Dreams Adrift

"Ever since humans started fighting with each other..this station has become a center of anarchy. No one
can leave, no one can enter.except through these barbarian Narn."

The merchant that Ambassador Mollari addressed simply shrugged as he handed his passcard to the Narn
guard. The Narn smiled and nodded. Londo approached the same Narn and handed over his passcard.

After several seconds, the Narn raised his head and said, apologetically: "I'm sorry, Ambassador Mollari,
but your card is not working.I'm afraid you will have to wait for a little while.I should be able to fix the
problem soon."

"How soon?" Mollari asked, his eyes narrowing.

"About three hours or so." the Narn answered, a smile on his face. "Please sir, if you would wait over
there."

**
"They are coming here."

Jeff Sinclair slapped down the flimsies he held in his hand. Sheridan grimaced as he felt the displaced air
from those flimsies brush against his skin. Both of them had entered the war room, stepping in tandem.
Their faces showed evidence of stress.

"As you have been quoted saying before, Captain, eventually everyone comes to Babylon 5." Garibaldi
retorted, leaning back slightly in his chair. Susan looked sideways at Michael, and raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Mike continued, glancing back at her. "It's the truth.so the question is.WHO is coming?"

"This bad news, people," John Sheridan said, his voice devoid of emotion. Garibaldi shifted, bringing
himself closer to Ivanova. They exchanged glances and turned to Sinclair, who remained standing. John
nodded to Jeff, who took a deep breath.

"In five hours, give or take a few minutes, we are going to be in the middle of a pressure cooker." Sinclair
started, pacing to the far side of the room. He turned around and paced back. His gaze centered on Susan
and did not waver from her face. She returned the look without hesitation. "The Alexander is coming
here."

Mike cursed under his breath, swinging his upper body around to face Sheridan. "That's General Hague's
ship."

John nodded, his eyes wide. "Yes. It is. They've been in combat and need a place to bunk down for
repairs."

Susan sighed. In an effort to sum up the feeling she felt at hearing those words, she said. "We're screwed."

John smiled, in spite of himself and lowered his head. "That is an understatement, Ivanova, as usual.we
are well and truly fucked."

Sinclair opened his mouth and shook his head. "Look, we knew we were going to end up in the middle of
it all at some time or another."

"True.but I sure as hell wished it was any other day, but today." Garibaldi grumbled. "Every other ship
in EarthForce is gunning for the Alexander on counts of treason."

With a nod, John agreed. "They sure are."

Mike squinted at Sheridan. "And as soon as they turn up, every loyal Clark person on this station is going
to try and send word that they are here."

Sheridan nodded, and leaned forward on his arm. "We need a cut out switch for the communication
system, Garibaldi. When our company comes calling, we need to be able to cut out all external
communications."

"Leave a line for us and the ISN feed." Jeff interjected as he finally collapsed in his chair. "God knows it's
the only news that we have coming in from home."

Mike nodded, solemnly. "Will do."

"We have five hours and then all hell is going to break loose," Sinclair sighed. John nodded, hitting his
knuckles a couple of times on the surface of the table.

Garibaldi rose, and stalked toward the door. "Then I had better get going. Ivanova, I'll contact you when I
have everything complete."

She nodded once, matter-of-factly and looked at Sheridan. "I suppose this is akin to getting our hands
caught in a cookie jar, isn't it?"

Lifting his chin, John addressed Sinclair. "Jeff, Ivanova..you know that this is going to be a problem at
best and the place where we have to draw the line at worst. We could.conceivably tell the Alexander that
they can't."

Jeff held up his hand. "They need help, John. And you.and I.know what that means to us.and what
we need to do.as humans."

Sheridan nodded, lowering his head again. "I wanted to present another option for us. The Alexander
coming here will press several issues if anyone comes after them. And they are issues that we can't avoid at
that point. You know where I stand, you know what I think we should do.you have since I came here to
Babylon 5.but there are other things at stake here."

"We just have to be prepared for every eventuality," Sinclair answered.

Susan leaned away from the table, her hands folded on its smooth surface. This was one morning where
she didn't need coffee to wake up. The tone of her two senior officer's voices was low and calm, in spite of
the serious and heated situation into which they were thrusting themselves and the station. That was more
than enough to make her come awake.

Sheridan sighed and pushed away from the table. "The Alexander sent a coded message stating what they
needed.preliminarily. I'll get on it.on the QT. I'll be close to the comm. I don't know how far this will
go.but."

"Thank you, John." Jeff said, lifting his tired eyes to his friend. "I do know what you believe.and I
know what you know we ought to do.but thank you for speaking for the other side of the issue."

Sheridan nodded and left the room, his steps strong, but tired.

Susan shook her head. "Neither of you got any sleep in the last few days, have you?"

"Not important, Susan." Jeff answered, rubbing at his neck.

"The hell it isn't. How can you expect to think clearly." Susan shot back.

"How can I not think clearly about this, Ivanova?" Sinclair stated, lifting his head to stare at her. His voice
was harsh, but he immediately softened it. "Would you be able to sleep? We've been hearing of the
Alexander and its adventures for three days.and we knew that they would be coming here at some point.
Immediacy makes for clear thinking."

"And lack of sleep in a stressful situation could make you break." Ivanova answered. "Jeff.you need to
get some sleep before the proverbial shit hits the fan. Sleep in your office if you have to.but sleep. Take
a nap."

"Susan."

"Don't make me kick your ass, Jeff." Ivanova stated, looking down at her coffee cup. "I bet the last time
you slept was four days ago when you fell asleep when I was in your quarters watching the ISN with
you."

"That would be about right." Sinclair rubbed his eyes.

"Then consider me removing you from active duty until you have two hours of sleep together, Captain
Sinclair. Come on." Ivanova rose and waited until he stood with her. As they walked down the hall, she
began to talk quietly. "I'll deal with the Garibaldi and getting the communications together. And I'll
monitor ISN.if anything happens, I'll get you immediately. I'll wake you say.one hour before their
ETA.is that acceptable?"

His steps were heavy. "And what about John?"

"I know him.he probably grabbed a nap or two in the last twenty four hours. But you." she shrugged.
"You probably never took naps as a child."

They entered his office. He made a beeline for his chair, but Susan grabbed onto his arm. Jeff stopped and
looked down at her with eyes that spoke of exhaustion. "Not the desk, Jeff.you'll just do work. The
couch."

He opened his mouth, but she walked toward the couch with him in tow. "The couch, Jeff. No arguments.
Sit." Her hands pushed on his arms until he sank into the warm material of the furniture.

"Ivanova."

"Take a nap, Jeff. I will get you if you are needed..I promise." Ivanova took his jacket from him and
walked across the room to lay it on the desk. "Relax.John and I can handle it for a couple of hours. What
kind of an EO would I be if I couldn't?"

"Wake me.that's an order, Commander.if anything is going on." Jeff held up a hand. Susan nodded and
waited until he laid back against the cushions. The last thing he heard was her walking away from the
room and down the hall, her booted feet clicking on the metal floor. Within minutes, in spite of his
agitation and tension at the situation at hand, he was asleep. The last image that his mind supplied to him
was that of Ivanova's blue eyes flashing in happiness and the small smile that had played on her lips as she
had watched him lie back against the couch.

**

"Where is the Captain?" Garibaldi looked up at Susan as she paced by his desk.

"Did you cut off the Gold Channels?" Ivanova asked. Her hands held a stack of flimsies that outlined the
various and complicated schemes by which external communications flowed on the station. "God knows it
is easy enough to hack into them. And The Captain is asleep on the couch in his office."

"Done. How about the violet Earth Force channels?" Michael asked. "We should cut them too."

"If we do.that is the entire internal board of channels.how the hell will we get ahold of anyone on the
station?" Susan sighed, her hand rubbing her forehead. "But if we don't they will be able to get a call off
station. Cut them. We'll deal with that communication problem when it happens, I suppose."

After a few minutes of flipping switches, Mike nodded. "That does it.ALL communications on board are
routed through the cutswitch. Give me the go ahead and we are isolated. And how did you get him to
sleep? That would be considered a miraculous act on Earth and in several religions."

"I told him to."

"And that worked? Hey.can you tell me to walk on water? I would love to experience that once in my
life." Garibaldi joked. "We are finished here, Ivanova. What is Sheridan doing?"

Susan slapped down the flimsies and sighed. "He is monitoring the ISN feeds. And he rescheduled the
fighter wing rotations. The defense grid is also powered and all diagnostics are run. If we have any trouble
riding in on the Alexander's coattails.we have it covered. Sheridan is a damn good strategist when it
comes to combat."

Michael nodded. "Then..I'm staying here. Just patch in and everything is go."

Susan looked at her watch. "I'm heading to the dome. I'll be in touch, Mike."

**

"Why didn't you take him to medlab?"

Lennier glanced over his shoulder at Franklin as the doctor jogged to keep even with him. Although the
Minbari attache found the human doctor to be extremely logical and infinitely talented in his mastery of
medicine, he often wondered at the harsh answers that Stephen used when talking to people. In fact,
Lennier wondered about humans in general and their various and sundry reactions to stress. Ivanova
yelled, Franklin steamed, Garibaldi joked, Sheridan barked orders and Sinclair thought. It was not like the
usual Minbari way of peaceful prayers and meditation.

It made him worry for Delenn.

"We can't get him there." Lennier stated, as he turned back around to glance at the cargo hold. "We can't
risk that someone will find out about his presence here on the station."

Delenn was waiting at the entrance to the cargo hold, her hands clasped in front of her. Franklin could see
the worry etched into the beautiful woman's face before he was close enough to touch her. His hand fell to
hold her elbow as he stepped over the lip and into the room. "Thank you for coming, Doctor." She stated
formally.

"Where is he?" Franklin demanded. Delenn led him around the towers of boxes to the place where a lone
Minbari male, dressed in Ranger clothing, lay. Stephen could see the blood clotted around the wound in
the male's head and he was squirming, holding his side as if in pain. With a mild, quiet curse, he fell to one
knee beside the being. After a moment of inspection, Delenn leaned over as well.

"What happened to him?" Stephen glanced up at Delenn. She shook her head.

"He has spent the last six months gathering information around the league worlds. He was bringing
information here to me and was ambushed." Her eyes bored into his. "We cannot let him die."

"Well that is exactly what is going to happen if we don't get him to Medlab, Delenn." Stephen stated in his
usual manner, tight, demanding and harsh. He could understand the need to do a job, but he hated when
politics and petty squabbles got in the way of proper medical treatment of his patients.

"Security is everywhere." The Minbari ambassador stated, equally as harsh. "If we were to move him, and
his presence is noted, Doctor, he is dead anyway. If we only knew which of the Narns we could trust, we
might have a chance to get him there.."

"I know which Narns to trust."

All three people turned to see G'Kar walking out from behind two piles of boxes. His tall form, now
thinner than before, was shrouded in shadow. He walked without stopping until he reached the young
Minbari patients feet. As he bent, he glanced at Delenn. "I can get him to Medlab."

"Fine." Stephen didn't care if God himself showed the path with a lantern, all he cared about was getting
this patient to a place where he could get care. G'Kar nodded and bent to gather the lad in his arms.
Lennier reached out to stop his movement, but Delenn raised her hand to make Lennier cease.

As G'Kar rose to his full, towering height, the petite Minbari female laid her hand on his arm. "Can you
carry him far?" She asked, her voice gentle.

"As far as you like," the Narn answered, his voice clearly showing the physical stress, but his face showing
his determination. Delenn smiled and scurried away from him to lead the way.

**

Susan walked quickly down the hallway, buttoning her jacket's collar closed. The preparations were
complete and she had an errant Captain to awaken. The Alexander had radioed that they were
approximately forty minutes from station fall and Sheridan had agreed that it was time to get Jeff on the
dome.

As she rounded the corner, she started toward the couch. After a few steps, she realized that the couch was
empty. With a loud, exasperated sigh, she turned to face Sinclair's desk. He was sitting behind it, intently
watching the ISN feed.

"Jeff."

He held up his hand and nodded toward the screen. "Sound increase."

".and Victor Montaya of the Mars Provisional Government announced today that he would not implement
the martial law order given five days ago by President Clark. Earth Dome has had no official response to
this open act of defiance by Mars, except to say that they are testing all possible options.."

