Disclaimer: There are no more funny disclaimers, only the cold, hard truth that I'm being evil by stealing these characters from a great man. I hope I get sued.
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"Previously on Crusade: My GOD! We don't have enough time to go back and copy cute little comments from the last one, so you'll have to go back and read it to refresh your memory!"
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TNT Without End, Part I
Captain Matthew Gideon’s Log, December 20th. We’re on the run. With the help of Galen we managed to secede from Earth, but I don’t know how much longer we can evade them. I’ve considered contacting some old friends, but I’m not sure how well I would be received. In the meantime, we’ve gotten a few messages from Galen. He’s reported that the TNTnites have bolstered their defenses around T’N’T’ha’dum’a. Although expected, this won’t make it any easier for us to take out their main base of power. Additionally, he reported that they’ve started infiltrating other alien governments. If the other governments are corrupted, we really are in for hell. Captain Ivanova has contacted President John Sheridan in an attempt to stop further TNT expansion, but she’s had no reply so far. She contacted the nearest Whitestar and is on her way to Minbar to find out what happened to Sheridan.
*****
ZAthras stood ready to depart Babylon 5. He had made the trip from Epsilon 3 in the early morning hours in preparation for what was to come. Now came a critical point. Gideon would have to be persuaded into helping him.
*****
“Captain, we’re approaching the system you specified.”
“All right. Prepare to jump.”
“Ready Captain.”
“Jump.”
As the Excalibur left the currents of hyperspace, Gideon stared intently at the new system. The Apocalypse Box had requested that Gideon take the ship to this new area. As for what they would find, Gideon had no idea.
“Captain!” an officer yelped, “Scanners are indicating Drakh ships.” The young officer studied his monitor closely and continued, “two heavy cruisers and one mothership.”
“Stand by.”
“Captain?”
“I said stand by!”
“Yes sir.”
A moment passed. Then another. Finally, the Drakh were ready. “Sir, they’re requesting communication.”
“Put it on the main screen.”
“Yes sir,” the officer said as he brought the image on to the main screen. A rather unremarkable Drakh captain appeared on the screen.
He apparently was well versed in English. “Captain Gideon. It’s good to see you, again.”
“We’ve…met?”
“Indeed we have. A long time ago…. in a certain war zone.”
“My God. Those were dark times.”
“Indeed they were, but times are only getting darker. We need…your help.”
“Let me get this straight. You need our help?”
The Drakh lowered his head and then replied in a whisper. “Yes.”
“Why?” Gideon asked half afraid to learn the answer.
“Our territory…has been invaded.”
Gideon took hold of the arm of his chair in preparation for the second part of the reply.
The reply came. “By…the TNT Alliance.”
“No,” Gideon saw a deck officer form on his lips. No sound came out.
“What do you need from us?”
“We need you to help us in a critical mission…Captain,” the Drakh hissed, ashamed.
“What sort of mission?”
“A mission of time…”
*****
Ivanova once again sat proudly in the command chair of a Whitestar. “How long until we reach Minbar?” she demanded to know.
“We’ll be arriving within the hour,” one of the Minbari reported.
“Faster! Sheridan could be in trouble…”
*****
“You see, Captain, we must go back in time and prevent the TNT Alliance from infiltrating your world.”
“When?”
“They started nearly a year ago. We must go back to the one critical moment when the TNT Alliance made contact with Earth!”
“How will we go back in time?”
“We must proceed to Sector 14.”
“Sector 14? I thought it’s under quarantine.”
“It is, but as we speak, the Great Machine on Epsilon 3 is working steadfastly to open up a temporal rift to allow us to pass through time. We must move, quickly, if we are all to be saved!”
“No!” Gideon yelled. “We must strike at T’N’T’ha’dum’a now, while they are unprepared!”
“If we go to T’N’T’ha’dum’a, we will surely die! What we will do this day has already been done; if we do not go, none will survive!”
“Promise me something,” Gideon demanded.
“What?” the Drakh captain asked.
Gideon narrowed his eyes. “Promise me that when we destroy the TNTnites that I can rip the organs from one of their bodies.”
