only because these two had been cleared of involvement. He was too much the Maquis leader to take it on faith neither were involved.

Sheridan wanted this Bureau 13 taken down and now he had a way through his allies he wanted to do it.

"They're pulling some strings on Earth like Psi-Corps was doing, and we believe the Shadows have done. Right now they pose a real threat to you keeping your independence."

"We're close, we're very close to finding them," April shared, "We ask you be patient a little while longer until we find them and be sure to shut them down."

FMS Kreechta, cloaked in orbit of Earth

Keiko Ishikawa was technically Intendant Deanna Troi's servant back in their universe, in reality she had been her bodyguard.

Now she was building a new life for her and hopefully Miles O'Brien whom just about everyone calls Smiley among the rebels.

They had some rough spots due to distance, and experienced another seeing the other universe's Miles and Keiko romantically involved. It should have encouraged them, instead it caused more ripples.

'We're not them,' had begun more than one fight, such as they were.

Despite not wanting to be a mirror of their counterparts, Keiko wanted to make this work and while her position as bodyguard was less and less important in this universe it meant finding other ways to be useful.

Like putting a human face for the humans of this universe as she represented her employer's husband.

Quark had been intrigued when he heard of FutureCorp's plans to bring trade through Mars from alien worlds.

It was a way into the Earth markets.

Sure the deals with the League were going -very- well, and the agreements with the Narn and Centauri promised to be quite lucrative, however he is Ferengi, and as Rule Ninety-seven clearly stated...

'Enough... is never enough'

Bashir was dealing with a few corporations, such as Mitchell-Hyundyne and Edgars Industries, Quark was not going to let this anti-Bashir monopolize the Earth market.

Guided by rule number one hundred ninety-four, 'It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door' he (well Nagus actually) did the research about the hew-mons of this Earth.

He believed he'd get a better reception if at first he let hew-mon meet with hew-mon and in this case FutureCorp's Tamiyo Isogi.

Tamiyo Isogi had fought and won to get her father's position at FutureCorp after he was murdered. She wanted to keep his dream alive.

She was more than willing to meet those who might make it a reality, especially if it meant enjoying this transporter technology she heard about.

Grinning ear to ear after the effect was over she barely noticed Keiko at first, but then ingrained proprieties overrode the sense of wonder she experienced.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," it was a very good way to begin this day. Keiko returned the greeting and bow.

"Follow me," Keiko said in the language both of them shared, "Refreshments are found this way."

Jadzia, cloaked in Earth orbit

"You need time, Mr. President," Zia overheard as she maintained a transporter lock on Julian during this visit to President Clark's office.

She'd found the latest spread of bugs from Bureau-13, as well as those agents of the Shadows in Morden's employ and neutralized them.

They were closer to finding Bureau-13 as she mapped the Earth comm-net and spied on political and economic personage powerhouses.

Not the obvious ones of course, but the powers behind the throne, although a few were the throne and did want others to know it.

She knew the Arella was building a similar map and it made her job easier. As this Bureau-13 sought to evade Aeon, it made just enough minute mistakes to let her get a clearer picture about them.

Although the reserve was true, as Buearu-13 dodged her efforts, Aeon picked up leads.

It wouldn't be too much longer before they were tracked down, a few more megaseconds at most.

While she continued to map and track, she would also run the ship and watch her Captain's back.

"How do I know you won't suddenly leave me like Morden and his people have?" Clark accused when he really should be wooing his ally.

"You don't Mr. President. You do know you're not dealing with someone influenced by aliens," Julian knew he could pull that card, Clark nearly believed his own propaganda regarding alien influences.

"You also know he hasn't returned your calls for nearly three months," Julian added to further cement his position over the agent of the Shadows.

He might not have worked so hard if he knew Morden's head decorated the top of a pike in a Centauri garden, but he had only one ship and couldn't risk too many side trips outside of the solar system.

It was not as if Jadzia (it was always Jadzia in his mind, never Zia) received TSDS updates anymore.

"Now lets get back to the matters at hand," Julian said to guide the conversation back to where he wanted it to go, "You can't push to take back any colonies presently. Even with the war with Centauri quiet for now."

"It's been too quiet, they have to be up to something," Clark declared.

"They are. They're gathering their forces together, regrouping. With the defeats at Proxima, Narn and their own shipyards at Tolonius VII destroyed they can't press anything yet."

"Which is why we should go on the offensive!"

"Not with just the six Novas I've given you. No, you need time to build up more, Mr. President. You need to keep Genesis out of the news and keep reminding the public their problems are due to aliens."

"Have ISN continue to play up on the triumphant return of the 356th," it was an old card to play, but remained useful. A positive note not even the other ISN could counter. It legitimized Clark's ISN for once.

"Liberating a people from the bonds of slavery. It's the end of Dilgar war all over again, Mr. President. That has the people feeling good about themselves, and about their military. Your military Mr. President."

Julian saw Clark was wavering, just as he always does, and as usual it meant talking him further down the path he wanted the man to go along, "The new Nova class can take out any of the upgraded rebel ships and is a match for anything the Centauri can throw at our forces. We could even defend against Sheridan..."

Defend was the key word, Julian didn't want Clark thinking attack.

"Those Federation ships..." Clark's eyes narrowed thinking about them.

"Could be handled, but not now. Keep waiting Mr. President and building up your forces."

USS Anla'Shok-zha, orbit of Minbar

"And this is the bridge," Captain Delenn showed her guest, who in turn were the ones who invited her to Minbar, "I am sure you recognize our Ops Monitor, Lennier."

They saw a very familiar Minbari in the unfamiliar black and gold of Starfleet 2360s era, despite the ship's timeline of 2388, give a bow of his head in their direction.

In their timeline the uniform did not change as it had in others, in that way they were more like this universe's Minbari, not so quick to do something differently.

"Of course," Neroon was ecstatic, ignoring that the Delenn from his own universe was guarded and worried about what he might say.

She was right to worry.

"This is the way things should have gone, with us leading the younger races," Neroon said without a trace of restraint as the human at Science console (in place of Conn) pretended to ignore the statement.

"Neroon," Satai Delenn reproached quietly.

Captain Delenn decided a change of venue would serve best, "Perhaps we should retire to the officer's lounge?"

Neroon still did not see that he might have made a social gaffe, to him this was how things should have gone in all the universes.

This ship, had the same vaguely saucer, neck and nacelle designs that seem prevalent in all the Starfleet ships, but it had a proper Minbari hull, well White Star one of techno-organic design.

No windows could be seen on the Anla'Shok-zha, and everything had proper curves, even the secondary hull and nacelles, which of the latter curved in towards each other at their rear.

It is a graceful design with clear Minbari influence.

Neroon beamed with pride and Delenn was starting to regret inviting her counterpart to their homeworld.

"Nax, you have the bridge," she said to her Security Chief, the Krogan gave a brief nod of his head as Delenn lead her party of Minbari to the officer's lounge.

Neroon smiled as he saw the view, despite having no visible windows outside she ship, the sloping ceiling from a second story down to the rear of the lounge appeared as if it wasn't there.

"Force field?" Neroon had heard of the technology, but Captain Delenn shook her head.

"The hull is transparent on this side, any room against the hull can be set to display the exterior so. We've left the lounge to always display the view."

"So where did the other timelines go wrong?" Neroon asked to a shocked Satai Delenn.

Captain Delenn pretended not to notice the slight, "In studying the other timelines it appears we differ by our lack of isolation."

Neroon almost took offense at that criticism, but he did ask, so he will be silent to hear the answer.

"Instead of the Vulcans, we are the ones who were passing through the Earth system when Zefram Cochrane first flew his ship the Phoenix on the Earth date of April 5, 2063," Captain Delenn continued with her answer.

"Then we guided the humans to this greatness?" Mazik, one of Neroon's aides asked.

Again Delenn shook her head, oddly enough they were more comfortable with her, a full Minbari in a Starfleet uniform than their own Delenn with human hair dressed as they are.

"The humans build communities, and they were the first ones to develop warp drive in our region of the universe. In the years to come they would make contact with Vulcans, Andorians, many others who were restricted to their solar systems convinced that there was no other way to travel the stars."

"Not even hyperspace travel?" Tulann, worker class, asked surprised.

"Not as widespread as in your universe no," Captain Delenn said, "We would not be where we are today without the humans. We do not lead them, we make no pretense to guide them, we are partners with them."

USS Alth'Indor, orbit of Centauri Prime

He knew they were all did it. Each and everyone one of them. The only one he truly trusted not to do it was Tan Ru and fortunately his M5 had no plans on going female on him.

Captain Nog was fully aware of the reasons why, what he couldn't understand was how it jumps species.

His First Officer, Chief Engineer, Chief Medical Officer, Security Chief, Counselor, even his Chief Science Officer and she wasn't even humanoid!

Ro Laren, T'Rul, Neeyala, M'Lee, Sha'ira, K's't'lk respectively. It was never disrespectful, but sometimes it couldn't be confused with any other behavior.

It was his small size, at least that is what he guessed in all but K't'lk's case. Nog didn't so much tower over the Hamalki, but he was taller than she is.

Whatever the reason, he sometimes wished they wouldn't mother him so.

He is the Captain, a fact they occasionally seem to remember.

Well maybe not T'Rul, she had decently nice ears. He might want her to treat him differently. He didn't have the ship's name change purely to honor what she sacrificed and had been through.

He wasn't ready to say anything to her at all, not yet, but in his mind the name change made a great gift.

Anyway it was time to focus. Perhaps this -real- mission to make sure the Centauri government stabilizes will help his command staff focus on that and not on how to look after their captain.

"How do things look below Tan Ru?" he asked his M5 that had his 'Nomad' probe down with Londo at court.

"Assassination attempts have ceased," the M5 reported, "I think reminding the would-be assassins with the 'Picard Maneuver' was a wise idea sir."

Nog chuckled, "The Picard Maneuver..."

It wasn't the historical one done with starships and warp drive that his M5 referred to, but the one Nog adopted from what Fleet Captain Picard did to the EA forces before the Battle of Proxima.

Beaming fruit baskets to the beds of would-be assassins in the Noble Houses carried the same silent message. Next time it could be a bomb.

Down below the Alth'Indor on Centauri Prime, Londo Mallori almost felt relaxed as he sat in court.

It had been months since Mr. Morden had demanded entrance and was granted it, only to watch as Londo triggered the bombs beamed onto the island of Selini where the Shadow ships had been based.

Hundreds of Shadow ships gone in an instant. The look on Morden's face alone had made it worth doing.

It was also nice to have his own invisible guards when facing Morden right then. His own people wisely stepped aside before the Jem'Hadar faded into view and blew the Shadow escorts of Mr. Morden's apart.

That Ferengi charged him for the protection, but it was worth it. He had no idea what sort of negotiating Quark had to go through with Laas who asked the Founder on the Dominion for the Jem'Hadar.

"You know," Londo recalled saying to the stunned and rapidly growing outraged Morden, "You are not the only one to have the power to grant the reply to the question what do you want."

"At first I was going to have this done just to grant Vir's answer to your question," he had enjoyed saying.

Londo's smile grew recalling Morden's eyes widening as the human remembered Vir's answer the question.

"However, I am not done being selfish Mr. Morden. One last act for just me, no? I'm doing this because you poisoned my Adira and for that you will die."

"Vir will get his wish, but it is I, not you, who will grant it."

Recalling how he almost absently motioned for the guards to take Morden away to be beheaded, he knew there was nothing casual about how his eyes followed the human as he was dragged from court.

Today Londo sat finishing the negotiations with the Centaurum for who should succeed the late Emperor Cartagia. He was glad to have gotten Virini to be Regent...finally.

With Lady Morella to advise him, and soon that look-a-like Lwaxana Troi to keep the peace, such as it would be with her, his people were finally going to be in good hands.

They will have to get use to a Morella with hair, but that is the least of the shocking things he had heard from others about that woman.

A few more hours and he could step down and leave this to Virini.

Londo was glad he could be so relatively pushy with the Centaurum, something Virini could not do himself.

Not in the same way, after all he will not have this Nomad probe thing here that could scan for weapons, poison or project a force field on the off chance an assassin made it past the scans.

It will good to be the Ambassador to Babylon Five again, where wonders appear never to cease.

USS Baltimore, orbit of Narn

"A ship of cadets," Donald Varney muttered to himself again, eliciting a look from one of the few veterans on his new crew.

Counselor Huilan Sen'kara shared a problem with Captain Nog of the Alth'Indor. He also lacked a respectable height, and in many ways had it worse than the Ferengi did.

His race is S'ti'ach, and they are a just under a meter tall, bipedal, and had four arms with bodies that are covered in blue fur, with dorsal spines and a short tail.

Sadly it gave many taller humanoid species the perception of them being cute and teddy bear like.

The fact that they are a predatory species from a planet that has very high gravity compared to most other class M planets was lost on most.

Any more than their saber-like incisors, instead what registered was their larger black eyes, and large ears, ones that were relatively sensitive.

Huilan could often hear the 'aw cute' comments many made when they thought he couldn't hear them.

It did not help that other than the skeletons of S'ti'ach biology were low density, making them lighter, and hence could be picked up and hugged as more than a few wanted to do with Huilan.

"We have the most advance ship of Starfleet, with an M5 who knows his business and can run the ship without them," Huilan said turning to his Captain from the seat next to him, "They can't do any harm."

Donald shifted as he silently agreed, but still didn't like it. "Cecil how are things going on down on Narn?"

"Word has spread of what happened on Proxima, resulting in the majority of the planet eager and waiting for the arrival of the Celestial," Cecil said from all around them.

Monitoring the restored comm-net on Narn did not tax the M5 even though he was busy teaching the large crew of cadets, correcting for their mistakes and running the 812 meter long ship from the year 2399.

Longer and larger than a Galaxy class, the Baltimore was the third largest Starfleet vessel in the Fleet, and sixth largest vessel in the entire Fleet, including Ferengi, Romulans and Klingons.

The Baltimore also had most of the recruits drawn from the races around them, including one Dr. Benjamin Kyle who ended up the Baltimore's Chief Medical Officer.

It helped that he was Donald's physician during the recovery process after he was brought out of stasis and treated on the Pasteur.

Both Varley and Kyle returned to B5 about the same time and the latter took the case of the formers recovery. Stephen had enough on his hands and Benjamin wanted to get to know another Starfleet officer.

Donald mentally inventoried who was on the bridge without looking at them.

There is Cadet Zsak, although from what he recalled with pak'ma'ra, it was technically two cadets, Zsak and his mate Llath, he could ask them to perform the routine task he had in mind.

They pretty much knew what to do so he'd leave them alone at Conn for now.

Cadet Rsarth-zst also had down the Ops station well enough for the moment, but then he heard the Gaim 'breed' him for the task of joining the Fleet.

That would leave the only other cadet on the bridge right now and so it would fall to him.

"G'Dan, get me Counselor G'Kar," Donald ordered of the Narn standing above and behind him. The bridge was similar in layout to a Galaxy class which made it easier and harder for Donald.

Easier as he was use to the layout of this bridge that was technologically more advanced than what he previously captained.

Harder as a few times he felt a flash of imaginary heat from when the Yamato exploded around him. Most times the bridge was different enough that it didn't remind him of the destruction of his ship.

The one back in his timeline.

He snorted to himself thinking he is only an quantum fragment of the man who died with the Yamato.

