CHAPTER ELEVEN

Susan took a sip of her coffee, relishing the warm feeling the hot drink generated inside her. It felt good to finally have some real coffee, after surviving on the synthetic version for the past week. After taking another sip, she placed the cup down on her desk and returned to her work, endeavouring to decipher the information that had been on the data crystal that Jeanne had given her.

On the screen at the moment was an incredibly beautiful holographic map, which showed the locale around the Vorlon storm generator. The detail was incredible, especially the representation of the machine itself. Every component of the huge device was shown, with notes about its functions and construction. Unfortunately though, all of those notes were in Vorlon and the Rasputin's computer was unable to translate them. The only section of writing that was readable were the coordinates of the machine's location, which had been written in an archaic form of French.

This was troubling Susan somewhat, as it was becoming obvious that Jeanne didn't want her to know anything more than she needed to destroy the machine. The data crystal had contained a vast quantity of information, detailing everything about the storm generator, including blueprints. However, with only one exception, all of the information had been in the Vorlon language, which was not translatable by any know technique. The Vorlons preferred to translate other race's languages than allow anyone to learn their own native tongue. Jeanne though, knew how to understand Vorlon, but for some reason hadn't chosen to translate the rest of the information.

"No luck yet?" Talia asked, as she walked through the door leading from Susan's quarters. The blonde telepath was wearing one of Susan's bathrobes, her hair still wet from the shower. She held a hairbrush in one hand, and a steaming mug of hot tea in the other.

Susan shook her head. "It's all in Vorlon," she complained. "The computer can't translate Vorlon, so most of this data is useless. It looks like the complete schematics for the machine too. But, without being able to read the inscriptions, it's all useless."

Talia sat down in the chair opposite. "I thought you said it was in French," she said, running the hairbrush through her still damp blonde tresses.

"Only the coordinates and the information that demonstrates how to destroy the machine. The rest is all in Vorlon."

"Do you need the remainder of the data though? Aren't the coordinates all that you require?"

Susan nodded. "If all I wanted to do is destroy this blasted device, then that's all I need. However, I'm curious. Why didn't she translate the rest of the information?"

"Probably because she didn't want anyone to be able to recreate the device. I can understand how she must feel too, I've also been trapped somewhere I didn't want to be. Until you came along and freed me, or course."

"Perhaps," Susan murmured, switching off the screen. "Then why bother giving me all the schematics? It just doesn't make sense."

"You are getting paranoid again, Susan," Talia laughed.

"I can't help it," Susan replied, pulling the data crystal from the reader and tossing it on her desk. "This whole thing that just doesn't add up. Besides I think I have seen Jeanne somewhere before."

"You have?" Talia asked, sounding sceptical. "She has been down on that world for the past eight hundred years, so I don't think she would get out much."

"I know," Susan replied, a little irritably. "That's what's bugging me. I believe that part of her story, yet I'm sure I've seen her before. I didn't realise it at first, but on the way back here in the rover I realised that both her voice and face were familiar. I just can't remember exactly where it was I saw her."

"You should have gone back and asked Jeanne then," Talia suggested, a faint smile on her face.

"I was more concerned with other problems by then."

Talia nodded, her expression growing more serious. "How is Major Logan? She looked so sick on the rover."

Susan shrugged. "No-one knows for sure yet. Dr. Habbib thinks she is suffering from nothing more than exhaustion, but has ordered her placed in isolation just in case there is an alien virus affecting her system. That doctor from the Sturt, Abbado I think his name was, seemed sure he had found something, but none of the instruments in sick bay have been able to detect even the slightest trace of anything irregular in her bloodstream."

"Do we all have to go in for a checkup?" Talia asked. "I heard you say something like that to Commander Petrov. One of the medical staff did scan me when I came on board, but I was wondering if you wanted more tests done."

"Only if Major Logan is found to be carrying a dangerous virus. I left orders with Dr. Habbib, asking him to scrutinise the first shuttle load of crew members from the Sturt when they arrived. He didn't locate any unfamiliar organisms in their bodies, so I guess we are probably clean. Let him know if you are feeling sick or anything though."

Talia nodded, before putting down her hairbrush and picking up her mug of tea. "I'm glad we're back," she said, after taking a long sip of the hot drink. "It's nice to have a change of clothing at last."

"That's my robe, isn't it?"

"I thought you wouldn't mind," Talia replied with a wicked smile. "By the way, you do intend to have a shower, don't you?" she asked, looking pointedly at Susan's uniform, which was same one she had been wearing for the past three days.

"As soon as I get all the important things out of the way," Susan replied. "Since I've got back on board, I've had to organise someone to take a look at the information on the data crystal..."

"The one on your desk," Talia interrupted, pointing to the crystal resting next to the illuminated keyboard.

Susan shook her head. "No, not that one. That's only a copy I had made so I could examine the data for myself. Not that I have found out anything, of course."

"Didn't you discover the coordinates of the machine?"

"Anyone could have done that," Susan said. "I was hoping for something a little more solid."

"Have you decided to help Jeanne yet?"

"I don't know," Susan replied. "There is something about her story that is niggling away at me, as if someone is trying to tell me not to trust her. On the other hand, I want to help the Arisian people, if only to stop any more dying trying to destroy that machine. So you might say I am little undecided at the moment. What do you think I should do?"

Talia shrugged, trying to appear noncommittal. "I can't tell you how to do your job, Susan. However, I do believe that Jeanne was telling the truth. I mightn't have been able to read her mind, but there was a ring of truth to her words."

Susan picked up her coffee mug and considered the remnants of her drink for several seconds. "I felt the opposite," she admitted finally. "I thought she was lying, especially when I asked her what her plans were when she was freed."

"I'm sure you will do the right thing," Talia said confidently.

"I wish I could be that certain," Susan said, with a wry smile on her face. "After all that trouble we had with the Vorlons and the Shadows last year, I keep worrying that if I free Jeanne, she might turn out to be just as bad as they were. The fact that she admitted killing seven Vorlons scares the hell out of me, especially after all the trouble we had on Babylon 5 trying to kill just one."

Just then, Susan's link beeped. She stared at it with an annoyed expression on her face, before tapping it and saying. "Ivanova."

"Captain," the voice of Commander Petrov said. "I have Admiral Mellor on the link from Earthdome. He said that it was very important."

"Put him through to my office."

"I had better go," Talia said, standing up "We can't have the Admiral thinking that you are sleeping with the enemy, can we now." She walked around to Susan's side of the desk and bent over, giving Susan a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have to get changed anyway, especially if you want your robe back."

Susan nodded, and waited while Talia slipped back through the door into her quarters. As soon as Talia had left the room, Susan turned to the wall-mounted screen. "Receive incoming message."

The screen beeped once and then the standard Earthforce symbol was replaced with the face of Admiral Mellor "Captain Ivanova," the Admiral began. "I'm delighted to see you made it back all right."

"It was a little tougher than I thought, Admiral," Susan admitted. Then she frowned, suddenly remembering that she hadn't contacted Earthdome since her return. "If you will forgive me for asking, Sir, how did you know I had returned from the surface? I only arrived back on board four hours ago and haven't had time to send in a report yet."

"I just had a message from the President's office," Mellor explained. "Apparently she had a request from IPX..."

"Melis!" Susan muttered under her breath.

"Sorry, what was that, Captain?"

"I just remembered that the head of the IPX team you sent with us requested an interstellar link almost as soon as he came back on board."

Mellor nodded. "Yes, the request from IPX is based on his report. Apparently Dr. Melis found a possible source of Vorlon technology on Arias. IPX and Earthdome want to get their hands on it before any of the other races find out."

Susan looked amazed, realising now why the doctor had been so interested in the Arisian technology when they had been in the city. "He didn't mention that the Vorlon technology was in the hands of the native population did he?" she asked.

"Dr. Melis' report was very comprehensive, Captain. It has certainly raised some eyebrows here on Earth. The President is said to be very pleased with your work. In fact, she has asked for you to personally open trade negotiations with the Arisian leader as soon as possible."

"Trade negotiations?" Susan spluttered. "Admiral, I'm trying to decide the level of threat this race could pose to the Earth alliance, and the President wants to open trade negotiations? Didn't Dr. Melis' report tell you anything about the leader of this world?"

Mellor shook his head. "It was a bit vague on that matter." He paused and looked down at a sheet of paper on his desk. "In fact, it says here that you had a private meeting with the Arisian leader and never told the doctor the details of what was discussed."