"Fade." Jeff's voice was raw in the dim of the room. His knuckles rapped on the desk for a moment before
he turned to Susan. "The Alexander?"

"Will be here in about a standard half hour." Susan answered, leaning on his desk. "Everything is
ready..the cutout switch and most of the station's defenses.just in case."

He nodded and rose. She could see the creases in his white shirt and a day's growth of beard on his face.
Sinclair grabbed his jacket and slipped it on his shoulders. It was hanging loosely on his frame, she
realized as he zipped it.

"Did you sleep at all?" Susan asked quietly. "I had told Garibaldi that I had performed a miracle and got
you to sleep.I would hate to give up my sainthood so soon."

Nodding again, he tilted his chin back to button his collar. "I did.about three hours worth. Thank you."

The stress floating off his frame was palpable. It thrummed in the air between them. Raising an eyebrow,
she waited until he finished dressing before answering him. "You're welcome.wish you had slept more.
Sheridan thinks you and he should be on the dome when the Alexander pulls in."

"We should be." Jeff turned and nodded toward the door. "Ready, Commander?"

"In one minute," Ivanova said. "I want to ask a favor." When Sinclair simply gazed at her, she continued.
"When you make the announcement about the Alexander, and I know you will, add my name to it. I realize
that you and John have made the decision.but I want it to be known that I stand behind it."

He took a deep breath. "And if I do put your name in with our statement, Susan.and we are
courtmartialed.you will have to stand with us. I can't ask for immunity for you if you are clearly
deliniated in the statement."

"I understand. But I think this station would stand a better chance.internally.if we show a united front."
Susan answered, her chin tilting up.

Jeff's eyes burned in the dim of the room. "Are you sure? As your friend and your commanding officer, I
advise against it."

"I'm not letting you boys have all the fun and take all the glory." Susan joked. "I'm sure." She added
seriously.

After staring at her for a moment, he sighed. "I want to say otherwise.but okay."

Nodding, she kept his gaze locked with her own. He was the first to break the contact, looking down to
button his wrist cuffs. "Let's go, Commander.we have an announcement to make."

**

Sheridan turned from the viewport to watch Sinclair and Ivanova walk into the dome. He met Jeff's eyes
and knew that Ivanova had asked her question to him as well. The elder Captain knew what it was spelling
out for the young Commander. This decision could effectively end her career if they were found to be
traitorous. But she held to it firmly; had argued it well with him. Jeff leaned over the bar and nodded to
him. John could only nod back. He knew what was going through the man's mind.

Ivanova brushed by Sinclair and walked to her station, her long hair unbraided and free, sweeping at the
middle of her back. Jeff watched her pass.

"He's here." She stated, needlessly.

"Are you sure about that?" John asked, glancing at her. "It looks like his heart is somewhere else."

Tilting her head to the side, she sighed. "He knows what this is going to cost him. He is doing it because
he feels it is right and for no other reason. He has no agenda here. His heart is somewhere else.it has to
be.or he couldn't do this."

The jump gate activated in front of them as Corwin called out the arrival of a ship. John and Ivanova
exchanged glances and walked around the well in the floor to flank Jeff on either side. Sheridan lifted his
link and called to Garibaldi. "Kill it."

"Done." Came back the reply just as quickly.

John nodded to the ship outside the viewport. When he spoke, his voice was a strong and deep as it usually
was. "May we have your attention? Your eyes are not deceiving you.that is the Alexander. She has been
in battle for some time and is in need of assistance. We will give that assistance."

Sheridan stopped, looking out over the people on the deck. "Captain Sinclair, Commander Ivanova and I
will take full personal responsibility for the Alexander and her presence here. If there is anyone here that
feels that he or she needs to leave the dome, they may do so now..no questions will be asked."

Silence fell over the dome and no one made a move to leave. After several moments, Sinclair pushed away
from the bar to pace to the front viewport. Susan moved aside to allow him to pass without interference.
He stood for a moment, looking out to the Alexander as it slowed upon its approach. "They are not the
enemy." He stated quietly, his eyes steady. "If you cut them, do they not bleed? That is something my
father told me once. They wear the uniform of Earth Force the same as any us.went to the same
academy.grew up with us, fought along side us.and they are human.as we are. They will bleed the
same as us if we cut them."

He turned to look back at the dome. "We are humans.we suffer from incurable humanity.for all its
good and bad qualities..the bad got us into this.and our good will get us out. I just hope that we
remember that even in the bad times." He nodded to the dome. "In an effort to keep riotous reactions to a
minimum for the safety of this station, the external communications will not be able to be accessed. All
incoming traffic to Babylon 5 will be kept to a minimum until this situation is at an end.again for safety.
There will be no unauthorized communication off station. Other than that.all situations are to be
considered normal. Continue as normal. Thank you."

Jeff walked back around the railing and stalked toward the door. It slid open and closed with no fanfare.
Ivanova closed her eyes after movement returned to those around her. John laid his hand on her shoulder
as he walked by to follow Sinclair. "You staying on the dome?"

She nodded, sighing. "Let me know if you need me."

"I think we will need you sooner than you think, Susan. Hold down the fort." John stated, as he walked out
the door and down the corridor.

**

John walked at a fast clip, bumping and moving around people as they got in his way. It was a massive
confusion of bodies. There were several members of alien races that were fighting to leave to get away
from anything Earth; there were humans that were trying to get back to Earth and just as many entering
Babylon 5 to get away from the planet and the imposed martial law. Sheridan stopped and raised up on his
toes to see over the bustle.

Delenn stood off the side. Her lustrous brown hair fell like a curtain about her head, as it was bent. She
wore a blue formal gown in place of her usual neutral colored dress. He liked the effect it had on her, but
wondered at its formality.

"Delenn?!"

The Minbari ambassador raised her head. Lennier, who had been standing next to Delenn, turned as well to
nod to the human captain. Sheridan pushed another person aside and strode over to the Minbari.

"John." Delenn smiled. Lennier bowed in greeting."I am glad you found me before I left."

Sheridan returned the grin. "It was not easy doing; it is a hell of a time."

"I know." Delenn sighed and looked down. "It appears that it is not a good time for either of us. You have
received my message about the Ranger's arrival?"

Sinclair appeared, pushing another being out of the way. Delenn acknowledged his arrival with a smile and
a nod. "Jeffrey. Good."

Jeff nodded, drawling up alongside John. "Sheridan told me that I was to meet the two of you here. But
Delenn, you have to understand this is not a good time."

"It is the only time, Captain Sinclair," Lennier answered, bowing to the human captain. Jeff frowned,
knowing that as circular as the logic was that answered, it was the only way that the Minbari knew how to
answer.

John smiled and rubbed at his head. "We don't have much time."

"And I will tell you and Jeffrey together." Delenn stated, turning around. Her bag flared wide from her
waist where it hung. "A Ranger arrived on the station a few hours ago. He was injured, critical.in need
of care. But he did stay live long enough to convey some information.the Shadows are moving amongst
the league worlds. They are inciting them to fight amongst themselves.to wage war."

Lennier tilted his head, and looked around. "They have made truces of power that are turning into truces of
death. They feel that they are invincible.unable to be beaten, unable to be knocked back."

Delenn nodded. "I need to travel to our governing body."

"The Gray Council," Jeff rumbled, his brown eyes narrowed. "They have decided to do nothing, haven't
they, Delenn?"

Delenn inclined her head. She was neither admitting yes nor no. She knew that John Sheridan was her
heart, but Jeffrey Sinclair was a human that understood Minbari rituals and customs.and their religious,
worker and governing bodies. And their prophecies. The Minbari ambassador lifted her head to look at
Jeff. He understood as probably no one else could. "Yes."

Sheridan was vocal about his feelings. "I thought you said that the Minbari have been prepared for this war
with the Shadows, or have been preparing since the last war."

"They have been." Lennier supplied. "The warrior caste has never been one to adhere to prophecy. They
regulate that to the religious caste."

Delenn sighed. "I must leave. But I wanted to let you both know the situation."

Jeff folded his hands and bowed in the traditional Minbari symbol of respect. "Thank you. Take care of
yourself, old friend. May your journey be fruitful, Delenn. Ivanova says that you have been cleared for
priority departure."

She bowed in return and smiled. "I will return, old friend. And may Valen be with you in your time of
need."

Jeff nodded with a smile to Lennier. He remained where he was as Lennier, Delenn and Sheridan moved
off toward the entry ramp. He watched as John brushed against Delenn as they walked, his arm close but
not circling her waist. For her part, it appeared the she was leaning into him as they stepped together
toward her personal flier. He wanted to smile. It was obvious that Delenn was attracted to John. He was
truly happy for her. But the situation at hand did not lend to him smiling. They had their fight.she had
hers.

Finally, as the trio drew close to the ramp of the flier, John moved apart, turning to face Delenn. Lennier
bowed and climbed on board the ship. Delenn and John stood close for several minutes, talking in low
tones, before she bowed and climb on board the ship. He stood there, watching her go, not moving.

Jeff lowered his head. It appeared that she was not the only one that was attracted. It was clear that John
was taken with her as well. After a few minutes, and after he had dodged around most of the beings
moving toward and away from the ships in the hanger, John approached him. Before Sinclair could open
his mouth to comment, his wrist comm exploded with sound. "Captain Sinclair?"

With a flip of his wrist, he answered Ivanova's clear voice. "Here, Ivanova.go."

"The command staff of the Alexander is aboard."

He sighed and nodded. "Fine. Fine. Sheridan and I will be in the Earth Force conference room in ten
minutes."

"Then you should just about beat them there. See you there, Jeff." Ivanova answered, quietly.

"Sinclair out." He switch off the comm and motioned with his head. "John."

"I heard." Sheridan said, lowly. As they started to walk back along the corridor, he reached out and pulled
on Jeff's arm. "How did you know.."

"About the gray council?" Sinclair sighed. "It's a Minbari prophecy that the Gray Council would be
dissolved at the time of Minbar's greatest need. I think that time has come."

John swore under his breath.

"You can say that again for me, Sheridan." Jeff answered and entered the lift. The door slid shut as both of
the senior officers of Babylon 5 turned around to face the door.

**

Ivanova sat in the conference room, in silence and in darkness. She felt neither the need for light or speech.
She was alone. And Susan supposed that that was just an illustration of her life at that moment.dark and
silent.and separatist. Neither Sheridan and Sinclair, nor the command staff from the Alexander had
shown yet. This was like the lull before the storm. After this..meeting.she was a party to treason.a
comrade of Judas. She was selling out Rome. But.it was the only thing that her conscious would allow
her to do.

And, the hell if she would allow Jeff and John, Stephen and Mike to take the heat without her at their sides.

"Hey Commander.is this where the party is?" Garibaldi stalked around the corner and into the room,
followed closely by Franklin. "Lights."

The room was flooded completely with standard issue flourescent light.

Susan lifted an eyebrow at the comment. "The shooting line up, you mean?"

"That too." Mike slid into the chair next to her. "You call Jeff and Sheridan?"

"As soon as I heard the Major was coming on board, yeah." Ivanova sighed and nodded to Franklin. "Hi
Stephen."

Stephen collapsed in the chair across from her and nodded. "Hello-"

"Glad you all could make it," John Sheridan interrupted as he and Sinclair entered the room. "Would hate
you all to miss the excitement."

Susan sighed and shook her head. "Why is it that desperate situations on this station bring out the stand-up
comedians in all of you?" Seeing Sheridan's frown, she added. "Sir."

Sinclair sighed as well and collapsed into the seat next to Susan. His expression was hardened and
straight. Within seconds, Corwin showed an Earth Force officer into the inner sanctum conference room.
Jeff and John pushed to their feet quickly, Ivanova lagging only a fraction of moment behind them. The
portly Earth Force Major nodded to them. "Captains Sinclair and Sheridan, Commander Ivanova.Mr.
Garibaldi and Dr. Franklin.for what its worth.it is a pleasure to meet you all."

"And you, Major Ryan." Jeff nodded.

John rounded the chair, holding out his hand. "Ken.its been a long time. Wish it could be under
circumstances." As the two men, clasped hands and shook, Sheridan looked over Ryan's shoulder. "Where
is General Hauge?"

Chandler dropped Sheridan's hand and shook his head. "I'm sorry, John. He died in our last firefight.
Between that and everything that is happening back on Earth.the crew is just..floored. But we are glad
to be here and are trying to carry on as best we can."

