Babylon 5 17 - Techno-Mages 02 - Summoning Light (Cavelos, Jeanne)

by Summoning Light (Cavelos, Jeanne)

  History suggested that Rabelna Dorna would go to the bazaar. And yet, she had not emerged. They had only ten minutes before their ship would arrive.

  Then, in the empty corridor, the door slid open. Rabelna appeared. Muirae gave Elric a tense smile. Time was short.

  Elric switched from camera to camera, following Rabelnas course. She wore no scarf of purple or green. She did not dress like a Drazi at all, but like a Human, in a brown plaid jacket and skirt. The clothes bulged with the thick grey scales beneath them. Elric knew she spoke English nearly fluently, quite an accomplishment considering the difficulty Drazi had with other languages. The clothes and the language skills revealed both insecurity and determination. Most of her contacts on Babylon 5 were Human, and she obviously desired to fit in among them and to impress them. For other Drazi, she seemed to have little patience or affection.

  She made her way toward the bazaar. The marketplace was one of the less reputable on the station, crowded with small, dimly lit stalls that offered exotic and often illegal items.

  Well aware of Rabelnas progress, Alwyn and Carvin positioned themselves at a stall where she often stopped. The Human proprietor traded in stolen wares.

  Rabelna wound her way through the bazaar, stopping periodically. At last she approached the stall where the mages waited.

  Alwyn had planted probes there, and Elric now accessed those, using the common key they had all agreed upon. Elric selected a probe stuck on a display case. Rabelna stood over it, waiting for the proprietor to finish with another customer. Alwyn and Carvin stood to one side, their backs to her. They spoke in well-rehearsed Drazi.

  Captain Vayda fired us because he was afraid wed win, Alwyn said.

  Its not our fault we two drew purple and the rest of the crew drew green, Carvin said. We had to fight. Thats no reason to fire us.

  Its Green oppression, Alwyn said.

  Rabelnas expression soured with the talk of the Purple/ Green conflict.

  Im going to file a complaint with the shipping commission. Those techno-mages are paying a bonus. We should have gotten a share.

  At the mention of techno-mages, Rabelna glanced subtly in their direction. Suddenly she was interested. She reached into her pocket, activated a small recorder.

  Alwyn took Carvins arm, lowering his voice. I have a better idea. Rabelna inched closer. The Zekhite will arrive here in ten days to take the techno-mages away. When the ship comes, we can lead the Purples of Babylon 5 in an attack. Teach Captain Vayda and those Greens a lesson.

  Thats brilliant! Carvin said. Lets find the Purple leader.

  They began to walk away, and Rabelna deactivated the recorder, the grey scales of her face twisting with a sly smile. She looked curiously after Alwyn and Carvin.

  To follow their progress, Elric accessed one of the security cameras in the bazaar, continuing to maintain his connection with the probe on the stall. The two images appeared side by side in his minds eye.

  Alwyn and Carvin didnt get far. They ran into a trio of Purple Drazi, who were staring down a group of Green Drazi across the marketplace. The Purples, encouraged by the increase in their numbers, slapped Alwyn on the back and headed toward the Greens, eager for a fight.

  Never one to undertake an illusion with anything less than one hundred percent commitment, Alwyn took the lead. He walked up to one of the Greens and rammed his shoulder into the Drazi as he shoved past. Apparently he didnt take the weight of the Drazi into account, for the force of the impact spun Alwyn around, and in that moment of vulnerability, the Green hauled off and punched him.

  Alwyn fell stumbling back, and Carvin jumped to his defense, pummeling the Green with a few quick blows. A brawl broke out.

  Rabelna turned to the stalls proprietor with a condescending shake of her head. Ill be moving up my trip, she said in perfect English. I need to leave immediately. Do you have anything for me?

  Elric relaxed a bit. Shed embraced the deception completely. Their first step had been successful. News that the techno-mages had hired a Drazi freighter, the Zekhite , would reach their enemies when she did. Records would show it could carry over five hundred, promoting the illusion that all five hundred mages were leaving together from Babylon 5.

