The Pelethim - Part One

By Chinhook6

Background (a selective history of Babylon 5 up to this point)

In the year 2245, humans first met the Minbari, a technologically advanced alien race. It was an unqualified disaster. A cultural misunderstanding led to a war that resulted in the deaths of over a quarter of a million humans. In 2247, in a final, defiant stand against certain death, the human Earthforce formed its entire fleet in a thin line of ships between the huge Minbari fleet and Earth, in what would be called the Battle of the Line. There, at the very brink of victory, the Minbari mysteriously surrendered. 

In 2260, the Minbari ruling body, the Grey Council, requested Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, one of the survivors of the Battle of the Line, to be the Earth ambassador on Minbar. It was an unusual choice; but what was more unusual was the reason: the Minbari Religious Caste members of the Grey Council believed Sinclair had a Minbari soul, and that prophecy fated Sinclair and the humans to help the Minbari defeat an ancient enemy when it arose again. The Grey Council gave Sinclair leadership of the Minbari special military organization called the Anla'shok, or the Rangers, and authorized him to recruit humans. In anger, the Minbari Warrior Caste withdrew all support from the Anla'shok, leaving the Grey Council no choice but to open membership in this elite group to the Religious Caste and even the Worker Caste Minbari.

This story takes place in mid-2260.

 

The Pelethim

By Chinhook6

May 10, 1999

Author's note: In the time of King Saul and David, the Israelites were at war with the Philistines, a fierce and powerful race of warriors. As David grew in power, there were some among the Philistines who recognized in him a higher calling. They were drawn to him and to the rightness of his cause, and were to form the backbone of his bodyguard. In Hebrew, they were called the Pelethim.

Part One

There should have been nothing unusual about this particular mission. The Minbari warcruiser Sherati was patrolling the borders of Minbari space, in a desolate part of the galaxy that everyone avoided. But, from the debris floating in sector 396, the place had been a hub of activity of late. 

It appeared the transport ship had put up quite a fight before it was destroyed. The scorings on the shattered fuselage showed dozens of glancing hits. The energy readings in the area were unfamiliar, indicating either a new weapon or a new enemy the Minbari Federation had not yet met. Worse, drifting in the wreckage was the body of a Minbari. Alyt Melek, the commander of the Sherati, did not like mysteries, and was determined to come to the bottom of this. 

A half-hour after discovering the wreckage, Melek had some answers, but far more questions. 

"Sir, we have not been able to positively identify the body. He had no identification on him at all. All we found were these." The warrior handed his commander a brooch and a data crystal.

Melek turned the brooch over in his hand and stared at it for a while. It didn't look quite right. Then he realized that one of the two figures supporting the stone was without a spiked headbone. The smooth-skulled figure obviously was supposed to represent a human. He snorted and tossed the brooch aside. It was unbelievable that the Grey Council had authorized the entry of humans into the Rangers -- the ancient Minbari watchgroup called the Anla'shok. 

"Did you analyze the crystal?" 

"Yes, Sir. All we found was a set of grid coordinates." The warrior pointed to a map display. "Here. It's in the middle of nowhere." He shrugged, disgusted. "Why would anyone put up such a fight to protect that?"

Another warrior looked up from her station. "Sir, we ran the energy signatures through the computer, but could not identify the origin. Whatever race attacked that ship is not on any of our data bases."

Melek's face darkened, his jaw outthrust in a look of fierce determination all too familiar to his crew. He stood and strode across the deck to take a closer look at the map display. The black-clad warriors parted before him, making way. 

He rapped his knuckles sharply against the map. "Dispatch a team of fighters to those coordinates. We'll continue scanning the area here." Very deliberately, he established eye contact with each warrior in turn, and paused to let his next words sink in. "I want to know if this was an isolated incident or if we have a threat to Minbar." 

* * * * 

The jump point flashed, pulling their fighters through with that familiar, queasy feeling that signaled entry into hyperspace. Hanett could see Mahvet off to her left, his fighter dark against the boiling red ether. If their calculations were correct, they should reach their destination in about two hours. 

Carefully, Hanett shifted into a more comfortable position in the cramped cockpit, and continued to check the readouts. Travel in hyperspace was fast, but dangerous. Without any stars or planets to use as reference points, it was easy for a pilot to become disoriented. Hanett was not about to get them lost. As she monitored the readings, the lights from the instrument panel cast a pallid glow across her tense face and lit the carved ridges of her headbone.

