For a moment, the Emperor regarded Sheridan with something the President guessed was either loathing or contempt, and he suppressed a shudder. He had never seen such malevolence in the old Ambassador before.
‘President Sheridan, you know my position. We will not tolerate an invasion. You tell Luchenko if she dares violate our territory, the wrath of the Centauri will follow her fleets back to Earth and finish what the Minbari started!’
The display went dead as the Emperor cut the link. ‘Damn him!’ Sheridan swore violently.
Tuthenn stepped forward but paused to allow Sheridan’s frustration to run its course before he spoke. ‘The Emperor’s speech was guarded, for all the passion he displayed. He gave nothing away.’
Sheridan looked up at the Minbari. ‘Then we are back where we started. I swear, Tuthenn, Londo has changed. I have known him for years now, but I do not recognise the man I just spoke to.’
After another respectful pause, Tuthenn said ‘There is . . . something. I do not think he was alone. We can analyse the transmission, but I do not believe we will discover anyone else in the throne room with him as he spoke with you. Still ... I cannot shake the feeling someone or something was present and that his words were guarded--not from you but that other.’
Sheridan looked quizzically at Tuthenn as he considered this. ‘It is not like you analysts to work on hunches.’
‘Oh, hunches, or intuition, as we like to call it, are certainly factors in our work. However, they must always be tempered with facts. Intuition is the raw material which, with facts, forge the conclusion. I believe this is a dead end though.’
‘How so?’ asked Sheridan.
‘If we find no trace of anyone else in that transmission, no trace heartbeat or breathing, then we will have nothing with which to pursue this line of investigation. And I believe that any force powerful or canny enough to force the Emperor of the Centauri Republic to be careful with his words will evade our attempts to uncover it through so simple a method.’
While Sheridan seemed to think this over, Tuthenn interrupted him. ‘My apologies, President Sheridan. This is the nature of what we do. As Ranger-Analysts we are taught to consider all possibilities, to follow every logical path to its conclusion. I should not have mentioned this without something more to go on.’
‘No, no, that is fine. So, where does that leave us?’
‘I must return to the intelligence centre and continue my analysis. I think you know as well as I that evidence of the Republic’s innocence can avert war.’
‘I agree,’ Sheridan sighed. ‘Tuthenn, you know that if either attack is traced back to the Republic, war is inevitable.’
Tuthenn nodded silently and took his leave as Sheridan picked up a report on Drazi immigration throughout the Narn Regime. Unable to focus on the words, he dropped the papers.
‘This means the end of the ISA.’
July 8th 2263, Mars Dome One, Sol
Having run into dead-ends with EarthForce administration, Shaw finally managed to obtain the scout ship’s analysis of the attack on the Corax from one of the officers in the communications hub, something he considered an act of mercy after being passed from desk to desk via the link in his booth. The atmosphere in the Support Centre was tense. Everyone seemed to expect war to break out at any second.
Reviewing the information, he quickly reached the same conclusions as EarthForce. Everything pointed to the Centauri launching an attack without provocation. It must have been one hell of a battle.
Soon after, Luchenko called for a meeting with her EarthForce officials to discuss options. Shaw had not been invited, but no one turned him away as he seated himself among the brass. He sensed Luchenko’s desperation as she spoke, and the discussion clearly focussed on finding a way out of the crisis. Earth suffered much over the past decade and could not afford another war without dire repercussions on its galactic economy.
For five minutes Luchenko debated just this with two of her generals, and tempers were less than totally controlled.
‘General Lefcourt, I know what you are saying. We have already talked about force deployment across the Centauri border, and I read your report some time ago. What we need to focus on now are the alternatives.’
‘Madam President,’ said the target of her appeal, a man in his late fifties with a gravely voice that was used to giving orders, not debating. ‘I am no politician but the people are demanding action. It has been nearly forty-eight hours since the attack on EarthDome and we have done nothing.’
‘This is not like the terrorist attacks of old, General. I think the people know that we operate on a larger stage than just one world now. Even our most advanced ships take time to cross the known galaxy.’
‘With respect, Madam President, I don’t think they do. They want to see strong leadership and positive results, quickly. I understand you hesitate to send our men and women into battle--that is to be respected in any President, and you would not have had my support for so long if you casually threw them into battle without due thought. But we have been over this. We have clear evidence that the Centauri are behind both attacks. This demands an appropriate response.’
Shaw took the opportunity to interrupt. ‘Madam President, I counsel caution--not just as the representative of the ISA, but as a human. If the Emperor is to be believed, any action we take against the Centauri at this point will provoke them into a full-scale war which neither government can support.’
Keynes, the admiral that had plagued Shaw earlier, chose that time to weigh in with her view. ‘And if we do nothing, we invite further attack--not just from the Centauri but any government with something to gain from our weakness.’
Shaw spun round to face her. ‘You are advocating a war that will kill thousands without knowing all the facts!’
‘The facts seem clear to me,’ she said. ‘What matters is how we appear to the rest of the galaxy. If someone pushes us, we have to push back, or stand to lose everything we gain. Good Lord, how much more evidence do we need--there is clear and incontrovertible proof that the Centauri have attacked us. General Lefcourt is right; we have already waited too long.’