Sheridan turned and glanced at Sinclair and then sat down hard in the nearest chair. "Dead."

"We were ambushed at Orion 7."

Sheridan lowered his eyes and sighed. Sinclair took at deep breath and glanced at Stephen and Michael
before speaking. "What news do you have of the coup?"

"A few desenters have managed to flee EarthDome. Shock troops are out in force.London, Paris,
NewYork.New Delhi, Moscow."

Susan took a deep breath and looked down at her hands for a moment. "How are the folks at home taking
this?"

Major Ryan nodded to Susan and held out his hands in a symbol of carefree relief. "That's the irony of
it.most of them love martial law.there's no crime."

"Yeah.peace of the gun." Sheridan muttered under his breath.

"How come we haven't heard of this on ISN?" Garibaldi asked, leaning forward in his chair.

Ryan almost laughed. "ISN is walking an extremely fine line. They know if they push too hard, they will
be shut down.no warning.just black on the screen." He waited a moment and then continued, nodding to
Sinclair and then Sheridan. "We do have one chance.Mars has rejected martial law. If they can stand up
to Clarke, and rally support from the other colony worlds and then they might be able to push him out of
power."

"Unless he pushes back." Garibaldi offered like the harker of doom that he was.

"No," Sheridan returned, pegging Mike with a look. "Clark won't push back, his center of power is on
Earth with the majority of his forces and NightWatch. He won't over extend himself."

Ivanova grimaced. She could feel her temper rising. She turned to address Ryan again. "What I can't
believe is that so many people in Earth Force are going along with all of this."

"He spent the last year putting his people into key positions. The choice we all have is either obey or don't
obey and be drawn up on charges of treason. With something like that hanging over our heads, it is not
hard to see why most are making the decision to obey."

Ryan's wrist comm beeped insistently at his wrist and he lifted it to press the button. Jeff could feel the
knot of his stomach like a molten lump of lead. It couldn't be good news. With a spark of insight, he
realized that he was thinking like Ivanova.

The voice that exploded from the wrist comm was so loud that it actually hurt Susan's ears. But the words
hurt her more than the harsh noise that she heard. "They are bombing Mars, Major Ryan! I repeat, they are
bombing Mars!"

Garibaldi was up and out of his chair, his fists pounding on the table. Sheridan leapt to his feet at the same
time, roaring in rage. It was Susan and Jeff who sat at the table in stunned, hurt silence. "The hell they
are," Jeff stated quietly.

**

Delenn marched along the corridor of the Minbari War Class cruiser, known as the Black Star. She had
walked along this corridor often as a student, then as a member of the gray council and then finally as an
outcast of that same organization. In the first part of her life, her head had been inclined in respect; in the
later years of her life, her head was held straight as a sign of power and now.now she walked with her
head aloft and her eyes narrowed. No longer was respect to be given without question.it would have be
earned. Balance had been upset and now, it would be righted. By Valen's name, she swore it would be
righted.

The corridors echoed with the sounds of her past, her memories, both fond and harsh were reflected back to
her mind. It was not a.comfortable feeling.

Although it ashamed her, she thought of John. When she was full Minbari, Delenn had not often found her
mind centered on personal thoughts at times of strife. No, rather, it was at those times that she found she
could concentrate fully on the matters at hand. Since she had undergone the change prescribed to her
through prophecy, she felt personal.feelings.and thoughts clouding her mind. It was not an easy task to
remove them. She worried about him, about Sinclair and Susan.this was a time crisis for them, a turning
part in their paths.

A lone Minbari greeted her at the bend of the corridor. "Delenn."

"Jerchok. Where are they?" Delenn stopped just inches from the younger Minbari.

"They do not wish to talk with you, Delenn."

"Then they will listen." Delenn's voice was controlled, but powerful. She started to walk past the young
student, only to have his hand land on her arm.

"They do not want to see you."

The student took four steps back as the petite ambassador turned to him. Her eyes were clear, sharp for a
Minbari and possessed strength in depth and breadth.it made him gasp. Delenn would never appear more
human than she did there in the corridor. The blue of her gown caught and held the cobalt of her eyes
which were bright and strong. Her hair fell in cool waves down against her neck and back, its brown soft
against the partial bone guard on the back of her head. "I will find them, Jerchok, and they will listen.or
I will rip out the bulkheads of this ship. Now.stand aside."

**

"Commander?"

Ivanova turned from the front viewport, her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "What is it, Corwin?"

"We are getting a reading.a ship is coming through the jumpgate." Corwin's hands flew over his console.
"It's big." He lifted his head to look out the viewport as Susan swung around to gaze out the same
window. "Dear God."

With a grunt, Susan sighed under her breath. "Here we go." With a sure hand, she pressed her wrist comm.
"Captain Sheridan or Sinclair.one of you needs to get up here."

"Commander.they are hailing us." Corwin touched his earcomm. "Urgently."

"Put them through!" Susan said, forcefully.

A small, somewhat friendly face flashed up on the screen in front of her. The voice was equally as
feminine. "I repeat.Babylon Control this is the Concord.do you read us.?"

"We read you, Isha." Susan smiled and tilted her head to the side.

"Susan Ivanova." Isha Hiroshi returned the smile. "Thank God a friendly face. Are Captain Sinclair and
Captain Sheridan there?"

"Not yet." Ivanova sighed. "Its good to see you too. What is going on?"

"Not on an open channel.I'm coming on board." Isha cut off the conversation and the communication
quickly. As soon as the screen went black, John entered the dome at a dead run. His face immediately
registered shock and anger at the sight of the destroyer as it sat perpendicular to the line of sight out the
viewport. "What the hell."

"It's the Concord." Ivanova answered the coming question. Sheridan was already moving around the
well in the floor and connected with her shoulder as he leaned over to check the EA registration. His face
eased as the number checked out properly. Susan shook her head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Had to check, Ivanova." Sheridan stated. "Is Hiroshi coming on board?"

"Yes, she is."

John turned and nodded in the direction of the corridor. "Then you had been come down to the conference
room.Ken has been waiting for her arrive."

"Isha never did arrive at the beginning of a party.she always was one to arrive just as everyone was
getting drunk." Susan shook her head. Turning on her heel, she preceded John around the well. Sheridan
kept pace with her.

"You know her well, then?" Sheridan asked as the door slid shut behind them.

"I went to the academy with her.she was my mentor my plebe year. We were.are.good friends. I
didn't realize that she was on our side."

"She is more than just on "our side".she's one of the architects of the resistance in the Earth Force ranks."
Sheridan grabbed her arm as he turned the corner quicker than her. Susan came along with the tug. Her
mouth was twisted in a frown and her eyebrow was raised.

"That doesn't surprise me about her.but.Captain Sheridan.sir.could you please let go of my arm."

"Walk faster." John answered quietly.

John secured the top part of his collar with a grunt and grimace. Usually he enjoyed putting on his
uniform, the secured collar and front acting like a suit of armor, but now.now it felt like a restraining
jacket. The drone of ISN was going on behind him, eeking out of the speakers of the vid in the office He
met the eyes of his reflection and grunted again. Who the hell was that stranger that he was seeing?

His mind was split between the situation there on Babylon 5 and the situation that Delenn was facing. He
found that his heart was split between the two places. Although he knew that Delenn was in a place where
she was infinitely safer than where he was, he still worried about her. He missed her wisdom, her smile,
her eyes, her mind, her.body. With a sigh, he pulled on his jacket.

"And news from Earth Dome indicates that the bombing of the Mars colony will continue until they will
submit to the order of martial law."

Susan milled around behind him, near Jeff's desk. Sinclair was on the dome, running a final check on the
defense grid. They all were in a state of limbo, waiting for Miska to come on board and for Major Ryan to
join them.

"Until that time." The blond reporter on the screen appeared unsettled. She shook her head as someone
walked in front of the screen in front of her. "What."

"Wait! Wait!" A dark, almost balding man slid into the seat next to her, holding a microphone in his hand.
Ivanova spun on her heel and faced the screen with a groan. "Here we go." she muttered under her
breath.

"There are some things that you have not been told.somethings that we have been asked to keep from the
public. For the last year we have been under duress, ordered to only speak of what the government tells us.
But I can't keep quiet any longer. The colonies of Orion 7 and Proxima 3 have declared independence in
protest over the bombing of Mars. They will remain independent until such a time that Clark is
impeached."

Garibaldi burst into the room, out of breath and running at a dead clip. His booted feet slid to a stop as he
saw that the report was on in there as well. Ivanova groaned as Sheridan stepped up to the desk, his fist
hitting the smooth surface.

The reporter continued, looking over his shoulder as if being watched. "Shock troops were seen entering
our building just minutes ago. We are under attack, under siege. The government has been infiltrated by
groups that are not.." There was a loud clattering over the speakers, sounding as if the door to the studio
at ISN had been broken down. The reporter jumped from his seat, pushing the other reporter ahead of him.
"Get down!"

Within the next space of breath, the screen went black.

After a second, Jeff came around the corner, walking at a fast pace. "Jesus Christ.did you see about
ISN?"

Susan turned her shoulder to the screen. "It appears that ISN went too far."

**

Isha stood in the room and gazed around at the gathered officers, both those from Babylon 5 and those from
the Earth Destroyers. There were not very many: Sinclair, Sheridan, Ryan, Garibaldi, and her dear friend
Ivanova. No, there were not many at all, but in that room were the best that Earth Force had to offer. And
to these, the best, the brightest, she had to bring terrible, bad news.

"I just jumped in from Orion 7. They have declared independence." Isha pinned those around her with eyes
wide. She felt a need to unload all the information that she had in her mind all at once.

Sinclair sighed and nodded, his hand waving in the air as if to say 'We know, we know.'

Ivanova frowned at the motions of her commanding officer and answered Isha herself. "We just heard on
ISN before they went black. What is the reaction?"

With a nod, Isha continued. "Clark is afraid of losing the rest of the colonies."

"Could have fooled me," Mike growled under his breath.

"He is sending his elite forces to secure any other colonies and gain direct control of any outpost that can
move against him." She continued, standing at attention.

Ryan sighed and nodded, his graying hair sweeping across his brow. "If they find out we are here."

"Too late.On my way here," she began, her dark eyes sweeping over the room. She locked onto and
centered on Susan's eyes. "I intercepted attack orders from Earth to the Roanoke and the Agrippa. They are
hooking up with some heavy reinforcements on the way in."

"Still," Ryan growled, his eyes sweeping back to Isha. "We could take the Churchill and the Alexander and
move them away from the station.give them several targets to shoot at instead of one."

Isha looked at her old mentor, at Ryan and narrowed her eyes. "It would not matter.those ships were
already on their way here when they intercepted the attack orders. They are under orders to travel here,
secure Babylon 5, and place the senior officers, captain and the command staff under arrest."

Jeff sat down hard on the chair that was against the back of his knees. The movement was akin to watching
an old building tumble at the beckon of an explosive blast, as if all of his skeletal support buckled.
Sheridan met his comrades eyes as he collapsed. The bronze color of Jeff's eyes was clouded to John and
Sheridan knew why. He could almost see the sense of tunnel vision and hearing as it descended on
Sinclair. He could see the man trying to steady himself in a shrinking world of sensation.

Ivanova groaned lightly and watched as Garibaldi and Steven both gripped the edge of the table hard to
keep themselves from falling over. She could see the fight brewing in Michael's eyes before he even
opened his mouth. She beat him to it. Despite her agitation, her voice was steady and strong. "The other
governments won't stand for it."

Ryan spoke slowly, shaking his head at her comment. "The other governments won't get involved. They
are separate, apart, busy with their own wars. No, we are on our own."

Isha sighed and lowered her head. Her weight redistributed on her feet as she rocked forward. "I'm sorry,
Captain Sinclair, Captain Sheridan.that I am the bearer of bad news, but I thought you should know."

Jeff nodded, raising his head to meet John's eyes. "Thank you.how long until they get here?"

"Six hours, maybe a little less."

Sinclair nodded, much like a person who had just been told the weather forecast. "I see."

Ryan shook his head, leaning forward to grab his cup from the table. "I need to get back to my ship; I
should be there when the other arrive. Maybe we can jump, get some distance from the station." he
shrugged. "Maybe give you some room to negotiate."