“Done! Now let us be off!”
The screen flickered off and an officer turned back to Gideon. “Captain, we’re picking up a small cargo ship coming this way. It appears to be arriving from Babylon 5. The Drakh request that we allow it to dock.”
“All right. I’ll be in the docking bay. Plot a course for Sector 14 and get us there as soon as possible.”
“Yes sir.”
******
Gideon heard a shocking noise from the docking bay as he arrived on deck. The ship had docked, and its single passenger was outside unloading equipment.
“Can I help you,” Gideon asked.
“Mmm…no…”
“I see. May I ask your name?”
“I was called ZAthras, you see? ZAthras is not Zathras, do not confuse the two…tck tck.”
“I…don’t understand.”
ZAthras elaborated. “All of time can be broken down into moments of chaos, and moments of destruction. I am being the one who brings order to that chaotic lifestyle.”
“I see…”
“Tck tck…I ask only two things of you.”
“And they are?”
“One, I am being demanding the utmost respect from you! I am not being looked down upon by the likes of YOU! There are many things you need be understanding. The one is that you are an inferior organism, incapable of understanding my majestic outlook on life. The second one is being called compensation. I am being beast of burden. Being once a time when I was naturally beast of burden, I could help free of charge, but now, as I grow closer and closer to retirement on Epsilon 3, I am being requesting adequate retirement funds. I wish only pleasant life with my children: ZEthras, Zethras, HAthras, and Billy Bob ZAthras.”
“Is there anything else, Mr. ZAthras?”
“Tck tck,” ZAthras articulated with a few twitches, “Affirmative. I require that you make passionate love with me.”
The Captain slowly backed away. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible…”
“Tck tck, you do not understand.”
“I…think we should be on our way Mr. ZAthras.”
“Mmm, probably being good idea. Again then, hurryings are not entirely critical to this mission. We must learn to savor the moments. This is the time of our lives, tck tck!”
*****
“Captain Ivanova, we’re approaching Minbar.”
“Jump!” Ivanova ordered.
As the Whitestar emerged from hyperspace, Minbar came into view. Ivanova fell out of her chair. “Those dirty bastards. They…blew up Minbar!”
“No,” the pilot said, “my mistake. I came out of the jump point the wrong way.” He turned the ship and there was Minbar.
“Ah, that’s better. Now get me President Sheridan!”
“I’m afraid he’s left a message, Captain.”
Ivanova frowned. “Let me see it.”
A smiling Sheridan appeared on the screen. “Hello, this is President Sheridan. I can’t come to the link right now, because I’m too godly for you! Leave a message and my secretary might get back to you, if you’re important enough. Otherwise, have a pleasant holiday!”
Ivanova stood and prepared to record a message. “Hello, Johnny. Pick up the link. I know you’re there.” She waited for a few moments. “Okay, you’re probably in the shower or something. I’ll wait.” She waited a bit longer. “Pick up the link you bastard!”
President John J. Sheridan appeared soon after. “Susan!”
“Hello. Are you all right?”
“Yes, is something wrong?’
“We couldn’t get through to you a while back.”
“Ah, link was down. Delenn forgot to pay our bill. Damned long distance companies…”
“Ah,” Ivanova said, “well. Have you heard?”
“About what?”
“The TNT Alliance?”
“Who?”
*****
“We’re approaching Sector 14,” came the update on the bridge of the Excalibur.
“Jump!” Gideon ordered.
As the Excalibur came out, the temporal rift came into view. A few seconds later the Drakh mothership emerged, followed by her sister ships.
“Tsk, tsk,” ZAthras said. “Very dangerous! But in we go! We go, we go!”
“You heard him. Let’s go!” Gideon ordered.
“Tck tck,” ZAthras remarked. “Why is it that you always say ‘let’s go’ before you make a story to be continued?”
“Ratings,” Gideon replied.
--To Be Continued--
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"The universe is already mad, anything else would be redundant."
BlackStar's Messageboard | blackstar@welivefortheone.b5lr.com
[This message has been edited by BlackStar (edited December 11, 2001).]