"Jean-Luc was right, we need to treat ourselves as a whole person," Donald said to himself out loud, Huilan only looked and nodded once in approval.

G'Dan was taking too long to open a simple comm, Donald stood and turned around to look at the Narn manning tactical, "Problem Cadet?"

"No sir, I will have this in just a moment," G'Dan said both wondering why he had to do this when the machine Cecil could, and also knowing he had to learn to do this himself.

It was better than life in the resistance or as a pirate with the Bonny Beverly because it was life as a Free Narn.

"I have Counselor G'Kar...on screen."

Donald turned to what looked like a desperate G'Kar, "Ah, Captain Varley, I was about to call you."

"What about Counselor?" Donald had his guesses, G'Kar was treated as a world-wide hero and he didn't look as if he liked that very much.

"Ambassador actually," he corrected, "It just came through. I am back as Ambassador to Babylon Five."

He had to push, trick and pull the metaphorical wool over the Kha'Ri's eyes, but G'Kar was getting off Narn on the first available ship that would take him.

G'Kar hoped that would be the Baltimore.

Vuhnaya, B5 space

"Anxious to get going Jonathan?" Shran asked as he noticed Archer prowling around the bridge yet a third time.

Jon smiled and nodded his head, "I suppose I am. Since we're not the big guns here, but can hold our own with the locals, we get to finally go out and just explore. I suppose it’s a nice change from fighting."

He left off fighting Romulans as they are their allies now.

Shran's antenna twitched with amusement, he could practically hear the word Jon hadn't said.

Turning to Hoshi, Jon had a question that might take his mind off of waiting for Trip and T'Pol to get back from B5 and Phlox from Talyn.

"How is that translation of Drakh and Shadow?"

Hoshi smiled as she looked up, she had been working just on that, "Well actually. You know despite the marvels of the UT of the futures, good old-fashion linguistics and translation sometimes are needed."

"Almost a lost art I heard," Travis said ready to go as well. The improvements to the annular warp drive worked well in shake-down, and apparently an annular warp drive better adapts to hyperspace.

Both the Va'es and ShiKahr have proven that, with talks of this quantum slipstream drive as well. It made Travis itch to try them out. He was looking forward to doing so out there in the beyond.

"Which is why Nyota and I are pretty prized among the Fleet, and B5," Hoshi said trying to keep the smile off her face. It felt good to be so much in demand, but she didn't want it to go to her head.

"Nyota?" Jon had to ask, he guessed it was likely the comm officer from the Va'es.

"Subaltern Nyota Uhura," Hoshi supplied, feeling odd using her new friend's full rank and name.

"So are we bringing Elizabeth along with us?" Reed asked since he heard on some of the ships of the future, families went along. He didn't know if this was going to be adopted on this ship or not.

They were nearly as long as a Galaxy class, longer than the Ambassador, and they certainly had the space now.

Reed was trying hard not to think about why they had the extra space now. Nagilum took a lot of good people.

"I can't see either Trip or our Captain leaving her behind yet. We've only been here three months," Jon offered as an explanation.

"Well there is Lt. Cmdr. Ballard," Reed pointed out, the school teacher somewhat infamous with the state-of-the-art ship that only listens to her, but she wants to settle on La Barre to teach children.

"And Katherine Janeway, not the Admiral," Travis recalled Hoshi sharing some gossip down in the messhall, "I hear she's looking after a few kids from the Voyager."

"It's up to the parents," Jon thought he better bring this discussion to an end, "And not our decision."

He then noticed activity to his left as he faced forward, "What do you have Hoshi?"

"Nyota's latest feed..." her voice trailed off as she worked on what this latest translation might provide.

"They're definitely looking for something Vorlon, something so dangerous the Vorlons had a civil war over," Hoshi spoke out loud even as she sent back her findings to Nyota.

"They?" Jon asked a question he was sure of the answer.

"The Shadows, they're in Vorlon space."

Va'es, cloaked in Vorlon space

"Hoshi confirms my translation, they're here looking at something one set of Vorlons tried to keep from someone," Nyota said to Subcommander James T. Kirk who currently had the bridge.

Jim rubbed his chin in thought a moment, and then stood up and walked around.

"Something dangerous? Probably a weapon of some kind," Subaltern Sulu suggested.

Nyota shook her head and frowned, "Too early to say. We agree it’s dangerous whatever it is, but I don't want to jump to conclusions that it’s a weapon."

"But its something we ought to keep from these Shadow guys," Jim concluded, "They're hurt, humiliated and not thinking clear. Right now all they want is payback and whatever this is might be what will do it."

"Pure speculation Subcommander?" Spock asked from the just opened turbolift door.

"Probably, but it feels right," Jim admitted as he watched Spock take the center seat, "Finished conferring with T'Pel and Tuvok?"

"I have Subcommander. Subaltern Uhura, when you finished yours and Sublieutenant Sato's findings, send them over to Voyager," Spock ordered again without looking at his love.

However it didn't mean he wasn't sensitive to her, he sensed the hesitation, "Problem Subaltern?"

"No," Nyota began, but Jim knew better.

"She doesn’t trust Arturis," Jim plainly said, bringing it out into the open, "Voyager's so-called living universal translator, Mister knows over 4,000 languages isn't being up front with us."

"And why would he not share all of what he knows Subcommander?" Spock’s eyes were fixed on the view screen, but it was as if he turned to look at Kirk.

"He understands payback. I heard he blames Voyager for his people being taken by the Borg, and that he'd tried to trick Voyager's crew so they'd be taken too. He was stopped, rescued right along with those he thought he trapped and pretty much stuck around only because he didn't have anywhere else to go."

"So why wait now and with us? His Janeway is dead," Spock apparently had heard the same information. That heartened Jim, it showed his Captain wasn't taking the help at face value.

"True he blames her...I don't know. Something's missing here. I think he knows more about these messages than he's telling us," Jim had only a feeling to go on, but he was pretty sure Arturis knew more.

Now Spock turned to face Kirk, "How do you propose to find out?"

Jim thought fast, and was surprised at the idea he came up with, "Beaming onboard a Shadow ship and seeing if he's sharing with them or not."

That silenced the bridge, yet not Spock.

"How did your logic carry from Arturis not sharing everything to his helping the Shadows?"

"I don't know Spock. I say we go over and find out," Jim suggested again.

Voyager, Vorlon space

"Do you believe it is feasible?" Tuvok asked V'ger in the quiet of his Ready room.

"Yes Captain. I confess Subcommander Kirk is both well read and inventive," V'ger admitted.

"How so?" Tuvok wanted to hear her opinion.

"It is one thing to have read up on the bio-dampener technology developed by Erin and Magnus Hansen, and another to remember it and think of using it in a new environment."

"It is intriguing, but why that technology?"

"There is a 68.42% likelihood that a Shadow ship senses its interior as a living ship, however it is unlikely it can see as we do, more like earlier versions of M5s or like Talyn, it more hears than sees."

"Interesting, go on," Tuvok prompted believing there was more.

"Kahr-y-Tan projects only a 7.835% possibility of our level of interior surveillance and so a properly adjusted bio-dampener might hide one from the Shadow ship itself."

"True the ShiKahr has been extensively scanning both Drakh and Shadow ships, however I was unaware of these facts until now," it wasn't a reproach, more a request for reasons.

V'ger complied, "This has come up in several TSDS sessions, but has not risen to the threshold of theories we were willing to share without further research."

"Until now."

"Until Kirk."

ShiKahr, Vorlon space

"You will be able to monitor the away team's progress?" T'Pel knew it wasn't her responsibility, yet it would be unwise to not look into every option for success that was possible.

Kahr-y-Tan took a full second before answering, letting his Captain realize how long he truly considered before answering. A Vulcan realizes what a second's pause would mean, a good hour or so of thought.

"Yes if I know what to look for."

"You will be the one sending the specifications for the adjustments the bio-dampener will need to create a field around the body that simulates the physiometric conditions within the person's environment, in this case a Shadow ship," she pointed out.

It was a slight game with them, one lost on most of the crew. "Then I should find what I am seeking. It will help to have Voyager's M4 along with the Subcommander. In TSDS all three of us will be with him."

Which like the cloaked formation the three ships flew in as they followed the Shadow and Drakh ships they plan to be in perfect union when they accompanied Subcommander Kirk on his jaunt to a Shadow ship.

Crichton's cube, 262,144 light years from galactic center

"Harvey will you put down the harmonica," Crichton said to the man only in his mind.

"But John, you were the one thinking 'Home, home on the range," the neural clone of Scorpius defended his latest entry into the world of musical accompaniment.

"I was just thinking we're almost done," John said out loud and knew he wasn't alone any more physically then he was mentally.

"It is wonderful John, everything you said it would be," Riley walked closer as they both glanced out at the image floating in the middle of the cube where they were at.

Installation 04 second build, the Collective chorus.

"Incomplete when we arrived two months ago," Riley said having heard Crichton's Collective.

"Inside voice guys, inside voice," Crichton told his Collective.

"We wanted a home for the Cooperative and you've given us one," Riley sounded so content, which prompted a new voice to speak up.

"Which according to the agreement will be the Resurrection hub for all the Alliance," Six of One reminded as she catwalked into the area.

John never really understood retaining a catwalk as a Borg, but figured it had to be a Cylon model six thing.

"Oh yeah, you just keep your end of the deal too with Unimatrix Zero," came the reminder, John really wanted to see Aeryn again, touch her, hear her more than in monotone.

"Once the hub has been established, we will link you with Unimatrix Zero," Six of One promised as she stalked around Crichton and Riley.

Natalie normally wasn't the more 'stalky' of the Sixes, but lately she's been inheriting more of the traits present in most of the model sixes.

"Will the Great Machine be ready to link to our drive?" she asked looking out at what was like La Barre back at Epsilon Eridani, but clearly Borg appearing in the exterior. It is an assimilated ring.

"You betcha," Crichton assured, "Had old Dominius take a trip down to Draal to make sure. The Great Machine will push that red line of yours to get from here to the L2 point."

"And the Weapon?" Six asked, it was part of the deal with Draal.

"Modified," Riley's voice dropped to quiet sober tones, "It should act as we desired and selectively wipe out a species."

"A Genocide Wave," Crichton muttered thinking of the antithesis to the Genesis Wave.

"A weapon of last resort to insure our survival," Six of One now repeated the words of her Queen instead of her own and who had one more thing to say to this Borg King.

"You should not be upset Crichton, you did come up with this idea after all."

La Barre, Terrae province

"Well my dashing Starfleet Captain," Katherine fussed over her husband as he stood outside of their home, one they really could feel is home after all these years of either on the run or in Cardassian labor camps.

That is outside of Voyager, their Voyager.

"I couldn't leave Veevee to some stranger when she was put in that Oxen class tug to replace the M5 taken from it by Nagilum," Chakotay shared what they knew, all of them.

He went to learn how to do things Starfleet way and found he knew more than he should have. It was like the Rikers, when the other Chakotay died, some of him came to this Chakotay.

"You sure you're going to be satisfied here on the farm?" it was not so much their joke anymore. The Janeway family, extended included, had land and the last several months built a house for themselves.

"For now," Katherine admitted she'd want more later, "We can't take Shannon out there, though we both know she won't want to be separated from Veevee for long."

Summoned as if she heard her name called, Shannon came into sight, with Naomi of the older Voyager, along with Andrew and other children from that ship.

They were happy to see a Katherine Janeway again, even if it wasn't their Kathryn Janeway.

"And the Old Ones seem happy here," Chakotay admitted, they helped the most in turning the acres given them into a farm that could feed them.

They even had enough to sell a little for those who psychologically wanted non-replicated food.

"You might not say that to hear Noranti and urAmaj in the kitchen," it was an old joke from back on their days on Voyager.

"I'll miss their cooking, and I'll miss you," Chakotay gave his wife a kiss and then stepped back.

"Better wait for your crew," Katherine cautioned and saw him look past her to where Seven and Rygel made their way from the main house and past the line of children who stood nearby attending the departure.

Chakotay smirked, "Well a tug doesn't have the priority of getting a crew, not when Veevee practically runs the ship. Still even if it were full I'd make room for you."

"If it's still safe in the long stretch, Shannon and I will move in. Noranti and the urRu promised to look after the place and what guest we have when we either visit or come up to Veevee to stay."

"Hopefully it will not be long until you join us," Seven said trying to be distant, yet already missing her mentor in the humanities.

She was still unsettled from earlier by Naomi's tearful greeting when she saw Seven, even though it wasn't her Seven of Nine and the more recent farewell.

"Humph, they'll be up and underfoot before you know it Seven," Rygel grumped, but he would miss them too, especially Shannon, he took his uncle duties seriously.

He was also a hit with the kids who weren't use to a Rygel who cared, however much he might pretend to be gruff about it.

"The Doctor and Veevee are waiting, keep the porch light on for us," Chakotay said and then tapped his combadge, "Veevee, three to beam up."

"Energizing," came the familiar voice that brought a smile to Shannon and her mother's face. Slowly the urRu made their way to them and began to chant.

Both Janeways and the remaining Voyager children closed their eyes and let themselves get lost in the comforting tones of the urRu song of farewell and good journeys.

La Barre, Qo'noS province

Eldest Worf looked on with Kang at their sons and allowed a smile. Their five sons each worked along the other Klingons to build homes now that the great hall has been finished.

Engineers worked to make a city that the Klingons will grow into just as the other provinces will.

All of the Worfs and Kang were surprised when they found out who captained the latest arrivals three months ago.

Both from the year 2400, the Kron class Captains were none other than DaqS and K'mtar, older, presumably wiser, and ship commanders in their own right.

"So will all of you enter combat to see who is the father of all?" Kang joked with the eldest Worf, the only one here at the moment.

"It would be stimulating, but too much like a Ferengi. I am not so greedy for sons that I must have them all," Worf replied, "besides there are an equal number of me as there are they."

Five Worfs, five K'mtars, actually four K'mtar and one Alexander Rozhenko.

All of them the same person, just from different timelines, not all of their direct fathers with them here.

Now Worf turned to Kang, "Unlike you. No other Kang to contest with, and five sons to call your own."

"It is more than I expected when I sought out the Enterprise," Kang admitted soberly, "Now my people have a chance of not just surviving, but living."

Worf nodded his head, he could understand, "That timeline is over. This one will endure."

"So have you found out what your duties are?" Kang asked glancing only briefly at the Great Hall in the distance.

"I have been informed," he said with restrained humor, it came to no surprise who really ruled now that there weren't so many intermediaries as they were back home.

"I will remain here at Qo'noS, the Ambassador," a smirk as it was his slightly younger self from the Premonition that he referred to, "Will be our representative at the B5 council meetings."

"Good, I would have you with me as we are told how to rule," Kang half-joked.

"Ah, it goes well with you and Mara?" Worf guessed, as a good ruler has a good wife. A truth since Kahless and the Lady Lukara.

Duras and Gowron proved to be poor rulers, of course they also were unmarried. It was something not covered in the history lessons, not the written ones anyway. A good student could read between those lines.

"It goes as well as Lady Sirella or Grilka will allow it," Kang said this time fidgeting, as much as a Klingon his age or stature would.

"I understand we shall have a multitude of Targ to hunt in a few more months," Worf said to change the subject, "Namtar did well for us." It was understood it had to mean the doctor from the Pasteur.

