Just Please, Read My fanfic. It\'ll Be Good.
It may not be like SuperChanne's, but this will be good. This is a fanfic concearning Season 4 of Babylon 5 when the station is out of money, so who else but Max Eilerson, the great entrepeneur to come to the rescue (I knew you'd like it, Kribu)?
Note: This takes place shortly before the mid-4th season episode "Rumors, Bargains, and Lies".
Part 1: Boxes of Treasure
"Captain's Personal Log June 20, 2261. It's taken me a year, but I've finally discovered the greatest pro of breaking away from Earth, and that is knowing that I haven't had to do my taxes this year. Unfortunately, the biggest con is the station's financial position. Even with Ivanova hiring the questionable smugglers, the station is nearly bankrupt, we're down to our last reserves because we don't have Earth to fall back on anymore. I haven't been able to bring myself to tell Ivanova because she's worked so hard on this. It doesn't seem fair, we've come all this way, beaten the Vorlons and the Shadows, defended Clark's assault on us, but in the end we lose simply because we do not have the credits. It's not right. One thing is for sure; we need money - desperately. End log."
Max Eilerson walked through customs. He had already rented some quarters in advance and after an identicard and weapons check, he went there. He was pleased to see that Captain Sheridan had set up a meeting with him later that day regarding their financial situation. They must be more desperate than I thought, Max thought to himself.
"Mr. Eilerson, I noticed you represent IPX, and because the last time your corporation came aboard and ruined everything on my station, you'll forgive me if I want this little business exchange to go as fast as possible so you can get far away from my station," Sheridan said setting the tone with Max.
"Ah, well Captain, Mrs. Trent isn't exactly the best at her job, but you misunderstand. I'm not here representing IPX," Max replied.
"No?" Sheridan asked with small hope in his voice.
"No," Max answered, "I'm here, because I know about your situation. You're out of money, and without money, you won't be able to get anything on this station to run. You'll lose the war against Clark, lose your command, and be disgraced. But what if I could supply you with the credits to keep this place going for a year? Maybe two or more if you don't overspend," Max offered.
"All right, I'm listening. What do you have in mind Mr. Eilerson?" Sheridan asked.
"A few months ago, I took on my first mission for IPX. I was excited about it, and I swore to myself I would complete this assignment successfully and make a good name for myself in IPX early. I swore if I'd fail I'd force myself to become the best dancer on Mars. And I hate dancing. Anyway, the mission involved an archealogical dig on Gamma Ursa; A team had found odd traces of a rare compound deep beneath the soil and according to some ancient texts, it was thought to be an 'Apocalypse Box'."
"Can't say I've heard of it," Sheridan said.
"Not many people have, it's incredibly rare which is why our buyer wants it so badly. Anyway, I took control of the project and ordered the team to keep digging, and after some research and reports from the diggers, I was totally certain the Apocalypse Box was there. I went to Gamma Ursa myself to oversee the project, I began to file reports and finally, just as we were on the last stage of uncovering the Box, Earthforce came."
Sheridan laughed.
"The bastards finished the project for us and confiscated the Apocalypse Box, said it 'belonged to Clark'. Anyway, that was two days ago, and the ship carrying the Box just went into hyperspace today. If you hurry, we may be able to catch it and reclaim the Box."
"So let me get this right," Sheridan said, "You want us to go into Earth controlled space for this 'Apocalypse Box', fight off Earth, capture a transport, and then sell it like a band of pirates?"
"Yeah, that's about how it goes," Max said summing it up.
"How much are we talking here? How many credits are we getting? And what percentage are you getting?" Sheridan asked wanting more information.
"Apparently, a very wealthy man on Mars named William Edgars has offered to pay the operating cost of Babylon 5 for the next few years. All I ask is 25% of it," Max bartered.
The name sounded familiar to Sheridan, but he couldn't quite remember where he had heard Edgars from. "10% Mr. Eilerson, 15% assuming this doesn't turn out to be a trap," Sheridan replied let the law down. "By the way, what would you do with the money?"
"Oh, nothing really. I would only have the satisfaction of knowing I completed my first assignment, a good night's sleep, a clear conscious maybe," Max answered.
Sheridan could see right through him. "You're a damned liar," he said.
"Maybe so Captain, but if we get the Box and sell it, what difference will it matter what I do with my share of the profit?" Max wondered.
"Call me curious," Sheridan replied.
"Curiousity killed the cat, Captain. And I've gotten long tired of Cynthia's Mr. Kitty. So do we have an agreement? After all, you do need the money," Max offered.
Sheridan took a deep sigh and finally replied, "Give me an hour to think it over, Mr. Eilson. You'll have my decision then."