‘The Centauri are a divided people!’ Shaw said a little too loudly as he lost patience. ‘We have never disputed that Centauri are responsible. What we contend is that the Republic as a whole is not the root cause. They have nothing to gain!’
‘You may be right in that,’ said Luchenko, raising a hand to pacify both Shaw and the admiral. ‘But I have long thought they might not need a reason to take such a course of action. It is my belief that the Narn and Drazi, and even we to an extent, have pushed the Centauri too far. We have bottled them up in their corner of the galaxy, and it might be inevitable that they would break under the pressure of isolation and those reparations.’ She paused before continuing, weighing her words. ‘Why attack Earth? There is a certain logic to it. They cannot strike the whole ISA at once, and though they have history with the Narn, the ISA is the new enemy. The head of the ISA, of course, comes from Earth. What better target? Or, look at it this way--if they want to strike at Sheridan, they can choose to hit either us or the Minbari. The Centauri may be illogical, but they are not stupid.’
‘Surely that means we should contain them sooner rather than later?’ asked the admiral.
Luchenko sighed. ‘We cannot afford another war, for so many different reasons. We need some way to avoid it.’
‘Madam President,’ General Lefcourt said gently. ‘I think you need to realise that a de facto state of war already exists between us and the Centauri.’
Luchenko looked at each of her advisors before her gaze settled on Shaw. He wished to give her some alternatives but, as their eyes met, he could see what the President was thinking. With a sinking feeling, he watched as her eyes dulled slightly, her decision made.
‘General. Proceed. Blockade the border worlds of the Centauri.’
Shaw closed his eyes. ‘That will give the Centauri no choice but to atta
ck your fleets,’ he muttered.
‘That is the intention,’ answered Keynes. ‘We will strike quickly, subduing any resistance their outposts attempt. Then, we will use each colony world as a base of operations, allowing us to effectively fortify each system against attack. When the Centauri fleets come, we will be in a position of advantage. A series of battles across the entire front will see their defeat, and then we will be in a strong position to negotiate further reparations with the Centauri. If we so choose.’
Lefcourt spoke up once more to bring another point to the discussion. ‘What of the offers of support from the Narn and Drazi? We also have word that the Brakiri, Hyach and Gaim are willing to send ships if we engage with the Centauri fleets. Others will likely follow.’
‘I thought about that,’ said Luchenko. ‘I’ll personally thank them and suggest they negotiate with the Narn to enter Regime space. We may need their support later, and we cannot look a gift horse in the mouth. However, we cannot have them join us in the initial invasion. In the interests of stability, we cannot turn this into a galactic-wide war, however eager they are.’
The meeting broke up soon after that, and Shaw rushed back to his booth to join Tilanna. He placed a hand on her shoulder to pull her attention away from her display.
‘Get me Sheridan,’ he said. ‘It’s starting.’
They exchanged concerned looks as she began the communication protocols. Minutes later, Sheridan’s face appeared on the display, replacing the facts and figures Tilanna had been ploughing through.
‘Michael, Tilanna. What have you got?’ Sheridan looked as stressed as Luchenko had in the meeting.
‘Mr. President,’ Shaw said. ‘EarthForce is moving. They are going to blockade several Centauri worlds along the border and force their fleets to engage. Other governments are pledging their support.’
Sheridan looked away from the screen briefly, annoyance and frustration clearly visible on his face. ‘That was to be expected,’ he said. ‘Many within the ISA would like nothing better than to see the Centauri wiped off the face of the galactic map.’
‘Mr. President. We have turned up nothing here. Nothing Luchenko or her people will accept.’
‘Michael, you must keep trying. We have nothing but supposition and circumstance despite the best efforts of the intelligence centre. We desperately need something showing House Kaado acted independently, rather than the Republic or the Emperor. Without that. . .’ Sheridan trailed off briefly before continuing. ‘I am going to send the White Star fleet into the targeted systems and place them between the Earth and Centauri fleets.’
‘I know, Michael, I know. This is going to end badly.’ He paused, looked as if he was going to say something, then changed his mind. ‘Keep me informed of any developments within EarthForce. I imagine that when the fireworks start, you will be politely asked to leave. Do so. If it comes down to that, you will not be able to do anything else.’
‘Understood, Mr. President. Good luck.’
The display went blank, and Shaw stared at it for several long seconds before Tilanna called up her previous work.
‘We cannot give up, Michael,’ she said after he continued to stare at the screen.
‘I don’t know, Tilanna. I don’t think I am the right person to be here. I cannot help thinking that if Sabine was here in my place ...’
Tilanna shook her head firmly. ‘You are exactly where you need to be,’ she said.
‘You think so?’
‘I know so. The universe works in such a way that we are all placed exactly where we need to be. These places and times are rarely easy to live through, but you can take comfort from the fact that you are not supposed to be anywhere else.’
He smiled. ‘Your people have a unique way of looking at things.’
‘Just so.’
‘Okay, if I am meant to be here and the universe obviously has something in store for me, what do we have so far?’