About an hour later, it happened. The proximity alarm sounded before anything came up on visual. Mahvet saw it first -- a shimmering darkness off to port. Then he felt it -- an icy touch that ripped through his mind and into his soul, leaving him feeling dirty and sick. He gagged when it materialized. It was a hideous black spider of a ship with sharp flat spikes that pulsed and moved as if alive. And it screamed at him -- in Valen's name, it ripped into his mind as with claws.

Hanett saw the thing appear on the other side of Mahvet's flier, and felt a wave of revulsion as it reached out to touch her mind. She screamed out in self-defense, a high-pitched keening to drown out the hellish shriek of the ship. It felt as if time had ground to a halt, and that every part of the universe had been brought into absolute and very painful clarity. Every beat of her heart pounded in her temples. The air around her in the cockpit was heavy, a physical barrier she had to push her way through. Manually, she targeted the ship, aiming at what appeared to be the intake. 

The alien vessel got off its shot first, a cutting beam that raked Mahvet's fighter, slicing off his port wing and moving toward the cockpit. Hanett's shot knocked the enemy off course a few degrees, allowing Mahvet's crippled fighter to tumble out of the line of fire. The black ship quivered, and Hanett clearly saw the spikes retract as if in pain. She fired again, driving her fighter in close, knowing that her only chance of survival was to get in under its weapons. Grimly, she registered other shots landing, felt her fighter shudder as cutting beams slashed past her, scarring the pale skin of her craft, but missing their target. It was obvious that there was more than one alien in the fight. 

Mahvet was behind her, laying down covering fire, sacrificing himself and his unmaneuverable fighter to protect her. She could no longer close out the screams in her head. Worse, she now could hear Mahvet's screams, howling up into a crescendo of pain that abruptly ended with an almost physical jolt. 

Hanett dove under the black ship, rolling away from its fire, trying desperately to bring her weapons up to bear. Another spider-like ship shimmered off to starboard, its cutting beam slicing the vacuum behind her. She stuck close to her enemy, using it as a shield, firing out from between the spines at the other ship, trying to hold on while her enraged host whirled and spun in an effort to dislodge her.

Close by, a jump point opened. Hanett could not see what emerged, but knew instantly that the aliens did. The screams in her head grew impossibly louder as they diverted their attention to the new foe. Hanett spiraled out from beneath the enemy ship, giving the newcomer a clear shot at it. When the screams ended, the silence hit Hanett like a stone. 

* * * *

"From the debris, there was another fighter. We've sent a team to try to recover the remains."

"And this one? Will she recover?" 

"Yes. She's still unconscious, but they've got her stabilized. They've had to sedate her twice -- she's become combative each time she began to regain consciousness. With her injuries, she can't afford to move around too much -- she's lost a lot of blood. According to her identification card, her name is Hanett, from the Star Rider clan of the Warrior Caste. Her fighter has the warcruiser Sherati's markings."

Hanett awoke to find herself in some sort of sickbay. The medics were Minbari, but from the smell of the place, Hanett knew there were humans nearby. It was not an unpleasant smell -- just a distinctive one, one she remembered from the war. Mercifully, the screams in her head were gone. From the dull feeling between her ears, she suspected part of the respite was due to medication. She vaguely remembered fighting with someone and being restrained. Tentatively, she moved her arm, sliding her hand to the edge of the bed. Whatever restraints might have been on her were now gone. 

She rolled to her side and tried to sit up, watching the room spin as her reward. A young Minbari leaped to help her before she fell. He wore a nondescript black-and-brown mottled tunic and dark trousers, with a gleaming brooch at his shoulder, and from his muscular build and the looks of his bonecrest, was a worker. Their eyes met, and he did not look down. Hanett stared back at the Ranger. A part of her rebelled at the thought of a worker holding her gaze so impudently -- but another part of her was intrigued and oddly pleased that he had the strength and self-respect to do so. 

Her curiosity won out. Her lip curled slightly into a faint smile, and she inclined her head a fraction. "Thank you." She looked around the unfamiliar room. "Where am I? And what were those... things we ran into?" She did not try to hide the disgust in her voice.

"You are on the White Star. And those things... I can't pronounce their name, but we call them the Shadows. They are the ancient enemy Valen warned us of." He spoke matter-of-factly, as an equal. "Entil'Zha will be pleased to see you are feeling better." With a smile and a nod, the worker stood and strode briskly to the door. He hesitated there for a moment. "I'm very sorry about your friend." Quickly, he left the room before the warrior had a chance to say anything else. Hanett noticed out of the corner of her eye that another Ranger took his place just outside the door, and wondered if she were being held prisoner.