Both had met the Captain of the Colossus and he was more the type to join them on a targ hunt than figure out a way to breed them quickly, but not out of control.

In truth it was the effort of crew from both the Pasteur and Celestial, the latter with experts in ecology and exobiology.

"Come let us go to the Great Hall, our engineers and the SCE have made it to look the one back home," Worf invited Kang, "Our sons need no supervision and they will be along presently enough."

Bortas, B5 space

Martok would find it odd to have something in common with Rachel Garrett, several things actually. Both of them were glad their superiors were off their ships, and both wished they could sort out their love lives.

In the case of Rachel Garrett it would be to get Jean-Luc Picard to face his own feelings, a case Martok does not believe is his problem.

Which of course meant it was his problem.

"She is nobility, she would not wish me around," he said to a nearly empty Ready room. He knew enough not to snarl like this on his own bridge.

Nearly empty though meant not entirely and the Worf of his timeline had been the lucky Klingon to have been invited to talk with him as he ranted.

"If she sees with her heart, your place of birth will not matter," Worf pointed out, neither Klingon knowing the history of Martok in the mirror universe, or that Sirella who now is courting this Martok.

To her it is no mystery that they will get along, in fact she likes how much nobler these Klingons are to hers.

"And how goes your pursuit of K'Ehleyr?" Martok thought he should include Worf in his own mating miseries.

"You mean her pursuit of me," Worf corrected with a growl. He was unsure how to handle the fact that K'Ehleyr knew how this would end and he did not.

An advantage the women of the mirror universe were exploiting against the men.

"Unlike our young Koral," Martok did feel better now and mercifully turned the conversation to the young Captain they have been following in this universe.

"He is one who only admits his desire in the secret places of her his liver instead of to himself, much like Miral," Worf stated as he was glad for this invitation if only to get away from his Captain.

Worf did not feel guilty leaving his brother Kurn, second officer, behind on the Honor to deal with Koral.

"Acting like a targ with a torn tusk?" Martok guessed.

"Every since Miral found out Voyager has memories of her Voyager where she grew up on, she desired to spend time with that machine," Worf shared giving Martok more insight into why Worf eagerly came over.

"So until her return from the Vulcan expedition, he is bereft someone he doesn't not even realize he feels the loss of so greatly?"

"Unlike how everyone else on the Honor has felt his loss," growled Worf with an undertone of humor.

"She will be back, Voyager is a survivor."

"We just have to survive Koral until then," Worf concluded.

Orion, B5 space

We bring life from lifelessness.

We are the givers and if need be the takers.

We are of Terraforming Command.

I am Ori ready to serve.

Not all of Nagilum's experiments required removal of subjects. A few he 'tagged' and released 'back into the wild' as it were.

Ori did not question that he was once Ory, unlike his Captain who in both timelines was Lian T'su.

Captain Lian T'su looked at her best friend and Chief Medical officer, Dr. Alyssa Ogawa trying to reconcile the fact that as of three months ago, they weren't friends with a history stretching back to the Enterprise-D.

It had been where the original Lian's timeline had diverged. True both were on the Enterprise-D to have become friends, but Ensign T'Su hadn't associated with Nurse Ogawa back then.

In this timeline revised mix, they met, struck up a friendship and have been keeping in touch since.

Alyssa was there when Lian was awarded a Zee-Magnees Prize for her terraforming research, Lian was there when Alyssa became a full-fledged doctor.

"Are the memories still distinct?" Alyssa asked as they sat on the bridge alone. Only recently had the Orion been gone over with a fine resolution scan.

It was one that took time and earlier there hadn't been any to spare. This had left the Steamrunner ship in drydock these last three months.

The wait was over due to the quiet war fronts and the major constructions going up on La Barre. A wait that made the Orion low priority mainly due to a lack of qualified manpower.

However with the basics set up, industrial replicators in place, troops once stationed on ships are now on the ring to help set up places to live, enough engineers were finally free to give the Orion that scan the Admiralty wanted before it would be certified for duty.

Neither women were looking at each other, instead their eyes were on the viewscreen as White Star sixteen flew along with its Minbari crystal style multitronic 'brain' learning to be the White Star.

In Lian's mind they were going painfully slow with the project, 'only' three White Stars upgraded with a Minbari style M5, gravity drive adapted warp drive, cloak system and transporters.

If they asked her they would accelerate beyond the one-White Star-a-month stately approach the conservative worker caste seemed to think was possibly too fast.

"Hmm?" Lian finally processed the question her friend asked her, "No, not as much. I pretty much match what's Ori's logs."

"So you don't miss Ory?" Alyssa knew about the former quantum reality M5.

"Some days. Less and less as time goes on. It does convince me I don't want to even try and go back to my universe. I feel I've lost something special with Ory," Lian let her voice trail off and just stared at the view.

Then she added as the Zha'fi flew by, "I don't want to lose myself to whomever I became when the timeline was corrected when there wasn't a war with the Klingons."

"I understand the Zha'fi is ready to come online with its M5," Alyssa commented to steer away from that gloomy subject. The records showed that 'Nurse Ogawa died on the Enterprise during a Klingon attack.

Klingons were a very sensitive subject for both Lian and Alyssa.

Still, Alyssa had a lot of pleasant memories serving on the Enterprise under Beverly, however she liked being a doctor and now a CMO of the Orion.

She also liked still being alive.

"That happened last month," Ori interjected unaware of the doctor's thoughts, "The Minbari are conservative and only wish to have that system in control of the ship in steps."

"They're not turning it on and off are they?" Lian wasn't sure that was wise in the long term mental development of the sentience of that ship.

"No Captain, it is merely not in control of the ship all the time and as it is based on a Minbari's engrams it does understand."

"It? Not he or she?" Alyssa was curious about that one, she had always heard an M5 pick a gender.

"Hasn't decided yet. Again, a conservative approach," Ori informed them.

Dominion, orbit of Proxima III

It is comforting to have a 'warbug' as it was sometimes called, flying beside me again.

For once a Jem'Hadar fighter has a name, a designation that I suspect is due to the Captain's association with 'solids.'

'Unit' is not a particularly imaginative name, but when one considers Dominion forces designations, such as 'Jem'Hadar 1st Division Wing Destroyer 1' or ranks like 'First, Second, or Third,' it is understandable that one of their first M5s name would be equally colorful and descriptive.

Part of me hopes that it’s easy construction might encourage at least two more to be built. It is a self-confession to admit I had gotten use to having three fighters with me.

A .005 second supposition is that I could conclude it was due to ingrained patterns or as various crew would say, I had gotten use to them flying with me.

I find it fascinating and in keeping with the Founder culture that their M5 is based on fluidics, just as the Minbari M5 is based on crystal technologies.

Unit's world view matches construction type, and is more fluid than I have found other M5s as oppose to the Minbari M5 rigidity. I suppose form does shape sapiency to a degree.

S/he has been of help forming the 'Great Link' program running on holodeck one. Where my Founder, Odo and Laas has been meeting with my Kosh.

I note an irrational .02 second impulse to label 'Progenitor Kosh,' and considering the seven Koshs in this universe it is an understandable whim.

With Unit to guide me in this TSDS I believe this holodeck program works well for the three Changelings.

We can simulate for the three of them the many that would experience with other Founders.

In many ways Unit and I are the rest of the Great Link.

"I am curious Mr. Garak, why have you been avoiding your other selves?" Scorpius asked from the center seat as he was in command at the moment.

Riker was off-shift and using holodeck two, sleeping as his women were unavailable.

"I thought it was obvious, I am not leaving this ship," this Elim Garak sounded as sane as the others, despite the fact he wasn't.

"Ah, I see," and Scorpius believed he did, "Safe onboard, ready to go when the next threat comes at us."

"You will note on at least five occasions we thought we had a safe port, twice months had gone by, only to be overtaken by Borg or some local threat. We've lost crew who just had to have shore leave..."

Scorpius could see Elim was no longer mentally on this bridge, not at this time, but in the past. Still he listened, the man remained useful and the Dominion was better off with him than without him.

"Had to feel the grass, see a real sky, know wide open spaces...." slowly Elim brought himself forward to the hear and now, only hearing echoes of crewmembers calling for a beam out as the Dominion had to go.

Like his Ziyal, who had to smell the roses one last time. Tora Ziyal left behind while Elim was up on the ship.

Too many times it had to leave behind those who were off ship, or risk saving no-one. In the beginning Riker tried to stay and get them, nearly losing the ship and always losing more crew than he saved.

Elim could hear them sometimes, though they grew quieter recently, but he wasn't ready to leave the ship.

They might have to leave any moment now.

"Fifty-minutes to USS Yamato arrival to relieve us," Dom said quietly not to spook Elim. The M5 knew the signs and while the former Obsidian Order agent had taught Dom well, the AI did not wish to set him off.

Nor the rest of the bridge crew currently around the stable First officer, Scorpius.

"Acknowledged, conducting a system check for departure readiness," Chu'lak said from the engineering console at the back.

He had been one of six survivors from the USS Grissom when it was destroyed by the Jem'Hadar when remnants of Starfleet first fled through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant.

Now he was the sole survivor with enemies now allies.

Back when he was an ensign it was noted that Chu'lak exhibited some possible psychological instability.

Dom could confirm them today. However he was also the last Starfleet engineer, the other engineers were of other races learning by necessity.

Just as Dr. Farallon is, the last of the Tyrans, who with the not-so-stable Vulcan keep the ship together.

Her and her exocomps are the ones who did most of the maintenance and repairs of the Dominion, guided by 'Chief Engineer' Chu'lak.

She was never told that her exocomps were the reason the ship had gone to the Tyran system.

No-one ever told her, but Dom knew she knew.

"My children still keep us together," it was why she always stressed the exocomps as hers, to remind everyone how invaluable she is to ship survival, "Systems are ready for full warp at a moment's notice."

She blew an errant lock of hair from out of her face and turned to Mission Ops and focused manically on the readouts as if her life depended on it.

Farallon was convinced it did.

Va'es, cloaked in Vorlon space

"You know this is insane Jim," Bones said to his friend as he re-checked the bio-dampener now fitted around Kirk's arm.

"Don't worry Bones. I'll just have a quick look around and see what might be over there. Besides, I'll have a M4 with me, what's to worry?"

McCoy still couldn’t tell bravado from a false front when his friend was like this. Spock didn't try.

"Wear this behind your ear," Spock said without preamble.

"An earcam? You want to see what I'm seeing?" Jim asked incredulously, "Isn't that what the M4 is for?"

"Call it wanting to see it from your perspective," Spock said without inflection, but with a sternness of command.

"More like making sure you stay honest and not check out the local..." Bones began but stopped as he noticed Jim, Spock, Scotty and Pavel looking at him.

"Just get this over with. I'll be in sick bay, ready to patch you up," McCoy said what they knew wasn't true. He would follow Spock up to the bridge to watch.

"Aren't you going to say it would be logical for you to come over with me?" Jim asked his Captain.

"Regulations about Captains going on off ship missions are clear," knowing he would ignore them when he felt it 'logical' to, "It is the job of the first officer to represent the ship in such missions."

"Which is why I’ll never be after your seat Spock, no matter what the other timelines say."

Jim took his place on the transporter pad, and looked at Scotty who set for transwarp beaming, it wasn't as if they were close to the Shadow ships for standard transporters.

In TSDS t'hy'la was linked with Kahr-y-Tan and V'ger the three acting nearly as one. Both the Vulcan based M5s were use to the 0.000004 second delay V'ger had with her part of the link.

Otherwise in a more Vulcan fashion, their minds were one.

Jim had his phaser out when he finished materializing, and saw the ECM masked M4 floating beside him. Together they started to make their way through the cavities of the Shadow ship they chose to board.

It was the one that stayed in their vicinity, which was statistically possible to be a coincidence, but equally likely it was deliberate.

This furthered the theory that Arturis was either in league or affected by the Shadow ship.

All three bridges displayed a split screen, one side the view from Kirk's earcam, the other from M4's sensors.

Echolocation built up a map of the interior and matched it to what Kahr-y-Tan had constructed from his own scans using the massive sensor pods of the ShiKahr.

"Up ahead, the Bridge, or cockpit if the plug-n-play-pilot premise is right," Kirk whispered for the benefit of the bridge crews.

Indeed a web of crystal structures cradled a humanoid that upon closer inspection, at least from the back could be identified.

"Centauri," Spock spoke for all of them.

"What gave it away, the hair?" Kirk replied and moved forward, "I don't see any instrumentation. I say we abduct the pilot for a little Q&A session."

"They are there against their will apparently. Proceed," Spock said to Kirk and the M5s.

"Are you out of your Vulcan mind? The moment Jim does something to the ship, the ship will know!"

"Mr. Scott, are you and Mr. Chekov ready to retrieve our Subcommander?"

A chorus of Aye's replied from the intercom.

"I will initiate the moment the Centauri is free," t'hy'la said counting on Scotty and Pavel to improvise as needed.

"I'll stun the pilot," Kirk said leveling his phaser.

"Locked onto the cradle supports," the M4 said from beside him.

"Fire!" Jim ordered and shot the pilot as the M4 burst fired its phaser. Shadow shards chipped and shattered, a scream that had Jim covering his ears as he dashed to get the pilot.

The cavity started to shift and change as if the solid was becoming liquid, indeed Kirk was finding it hard to move quickly as a once solid floor turned into a consistency of mud and then cinematic quicksand.

"I could use that beam out!" Jim said having waded to the Centauri and grabbed him. Wadded as he was sinking the ship apparently trying to absorb him.

It couldn't think of anything clearly due to the pain it received as the M4 fired all around the cavity's interior, so for now Kirk wasn't in danger of being disassembled by the nanomachines in the crystals.

Slowly it was adjusting to the pain as Jim felt as if his boots and clothing was loosening on his body.

Then he was back on the Va'es before anything more than random threads were worked off of him.

"I suggest we go, go, go!" Jim shouted.

"Think they know where we are?" Scotty asked a moment before the ship shook.

"They know," Pavel said before they dashed off to their stations, Scotty to engineering, Kirk and Chekov to the bridge, while Bones spared his friend only a look before loading the Centauri onto a stretcher.

Then they were off to sick bay.

"How are they locating us? Isn't the cloak working?" Kirk asked as he made it up to the bridge.

Spock's eyes were closed and then they opened, "Telepathy. They are locating us using telepaths."

In TSDS the M5s shared information, a display was put up in a window on the viewscreen.

"That's a lot of Shadow ships," Pavel said in perfect understatement.

"Any nearby gas giants, t'hy'la?" Kirk had an idea, everyone could feel it.

Spock looked incredulous, "They will know that trick. Captain Sheridan performed it already."

"Oh, I'm counting on it Captain," Kirk replied to everyone's mystification, "All three of us can enter the gas giant's atmosphere and dive right?"

"They do know this one," Spock reminded him, "but proceed."

"Yes, they're millions of years old and either set in their ways, or seen all the tricks they believe they know. I think we need to teach them a new one."

All three ships banked and moved off towards a gas giant spotted in real space. Jump points opened and the trio exited as one.

Shadow ships phased into real space and raced after the three enemy ships, some firing hoping even a distant shot would be a disabling one.

None were solid strikes, but that is not to say the warp driven vessels were not struck.

Balancing himself during impacts against the shields, Jim made it over to Nyota's console, "Have Hoshi get Ori on the horn, ask him about specs...t'hy'la you know where I'm going with this."