"I didn't have the time, and quite frankly I didn't think it was any of his business."

"You're probably correct," Mellor said with a smile. "IPX is always trying to poke their noses into places they don't belong." The Admiral pushed his papers to one side and his expression grew serious. "Is this new race dangerous, Captain? Dr. Melis' reports that they are fairly accommodating, and posed no threat to the Earth Alliance. I am well aware that Arias lies on our border, so if there is a threat then I would like to know. We have had trouble with IPX before, and despite their high standing with the government, Earthforce command takes a different approach on matters that could threaten the Alliance."

"I'm not sure," Susan admitted. "The Arisians themselves do not appear to be dangerous, but their ruler is a human woman who was altered by the Vorlons. She controls at least one Vorlon war cruiser and could be a threat if her intentions towards Earth are not peaceful."

"A human?" Mellor asked, looking shocked. "How long has she been ruling Arias?"

"A long time, if what she said was true. It appears that she was working for the Vorlons and then turned against them. In response, they imprisoned her on Arias so she couldn't threaten them."

"Is she dangerous?"

Susan grimaced. "I'm not sure, Admiral. She did take several of the Sturt's crew prisoner, as well as one of my officers. However, she also released them at my request, although she made a request of her own in return."

Mellor nodded, picking up the report again. "Yes, I have a mention of that here. Dr. Melis says that the people of Arias have requested that you remove a Vorlon machine that is affecting the planet's weather. Is that correct?"

"Mostly," Susan replied. "The storm this machine is generating also imprisons Jeanne, that's the Arisian leader's name. She has personally asked for me to destroy it, so that she can leave this world."

"I don't see the problem," Mellor said. "It might advance the cause of a possible trade treaty with Arias if you assist them. Of course, I don't have all the information on hand, so I will have to wait until I get your report on the situation before making a decision."

"I am a little busy at the moment, Sir," Susan argued. "I still have a small number of the Rasputin's marines down on the surface, along with nearly a hundred crew members from the Sturt. I would like to get them off the planet before I consider anything else."

"I understand, Captain," Mellor replied. "Look, I will leave this in your court. The President has made a request, but, based on the information I have, it looks like the only way to communicate with these Arisians is to actually go down the surface and trek overland. I can't really ask you do that again, especially as this is still only an informal order. The Joint Chiefs are meeting in three days time to discuss the president's request, among an assortment of other matters, so you have until then to send back something I can use. If there is a threat from this world, then I want to know. On the other hand, if you think it safe, then the possibility of trading for Vorlon technology is something we may not be able to turn down."

"I understand, Admiral," Susan replied.

"Good," Mellor said. "I expect to hear from you sometime in the next three days then. Earthdome out."

Susan groaned as she switched off the screen. "Damn that arrogant bastard," she muttered, snatching up the data crystal from her desk. She was about to march off and confront Melis, when she noticed Talia watching her from the doorway. "Did you catch any of that," she asked.

Talia nodded. "Only the last part, but I think I heard enough."

"We have only been back on board for four hours, where did he get the time to write a report?"

"On the rover on the way back," Talia reminded her. "Don't you remember? He was busy with that data pad all the time. I didn't think anything of it at the time though."

"I'm still amazed that IPX could put in a request like that so quickly, let alone send out copies of Melis' report to the president and the Admiral."

"People can move pretty fast when there is money involved," Talia commented bitterly.

Susan nodded. "I know what you mean, if a company like IPX did gain access to Vorlon technology, even just the secret of that organic metal they were using down on the planet, they would stand to make billions of credits. Despite their faults, the Vorlons were a very advanced race and their technology is thousands, if not tens of thousands of years ahead of anything Earth or most of the other races have."

"That explains their haste then," Talia said. "They want to be the first in, probably so they can sign an exclusive trade deal or something like that."

It makes me suspect that Earth, and certainly the Arisians, would be better off if we left this world as it is," Susan muttered. "I can already see the scavengers circling around the planet, eager to strip it of anything that might make them money."

"Have you decided what to do yet?" Talia asked.

Susan shook her head. "No, not yet. I wanted to see what we could find out from that data crystal first, before making a decision either way. But, after this, I am leaning towards helping Jeanne. Compared to Melis and his IPX buddies, she's a saint."

"Do you want to get some lunch then? It is nearly that time and I am sick of eating ration bars."

"I think I might have a shower first," Susan replied, heading towards her room.

"I might join you then," Talia grinned, stepping back inside Susan's quarters and pressing the button to lock the door behind them. "After all, you can never be too clean."

Three hours later, dressed in a fresh uniform and looking considerably cleaner than she had been when she arrived back on the Rasputin, Susan met with her senior officers in the warship's conference room. She had already spent the past half hour explaining what she had discovered during her trip to the surface, leaving out, of course, anything she had learned due to her telepathic powers. Now she was waiting for a report about the feasibility of destroying the machine.

In the centre of the room, suspended in mid air above the main table, was a large holographic model of the Vorlon storm generator. Lt. Commander Dreyer, the Rasputin's chief gunnery officer, was currently speaking, using a remote control for holographic display to highlight his explanations. "It appears that it is possible to destroy this machine," Dreyer began, pointing to the diagram of the gigantic Vorlon structure. "We haven't been able to decipher the Vorlon writing, which isn't that surprising, but the instructions on the data crystal were clear enough explain the basics."

"Enough to understand how the machine works?" Petrov asked.

Dreyer shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It's possible that Dr. Melis and his team may discover something more about its function, but the information I examined demonstrated only what was needed to destroy the device, nothing more." He paused in his explanation to alter the view of the device, then pointed to a small nodule near the centre of the main spire. "This appears to be the most important part of the entire complex. According to the information provided, all we need to do is destroy this node and the device will be rendered completely inoperative."

"How?" Susan asked. "I find it difficult to believe that the Vorlons would leave in a flaw like that. From what I can see, it doesn't look like it is protected in any way."

"That's not entirely true," Dreyer corrected, pointing out four large edifices, each nearly a kilometre away from the main structure. "It appears that these devices here cool the temperature across the entire region, making it impossible to approach by land. This would explain why it hasn't been destroyed by now."

"He's right," Lt. Commander Schmitt confirmed. "I had one of the Starfury patrols go down and take a look at the borders of the cloud shortly after we arrived. They reported that there is a vast plain of ice, stretching for perhaps thirty kilometres, in the region where this machine is supposed to be located. It was all inside the cloud-covered region though, so they couldn't go close enough to see any details. Further flight confirmed that this is the only ice on the entire moon, which suggests that it probably artificially generated."

"I knew about the ice," Susan said. "However, I thought there would be some sort of defence system as well, just in case of an attack from space or the air."

"Energy weapons probably wouldn't be usable at such a low temperature," Dreyer commented. "They would be all right in space, but on the surface they would ice up. Also, they might have been relying on the orbital defensive grid. Although I doubt that one satellite would be much use against a determined attacker."

"There is debris in the upper atmosphere that suggests there might once have been more satellites," Schmitt offered. When Susan looked at him when a questioning expression, he added, "We discovered it during the sweeps of the upper atmosphere last week. There isn't a lot there, I would guess most of it burnt up in the atmosphere centuries ago, but it does match the debris from the satellite we destroyed. Given the power of the one we destroyed, I would think around twenty or thirty would have been enough to protect the planet from most attacks."

Susan nodded. "That makes sense," she agreed. "That means that this machine is now vulnerable. The question is, are you certain it can be destroyed? I want to know for sure, before committing myself either way."

"I believe so," Dreyer said. "Of course, we will never know until we try. But, taking into account the capacity of the Rasputin's main gun and the relative strength of the Vorlon metal, then I think it can be taken out. Obviously the whole structure is just too massive to destroy with a single shot, but a pinpoint strike against that node I indicated may work. Of course, that is assuming that destroying the node will take out the whole thing. I suspect we will just have to trust the information we have been given."

"Which leaves the question, do we destroy the machine, or do we leave it as it is?" Susan asked.

"Didn't you say that Admiral Mellor ordered us to destroy it?" Dreyer queried, looking a little confused as to why Susan was even asking the question.

Susan shook her head. "No, he said that he had been requested by IPX, through the president's office, to open trade negotiations with Arias. He suggested that a way of improving relations would be to agree to Jeanne's request and destroy the Vorlon storm generator. He did not, however, order us to agree to that request, at least not just yet. He also asked for a report on the threat potential of the Arisian race."

