Visions of Peace

by Matthew Sprange

  Turquon was next, but his words were simple. ‘All resolutions have been observed, Quadrant 37 now belongs to the Regime.’ He pressed his thumb to all three datapads.

  Finally, Na’Quil spoke. ‘I bear witness to Quadrant 37 being returned to its rightful and lawful owners. All treaty resolutions have been observed.’ Shaw glanced at Turquon as the Narn added his thumbprint to the treaty, but the Centauri did not seem to even notice Na’Quil’s less-than-diplomatic words. In fact, Shaw thought he looked resigned.

  ‘Gentlemen, I thank you for your part in making this transfer of sovereignty quick and peaceful,’ Badeau said formerly. ‘Na’Quil, your people can begin landing as soon as Principal Turquon’s shuttle has docked with his ship. I hope you enjoy your duties here.’ She gave the Narn his salute and, once again, it was returned. ‘Principal Turquon?’

  After you, my lady, please,’ he said gallantly, sweeping an arm to indicate she should lead the way out of the outpost.

  Na’Quil did not follow them out, and Shaw heard the operations centre’s main computer systems being reinitiated as they walked down the main access corridor. At the landing bay, both Badeau and Shaw exchanged the Arms of Friendship with Turquon.

  ‘It was a pleasure to meet the two of you,’ the Centauri said. ‘I never met a Ranger before today and heard many things about you, both strange and terrifying. Working with you today gives me hope that one day the Republic might once again consider joining your Alliance.’

  ‘The door is always open, Principal,’ replied Badeau. ‘Perhaps you ought to talk to the others in the Centaurum.’

  ‘I fear they would pay little attention to me, my dear. Do you think they would send anyone important to a world the Great Maker himself has forsaken?’ Turquon smiled. ‘No, I am afraid the Republic and your Alliance must clash a little while longer yet. Politically, certainly--hopefully not militarily. I am sincere in my hope for closer relations, but it won’t happen in our lifetimes. I would bet a lot on that.’

  He nodded to Badeau and then turned to walk to his shuttle.

  ‘Come on,’ said Badeau. ‘It would be an insult to the Narn if we gave close escort to that shuttle, but we can at least keep within striking distance.’

  ‘Trouble?’ asked Shaw.

  ‘I don’t think so, but it would be stupid to let something happen now. And I think we need more Centauri like that in the Republic.’

  They hastened aboard the Intrepide and took off quickly, shadowing the Centauri shuttle at a distance until it cleared the atmosphere and made its approach to the Primus battlecruiser. Within moments, it had docked with the huge warship, which soon made a slow turn before firing up its immense engines and heading away from the planet’s gravity well, where it could make the jump to hyperspace safely. Soon after, the White Star’s crew began to detect several shuttles leaving the G’Quan, all carrying personnel to re-staff the outpost. No doubt more than one of them also carried advanced intelligence gathering equipment that would soon be penetrating deep into Centauri space. Their mission complete, Badeau ordered the Intrepide to break orbit and open a jump point itself.

  The White Star was not long in hyperspace before Badeau called Shaw forward. ‘So, how do you think that went? And how well do you think you did?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, the mission was a success,’ he said and paused to gauge Badeau’s reaction. When she continued to just look at him, he felt forced to continue. ‘We were charged with ensuring a peaceful handover, and that is what we achieved. Neither party seemed aggressive towards the other, and the treaty was signed. The Centauri left and the Narn took over.’ He paused again as he considered the day’s events. ‘Still. . .’

  ‘Yes?’ she prompted.

  ‘Well, I didn’t say anything else while we were down there, as you just glossed over it. I figured you had your reasons. But those missing Centauri are bugging me. It’s a loose end.’

  ‘Ah, yes, you have it precisely,’ she encouraged. ‘Now, what do you think is happening?’