She searched the room for her weapons, and was irritated but not surprised that they were missing. At least as long as she didn't make any sudden moves, her head didn't swim anymore. She sat down on the floor to pull her boots on, figuring it would hurt less if she passed out while seated. 

* * * *

On the bridge of the White Star, Jeffrey Sinclair waited for the warcruiser to respond to his message. As soon as they had determined the parent ship of the injured pilot, they had sent out a hail. So far, there had been no response; and the Rangers were getting impatient. The Shadows knew they were here -- so every minute counted.

Finally, the face of the Minbari warcruiser commander appeared on the screen. Pale, as if bloodless, with cold black eyes, Alyt Melek's stern, chiseled features held a look of undisguised contempt as he stared at the humans in his field of view. "Have you lost someone, Human?" 

Sinclair hid his surprise well, affecting his most charming and diplomatic voice. "Well, it appears we both have something in common, then. I have one of your pilots recovering in my sickbay now. She and her partner were attacked by the Shadows. I'm sorry to say the other pilot didn't make it, though."

The Minbari's eyes flashed, but other than that he showed no emotion. "Your Ranger was dead when we found him floating in the wreckage of his ship. These... Shadows... might have been the cause. We could not identify the energy signature the attackers left." He narrowed his eyes. "Identify yourself. And produce my pilot. I will speak with her."

*Oh, this is going smoothly* thought Sinclair. "My name is Jeffrey Sinclair. I assure you, your pilot is fine, and you will get her back safely -- but right now there's something much more important at stake. I need the information that was on that Ranger's body. We..."

"We?" Melek cut him off with a sneer. "I don't think so. First, I will speak to my pilot. Then, perhaps we will talk." The screen went blank.

"Those boneheaded warrior caste! Jeff, we've got to get that data -- time is running out on us." Ernst Krieger had known Sinclair for years. He, too was a survivor of the Battle of the Line, but had never quite completely forgiven the warrior caste for what they had done.

Sinclair quickly looked around the bridge at the Minbari crew. While most of them remained expressionless, a few were trying to hide smiles. They had learned that Krieger's outbursts were never directed at anyone personally. They also secretly shared his irritation at the stubborn nature of the Minbari warrior caste.

"Ernst -- he said the transport ship was destroyed. We've got to have that warcruiser come along with us, or we won't be able to get everyone out."

Krieger rolled his eyes.

"Ebedd!" The worker caste Ranger stood.

Sinclair continued. "Ebedd, go back and get that warrior pilot you were guarding. Her Alyt isn't going to give us the time of day until he's sure she's all right."

* * * *

When Ebedd re-entered Hanett's room in sickbay, he was shocked to find no sign of the pilot anywhere. Confused, he turned to leave, and was immediately cold-cocked by a well-aimed boot. The noise alerted the Ranger on guard outside. 

He rushed into the room to find the broad-shouldered worker laid out flat on his back in the middle of the floor, a welt starting to form over his eye. The pilot was also dazed, slumped over against the wall. Somehow, she had managed to get completely back into uniform except for one steel-toed boot, which she had efficiently transformed into a projectile.

"Ebedd! In Valen's name, she's killed him!" The Ranger dashed out again to get the medics.

The sound of his voice roused them both. Groaning, Ebedd sat up, holding his head. Hanett automatically reached toward her belt for a weapon that wasn't there. 

"Here -- put your boot back on." Ebedd couldn't help smiling at the ridiculousness of the situation. He tossed her the boot and stood up. "We've got to go to the bridge. Your Alyt wants to talk with you."

About that time, three Minbari charged in, two brandishing fighting pikes and one a syringe. Ebedd stopped them before they got too far inside the room. "There's no need. I'm fine. I fell -- sometimes I'm clumsy that way." He smiled convincingly, and ushered them out. 

He turned to see the pilot watching him with narrowed eyes. "Why did you tell them that?" she asked.

He reached down to help her up, but she refused. Amused, Ebedd watched Hanett struggle to her feet on her own. "I said nothing untrue -- I did fall. I just left out the reason." He gave a shallow bow. "And we haven't been introduced. My name is Ebedd." 

She responded simply, "Hanett." 