Part 2: Gearing Up
"Oh, damn it John, we can't do this! It's a trap, you know that," Ivanova told Sheridan.
"Ivanova, normally I would never do anything like this, but-"
"I know, despite your efforts to hide it, we're on the brink of penniless," Ivanova interrupted. Sheridan started to ask how she knew, but he remembered the age-old Ivanova rule: 'The day when I don't know about something, be worried.' "Why don't you raise the tax on goods and purchases a few more credits?" Ivanova asked.
"That would be the fifth raise in the last few months, and no one on the station would accept that. You saw the mess we had the last time we raised tax," Sheridan answered. "Oh, and I looked into our buyer, William Edgars. He owns one of the biggest medical facilities on Mars, and interestingly enough it seems that our friend Mr. Garibaldi has started doing a few favors for the man. Coincidence?"
Ivanova shook her head. "Doubtful." They both sighed knowing this mission was going to be Hell. "So are you going to take this one, or do I have to do it?" Ivanova wondered, hoping she wouldn't have to go.
"Actually, I have to make sure the League signs that pact against Raiders, and I'll be tied up all week, so I guess it's you," Sheridan informed her.
"Great! We've become Babylon 5: The last, best hope for a quick buck!" Ivanova shouted in sarcasm. She marched out hastily while Sheridan laughed, and the other junior members at C&C stared in worry.
Ivanova stepped into Max's quarters to tell him, "The Captain has excepted your offer, and our ship will depart in ten minutes." She turned to leave, but she found something that caught her eye. She found Max tilting back in his chair watching a vid. "I used to watch vids all the time growing up. The last time I must have watched one was...a year ago, we don't get many new releases on the station. So what's on?" She asked as she picked up the vid box.
"Uhh...I don't," Max stammered sitting back up.
"It's okay, I love these things," Ivanova read the title on the vid box, "'Centauri's Sexy Six Stars'? What the Hell is this?" Ivanova read another, "'The Lumati's Best Amateur Agreements'?" Ivanova realized what the vids were and threw them on the floor, she started to walk out, but then she turned around and picked up the vid she had thrown on the ground. "No, never mind, I'm keeping this Lumati one just to make sure I'm not starring in it!" She yelled walking out of his quarters.
"That's the worst excuse for stealing a movie I've heard in years. If only Clark knew how desperate his enemies were," Max said to himself.
"We are not entirely sure what we are dealing with, so be careful. All EarthForce has told us is that we are likely to find a dangerous, unknown silhouette threatening security somewhere near the area. They say the enemy craft will follow the transport and come out of hyperspace the second it fires at the transport. The transport is of course a decoy and is rigged to explode the moment the enemy hits it, so don't get too near the transport when it comes out of hyperspace. EarthForce says it is part of the invasion to weaken EarthGov from without and within. They have also ordered us to attack the enemy ship when it drops out of hyperspace, so lock and load. When I took command of this ship a year ago, I knew I could count on you, and I know you won't fail. Pilots, take your ships."
"Yes sir, Captain Maynard," said the fighter pilots after Maynard had just given his instructions. He was proud of his crew and knew he could count on them. He was very shaky about his orders because deep down inside he knew he didn't believe much of the propaganda swarming around Earth. He mostly followed their orders because he hadn't found another force worthy of fighting for. He had never known General Hague, and none of the other resistance leaders had even contacted him. Sadly, Maynard knew the only thing he could count on anymore was his crew, but the trap had been set, and whoever was coming through was going to be blown to pieces.
"White Star 2, this is Babylon Control. You are cleared for jump," Corwin informed Ivanova over the comm. systems.
"Thank you Babylon Control. Jump." Ivanova ordered, with Marcus repeating her commands in Minbari. The White Star 2 thrust into the reddish colored enigma that was hyperspace.
"Well, Susan it's several hours before we intercept the transport carrying the cargo we're looking for, so what do you intend to do before we get there?" Marcus asked her.
"First off, I plan to stay has far away from Mr. Eilerson as I can, and after that I have to watch a vid to make sure I don't wind up getting an Emmy Award this year," Ivanova replied in an annoyed tone, leaving the command deck.
Marcus took the command chair, and after making sure Ivanova had left asked himself only half kidding "Why is it the universe, of all people, made me fall in love with her?"
Lieutenant Matthew Gideon did a final systems check of his fighter. The results came up showing that nothing was damaged or malfunctioning, which pleased Gideon. Captain Maynard had said they would be setting up a trap against a ship none of them had seen before, so he didn't want anything to go wrong. He had already failed the Cerberus, and Gideon was going to make sure nothing like that ever happened to a ship he served on again. He refused to be caught flat-footed ever again. "System's Pulse Cannons at full power." The computer informed him. Gideon smiled...