  Shaw thought hard. With just the information they had seen today, few solid conclusions could be formed. He had been trained to speculate, however, though it had also been hammered into him not to rely solely on those speculations. Imagination was not a trait that was knocked out of Rangers during their training, but it was something to be tempered. Did Sabine have information he lacked? Possibly, but he knew he wasn’t expected to act on that, merely put the pieces he did have together.

  ‘Well,’ he began. ‘Sending scientists to terraform the system makes no sense. That takes years, decades even, and they must have known months ago that Quadrant 37 was being handed back to the Narn. These things do not get agreed overnight. So that was a lie. The scientists were intended for something else. The ship destroying itself as it activated its jump engines is a possibility, given how much we have heard about the state of Centauri shipping since the reparations started. On the other hand, if an assassination was planned, sabotaged jump engines would not be the first time it had been attempted in the Republic. Na’Quil did not push the matter, so either he believed the Centauri, which is unlikely, or he assumed it was something relatively harmless. Or, he thought it was a purely internal matter for the Centauri--feuding Houses or something.’

  Badeau nodded slowly as she leaned back in her seat and propped her chin with a hand. ‘Good. You found the essential truth--that Turquon, however pleasant he seemed, was lying. Your speculations are more or less on course as well. You missed one item of information which would push you in one direction but then, you weren’t primed to look for it.’

  Shaw frowned. ‘What did I miss?’ he asked, beginning to curse himself for being inattentive. As a Ranger, he had been trained to pick up any pattern during analysis. Coming consistently near the top in Denn’Bok training was no excuse for not concentrating on more cerebral lessons. Of course, for the Minbari, they were both much the same.

  ‘All six came from House Kaado. Two were using an alias of House Ardo, which is what threw you off. However, I am confident that when checking begins on Tuzanor, we’ll find those aliases confirmed.’

  ‘I am not sure I was supposed to have known that,’ he said, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

  As I said, you had not been primed to spot it. In my briefing before we left Minbar, I was told that intelligence was being sought on House Kaado from all Rangers operating near the Centauri border. It was a minor thing, and you’ll find we get dozens of such requests with every mission. This time it might have paid off. Anyway, now you know that, what are your conclusions?’

  Shaw felt he was on firmer ground now. ‘It has nothing to do with the Narn. It is a feud between Houses. Intelligence must be watching the rivalries between the Great Houses of the Republic. These scientists were assassinated by enemies of their House.’

  ‘I’ll go you one better. It still makes little sense for scientists to be sent to an outpost to start a project when the entire system is being handed over to another government. Consider this--suppose those scientists are not dead?’

  Pursuing his lips, Shaw was silent for a few seconds. ‘Wow’ was all he said at first. Finally finding his voice, he said, ‘Kidnapped, maybe. Probably not as hostages but for what they know.’ He stopped, considering another possibility. ‘Or House Kaado themselves made the scientists disappear. Which means whatever they are doing, the House wants kept secret from the rest of the Republic.’

  ‘Personally, I don’t like either possibility,’ said Badeau. ‘Oh, I don’t know which it could be, if it is either. I have no details on House Kaado. I was simply handed the request for more information. Still, it means that as well as completing our mission, we may have picked up something the Ranger-Analysts can use. If so, we can consider that a bonus, though we may never know the final result.’

  She sat up straight and crossed her legs. ‘Despite the ‘great’ galactic ramifications, it was a simple mission. You did well enough, but let’s see if we can get you doing something a little mo
re complex next. Get some rest for now. I’ll transmit our mission briefing to Tuzanor and see where we are to head next.’

  Walking to the White Star’s sleeping quarters, deep in the belly of the ship, Shaw was suddenly surprised at how tired he was. The Captain was right: the mission had not been especially complicated, but he had been on edge all day, not wanting to make the slightest mistake. He had managed to perform his tasks without any errors. Without stopping to grab something to eat, he simply lay back on one of the angled Minbari-style sleeping couches and closed his eyes. Within minutes he was asleep.

