The Battle for Babylon 5: Civil War II Chapter Thirty-Seven

Something seemed different about the seat Magus was sitting in. It wasn't just the seat, but the location as well. Try as he might, he couldn't get comfortable in it.

Counselor Troi looked over, sensing his 'difficulties'.

"Is something wrong, Doctor?" she asked.

"No, my dear," Magus smiled. "Everything is fine. It's just this seat. I'm sure you find it comfortable, but there's something odd about it."

"Perhaps you are used to the Valkyrie seats," said Troi.

"Perhaps."

Magus rose from his chair and began to walk around the bridge, gazing at the various instruments.

"Has there been any word from Vulcan yet?" he asked.

"None," Worf reported. "They are aware of our visit. Ambassador Spock has been told to expect you."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

Magus continued to stroll around the bridge. He stopped suddenly when he heard a beep from the sensor panel.

"Commander, I'm picking up a vessel, de-cloaking off the port bow."

"A Klingon ship?" asked Riker.

Riker failed to notice the look on Troi's face, an anxious look. Magus, however, did.

"On screen," Riker ordered.

The image appeared before them. It was like a giant spider, shimmering away in front of them.

"Captain Picard, report to the Bridge."

Magus stared at the screen as the ship hovered in front of them. As Picard entered the bridge, the strange ship began to shimmer again, before it vanished.

"Can we track it?" asked Riker.

"I'm picking up no sub-space fluctuations," Worf reported. "No ion trails or warp signatures, nothing!"

"What was it, number one?" asked Picard.

"Evil," Troi cut in. "Pure evil."

Picard and Riker turned to Troi, and looked at her in amazement.

"Is that what you sensed?" asked Picard. "Was there humanoid life on that thing?"

"She cannot answer that, because she does not know," said Magus. "But she was right. That thing was pure evil. It was a shadow vessel."

"Those things that have been seen helping the Imperials," said Riker. "They normally attack. Why did they leave us alone?"

"I don't know," said Magus. "Perhaps it's something about the ship, or someone on the ship. Who knows?"

"Worf, did you manage to get a reading of the ship?" asked Picard.

"Yes, but not much of one."

"I want it analyzed in all possible ways," said Picard. "Commander Data and Commander La Forge will assist."

As Data got up from his Ops station and joined Worf in the turbo lift, Magus seated himself next to Picard.

"We will have to be on our guard, Captain."

 

Nothing like this had ever been seen before. In Capital City, the heart of the Mars colony, riots broke out the like of which had never been seen before. Protests began all over the colony, protests at now being under the control of the Galactic Empire. Try as they might, the mighty Jem'Hadar warriors could not contain the outrage of the colonists. This, however, soon changed when a platoon of Imperial Storm Troopers arrived. The odds were soon evened with the introduction of these shock troops. With their heavy-handed tactics, they soon had the rioters under control, but not for long.

 

In his quarters, Tamar Amarus sat at his computer console, an anxious look on his face.

"What do you mean you can't establish contact with Traxxor?" he said. "You've said that to me for the past three days!"

"Unable to establish link with main communications on Traxxor."

Amarus smashed the table with his fist. For three days, he had had no contact with his homeworld, with his loved ones. For all he knew, they could be dead.

 

The new Federation Council seated themselves around the conference table at the Presidential Palace. It looked like a who's who of the galaxy, and those who could not be there in person were there by long-distance communication. Darkmagus sat at the head of the table, with Servalan to his right, and Grand Admiral Thrawn to his left. At the other end of the table sat Styre, the Sontarran President. On the two screens were live images of the Centauri representative, Lord Reefa, and the Emperor of the Empire himself, Palpatine.

"I have just heard disturbing news of your first colony," said Palpatine. "It seems you are losing control of Mars."

"On the contrary, the Jem'Hadar and storm troopers seem to have them under control."

"They can only be kept under control in one way, Servalan," Palpatine replied. "It has worked on Earth, and it will work on Mars. Introduce martial law! Instruct the government of Mars to do so at once!"

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Bomb them to hell itself!"

 

Major Ed Ryan was not a happy man. The commanding officer of the U.S.S. Alexander had had to put up with much over the past year or so, but with the way the Federation was going, he could take no more. That is why he and his crew had come to the following, and painful decision.

As he walked away from Starfleet Command, he failed to notice he was being followed. It was only when he arrived at his shuttle he saw who it was.

"Senator Martin!" he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a favor to ask of you," Martin said. "My sources tell me that you're thinking of going to Babylon 5. Is this true?"

"How did you find out about that?"

"I have my sources. Tell me, is it true?"

Ryan pulled him to one side, and then looked around to see if anyone was watching.

"Yes, it's true. So what does it have to do with you?"

"I want to go with you."

"Why?"

"This."

Martin handed him a data pad. It was a short transmission from the Pegasus station.

"A conference on Babylon 5, aimed at setting up the official government of the Free Federation," said Ryan. "I got this transmission as well. It seems like someone told Magus of my current way of thinking."

"I want you to take me there," said Martin. "You're going in the Alexander, aren't you?"

"Yes. We leave in two hours."

"My wife and I will be on your ship in one."

And with that, Martin walked away, to make the final arrangements for his 'defection'.