  That was one of three means of transportation Elric had arranged for their departure. In the shell game of his deception, the shells were the three ships, the mages the pea hidden within one of them. The second ship was an Earth transport, the Tidewell . It too was scheduled to arrive in ten days and could carry five hundred passengers. The mages had purchased it under the name of a false holding company Alwyn had long ago established. The transaction had been carefully disguised so that their enemies, when they searched the records with sufficient effort, could discover the true owners. Elric expected they would apply that sufficient effort within a day of his arrival on Babylon 5.

  Once they discovered that the mages had purchased the Tidewell , the Shadows would destroy it, hoping to delay the mages and throw their plans into disarray. At the same time, the Shadows would continue their investigations. They would assume that the mages had some second method for leaving the station; their orders use of deceptions and misdirection was well established.

  But of the mages arrangement with the Zekhite , no records existed, so it could not be discoveredexcept through this chance leak. When Rabelna brought news of it to the Shadows, they would believe the Tidewell had been the mages misdirection, and the true plan was to leave on the Zekhite . In their arrogance, they would believe they had discovered the whole of the mages strategy.

  What they would not know was that there were not five hundred mages on Babylon 5 but only fifty. And of those, only half would board the ship that was to be the target of the Shadowsan unavoidable sacrifice necessary to maintain the illusion. For the other half, Elric hoped, there was the third shell in this game, a third method of transportation: twenty-five tickets bought under a variety of names on a small luxury liner, the Crystal Cabin .

  In the bazaar, security arrived to break up the fight. Alwyn was being pounded by two Greens; Carvin climbed up onto a nearby display counter, ran down its length, and launched herself at them. Elric had told Alwyn and Carvin to bond with the stations Purple Drazi, though he hadnt envisioned the bonding taking this form. He knew that Alwyn, at least, was enjoying himself, and he thought Carvin was as well. He just hoped they would be able to slip away before they were detained.

  Elric broke the contact, leaving them to their own devices. The transport was entering the stations vast docking complex. Elric nodded to Muirne and Beel, directing them to retrieve their few belongings.

  As they did, he accessed the cameras in the busy customs area where he and the others would disembark. He was gratified to see, amidst all the activity, three Centauri. He had timed his arrival perfectly.

  One of the Centauri was critical to his deception.

  When reviewing Muirnes records, Elric had been pleased to learn that Morden, the dead archaeologist, frequently visited Babylon 5 and was currently on the station. Even if Elric could not deceive the Shadows, he could deceive their Human servant. Morden would be the mechanism through which his deception worked.

  To reach Morden, he would have to operate through a pawn. That pawn would be the Centauri ambassador, Londo Mollari. Londo was a man of great appetites, and a man of great appetites could be easily manipulated. Apparently Elric was not the first to think so.

  Londo appeared to have some preexisting relationship with Morden. What exactly their relationship was, Elric had not been certain until just an hour ago. While Morden had spoken with many on Babylon 5, just as he had spoken with many at the mages convocation, including Elric, that did not always mean the subjects of his interest became his allies. Yet Morden had gone to Londos quarters several times, and they seemed also to visit the stations gardens at the same time, where they could meet within the vast hedge maze without being observed by security.

  More than that, Morden kept Londo under observation. El
ric had discovered that Morden had several agents working for him. These agents would meet with Morden, and later appear in the casino when Londo was there, or follow him through the Zocalo. Elric had even seen one of these agents gambling with Londo, winning a great deal of money from the ambassador. Elric wondered how many of Londos extensive gambling debts were Mordens doing. Limiting Londos resources would help keep him under control.

  Initially Elric had imagined that, when faced with the question Morden seemed to favor What do you want ? Londo would ask for money to repay those never-ending debts, or for women, or for some advantage over his nemesis, the Narn ambassador, GKar. He had not yet grasped the depths of Londos evil.

