Part 2 - Mission Objectives

Hyperspace - March 16, 2263 - 05:00 EST

It was strange how the universe could change overnight, Susan thought as she stretched, getting up from her soft warm bed. She wasn't dreading facing the day like she had been since she had gotten this assignment. She and Talia had talked for a long time before they had left

Io. They had established the basis for learning to trust each other again.

Susan and Talia had talked about some of the things they had in common. What to do about Psi-Corp and their influence on Talia's life they kept away from. Tonight they were going to have dinner in her quarters. Ivanova's second in command had noticed the change as soon as she had come back on board. She could tell he was still confused as to exactly what had happened but he was a smart man and had put two and two together and knew it had something to do with Ms. Winters. He just didn't know exactly what. The two had not shown any obvious closeness, however just being civil was a major improvement over Ivanova's previous behavior. Susan truly believed it was Talia, not something concocted by the Corps to bring her in and be indoctrinated into the system.

Susan quickly showered, got dressed and made her way to the bridge. All seemed quiet and the night shift was still on duty. She had temporarily forgone breakfast to check and make sure the new modifications were not causing any problems for her ship.

So far it looked like the BTW people might actually know what they were doing. Then again, chances were they didn't and they could all be stuck in hyperspace like a Flying Dutchman. Ivanova checked the sensor readings again from her console. She decided to go to her office and review some of the departmental reports she had waiting for her. An ensign had brought her coffee, and she wistfully remembered the stuff

Talia had given her. It was much better than what Susan had here aboard ship. She had to ask Talia where she had gotten it. Susan heard a chime and absently answered still staring at the engineering report on her screen.

"Ma'am are we still being briefed this morning?" the Lt. Commander asked as he took a seat across from his Captain.

Susan nodded a yes as she completed scrolling through all the departmental reports. She skimmed them, knowing that her photographic memory would allow her to recall everything later.

"Do you have any idea what all this is about?" Jeff shifted in the chair trying to get comfortable but also to get the Captain's full attention.

It was always annoying how she could be engrossed in a report and still carry on a conversation.

Ivanova looked up and could tell her first officer was itching to get her full attention. He was in search and destroy mode. Search out any issues and destroy them before they became a problem. It was one of the reasons he was such a competent officer.

"I don't know any more than what I told you at our initial briefing.

We're to escort Mr. Braden and BTW wherever they want to go and they are to let us know en route. We are headed in the direction of Epsilon

Reticuli locked on the hyperspace beacon for that sector as I am sure you are already aware." Susan replied not really wanting to play twenty questions. She still felt a brief fluttering of nerves that was keeping her on edge. She might be laying the foundations of trust with Talia, but the rest of the Corps was a different matter.

"Yes Ma'am. I've been talking with Mr. Telrin but he hasn't been too talkative about any mission objectives. He will go on and on about business deals or the engineering specs. He and Marty are getting along great. You would think as possessive as she is about the ship she would be annoyed at him poking around her baby, but the two of them started talking about quantum fluctuation during hyperspace travel and it was like love at first sight." Jeff finished shaking his head. "How about Ms.

Winters?"

"What about Ms. Winters?" Susan asked in return not quite sure if she liked the direction this could be headed in.

The Lt. Commander squirmed in his chair a bit, intimidated by his

Captain, having heard that tone of voice before. However his curiosity and lack of better judgment won out. "The two of you seem to have come to an understanding, so has she given you a hint of what this may be about?"

"No, and you will find out with me at the briefing in a few hours so if you have any other point you want to make, I suggest you get to it." The

Captain had leaned forward, and her voice had a definite bite to it.

"Ummm... no ma'am, I'm just glad that you're back to acting like yourself. I guess I'll check the sensor readings again and make sure everything is okay." The Lt. Commander took his leave and Ivanova returned to her work.

Hyperspace - March 16, 2263 - 10:00 EST

Mr. Braden began the briefing by placing a small black holographic display unit in the center of the table. He placed a data crystal inside and an extremely detailed map was floating in the air between all of the participants. The technology had to be new and expensive for such a precise representation. Only the best from BTW.