"Are they a threat, though?" Commander Petrov asked. "Correct me if I am wrong, but don't they still use swords. That doesn't sound as if they are a very big threat to Earth or any of the other worlds."

"They do have their armour as well," Susan pointed out. "I didn't see it in action, but it is supposed to absorb energy, and that would make most of our weapons useless."

"Not all of them, Captain," Dreyer corrected. "I don't know how strong the material of this armour is, but I have seen one of those old flechette pistols cut through solid steel. One of those combat rifles the GROPOS use should take care of any armour, I think they fire armour-piecing rounds. Most PPG weapons have limited physical impact as they are designed for use in space where any hull breach is a potential disaster, but even the most basic slug-thrower should give those creatures something to think about."

"That just leaves the Vorlon war cruiser," Petrov said. "I don't know what you think, Captain, but it is my opinion that one ship, no matter how powerful, couldn't cause too much trouble."

"What about that warship we took out over Proxima?" Susan said. "That nearly destroyed this vessel and an entire fleet of Omega's."

"That wasn't just one vessel though, was it," Petrov replied. "If it had been, then we would have taken it out a lot quicker than we did. Those fighters did most of the damage."

"Do Vorlon ships carry fighters?" Lt. Commander Schmitt asked.

"I don't know," Susan replied. "I have always seen their big warships accompanied by a fighter screen, but I have never actually seen them launch fighters. I would suggest that they don't carry any, although it is possible."

"So, we are only looking at a single warship then," Petrov continued. "We are also assuming that this Jeanne woman actually intends on attacking Earth."

"One of the reasons the Vorlon's imprisoned her on this world, was because she wanted to conquer Earth," Susan reminded him. "It is possible that she might try to act on that desire if we free her from this world."

Petrov shrugged. "It is possible, Captain. But I don't think it is very likely that she would succeed. Once that storm is gone, it wouldn't be very difficult to attack this world. There are no defensive satellites and from what you have told me, there are also no ground-based weapons. A single vessel, like the Rasputin for example, would be able to devastate most the surface of the planet with virtually no way of preventing the attack."

"You think we should agree to her request then and destroy this machine?"

"It would make the rescue operation easier," Petrov replied. "If it wasn't for that storm, we would have been on our way back to Earth a day after we arrived. Instead, we are still stuck here while the remainder of the Sturt's crew is retrieved. That will be for at least another week. Also it would be possible to retrieve the Sturt intact, which should make IPX happy."

"I agree," Schmitt added. "I would make our rescue mission considerably easier."

"And I don't really care one way or the other," Dreyer said. "I just pull the trigger. It isn't my place to question orders. Whatever decision you reach, I will do whatever I can to assist."

Susan nodded slowly, considering all the arguments she had heard. "I'm still not entirely convinced of Jeanne's motives," she said finally. "But I agree that no matter what she is planning, there isn't a lot she can do if we keep a close eye on her."

"So we try and destroy this machine?" Petrov asked.

"That's correct," Susan replied. "Lt. Commander Dreyer, can you begin the necessary calculations at once. I want this over and done with as soon as possible, so we can complete our mission before anything else happens."

"Sounds like a good idea to me, Captain," Dreyer said, with a salute. "I have already finished the calculations in fact. All we need to do is to move the Rasputin into position above this machine, and I should be able to take care of it for you."

"Can you hit this node?"

"I can hit almost anything if I have enough time to line up the shot," Dreyer replied. "This is a fairly easy shot compared to some. The target isn't moving, and the coordinates on the data crystal are very accurate. It shouldn't be any trouble at all."

"All right, get started then," Susan ordered. Then she turned to the other officers in the room. "Lt. Commander Schmitt, organise a flight of starfuries for launch. If that cloud does start to disperse, I want them ready to examine every inch of the surface. Also prepare a squadron of Thunderbolts and arm them for a ground assault mission."

"What are you planning?" Petrov asked as the Rasputin's two junior officers hurried out the conference room to carry out their Captain's orders.

"Just a precaution," Susan replied. "Just in case, Jeanne's intentions are not as pure as she claims. That Vorlon warship of hers is currently on the ground, and it will take hours before it can be recharged, if not days. If she is planning some kind of treachery, then I can plan just as well as she can. A squadron of Thunderbolt's loaded up with ground attack missiles should be enough to collapse the canyon wall, burying that ship under tons of rock."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Petrov asked. "Won't that be considered an act of war?"

"As I said, it's just a precaution. I have no intention on sending the fighters down there unless I feel there is a possible threat to the Earth Alliance or my ship."

Petrov nodded. "That seems wise," he agreed, as they both left the conference room and headed towards the bridge.

"We are now in position over the coordinates indicated, Captain," Petrov announced. "I have locked the Rasputin in a geostationary orbit, and Lt. Commander Dreyer reports that he has prepared the main gun for firing. All he is waiting on is your command."

Susan nodded and turned back to examine the small jungle moon that lay below them. From above, the storm cloud looked like a vast ink stain, blotting out the natural greens and browns of Arias' jungles and leaving nothing but darkness. If Jeanne's assertions were correct, then a single shot from the Rasputin's powerful main gun and the storm would be gone for good. The particle cannon had been targeted on the storm generator, and now its crew were only waiting for was a single word from her. The trouble was, she was still debating the wisdom of issuing that command. As much as she hated to admit it, this decision would have been considerably easier if she had been able to use her telepathic powers to determine the truth to Jeanne's assertions. But that hadn't been possible, so now Susan was forced to rely on her own judgement.

"Captain?" Petrov asked. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Just a minute, Commander" Susan replied irritably. On the holographic screen above her, the Rasputin's external camera was showing part the vast storm, and she could see some of the lightning that constantly arched across the world. Susan found her mind shifting to the plight of those caught beneath the storm. She remembered that this wasn't just about one person, but about an entire race. If she refused to help them now, then she wasn't just condemning Jeanne to die, but possibly thousands of Arisians as well. She knew she couldn't do that, condemn someone to die, just because they could be a threat. Tapping a control on her console, Susan opened a link to the control room for the main gun. "Lt. Commander Dreyer, you may fire when ready."

"Confirmed, Captain," the voice of the gunnery chief responded. "Firing particle cannon."

On the holographic screen, twin beams of purple energy sliced downwards toward the planet's atmosphere. They cut straight through the storm clouds and impacted on ground beneath. For a second, Susan imagined that she saw the clouds part where the beams had struck, but the two tiny holes in the storm were quickly patched over. "Any effect?" she asked Petrov, who was watching the readouts from the Rasputin's sensors.

"Nothing so far, Captain," the Commander answered. "Of course, the destruction of the node may not have caused any visible effect."

"Or we could have missed."

"Do you want me to order another strike?" Petrov asked. "We can level that entire region if you think it's necessary."

Susan shook her head. "Not yet, we will give it time. It may take several hours for any noticeable effect to show."

"The instrument's aren't showing any change in the disposition of the storm," Petrov informed her. "It is still behaving just as violently as before. If it's being artificially generated, I would have expected an immediate effect to show up, perhaps not visually, but at least something on the instruments."

As Petrov finished speaking, a bright flash suddenly lit up the surface of the moon, creating a ripple of energy that swept through the storm. "What the hell?" Susan muttered, turning back to the screen, just in time to see a gigantic mushroom cloud rising out of the atmosphere. "Tell me that isn't what I think it is."

"I'm afraid it is, Captain," Petrov said, reading the data off his console. "The sensors report a thermonuclear detonation. The computer is estimating it as approximately five megatons in size. It appears to have been mostly underground, but damage to the immediate vicinity has been extensive."

Susan nodded. "I hope there was no-one living down there," she said. "Any idea on what caused it."

"I wouldn't have a clue," Petrov admitted. Then he paused, reading a new message that had just appeared on his console. "Just a minute, I have a visual link with the gun camera from one of the starfuries patrolling above the moon. The pilot is sending in an image of the ground near the detonation site."

"Show me," Susan demanded.

Petrov quickly complied, bringing the feed from the starfury's camera up on the main screen. "It doesn't look good," he said, as soon as the image of a vast crater appeared. Lava could be seen leaping high into the air from the centre of the crater and a cloud of dust and pulverised rock was slowly spreading across the planet's surface. "Looks like we hit something vital," he muttered to himself.

"Is there any effect on the planet?" Susan asked.

Petrov consulted the sensors again. "Planet wide seismic activity, concentrated mainly around the blast site. It only appears to be an after effect of the explosion though, not a symptom of anything more deadly. Apart from that, there appears to be little major effect. It is a good thing the explosion took place underground, or everything within forty kilometres of that site would have been levelled."