John opened his mouth to answer. He knew what his answer was to that statement. He knew what he
needed to say. But.he stopped when he spied Jeff's eyes. It was his station, his command.one that John
had said that he would not interfere with or usurp without the need to do so. The need was not presented as
of yet. Jeff met his eyes and nodded imperceptibly. He knew what the other man was thinking.

"No.thank you, Major Ryan..but if this is where we have to make our stand, we will make our stand
here."

Garibaldi looked across the table at Susan and tucked his chin. She wanted to gulp, to sigh with
exasperation, to return to bed and wake up and taking the day all over again. Ryan nodded and reached
forward to grasp at Sheridan's shoulder and turned to shake Sinclair's hand. Jeff nodded into the shake and
watched as Isha and Ryan left the room. There were things that the command staff of Babylon 5 needed to
talk about and outside people were not needed at that point.

**

Susan watched as Mike Garibaldi's face paled a little. She had always associated humor and self-
confidence with the man so his reaction seemed very out of place to her. In the two years that she had
known him, she had never seen him anything but self-assured to the point of arrogance. But the look in his
eyes at that moment made her think of lost sheep in a slaughter house. Next to him, Stephen's face twisted
in a look of muted horror. His wide brown eyes grew even larger and he shook his head viciously. It was
as if he could barely believe the occurrence, hardly believe his ears.

The table shook slightly as John slammed his elbows down on its surface and leaned forward. His mouth
was twisted in anger. He moved, squirmed really, with agitation. But it was the lack of movement from
Jeff that worried her. Worry was not something that she associated with Jeff Sinclair.

He sat still, almost statuesque. His eyes centered on a point that she was not sure really existed. But after a
space of the breath his eyes moved to meet hers. The brown depths, under the canopy of his brow, were
troubled, but serious. He kept her eyes trained with his for several moments and then he opened his mouth.

"It seems as though we have a decision to make," he intoned, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sheridan's head whipped up and he glared at Jeff. "I don't see as there is a decision to make.its already
been made for us."

Jeff's hand flew up to stop any more talking, but it was not quick enough to stop Garibaldi from speaking.
Mike leaned forward on his arms and shook his head. "I agree with Sheridan, Jeff.we have no choice."

Stephen grunted and shimmied forward in the chair. "There is always a choice."

"We have a choice between driving into a tree or hitting a median," Susan grumbled.

Sinclair shook his head and licked his lips. "Look we all knew this problem with Earth would come to a
head sooner or later."

John nodded, letting the billow out of his sails. "We all hoped that the train would derail before it got to
us.but now the train is headed right for us and we don't have a hell of a lot of time."

Jeff nodded, rising out of his chair. His hands landed hard on the back of chair. Mike watched the
movement and shook his head. Sinclair was agitated to the point of paralysis it seemed. "So we have two
options as I see it. We fight or we surrender."

"There's no option to choose from there, Sinclair." Sheridan muttered. "You know what we have to
do.what we have talked about."

"And billions counting on us." John stated, rising. "Damn it, Sinclair, I promised Delenn that we would
draw a line against the darkness no matter the cost. Why the hell not draw it in our own backyard?"

"Because.we are part of this station.we are responsible for the lives on this station." Sinclair answered
back, his voice rising. "This cost.this one." he banged his finger into surface of the desk. "This cost
might be too high."

"God damn it, Sinclair."

Stephen held up a hand and whistled to still the argument. "If we surrender, we will be court-marshaled. If
we fight and lose, they will more than likely kill us."

Jeff nodded, leaning forward on the edge of his chair. "They probably would at that."

"Look." John turned to glance at Jeff. "I know what you are thinking.I know that you don't want to
endanger the people on this station.but if we don't fight."

"I never said I didn't want to fight, John. Christ.you KNOW I want to fight. You know what I want,
Sheridan. I am saying that if we take on this mantle.we do so with that responsibility laid on us as well.
So." he back away from the table to look at the remainder of his command staff. "that said.the decision
on what we do here is not mine alone.or mine and John's alone. The decision has to be made and backed
by all of us. My vote is to fight."

The officers around the table glanced at each other. Sheridan leaned forward on his chair, mirroring
Sinclair. His voice rang out clear, with little hesitation. "I say fight."

"Noted." Jeff nodded and turned his eyes to Susan.

Ivanova leaned back in the chair, and kept her eyes trained on Jeff's. Sinclair could see the lack of
hesitation in her eyes as well. "I say fight," she muttered, her eyes widening to drive her point home with
Sinclair.

Garibaldi nodded, making a fist with one of his hands. "Fight."

Stephen glanced around at his coworkers, nodding. "I agree. Fight. Better to go down fighting then just
stand here."

Jeff nodded, letting his head fall forward. He looked as though the weight of the world rested on his
shoulders. "Then we fight."

**

They walked down the corridor, creating a human wall. Ivanova, Sinclair and Sheridan walked, their
shoulders swaying in unison, their strides timed not out of plan, but out of calm understanding of one
another. Garibaldi and Franklin lagged only a couple of steps behind. All of their faces were serious, as if
they were on a life or death mission.

Sinclair talked, his head turned slightly over his shoulder. "Garibaldi.you know as well as I do, they will
try to breech the hull. We are going to need all the warm bodies we can find to work security."

"What about the Narns?" Garibaldi asked, moving aside to let one of the mentioned race push past him in
the hall.

Sinclair sighed and nodded. "G'Kar has promised their loyality and so far, as much as I hate to admit it, he
has not wronged us. Yes, use the Narn."

John bit his lip. "I want two fighter squadrons on rotation starting ten minutes ago." Ivanova nodded, and
pursed her lips.

"Done." She stated, firmly.

"And.I want anyone that can fly, anything that can fly.ready to launch immediately and I
mean..immmediately.after the primary drop.do I make myself clear."

"Perfectly." She answered again.

Jeff spun as the group reached the main lift. "Doctor, if any patient can be moved from the medlab
complex, move them.we are going to need the room."

"Give me an hour and you will have all the room you could ever want, Captain." Stephen stated.

Sinclair smiled. "Thanks, Stephen." The doors to the lift opened and he walked in slowly. Turning he
addressed Susan wholly. "See if you can get Draal's holographic system up online.John and I have an
announcement to make."

Ivanova nodded and turned, only to be stopped by Jeff's hand. The rest of the staff had moved on already,
down the hall and toward their various stations. "What is it, Jeff?"

"I have to make a call."

Susan knew exactly what he was about. She moved back to let the door shut. "Do what you need..it will
be ready when you are."

**

Jeff sighed as he entered his cabin. He had many things he needed to be doing at that minute for the
preparedness of the station.and none of them had anything to do with his quarters. None had anything to
do with the dark vidscreen in the corner of the living room. But the need to call his brother overwhelmed
anything else at that moment: duty, preparedness, fighting..freedom. Before he could pace the distance
from the door to the vidscreen, it beeped.indicating an incoming call. He pressed the button and was
surprised to see Susan's face on the screen. "Ivanova?"

"The call to Malcolm should be going through momentarily, Captain." she said quietly.

With a shake of his head, he leaned forward, putting his hand next to the screen to hold him up. "How the
hell did you know?"

"It's my job to know, Jeff," she said, squinting down at the console below her. "Two minutes to
completion of the call. I'll patch it through there when it comes up. See you when you are done."

Reaching up, he unclipped the collar of his uniform. "Thank you..and remind me to put you in for a
raise."

"Consider that done.but I don't know who the hell is going to pay it. Here comes the call..say hello for
me."

Sinclair had enough time to nod before Susan's young face was replaced by the warm visage of his brother.
The first thought Jeff had upon seeing his brother was that he looked tired, worn. Apparently, it was the
first thing that Malcolm thought about him as well. "Christ, Jeff..you look like hell."

"And you look like shit, Mal. Guess we are even," Sinclair answered, smiling. "But I have an excuse."

"We've heard, Jeff.we heard.." Malcolm leaned forward on whatever was in front of him and shook his
head. "Seems you like getting into the middle of a very large, very angry beenest."

Jeff took a deep breath and thought about how to say everything that he had to say in a short time. He
wanted to banter.wanted to argue with his brother like he was used to doing, but stopped short. Malcolm
beat him to the punch. "Do what you have to, Jeff, don't worry about us. I'm Dad's son as well, I can
handle a little thing like armed guards on our front step just like you could."

Sinclair coughed a laugh and shook his head. "I'd talk to them; you'd shoot them.yeah.we're both Dad's
children. But, damn it, Mal.this isn't like getting called in by MP's after a long night out."

"No.its something that you have to do..we have to do. Clark is wrong. If you can do something about
it, do it."

"I am doing something about it.I just wanted to warn you..to tell you.." Jeff sighed and rocked back
on his heels. "Dad never said that he cared until it was too late, Mal.."

Malcolm held up a hand. "I know. You've been a hell of a dad to me, Bro. The only one I can really
remember. We will take care of ourselves..Jennah, Tegan and I."

"Tegan? Christ..when, Mal.." Jeff suddenly rocked forward, his eyes wide. "When did Jennah have
the baby?"

"Five days ago.." Malcolm turned from the screen and called out for his wife. She came forward,
holding a pudgy baby. She had a shock of red hair to match her mother's and was red in the face and
crying. "Jeff.meet your niece."

Sinclair smiled and shook his head. "Thank God she looks like Jennah, Mal, that's all I can say."

Jennah laughed and held up the baby to face the screen. "Say hello to your uncle, Tegan."

Jeff tilted his head to the side and gazed at the newest member of the Sinclair family. "She's beautiful,
Jennah, and has the Sinclair temper as well, I can see."

Malcolm smiled over his wife's head at his brother. "Take care of yourself, Jeff."

"Take care of my sister in law and my niece, Mal. Hide if you can..god knows, they will be gunning for
blood. I'll send word when I can." Jeff moved forward to the screen.

Jennah looked up at her husband and then forward at her older brother-in-law on the screen. Sighing, she
realized, not for the first time, that the brother's were more alike then they wanted to be. And not saying
what they truly wanted to say was definitely a Sinclair trait. "We love you, Jeff," she said, her deep voice
sad.

Jeff closed his eyes and nodded, reaching forward to press the button to end the conversation. The room
seemed much darker as the screen went black than it had when he had entered the cabin.

**

"Scramble and launch, scramble and launch. Ten minutes."

The door to John Sheridan's quarters slid open and he emerged, somber and exhausted. He stopped, leaned
against the sharp edge of the door jam and listened to Susan's alto voice ring over the comm system.
Several airmen ran past his door and he let them pass and finally stepped forward into the bustle of the
corridor. Within seconds he was joined with Jeff as he entered the main stretch of the corridor. The two
men looked at each other solemnly. "Malcolm?" John asked quietly.

Jeff nodded. "Your father?" he asked in return.

John sighed and nodded. "Yes.he is prepared."

"Then I guess there is nothing else to do except." John nodded in the direction of C and C.

"We have a message to give, Sheridan." Jeff answered, striding purposefully toward the bridge and their
fate.

**

Susan squinted at the comm panel and pushed several buttons. After a second, she leaned over to speak
into the relay speaker. "Draal?"

"Draal is not here. Zathras is. Zathras able to work holograph system. Zathras will scan when you are
ready."

Ivanova sighed and shook her head. "Fine. Stand by." After a moment, she groaned. "Why can't I get
any good help these days?"

Before any of the other officers could answer her rhetorical question, the door to the main corridor slid
open to admit the two senior Captains of Babylon 5. Both men were dressed in their best pressed uniforms,
their hair properly combed. John's usually open face appeared clipped, his hazel eyes cold and serious.
Sinclair's eyes were hooded, dark, dangerous.their brown depths swirled. Together, the men, as they
approached the bar to lean on it, seemed like a tall, human wall.impenetrable.

Ivanova nodded to her friends. "The holographic system is ready when you are, sirs."

"We're ready." Jeff stated, forcefully, simply and Susan turned to smile at them. John returned the smile
gently; Jeff merely nodded.

"Then stand by to be scanned, Captains."

Both men pulled up to stand at attention: slipping their hands behind the small of their backs, throwing their
shoulders back, and thrusting their chests out. They stood there, unmoving, as yellow light moved up and
down their bodies. As the light disappeared, Susan turned back to the console and after a moment pointed
to the men. "You're on.sirs."