"This is a map of the Epsilon Reticuli system, which is 48.7 light years from Earth. The planet we are interested in is the sixth one from the orange sun. Its designation is EE-ER-P006. The planet is a desolate world covered in ice that has a barely breathable atmosphere. On it I believe we will find alien technology which may be valuable to Earthgov. I have examined a similar object on Mars and after much research; we believe this could broaden our understanding of how and why hyperspace exists."

Braden paused and looked around the room. Seated to his right was Talia Winters, and counterclockwise around the table were Lt. Commander McKinney - XO, Major Chen - Security, Captain Ivanova, Lt. Commander Renovitch - Chief Engineer, Mr. Andrews - researcher, and Mr. Telrin. It was for Lucas Braden a moment in time to be savored. He was going to be able to make history rather than sitting patiently on the sidelines manipulating according to Psi-Corps rules.

"The reason Mediator was chosen is that we needed a ship capable of defending itself and creating a hyperspace jump point. A survey ship was sent to this planet and was able to give us viable data to triangulate a search, but they were unable to complete their mission."

"Why not sir?" McKinney asked concern for the well being of the ship and crew foremost on his mind.

Mr. Braden leaned forward his left hand on his cane, and gestured with his right hand as a slight smile graced his lips punctuating his disbelief at what he was about to utter, "It seems they were afraid." Braden snorted slightly and continued, "The actual report stated that the Captain of the ship felt a great 'uneasiness' at pursuing the venture with the limited availability of resources."

Ivanova spoke up, her mind quickly taking in the variables at play. "You think the previous Captain may have been pushed into leaving by something that was left on the planet, something Psi-Corps could be uniquely qualified to deal with?"

"An astute observation Captain, but no, nothing so sinister. I just want to be prepared for any eventuality. It is possible that Ms. Winters and I will have to use our abilities, but I think first we should take a look and see. The system is uninhabited and has been for possibly a million years. It is my dearest hope we will find the artifact, glean some knowledge from the ruins and leave with a better understanding of our objective. Your ship is here at my behest in case we don't." Braden turned to Jonas Telrin and looked to him to continue.

"When we arrive at the planet we will be looking for a specific mineral combination, after this is located we would like an assault shuttle sent to the surface. We have a small group that will go down to survey the area before we send in the rest of the research team. We will need security support while there from your marines. I have the specifications on these data crystals and an overview on hard copy." Telrin distributed the materials to their intended recipients. Major Chen looked over the plan and seemed pleased with the precautions but pointed out a few issues of concern. The eight of them hashed out the details with the Captain and Braden adding very little. Finally after they were going over the same points several times, Ivanova decided to give authority to Lt. Commander Renovitch, Major Chen and Lt. Commander McKinney to reach a compromise and work with Mr. Telrin and Mr. Andrews. She decided to head to the mess hall for lunch. The meeting had lasted three hours and she was hungry and her fears hadn't been eased by the exchange that had taken place.

Hyperspace - March 16, 2263 - 18:50 EST

Susan was just putting the finishing touches on the meal she and Talia were going to share. So far it looked like the ship's cook had done a good job, if it tasted as good as it looked. Her staff had been busy hammering out the details of the mission to the planet. They were going to be in hyperspace another six days and most of that time would be spent drilling and going over what they would do planet side. Ivanova wasn't big on leaving things to chance. Now if she could get over her doubts about what Braden's agenda really was and set her personal life straight... well she was Russian so that was probably asking too much.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the admittance chime to her door. She straightened her deep blue blouse and glanced down at her gray slacks, checking their appearance.

"Come in." Susan looked towards the door and watched as Talia walked in. She had on a dark green button up shirt, a black skirt that went below her knees and she had a bottle of wine in her hands.

Talia handed Susan the bottle. It was a good red wine. Talia had always had good taste in wines.

She pulled off her gloves and insignia and placed them on a table by the door. Talia watched Susan gracefully moving to pour the wine.