"And the storm?"

"It's still there. Wait, scrap that. It appears that it is beginning to break down into a series of smaller weather patterns. There are several places where I can see all that way through to the planet's surface. It looks like it worked, Captain."

"I wasn't expecting the whole place to explode though," Susan said. "I just hope everyone is still all right down there."

A faint tremor ran through the throne room floor. It was almost undetectable, but Jeanne noticed. The throne room, like the palace and the rest of the great city, had been stable for so long that even the slightest movement was noticed. Morkazz also noticed the faint shifting of the earth below them, suddenly standing up and looking around nervously. "What is happening, Mistress?" he asked anxiously.

"It appears that Captain Ivanova chose to help me after all," Jeanne replied softly, hauling herself up from her cold throne and walking slowly across to one the tall stained glass windows that looked out on the walls of the crater beyond. Morkazz followed, one hand gripping his quill, while the other crumpled several sheets of paper. They were all very important documents, but right now they just didn't seem important.

In the sky above, the lightning was even more violent than ever and the dark clouds seemed to crash together as if at war. A spot of rain splashed against the window, quickly followed by another and another until the spots became a great deluge, as if the storm was giving one last dying performance before expiring and departing from Arias for good.

"It is beginning, Morkazz," Jeanne said, pointing up at a bright dot in the sky. The counsellor followed her gaze and saw, to his astonishment, a tiny patch of blue beginning to break through the darkness. "She has done it."

"Is that what made the earth move?" Morkazz asked.

Jeanne nodded. "A final, futile attempt on the Vorlons part to stop me. They constructed their device so that any attempt to shut it down would cause a chain reaction that would destroy it and anyone nearby. A last desperate gesture of defiance from a race that should have died out long ago."

"I do not understand. What is a... chain reaction?"

Jeanne turned at smiled adoringly at her advisor. "Do not concern yourself, Morkazz. It is not important. Be happy that we have won and the Vorlons have finally lost."

"I am happy, Mistress," the Counsellor replied. "However, I am also sad because you will soon be leaving us."

"I will always be here in spirit, Counsellor," Jeanne said softly. "As long as someone on this world remembers me, I will always be here."

"We will remember you, Mistress. We will always remember what you have done for our people."

"Good, but for now you must leave me. The sun will soon be shining down on this... prison that I have called home for the past eight hundred years. It is a very special event and I must be alone so I can enjoy it fully. You may notice some changes in me when you return, but no matter how I appear, it will always be the same person inside. Do you understand?"

Morkazz nodded. "I think I understand, Mistress."

"Then leave me here. I must recover my strength and become what I need to become. I will call you when I am ready to talk again. It may be some time though."

After a long bow in Jeanne's direction, Morkazz swivelled around and headed towards the throne room door, with only the occasional glance back at the window to ensure that Jeanne was still there. Jeanne barely even noticed him leaving, her attention was now firmly focussed on the tiny patch of blue in the middle of the storm cloud and the ray of sunlight that shone down onto the ground below. After eight hundred years of darkness, there was no more beautiful sight she could imagine than that of the sun breaking out from behind a cloud.

Once, when she had still been a naive and immature mortal girl, Jeanne would have imagined the single ray of sunshine to be a blessing from her god, a sign to wonder at. She knew better now, but the sight was no less glorious to her tired and ancient eyes than it had been to a young peasant girl playing on her father's farm. The agony of her long imprisonment was finally beginning to fade away, and soon she would feel nothing but the ecstasy and warmth of the sun's loving embrace.

Reaching up, she gripped the lever that opened the window and allowed her access onto the ledge outside. It had become stuck after several centuries of idleness, but with a single sharp twist of her hand, it soon opened. Likewise, the window also creaked open after she applied a sufficient amount of pressure. Then, with the anticipation over what she would soon experience growing within her, Jeanne stepped out of the palace for the first time in nearly four centuries.

There was a ledge outside the window, running around the entire palace. Once, long, long ago, Jeanne had enjoyed walking along the ledge during the day, watching the lightning play across the sky and imagining a time when she could look up into the sky and see the gigantic shape of the gas giant Arias orbited, instead of the featureless cloud that dominated her world. Now that day was nearly upon her, so tantalisingly close that she could nearly feel the suns rays on her skin and the energy entering her body.

It was still raining outside, but Jeanne ignored the wetness soaking her gown and walked slowly along the slippery ledge towards the northern side of the palace. The crater wall was lowest there, and it was also the location where she had the best view of the single ray of sunlight. Free of the Vorlon's machine, the natural weather of the jungle moon was beginning to reassert itself. Across the entire region once covered by the massive cloud, rain was thundering down, the storm doing its best to lose the heavy load of moisture it had been storing.

The deluge felt like a thousand tiny pinpricks on Jeanne's skin, as each drop stung her sensitive flesh. She didn't care, as she could already see the effect the rain was having. As each minute passed the clouds above her lightened and the lightning began to slowly fade away. Then, all of a sudden, the rain began to stop and Jeanne looked up, right into the blazing glare of Arias' sun.

A blazing pain washed through her entire body, only to be replaced a moment later by a feeling of pure euphoria. Her body, which had ached so constantly that she had become used to the pain, suddenly felt light and powerful, while every pore on her skin tingled with vibrant energy. She felt like singing and dancing for joy, but at the same time found herself fixed in position, unable to move.

Time passed, Jeanne wasn't sure how long, but she eventually began to notice a change in the sky as the wind blew the clouds away to the south and the sky above became a smooth azure plain. The light of the sun had transfixed her though, and the changes above her seemed unimportant now, just side issues to the exhilaration she was feeling inside.

Finally though, the light that shone down on her began to fade as the sun drooped towards the west, eventually passing below the horizon, bringing darkness to Arias once more. This time though, the darkness was not complete, stars shone down from the heavens and one particularly bright one caught her attention. Jeanne stood and watched the stars twinkle for hours, until the sun again began to rise over Arias. It was then she turned and walked back into the throne room.

This time though, it wasn't like returning to her old prison, instead it was a starting point of a new and wonderful life. Eight hundred and fifty years ago, when she had first started this journey, Jeanne could not have imagined where her long life would lead her. There had been moments of joy and centuries of pain and anguish, but how she stood on the threshold of a new beginning. This time though, it wasn't the same as her first life. She felt pure now, uncontaminated by her mortal existence and she knew, without a trace of doubt, that this time it was going to be different than before.

Jeanne hadn't been the only one to notice the effect of the storm generator's destruction. At the same time as a faint tremor was being detected in her throne room, a much stronger earthquake was being felt by the inhabitants of the vast swamp. On the darkened bridge of the Sturt, General Azrak suddenly looked up with a startled expression on his face and stared at the vibrating hull in concern. "What is causing that?" he asked Captain Lawton, who was slumped in a chair nearby.

Lawton shrugged, indifferent to this new problem in his already miserable life. "It feels a little like an earthquake," he replied eventually. "Of course I would know for sure if I was outside."

Azrak stared at him suspiciously for a moment, before nodding. "Go then, but I will be right beside you, so do not try to escape. The Mistress has asked me to keep you here until Captain Ivanova does as she asks. Do not try and oppose her will. She may order you punished if you do not comply with her wishes."

Lawton didn't respond verbally, but his angry gaze said a lot more than words ever could. He still felt annoyed with himself for allowing his ship to be taken so quickly. Even the Rasputin's marines had been surprised when the swamp had suddenly come alive with more than two hundred alien warriors, who quickly swarmed across the survey ship, confiscating weapons, and then setting up camp on the island the Sturt rested on.

His crew, along with the small force of soldiers who had been supposed to protect them, were now imprisoned in the survey ship's cargo decks. Only a few of the crew members had been allowed to leave their makeshift prisons, although only so they could explain to the aliens how the ship's systems worked. Now, he was forced to play tourist guide for the alien leader.

Opening the large outer hatch, Lawton and Azrak stepped out on the muddy island that had been the ship's home for the past few weeks. It was pouring with rain across the entire swamp, reminding the Captain of the tropical deluges he had witnessed back home in Rangoon. It had rained before during their stay in the swamp, but it had never been anything like this. It was almost as if the heavens had opened and an entire ocean was being dumped onto the world below. "What is going on?" Azrak demanded, still concerned about the tremors that shook the island beneath his feet.