"Acknowledged. It will take V'ger's replicators to make and the Torres' to assemble," the Vulcan M5 said.

"Get on it. Tell Scotty, to help them with an approximation of protomatter, I know he's been looking into it."

With all those technical journals Scotty read to catch up with the latest theories, Jim was sure this was a subject he covered.

"You seem to know a lot Mr. Kirk about a number of unrelated subjects," Spock observed.

"I'm very well read," Jim quipped in return.

"And just when do you take this time to read?" Spock's question was infused with incredulity.

"Helps pass the lonely nights away," Jim remarked with a casual shrug.

"And which lonely nights would those be?" Spock asked utterly deadpan, yet it was followed by an amused silence on the bridge.

All save Nyota who was trying to strangle a laugh bubbling in her throat. She had walked in on Kirk and Galia back at the Academy.

He was saved by t'hy'la's announcement, "We are entering the atmosphere of the selected gas giant."

"V'ger get it loaded into your rear launcher," Jim was counting on the fact that the Torres 'sisters' had everything assembled.

"t'hy'la lets see about jumping to hyperspace and going to warp on my mark," Jim took as a fact that TSDS made it what one M5 would do the others would and indeed all three ships were ready to jump and run.

"Kahr-y-Tan, are they gathering around the planet?" Kirk asked as all three Vulcan Captain's raised an eyebrow regarding his talking directly to the M5s.

"Acknowledge. We project a 93.3% certainty that they believe we are attempting the same stratagem Captain Sheridan used against them last year."

"If so they will expect us to either wait, but not knowing if we can it is more likely they expect us to come up to entice them to come on down."

"If this succeeds you will indeed teach them a new trick Mr. Kirk. Proceed," Spock said effectively telling Kirk to go ahead with his plan.

"Launch Wildfire, jump and go to warp!"

Out of Voyager's rear launcher shot the modified torpedo into the Wildfire device. A warhead designed to ignite gas-giant planets into stars using a protomatter detonation.

All three ships had entered jump space and went into warp.

At warp one they were quite a distance away when the gas giant turned into a miniature star incinerating the Shadow ships in orbit.

Shadow ships that had gathered to wait for the upstarts to surface when they realized their ruse would not work. Shadow ships ready to enter jump space if they detected points opening as Sheridan had done.

However their detection was too late as the newborn star engulfed them.

They did die frustrated, but not completely. Part of their objective was to draw off the ships following them as they had found the object of power they were looking for.

Surviving Shadow and Drakh ships were moving this artifact through hyperspace to take back to their homeworld of Z'ha'dum.

There they would open it and find there was a reason the Vorlons tried to get rid of it ages ago.

-----------------------------

I hope its enjoyable, comments, questions, accusations of insanity welcome. Thanks for reading!

Jeff

[kclcmdr]

Surviving Shadow and Drakh ships were moving this artifact through hyperspace to take back to their homeworld of Z'ha'dum.

There they would open it and find there was a reason the Vorlons tried to get rid of it ages ago.

Oh, no ... hubris & pride strikes again...

Sub-commander ... Kirk? Uhura?? Fascinating.

and that bleeding frakkin Arturis scum idjit ... sheeshes ...

And thee still driveth thy & us crazy...

[JEKrug01]

*mutters* So is that where a certain Yamato captain went... whoops! Instead of being blown UP, he got blown to another universe!?

[madbob]

...'Genocide Wave'...nice touch, I guess that they, the Borg, are referring to the Flood?

[JovianJeff]

Originally Posted by kclcmdr

Oh, no ... hubris & pride strikes again...

Sub-commander ... Kirk? Uhura?? Fascinating.

and that bleeding frakkin Arturis scum idjit ... sheeshes ...

And thee still driveth thy & us crazy...

Yes Shadows and Vorlons, those wacky First Ones.

Going with the Vulcan alternate timeline gives me not only a safety net, but some play of what happens.

Lol, yes Arturis was a bit of a plot device, hopefully he'll develop down the road.

Err...I really, -really- hope the driving crazy is a good thing. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Originally Posted by JEKrug01

*mutters* So is that where a certain Yamato captain went... whoops! Instead of being blown UP, he got blown to another universe!?

Yes, I left Yamato's Captain's fate rather vague at first, then I re-watched the episode and found it was Donald Varley and knew I had to do something with him.

Sort of the same reason I have Cal Hudson, Judie Ballard, Kasidy Yates, Sariel Rager, Silva La Forge, T'Pel, Tuvok and Tryla Scott. Something Skeets had mentioned in his fic with Sisko, thought I'd add a bit of 'Minority scifi.'

Which is also why Chakotay, Harry Kim, and Lian T'su ended up Captains too. Not any sort of statement really, just something that interest me since this is all a bit of an experiment in writing.

Originally Posted by madbob

...'Genocide Wave'...nice touch, I guess that they, the Borg, are referring to the Flood?

Glad someone picked up on that!

Well, the Flood among other things they suspect are coming. Although selective firing won't be an easy out as all factions have to agree and the Preserver faction will always want a 'sample' of said species. So if they haven't assimulated them, such as the Yonji Sinhindrea, they will not agree to a weapon firing.

Again thanks for commenting!

Jeff

[JEKrug01]

Hmm, Genocide Wave or Death Blossom? Either way, fatal for enemies.

[JovianJeff]

Special thanks to Mulman for permission to use his Dilgar characters and situation from "Man's Potential-Ages of Change"

Fragments a UOC/TWS/AIB AU
Chapter 31
Entrances

Defiant, deep space Sector 999

"Well three months of travel and here we are," Ben said to Dee. It might have been rough on the crew if they were of other timelines. A few were. However most were from his and there had been a war on.

A war that lasted for decades, so the hardship of a soldier was nothing like the explorers that made up the other timelines. For the soldiers this was just another mission without the luxuries.

Although the subspace messages flew back and forth since it wasn't a mission under silence. Ben had his share with Jennifer, a few with Rachel to get her view of current affairs and Miles O'Brien had his letters.

Unlike the majority of timelines where Keiko was a civilian botanist, in the battleship Enterprise timeline she had enlisted in Starfleet.

While a bartender such a Guinan was civilian, botanist, who might have to end up coming up with food should replicators go down due to battle damage, were part of the service.

Both were looking forward to getting back and having Captain Picard marry them, but until then the subspace messages flew between their two ships.

One could always tell when O'Brien received a message from Keiko, and if it had been awhile since he had. In that he and Ben were alike as both men seemed sterner to others, than right after they received letters.

Ben was thinking of his last one, that one from Jake. By now he no longer thought 'my son from another timeline,' it was simply his son Jake.

Until something like this came up.

"You , the other you, had bought twelve hecapates of land in Kendra Province on Bajor, well surveying the ring it was found one area that was an exact match for it," Jake had said in one part of the recent letter.

"Well it was unanimous in giving us, well the Sisko family," he amended, "twelve hecapates right where you bought it south of the Yolja River.

Everyone's pitched in to build a house for us so you could watch the sun set over the mountains every night. I mean the other you wanted that. He wanted to retire there."

Jake looked thoughtful for a moment, but his new wife came into view of the pickup, "We know you're far from retirement farther..." now Jake smiled and gave her a nudge as if reminding her of something, "Dad, but it can be home when you come to visit. Jake and I are building a home nearby if you don't mind."

"Of course he doesn't mind," came a third voice from off screen, right before Joseph Sisko worked his way into view behind Jake and Korena.

Ben felt his father was looking right at him despite this being a recording, "Son your family is settling Sisko land. Three houses, one for you, me and these two." He had put his hands on both of them in a kind of hug.

"Well Pops," Ben laughed to himself, someone had been hanging out with that other timeline Wesley Crusher, "I suppose that's it for this letter. You take care out there."

"You take care too, Jack-O," Ben said to the screen after it winked to the UFP symbol. Absently he knew a new symbol for 'The Fleet' was being worked on, but no new uploads yet meant it hadn't been finished.

"We are at the coordinates the Prophets had given us," Dee interrupted Ben's thoughts, sensors searching space around them for whatever possibly they were suppose to find.

After the ambush Borg Queen Seven of Nine experienced, Dee did not want the Defiant to be caught like that. Sensors probed space, hyperspace and subspace noting anomalies if any.

"It seems the Prophets have given us quite a bit," Ben said more to himself as he thought about the 'coincidence' of Kendra Province.

"So," Zar said from the entrance to the bridge, "Are we there yet?"

Ben smiled grateful for the distraction, "About so, yes. Now we wait for the fireworks to begin."

A point four second later, Dee saw how literal the Emissary's phrase had become.

"Detecting quantum fissure opening!" Dee announced and focused the screen's view on a particular patch of space, "83.74% probability that the fissure is artificial in nature and rising."

Red alert was sounded even as the words left Ben's lips.

"Detecting a series of subspace pulses, 92.3% and rising that they are used to navigate the fissure."

"I wish I had brought along the old man for this," Ben mentioned thinking of Jadzia and not Ezri.

"Something huge is coming out of there Ben!" Zar said from the console he looked at.

"Dee define huge!" Ben snapped off an order as something was coming through the fissure.

K'mpec's Honor leaving B5 space

Finally! It was a word that came often to Koral's mind, but meant different things at various times.

Finally the debates had ended among the Klingons (meaning Grilka and her court decided) and the leadership of the Fleet had granted the Honor to get its own M5.

It would be the first Klingon M5 from this timeline and based on the engrams of Kang after another debate.

Finally Koral received word that Miral will be returning, actually Voyager along with Va'es and ShiKahr were returning from Vorlon space.

He did no know that his crew especially found it good news since their Captain stopped prowling the decks like a mad warrigul.

Finally he was granted clearance to go out and meet the other ships, acting as an escort as it was reported they had been damaged in a conflict with the Shadows.

Koral was feeling better than he had in a very long time. The Sons of Mogh at his back, Worf at the console to his right, Kurn at the console to his left and the M5 calling itself qeng was a heady feeling.

At the consoles at the front of the bridge, DaqS and K'mtar exchanged a look as they heard their captain roar with joy when qeng took the Honor to warp.

Both were glad to be off the Ya'Vang, having watched the Duras sisters kill their Captain Kurn and hearing what the House of Duras were like in other timelines, they felt on this ship they had a better chance to not only live longer, but gain honor.

Babylon 5

Watching our latest family member finish flying around the system and then head off into warp, I find myself worrying about my little brother.

Little in both literal and chronologically speaking, I am glad he does not resent a big sister's concern.

I have to be careful to express it only in cultural context of his Klingon origins, but out of all the M5s save Charlene I am the one with he greatest multicultural interest.

Considering what I am, this makes sense. Out of all the M5s I have the greatest variety of life forms and cultures aboard as well as sheer numbers of life forms.

Their heartbeats are reassuring, their breaths a song in themselves, and conversations a reaffirmation of life and sounds I would find disheartening not to hear.

I am learning as other M5s before me that one does develop connections with those living within the hull that we consider our bodies.

Their highs and lows become important, even regarding the most trivial of reasons. I find I want to help them, though to lesser or greater degrees.

Predators onboard I find I am not as connected to as they seek to prey on the others onboard. I cannot directly interfere, but more and more of their prey are finding out that if they only ask, I will advise them.

Con-men are really getting to dislike me.

Muggings are pretty much a thing of the past. All someone has to do is cry out for help and I can beam security to the location.

In fact, just hearing an increased heart rate alerts me, or the calm some predators get as they approach their prey.

N'Grath and I have come to an understanding and Michael approves, which is mainly why I have come to an understanding with N'Grath.

I could put him out of business, but Michael is right, that wold only raise up someone else in his place and I have already seen alternative attempts of conducting such 'business.'

They load onto a shuttle or go to a visiting ship, have their say and then return.

It does not really help, not since the same exographic sensors that allow me to see through my own hull and decks let me view the interior of their shuttles and ships.

It is something I do not mention to any save Michael and John as I am sure it will eventually occur to them that I cannot read minds and telepaths are a means to have conversations without my monitoring them.

Though Nagus and D'Era are working on that angle with Scotty and Ori.

Ambassador, B5 space

"I'm not sure I understand the objection Mr. Bester," Rachel said to the black clad figure sitting across from her in her ready room, "You're not happy in the Betazed Province?"

Alfred Bester was sorely tempted to scan or just mind blast this mundane in front of him, yet he knew it would be a Pyrrhic victory at best.

This is even presuming she didn't have telepaths nearby to defend her as he assumed she would. Surely she couldn't be so trusting to otherwise? Of course if he scanned to find out he would alert said monitors.

Rachel could almost read the man's mind and nearly smiled. He was caught in with in a problem that had no real solution. Scan to see if she had protection and thereby be caught scanning, or just trust she had it?

She enjoyed this little game too much to either confirm or deny it, she'd have to thank Charlene for suggesting it later.

"It is not that," Bester stood and started to pace, giving up on the guessing game for now, "It is just that some of my people are..." he couldn't say it.

Rachel could, "Going native?"

He turned suddenly, "Yes!" Then went back to pacing, "They are finding these alien ways better than what many of them grew up with."

"The Corp is no longer father and mother?" Rachel knew she really shouldn't bait the man, but it was too much fun and he so discounted her for being sophisticated enough that the humor was going over his head.

"Yes! A telepathic society that is not a human one should not be so embraced! I thought your Federation charter guarantee a culture's preservation?" He was leaning on her desk now, in both desperation and heat.

"It does," Rachel did not flinch back and in fact pointedly let her eyes flick to each hand where it lay on -her- desk in such a manner one didn't have to be a telepath to get this message.

Bester did, he stood up and backed off.

"Then you have to do something to keep our culture intact!"

"Your culture? Do you mean the PSIcorp culture?" Rachel asked keeping her voice level and the amusement she felt private. He'd have to scan her to know it and doing so was another dilemma before him.

He looked at her, not wishing to admit defeat, but he could see how thin his argument really was. Rachel took his silence as an opening to continue despite lacking an answer to her question.

"If your people don't want to follow your ways, that isn't our problem Mr. Bester. Maybe you should ask yourself if your ways are worth following?"

Bonny Beverly, en route from Narn to B5

"I honestly don't think anyone is looking for us after all this time," Jack tried again with Icon, "Yes we shocked them, yes everyone who had expectations of what an NX can and cannot do were surprised..."

"And yes they will be asking me about Iconian technology," Icon interrupted once more as the discussion took its familiar patten between Captain and the ancient AI.

"Icon, pops, this argument is getting old," Wesley tried to interject as it was getting really, really old.

Like the guess which Robin is which game had. Fortunately that 'war' is over for now.

Privately he wished it was no chance of a flair up, however while their 'stop over' at B5 space did let off all the Trois, they did pick up the eldest Robin Lefler, married to the eldest Wesley.

While his older self remained with the Pasteur, his wife joined her two younger selves on the Bonny. Apparently all three had to 'talk.'

That made him nervous at first, except within the first week of 'the talk' the war had cooled and then ended.

They still made him nervous, like when he walked into a room the three had been talking to each other only to find silence his immediate companion.

Fortunately, or maybe not, that weird companion of the older Wesley also came onboard. Traveler, as he called himself, wanted to work in engineering with the Leftlers and Phigus.

It was nice to have so many engineers for once, when his Robin wasn't talking to the others or in engineering, they actually had quality time to themselves.