"Actually it's perfect; we're having salad and lasagna."

The two of them ate dinner, easily dropping into small talk. Susan explained a little of what she had encountered over the last year on Mediator; she also went over her last issue with Lt. Hayes and how she handled it. Talia started laughing, "You know I would love to have been there to see his face. Was he very upset?"

"If so he didn't say a word to me. However he probably gave my second an ear full." Susan said finishing the last of her wine.

"Speaking of which, he has been asking a lot of questions about me. Jonas felt he was asking more questions about me than idle curiosity could excuse. Are you and the Lt. Commander involved? He is a strikingly handsome man." Talia asked, baiting Susan.

Susan started coughing, choking on her wine. Talia got up and patted her on the back. Susan caught her breath and looked up at Talia standing above her, "No, we are not remotely involved. He's probably on a fishing expedition. He knows I hate the Corps, so since I've made an exception in your case he wants to know why. Don't worry I'll take care of it."

Talia absently answered "Hummm..." looking down at Susan's lips. She moved closer and placed her right arm on the backrest of the chair pinning Susan in place. Talia bridged the gap and kissed Susan savoring the taste of the wine on her lips. She delicately moved her tongue over Susan's lips gently probing. Talia moved closer wanting more, she felt Susan responding, kissing her in return. Susan pulled Talia in the chair with her and as she did the chair fell backwards. Talia immediately used her telekinetic abilities to right the two of them and got up out of the chair. She looked to Susan with a repentant sigh, "I'm sorry Susan, I know I don't need to rush things between us. I just got caught up in the moment."

Susan was caught off guard by Talia's casual use of her ability. Talia had told her before she left Babylon 5. She had come to Susan just before bed. It had happened after Bester had been on station looking for rogue telepaths. It was one of the first times the two of them had really gotten close. It just struck Ivanova how offhandedly Talia was able to do something she had so little skill at before. As much as things had stayed the same, they had changed as well. She finally registered that Talia was pulling away and stood up moving closer to her, "I don't recall protesting." Susan took Talia's hand and kissed the knuckles. Susan led Talia to her bed.

"I don't know if this is a good idea." Talia stated reluctantly following her.

"Come on, I promise I won't bite. I just want to be able to lie down next to you and talk. I think I need you to tell me what happened to you while we were apart." Susan lay down and Talia did as she requested.

"I don't know if now is the time to explain it all. Some of it I find hard to accept. The things that happened to me while the artificial personality was in control were spiteful to you, but she became brutal and vicious as time progressed." Talia had a troubled countenance as she looked over to Susan.

"Just tell me what you feel comfortable with." Susan replied trying to give her support to her friend.

Talia turned on her back and looked up at the white ceiling of the quarters. She told Susan about the experiments, the drugs, how they pushed her mind, mapped her brain, conditioned her to respond. Her telekinetic abilities were so hardwired into her now that she often acted without thought. She just responded as she had been taught. The Corps had wrought an exceptionally useful tool, but one with several fatal flaws. Although completely loyal to the Corps, she could not be accurately scanned unless she was in intense pain or extreme pleasure. Talia sat up on the bed and started unbuttoning her shirt. She slid it off her shoulders exposing her back and shoulders. She explained that the scars on her back were where they had taken the subdural pain implants out. She felt Susan's eyes searching her back looking over the puckered wounds the Corps had placed as a physical companion to those that resided on her soul. There was always doubt when the strongest Psi-Cop couldn't scan a mere augmented P-5 without resorting to violence. The personality also liked inflicting pain. That characteristic had caused problems. Talia and the personality that had inhabited her body could kill with a thought, and she had done so on several occasions. The viciousness is what had rattled her Psi-Corps masters. They needed an untraceable murder, not a messy unexplainable one. Having someone's insides spontaneously explode from within their body leaving a gory mess at the scene of the crime raised far too many questions. That was how she had ended up in a pristinely clean white room, waiting to be bred before she was terminated. It was also how everything had changed and she had been given back what she had lost. Talia pulled her shirt back up on her shoulders and began slowly buttoning it up.

