Kiss or Kill Part 5
Author: RedWulf
Pairings: Susan/Marcus Kind of
Archive instructions: Just leave My email addy on it.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, JMS and Co. own B5 and Lucas film owns Starwars
Authors Notes: none
Meanwhile back on Babylon 5
John Sheridan stood on the command deck in C&C. This was a black time in the infant Babylon 5 alliances history.
Two weeks ago the Whitestar had turned up missing in hyperspace on the way to Minbar, along with elements of the Shadow fleet. The good news was that the Shadow fleet had disappeared as well, at least from over Minbar. TheShadows had been seen since then in great numbers across the Galaxy. The bad news was he had lost his best friend that day because Susan had been commanding the Whitestar. Delenn had been in tears when he had told her. The news of her Ranger and friend Marcus dying, along with Susan, had shaken Delenn to the core.
The door opened and Delenn entered the bridge, eyes red and face flushed from the tears, but her demeanor spoke of great determination. "John I have news from the Rangers."
At almost the same time Lt. Corwin spoke up. "Captain, we have a priority transmission coming over the Gold Channel sir." The young lieutenant's grin seemed out of place. "Sir, it has Commander Ivanova's authorization codes!"
John Sheridan felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt almost euphoric. Trying to keep his voice neutral he replied to Lt. Corwin, "Put it on the screen lieutenant."
"It is a recorded message sir," Corwin informed him.
"John, just calling to tell you I didn't wreck your ship," Susan's message began. She also seemed happy. Bracketing her on her right was Marcus Cole smiling ear to ear, in his Ranger garb. On her left was Lyta Alexander in what looked like casual clothing. Susan's clothes however were the surprise. She was wearing a Black Turtle neck with black pants and a white doublebreasted suit jacket with gold designs on the collar and shoulders and it looked like a uniform.
"It has taken us this long to figure out how to get home. Apparently our galaxy isn't the only one the Shadows have been attacking and they have pushed the New Republic into this war. Lyta, Marcus and I," she glanced back at Marcus and her eyes seemed to light up.
Sheridan made a mental note. He wasn't always the smartest officer in the fleet, but his strength was reading people and situations, and those two had something between them, and it was more than their usual mutually barely controlled lust and disgust.
The message went on. "And we have nearly finished brokering a peace treaty in your name. The New Republic is sending a General Wedge Antillies and the Super Star Destroyer 'Luskanya' to watch your back until we finish on Coruscant." Susan suddenly smiled like a little school girl. "Oh and John, we are sending back your ship. We even filled up the tank and washed it. General Antillies should be there within 6 hours, sir. Captain Ivanova, signing off."
"Get this to Garibaldi Lt. Corwin. Make sure it is real." John Sheridan felt like dancing with joy.
"Captain, Commander Ivanova referred to herself as Captain, sir," Lt. Corwin said as he retrieved the recorded message.
"She probably needed the title to impress the People she was dealing with. I would imagine it is some small out of the way planet that we have all previously ignored." He looked back at Delenn and she was smiling but her face suddenly clouded up.
"John, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, especially at a time like this, but my Rangers have brought us news." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Earth Gov, having heard of the fact that our greatest ship is away and that we have only a Drazi Cruiser for our defense, has sent a fleet to capture the Babylon station and arrest the crew."
"It doesn't matter Delenn. Right now I believe in miracles again."
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"You could have given a little more information you know," Marcus Cole said, as they finished recording the Message. "What are they going to say when that god awfully huge ship just appears right on top of them?" Marcus was smiling in spite of himself. He and Susan had grown close over the last few weeks and he tended to take advantage of it.
Susan had had a med tech run every scan possible to determine the truth of Luke Skywalker's words. At first she had been skeptical, but after repeated testing and Lyta's confirmation that they weren't lying she was finally convinced. Not only was she not a teep, she didn't even carry the gene as a recessive trait, which she now learned was a possibility. It was if the she had suddenly gained her sight after a lifetime of blindness. The greatest fears her whole life had been either being dragged off by Psi Corps or having one of her children taken from her. Somehow without that hanging over her head the whole world seemed brighter. She was even beginning to admit to herself that she was attracted to Marcus. She snorted to herself, like he would have anything to do with an old war horse like her.
Lyta walked toward the transport that would take them to the Star Destroyer that was becoming their home and almost wished she weren't going back to Babylon 5. Wes was beginning to become a part of her world. And, more importantly, she wasn't treated like some side show freak. She was respected for risking her life to save literally billions. The people here couldn't care less that she was a telepath, especially when there were so many races that were all telepaths to some degree or another. She had been offered several jobs in the private sector, as a sort of mental bodyguard to protect businessmen from being taken advantage of by telepathic races, and she would have taken one of the more lucrative ones if they hadn't found a way home.