‘Likely little else,’ she said. ‘Still, attend. We know the device used to destroy EarthDome was of Dilgar origin, due to your work on Coutor.’
‘That was more Sabine than me,’ he said.
‘Regardless. We have trailed the device through customs checkpoints throughout the Narn Regime, Babylon 5 and then into the Earth Alliance, right up to EarthDome. What you found on Coutor is the link that places the origin of the device in the Republic.’
‘I’m with you so far.’
‘We also know that Centauri ships attacked the carrier group.’
‘Yes--if we believe the reports given to us by EarthForce, of course.’
‘I see no reason for duplicity there. At least, not yet,’ she said cryptically.
‘What do you mean?’ he asked, puzzled.
‘I’ll come back to that. However, the report was too detailed to forge easily and has been verified by Tuzanor. Let us accept it as genuine for now.’
‘Okay.’
‘We do not know where the Dilgar device came from. That is a complete unknown. We might be tempted to decide that, at this point, it does not matter. The attack happened, and we have a link back to the people who initiated it.’
‘House Kaado,’ he said.
‘Correct. From all this, we know Centauri are involved. All that is missing now is the extent of the plot. Does it involve House Kaado alone, a group of conspirators, the Centaurum, or does it go all the way up to the Emperor? If it is one of the last two, that means war.’
‘We have war now.’
‘Well, not yet,’ said Tilanna. ‘Not until Earth and Centauri fleets actually meet in battle as commanded by their respective rulers or ruling bodies. However, this is the question that must be answered before any action can be taken in good conscience.’
‘I think we are fresh out of that.’
A pause lingered between them as Tilanna looked straight into his eyes. Slowly her intent dawned on Shaw.
‘You have something, don’t you?’ he asked, with a growing smile.
‘Please do not get your hopes high,’ Tilanna said. ‘It is ... an anomaly, perhaps nothing more.’
‘Tilanna, at this point, I’ll take anything.’
‘The records of Babylon 5 customs points are quite chaotic and took some time to work through. However, I was able to verify that the energy signature generated by the Dilgar device did pass through the station on its way to Earth.’
‘As you said before, we already knew that. What more is there?’
Tilanna activated a new programme on her display, and she called up a new set of data. ‘Why is this section of the customs reports classified? In fact, if you have a moment, why classify any part of any customs report?’
Shaw frowned. ‘Umm. I don’t know. Cover a covert operation or something?’
‘Maybe. Certainly to cover something.’
‘I am sorry, Tilanna, but why do you think this is important?’
‘Look at the dates on these files. The classified section covers only a short time of May 23rd, by your calendar, and only exterior sweeps by service bots of ships that have not docked with the station. That perhaps means nothing by itself. But look when the section was classified.’
He peered at the display, now jumbled with figures. ‘Yesterday.’
‘And do you recognise the classification protocols that protect it?’
He shook his head. ‘No. I’m no cryptographer.’
‘Neither am I. But from what I have been able to tell, it relates to Earth’s Joint Chiefs of Staff
Shaw shook his head. ‘No. The Joint Chiefs are all either dead or in critical condition after the Intrepide went down.’
Tilanna turned round to face him. ‘Exactly.’
He suddenly came to a screeching halt as the direction of Tilanna’s thinking became clear. ‘Then who classified it? And why?’
‘Those are two very important questions, Michael.’
Taking a step back, he sat down at his own station, thinking hard. The possibilities began to swim in his
mind. None seemed very wholesome, and he had a great deal of trouble believing that anyone in the Earth Alliance would purposefully want war with the Centauri.
‘Can you break those protocols?’ he asked.
Tilanna took a deep breath. ‘I would really like to consult with our colleagues in the intelligence centre, but if we send out a communication like that, it will get intercepted. We will be thrown off this base, arrested or worse. Either way, we will be of no help to anyone.’
‘We are on our own then,’ he smiled sadly.
‘As before. However, I do have some small training in this area.’
Shaw’s smile became broader at her typical modesty. He long ago learned that when Minbari understated their capabilities, they were usually more than capable.
‘Give it your best shot,’ he said.
‘I may trip an alert with my stumbling around,’ Tilanna warned.
‘We have literally nothing left to lose.’
Chapter Eleven
July 9th 2263, Beta III, Centauri Republic
For centuries, the star system Beta III rested on the outskirts of the Centauri Republic, its people relatively untouched by Centaurum politics so long as they fulfilled their annual quotas of Quantium-40. This suited them just fine, as the Centauri of the colony on Beta III were known to be individualistic and content with a simpler way of life. Quantium-40, a material vital for the construction of new jump gates across the Republic, gave them the means to support themselves, which in turn allowed them to govern their own people with little interference from Centauri Prime.
Their tranquillity was shattered when the first EarthForce fleet blockaded their world from the rest of the Republic. With such a valuable commodity as Quantium-40 present, the inevitable Centauri response would begin at Beta III, though other colony worlds along the Republic’s borders were being invaded simultaneously.
A dozen blue jump points lit up space less than a million miles from the sole inhabited world of the system and far from any active defence. Certain he could deploy his fleet safely, Admiral Andrew Ward gave the order for his ships to jump into realspace and begin their approach to the colony.
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