It may not be like SuperChanne's, but this will be good. This is a fanfic concearning Season 4 of Babylon 5 when the station is out of money, so who else but Max Eilerson, the great entrepeneur to come to the rescue (I knew you'd like it, Kribu)?
Note: This takes place shortly before the mid-4th season episode "Rumors, Bargains, and Lies".
Part 1: Boxes of Treasure
"Captain's Personal Log June 20, 2261. It's taken me a year, but I've finally discovered the greatest pro of breaking away from Earth, and that is knowing that I haven't had to do my taxes this year. Unfortunately, the biggest con is the station's financial position. Even with Ivanova hiring the questionable smugglers, the station is nearly bankrupt, we're down to our last reserves because we don't have Earth to fall back on anymore. I haven't been able to bring myself to tell Ivanova because she's worked so hard on this. It doesn't seem fair, we've come all this way, beaten the Vorlons and the Shadows, defended Clark's assault on us, but in the end we lose simply because we do not have the credits. It's not right. One thing is for sure; we need money - desperately. End log."
Max Eilerson walked through customs. He had already rented some quarters in advance and after an identicard and weapons check, he went there. He was pleased to see that Captain Sheridan had set up a meeting with him later that day regarding their financial situation. They must be more desperate than I thought, Max thought to himself.
"Mr. Eilerson, I noticed you represent IPX, and because the last time your corporation came aboard and ruined everything on my station, you'll forgive me if I want this little business exchange to go as fast as possible so you can get far away from my station," Sheridan said setting the tone with Max.
"Ah, well Captain, Mrs. Trent isn't exactly the best at her job, but you misunderstand. I'm not here representing IPX," Max replied.
"No?" Sheridan asked with small hope in his voice.
"No," Max answered, "I'm here, because I know about your situation. You're out of money, and without money, you won't be able to get anything on this station to run. You'll lose the war against Clark, lose your command, and be disgraced. But what if I could supply you with the credits to keep this place going for a year? Maybe two or more if you don't overspend," Max offered.
"All right, I'm listening. What do you have in mind Mr. Eilerson?" Sheridan asked.
"A few months ago, I took on my first mission for IPX. I was excited about it, and I swore to myself I would complete this assignment successfully and make a good name for myself in IPX early. I swore if I'd fail I'd force myself to become the best dancer on Mars. And I hate dancing. Anyway, the mission involved an archealogical dig on Gamma Ursa; A team had found odd traces of a rare compound deep beneath the soil and according to some ancient texts, it was thought to be an 'Apocalypse Box'."
"Can't say I've heard of it," Sheridan said.
"Not many people have, it's incredibly rare which is why our buyer wants it so badly. Anyway, I took control of the project and ordered the team to keep digging, and after some research and reports from the diggers, I was totally certain the Apocalypse Box was there. I went to Gamma Ursa myself to oversee the project, I began to file reports and finally, just as we were on the last stage of uncovering the Box, Earthforce came."
Sheridan laughed.
"The bastards finished the project for us and confiscated the Apocalypse Box, said it 'belonged to Clark'. Anyway, that was two days ago, and the ship carrying the Box just went into hyperspace today. If you hurry, we may be able to catch it and reclaim the Box."
"So let me get this right," Sheridan said, "You want us to go into Earth controlled space for this 'Apocalypse Box', fight off Earth, capture a transport, and then sell it like a band of pirates?"
"Yeah, that's about how it goes," Max said summing it up.
"How much are we talking here? How many credits are we getting? And what percentage are you getting?" Sheridan asked wanting more information.
"Apparently, a very wealthy man on Mars named William Edgars has offered to pay the operating cost of Babylon 5 for the next few years. All I ask is 25% of it," Max bartered.
The name sounded familiar to Sheridan, but he couldn't quite remember where he had heard Edgars from. "10% Mr. Eilerson, 15% assuming this doesn't turn out to be a trap," Sheridan replied let the law down. "By the way, what would you do with the money?"
"Oh, nothing really. I would only have the satisfaction of knowing I completed my first assignment, a good night's sleep, a clear conscious maybe," Max answered.
Sheridan could see right through him. "You're a damned liar," he said.
"Maybe so Captain, but if we get the Box and sell it, what difference will it matter what I do with my share of the profit?" Max wondered.
"Call me curious," Sheridan replied.
"Curiousity killed the cat, Captain. And I've gotten long tired of Cynthia's Mr. Kitty. So do we have an agreement? After all, you do need the money," Max offered.
Sheridan took a deep sigh and finally replied, "Give me an hour to think it over, Mr. Eilson. You'll have my decision then."