**

Traffic stopped on Babylon 5. All persons engaged in commerce, pilots in launched Furies, officers
walking the corridors, ambassadors, visitors, men, women and aliens alike..stopped, ceased, cooled and
listened. Everywhere there appeared two figures, one slightly taller than the other, but both larger than life.
The figures stood, surrounded in EarthForce blue, somber, and serious.

"May I have your attention please.." The taller figure began. "I am Jeffrey Sinclair, Captain, EarthForce,
and Military Governor of Babylon 5. Standing with me, is Captain John Sheridan, Earth Force. In the last
few hours, we have learned that EarthForce war ships are heading this way. Their orders are to take
Babylon 5, by force. We cannot allow this to happen."

"President Clark has violated the Earth Alliance Constitution," Sheridan began, "by dissolving the Senate,
declaring Martial Law and personally ordering the bombing of civilian targets on the Mars Colony. He is
PERSONALLY responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent people."

"Following these attacks," Sinclair continued. "The colonies of Orion 7 and Proxima 3 have broken away
from the Earth Alliance and declared independence. Babylon 5 now joins with them. As of this moment,
Babylon 5 is seceding from the Earth Alliance. We will remain an independent state until President Clark
is removed from office. At the end of this current crisis, anyone that wishes to leave for Earth, may do so.
Until then, for your own safety, I urge you to remain in your quarters. That is all."

The hologram died away, leaving most of the population of the station staring at the air above them as if
looking for the answer to the universe.

**
"We are in it now, Jeff.there is no turning back," John stated, leaning toward his friend.

Sinclair nodded, and leaned forward on the bar. His muscles momentarily relaxed. After a second, he
pushed to stand once more and nodded to the officers on deck. "Anyone who wants to leave, may do
so.before you violate any regs."

Two lieutenants removed their headsets and left the bridge. Susan watched them go as she rounded the
well and stepped next to her friends and commanding officers. "While I still have Draal online,
Jeff.John..shouldn't we ask him to help with defense?"

Jeff turned to John to defer answering. Sheridan nodded to the defense grid comm unit. "No.no. He is
our ace in the hole. I want to keep him hidden as long as we can."

**
"Permission to join the Furies, sir."

John turned and gazed at Susan. She stood, just feet from him, her eyes boring into his. Around her
ensigns bustled, and lieutenants ran, but she was like a port in storm. Her face was somber, but collected;
her hair was drawn back harshly in its customary braid.not a strand out of place. But it was her eyes that
made him stop. There was resolution.strength.incredible strength.in their depths. It almost made him
feel weak. "What?"

"Permission to join the Furies, sir." She repeated, slightly louder. "Everything is prepared in here.you
don't need me here.but they need me out there."

Sheridan almost moaned as a hand landed on his shoulder.the bones, the muscle in it acted like a vice,
gripping him tightly. Before he turned, he could tell the hand belonged to Jeff Sinclair. It was obvious by
the strength in the hold and by the way that Susan's eyes wavered from his and strayed, anchoring at a place
just past Sheridan's right shoulder.

John stepped aside, back into the bustle of the dome.

"Captain Sheridan.a moment, sir!"

He turned to the lieutenant as she approached him. In spite of himself, he smiled. "A moment maybe all
that we have, Lieutenant."

"The zeta wing is ready to launch."

John felt Jeff brush against his arm. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sinclair clenching Susan's arm and
leading her, almost forcefully from the dome. Sheridan knew there was more than just the fight outside
brewing, and he didn't want to have to lay a bet on who would be the winner of the one that he was
witnessing.

"Launch them as soon as you can, Lieutenant, we don't have a hell of a lot of time to waste."

**

"What the hell." Sinclair stalked down the short corridor between the two command domes. His hand
was wrapped almost painfully around Ivanova's forearm. ".do you think you are doing?"

Susan wrenched her arm from his grip as they cleared the final corner of the corridor. "Damn it, Sinclair,
let go."

He turned as his grip slipped from her arm. Ivanova stopped and folded her arms over her chest. The
expression on Sinclair's face was open, angered, heated.she could have gone on for weeks describing
what she saw. His eyes were wide, but shadowed, hidden. She could see a sheen of sweat on his brow that
made his dark hair curl into his eyes.

Jeff opened his mouth, but looked beyond Susan to the door of C and C. With a hand, he gently eased her
to the wall and out of the direct line of sight. "Absolutely not, Ivanova."

"Jeff..damn it.one of us needs to be out there with them. We are asking them to open fire on people that
they went to academy with.with people they KNOW. One of us has to be out there and you and John are
busy in here. You don't need me."

"The hell I don't." Jeff whispered harshly.

Susan answered back, her blue eyes sparking in the heat of a fight. "You know I am right, Sinclair.on all
accounts.I can fly this mission."

Jeff stared at her, his eyes sweeping over her hair, down her face, centering on her lips and chin before
rising back to her eyes. "I know you are capable of flying it." He answered, cryptically. He knew she was
right; someone had to be out there with the fighter squads, but he didn't want.. He sighed. Hell, he didn't
want to lose her.

There it was.the inescapable, unrelenting truth.

His heart.didn't want her to go.wanted her to be here with him although his mind knew she was not
much safer in the station. His sense of duty knew that she was right.that she was needed out on the front
line.his mind knew that she was an excellent pilot and would only be an asset. His heart wanted her far
away from all of this conflict.

Jeff couldn't describe what it was that he felt or thought. He knew what he knew, felt what he felt.to give
names or titles to either heading would not do any of it justice. Sinclair knew that Susan's strong body was
coiled for springing, her mouth was turned in anger, her hair was shiny, her eyes bright and strong. He felt
the inability to draw a complete breath, but the incredible need to do so, the tightening in his chest.

It was all a vortex of inescapable emotion and unrelenting duty.

He couldn't voice any of what he thought; it was impossible. So he nodded, once.

Susan nodded in return, and quickly turned to walk away from him.

Sinclair reached out blindly with his right arm and wrapped it around her waist, twirling her and holding
her to his chest. She came willingly, but he could tell that it was only because he caught her by surprise.
Jeff felt her hands land on his chest, but she didn't push away from him. His other arm looped around her
shoulders to hold her as his lips touched her forehead. "Go. But.come back." He whispered.

Ivanova closed her eyes and opened her mouth to tell him that she would be back and quickly, but she just
found her hands winding around his waist, clasping at his back. There were no words to say to reassure
him or herself.there were no absolutes of returning. "You worry too much," she whispered back.

"And you don't worry enough." Jeff answered, sighing. His grip tightened for a moment. "Be careful."

Ivanova frowned into his chest as her chin rested against his sternum. She squinted at the tone of his
voice.tight and more controlled than usual. She knew what it was he wasn't saying.what was hiding
behind his short phrases.she felt it every time he rushed out to be heroic. But she tried to keep that
feeling of helplessness.of worry.from interfering with her job which among other things included her
keeping an eye on Jeff's back and be there when he needed her. Of course, that only worked for the first
five months she had known him. From that point on, it became a friend watching a friend, and.feeling for
a friend. And it became damn hard to separate from the job.she fought the feeling everyday. They were
soldiers.they were pilots..this was their job.an oath that they had taken to defend at all costs.even
personal.

And she knew he wasn't saying it because words wouldn't convey what it was that he was thinking. And
because, they.the two of them were.not inclined to say things like that. She tightened her embrace and
then moved her hands to press on his chest. His jacket had been left off, revealing his crisp, white standard
issue shirt which was warm from his body. "I have to go.we are launching in ten minutes," she said,
simply, seriously.

His nod was quick again as he looked down into her eyes. His arms released her and she took a step back
from him.

"Buy me a drink when I get back, Sinclair?" She asked, slowing continuing to back away from him.

"Only if you let me drink with you, I think I'm going to need it." He answered, giving her a half smile.
"God speed, Ivanova."

She nodded and turned, walking away from him down the hall. Jeff watched her go until the sound of her
footfalls was gone and then he took a deep breath.

**

Sheridan turned from the viewport to acknowledge Sinclair was he made his way back on the command
deck. As his friend came to a rest next to him, he nodded to the massing of fighters outside the station.
"We are as ready as we can be at this moment in time, Jeff."

Sinclair nodded with a grunt and leaned forward on the console. "How long until the ships are here?"

The beeping of the console by his hand made John frown. "Now. Here we go, Sinclair."

The jump gate ahead of them jumped to life, flashing its blue lighted swirl into existence. Four Earth Force
cruisers emerged and slowly advanced on Babylon 5. Susan's voice flooded over the comm almost at the
same time the jumpgate regurgitated the cruisers . "Zeta wing launching."

Jeff looked down at the console and then out at the fighters. At the same time, the communications console
lit up with an incoming message. Sheridan nodded to the console. "You are the voice of this place, Jeff.
Better answer the man." He watched Jeff's eyes as zeta squad took up formation in front of the viewport.
"One of us should be out there with them as well." Jeff said quietly, ignoring the communications
console.

"You have to man the diplomatic side.the possible.negotiations.and you are responsible for the
ultimate.safety of this station and all that live on it. I'm responsible for strategy, fighting,
defense.believe me." Sheridan sighed. "I would rather be out there than in here.but."

"Damn chain of command." Jeff nodded and moved away to answer the communications.

"I hear you, brother." Sheridan turned and hit his wrist comm. "Garibaldi?"

"Here, boss." Came the quick and almost acid response from Mike.

"Better get the guns out, company just arrived." Sheridan voiced, his eyes sweeping the ships massing in
front of the viewport. "And command.put up blast doors."

**

"Get me a headset, Corwin," John said, harshly as he swung around from the main console. "I want to talk
to the fighters.and get me a direct line to Ryan and Hiroshi.."

"Aye, Captain Sheridan," David swung around to look for another headset. He found it where the
lieutenant who had left the bridge had dropped it. He scooped it up, and by the time that John had it settled
on his head.Corwin had the channels open and in use. "Channel 134, Captain Sheridan..switch B for
fighters."

John nodded and sat down at Ivanova's station. "Ryan? Hiroshi?"

"We're launching fighters, Sheridan," Ryan's voice sounded back. The older man had taken on a harsh,
almost gritty tone. John nodded and pressed several buttons. "So are we, Ryan.so are we."

**

Sinclair rounded the main communications, opting to stand next to Corwin as opposed to walking to Station
One.across the room and separated from the rest of the officers. If he was to do this, he would do this
with his men, not alone..not aloof. He grimaced at the blinking light and pressed the button, broadcasting
the communication into the confined area of the bridge.

"This is Captain Dexter Smith of the Earth Alliance Destroyer Agrippa to Babylon 5 and renegade ships.
You are ordered to surrender your commands and to prepare to be boarded or we will be forced to initiate
deadly force."

John flagged Jeff from the front station, nodded and held up three fingers on each hand. The Churchill and
the Alexander were launching three squads each to join Babylon 5's two squads already in space.

Sinclair nodded and jabbed a button with his finger. "Agrippa, this is Captain Jeffrey Sinclair of Babylon
5. You are executing an illegal order in violation of the Earth Alliance Constitution. These orders have
forced us to declare independence in order to insure the safety of this station. We don't want a fight.but if
you carry out these orders, we will be forced to defend ourselves."

John turned and looked at Jeff, who met his coworker's eyes straight and unwaveringly. The next sentence
out of his mouth was for both of them. "Come on, Smith, you must see that these orders are wrong."

Corwin held his headset to his ear and frowned, shaking his head. "Captain Sinclair.they have cut off
contact." After a second, beeping on the console in front of him, made him turn to address Captain
Sheridan. "We have Furies locking on..orders, sir?"

John switched his headset from the destroyers to the fury squads. "Babylon 5 squads, this is Captain
Sheridan, do not, I repeat do not fire until fired upon. We aren't going to start this fight, but by God, we are
going to end it."

Jeff pounded his fist on the console and grunted. "Open defense grid."

**

Susan licked her lips and took a deep breath. Alpha squad had been the last squad to launch out of the
cobra bays, and because of that, there were ships spread as far as she could see in front of her. Scores and
scores of Furies, destroyers, bombers, heavy gun ships, the best fire power that Earth had to offer and they
were all against her.her station, her command, her friends and her place of residence.

Quickly, she closed her eyes and said a short prayer. And thought of her brother. She hoped that she
would be as brave as he had been; and serve the same commanding officer as well as he had. She thought
of John and Jeff, standing on the bridge of the station.

"Proximity alert. 800 meters..600 meters.."