"It's raining," Lawton replied. "I'm sure you have seen rain before."

"Not the rain," Azrak corrected, pointing towards a spot in the sky to the north. "What is that?"

Lawton turned and, through the deluge, he could see a single ray of sunlight reaching down from the dark cloud. From a distant, through the curtain of water that was falling from the sky, the wavy line of sunlight looked like a ladder reaching up into the clouds. "It's the sun," he said in amazement.

Azrak stared at the ray of light for nearly a minute, before replying. "It does not look like the sun I remember," he muttered. "I saw the sun several time during my days as a border scout, and it is a great ball of fire in the sky, not something like that." He waved his clawed hand in the direction of the break in the clouds.

"You have never seen the sun shining through the clouds before?" Lawton asked.

Azrak shook his head. "No, the sun never shines through the clouds. This is a widely known fact among my people. The sun only comes after you leave the clouds."

"It does normally," Lawton explained. "On my world, and on every other alien world I've ever heard of, it does."

"Does this mean that Captain Ivanova has done as the Mistress asked?"

"It may well do," Lawton agreed hopefully.

Above them, the deluge of rain began to diminish in strength, becoming a light shower and then finally fading away all together a few minutes later. "Look," Lawton said suddenly, pointing to the south, where he had just spotted another ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds, looking like a searchlight in the darkness. "It seems that you will see the sun soon enough, General Azrak."

A wind began to pick up, blowing across the once tranquil swamp and creating ripples and tiny waves in the stagnant water. With coming of the wind, the storm above them finally began to disperse, breaking up into fluffy white patches of cloud on a beautiful blue background. "I guess you will be leaving now, won't you," Lawton asked, looking over at Azrak.

The General nodded, sneaking the occasional suspicious glare at his world's new skyline. "The Mistress said that if the storm left, you would be free to depart. My soldiers will be leave now, and you must also leave as soon as you are able. The Mistress will demand it."

"Don't worry," Lawton laughed. "I intend to get off this world as soon as possible. You can count on that."

"Captain," Petrov called out. "I have found something I think you should take a look at. I'm just transferring it to the main screen now."

Susan nodded and turned to watch as the view of the planet's surface zoomed in to show a small patch of ground about three kilometres south of the alien city. "That's one of those towers isn't it?" she asked, recognising the structure she was looking at. Then she frowned, noticing that it looked almost as though it was starting to collapse. "What is going on down there?"

"It appears that I was correct after all, Captain," Dr. Melis said smugly. "It is a solar power plant."

Susan frowned angrily at the doctor's interruption, before realising what the tower was doing. Six gigantic arms were slowly extending from the sides, and each arm was deploying vast triangular panels. It took nearly ten minutes for the tower to fully deploy, but when it was finished, a vast black circle started up at them. "How many of those towers are there?" she asked nervously.

"At least fifty," Melis replied. "Even is each one is only 50 percent efficient, then they must be draining a vast amount of energy, probably enough to run one of Earth's major cities for weeks. I can't wait to start building them on Earth. They would solve so many of our energy needs."

"They have to agree to trade with Earth first," Susan muttered, looking at Melis with the same enthusiasm she had Bester and his psi-cops. She was beginning to wish that she had never allowed him back onto the bridge.

"A trivial matter at best," Melis said dismissively. "Why would they refuse to trade with us? There must be things that they can't produce on their world, and they are certain have new technologies that Earth would be willing to pay for."

"That may be true, but any negotiations will have to wait until I have deemed the planet safe enough to travel to again. I don't want to have to come back here and rescue another group of foolish explorers."

"IPX has the permission of the president," Melis argued. "You have to assist us in our mission."

Susan shook her head. "I'm afraid you are mistaken, Doctor," she said with a faint smile. "I don't have to do anything of the sort. My mission was to rescue the Sturt and her crew. The mission profile and orders said nothing about helping you to exploit some poor, alien race. Until those orders change, I intend on carrying out my primary mission. So, until I say otherwise, no shuttles are to leave for the surface unless they are going to collect crew from the Sturt. I trust you understand."

Melis looked like he was about to explode, but any comment he was going to make was cut short by the Rasputin's communications officer. "I have Captain Lawton wanting to speak to you, Captain."

Susan nodded. "Put him through."

Seconds later, the voice of the Sturt's captain filled the bridge. "Captain Ivanova? Are you there?"

"I'm here," Susan confirmed. "What can I do for you, Captain Lawton?"

"Thank God," Lawton replied. "I was afraid that we weren't going to get in contact with you again. Those alien bastards have been swarming all over the Sturt for the past two days. They said they weren't going to allow us to leave, unless you agreed to do their Mistress' bidding."

"What? She promised to let the Sturt and her crew go free."

"They must have changed their minds then, Captain," Lawton replied. "That General Azrak certainly didn't seem very interested in letting us leave, at least not until the sun began to break through the clouds. That was a quite wonderful sight by the way, something I never thought I would ever see again."

"Is everyone all right down there?" Susan asked, feeling strangely numb as she realised that Jeanne had not kept her word about letting all of the prisoners go free.

"We're all fine now, Captain," Lawton replied. "Never better in fact. The solar collectors are working again and my crew assure me that we will be ready for flight in around ten hours time. We want to check all the systems first though, not to mention the hull, before committing to a take off."

"Understood. Do you require any assistance? I can send down a shuttle with anything you might need."

"I think we should be all right for now," Lawton replied. "I will let you know if we need anything before we leave. There is just one thing though. As the General and his troops were departing, he demanded that we leave this world as quickly as possible. He said something about the Mistress becoming angry if we remained. I just thought you should know, Lawton out."

Susan closed the connection and looked over at Melis. "It looks like your plans may be changing, doctor," she said, sounding more angry with herself than with the arrogant scientist. "It appears that the Arisians may not be friendly after all."

"I am sure there is some mistake," Melis replied with a thin smile on his lips. "Once one of our professional negotiators gets down there, then we will soon have an agreement that suits everyone."

"I am more concerned about what Jeanne might be planning at the moment," Susan said bitterly. "She said she wasn't planning anything that would threaten Earth or the other worlds, but these new developments throw considerable doubt on those claims." She flicked a switch on the console in front of her. "Lt. Commander Schmitt, is the first squadron ready to depart."

"Ready to go, Captain," Alister Schmitt confirmed. "They are just waiting for your orders. The second squadron of Thunderbolts has also been armed and the pilots placed on standby."

"Good," Susan said. "Launch the first squadron. I want every square inch of the planet mapped for possible weapons emplacements as well as anything else that could be a threat. Keep the second squadron on standby for now, just in case they are needed."

"Roger that," Alister replied.

"What was that about, Captain Ivanova?" Melis demanded angrily. "You can't be thinking of attacking this world. That will not do at all, I will contact Earth at once and stop this foolishness. I'm sure the president will see things my way."

"You will do such thing," Susan said angrily. "It is my job to protect Earth and this woman poses a very large potential threat to not just Earth, but all of the Alliance worlds."

"I think you are exaggerating the possible threat, Captain," Melis argued.

"No, she's not," a soft, tired voice behind him suddenly interrupted.

"Major," Susan exclaimed in surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be in isolation in the sickbay?"

"I was," Lily replied bitterly. "But the doc released me when he couldn't find anything wrong, and sent me back to my quarters. I was supposed to get some rest, but I couldn't sleep knowing that witch was still on the loose down there." Lily walked across to the railing overlooking the sunken bridge area. "I see she managed to convince you, though," she said, pointing towards the newly revealed surface of the world below. "I just hope you are prepared to stop her, Captain."

"Captain," Petrov suddenly called out. "Sensors have reported a launch from the planet's surface."

"The war cruiser?" Susan asked, a cold feeling beginning to grip her.

"Petrov shook his head. "Not the cruiser, it is a lot smaller and came from an entirely different section of the planet. It could be a missile though."

"Order the pilots on the scouting mission to intercept," Susan began, before Petrov interrupted her again.

"I am also registering a massive energy buildup near the alien city," he informed her.

"On screen," Susan demanded.

The display quickly shifted to show the great crater where Jeanne's palace was located. Around the edge of the crater were four of the energy collection towers, although unlike the others, these four hadn't deployed into solar collectors. Instead their tips were now glowing with brilliant green energy. "Get us out of range at once," Susan shouted, suddenly realising what the towers were.