---------------------------------------
"Previously on Crusade: My GOD! We don't have enough time to go back and copy cute little comments from the last one, so you'll have to go back and read it to refresh your memory!"
---------------------------------------
TNT Without End, Part I
Captain Matthew Gideon’s Log, December 20th. We’re on the run. With the help of Galen we managed to secede from Earth, but I don’t know how much longer we can evade them. I’ve considered contacting some old friends, but I’m not sure how well I would be received. In the meantime, we’ve gotten a few messages from Galen. He’s reported that the TNTnites have bolstered their defenses around T’N’T’ha’dum’a. Although expected, this won’t make it any easier for us to take out their main base of power. Additionally, he reported that they’ve started infiltrating other alien governments. If the other governments are corrupted, we really are in for hell. Captain Ivanova has contacted President John Sheridan in an attempt to stop further TNT expansion, but she’s had no reply so far. She contacted the nearest Whitestar and is on her way to Minbar to find out what happened to Sheridan.
*****
ZAthras stood ready to depart Babylon 5. He had made the trip from Epsilon 3 in the early morning hours in preparation for what was to come. Now came a critical point. Gideon would have to be persuaded into helping him.
*****
“Captain, we’re approaching the system you specified.”
“All right. Prepare to jump.”
“Ready Captain.”
“Jump.”
As the Excalibur left the currents of hyperspace, Gideon stared intently at the new system. The Apocalypse Box had requested that Gideon take the ship to this new area. As for what they would find, Gideon had no idea.
“Captain!” an officer yelped, “Scanners are indicating Drakh ships.” The young officer studied his monitor closely and continued, “two heavy cruisers and one mothership.”
“Stand by.”
“Captain?”
“I said stand by!”
“Yes sir.”
A moment passed. Then another. Finally, the Drakh were ready. “Sir, they’re requesting communication.”
“Put it on the main screen.”
“Yes sir,” the officer said as he brought the image on to the main screen. A rather unremarkable Drakh captain appeared on the screen.
He apparently was well versed in English. “Captain Gideon. It’s good to see you, again.”
“We’ve…met?”
“Indeed we have. A long time ago…. in a certain war zone.”
“My God. Those were dark times.”
“Indeed they were, but times are only getting darker. We need…your help.”
“Let me get this straight. You need our help?”
The Drakh lowered his head and then replied in a whisper. “Yes.”
“Why?” Gideon asked half afraid to learn the answer.
“Our territory…has been invaded.”
Gideon took hold of the arm of his chair in preparation for the second part of the reply.
The reply came. “By…the TNT Alliance.”
“No,” Gideon saw a deck officer form on his lips. No sound came out.
“What do you need from us?”
“We need you to help us in a critical mission…Captain,” the Drakh hissed, ashamed.
“What sort of mission?”
“A mission of time…”
*****
Ivanova once again sat proudly in the command chair of a Whitestar. “How long until we reach Minbar?” she demanded to know.
“We’ll be arriving within the hour,” one of the Minbari reported.
“Faster! Sheridan could be in trouble…”
*****
“You see, Captain, we must go back in time and prevent the TNT Alliance from infiltrating your world.”
“When?”
“They started nearly a year ago. We must go back to the one critical moment when the TNT Alliance made contact with Earth!”
“How will we go back in time?”
“We must proceed to Sector 14.”
“Sector 14? I thought it’s under quarantine.”
“It is, but as we speak, the Great Machine on Epsilon 3 is working steadfastly to open up a temporal rift to allow us to pass through time. We must move, quickly, if we are all to be saved!”
“No!” Gideon yelled. “We must strike at T’N’T’ha’dum’a now, while they are unprepared!”
“If we go to T’N’T’ha’dum’a, we will surely die! What we will do this day has already been done; if we do not go, none will survive!”
“Promise me something,” Gideon demanded.
“What?” the Drakh captain asked.
Gideon narrowed his eyes. “Promise me that when we destroy the TNTnites that I can rip the organs from one of their bodies.”