  Chapter Four

  June 17th 2263, House Kaado, Centauri Prime

  If viewed casually by the average Centauri noble, Veneta Kaado’s manor would seem the same as it always had done. Certainly, a few more royal guardsmen were in evidence, patrolling its gardens and outbuildings, but then the new head of House Kaado was given to vulgar displays of power and influence. Some might say his flaunting of both was even more distasteful recently and that Veneta Kaado might be advised to take more care in what he displayed to the outside world. After all, Centauri society would only tolerate so much self-indulgence. The same nobles given to these musings, however, would just as likely put the flourish of guardsmen down to an overenthusiastic display of celebration for Veneta’s good fortune. Or perhaps they might surmise he truly needed them. After all, he gained his position as head of House Kaado through circumstances which, if not overtly suspicious, certainly gave rise to many rumours. They might assume Veneta’s hold on his House was weak and he feared other rising nobles with the will and ambition to steal his position. So, Veneta Kaado could be considered strong and able to display frivolous indications of his power, or maybe he was weak and desperately trying to ward a strike against his position. Which would it likely be?

  Such were the vagaries of Centauri politics.

  Nestled between rolling hills outside of the capital, Veneta’s manor was another of his uncle’s possessions, perhaps the one he coveted the most. Close enough to Imperial City to make journeys there convenient and yet far enough away to have escaped the bombardment of the Narn-led attack on Centauri Prime half a year before, the manor reflected Veneta’s new power. Some estates were wiped off the map by the tremendous energies that were unleashed on the Centauri population, unintended targets and collateral damage in the attack. The deaths of those influential Centauri nobles caught in the strike caused a scramble for power in the Centaurum, and many benefited from the misfortune of others.

  The extra royal guardsmen were a condition laid upon Veneta by his visitors today, and he suspected the demands were as much a test of his political power as a security measure. Here, in his personal home, he conducted his most critical meetings. Veneta could call upon support and influence others into his way of thinking here and be reasonably sure that word would not immediately get back to the Emperor.

  But today was different. His meeting today was not with followers or sycophants, no matter how much he might inwardly enjoy the presence of both. Instead, he was meeting with his peers, other heads of Houses and high-ranking members of the Centaurum who shared his views on the Republic’s future--and were willing to do something to change their own fates. All had vested interests, of course. In Centauri politics, that went without question. The difference here was that each had been personally affected by either the Republic’s isolation from the galaxy or the reparations Emperor Mollari had agreed to. What had begun as a few whispers in the shadowy corners of banquets and official gatherings had grown into a full-blown conspiracy.

  In terms of raw power, Veneta Kaado was a relatively small player in august company. He expertly played to the vanities of each member present and, more importantly, was willing to take the risks others were keen to avoid. If their meeting today were discovered, for example, the others would no doubt make some suitable excuse as to how they had been duped. Because the gathering took place on his property, however, he would be labelled as the head conspirator and pay the price. Veneta had no illusions that the others were doing anything but minimising the risk to their own necks, but his bold moves allowed him to conspire with them as an equal, and some here might even defer to him. Conspiracies had their own set of politics, and Veneta quickly learned them all. Taking these risks would confer real power on him in the larger world of the Centaurum, even if not everyone he dealt with understood quite why.

  Getting the three other members of Centauri nobility currently sitting in his boardroom to meet without guards or flunkies present was difficult but necessary if the conspiracy was to continue. Veneta gazed out of the large tinted window that overlooked his extensive gardens, watching the low sun play across the leaves of Taafa trees and Starlaces fluttering in the gentle breeze. These and other exotic plants flanked a sculpted lake that extended out of view. Veneta allowed himself to dream of the Republic reaching forth across the galaxy once more. Then, perhaps, things would regain a sense of normality, and the money and power would flow freely once more.

  Veneta looked up as Minister Kallafa of House Verlime began talking again. Despite House Verlime’s relatively poor standing in the Centaurum, he was allowed into the conspiracy to perform an act that even Veneta had been forced to defer on. Every conspiracy had a weak point, and Verlime was it for this one. It had not been spoken aloud, but every other member present knew that should anything go wrong, it would be House Verlime that acted the scapegoat. If everything went according to plan, Verlime would have a chance to reverse some of his recent misfortunes and set his star rising once more. That, and being forced to listen to his opinions, seemed a small enough price to pay.