Before the helmsman could react though, four beams of energy shot out from the towers to collide above the palace. Then, another thinner beam of energy shot straight upwards, directly towards the Rasputin. Everyone braced themselves for the impact, but it never came, the beam missing the Rasputin by the narrowest of margins, impacting on the surface of the gas giant's second moon behind them.

"I think that was a warning shot," Petrov said, his hands flying over his console. "Senors have reported that the towers have gone quiet again. I would say she was just letting us know what sort of defensive system she has down there."

"What about the missile?" Susan asked.

"It has settled into orbit just above the atmosphere. It appears to be some kind of sphere, possibly a communications satellite of some kind. No wait, it's unfolding, just like those towers. I am registering four solar panels and a large weapons array. It looks like a defensive satellite of some kind."

"Can we destroy it?"

Petrov frowned. "It is possible," he said finally. "It is still inactive at the moment, probably waiting until it is charged by the suns light. However..."

"If we destroy it, Jeanne will destroy us with that weapon of hers," Susan finished. "In other words, we can't do anything to stop her."

"We could send in ground troops," Petrov sad. "But I wouldn't give them much of chance of success. Likewise an air attack on those towers, would bring the starfuries into range of that gun. I wouldn't want to be one of the pilots trying to take on a weapon of that power."

"It appears she has won, then," Lily said, walking towards the door to the bridge. Just before leaving, she turned and looked back at Susan "I just hope you are willing to take the blame for what you have done, Captain. That woman is a manipulative psychopath who will do and say anything to get her own way. She convinced you to release her from her prison, and now she is free to work her evil charms on the entire galaxy. I hope you can live with the knowledge of what you have done."

It was a despondent collection of men and women who gathered in the Rasputin's conference room early the next morning. Dawn was still an hour away back on Earth, but on Arias the sun was shining brightly, and the continued launch of new satellites went on. Nearly a hundred now dotted the skies above the jungle moon, an impregnable curtain of destruction, powerful enough to defeat an entire fleet of warships. Strangely though, not one of the satellites had yet activated, it was as if they were waiting for something.

"That's number ninety seven," Petrov said, as yet another spherical object tore free of Arias' gravity and gently settled into orbit above the planet. "If this keeps up, the entire planet is going to be surrounded by those satellites before the day is out."

"Have you found where are coming from yet?" Susan asked, in a dejected tone.

Petrov nodded. "An underground factory of some kind. We can't get a close look, but have determined that each launch is separated by exactly ten minutes and twenty-seven seconds, indicating the system that is producing the satellites is probably automated."

"Can we destroy it?"

"I'm afraid not, Captain," Alister Schmitt answered. "The launch site is covered by that big gun at the top of the crater, and any attempt to approach would bring us into range. I am willing to give it a try if you order it, but my boys and girls aren't keen on the idea, especially after they saw the trench that thing left in the side of the second moon."

Susan nodded. "I thought as much. It seems Earthdome agrees with you as well. Admiral Mellor has given us orders to withdraw from the system as soon as the Sturt has been recovered. IPX still wants to send in a negotiator, even more so after seeing those satellites, but the President has withdrawn her support for the idea."

"So they are all just going to sweep the whole planet under the rug then?" Petrov asked.

"Until there is some tangible threat, I think those were the Admiral's exact words."

"They should be blowing this place apart with everything in the arsenal," Major Logan muttered. She stood away from the main table, watching the latest satellite arrive, her hand clasped behind her back and a grim expression on her pale face. "A few tactical nukes should blow away any problem."

"We can't do that, Major," Susan reminded her. "There are still innocent civilians down there. Besides, there is still no proof that Jeanne means us any harm."

"Sounds to me like you are trying to convince yourself, Captain," Lily replied, trudging back to her seat and sitting down. "If she does muster some kind of fleet, and sets off to conquer other worlds, people are going to come looking for the person who set her free."

"That is enough, Major," Susan demanded coldly. She knew that Lily wasn't saying anything that she hadn't already thought herself, but she just didn't like to hear it. "We have no proof that there are any other ships down there, apart from that war cruiser."

"We didn't know they had that gun, or the satellite factory either," Petrov cautioned. "Who knows what secrets Arias is hiding beneath its rocky soil."

Susan nodded, realising that the Commander was speaking the truth. No-one knew what Jeanne had build in her eight hundred years on this world. In the same time on Earth, great empires had risen and fallen and the humanity had become a great starfaring race. She certainly hadn't expected the great weapon that protected the city. Her team had walked straight past the four towers along the crater rim without noticing anything strange about them, yet they had turned out to be components of one of the most powerful weapons she had ever seen demonstrated. Certainly, it wasn't as powerful as the Vorlon's planet killers, but anything that could reach out across the vastness of space and dig a trench three metres deep on another world was a weapon to be respected and feared.

The aprupt opening of the door into the conference room shook everyone out of their misery and all turned as an angry looking Dr. Melis entered. "Captain Ivanova," he almost shouted. "I have just heard that you have banned all flights to the surface. I was preparing to take a shuttle down to the alien city and begin negotiations with the alien leader. I demand to know why you have prevented this."

Susan looked at him, wondering for a moment if the IPX official wasn't out of his mind. "Haven't you seen what is going on out there?" she asked incredulously, waving a hand towards the wall.

Melis looked at the holographic screen that dominated the ceiling and walls of the conference room. Currently it displayed a close up view of one of the satellites, currently drifting in orbit next to the Rasputin. "I fail to see anything to be concerned about," he replied. "None of those satellites have threatened us directly, and I'm sure if they intended to injure us they would have done so by now."

"I think the blast from that cannon made it pretty clear we are not welcome here," Susan said. "It only just missed us, and I don't think you are going to get any clearer indication of their intentions than that."

"I have dealt with hostile aliens before," Melis sneered. "All you need to do is offer them what they want, and they soon see things your way. I am sure a substantial offer of credits would smooth over relations."

"Somehow, Doctor, I don't think Jeanne is going to be interested in your money."

"And you would be correct in that assumption, Captain Ivanova," a soft voice said, echoing around the conference room.

"Who said that?" Lily demanded, leaping out of her chair and scanning around the large room.

In response, all the holographic generators in the room winked out, along with the lights and several of the luminous consoles. Power to the systems returned a moment later, returning light to the room, but not the view of space outside the ship. Instead of that hologram, another had taken its place, this time the image of Jeanne.

Those who had seen her before, Susan and Major Logan, immediately noticed the changes that had occurred. Her hair was no longer dark, instead it had been replaced by delicate white-gold strands that seemed to shimmer down to her shoulders. Her fingernails, which had also been as black as coal, where now a gleaming gold in colour and her skin glowed with energy and light. Her extravagant white and pink gown was also gone, replaced by a simple white dress. Jeanne's eyes were closed at the moment, her hands clasped before her like an innocent schoolgirl, but there was no mistaking the power in her body.

Even though she was thousands of kilometres away and her body was only being displayed through the conference room's holographic system, she still radiated power and strength. Then she opened her eyes, and it was like looking into a blazing inferno. That impression didn't last long though, as the light in her eyes faded to reveal ice-blue orbs that seemed to contain both wisdom and sadness. Jeanne looked around at those sitting at the table and for a moment they were all entranced, captured by the beauty of her appearance.

That fascination didn't last long though as Lily leapt to her feet and rushed at Jeanne with a snarl on her face. She leapt at the hologram, passing straight through the image of light and landing in a heap on the far side of the room. Jeanne turned and regarded Lily's crumbled, sobbing form with a tinge of regret showing on her face. "Why do you hate me so?" she asked softly. "I have not harmed you."

"What did you do to me?" Lily sobbed. "Why can't I sleep like I used to?"

Jeanne looked sad, reaching down as if to comfort Lily, before realising that she was just a hologram. "I am sorry," she replied gently. "I thought I was saving your life. I did not realise what my blood would do to you."

"Your blood?" Susan asked.

Jeanne smiled faintly at her, before looking down at Lily with another brief expression of regret. "I used my blood to heal Major Logan. The effects were only temporary on my followers, but on her it seems to have been more permanent. I did not wish to cause her harm, only to save her life."

Lily pulled herself back to her feet. "Take your blood back. I don't want it. I don't want to live like this, never sleeping and always hungry. I want to be the way I was."

Jeanne turned away and walked towards the far end of the room. "I can not do that," she admitted sadly. "My blood has bonded with your body, you can not return to the being you were before. In your case. the effects seem to be permanent. I am so sorry."

"No!" Lily shouted. "You must be able to change me back. I don't want to stay this way. You can build those satellites and that cannon, why can't you change me back to the person I was before?"