With a grin, he started out the door. "Do you often keep your Alyt waiting, Hanett?"

Slowly, they limped together down the arched passageway toward the bridge. At one point, Hanett stopped to lean against the wall. She jerked away from it in surprise. "You've got overheating circuitry in here, Ebedd! It's warm to the touch, and it's making noise!"

The Ranger touched the smooth purplish wall. His hand was oddly scarred, missing part of two fingers; but he showed no self-consciousness at all. "That's normal. It's Vorlon technology, and almost has a life of its own. Go ahead, listen to it. Sometimes it sounds like it's singing."

Hanett bent her ear to the wall, curious. After a moment, she smiled. Then she remembered where she was, and what she was supposed to be doing. Abruptly, she pushed away from the wall and continued on to the bridge.

* * * *

All eyes turned to watch the warrior as she walked stiffly onto the bridge, determined not to show the extent of her injuries. Ebedd's entrance elicited a few looks of surprise as the other Rangers noticed the mouse over his eye. Sinclair decided not to mention it. Instead, he offered Hanett his chair. When she refused, as he half expected she would, he whispered, "The viewscreen is centered on the chair. If you're sitting, you can see better." At that, she accepted the chair. 

Melek appeared on the screen moments later. His nostrils flared and his face darkened in concern and barely-suppressed anger as he saw her injuries. "Hanett! Report."

"Alyt Melek, halfway to our destination we were ambushed by at least two alien vessels, the likes of which I have never seen before. Mahvet's fighter was disabled, so he sacrificed himself to save me." Her voice cracked, and she looked away for a moment as she regained her composure. Her Alyt waited in silence for her to continue.

"The Rangers appeared and destroyed the enemy ships, then brought me onboard to treat my injuries. I haven't yet inspected my fighter to assess the damage." She frowned. "This vessel I am on was able to make its own jump point. It is *Vorlon* technology."

Sinclair came up to stand beside the chair. "Yes, Alyt Melek, the White Star ships are a combined Vorlon-Minbari project. And one of the secret production design facilities is in danger. We've learned that the Shadows have discovered one of these sites -- but don't know which one. The information that my Ranger died to obtain will tell us the location of the targeted site." He leaned forward closer to the viewscreen. "Can't you see, Alyt Melek? Every moment we waste increases the danger to those scientists -- and right now they're our best hope to win against the Shadows." 

"You're lying, Human. We read the data crystal. The charts show there's nothing at those coordinates large enough to support a base."

"The information on the data crystal was encrypted. The coordinates you have are the code. I have the key. Without both parts, the information is useless." Sinclair was normally a patient man, but he was tiring quickly of the Minbari commander's game. He prepared to lay all his cards on the table.

"You said the Ranger's ship was destroyed. We were supposed to meet him at this location -- but he was obviously intercepted enroute and killed by the Shadows. They must have gotten the rendezvous point location from his ship's computer, and tried to ambush us here. The Shadows met your fighters, instead, and mistakenly sprang the ambush too soon. Your pilots put up a very brave fight, and kept the Shadows occupied until we arrived and finished them off." Sinclair held his breath and prayed that the Minbari would cooperate with what he was about to say next.

"I need your warcruiser to assist us in evacuating that production design facility. We don't have room on the White Star for the scientists and their records -- that's what the Ranger's transport ship was for."

The Minbari warrior actually laughed out loud. "For a moment there, you were beginning to make sense, Sinclair. I thought you were going to attack these Shadows who had killed your Ranger -- set an ambush of your own." He chuckled bitterly. "I should have known better." His expression grew stern again. "Send my pilot back to me immediately. If her fighter is too damaged, I will send a flyer to pick her up."

Sinclair smiled back at the Alyt and played his ace. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Alyt Melek. Hanett's fighter is unserviceable, and I don't have a fighter to spare. You'll just have to come get her yourself -- at the site. You see, we can't afford to wait for you, when we have the information available right here in her head. Cut transmission."

Hanett lunged out of the chair at the human, but was instantly tackled by two Rangers. The exertion was too much for her recent injuries, and she passed out. Ebedd shouldered the other Rangers aside and checked her pulse, becoming concerned when he saw one of her bandages starting to redden.

Sinclair stepped over the fallen pilot and went to the map display. "Krieger, set coordinates and head for the nearest production site, top speed." He glanced down at Hanett, lying still on the floor. "And we'll just have to hope we can get the information out of one of our new friends before it's too late."