“Done! Now let us be off!”
The screen flickered off and an officer turned back to Gideon. “Captain, we’re picking up a small cargo ship coming this way. It appears to be arriving from Babylon 5. The Drakh request that we allow it to dock.”
“All right. I’ll be in the docking bay. Plot a course for Sector 14 and get us there as soon as possible.”
“Yes sir.”
******
Gideon heard a shocking noise from the docking bay as he arrived on deck. The ship had docked, and its single passenger was outside unloading equipment.
“Can I help you,” Gideon asked.
“Mmm…no…”
“I see. May I ask your name?”
“I was called ZAthras, you see? ZAthras is not Zathras, do not confuse the two…tck tck.”
“I…don’t understand.”
ZAthras elaborated. “All of time can be broken down into moments of chaos, and moments of destruction. I am being the one who brings order to that chaotic lifestyle.”
“I see…”
“Tck tck…I ask only two things of you.”
“And they are?”
“One, I am being demanding the utmost respect from you! I am not being looked down upon by the likes of YOU! There are many things you need be understanding. The one is that you are an inferior organism, incapable of understanding my majestic outlook on life. The second one is being called compensation. I am being beast of burden. Being once a time when I was naturally beast of burden, I could help free of charge, but now, as I grow closer and closer to retirement on Epsilon 3, I am being requesting adequate retirement funds. I wish only pleasant life with my children: ZEthras, Zethras, HAthras, and Billy Bob ZAthras.”
“Is there anything else, Mr. ZAthras?”
“Tck tck,” ZAthras articulated with a few twitches, “Affirmative. I require that you make passionate love with me.”
The Captain slowly backed away. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible…”
“Tck tck, you do not understand.”
“I…think we should be on our way Mr. ZAthras.”
“Mmm, probably being good idea. Again then, hurryings are not entirely critical to this mission. We must learn to savor the moments. This is the time of our lives, tck tck!”
*****
“Captain Ivanova, we’re approaching Minbar.”
“Jump!” Ivanova ordered.
As the Whitestar emerged from hyperspace, Minbar came into view. Ivanova fell out of her chair. “Those dirty bastards. They…blew up Minbar!”
“No,” the pilot said, “my mistake. I came out of the jump point the wrong way.” He turned the ship and there was Minbar.
“Ah, that’s better. Now get me President Sheridan!”
“I’m afraid he’s left a message, Captain.”
Ivanova frowned. “Let me see it.”
A smiling Sheridan appeared on the screen. “Hello, this is President Sheridan. I can’t come to the link right now, because I’m too godly for you! Leave a message and my secretary might get back to you, if you’re important enough. Otherwise, have a pleasant holiday!”
Ivanova stood and prepared to record a message. “Hello, Johnny. Pick up the link. I know you’re there.” She waited for a few moments. “Okay, you’re probably in the shower or something. I’ll wait.” She waited a bit longer. “Pick up the link you bastard!”
President John J. Sheridan appeared soon after. “Susan!”
“Hello. Are you all right?”
“Yes, is something wrong?’
“We couldn’t get through to you a while back.”
“Ah, link was down. Delenn forgot to pay our bill. Damned long distance companies…”
“Ah,” Ivanova said, “well. Have you heard?”
“About what?”
“The TNT Alliance?”
“Who?”
*****
“We’re approaching Sector 14,” came the update on the bridge of the Excalibur.
“Jump!” Gideon ordered.
As the Excalibur came out, the temporal rift came into view. A few seconds later the Drakh mothership emerged, followed by her sister ships.
“Tsk, tsk,” ZAthras said. “Very dangerous! But in we go! We go, we go!”
“You heard him. Let’s go!” Gideon ordered.
“Tck tck,” ZAthras remarked. “Why is it that you always say ‘let’s go’ before you make a story to be continued?”
“Ratings,” Gideon replied.
--To Be Continued--
------------------
"The universe is already mad, anything else would be redundant."
BlackStar's Messageboard | blackstar@welivefortheone.b5lr.com
[This message has been edited by BlackStar (edited December 11, 2001).]