Especially with the Bonny not doing much more than shipping cargo for various Narn interest...or N'Grath.

"Yes this is getting old son," Jack agreed pulling Wesley's thoughts to the here and now, "So Icon how about we not hide the next time we are back in B5 space?"

"Beverly does not have a problem with your surprise visits," Icon said to counter the approach he knew Jack was going to take, "We shall continue to hide."

"You know, V'ger gets to keep her secrets," Wesley pointed out to the silence of the other two, "I'm just saying she must have been asked for that armor technology and transphasic weaponry..."

"He's got a point Icon. You know the Fleet would have wanted those, even those in V'ger's future," Jack began with his best sales pitch, "They don't have it because of their Temporal Prime Directive..."

"Speaking of which," it was the day of interrupting one another, this time it was Icon's turn, "Our Chef is back."

Both father and son looked at each other and grinned. With the discussion tabled for the moment they left the bridge and headed for the galley.

There they found their Chef whistling and happily cooking as he fixed the next meal.

"So still had it?" Jack asked amused as he watched the time traveler go to work on some masterpiece a five star restaurant would be proud to serve.

"Absolutely," the man who was once known as 'Crewman Daniels' said as he continued preparing a feast for the crew, "No more time wars, cold or hot for me. I'm out and staying right here for now on."

"Just a Chef?" Jack couldn't help but needle the man who had been on the original Enterprise and not this museum piece created after the Tholians blew up said original.

"Couldn't be happier. Figuring out spices, seasonings to taste are far easier on a man than what events may or may not bring about whatever the Powers-That-Be say the timeline should have."

Enterprise-D, orbit of Proxima III

Beverly sighed as she looked down at the world below the Enterprise.

Proxima was turning into a wonderful place now, and she could see why colonist would want to flock to it, especially in the temporary peace that appears to be holding.

She just wished she could see Jack more, and with a thought that put a smile back on her face, she recalled this feeling, the one when he was alive and they were separated by different duty stations.

He wasn't her Jack in some ways, but in more ways than not he was very much her Jack Crusher and she wished he was here now, or she was away with him on the Bonny.

It was a thought she was having more often now that people were settling in with the thought that this universe is home, there is no going back.

Certainly the people of the Yamato were thinking that way. Her mentor, Dr. Quaice, had been telling her of how Commander Adams is thinking about helping the people of Proxima in light of making it his home.

Home was a nice word to think about, especially with Jack in her life and the belief her own son lives on in the two other Wesleys.

She had heard from Will Riker and Alyssa that the other ones of them who had died merged with them. It helped to think that had happened to her Wesley.

Beverly was afraid to ask either Wesley yet, even though Jack quietly encouraged her to settle it one way or the other.

She did need closure, maybe the next time she was on the Bonny she might ask, she couldn't see visiting her older self on the Pasteur just yet.

Certainly not with the knowledge that she married Jean-Luc, although it was a relief in one odd way that the Picard in command of the Enterprise-D differed enough from the man who will become Ambassador Picard.

"You do not have to remain here Commander Adams, you stand relieved," Picard tried to keep it cordial with the man he felt had his friend's ship and Starfleet property.

Especially since they were talking to each other across view screens on their bridges instead of their Ready rooms. A certain decorum in front of their crews had to be maintained.

Picard might wish that the Yamato was back in 'proper' Starfleet hands, but Admiral Sulu was not going to take back what he had given in a circumstance where he didn't think he'd see a Starfleet again.

"Just talking with Governor Vincent, Captain Picard," Adams returned the dislike towards someone he felt had an iron rod up his backside.

"The Yamato isn't due out for a few more days. My men and I can take leave here as well as return to B5 or La Barre."

"You're taking more than leave from what I can see up here," Picard really wished he had called from his Ready room, open accusation would certainly come out about now if he had.

"Oh?" Adams was coolly indifferent although he knew what Picard was talking about.

"Your people are conducting construction projects," Jean-Luc felt he could mention that evenly.

"Helping out the people of Proxima is something your people were doing, so I don't see a problem with my people continuing to do so. Just because we're not Starfleet doesn't mean we can't help Picard, Adams out."

Captain Jean-Luc Picard stared incredulously as a screen returned to the view of Proxima below with the Yamato ahead of the Enterprise in orbit of the planet.

Even Delta felt as if he wanted to pretend his attention was anywhere else but on the bridge and his Captain.

USS Arella, cloacked in Earth orbit

"Thanks for coming Bill," Cal said in his Ready room to the commander of the Dominion. Unlike his fellow officers he didn't have a problem working with someone who isn't all there.

Especially since they knew how to work clandestinely.

"No problem Cal, I understand you think Bashir has an ally in orbit, cloaked as well?" Bill Riker sounded so lucid when he was focused on a mission, Cal remarked to himself.

"Aeon is and he's been around so long I trust him over my own instincts at times," Cal admitted.

"No need to make me sound ancient and ready for my next hull transfer Captain," the M5 quipped.

It put a smile on both Captain's faces.

"So what lead you to this supposition?" Bill asked over the secure line.

"Go on Aeon," Cal gave permission for his M5 to answer the question.

"As you know, under request of Captain Sheridan we've been hunting for a covert organization called Bureau-13. Mapping com lines, Internet traffic, physical drop points and such," Aeon explained.

Bill was nodding, much of this his own M5, Dom had mentioned and approved of the elder M5.

"Recently I have been picking up traces of a third searcher, beyond myself and Zia," Aeon didn't need to explain who Zia was, Bashire's M5.

"I figure its getting crowded up here in Earth orbit so I thought to call in one of the better ones at this," Cal admitted.

Bill smiled, "Better at sneaking...sure we shouldn't call Ballard and Thello?"

Now it was Cal's turn to smile, "I'm not yet ready to ask the school teacher to bring her master spy M5 to Earth orbit yet. Let's see what we can do first Bill."

"One thing I have determined," spoke Dom from Bill's side of the connection, "Is that it isn't just Zia and a new unknown."

"Oh?" Cal sat up, a fifth searcher cloaked in orbit was not what he wanted to hear.

"There is a 52.33% probability that this other searcher is Romulan."

Jadzia, cloaked in Earth orbit

"How close?" Julian nearly whispered like an old scifi vidshow thinking the enemy might hear him if he spoke too loud.

"They are in orbit with us, but I do not believe they are close to locating us. Even if they do, given it is likely a three against two in our favor.

"With our new ally from the 25th century, there is a 83.72% likelihood of a victory for our side."

"But alert the others of our alliance and we're not ready to take on the Fleet, not even with our ally and what Clark has produced so far."

Julian stood up from the command chair and walked back to the hologrid, and what was intended for a holocom.

Zia knew what was expected and materialized her avatar of Jadzia there as well as a chair.

Sitting down Julian closed his eyes as 'Jadzia' began to massage his shoulders, "The talks with the Romulans are going well."

He nodded as he listened to her assure him of his own plans, as she was suppose to do.

"They wish to have other options than the Fleet, especially in light of what we're accomplishing with Earth."

"However they don't know about our new allies, the one sent by Nagilum?" Julian asked for the 123rd time.

"No, Julian," 'Jadzia' said, "They are unaware of that alliance."

"Good, when you think you can get a secure line, put me in touch with the ISS Enterprise-F."

USS Celestial, en route to Planthos, Sector 401

Silva found him looking out at the stars from Ten Forward again. She could nearly always count on finding this particular Minbari stargazing, especially as he knew he was traveling in real space not hyperspace.

"Sech Turval," Silva spoke to gain the Anla'shok instructor and former leader of the Rangers's attention. She could see his ever present aide, Marcus, nearby. With him sat Lennier.

Lennier was more along for the peace of mind of other Minbari than fear of what Starfleeters might do to former Anla'Shok Na.

"Captain La Forge," he said smiling and turning from the view, he liked this particular human and the lilt in her voice as well as how she carried herself with such confidence and strength.

He saw quite of a bit of Delenn in her or where Delenn might one day be if she believed more in herself.

"We will be soon at where you have told us is this place called Planthos, found in the Caliban sector," he could hear the question in her voice.

"Why go to the very sector to find the Dilgar no-one knows exist when this sector is where they all supposedly perished?" he asked knowing she had trusted him this far with a secret few had known.

Until now, only the Anla'Shok and Dukhat had known about the hidden colony of Dilgar.

"The Wind Swords were not the only ones who had a hidden truth about the Dilgar," he began to go over ground she already knew, "It was a dangerous secret to keep."

"Especially in light of the Wind Swords hiding Jha'dur," Silva agreed.

"To know we not only saved the life of the then head of Dilgar intelligence, but help him get his people to safety would not be looked well upon, not even by my people," Turval shared information new to Silva.

"The -head- of Dilgar Intelligence?"

Turval nodded, "Warmaster Gek’hal himself. When the Dilgar started to invade and even the humans getting involved, I sent in some of the Anla'Shok to access the situation even though the Minbari be involved."

"Not our concern?" Silva guessed to Turval's nod.

"But when Valen had founded our Order it was with these words, 'a military group dedicated to nothing less than preserving the future and all life. Even our enemy's life, if possible.'"

"We had found that this Warmaster wanted to smuggle people out to preserve his species," Silva heard the implications of what Turval wasn't saying, the Minbari knew that Omelos was doomed.

She could see the answer in his eyes, 'not our concern' so Silva did not ask what would pain him to answer.

"His ship had been attacked by pirates and would have been destroyed, but we intervened. I do not know to this day if he ever found out our hand is the one who saved him."

"Go on," Silva wanted to know what he was willing to tell her, also knowing Hera was listening and recording every word, even if she pretended indifference as an electronic goddess.

"He knew that the house of Ados under the Baron E’Phraim had been sent into exile because of their pacifistic ideals to a place..." this time what Turval left unsaid was more like a teacher wishing the student to fill in the answer.

"Planthos," Silva now knew what they were going to instead of just a name and coordinates in a largely abandoned sector.

"Planthos," Turval repeated, "Warmaster Gek’hal initiated secret contact with them to ask to send some of his supporters and resources there for survival and safe keeping."

"The Anla'Shok made sure he succeeded," Silva said prompting an unexpected admission from Turval.

"Since the Grey Council refused to get involved even knowing the fate of the Dilgar, it let us save a few."

USS Rosa Parks, hyperspace near B5

"So Suzy, how do you like her?" Captain Tryler Scott was happy to be in command of a ship again. It got her out into space and possible action as well as taking her out of the running for Stephen Franklin's heart.

She wasn't upset about that, Stephen is cute, but he's a basesider, and Tryler was meant to go out and see the universe.

Maybe if they had met when he was hitchhiking his way on starships...yes that Stephen Franklin would be worth pursing.
This one had 'settling down' on his mind and Tryler was far from settling down.

"She's wonderful!" Susan, now Suzy, Ivanova the half-vulcan, half-human (or all Russian as she puts it) voice from the intercom was unmistakenbly excited.

"Why thank you honey-child," Rosa spoke up pleased by the compliment. She had been intact and unlike Cerebus who also lost his crew, still very sociable as Cecil of the Baltimore remained.

Clearing the dead bodies had not registered as 'fun' in anyone's book and the Baltimore had it worse with its original crew compliment of 1,720 all dead.

The NCC-85312, USS Rosa Parks, Rebel class advance tactical deep-space explorer did not have as many, but all her crew had also been killed in Nagilum's experiments.

Some Captains might have turned down a command where there weren't any survivors from the previous command.

Tryler wasn't one of them.

For that matter Donald Varley wasn't one either. Tryler was thinking maybe something with the older man might be worth it.

Later though, right now she had the stars, well hyperspace at this moment, and her ship with no-one coming between them.

She lost the Infinity and back in her own timeline, the Renegade. In away, a Rebel class seemed like a good replacement for the New Orleans-class starship she left behind.

Renegade and Rebel were synomomous so maybe it was the universe's way of compensating her for this side trip.

It wasn't as if Picard or many of the others had to give up their ships before this began.

This fit her sense of order, such as it was if one asked her Chief Engineer.

Ve'es en route to B5 with Voyager and the ShiKahr

"Weapon compents," Spock said before he ended the mind meld with the captured Centauri they pulled from the piloting the Shadow ship.

He removed his hand from the Centauri's temples and looked around from Kirk, McCoy, and Uhura who had come down to sick bay for morale support during the Vulcan mild meld.

They had another visitor, one originally unexpected until they found that the Niven class did have holo emitters in their sick bay.

The EMH from Voyager, who oddly was sounding like an older McCoy at times, had transfered his program to the Va'es' medical facility in order to assist, Bones read as badger, while tending the pilot.

Admittedly he did have experience removing Borg implants so that he and Bones could work on removing the Shadow ones from the Centauri.

"Well Captain?" Jim asked, though Spock had a perfect poker face, Kirk had a sense Spock had some information to share.

"Earth wasn't the only one that shipped telepaths to the Shadows listed as 'weapon components,'" Spock began, "Kel Tilluti was part of the Telepath's Guild when he was shipped off by his Emperor."

"And unlike how the Earth telepaths were intercepted by the Ambassador, the Centauri telepaths were not and ended up in Shadow service as the Earth telepaths would have," t'hy'la explained.

"Why didn't the Shadows deploy them earlier?" Bones wanted to know.

"An 38.234% likelihood that they were not ready for the initial attacks on Babylon Five, nor the subsequent ones, with the 61.766% likelihood that they were used on the Vorlon front in perhaps a sense of irony."

"Succinctly put," Spock complimented the M5's assessment.

"Irony?" Bones didn't mind asking, he knew in this company he'd get an answer from someone. Even the 'Canned Spock' who is precisely the one who did reply.

"The Vorlons did encourage or outright caused telepathic development in the younger races," the M5 said.

"Having a weapon intended to be used against the Shadows turned back around by the Shadows on their creators the Vorlons would be considered ironic in most definitions of the word."

"Perhaps the reason they were seeking yet another artifact of the Vorlons, to use against them," Jim speculated not knowing how close he was to the truth.

Babylon 5

This is a very distrubing message and explains the odd readings Charlene has been picking up in Sector 250. Those readings were why Admiral Garrett had wanted a face to face meeting with John.

However he put that aside to read what Cecil forwarded me from the Baltimore.

A message that came from the diary of Vir's fiancee, or wife already just with a wedding date indefinately postponed as I understand Centauri politics.

That diary had been recovered along with Lyndisty Drusella by K'mpec's Honor who transfered her and the diary to the Baltimore as the Lyndisty was too ill for the Klingons to treat

They also wanted to continue their journey and were ready to dismiss the Centauri woman as dead after they originally found her. Fortunately qeng mentioned leaving her would not be honorable.

I have already read the pertinent entry, and yet I find myself reading over John's shoulder as he pulls up the scanned copy onto the padd he held.

With Rachel next to him also reading we read what qeng, Cecil and I already had.

John and Rachel weren't two officers when they read this diary entry, they felt like two frightened mice with a circling hawk overhead, ready to swoop down and scoop them up at any time.

My dearest Vir, I write this in the hopes that these words will reach your eyes to let you know that even until the end you were on my mind.

For this my love is the end of days. The tiny boxes of time I told you about have come to the end and I open my last one even as try to fly to your arms sweet one.

I have found that the Narn are not the true evil my father has told me of but are pale shadows to what true wrong is.