  The Narn base in Quadrant 37 had been destroyed by the Shadows at the end of last year, ten thousand Narns killed.

  Elric had assumed the Shadows had undertaken the attack to secure an alliance with the Centauri, sworn enemies of the Narn. But Elric had not believed Londo the one to request the attackit seemed too bloodthirsty for the petty, dissolute, discarded diplomat Muirne had described.

  Yet he had learned differently.

  Since their arrival the day before, Alwyn and Carvin had planted probes on as many of the stations residents as possible, and in particularfollowing Elrics instructionson Vir Cotto, Londos attaché. Elric dared not plant a probe on Londo, for fear Morden or the Shadows might detect it and realize the ambassador had been targeted.

  But the probe on Vir had proven extremely valuable. Only an hour before, Vir had been present at a meeting between Londo and Refa, a lord among the Centauri.

  Elric had anticipated the meeting. In his earlier examination of station records, he had noted that Refas personal transport was scheduled to both arrive and depart on this day. Further investigation had revealed a connection between Refas visit and the arrival of the Centauri freighter Ondavi , which carried grain for sale. Refa tried to hide the fact that he and his family owned the ship and the grain, since participating in such commerce was deemed unworthy for a Centauri born of high ancestry. But the wealth of Refas family had greatly declined over the years, debts had accumulated, and entering into commerce was a desperate attempt to maintain the lifestyle in which he believed he must live. Through his visit, Refa clearly hoped to expedite some sales without revealing his own stake in the matter.

  Elric had assumed Refas brief stay would include a meeting with the Centauri ambassador, though he had thought that for Refa, one of the most powerful men outside the royal family, the visit would be pro forma, Londo barely worthy of his attention.

  But at that meeting, Refa had revealed that Londo had been behind the attack on Quadrant 37 and the death of ten thousand Narns. How Londo had accomplished it, and with what hidden forces, Refa did not know, and Refa very much wanted to know. But Londo would not tell him.

  The answer was obvious enough. Londo had sold his soul to the Shadows so that the Narns would be crushed, and the Centauri would regain dominance within the galaxy. Londo could not stomach the fact that the Narns, once slaves of the Centauri, had not only gained their freedom but built themselves into a power greater than their former masters.

  The Centauri, in contrast, were in decline. They had not the will nor the resources to fight the growing Narn threat. Instead of accepting the loss of a few Centauri colonies, or motivating his own people to fight, Londo took the easy way, the way that would add most to his own personal glory. He was much more ruthless and power hungry than Muirne had painted him.

  Perhaps, she had argued, Londo hadnt fully understood what he had done. Yet thousands had died. He must understand. And now he formed an agreement with Refa to replace the aged emperor, upon his death, with their own puppet. His ambitions were growing by the moment. He had no thought for consequences, no thought for the price that must be paid for his actions, nor who would pay it. His recklessness infuriated Elric.

  If not for Londo and those like him, the Shadows would be forced into the light, forced to fight their own war. If not for those like Londo, the Shadows would have been seen long ago for what they were, bearers of chaos and death, and they would have been defeated. If not for those like Londo, the mages would not be compelled to give up everything and flee. Londo allied himself with the Shadows for the most fleeting, petty rewards. The mages refused to ally themselves with the Shadows, even though that refusal would likely lead to their complete destruction.

  In the meantime, however, Londo would serve his purposes perfectly, would be his puppet as well as the Shadows, though it provided little comfort. Elric only wished his plan included Londos death.

  With the discipline of long practice, he suppressed his anger. The transport had docked, and the passengers began to leave. The throbbing in his head was growing strongerthe phantom pain of the chrysalis, and the planet, that had once been part of him. It would soon grow acute. He must rest again, already. But there was no time.

  Near the rear of the passenger compartment, Muirne pulled her small bag out from beneath her seat. As she stood, she swayed slightly, and Beel steadied her.