**

Jeff leaned into the console. He was muttering to himself, fisting and unfisting his hand. "Damn it, Smith,
look at it, man. See that these are illegal orders, come on. Don't make us do this."

Corwin frowned, standing next to his commanding officer. "Enemy fighters locking on to our Furies,
sir..firing."

Sheridan grunted and rose out of the chair. "Sheridan to all Squads...fire.return fire.."

Sinclair nodded, and slapped his hand down on the communications console, cutting off further contact
with the Earth Fleet. "Corwin.switch to monitor spacial flying patterns.get that information up on the
console in front of Sheridan."

"Alpha wing..beta wing..boys.its your show. Zeta wing..back them up, men." Sheridan said
loudly, backing away from the console and turning to see the spacial printouts on the console in front of
him.

**

"Aye, Babylon 5. You heard the man, boys," Ivanova said into her commlink. "Alpha wing, form up on
my wing..gamma flying formation. Delta wing.punch us a hole through there..we are going in."

Next to her, Alpha 11 exploded and her ship was plummeted with shrapnel. There was nothing but a rain
of fire around her. "We are going in." she repeated lowly, heavily.

**

John squinted at the console and swore. "Christ, that is a whole hell of a lot of ships..Ivanova.split
them.divide."

"Already half way there, Captain." her voice came back clipped and harsh. Within seconds, Jeff stood
along side John at the console, squinting at the spacial screen.

"Those are breaching pods." Sinclair stated, unnecessarily.

"Captains..there is a squadron from the Agrippa..moving the starboard.they are going to outflank
us." Corwin shouted from his station.

"Reset forward interceptors to wide dispersion mode," Sinclair growled.

"Zeta wing.." Sheridan started. "Intercept.."

Corwin punched several buttons and then raised his bright blue eyes to pin his commanding officers.
"Ready."

Sinclair faced the screen and held up his hand. "Wait..wait..wait for it, Corwin.." He punched his
finger down after a moment and raised his deep voice above the rising din of the command dome. "Fire."

"Move to intercept the Agrippa, Alpha wing." Sheridan shouted into the comm over the roar of the
forward interceptors as they fired.

**

Ivanova's ship was rocked as the forward interceptors of Babylon 5 rocketed past her to destroy several
flanking Furies from the Agrippa. "Heard and obeyed, Sheridan.."

**

Major Ryan had settled his sizable bulk into the center chair on the command bridge of the Alexander. The
destroyer itself had launched almost one third of the fighting force in the sector around Babylon 5, leaving
itself open on the defensive. A few shots from the forward guns of the Jamestown made it through the
flanks and the large destroyer rocked from side to side. Lieutenant Commander Kenneth grabbed the chair
to keep himself upright. "Damage to levels 14- 16, sir.haul integrity down to 40%"

Ryan frowned and then leaned forward in the chair. "Get us closer to the Agrippa.."

"How close, sir?" Kenneth asked as he pulled himself to the directional console.

"Right down their god damn throats."

**

"Alpha leader."

Susan spun her ship and pointed it towards the surface of the Agrippa. She and her wingman used their
directional thrusters to keep up the forward momentum as they fired down into the main surface guns of the
destroyer. "Keep firing, Alpha 7!" She yelled into her headset, not once thinking of the well being of ears
online.

She took a deep breath, turning her head as far as it could go in the helmet. "That got them, Alpha seven.
Alpha wingflight.reform.let's go another round."

**

The station rocked, throwing everyone off balance within the command dome. John grabbed the console
and Jeff braced himself against the pole at his back. After the rocking stopped, one of the officers threw
himself forward, the other, leaned back from the console to view the damage. Sheridan readjusted his
helmet. "Zeta wing..flank the station.enemy fire getting through the interceptors."

Sinclair grabbed the console. "Corwin?"

"We have a breaching pod coming in, sir.."

"Where? Where is it going?" Jeff asked, twisting away from the console.

"Brown 35." Corwin tilted his head to the side to catch the communications flying over his frequency.
"No.Brown 36."

"Mike?" Sinclair yelled, hitting the main communications switch for the security network. "We have
company."

**

Garibaldi stopped running long enough to address his wrist comm. The several Earth personnel that had
been following him, as well as the Narn that he had adopted as part of his fighting force, flew past him. "I
heard.we are in the area.we'll get them."

The only thing recognizable that was visible of Mike Garibaldi but his intense hazel eyes. After he shut
down the comm, even those incredibly centered orbs disappeared behind the black visor that matched his
black flack uniform and helmet. He waved the rest of his men on past him. "Go.go.we have to cut
them off before they make it to open ground."

As the last of his men past him, he started running again. This reminded him of the War..the scrambling,
the running.the not knowing if you were going to be around to see another sunrise. Brought back
memories of the Marines as well.

"I know those boys, men, I used to fight with them.when they hit open ground.they will be
unstoppable."

**

The blackness of night was banished by a sharp bright burst of light from the retrothrusters of the breaching
pod as it came to a rest on the hull of Babylon 5. It looked like a small spider in comparison to the great
large bulk of the station. But what it carried was infinitely more dangerous and stunningly more deadly
than a simple spider bite.

**

Garibaldi rounded the main corridor and stopped. He was directly outside the door leading to the Brown 26
open storage compartment. They had to have room to move.they had to have room to maneuver and
room to retreat if needed. This was as good as any, he thought. There were boxes, bulkheads and various
large crates that had been left by whomever had inhabited the area before the attack. "Okay men.take up
positions.we'll hold them here." Mike put the gun against his hip, holding the trigger like a man born to
battle.

The regular security personnel split, a score each flanking their commanding officer. They took up
positions behind various articles to give them an advantage. But as soon as the Narn entered the bay, Mike
knew that his plan was not going to work. The Narn kept right on going.right into the closed area of
Brown 26 proper.

"Nuts..Christ..God save me from hero Narn," Mike spat and launched himself forward to follow them.
"Right.follow them, men." He couldn't leave the Narn to fight this battle first.this was his battle not
theirs.

As they entered the main storage area of Brown 26, Mike saw the inner bulkhead give way. The metal
melted, falling away from the stronger metallic bracing ribs like butter. What didn't fall away immediately,
was kicked in by an unseen leg. Suddenly.the hold was filled with green uniforms.EarthForce Marine
uniforms. Garibaldi pushed Zack down in front of him, hiding him behind a box. He launched himself to
the side and began a duck and fire fighting cycle.

But the Narn..the Narn ran headlong into the throng.their darker, taller bodies splitting the front line of
the advancing Marines. The air was filled with red plasma shots from PPG rifles and laser pistols. Guns
were used to fire and as battering rams. All Mike could do was dance around corners, aiming and firing
quickly..praying that he was not shooting Narn in the back.

Praying that he was not shooting one of his classmates from the Academy in the back.

And praying for his own soul. For a man that didn't believe in God, he prayed a lot.

**

Corwin's eyes widened. "Brown 26 hull definitely breached. Hull integrity over Brown 2 down 40%.
Three Furies locking on to the command dome."

"Fire interceptors, close range." Jeff shouted as John yelled into his headset. "Starboard.delta..beta
wing needs help."

"Read you Babylon Control."

Corwin bit his lip, pressing the buttons to deploy the interceptor fire.
**

The three Furies that had been advancing on the station scattered as the interceptors started to fire. One
was not quick enough. Gamma flightwing 6 from the Agippa had his starboard wing hit and started
tumbling out of control toward the command dome.

**

Jeff's eyes squinted. "Damn.brace.incoming ship." he yelled to the rest of the command dome. The
women and men in the lower deck bent over the consoles in crash position. Corwin braced his body
against the communications console. Jeff grabbed John's shoulder to turn him away as the command dome
exploded in a mass of sparks, fire and incredibly loud and boisterous mass of alarms.

**

John Sheridan found himself on the floor, Jeff Sinclair at his head. The younger man was barely holding
on from being ditched into the pit below. Turning his head, the older Captain could see a cut over Sinclair's
right eye. From the way that his own head stung and his eyes hurt, he knew he had received a head shot as
well.

Both men pulled themselves up with help from the bar overhead. Sheridan bent over the spacial vidscreen
as Jeff turned to the internal operations panel. "Are you okay?" Jeff asked, his voice gritty.

"Fine.you?"

"I've been better."

"Funny."

Jeff turned around quickly to glance at the rest of his crew. "What is the nearest destroyer?"

Corwin righted himself. "The Roanoke,sir."

Sinclair turned to glance at Sheridan. "We cannot take another shot from a destroyer after that last one,
John. This section of the station won't take it."

Sheridan nodded and spoke into the headset. "Alpha, delta, beta and zeta wings, retreat from the Roanoke.
I repeat, concentrate fire on the Agrippa." Turning quickly, he addressed Corwin. "Lieutenant, get me a
firing solution on the Roanoke..reset the defensive fire."

**

"Commander."

Susan frowned and shook her head. "Cut the chatter, reset and make another pass, Delta wing."

"Commander.the Churchill."

Ivanova turned her head as far as she could. The Churchill was off to her starboard, nearly lost in the sea of
ships that surrounded her station. Her mouth fell open at the sight in front of her. The destroyer was
completely in flames.all sections, all levels. It seemed to list to its side, like the pictures of the ocean
liner, Titanic...she thought.right before it went down. "Oh my God."

**

Major Ryan had already seen his friend's command ship's dire situation. He punched the communications
switch with an unsteady hand. "Hiroshi..Hiroshi.get out of there..get to the lifepods."

The voice that came back was clipped and strong..almost calm. "We can't.its too far gone. Fire on all
levels..main directionals down. There is nothing we can do..except.."

Ryan frowned, his open face taking on a harsh visage. "Hiroshi.."

"They've cut off communications, sir.."

"Hiroshi!"

**

"Isha.." Susan whispered in the night.

She watched as he friend's ship began to move forward, using top speed.only the main thrusters appeared
to be working. It took aim at the Roanoke. "Isha..Christ.."

The Churchill picked up speed. The Roanoke was unable to get out of its way as the ship plowed into its
midsection. Both ships immediately went up in flames.for as long as there was oxygen on both vessels to
support the burn. Within minutes, there was nothing but flying debris.both ships had been completely
destroyed.

"Isha..." Susan felt a tightness in her chest and throat. It took her several seconds to realize that her
computer was saying something over her personal speaker. When her mind was clear enough, when she
pushed her grief away, she heard: "Collision alert. Collision alert."

Looking up, she blinked and saw a Fury tumbling toward her, out of control. She pounded on her
directional thrusters to sharply turn her toward the port to avoid the spin of the other ship. But it was too
late. The other fury hit her starboard upper thruster and clipped it. Her ship was sent into a spirl toward
the Agrippa. And it was only by the grace of God that she avoided the front defensive fire of the destroyer.

**

"Set the starboard.I have the port, Corwin."

Sinclair joined his junior officer at the weapons console. The two men worked shoulder to shoulder
resetting the fire controls for long distance bursts. His attention was half on the battle outside, half on
Garibaldi, half on Susan, and half on John's yelled orders to the fury squadrons outside. His fingers flew to
help get the system ready in an incredibly short time. It was only through his peripheral sense that he
heard Susan's collision over the communications headset lying on the console. He picked it up and put it
on his head to hear her computer indicating collision.

"Eject, Ivanova.." He shouted, lifting his hands away from the console to hold the mouthpiece close to his
mouth.

"I can handle it." he heard answered.

"Goddamn it, Susan.eject now."

"I'm fine."

"Jesus Christ, fucking eject now, Commander.do it.god damn it..Susan..eject."

**

Susan grimaced and reached up to press the latch to release her pod from the thruster superstructure. It
tumbled effortlessly away from the rest of her ship as it collided with the Agrippa.

**

All Jeff could see on the tactile was Susan's superstructure hitting the surface guns of the Agippa. "Susan?
Suan.answer me."

"I'm fine, Captain."

Sinclair took a deep, shaky breath and turned to the console. After a couple of more flips of switches, he
yelled to Sheridan. "Wide dispersion on the defense grid complete."

Sheridan nodded and held up a hand. "Zeta wing, Alpha wing..come around and act for defense on the
station..Sinclair."

Jeff nodded and squinted at the tactical screen. His chin set as he thought of the fight going on down in
Brown sector. His eyes became pinpricks of bright light as he thought of Susan tumbling through space.
"Fire all defensive grids on offensive!"