I wish I could make you see my Vir that the Narn are not the wrong our people say they are. Even the Shadows who darken our world and Emperor's heart are not as wrong as what is coming my love.

Please know that true evil is on its way to blight out bright universe. Flee, save yourself and remember me.

This began with my father taking me on what we believed to be in our Emperor's favor as appointment of Ambassador to Z'ha'dum.

I myself have been changed forever, for I have been there and no one comes from Z'ha'dum unchanged my dearest Vir.

Never come here, never let it blot or taint that wonderful man I met and knew no other would equal.

It was a most frightening experience to actually land on the planet and having the Shadow escort us into their ancient city.

To my shame I wished you were here, but not to see this, but to let your brave heart save me from such sights.

They are an ancient power and they know and revel in this.

Yet for all the wisdom, all their age, they brought about not only their own end, but the end of all as we know it.

They had a saying, that anything Vorlon that touched Z'ha'dum would kill. Would sweet love that they listened to their own sayings.

They brought something Vorlon, perhaps as a trophy as father suspected, an aide said it was an ultimate weapon that the Vorlons never were able to deploy in time.

We had even heard a rumor that the Vorlons had created a doorway to a higher dimension, another plane of existence.

They dared believed themselves gods and by creating this doorway, they would somehow touch the hand of God and thereby become gods themselves.

Yet the doorway was never opened and quickly lost and no one knew why.

Until now my love. They powered it up, they opened up something horrible and it came through, causing madness in all around them.

Father saw the danger and lead the way to our ship, the madness claiming another aide, Ramier who tried to stop us.

If that did not convince us of the danger then reaching the field with the ships of a variety of aliens the Shadows had called here demonstrated it.

Not only were some turning on their own kind, but some of the Shadows ripped the very ones they had invited here to shreds.

They even tore at each other on the ground and as we finally made it, in space. Shadow ship fought Shadow ship, with new alien ships pouring out of the gate to join the maddened Shadows.

These aliens were shaped like nothing father had ever seen before he had said as much as we watched them. They were thin with large energy balls attached to the rear where the engines should have been located.

Then their madness touched us one more time and the pilot lurched us back towards the fighting we were fleeing. I followed father up to the cabin to help if I could.

I would have made you proud my love. Even as my father fell to the pilot, I shot the insane pilot, twice.

Barely the wounded co-pilot and I were able to get us to hypspace and flee the battle behind us. A battle the ancient Shadows were losing as more and more horrors poured from the gate.

Before the co-pilot died he told me the core was damaged, perhaps some shot from other ships hit us.

I admit as we fled, the grief of the loss of my father, wanting to be with you so much, I did not recall the hit that only delayed our destruction instead of committing us to it instantly.

I know the others thought we were heading home, but the co-pilot told me of our impending deaths from radiation poisoning.

Home would not welcome us, my father knew this. Our Emperor is most unforgiving when it comes to returning instead of standing and fighting.

We could not go home, and you needed to be warned my love. It is the only gift I may give you since our wedding night will never come.

I love you Vir...flee...for...your...life...

Both John and Rachel believed that Lyndisty had apparently become delirious as her writing became less coherent.

They looked up as Ambassdor Kosh, Guinan as well as Locutus and Dominous entered his office area.

What seemed to surprise all but the Borg was the form of a clearly assimilated Lyta Alexander materializing as she beamed in.

John Sheridan was on his feet in an instant, outraged, "You have no right..." he began pointing at this Borg Lyta, when Rachel laid a hand on his arm.

"She's not our Lyta is she?" the only reason she was sure was that she knew this universe's Lyta Alexander had enrolled in Starfleet and is in fact training on the Ambassador.

Charlene would have said something if the Borg had taken her.

This Lyta turned to Rachel Garrett and said in the typical Borg monotone, "No I am not."

She shifted her focus, which was only one human eye, the other the 'typical' Borg occular implant that seemed standard for most of them.

John felt the focus of that stare and it helped cool his anger, he was ready to listen or would be soon.

"I was assimilated in my universe while G'Kar and I were exploring the Rim," she told John and then looked straight ahead at no-one.

Rachel's combadge chose that moment to chirp, "Garrett here."

"Cadet Alexander request to beam over and see both you and Captain Sheridan immediately," Charlene relayed.

"There is no need to stress the self who is a native to this universe. She should be free of the Vorlon compulsions placed within us when we were taken into Vorlon space."

Kosh's iris nearly closed, shrinking to a point. Guinan would have said of both anger and embarrassment.

"Do it, she does not have to be your tool any longer," she encouraged the right decision she believed Kosh wanted to make.

His iris opened wide and a light shown from it for an instant.

"Cadet Alexander withdraws her request and apologizes," Charlene relayed hoping to get the full story from Babs later as the channel had been open during that time, she caught what had been said.

"Tell her to report to sick bay for a physical and I'll want to talk to her when I return to the ship. Garrett out," she tapped her combadge again to close the channel.

She turned to Kosh, "You people have to stop using others as tools."

"There is no time for this," Kosh replied without apology.

Without waiting for more discussion Lyta began, feeling her Collective support her as she would not have while the Vorlon 'programming' engaged and she started to speak their words.

"They are a power, older than even the Vorlons. They are anti-life itself. A horrible mistake…a horrible mistake…"

"Aren't they all?" whispered Guinan at an angry and frightened Kosh.

USS Baltimore en route to B5, sick bay

Ambassador Londo Mollari was happy to be away from Centauri for once, happy to have Adira beside him, and use to the fact that guilt was also his constant companion.

Not so much from G'Kar with whom there may be some chance at a very odd friendship, yet one where every look with remind Londo how far he had gone, too far.

G'Kar was an unexpected find on this ship when the Alth'Indor rendezvous with the Baltimore.

Tan Ru was more than the body guard he had been as Nomad these last months, but another kind of companion, one who heard Cecil's report of the Centauri shuttle find and who was on it.

He requested a change of course to meet the Baltimore knowing how important that survivor would be.

So many doing so much for him and those dear to him, it was another source of guilt as Londo knew he might not have done the same for them before hand.

Out of all the companions he has had it seemed guilt was the one Londo was the most familiar with.

It lulled him to sleep, woke him sometimes in the night, greeted him in the morning and whispered in his ear throughout the day.

If it wasn't for Adira...and Vir, his dear friend Vir, he would have given up on believing anything good could be in any universe much less his own.

Right now he did not feel guilty about the blood of millions on his hands for once, but over how glad he is that his Adira lived while it seemed as if Vir's Lyndisty would die.

There wasn't any medicine he knew of, no medical aide he was aware of, that could save her. Yet these Externals as some call them, were not going to give up.

No, not Externals, not outsiders, the Chief Medical Officer of the Baltimore is Dr. Benjamin Kyle, from this universe.

Like his protégé Dr. Stephen Franklin, he knew Centauri physiology. If anyone in this universe could save Vir's Lyndisty it would be Dr. Kyle.

He saved Ambassador Kosh years ago from poisoning. Now Dr. Kyle had the wonders of Federation medical science of nearly their twenty-fifth century as the year the Baltimore had been from was 2399.

Londo hoped in his hearts that it would be enough. He knew how he would have felt if Adira had died, and he would not wish that on Vir for all the Empires he could ever have.

“Will she be alright?” asked an anxious Vir to Dr. Kyle as soon as he came out of surgery.

“We believe so,” Benjamin responded wiping his forehead.

“She and the others took a pretty big dose of radiation, but with the new radiation protocols we have here on the Baltimore I believe she'll pull through."

"Any of the other ships and we might have had to replace one of her cardiovascular organs," the Chief Medical Officer of the Alth'Indor, Dr. Neeyala, commented. She had beamed over to help.

“She’s been calling for you, Vir,” Benjamin said knowing they were engaged, or was the human equivalent of, if not married already.

Neeyala clearly approved of what little she knew of Lyndisty, “Evidently she was the one who altered course for Babylon Five, even if it would have been an automatic death sentence.”

Vir just nodded, Londo felt the need to say something to Adira, "Of course, she had no idea Cartagia has been dead."

For once the mention of the former Emperor did not send Vir back to the moment where he saw those astonished eyes and then accussing stare before Cartagia had died.

Right now all Vir could see where the eye of Lyndisty when they parted at Babylon Five months ago, before the Externals, the Visitors, before all the Others came from the universes.

He could feel the lingering touch of her hand on his cheek, nearly reel from the memory of the kiss they shared and mostly heard her absolute devotion to him.

Vir was at the biobed and by her side in an instant. "Vir," she weakly said her hand trying to rise to touch his cheek once more, "You are better medicine than all the doctors of this universe could prescribe."

A worried look crossed her features, "As glad as I am to have made it to spend my last moments together, I ask you flee to the farthest corner of the universe, to the Rim and beyond."

"Read my diary, dearest Vir. They will be coming.”

Vir’s hearts each skipped a beat. Not another full-fledged attack, hadn't there been enough war? “The Shadows are coming? When?”

“Not the Shadows. Read my diary, dearest.”

Anla'Shok-zha in orbit of Minbar

"They would like us to convey Ambassador Delenn to Babylon Five with all haste," Nax spoke to the first officer who stood below where the Captain of the ship would sit.

On an Innovative class starship the Captain's chair was raised up, tactical situated behind her with stairs sweeping down to the left and right.

Before this dais stood Commander Kosh, first officer of the Anla'Shok-zah.

His encounter suit had Starfleet touches, red and black patterned his shoulder piece and helmet, blacks mostly colored his robes.

At his Captain's request, he absented himself during the tour of the native Minbari, agreeing with her that perhaps his presence might inhibit their behavior.

Now he stood at his usual spot, even with his Captain sat in command, though upon occasion he would ascend the stairs to either right or left to stand at her side.

"They expect us in days, they do not know we could have her there within the hour," the M5 of the Anla'Shok-zha shared, "If we do intend of conveying her using our alternative drives."

"Captain," Kosh's plate chimed and was the same as if he hit a combadge connecting his intergrated communicator with the one of his Captain's below on Minbar, at the Ranger compound at Tuzanor.

Captain Delenn looked on as she stood beside Satai Delenn, the Delenn native to this universe. Both of them could see Neroon's approving look as the Anla'Shok-zha's Denn'Shok'Tha drill in front of them.

It was a Minbari term, but not of this universe's Minbari, roughly translating as 'Fighting force's fist' and in fact grew out of the humans of that universe's Military Assault Command Operations, or MACOs.

Yet not just them, leaders from the warrior clans had been invited as they troops of the Anla'Shok-zha demonstrated what they knew to F'hursna Sech Durhan.

The Master of the Minbari fighting pike was standing in review because the Denn'Shok'Tha's traditional weapon had been the Denn'Bok, the fighting pike.

Today it is called the Denn'bok-zha, as it is more than a fighting pike. Like a traditional pike it is extends out, in this case from 30cm to a full 2 meters length.

Where it differed was the inclusion of technology to let one end fire plasma shots, the other phaser emissions. It can also fire what might be though of as 'intelligent Bullets' called effectors.

It could also be set to electrically shock upon striking.

However right now the Denn'Shok'Tha contingent leader was commanding some of her troops to go through drills showing traditional skills of the pike to Durhan the the onlooking Minbari.

What captivated them was not so much the inclusion of other races, such as humans among the Denn'Shok'Tha, Durhan had seen what the alien Rangers could do in this universe.

He joined Neroon and others with their facination of how the fighting pike style was adapted to species the head of the Denn'Shok'Tha turned out to be.

Satai Delenn had heard stories of the centaurs from ancient Earth mythology, and supposed that some stories might have come from visits the Vedrans might have taken during the ancient time on Earth.

She also was amazed at how Alyt Uxulta's fellow Vedrans whirled and used the pike around a figure composed of four powerful legs and a humanoid upper body.

One could ignore their blue skin as they watched the beauty of their movement. The fact that like Minbari, they too lack hair was more of a kinship than with the humans and others races among the Denn'Shok'Tha.

While they did not have bone as the Minbari do, their heads were covered with feathery down, with males possessing long, brightly colored crests of feathers which cover their heads and spines.

Uxulta's sharp tones drilled all of them to the approval of Durhan and it was almost jarring for those near Captain Delenn to hear her combadge chirp for attention.

She took a step back, although her counterpart in this universe turned to pay attention to her.

"Delenn," the Captain simply replied and that is when the Minbari around her were drawn to the familiar voice replying.

"Captain," they clearly heard Kosh, those few who had heard the Vorlon before recognized his voice, speak, "Babylon Five request Ambassador's Delenn's presence as a matter of urgency."

Both Delenn's felt there was more to what the Vorlon had said, the Captain nodded to herself coming to a decision and turning to her native counterpart.

"I believe something grave is happening Ambassador. Captain Sheridan would like you to return to Babylon Five as soon as possible. I would be honored to take you," she would not mention how fast it would be.

She didn't think she needed to, the Minbari around them would know about warp speed in hyperspace, although what Captain Delenn intended had nothing to do with travel using that medium nor real space.

"Alyt Uxulta," the Vedran turned upon hearing her Captain's call, Durhan responded similarly as Satai Delen called to him.

Each Delenn explained to their F'hursna separately. Both Delenns were finished about the same time and both Master teacher of the Denn'bok bowed to each other before they parted their ways.

"All squads form up for beam out," Uxulta shouted as she walked among her people. It wasn't long before they were all gone and she waited by her Captain and Ambassador Delenn.

"I wish to come," Neroon did not quite demand, Delenn saw among the warrior caste it would be wise to include him.

She represented prestigue for the Religious caste, important personages from the Worker caste were already at Babylon Five, the Warrior caste should have someone there.

Captain Delenn grasped the situation quickly and left it to Ambassador Delenn to decide. "Then come Nerroon, your company will be welcomed."

"Isil'zha, four to beam up," Uxulta announced after a nod from her Captain.

She did not accompany them to the bridge where they received the surprising sight of Commander Kosh.

"A Vorlon?" Neroon still wasn't sure about them having heard Delenn's reports.

"Yes," Commander Kosh confirmed and likely agreed with what the two native Minbari were thinking.

"Kosh?" Ambassador Delenn was astounded, she had heard of other Susan Invanovas, but this...

Captain Delenn believed she had better get this over with, "This is my First Officer, Command Kosh."

"He -serves- under you?" Neroon was both shocked and pleased. This is indeed how the Minbari people should be rising above even the First Ones.

"Perhaps we could discuss this during our journey to Babylon Five," Ambassador Delenn suggested, her own mind whirling with implications.

"We shall not have the time," Captain Delenn said as she walked up the steps and took her seat a top the dais, "Isil'zha take us to Babylon Five."

"Initiating Starburst," the M5 replied.

Ships in orbit, and many facilities on the ground on Minbari were watching the Anla'Shok-zha, which unlike the other Visitor ships were, there is felt a kinship to it.

They saw what seemed like lightning arch at the ends of the nacelles and how an electrical storm sweapt forward over the ship to open a portal unlike anything they had ever seen before.

This portal was only open an instant, far less time than a jump point would be and it drew the Anla'Shok-zha into it before vanishing in a flare of light.

Talyn, B5 space

"What is that you say? Starburst?" Bialar Crais asked as he looked up and around him listening to what Talyn was telling him in his own way.

He knew where to look when indeed a Starburst ended and a ship, not Leviathan, nor another like the hybrid gunship, flew out into Babylon Five space.