Jeanne turned around to face her. "Because I never studied genetics," she replied. "I did not wish to do to others what the Vorlons did to me. I guess it is ironic the way things have turned out. You will just have to learn to live with who you have become, Major. Think of the advantages instead of the weaknesses."

"What has she become?" Susan demanded. "What did you do to her?"

"I do not know," Jeanne admitted. "She is not like me, but she is similar in some ways, and only time will tell which of her capabilities evolve and expand. But, I did not come here to discuss Major Logan."

"Let me guess," Susan said sarcastically. "You came here to tell us how everything that has happened over the past weeks was a mistake and how you are now going to welcome us with open arms."

"Fat chance," Lily muttered. She turned at looked at Petrov. "Can't we shut down the hologram system and get rid of her?"

Petrov shook his. "I'm afraid not, Major," he replied. "All the systems have locked me out."

Jeanne ignored the conversation between Lily and Petrov and moved across the room until she was standing near the middle of the table. "Not exactly, Captain," she replied, answering Susan's earlier question. "I have come to inform you that you must leave this world before the day is out. My satellites are programmed to activate once the seeding is complete, so you have less than twelve hours to remove your ships from the vicinity of this world."

"What about the Sturt?" Petrov asked. "She is still down on the surface. We can't leave without them."

Jeanne studied him for a second before replying. "I have determined that your other vessel can depart within the hour. It need not remain on this world any longer."

"We aren't just going to let you get away with this," Susan promised her. "Earthforce will not stand by and watch if you extend your empire into other worlds. We will stop you."

Jeanne looked at her with one delicate eyebrow raised. "It appears that you still do not understand, Captain Ivanova," she said softly. "My empire, such as it was, ends here. When this day is out, it will cease to exist, and I will no longer rule this world."

"Excuse me," Melis suddenly interrupted. "Can I speak here for a moment?"

Jeanne turned and regarded him with a curious expression on her face. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Dr. Jack Melis," he replied proudly. "I wish to speak to you about possible trade between your world and..."

"It seems that you do not understand my question," Jeanne interrupted. "I did not ask for your name, that does not tell me anything. I asked who you were."

Melis looked confused for a second, before replying, "I am a representative of IPX, and have been authorised to offer a considerably generous financial settlement for access to your technology."

Jeanne considered his words. "IPX," she mused. "Interplanetary expeditions, exploring the past to create a better future."

"That's us," Melis replied with a broad smile.

"You are not welcome on this world, Dr. Jack Melis, and neither are any of your kind. The people of this world are still young and innocent, they are not yet ready for contact with other races."

"But..."

"Do not argue," Jeanne said firmly. "I have already made my decision. You may leave this room, what is to be discussed here is not for the ears of one such as you. Begone."

"But, I..."

"I think you should leave, doctor," Susan urged him, feeling strangely relieved by the idea. "I will keep you up to date with what happens."

Melis hesitated, staring at the image of Jeanne in disbelief. When she looked back at him without any trace of a smile or other expression on her pale features, he finally muttered something to himself and left the room. When he was gone, she turned back to Susan. "Now, Captain," she began. "As I was saying before I was interrupted, you must depart this world as soon as you can. It is not just for your own good, but also for my followers."

"I don't understand," Susan said.

"I don't expect you to, Captain," Jeanne replied softly. "My motives must seem strange to you, but I am not like you any more. I operate on a different level from humanity, I see things that you do not. But do not feel bad, the Vorlons did not understand either. They thought they were right in following their great cause, but in the end they were just as flawed and evil as those they sought to defeat."

"And you know better do you?" Lily asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You are right and they were wrong. Is that what you were about to say?"

"Perhaps, Major Logan," Jeanne replied. "But you will never know now. You may mistrust me if you wish, I can not prevent that, but please remain quiet for now. You may yell at me later if you wish, but I would like a chance to explain first."

"Go ahead," Lily said. "This should prove interesting."

Jeanne smiled at her and then walked over to examine a console mounted on the wall. Finally, she turned around and stared at Susan. "I have told you that the Vorlon imprisoned me because I threatened their plans, but I did not tell you the whole story. I did not lie, but I did not explain everything." She paused and tapped at something out of sight from the Rasputin's crew, most likely a console in her throne room or from wherever her image was being projected. Whatever she was doing, it didn't take long, and then she looked around at Susan and her crew. "What do you know of the Vorlon's role in the galaxy?" she asked.

Being the only one in the room with anything more than a passing knowledge of the Vorlon race, Susan answered. "They were an ancient race, one of the first ones who stayed behind when the others left, so they could guide the younger races. They followed the principles of order and obedience, while the Shadows were beings of chaos and conflict."

"Very good, Captain," Jeanne said with a smile. "You are correct. The Vorlons were creatures of order, and their enemies, beings of chaos. Unfortunately both were so caught up in their own ideals that neither stopped to regard the third force in the argument."

"The truth," Susan said, remembering what John had said to the Vorlons at Coriana 6. Suddenly she stopped and her eyes opened wide in surprise. She examined Jeanne again, comparing the blonde woman with her memories from the battle. If Jeanne had been wearing a veil, she would be a splitting image of the projection the Vorlon had created when talking to Sheridan. Now that she thought about it, Jeanne's voice was even similar, although it lacked the musical undertones the Vorlons had used.

"The truth?" Jeanne said, sounding faintly amused. "No, I was not speaking of the truth, that is all around you, all you need to do is open your eyes. No, I was speaking of the innocent. In their battles and causes, neither side paused to spare a moment to consider the innocents caught up in their wars. Untold billions have died over the millennia, just so two ancient races could play out their pathetically senseless battles. Eight hundred years ago, I saw this, and that is why the Vorlon left me here. I saw what they were doing to the other races of the galaxy and I meant to end it. I was going to return to Earth and raise a mighty army capable of driving both the Vorlons and the dark ones from this galaxy for good. When they realised this, they imprisoned me here, for they realised they could not kill me."

She paused in her speech and looked over at Susan with a faint smile on her face. "Now you have released me, Captain, and I am finally free to resume what I began so long ago."

"What is that?" Susan asked bitterly. "Bringing everyone under your banner so they will be protected and subservient, owing their lives to your generosity."

"You still don't understand," Jeanne replied, her voice still as calm and collected as ever. "That is how the Vorlon thought, but we both know that does not work. The galaxy needs both order and chaos to survive. It is a balance, where both sides must exist and support each other for the galaxy to continue. Life is born out of chaos, but order provides the nourishment that allows it to grow and develop. You see, both are needed if life is to survive and flourish in all of its potential forms. Take the stars for example. They are objects of pure chaos, yet they provide the warmth that nourishes entire civilisations. On the other hand order is also needed to provide a guiding hand during any youth's formative development, and protect those who are not strong enough to look out for themselves. The older races like the Vorlons and the Shadows made the mistake of focussing totally on one part of the whole, and so were diminished by that decision."

"What does that have to do with you though?" Susan asked. "You cannot change what has already happened."

"True," Jeanne agreed. "But I can change the future. I have begun that task here with this world."

"With the satellites?"

Jeanne nodded. "That is correct. Each of those satellites has been programmed to recognise only the genetic structure of the Arisian race. My followers are still a young race, one open to exploitation and slavery. With this protection I have granted them, they will be free to develop at their own pace. When they are ready to leave this world, then I am also prepared for that eventuality. As soon as an Arisian comes within a hundred metres of one of the satellites, then they will all be deactivated, eventually falling back into the atmosphere. Until that time though, the people of this world will be safe from any who might wish to harm them or attempt to affect their development."

"But haven't you already done that," Petrov noted. "They already have technology that you have provided them."

"Only a little," Jeanne replied. "That was necessary so that I could build the city and fortress that have kept me alive all these years. Much of what I have given them though, they do not understand. They are more advanced that they would have been, but not overly so."

"I still don't understand the aim of all this," Susan said. "Why bother? What difference can you make? No matter what happens, the Arisians and all the other races are still going to turn out the same way. If all you do is create a defence system around their world, you aren't going to change anything."

"Precisely, Captain," Jeanne said with a joyful expression. "You finally do understand. I do not want to change how a race turns out. I just want to ensure that they are free to exist at all. I want to give each of the developing races in this galaxy a chance of existence. I am going to give each developing world a network of satellites like the one on this world. Then it will be up to them how they end up. But no matter if they follow order or chaos, at least now they will get the chance to choose. It is not for me to guide them one way or the other, each race must make that choice for itself. Only then can they become all that are meant to be."