"I have to ask, was it you or the other personality that chose me?" Susan asked voicing the one thing that had bothered her for the last few years since Talia had been torn from her.

"Susan, I would think that would be obvious. Garibaldi threw himself at me; Sheridan and Sinclair were both available. Then of course there was you. Susan Ivanova, the first day I met you, you made it infinitely clear that if I took an unsuited walk out an airlock, nothing would make you happier. If the other personality was in control Garibaldi would have been the easy and obvious choice." Talia looked adoringly at Susan, "I felt an immediate connection with you even if it took you a little longer to admit to it."

"You were certainly persistent. It just took me a while to get over my own insecurities with trusting anyone affiliated with the corps." Susan closed the space between the two of them and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Talia briefly returned the attention but moved away slightly. "I need to leave now. It will be suspicious enough leaving as late as it is from your quarters. I don't want to cause any problems for you."

Susan sighed and followed Talia to the door. "You could never be a problem for me."

Hyperspace - March 18, 2263 - 03:44 EST

Talia had already been practicing with Mr. Braden for over an hour and a half in the gym. Sweat had been streaming into her face. She had struggled to maintain her concentration. Strands of Taila's hair had come out of the ponytail she had it in, and her tight clothes were sticking to her body like a second skin. Braden wasn't as strong as her but he was more experienced and wily. He was very good at throwing unanticipated curves into the training program, quite literally. She had barely been able to deflect the last of the six baseballs he had sent her way. So far anything that wasn't nailed down seemed to be fair game in their session. She had been tentative in her reprisals, since this was primarily a defensive session. In the back of her mind she was scared that if she tore up Susan's ship, friend or not, there would be hell to pay.

"I think that is enough. You need to get some sleep." Braden winked at Talia in acknowledgement of having interrupted her sleep. The exercise area was deserted at two in the morning. The few people, who had sought out the deserted gym, quickly left when they saw the two telekinetics practicing. Braden had made the most of the time pushing Talia hard.

He mentally picked up the equipment he had been hurling her way and returned it back to the proper location. Of course she should be used to the odd routine, since over the past year he had done everything he could to shake her up. It served to help him test her and it had made her more flexible and adaptable to change. He was beginning to feel his age. While they were on Mars he had help when they went though these sessions. It was amazing how much she had grown and improved over the past year. The artificial personality had been a poor substitute in comparison to what Talia had been able to accomplish. She had been very determined to learn as much as possible. Braden assumed that she wanted to get the best training possible to elude her masters. Psi-Corps would always have its mark undeniably laid into her soul.

Talia walked down the hallway and entered the lift. Lt. Commander McKinney moved to the side to let the telepath in. She had a white towel lying across her shoulders. She had decided to take a shower in her quarters rather than using the facilities in the gym. A move she now had reason to regret. She hadn't anticipated running into the second in command or anyone else.

"Ms. Winters, it looks like you had quite a workout." McKinney looked over the telepath taking in her appearance. He couldn't help but to admire the way her disheveled appearance made her look more approachable and less intimidating. The black clothes exposed abundant amounts of creamy white flesh. It was a stark contrast from the way he usually saw her.

Talia nodded to McKinney but didn't want to talk to him. He seemed like he was a good man but she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now. She was always a little wired and restless after her training sessions. She was also self conscious. She had numerous scars all over her body. Normally when she was this exposed it was around people who were aware of her abilities and the reasons for her scars.

"Will you be going down to the planet with the first survey team or waiting for the all clear?" McKinney asked trying to build some sort of rapport with the woman standing beside him.

Talia took in a deep breath, "I will be going down with the survey team when they do their preliminary inspection." Tension was present in every line of her body.

McKinney nodded and finally took the hint. "I just wanted to apologize for my behavior. I realize I was asking a lot of personal questions and it was inappropriate. I was just concerned for the Captain's safety."

The lift comes to a halt and Talia stepped out. "Apology accepted Lt. Commander."