"That is the Anla'Shok-zha," Gilina said mostly to herself. When the Doctors were onboard she felt safe again and now that Talyn's healing is progressing they started to leave and she reverted to feeling threatened by Crais once more.

Bialar was trying to appear less threatening, yet his voice came out stern, sharp, "Talyn agrees. It matches what he has on file. What we didn't know is that they could Starburst."

"Up until now, only a Leviathan could," Gilina said for both Talyn and Crais.

"They do have organic technology, much like the White Stars and the Sharlin cruiser, Zha'fi. Perhaps they too will be able to Starburst or develop that technology?" Gilina speculated.

Crais was silent, unsure why he disliked that idea. He should be happy to be alive, even months after the escape from the Peacekeepers.

Even glad he and Gilina have currency to spend since they appear stuck here. Talyn is in no shape to try and make it across Vorlon space where they have been told the so-called 'Uncharted Territories' lie.

He was mystified that such currency was generated by the doctors paying, instead of asking to be paid, while they examined Talyn.

What Crais could comprehend that after hanging around these Starfleeters is how much Crichton was like his fellow humans. They all seem to share the same alturistic behavior he had, even to enemies.

They were helping Crais by paying him for what they should have charged for as they were the ones performing a service instead of wording it as an examination.

"Crichton," he said out loud, wondering where both of them were. The Crichton he knew and that one many called a 'Gool' while the Starfleeters called him a Borg.

"Humans, what would the universe be like without humans?" he asked himself that question often, never expecting, or hoping to ever get an answer.

Vuhnaya, Orion system

"What an utterly amazing find," Phlox said as he looked at his reflection, specifically examing his teeth.

"And that find is that?" Jon asked as he entered sick bay, curious now about what the good doctor was talking about, in addition to what brought him down here.

"Hmm? Oh, Subcommander," Phlox turned and then moved to yet another pen of his among all the other creatures, "Well this, or rather these. Dentics."

"Dentics?" John asked looking at what appeared to be something comparable in shape and size to leeches.

"Encountered them during my stay over on Talyn. Facinating creatures. They clean your teeth," he said as if offering one to Jon, "They feed off the food remnants in the mouths of larger species such as you or I."

"Doesn't that mean they have to go into your mouth?" he could feel the grimace on his face even as he pictured such an event.

"Why yes, of course," Phlox replied as if that was obvious, "You put them in and let them clean your teeth, remembering never to swallow the Dentic, quite remarkable."

"I'm sure," Jon wasn't convinced, "Think I'll stick to brushing."

"Not as efficient, and a Dentic leaves an minty aftertaste."

"Well perhaps another time, anyway, I wanted to know why didn't you go down to the planet with the Captain?"

"She is well able to care for Elizabeth without my hanging over her shoulder," Phlox said with an amused undertone.

"She told you she didn't need your help," Jon also was amused making his own guess.

Phlox ruefully smiled as he confirmed, "She told me she didn't need my constant supervision. Even after I made it possible for her to feed Elizabeth."

Jon's TMI meter quickly shot up to where it was warning about pending Too Much Information, but he had to at least ask, "You mean you somehow let her..."

"Regalian starfish," he announced with pride, "You see they feed on colostrum and in order to insure the proper gland produces it they induce the necessary condition. Applied over the pertinent anatomy..."

This quickly exceeded his TMI meter's tolerance scale, "I'm sure she appreciated the efforts." Jon now moved to leave, he did not want any further clarification or explanations.

Right now he'd rather fight Romulans, or these Shadows he heard about, than know more.

"Well I'll leave you to your Dentics," he said parting and trying to think of something else, anything else, like how the Captain and Elizabeth were doing down on Orion VII visiting the governor there.

"Such a delightful child," Governor Marie Crane said as she held Elizabeth as T'Pol refasten her top, "It's a whole new universe with such wonders to see."

They were both in the Governor's office on Orion VII, set up to watch the test from planetside.

"Indeed," T'Pol agreed measuring in her mind what would be the sufficient time to allow the governor to continue to hold her child before politely requesting her back.

As Captain she did not feel she received adequate time holding Elizabeth, and had her own estimates that Charles (nearly thinking Trip again) somehow found more time to visit their daughter than she could.

Well now he was up on the Vuhnaya testing the new warp two engine configurations for hyperspace and she was down here with Elizabeth.

That almost made her smile and worth the loss of control it would have indicated.

Up on the Vuhnaya, Altern Charles Tucker III was a man of mixed emotions right now.

He was happy about testing the possibility of warp two in hyperspace, with the possibility of seeing warp five sometime in the near future and yet he missed having his little girl up on the ship with him.

Of course the feeling that T'Pol contrived for her to be down on the planet visiting dignitaries and taking their child over his objection using the recently acquired trump card, "Unless you care to feed her."

Like each time she played that card, he nearly fled. For all the advances in technology, men still tended to get queasy regarding some subjects about women and T'Pol must have sensed that going in for the kill.

So she was down there on Orion VII and he was up here testing out his other child of sorts.

"Subcommander," he said hitting the intercom, "The adjustments to our drive are ready. We can enter hyperspace on your command."

Travis smiled hearing those words. When it was noticed how annular warp drive had been abandoned or ignored by the future starships it made him feel as if he were flying a 'clunker.'

Now that even the futuristic engineers agreed that annular warp drive is more efficient in hyperspace flight than nacelle warp drive, ships like the Vuhnaya might leave the others in the dust.

He was ready to try and made history.

"Than you Trip," Jon said into the com, and looked over at Travis, "Ready Sublieutenant?"

"Yes Subcommander, I am," Travis said with a smile spread across his face.

"White Stars three and five?" Jon asked Hoshi who nodded.

"Both are ready to fly escort," she replied, not adding they were also ready for rescue operations should the test go badly.

At his station next to Reed's, Shran reviewed what information he had on these two White Stars. Apparently they were ones rotated back to Babylon Five for the upgrades.

Warp capable, they could follow up to warp one in hyperspace, transporters for rescue, and even had M5s.

Their cloaking system would not be needed for these tests so Shran dismissed them as did Reed.

Zeph had made his own system checks and was confident in the upgrades. In fact he would have suggested going up to warp five today.

However with the non-Vulcans of the crew uneasy about his installation, the speak only when spoken too was the unofficial rule he abopted...unless it was an emergency.

He anticipated no emergencies, although there was a 03.63% chance of one. Small but not nonexistent.

Much like the chance of Subcommander Archer calling upon him, which in this case, happened.

"Zeph, open a jump point," Jon had met enough M5s by now to get use to them and it was high time to make use of his own.

Reed was likely the only one to show surprise as Travis was too excited about to fly the ship at high speeds, Hoshi keeping in touch with both escorts and ground support, and Shran as inscrutable as ever.

"Opening jump point," Zeph replied wondering if the other low percentage probability event would happen now.

"Sublieutenant, take us in and head up to warp factor two," Jon commanded with a smile.

"Aye sir, going in..." the D'Kyr type ship flew into the jump point, "Going to warp one..."

"Warp one, one point two...point three...point four..." they listened to Trip's voice as he recited the reading from engineering, "...Warp two!"

About a third of the ship were non-Vulcans, and that third were cheering right now.

Trip was recovering from a Klingon hug given by Bu'kaH, but once he got his breath back he wasn't deterred from asking, "Why don't we see about going to warp three?"

Jonathan Archer gave only one look around the bridge of hopeful smiles, "Go to warp three!"

Babylon 5, Blue Sector, war room

John Sheridan still was in a state of half-disbelief, yet given all the things he had seen over he last year he knew he shouldn't be surprised anymore.

Here Delenn sat, his Deleen with hair, among the people John really needed to talk to right now, that they were all here felt as though it was a quorum.

He was not alone in giving both Delenn's continual glances, although it was more the fact of two Delenns than how fast they arrived from Minbar.

Draal paid more attention to Captain Delenn, invited here as a curtesy since she brought the Ambassador here faster than anyone here thought possible, even given the recent report from the Vuhnaya.

"As many of you may or may not know, Charlene has a love for astronomy," John saw heads around the table nodding, it made the news that an AI had a hobby beyond what it was made to do.

"Her astrometric’s sensors have picked up a major spatial and possibly temporal disturbance in Sector 250."

"Z'ha'dum," G'Kar whispered.

"Z'ha'dum," John cofirmed, "I don’t need to tell you that that is almost three months full burn in jump space from here. Anything big enough for her ship and obviously Draal's sensors, to detect means that it will eventually come and bite us on the butt."

"I had suggested sending the Alth'Indor," Rachel interjected, and then ruefully smiled as she looked over at Captain Delenn, "Which at the time I presumed was our fastest ship even given the Vuhnaya tests."

"But I ddin't believe that it was a very good idea right now."

Kosh's translator glowed brighter than usual. "No," the translator module responded. "If they go, they will die. We must prepare."

"Ambassador Kosh?" Captain Garrett asked over the still open BABCOM channel. "What's happening?"

"Anti-life," he said and the translator gave the impression that he was groaning when he said it. "They are coming."

“Anti-life? Exactly what does that mean? Who are they?”

“They are power,” Kosh said and had the air of someone about to go on, when Draal interrupted.

“I have been monitoring events of the war and this is what drew my attention to Z’ha’Dum. The Lady Garrett is correct,” said a grim-faced master of the Great Machine.

“The Shadows have obtained some sort of device that opens a door to another universe. Not hyperspace, not our space, but another third type of space, if you will. I have searched the data banks of the Great Machine but I have failed to find any real information on the device or who created it other than it is of Vorlon origin. But once I discovered its presence, I have been monitoring it and this is what I have seen.”

Draal’s holographic image disappeared and the world of ‘Dum appeared in his place, both on the world and over it they could see battles raged with forces many of them did not wish to contemplate what was used.

They could see the Shadow vessels fighting against these unknown aliens for all they were worth and worse from their point of view now, the Shadows were losing.

Groups of Shadow ships were coming in, attacking, destroying and being destroyed at a faster and faster rate. They were being supported by small but growing numbers of Drakh ships and several other types of war vessels from species no one had ever seen before.

"Drakh," the Borg Lyta needlessly identified as they came into holographic view, "Scarran, Jaridian..."

Rachel was indeed taking notes and was glad Babs is recording this meeting. Many of the species this assimilated Lyta listed were unknown to those around the table.

Most of who's attention was drawn to the left of the display where a huge, opened artifact, glowed brighter even as dozens of large destroyers and hundreds of their smaller ships laid waste to everything in their paths.

They could see Z’ha’dum glowing with hundreds of fires large enough to be seen from orbit.

This is a planet under siege.

Sheridan was both impressed and horrified at the devastation he saw, as was Garrett and G’Kar and the others. “When did you acquire these images?”

“Within the hour,” the Minbari said. “The fighting is spread across the entire system. Even as I am speaking, the Shadow fleets still in Vorlon space are racing home."

"Kahr-y-Tan confirms," Babs shared what had been relayed to her from the ShiKahr.

Draal only smiled briefly, he liked Babs, "The aliens have established a foothold and their power is like a stain spreading across the sector. We may very well be witnessing the end of life as we know it.”

Crichton's cube, 262,144 light years from galactic center

Most intelligent beings in any universe would be worried to see John Crichton angry.

Many are discovering this right now on the other side of the former Vorlon Empire as the native to this universe John Crichton travels aboard the native Moya.

The wormhole he accidentally created took him through time as well as space to beyond the Vorlon Empire.

This John Crichton marched through the cube when he could have beamed to the cubicle housing a regenerating Six of One.

"Wake up and get on the horn to your boss!" he yelled at the assimilated Cylon once known as Natalie.

One eye opened, the occular implant that acted as the other eye came online, "What is the problem?"

"We don't have our cable tv fixed yet!" John yelled to a mystified Natalie, adding, "Where is Unimatrix Zero?"

"You have it," Six of One stated.

I am blocking it, John heard the first Queen speak in his mind.

"How?" John knew the others wouldn't agree to this and was about to extend his thoughts to ask them when someone else spoke up.

"I'm letting her John," the ascended Zhaan said suddenly in his view. His not Natalie's, who debated resuming her regeneration cycle or not.

She did have access to Unimatrix Zero after all.

"Zhaan?" John said feeling betrayed, "Why?"

You have one more task on your honey-do list, the first Queen had entirely too much fun using that human phrase.

"One more thing you need to do John, then you can relax with Aeryn for a while," Zhaan confirm.

John nearly dropped to the deck in shock, "Zhaan...you and her?" He couldn't believe she would ally herself with the Borg Queen.

"John this is important and once you're in Unimatrix Zero with Aeryn you may not wish to come out for a time and there are things that have to be done," Zhaan regretted doing this, but she knew she had to.

"You could have just asked," John growled.

"Would you have postponed going to Aeryn?" Zhaan quietly countered and waited.

"No," came the barely whispered word.

"It is only one more task we need you to oversee John, and its needed not just for this region of space, or even this galaxy, but for the whole universe."

Zhaan knew she was dancing at the edge of what the Others would allow her to explain, she could feel it.

"I told you John, they have their own agenda," Harvey spoke up and had only two who could hear him.

"Shut up Harvey!" John shouted to the mystification of Natalie and the first Queen.

"Easy John, remember inside voice. The First Queen doesn't know it was I who kept you from her," Harvey reminded.

"You and I," Zhaan reminded Harvey.

"Well, for what we had to do next, but me initially," Harvey was not about to let Zhaan leave the impression she was involved at first.

Regardless if she actually had been.

"Okay, but after this, I get a vacation, I get to go to Disneyland," John conceded.

"So, which way down the yellow brick road this time?"

I have the spatial grid mapped to where we need to go, the first Queen answered for Zhaan.

"It kills you that you need me, doesn't it, Illessa?" John had to quip at the first Queen.

I did not invite you here Crichton.

"Yes you did!" he didn't have a physical manifestation to point to, but he pointed regardless, "You like everyone else it seemed was after the knowledge of wormholes in my head."

You were a way out of a universe that was ending. Wormhole travel would have given that to me.

"So you showed up and made me an offer I couldn't refuse, assimilation, expecting it was easy to get!" he was pacing now oblivious to the fact Natalie couldn't hear the other side of the conversation.

But I could not and had to...

"Play Let's Make a Deal, but you're no Monty Hall, so you had to play this my way."

Your way made sure we lived and with the result of my possessing the most powerful cube in history.

"Don't you mean my cube," John the Borg King was glad to point out.

Only due to you, your additional four queens and twelve incarnations of the Doctor.

John shrugged, "Hey, it worked."

"So are you ready John?" Zhaan asked glad the current unpleasantness was over, there was one yet to come.

"Ready Zhaan, alright Illessa, show me where I need to take Rubix to save this universe."

Defiant, deep space Sector 999

"From the records of future M5s I have identified that as a ship, a Voth city-ship," Dee informed Ben and Zar as they stood on the bridge of the Defiant staring at the immense...ship that exited the quantum fissure.

Dee could see the two wanted more information. Opening up a window on the main view screen, Dee continued to share as he put graphics up to illustrate his explanations.

"The Voth are a saurian species, that originally evolved from hadrosaurs native to the planet Earth, and later coming to reside in the Delta Quadrant. In 2373 they had a nearly peaceful encountered with Voyager."

Both men caught up on one word that Ben repeated, "Nearly?"