**

"Major Ryan, sir.." The Executive Officer of the Alexander said as he held onto the bracing pole of the
bridge. "We are within range.."

Ryan squinted at the small view port in front of him. He knew the Captain of the Jamestown. He knew the
Executive Officer. Hell, he knew the main weapons officer and the Warrant Officer as well. But all of
them.his friends, every one.we firing on a space station that housed innocents. And the Earth
Constitution entrusted him with the responsibility to protect them.

"Fire," he said, very quietly. "Take aim and fire, Johnson."

**

Susan watched as the Agrippa was hit broadside with fire from Babylon 5. Over her comm, which Sinclair
had not closed, she could hear his order to fire on the Agrippa. There was no hesitation, no philosophical
dissertation.simply.the order to destroy an enemy. The main stabilizer was hit in the neck of the ship,
causing it to tilt to begin to spin out of control. There was fire on all decks, all levels.

"Agrippa, and attacking ships..surrender and let us take on prisoners. They will be offered sanctuary."
She heard Jeff's voice roar over the comm.

Before he could finish the speech, the Agrippa exploded, raining space with debris. "Oh Christ." she
whispered.

**

"Christ," John said as he watched the Agrippa explode.

Sinclair pounded his fist on the console and walked around the bulk of metal with a frown on his face.
"Damn." After scanning the heavens for a moment, he turned to address the midshipman in the well.
"What is the station status?"

"Damage on all levels. Hull integrity overall down 5%. We have teams enroute."

Jeff nodded and leaned on the pole, only looking up when John joined him at the edge of the well. "It's a
good thing that stopped when it did, John.she couldn't have taken much more."

John answered his friend with a grunt.

"Sirs..the jumpgate is activated." Corwin called out, pressing the headset against his blond head.

Jeff spun to look at his Communications and Weapons officers as John's mouth fell open and he looked
down at the console in front of him. There was shock on both faces. Before either one of them could
speak, the main communications line opened and the communications dome exploded with a baritone voice
that both of them knew.

"Babylon 5 and renegade ships.this is the Sparta.you are ordered to surrender and stand down."

"Christ..Drake," Sheridan whispered.

"Holy shit." Sinclair answered.

The two men looked at each other. Jeff knew the damage readings on his station. It would not stand
another battle. John knew the fighting strength of the fighterwings that he had spent the better part of a
year and a half training. He knew that his men would want to fight, but their numbers were already
depleted.and with that depletion.any hope of a prayer of succeeding had also fled.

Sinclair leaned on the console. "In for an ounce?"

"In for a pound." Sheridan answered. Any officer that was fighting on this suicide mission would be
courtmarshaled and more than likely shot on treason charges. They were dead either way at that
point.and they knew it. They might was well go down fighting.

"Sir?" Corwin asked in the deadly silence that had fallen over the command dome.

"Yes, Corwin?" Sinclair responded, his head lulling on his shoulders.

"We have four jump points forming in this sector," Corwin grimaced.

"How close?" Sheridan growled, punching the buttons to open the communications to the fighterwings.

"Right on top of us, sir."

**

Space split over Babylon 5, swirling orange and black. Out of the swirls, four dots grew into Minbari
warships and a single, sleek White Star.

**

"This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our protection."

John spun on his heel, catching himself as his head whirled. He faced the sole screen on the bridge that
was still working. Delenn's sweet face was stern, hard..determined. Her wonderful, indescribable eyes
were like hard stone, her lips were deep red, looking almost like war paint on her smooth pale skin. She
looked fierce, she looked like an embodiment of a death knoll.she looked like the most beautiful vision of
loveliness that he had ever seen.

Sinclair leaned forward on the nearest console, his face split in a wide grin. "I will be damned."

Delenn continued. "Withdraw or be destroyed."

Sheridan heard his old mentor's voice over the speaker answer Delenn. "Negative. We have authority
here. Do not make us engage your ships."

"Why not?" Delenn answered, her face almost curling in a snarl. "Only one Earth Captain has ever
survived battle with a Minbari warfleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives,
you will be somewhere else."

Silence fell over the communication lines. Sinclair pulled on the pole to launch himself around the well
and to the main communication panel. He shouldered in next to Corwin and monitored the lines. After a
second, he looked up at Sheridan with a grin. "They are withdrawing."

John hung his head forward, vowing that the next time he saw Delenn he was going to kiss the life out of
her. He punched switch B and sighed into the microphone. "All ships.all ships.return to base."

**

Zack levied Garibaldi up from the floor. It was obvious that the older man had a broken leg.the simple
angle of the bone was enough to give it away. He eased the Security Chief around scores of bodies, lying
dead and not yet cold on the floor. There were as many Narn bodies as Marine bodies.and just as many
Babylon 5 personnel as well. Mike grimaced and grabbed ahold of the wall as it came close.

"Christ..I thought I had left hell the last time I fought with the Minbari." Mike said, gasping from the
pain. "I wonder what I did in a former life to invite this."

"Nothing, Chief, we just had morals." Zack answered, holding his friend and his commanding officer.

**

John leaned against the desk edge, a cup of coffee in his hand and a frown on his face. Sinclair occupied
his seat, behind the massive metal desk. Both men had been quiet for most of their sojourn in the office.
Jeff sighed as he felt his friend shift again. "They fought well, John," he commented as he opted not to
look up at John, but rather at the papers in front of him.

"Yes, they did."

"You trained them well."

"I tried." After a moment, he slammed his coffee cup down on the surface and faced Jeff. "Damn it, we
lost too many."

Jeff laid the communiques down on the desk and thumped his knuckles against the surface twice. "You are
preaching to the choir, friend. I know we lost too many."

"Christ.I wish I knew what we could have done differently to."

"The strategy was sound."

John sighed and shook his head. "And we won.by why does it feel like we lost?"

"Because we lost 30% of our men.our fighters.our.friends." Sinclair answered, his voice almost
dead, lacking depth and strength. "And both of us wished we had been out there with them."

Sheridan rubbed at his neck muscles. He knew what Jeff was saying was the truth, both of them we going
to have nightmares over this..sending young kids.some of whom were children of those that had fought
in the war.some of whom were simply doing their jobs.too young to care about the politics behind the
actions.into battle. Fighting their teachers, their classmates, their.lovers and friends. Both of them had
been on the line: Jeff in a fighter.the only one of his squad to live; John in a command ship at the back of
the line.issuing orders that sent countless people to their deaths. This was just a re-enactment of that
battle.of that hellacious time in both of their lives. But.if anyone was to have those night terrors.it
should be them.

They had to fight Earth. They had had to. There was no other option. But that did not mean that his and
Jeff's consciences were pardoned. Rather, it would be on their shoulders, their souls.forever.

"Sir?"

"Sinclair here." Jeff answered his wrist comm.

"Major Ryan is here."

"Send him in."

Major Ryan rounded the corner with a fast, clipped step minutes later. He still wore his Earth Force
uniform and because he did.it drew attention to the fact that neither Jeff nor John wore their
jackets.their insignia.

"Gentlemen." the Major stated, nodding to both officers. "I just wanted to give my regards before the
Alexander heads out to Orion 7. And to ask a favor."

"Anything," John said, extending his hand to have it shook by the aging, portly officer.

"We have taken on as many fighters as we can from the Churchill.we are at full strength. But there is still
another 20 or so that need housing.could you take the remaining Furies? I'm sure Hiroshi would have
wanted it."

Jeff closed his eyes and nodded once, as John answered Major Ryan with a solemn face. "We would be
honored."

Ryan closed his eyes and smiled a very small smile. "Your men fought well, you should both be proud."

John glanced at Jeff. "We are.for their actions.but not for the reason we had to do it."

Sinclair rose from his chair and approached the Major, his hand held out. "When do you have to jump,
Major?"

"As soon as I return to the ship.we are both targets.and if we leave.it gives them more targets to fire
at.they would not concentrate their fire here."

Sheridan nodded and clapped the man on his shoulder. "Safe sailing, friend."

Sinclair agreed: "Take care.and so long as we are able to hold the fort here.you are more than
welcome."

Ryan opened his mouth, as if to say something, but shut it without issuing any coherent thoughts. He
simply nodded.

"Captain Sheridan?"

"Sheridan here, go." John lifted his wrist to answer his comm.

"You wanted to be informed when Ambassador Delenn came on board."

"Thank you." he answered and glanced at Jeff. "I want to go down there and thank her."

"I'm right behind you." Sinclair said as he rose and walked around his desk. As they approached the
door, Ryan joined them.

"Aren't you gentlemen forgetting something?" The aged major asked. The two men turned to see what the
man was about and encountered him pointing to the low chair in the corner. There, on the metal simplicity
of the chair lay two Earth Force jackets. The two officers shook their head.but it was Sinclair that
answered.

"No, Ryan.we can't wear them now.with clear consciences. We will leave them off until this is
over..and not before."

The major closed his eyes and nodded. When he opened them again, the two officers were gone.

**

"So this is what a sardine feels like." Susan griped as the locks on her pod were jimmied and a rush of
fresh air entered. The landing bay was full of activity from what she could see through the window of her
Fury.

"Quit griping, Ivanova and give me your hand." A large hand descended in front of her and she grimaced
while reaching up to grab it.

"Captain." she answered and was rewarded with Jeff's smiling face. "Why do I have a feeling I'm not
going to live this down.?"

"Hell with that.I'm just glad you are in one piece, Susan." he answered and nodded to the technician
next to the pod. "I'll get her to medlab."

"Yes sir." Susan frowned at the tech as me moved off quickly to the next Fury. As she tried to sit, she
cursed and grabbed at her midsection. Sinclair caught the action and reached down to wrap his arm around
her torso under her arms. She was hefted from the fighter with little effort.

"Can you walk? Are you okay?" Jeff asked seriously with a quiet, loving tone, and she looked up into his
eyes that were wide and full of caring. His arm slid from her midriff and he turned to clasp her upper arms
in warm hands. He gave her a raised eyebrow and a nod.

"Yes, and even if I couldn't, Jeff." she took a tentative step forward and was relieved when the pain in her
torso didn't spread. She tried to get him to smile by issuing a joke. "Damn that was a hell of a ride,
Captain.can I have another go?"

He laughed, slid his hands down her arms, turned and took up pace along side of her. "I owe you a drink,
Ivanova.I know I need one. You gave me a hell of a scare."

"I gave me a hell of a scare as well, Jeff. I'll take a rain check on that drink.if you don't mind.I just want
to get back to my cabin and soak."

"You are going to medlab.no arguments, Susan.I want you checked out. That was a hell of a hit that
you took out there."

"I'm alive.it wasn't as bad of a hit as what the others received," she said grimly. "How many did we lose,
Jeff?"

"Too many. About twenty five." he answered, lowering his hand to touch at her elbow.

There were no other words needed as the two officers weaved their way through the pods, technicians and
personnel in the landing bay. One was glad for the life a friend.the other was glad to have solid ground
under foot.

**

"Delenn?"

The Minbari ambassador spun on her feet to meet the rapidly approaching Earth Force Captain. John's face
was split in a wide smile and his hand was held out. She returned the gesture only to have her hand
grabbed and lifted to his mouth. She was shocked to feel his warm lips on her knuckles, on her fingers.
The breath in her chest was literally stolen as she watched his dark head bend over her hand. "John?" The
feelings she was receiving from his touch were strange, new and exciting. It made shivers go up her spine.

"You don't know what it meant to me.to us.to Jeff and I to see you on the screen." he answered,
slowing righting himself. He reached to wrap his arm around her waist and the lithe woman went easily.

"We couldn't leave you."

He grinned and let his hands close on her hips. "Have I ever shown you the Earth custom of welcoming
back friends who were absent?"

"No." she said, with a small smile. She knew that he didn't want to talk about what had just
happened.that he needed time to digest what was changing in his world. And they had more than enough
time to talk.

He raised his hand to cup her head and eased his lips forward until they covered hers and any other thought
was stolen.thrown wide into the oblivion that his mouth invited. His lips were warm, soft and
wonderfully full as they moved over hers.

**

The door of the lift slid open and Sinclair stepped out. He was met with Garibaldi, hobbling on a cane.
"Christ, Mike.you look like hell."

Garibaldi grimaced and shook his head. "You don't look much better..Captain.but at least Franklin has
given me a clean bill of health.and the leg will heal.eventually."