  ‘Under Kaado’s directions,’ Verlime nodded at Veneta, ‘I have arranged for transports to be in the Coutor system every other week, ready to transport the, ah, device whenever it is ready. Anyone checking the manifests will see only the new supply treaty signed by our Houses.’

  Kallafa Verlime was a skinny and rakish man, his greying hair arranged into the large, wide crest that nobles seeking to grasp power adopted, the style being reminiscent of the current Emperor’s. Naturally, it was common in the royal court as well. For all their faults, the rest of the nobles present, Veneta included, wore the more restrained crest that simply extended upwards and not out. They were confident in themselves and certain of their power.

  ‘Has the egress route from the Republic been determined?’ asked Minister Territt, a noble who clearly enjoyed the vices his position granted and was certainly the most overweight Centauri that Veneta had ever seen.

  ‘Yes, Minister,’ said Verlime, a little too smoothly, as if he were trying too hard to ingratiate himself into his present company. ‘We have human smugglers prepared to take the cargo from my transport into the Narn Regime, and then route it through several different systems and ports to Babylon 5. With new shipping documents, it will be relatively easy for our people to send it into the Earth Alliance.’ He seemed suitably pleased with his work though, in truth, his part began and ended in Republic space. Veneta’s own smuggling contacts had allowed the Narn to be used in this way, and Minister Territt’s people stood ready on Babylon 5.

  ‘I am still a little uncomfortable sending something so valuable so close to our greatest enemy.’ Minister Tannama spoke up, a noble who favoured the heavy gold-braided clothing fashionable a century or more ago when the Republic had been at its greatest. It was a fashion few others chose to adopt. This was also not the first concern that the minister had raised for their plans.

  ‘Our strategy has never been without risks,’ Territt reminded him. ‘The Narn have the technology least likely to detect the cargo as it passes through their worlds. And it need not remain there long on its journey.’

  ‘It is also necessary if we are to implicate the Narn should anything go wrong,’ Veneta said. ‘We have little choice. Would you prefer to send it through the Minbari Federation or on a long hyperspace voyage to the League, where we may never see it again? Discovery by either route would
surely be inevitable and make it harder for us to force everyone’s hand in the right direction.’

  ‘How goes the work of your scientists, Kaado?’ Territt asked.

  Veneta took a breath before answering. ‘In theory, we could go now. We know how the device is activated and have already adapted it to fit a fuse dependant on both time and galactic co-ordinates. What we don’t know is how effective the device actually is, as our intelligence on the Dilgar and what they were capable of was never extensive. We believe this device was one of several, each capable of linking to the others to magnify their effects. Together, they might have been capable of destroying an entire world. On its own . . . we don’t know. There is a lot of power in that device, and my people believe it is designed to attack a planet’s crust. The area of effect is probably measurable in hundreds of miles. Maybe more. Given where we intend to place it, however, I would vouch for it being enough. Given more time, I would like to continue the development of duplicates.’

  Minister Territt shook his head. ‘That is a luxury. If this device fails to get through to the target, we cannot guarantee that others will. Given your assurances for its effects, I believe we already have what we need. You mentioned before that duplicates would likely require materials only found on the Dilgar s homeworld?’

  ‘It looks that way. As you pointed out then, we have no reasonable way to get to Omelos safely, and there is no certainty that those materials can still be found there after their star went nova.’

  ‘Agreed. You’ll take care of your scientists and anyone else who came into contact with the device?’

  ‘Consider it done.’

  ‘What about escalation?’ This was probably the first pertinent question Veneta had heard Verlime ask since he had first met the noble.

  ‘I will use a favour owed to me by someone I have in the military,’ replied Territt. ‘We’ll have a state of mobilisation throughout our border worlds. It will look as though the order came from the Emperor himself