Susan looked at Jeanne in astonishment. "This is why the Vorlon imprisoned you?" she asked incredulously.

"Originally I thought the same as the Vorlons," Jeanne explained. "I believed that my destiny was to fight chaos, driving away evil with a sweep of my sword. This is what the Vorlon's wanted me to do, but as they altered me, my feelings changed. I saw things that I could never have imagined as a child, and I realised that the Vorlon's argument was flawed. They saw everything as black and white, good and evil, but things are not always that way. In my own mortal life I have seen evil men convert and change their way, becoming soldiers of good; and at the same time I witnessed those who were meant to be the upholders of goodness commit acts of evil. There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil. Everything is always a shade of grey. Even the Vorlon, the mighty upholders of all that was pure and good, committed acts of destruction and violence in the pursuit of their cause. I realised that no matter what principles you adhere to, you can never follow them all the time. So I choose not to follow one path, but instead follow my heart and let it take me where it wills. I saw before me a universe of suffering, where every side was being forced to follow one path or the other and I made the decision to give everyone who wanted it the choice. I have no doubt that some races on worlds I protect will die out, but if they do, it will be their destiny, not because some other race decides it."

"What do you get out of all this?" Lily cut in, sounding suspicious. "I find it hard to believe that you would do this without some personal gain."

"I would expect that from you, Major Logan," Jeanne said with a faint smile gracing her lips. "You are even more suspicious than Captain Ivanova. Unlike your Dr. Melis, I have no desire for wealth or possessions. None of those things mean anything to me any more. Instead I seek something to give my life meaning. When you have lived as long as I have, perhaps then you will understand. Now I must leave, as must you."

"Will we see you again?" Susan asked.

A flicker of a smile ran across Jeanne face. "I doubt it, Captain Ivanova," she replied. "You have your life of duty to your world, and I have my new life. Humanity is an old race now, developed and in charge of its own destiny. It needs no protection from me, and neither do the other worlds whose ships travel through this region of space. For now though, I must return to the world below. There is much work to do before I can depart, but you must leave soon, Captain Ivanova."

With that final comment, Jeanne's glowing image winked out and the holographic projectors returned to their normal setting, displaying the region of space directly behind the warship. On the newly restored display, everyone in the conference room could see a trail of fire heading up from the planet, the exhausts of powerful fusion engines propelling the Sturt free of the atmosphere.

"It looks like she has made sure we have nothing to stick around for," Lily muttered, as soon as she noticed the Sturt's arrival.

"Orders, Captain?" Petrov asked.

Susan hesitated, still trying to digest everything Jeanne had told them. Part of her was still suspicious, but another, larger part felt relieved that Jeanne's intentions had turned out to be peaceful. Of course, a lot of races that made a living out of exploiting younger worlds would be upset, the Centauri came to mind here, but for some reason Susan felt comforted knowing that there was someone out there looking after those who were unable to protect themselves. In a way, what Jeanne had said made perfect sense, her logic irrefutable.

"Captain?" Petrov asked again, looking concerned.

"Signal the Sturt, have them set a course for the Io jumpgate, Commander Petrov," she replied. "We will follow. Our mission here is complete."

"But, Captain..."

"The Sturt and her crew are safe, and there is no threat to Earth... well, no direct threat anyway. Mission complete! It's time to go home."

Three hours later, the world of Arias began to diminish into the background, lost against the vast bulk of the huge gas giant behind it. Susan sat quietly in the conference room, sipping a mug of coffee and watching the world slowly vanish. Just to be safe, she had ordered the Rasputin to climb free of the gas giant's gravity well before attempting a jump to hyperspace. It was probably safe to make the jump ealier, but after everything else that had happened on this trip, she wanted to be sure.

Sitting in the chair next to her, Talia regarded a muffin with a suspicious stare, wondering if she dare eat another one. Finally she decided to allow herself a small guilty pleasure and placed the muffin on her plate, pushing the tray she had selected it from across to Susan. When Susan didn't reach for it, Talia looked at her with a concerned expression on her face. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Susan nodded slowly. "I'm just thinking," she replied.

"About Jeanne again?"

"I was just wondering if I have done the right thing this time. There is still a possibility that she was lying again."

"Do you believe that, Susan?"

"Not really," Susan replied with a faint smile. "I'm probably just worrying for nothing. She was different this time, and I actually believed what she was saying. There was passion in her voice as if she believed in her words. I didn't feel that when we talked to her on the planet. I still can't help feel suspicious though."

Talia smiled and tapped the metal tray. "Have a muffin," she told Susan. "It will make you feel better."

Susan selected one of the remaining muffins from the tray and took a bite, suddenly realising that this was the first fresh food she had eaten in over a week. The ration bars and self-heating meals could provide nourishment, but they just couldn't match something that had just been cooked. Once again, Susan was glad that this ship came with its own kitchen.

"Is that better?" Talia asked, sipping her hot tea.

"Much," Susan replied. "There is still something that is bothering me though."

"What is it this time?"

"Something I noticed about Jeanne. She is identical to the image the Vorlons used to represent them at Coriana, not just similar, but identical. Her voice is the same and the dress she was wearing today was even similar."

"So?"

"If the Vorlons were so afraid of her, why did they use her image?"

Talia raised an eyebrow, considering the question, before an answer quickly rose to the surface and she laughed. "That's easy, Susan," she replied. "The Vorlons were telepathically projecting this image, right?"

Susan nodded. "I imagine so, I can't think of any other way they would have done it."

"Well, to send an image telepathically, you usually have to seen the image before. It is a lot more difficult to make something up, so most telepaths usually select an image from their past, or from the past of the person they are scanning. I'm sure that the Vorlon could have made Sheridan see anything they desired, but why bother when they could just use Jeanne's image. I think she must have caused quite an impression on them."

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Susan asked suddenly. "Do you think I should have just departed like that, leaving Jeanne free to carry out her plans?"

Talia laughed. "Susan, you have to stop worrying about what is done. You can't change the past and it is obvious that nothing you did was going to change her mind. I think you did the right thing, and so should you."

"She going to cause trouble for a lot of companies back home, not just IPX, but all the other exploration companies."

"Nothing that the government shouldn't already be doing. There are a lot of unscrupulous people out there, not just on Earth, but on all the alien worlds as well. In a way, it makes me glad that there is someone out there to look after the younger races."

"The Admiral's going to ask some tough questions about what I did."

"Not many. You succeeded in every task he set you. You bought back the President's nephew and the rest of the Sturt's crew and - in a way - you have also helped out the entire Arisian race."

"I had a chat with Major Logan about him," Susan said, a faint smile finally beginning to creep over her face. "She had some very choice words to say about him."

Talia smiled in return. "So I heard," she said. "It's good to see the Major back to her old self." She paused at looked up at the holographic screen, watching as the darkness of space vanished, to be replaced by the chaotic realm of hyperspace. Finally she turned back to Susan. "You needn't worry about anything you did, Susan. You are still going to be a hero... again."

Susan grimaced. "There are going to be reporters, aren't there?"

"For Nicolai Luchenko?" I would expect nothing less than ISN and probably four or five of the other networks. "Why? Are you considering turning around and heading back to Arias?"

"Not in this lifetime," Susan replied. "If this is the sort of thing that is going to happen on just one Vorlon world, I am going to stick to Earth Alliance territory from now on. As I said from the start, I hate rescue missions. If Mellor asks me to do anything like this again, I am going to hand him my resignation and tell him to get some other poor fool."

Talia laughed. "I agree," she said. "Anything is better than trudging through that swamp again."

Even Susan smiled at that comment. "It was rather awful, wasn't it," she said. "It was good to be back on board the Rasputin after a week on Arias."

"Especially the showers."

Susan turned and stared lovingly at Talia. "Especially the showers, she agreed."

Back on Arias, Jeanne stood quietly near one of the throne room's windows. A gentle breeze brushed against her face, ruffling her blonde hair and bringing a faint chill to her body. Overhead, in the night sky, a hundred or more tiny dots of light stood out against the background stars. The satellite network for Arias was nearly complete, ahead lay thousands of new worlds, each needing her protection. Before then though, she would need something, a new vessel to serve her. The cruiser was good enough for travelling across the galaxy, but to create a vast network of protective satellites, she needed something bigger, much bigger. For a moment she felt almost jealous of Susan and her crew. Their mission was over, but hers was just beginning.

THE END