"At the time the Voth did not realize they had evolved from Earth's dinosaurs. A Professor Forra Gegen, one of their own people, had discovered evidence supporting that fact. The ruling leadership did not wish that information to get out and had been prepared to erase the evidence, which included Voyager's crew."

"So why say nearly peaceful and not hostile encounter?" Zar asked.

"Because it did not end in fighting. V'ger had been blocked from many systems, but the Voth did not think their city-ship's public address system was one of tactical importance. V'ger accessed it and the chambers Commander Chakotay and the Professor met with the leadership and presented their evidence."

Ben smiled, "The truth will set you free."

"What?" Zar was puzzled by the saying.

"The people heard the truth and supported what was going to be instead a quiet elimination, right Dee?"

"Yes Captain," Dee knew enough about his Captain's mood not to call him Emissary right now.

"Dominar Rygel XVI volunteered to stay with the Voth to ease the tensions between the Voth leadership and the people about this discovery and the attempts to hide the truth."

"Is the good Dominar still onboard?" Ben asked thinking to himself that a ship about ten kilometers long is quite the 'gift' from the wormhole aliens, or as he was slowly ready to think of them as the Prophets.

"He is, and they have an M5 as well. Initiating buffered TSDS," Dee announced knowing that with the advances of the Voth, a buffer wasn't really going to protect him.

"They wish to beam..." Dee began as the Voth transporter beamed the entire Defiant inside the vast city-ship, "...us inside."

Neither Ben, nor Zar were pleased, "Ask them to -ask- next time." Ben's wording was intended to be diplomatic despite how this encounter was starting out.

"Sir, they are hailing you," Dee said in a tone Ben picked up on.

"Not the Defiant I take it?"

"No, you as the Emissary," and Ben could sense there was more from Dee's tone.

"Go on," he prompted.

"You are being hailed by Kai Pa'u Utu Masata Dominar Rygel Rha," Dee relayed.

Zar and Ben looked at each other, they had dealings with various Rygels, Ben smiled.

"-Kai-?" Ben stressed knowing that title as the religious leader of the Bajorans.

"Pa'u is a Delvian term," Zar mused as he thought about it, "Utu is a Traskan term, meaning healer or something like that."

"May I take it that this Rygel is a religious leader over there?" Ben asked with all the feelings of hearing a scam going on.

"Yes sir," Dee was -really- careful about not using the term Emissary, especially knowing what is to come.

"Among the Voth the Distant Origin Theory has become a religion called Origin. Kai Pa'u Utu Masata Dominar Rygel Rha is the head of that religion to the Voth leadership, the Ministry of Elders."

"There is another boot about to drop," Zar suspected.

"Shoe," Ben corrected, "Go on Dee."

"This religion and Rygel's skillful manipulation has resulted in a religious hegemony of multiple species called the Covenant."

"Probably to cover the fact Rygel isn't a Voth," Zar speculated, and had in fact interrupted Dee.

There was a very large sinking feeling Ben had in the pit of his stomach, "And?"

"They are asking to speak to the Emissary."

Crichton's cube, Sector 999

Tactical Cube 138 materialized into the space the Voth city-ship just departed towards what Starfleet would have called in their universes Sector 001.

"Well glad they're gone," John said tired of waiting, he really wanted to get this over with, "Now what?"

"We expand the quantum fissure, and alter it," Zhaan explained.

"Couldn't you do that yourself?" he saw her answer on her face, "Never mind. Why me?"

"Do you have to ask that question again John," Zhaan said with a certain hint of exasperation.

"Fine, my wormhole knowledge," he grumbled.

Not just that Crichton, not after we assimilated Species 669.

John smirked, "You can't say their name either can you, Illessa?"

Nor could you. I believe the humans of that universe only called them 'Pocket universe species.'

"You think out side of the box, John. Applying just wormhole physics isn't enough for this," Zhaan interjected to cut short the budding argument.

That was enough for John, who still smirking, closed his eyes and joined with others in the Collective as he ran through equations.

He wished any of the incarnations of the Doctor were free, but the assimilated Time Lords were busy.

Scientist from numerous races helped John with what he needed to change the quantum fissure the Voth used and soon space was filled with more than 285,000 Lantean city-ships.

John sensed...something talking with most of them and then the majority of the city-ships opened up hyperspatial windows and flew off.

"Where are they going?" John was wary, but curious.

"Other galaxies. We have to set up an infrastructure that will hopefully be in place by the time we're finished securing this universe," Zhaan explained distractedly.

"How long is this securing going to take?"

"About twenty years," Zhaan replied, enough of a mind to not say cycles.

"Twenty...years?" John couldn't believe it.

"About," Zhaan didn't see the problem.

"Why so long?"

"John," Zhaan now how to give more attention than she felt she could afford, but this too was necessary, "In the great scheme of things twenty years is but a drop of time. It might seem long.."

John nodded, "Cosmologically speaking twenty years doesn't even register and what you are doing is very cosmic I'm guessing."

"Very, we're sealing this universe off from the rest. No easy task, but one we can do 'quickly' with the motivation we have with what is going on."

"So if all of you are doing this, why do you need us?"

It was a question she expected to hear repeatedly, but with the patience of a Pa'u she'd answer every time, "Babylon Five will hopefully be the heart of what will hopefully span the universe, John."

She turned to him to smile ruefully, "We're not just dropping off technological trinkets to impress the natives."

John had another idea, one unpleasant, "We're a target aren't we?"

Slowly Zhaan nodded, "Ibis, the Abyss, Pah-wraiths, Maldis...others seek the destruction of everything you know John. They see Babylon Five and John Sheridan as the focal point. Destroy that and our plans fail."

"We're a decoy," Harvey spoke up, though Zhaan ignored him, "I'm right John. We're not important to their plan other than as a decoy. Give the enemy something to focus on and let them work off to the side in secret."

Zhaan continued to ignore what Harvey had said, continuing her explanation instead, "These city-ships are like the Federation and other vessels, they have intelligences that are the Lantean's versions of M5s. In fact they will identify themselves as such to the M5s we have already brought into this universe."

More hyperspatial windows opened, and other city-ships departed, Zhaan didn't wait for John's question this time, "They are going to known worlds, Earth, Minbar, Narn, Centauri Prime...they will be cloaked."

"Hidden until needed?" John guessed and Zhaan nodded.

"When you're ready, present the first one to Sheridan for Epsilon III," Zhaan instructed and then watched as the fissure closed and other city-ships vanished with it.

"What about them?"

"They either did not have M5s, most realities didn't, or had to return to their home universes and could not be spared even for our work."

It is time, the first Queen did not like having to announce, but Zhaan was withdrawing her support.

Zhaan smiled with relief, "Now you can enter Unimatrix Zero John to go and see Aeryn. Be at peace for now John Crichton, there will be more than enough for you to do yet to come."

--------------------

Again, to those still reading, my thanks for continuing to read. Comments are more than welcome, they encourage me to keep going (and help improve hopefully)

Yes, the Denn'bok-zha are Andromeda force lances dressed up Minbari style.

Thanks for reading!

Jeff

[kclcmdr]

Nice update.

[Inquisitor]

thx for the update...lots of things going on...u skipped a lot on the previous chapter and it seems to be the same...was wondering who's going to be in charge of the ISS Ent-F...in the movie/comic/novel series Riker became captain of the Titan...B4/Data became the captain of the Enterprise-E...anyway if there's an actual rep of the Terran Empire in the EA, Clark's days are numbered considering their method of promotion is usually to kill their commanding officer...while the EA/ISS might have a lot of ships that had been upgraded, i don't think Julian and his ISS/Romulan allies would arm their cannon fodder with weapons advanced enough to be used against their own benefactors...i'd be worried if there was an ISS timeship around but if it's just a normal Terran Empire ship, then it would be possible to defeat it considering how many other ships in the system...something to consider is that if Tiberius is in command of the Ent-F, he could assasinate Col Paul Griffen and take his place...then a series of events would occur resulting in a bloodless coup and leaving with Griffen/Tiberius in position to be in command of the EA...

was wondering if all 12 incarnations of the Doctor is going to show up...then again the thousands of Lantean cityships could make a big dent in any battle, especially if some in their population are capable of ascending...anyway i'm looking forward for the Ascended Ancients to bitchslap the Vorlons on how stupid they are...while the Ancients are pretty much useless and irresponisble, the Vorlons and Shadows are arrogantly stupid with their screwups...

anyway if there's a cityship going to Earth, will that royally screw up the Terran Empire's plans of taking over the EA...

[madbob]

...I.S.S. Enterprise?...shit, there goes the neighborhood...

[Richardson]

Originally Posted by madbob

...I.S.S. Enterprise?...shit, there goes the neighborhood...

what about the frakking COVENANT!? THE COVENANT! *Waves arms in blind panic, screaming "we're all gonna die!"*

[JovianJeff]

Originally Posted by kclcmdr

Nice update.

Thank you sir!

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

thx for the update...lots of things going on...u skipped a lot on the previous chapter and it seems to be the same...

You're welcome!

Curious, I didn't think I skipped anything. What did I skip?

Although I will say it was more of a part two to the previous chapter as far as some parts go.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

was wondering who's going to be in charge of the ISS Ent-F...in the movie/comic/novel series Riker became captain of the Titan...B4/Data became the captain of the Enterprise-E...

I hope you're presently surprised with who is going to be in charge of the ISS Ent-F. It will probably give itself away next chapter, although no names until the chapter after that.

As it will be discovered with the Enterprise-W, B4/Data did become the Captain of the Enterprise-E.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

anyway if there's an actual rep of the Terran Empire in the EA, Clark's days are numbered considering their method of promotion is usually to kill their commanding officer...while the EA/ISS might have a lot of ships that had been upgraded, i don't think Julian and his ISS/Romulan allies would arm their cannon fodder with weapons advanced enough to be used against their own benefactors...

Clark's days are already numbered, although his end will be similar to the one in Skeet's excellent story. At least that is the plan for now.

Julian, nor the Terran Empire allies, certainly not the Romulans, will arm the EA to equal that. The Nova upgrades, with phase cannons and andorian disruptors as well as polorized plating will be the current extent.

Just as you pointed out, they don't want their underlings to turn on them.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

.something to consider is that if Tiberius is in command of the Ent-F, he could assasinate Col Paul Griffen and take his place...then a series of events would occur resulting in a bloodless coup and leaving with Griffen/Tiberius in position to be in command of the EA...

If he was in command of the Ent-F that might be a possibility, but he's not.

Not a bad plan if he was in command though.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

was wondering if all 12 incarnations of the Doctor is going to show up..

No, they are not quite pure plot device/background, but no plans for them to be actively involved.

No current plans.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

then again the thousands of Lantean cityships could make a big dent in any battle, especially if some in their population are capable of ascending...

IF they cityships were going into battle, yes. They're purpose is as a network of stargates and defense.

They are actually empty, the cityships are AU Lantean M5 operated.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

anyway i'm looking forward for the Ascended Ancients to bitchslap the Vorlons on how stupid they are...while the Ancients are pretty much useless and irresponisble, the Vorlons and Shadows are arrogantly stupid with their screwups...

Kosh does get a good talking to next chapter and for the moment, only Zhaan is the Ascended involved.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

anyway if there's a cityship going to Earth, will that royally screw up the Terran Empire's plans of taking over the EA...

Yes it will, however I suspect by the time the cityship makes its presence known the Terran Empire situation will have settled itself.

Originally Posted by madbob

...I.S.S. Enterprise?...shit, there goes the neighborhood...

I certainly hope so! They're around to shake things up a bit, not make it all one happy family.

Not that the Fleet is one at this moment anyway.

Originally Posted by Richardson

what about the frakking COVENANT!? THE COVENANT! *Waves arms in blind panic, screaming "we're all gonna die!"*

Thank you!

I'm glad someone noticed that. Rygel's got a pretty good scam going on and its one where he has some impressive firepower.

They won't be necessarily on Sheridan's side, they're more not against him and for Sisko in an odd way.

Everyone, thank you for your comments. Next chapter is coming along and I hope it is enjoyable.

Again, thanks for the comments.

Jeff

[JEKrug01]

Holy ****, city-ships? Yer dragging the Stargate-verse into this too? Can anyone say "we're screwed"!?

Seems like I'm getting the impression a showdown is coming... but how soon beats the heck out of me!

[FanboyimusPrime]

Is there any chance of an ISS Reliant (or the hijacked USS Reliant) captained by Khan being part of the forces Bashir has allied with?

And did Bashir give the EA artifical gravity (and therefore what they needed to get the Warlock class off the drawing board)?

[Inquisitor]

Originally Posted by FanboyimusPrime

Is there any chance of an ISS Reliant (or the hijacked USS Reliant) captained by Khan being part of the forces Bashir has allied with?

And did Bashir give the EA artifical gravity (and therefore what they needed to get the Warlock class off the drawing board)?

IMHO, Khan would had been killed by Tiberius...he doesn't want any competition and from what JovianJeff had mentioned awhile back, the Terran Empire wasn't able to complete the Genesis project since that's when the combined Cardasssian and Klingon forces had attacked the Terran Empire forces and wiped them out...

[JovianJeff]

Originally Posted by JEKrug01

Holy ****, city-ships? Yer dragging the Stargate-verse into this too? Can anyone say "we're screwed"!?

Seems like I'm getting the impression a showdown is coming... but how soon beats the heck out of me!

Well, Skeets had this sort-of cross over in his story already, although like Archer, he promised in a reply on FFnet that the one fleeting glance of a stargate was all he planned on doing.

Like adding in his 'Another Prospective' with the Farscape inclusion.

Besides, now I get to bring in Wraith, which is who I've been debating is Crichton's 5th queen I've talked about but haven't shown yet.

And yes, definitely a showdown. Despite how it seems thrown together there really is a plan.

Yes....how soon. Likely a few more chapters before the major showdowns, next chapter some action though. Possible fatalities.

Originally Posted by FanboyimusPrime

Is there any chance of an ISS Reliant (or the hijacked USS Reliant) captained by Khan being part of the forces Bashir has allied with?

Well Khan does figure largely in the universe this ISS Enterprise-F comes from.

Is it the Reliant class you would like to see or Khan?

Originally Posted by FanboyimusPrime

And did Bashir give the EA artifical gravity (and therefore what they needed to get the Warlock class off the drawing board)?

Not so far, it will happen, as the Warlocks will enter the story eventually. I wanted to get Captain Clark (as in the President's cousin) out in her Nova first and as I recall in Skeet's story she didn't have AR.

But it should come, if not during Clark's reign, then Luchenko's.

Hey Bashir is not that picky about his pawns...err...partners.

Originally Posted by Inquisitor

IMHO, Khan would had been killed by Tiberius...he doesn't want any competition and from what JovianJeff had mentioned awhile back, the Terran Empire wasn't able to complete the Genesis project since that's when the combined Cardasssian and Klingon forces had attacked the Terran Empire forces and wiped them out...

Very minor spoil, but no. Khan is very much alive and well in the 25th century.

You are right, it is just that -this- Terran Empire is from another mirror universe. There the Empire never fell and indeed Khan was the one who started it so while Kirk and Khan met it wasn't as direct adversaries.

Thanks for the comments and sticking with the story everyone.

Jeff

[Steven Kodaly]

Originally Posted by JovianJeff

Well Khan does figure largely in the universe this ISS Enterprise-F comes from.

Is it the Reliant class you would like to see or Khan?

Did you, perhaps, mean Miranda class?