Part 6
John Sheridan sat in the War Room sweating and thinking it was obvious that a confrontation was coming that he wasn't prepared for. With Delenn in route perhaps 20 minutes away, he had an Earthforce fleet only 5 minutes away, 5 minutes at the most. They only had a Drazi Sunbird, to help in the fight and he wasn't to sure of their reaction, he had contacted Draal, but hoped not to have to use that resource. Then there were Susan�s mysterious allies, and the Whitestar, they were about the same distance as the Earthforce Destroyers. At least the Whitestar would help. He just hoped this Imperial Super Star Destroyer wasn't destroyed in the battle. A small world like the New Republic probably couldn't afford the loss.
BWAMPBWAMPBWAMP the warning klaxons began to blare "Captain!" Corwin yelled at him through his communicator. "We have multiple jump points opening between us and the jump gate, twelve so far."
"Launch remaining fighters, and put me through to the Drazi." Sheridan began to relay orders to different stations for the coming fight.
"Captain, another jump point forming in our aft. Sir it is the Whitestar and......" Corwin�s voice trailed off for a second, "the biggest God awful ship I have ever seen sir and it is launching fighters."
"How many fighters so far?" Sheridan asked his young lieutenant.
"Twelve squadrons so far sir," Corwin added, then exclaimed, "Sir, we have jumpgate activity, three more ships of unknown design and they are also launching fighters."
Sheridan watched the battle commence on the 3d screen in the war room. It wasn't a pretty sight as the four unknown ships and the Whitestar were hitting the Earth force destroyers on all flanks and pushing them away from the station. He breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed they wouldn't die this day.
"Captain, we have an incoming message from a General Antilles." This time it was his communications officer.
"Put it on the screen lieutenant." Sheridan turned to look at the face....of a Human. Wearing the same sort of uniform Susan had been. "General, nice of you to join us."
"Well since your second saved Coruscant. It seemed like the thing to do." General Antilles sat back in his chair as he watched the battle then turned to Sheridan and said, "Is there anything in particular you want us to do with them?"
"Just drive them away from the station General." He also watched holos of the battle. "Your ships, even your fighters, seem to have some sort of energy shielding."
"Yes, I've been authorized to show it to you and the Minbari, so long as you don't show it to the Shadows or Earthgov," the General replied with a smile.
John Sheridan watched the battle with growing awe. Few Capital Ship captains worked this well together, if one of these ships were damaged another moved in to take the fire till the first ship could be repaired, only the Minbari showed such coordination and willingness to take punishment for each other. The new ships also seemed much better armed than the Earthforce ships. Their great bulk also made the hit and run tactics of the Whitestar more effective.
And Just as the Earthforce ships decided to exercise the better part of valor more jumpgates began opening once more behind them. This time however there were literally hundreds as the Whitestar fleet Delenn had just told him about struck the Earthforce fleet. At this point John was actually sorry for the captains of the fleeing Earthforce vessels.
"You have been warned once Gentlemen." Sheridan caught himself smiling at Delenn's velvet smooth voice. "As you Earthers say, the third time shall be the charm. Do not return here without invitation or there will be no other warnings."
John glanced back at the screen to see General Antilles smiling at him. "I heard that she is your lady," The General said to him. "And I thought Iella was bad." The channel cut off immediately and Sheridan felt himself the victim of some sort of joke.
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Susan stood in her dress whites out side the formal dining hall of the senate council with Marcus and Lyta. At least she and Lyta were dressed for the dinner. Marcus however was wearing a duplicate of his ranger robes and it quite honestly pissed Susan off. Couldn't he see how much they needed to impress these people, how much John and Delenn needed their support?
"Captain?" a petty little dignitary said. "This way."
Susan and her party followed without comment. She remembered their argument in their quarters quite well, she had been the unstoppable force, he the immovable object. They had almost been late because of their argument. The strange thing was it hadn't made Susan angry. Just... what was she feeling any way.
"Captain Ivanova, Ranger Cole, Miss Alexander. I would like to introduce you to President Leia Organa Solo and her husband Han Solo." Somehow the roguish grin the President's husband was wearing reminded her of Marcus.