Part 2: Gearing Up
"Oh, damn it John, we can't do this! It's a trap, you know that," Ivanova told Sheridan.
"Ivanova, normally I would never do anything like this, but-"
"I know, despite your efforts to hide it, we're on the brink of penniless," Ivanova interrupted. Sheridan started to ask how she knew, but he remembered the age-old Ivanova rule: 'The day when I don't know about something, be worried.' "Why don't you raise the tax on goods and purchases a few more credits?" Ivanova asked.
"That would be the fifth raise in the last few months, and no one on the station would accept that. You saw the mess we had the last time we raised tax," Sheridan answered. "Oh, and I looked into our buyer, William Edgars. He owns one of the biggest medical facilities on Mars, and interestingly enough it seems that our friend Mr. Garibaldi has started doing a few favors for the man. Coincidence?"
Ivanova shook her head. "Doubtful." They both sighed knowing this mission was going to be Hell. "So are you going to take this one, or do I have to do it?" Ivanova wondered, hoping she wouldn't have to go.
"Actually, I have to make sure the League signs that pact against Raiders, and I'll be tied up all week, so I guess it's you," Sheridan informed her.
"Great! We've become Babylon 5: The last, best hope for a quick buck!" Ivanova shouted in sarcasm. She marched out hastily while Sheridan laughed, and the other junior members at C&C stared in worry.
Ivanova stepped into Max's quarters to tell him, "The Captain has excepted your offer, and our ship will depart in ten minutes." She turned to leave, but she found something that caught her eye. She found Max tilting back in his chair watching a vid. "I used to watch vids all the time growing up. The last time I must have watched one was...a year ago, we don't get many new releases on the station. So what's on?" She asked as she picked up the vid box.
"Uhh...I don't," Max stammered sitting back up.
"It's okay, I love these things," Ivanova read the title on the vid box, "'Centauri's Sexy Six Stars'? What the Hell is this?" Ivanova read another, "'The Lumati's Best Amateur Agreements'?" Ivanova realized what the vids were and threw them on the floor, she started to walk out, but then she turned around and picked up the vid she had thrown on the ground. "No, never mind, I'm keeping this Lumati one just to make sure I'm not starring in it!" She yelled walking out of his quarters.
"That's the worst excuse for stealing a movie I've heard in years. If only Clark knew how desperate his enemies were," Max said to himself.
"We are not entirely sure what we are dealing with, so be careful. All EarthForce has told us is that we are likely to find a dangerous, unknown silhouette threatening security somewhere near the area. They say the enemy craft will follow the transport and come out of hyperspace the second it fires at the transport. The transport is of course a decoy and is rigged to explode the moment the enemy hits it, so don't get too near the transport when it comes out of hyperspace. EarthForce says it is part of the invasion to weaken EarthGov from without and within. They have also ordered us to attack the enemy ship when it drops out of hyperspace, so lock and load. When I took command of this ship a year ago, I knew I could count on you, and I know you won't fail. Pilots, take your ships."
"Yes sir, Captain Maynard," said the fighter pilots after Maynard had just given his instructions. He was proud of his crew and knew he could count on them. He was very shaky about his orders because deep down inside he knew he didn't believe much of the propaganda swarming around Earth. He mostly followed their orders because he hadn't found another force worthy of fighting for. He had never known General Hague, and none of the other resistance leaders had even contacted him. Sadly, Maynard knew the only thing he could count on anymore was his crew, but the trap had been set, and whoever was coming through was going to be blown to pieces.
"White Star 2, this is Babylon Control. You are cleared for jump," Corwin informed Ivanova over the comm. systems.
"Thank you Babylon Control. Jump." Ivanova ordered, with Marcus repeating her commands in Minbari. The White Star 2 thrust into the reddish colored enigma that was hyperspace.
"Well, Susan it's several hours before we intercept the transport carrying the cargo we're looking for, so what do you intend to do before we get there?" Marcus asked her.
"First off, I plan to stay has far away from Mr. Eilerson as I can, and after that I have to watch a vid to make sure I don't wind up getting an Emmy Award this year," Ivanova replied in an annoyed tone, leaving the command deck.
Marcus took the command chair, and after making sure Ivanova had left asked himself only half kidding "Why is it the universe, of all people, made me fall in love with her?"
Lieutenant Matthew Gideon did a final systems check of his fighter. The results came up showing that nothing was damaged or malfunctioning, which pleased Gideon. Captain Maynard had said they would be setting up a trap against a ship none of them had seen before, so he didn't want anything to go wrong. He had already failed the Cerberus, and Gideon was going to make sure nothing like that ever happened to a ship he served on again. He refused to be caught flat-footed ever again. "System's Pulse Cannons at full power." The computer informed him. Gideon smiled...