  When selecting those who would accompany him and Ing-Radi, Elric had tried to choose not only those he felt he could trust, but those who were older, weaker. Perhaps Kell could have devised a stratagem by which they might deceive the Shadows without losing any life. Elric had failed to conceive such a plan. He believed some, at least, would have to be sacrificed, so that the rest could be saved. He pressed his hand briefly to the decorative pattern that adorned the front of his robe. He had worn the robe not only to draw attention, but also to serve as his own private tribute to Isabelle. She had sacrificed herself so that Galen could live. Many of them would now have to follow her example. Yet, he hoped, not all.

  To ensure that they accomplished their task, he had been obliged to take a handful of those who remained young and strong. He had determined to do everything in his power to spare them.

  Above all, though, their deception must be successful, so that the main body of the mages could escape unmolested to the hiding place. Yet even with success, the mages would no longer be what they had once been. They were abandoning their commitment to the Code. They were fighting not for good, but for themselves. They were fleeing, leaving the rest of the beings in the galaxy to death and chaos. Elric could not imagine how they could recite the words of the Code after that. Eventually, their time would pass. Once the last of them died, their history, their Code, their deeds, their discoveries would die with them.

  They kept their secrets, perhaps, too well.

  Muirne and Beel approached, and he straightened, wanting to reveal no sign of weakness. They proceeded together toward the hatch with swift, authoritative steps, and most moved out of their way.

  As they emerged into the busy customs area and waited to be cleared by security, Refa passed by him. The Centauri lord was boarding his personal transport. Everything was falling into place for the next step in Elrics plan: they must plant an idea. That was all.

  Beyond the security checkpoint stood Londo and his attaché, Vir. They had just finished saying good-bye to Refa. Londo looked like a peacock in his pretentious pseudo-military garb, with its gaudy gold braiding, epaulettes, and buttonholes, and an ostentatious golden starburst brooch that echoed the mages ancient influence. Londos hairline was receding, a great tragedy for a Centauri male, whose status was reflected by his hair. To compensate, his hair was erected in a great fan around his head, higher than Lord Refas or even the emperors. Though Londo did not realize it, the hair served as his own personal black halo.

  Beside him stood Vir, subservient, his clothes more understated, his crest of hair trimmed shorter. He was a nervous, overweight man who had not yet been tested and so did not yet know who he truly was.

  Elric presented his identicard, flicked a probe onto the security guard, and pretended not to notice as Londo and Vir noticed him. Londos expression revealed that his presence had elicited the desired reaction. Vir said something, and Londo responded. Elric accessed the probe on Vir
, which had been planted on his cheek, and received an unflattering profile of Londo.

  seen one in years, Londo said. His voice carried the thick accent of the northern provinces. They almost never travel. They dont like to leave their places of power. To see even one of them is a rare thing. To see more than one at a time is considered a very bad omen.

  Londo knew of the mages, as Elric had expected and hoped. Londos superstitious image of them, coupled with his ambition, would be very useful.

  Security allowed Elric to pass through. The throbbing in his head was being echoed by his tech, filling his body with the pain of absence. As he waited for Muirne and Beel, he thought of Galen. Galens was another unaccustomed absence. Before Galens initiation, they had never been separated, not since Galen had come to live with him. On Soom, he nearly always knew where Galen was, what Galen was doing. Now he had only fears. Galens task was extremely dangerous, and he had not only the Shadows to fight, but himself.

  Elric wished that they could be together. Yet he did not believe they ever would be again. Hed told Galen he hoped to return from this task unharmed, and that was true. But while he might hope it, he did not expect it. His life was required, along with the lives of the others. That knowledge had made his parting from Galen awkward; he hadnt wanted Galen to sense his despair.

  Galen, though, must survive. Elric had made it clear to Blaylock that returning without Galen would be unwise. But in truth, he knew that if Galen decided to engineer his own destruction, Blaylock could not stop it. And if the Shadows discovered their activities, neither would escape.

  Of course, that was true for all of them.