Jeff smiled and clapped his friend on the back. "You done good, Garibaldi. The breachers didn't make it
much past the entrance to Brown 26."

"And I lost twelve men and too many Narn to count. They fought hard, Jeff.too damn hard.it almost
makes me envious the way that those Narn fought. It was incredible and stupid..brave in other
words.reminds me of a certain Captain that I know," Garibaldi answered.

The door behind Jeff slid open again to empty more people into the main corridor. Susan Ivanova was one
of the last ones off. She approached her two friends with a half grin on her face. "I do believe,
Garibaldi.that this is the first time that I have ever seen you truly acting your age," she indicated the cane
with a smile.

Sinclair shook his head. It seemed that combat brought out his Susan's acidic sense of humor. "And what
are you doing down here? I thought you were supposed to be in med lab."

"You try and keep her there.." Franklin answered drawing alongside of Susan. "Her ribs are bruised and
she has more cuts than I can count.but she's fine. Just needs to rest."

Susan shook her head and walked over to Garibaldi, slipping her arm around his waist to levy him away
from the wall. He leaned into her and asked, quietly. "Where is Sheridan.?"

"Already in there.we should get Jeff in."

"Get Jeff in where?" Sinclair asked, as he folded his arms over his chest. "What?"

Susan reached for his arm and pulled him along as the small band of friends walked down the corridor.
"You have got to see this, Sinclair." she said gently. He allowed her to lead him to the main room of the
Zocalo. When he turned the corner, he saw John and Delenn standing by door. And beyond them..scores
of people. Centauri, Narn, Minbari.humans..many uniforms, many suits. People from every walk of
life, every section of the station. When he entered and stood next to John and Delenn, those nearest began
to clap.

Soon the whole room was filled with the thunder of people clapping, calling out congratulations and
salutations. Jeff stood, ill at ease, at the center. John moved forward to stand next to him, bringing Delenn
by the hand to stand next to him. His arm slid around her waist to anchor her to him. Jeff reached with one
arm to clasp his friend and classmate on the shoulder. Susan moved around to clap with the rest of her
squad, but found herself caught by the hand and pulled towards Jeff. He urged her to stand next to him and
clasped her hand fully behind their backs.

**

In the cold of night, out the small, pressure fitted window, the silhouette of Epsilon 3 flashed rhythmically
as Babylon 5 rotated. It was a barren, brown planet, very unlike the green, blue visage of Earth from space.
But it was a place that held the station aloft in an orbit through its gravitation pull, through the wonders of
Einsteinian physics.

Jeff gazed at it as it flashed by. His head rested on his arm as it leaned against the sill and his other hand
was in his pocket. Behind him, on the chair, his jacket lay.wrinkled, messed and lonely. The reflected
light from the planet washed over his body as the station turned, making his white shirt seem ghostly,
ghastly and otherworldly. He was glad something was there to hold the rotating station. Six hours
previously, he had issued Babylon 5's independence statement. There was no Earth to keep them grounded
now. And any other gravitational body that served to hold him steady was welcomed as replacement.

There was a glass of scotch on the table next to the bed that had been poured but not drank. The
condensation had run off of the glass, soaking the lone article of clothing sitting next to it.

He heard the beeping that alerted him to his door opening, but did not turn. There was a flash of light off to
his side, a burst of brilliance from the corridor against the dim of his room, and then nothing. Jeff could tell
it was not Mike. Just by the subtle change in the air's charge and the whisper of noise from the main room,
he knew it was Susan. She had come looking for him.

There was no speaking.he knew there wouldn't be. How could two friends, whose very definition of self,
whether rightly or wrongly, was based in something that they had both destroyed, talk? What would there
be to say? He could hear her as she approached and waited by the door of his bedroom.

Sinclair saved her the need to be the first to talk. "I thought Franklin told you rest."

"But he didn't say where. I can rest just as easily talking with you on your couch than I can sitting on
mine." Ivanova answered, her voice smoky in the dim of his room. "Delenn said you had come here
after."

He nodded, waving his hand in the air as if dismissing the sentence. "How is Sheridan?"

"With Delenn.I think he is okay. Michael is in medlab for the night, the leg has to be in traction.
Franklin, I think, is asleep on one of the beds in Medlab 4."

"Good. Good."

Ivanova shook her head and sat down on the edge of his bed. "The Churchill's furies are secure."

"Good."

"The Alexander has left and I have all the names of the missing pilots compiled."

"Good."

Susan sighed and tilted her head to stare at him. "Jeff."

He turned to look at her. Ivanova sighed again at the look in his eyes. Their brown depths were endless
and reflective. "You did what you had to do.the independence.we."

Jeff stepped away from the window and turned, sitting down on the bed. "I know. I know it was
necessary.but." He pointed to the crumpled blue uniform jacket. "I put that on because I believed in
what Earth Force was doing. I believed I could contribute something to it. Because of every thing my
father was and everything he stood for."

"I can't answer about Earth Force.but I think your father would be proud of you." Susan answered quietly.
"You did something not very many people have the courage or the strength to do. You stood up when the
time was right for the right thing. That is moral strength."

"So it was my duty and responsibility as a captain in the Earth Force against my morals? I can never go
back now.neither can John. Our families."

".have already been marked and followed, Jeff.you have to believe that."

"I know they have been. But now it is open season on them. Malcolm and Jennah just had the baby."

Susan shifted, turning on her leg to face his back. "They did! That's great news! What."

"Baby girl. Sarah Tegan." The smile on his face was wide for only a second. "The chances of Jennah
being able to hide the baby at that age are almost nonexistent. I found out when I called to warn them. She
looked just like Jennah."

"And you are feeling guilty about it aren't you? Malcolm told you to do it. Told you not to worry about
them.didn't he?"

"Yes."

He turned to look at her. "But I still feel like when I look at my hands, they should be coated in their blood.
I did what was right for Babylon 5, for me, at the expense of what was safe for my family. It is as simple
as that."

Ivanova gazed at him. She could see the darkness around his eyes, showing his exhaustion. Their brown
depths were endless, bottomless, as if they were mirrors reflecting into mirrors infinitely. They
showed.pain, anger.helplessness, but conviction. "Jeff." she laid her hand on his shoulder. In the
touch, she could feel the bunched and tight muscles there. She slid over to him, rising slightly on her knees
to rub at his shoulders.

He turned his head back toward the window, but did not ask her to stop her caresses. With a sigh, his head
lulled forward, stretching the neck so that she could rub its full length. Susan dug her fingers and thumbs
into his skin, the muscles. Jeff didn't talk, he grunted once or twice as her fingers encountered the tightest
muscles.

Susan wanted to tell him. Wanted to tell him how much she respected him for the rough, personal decision
he had made in order to make a proper political decision, a proper moral decision. Wanted to tell him that
she knew his pain.the pain of severing with not only Earth, but the military that was both duty and
meaning to them. The anger at EarthForce for pressing the issue. And the anger at fate for the death of
President Santiago for precipitating the whole matter. After a few minutes, her hands stilled, sliding down
over his shoulders to loop around his chest. "Sometimes I hate fate," she sighed, resting her chin on his
shoulder.

Jeff's hands came up to cover hers on his chest. He tugged on the hand and motioned with his head for her
to come around to his front. She slid across the bed and rose, turning to address him. Sinclair looked up at
her and put his hands on her waist. "Fate is like evolution.it has no conscious, it has no direction.it just
is."

"Don't patronize me, Sinclair," Ivanova said, half-joking, half-serious. She held his forearms and tried to
smile, but didn't have the will or the energy to do so.

"How are your ribs, seriously, Susan?" Jeff slid his hand up to prod at her midsection. She wiggled as if
tickled.

"I'm fine. I just can't do any heavy lifting or serious combat situations for the next week or so. They are
bruised." Ivanova went to remove his hand, but he held on and looked up at her.

"Next time I tell you to eject, damn it, eject. Another ten seconds and you would have been tacyon dust."
Sinclair grimaced. "It's bad enough that we just committed mutiny; having to deal with your death or
permanent maiming is not something.."

"It didn't happen, Jeff." She tilted her head and frowned. "I'm fine. And it is not mutiny."

"A rose by any other name still smells as sweet." Sinclair shook his head. "Come here."

Susan lifted an eyebrow. "I'm here, Jeff."

"No." He pulled at her hips. Her jacket had been left over the arm of his couch and her white shirt was
as eerie seeming as his was in the ephemeral reflected light. She frowned at him, her eyes widening, as he
pulled until she stood between his spread knees. "Humor me."

"And tell jokes?"

"No." Sinclair looked as if deep in thought for a moment. He pushed back on her hips and rose, standing
so close to her that the fabric of their shirts brushed against one another. With a sigh, he stepped to the low
black chair in the corner of the room, near the window and under a darkened lamp, leading her with their
joined hands.

Jeff sat down in the cushions, and settled against the back. The back was wide, the arms wide as well, it
was his favorite, roomy chair for night reading. His eyes skirted up her body from her thighs, which were
level with his eyes, to her hips still clad in EarthForce blue, to her arms and breasts wrapped in loose,
cottony white, to her shiny, braided hair and her pale face. Her blue eyes were dark in the shadows, her lips
that much more red, that much more dark in the dim. With earnest eyes, he pulled on her hand. He didn't
ask, he didn't tell.she was not a woman that would answer him in words and as such, she was not a
woman that expected words. Actions spoke louder than words.

Ivanova stared at him for a moment, her visage schooled and tight. Then something opened in her
expression, her eyes widened and she nodded almost imperceptibly. She could see need in his face, in the
way he held himself. It was not a physical need, but more spiritual.like the man. He wanted
to.connect.just be near someone. And she was all he had at that moment.as he was all she had. Susan
knew he wouldn't ask. The words would make it almost necessary for him to give a meaning, to give a
reason for what he was asking. And she was not even sure he knew what he was asking. If indeed, he was
asking for anything other than.closeness.

Quietly, and without any extra movements or energy, she slid onto his lap, adjusting her weight across his
legs. His arms slid around her waist and hips, pulling until her shoulder connected with his chest. His arm
left her long enough to adjust her legs so that they curled around his right knee and then it wrapped around
her again. Her head came to a rest against his shoulder.

"Jeff."

"Don't, Susan.just let me hold you." Ivanova could feel his voice as it rumbled through his chest. Jeff and
she had cuddled as friends, watching vids on his or her couch lately, but she had not been wholly against
his body in more than a year and a half. "You did what you felt you had to do, and."

Susan sighed. "I did what any other officer would have done, Jeff."

"And I'm doing what any other person that cares for another would do..you are alive and well. I'm alive
and well. Regardless of anything else, that will not change in the next few hours. Let me.celebrate that."
He stated, his chin rubbing against her forehead.

"Hmmm" She answered, sitting straight for a moment, until she sighed and completely relaxed against him.

"Dim lights." He said, his words barely clear. What lights remained.the light in the kitchen, one light in
the bathroom.doused. The only light.the only light that remained was that which came in the window.
She said nothing, letting his warmth and strength support her. And he said nothing, his arms around her.

**

"It was a Spenser torque. I could have pulled out of it."

"It was a Irandian spin.and no.you couldn't have."

Susan's temple was pressed into his cheek. Jeff, for all the weight on his heart, was finding their pseudo
argument somewhat humorous. He turned his head to kiss her forehead, at the bridge of her nose.

"That's bullshit, Jeff. It would have only taken twenty seconds of applied bursts."

"You had ten. If you had had thirty.maybe..but not in ten. You did the right thing by ejecting."

"And you were just a tad bit.over-protective.Sinclair.grumbling over the comm like that for me to
eject. I think you called me every name in the book." She grumbled back, a smile on her lips.

"It got your attention." He answered simply. "God damn, Susan.you are a stubborn woman."

"You wouldn't have me any other way, Jeff. I keep your ass and everyone else's ass in line." Susan
answered.

"True. I just wish you wouldn't be so damn stubborn when your life is on the line." His hand slid up and
down her flank, as if comforting her or reaffirming to him her living, breathing presence.

She shook her head. "Need I remind you, Captain, of the cases in very recent history of your stubbornness
and its ramifications."

His lips split into a grin where they pressed against her skin. "Just don't do it again."

"Only if you give me the same promise, Jeff," Ivanova sighed as his mouth opened and she felt his breath
against her skin. It was moist, hot, basal.like the man. "You know.it worries me as well when you do
things like th