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Clay was busy reading another report about the activity in the sector they were patrolling. So far things had been quiet for the past few weeks. No sightings of the enemy. The local planets in the sector went about their daily routines unmolested. He looked around the bridge of his ship. Clay hadn’t wanted command of a White Star, but Entil’zha Sinclair insisted all Rangers with command experience, were to at least have a rotation as captain onboard one.
From his central position on the bridge Clay was able to turn his chair in almost any direction, to speak to the various crew members. Directly forward there was Pooch situated at the helm, with a Minbari Worker Caste, whose name eluded Clay at the moment, on navigation. A ninety degree turn had him facing Jensen at comms, located along the inner bulkhead. Cougar was on long range sensors, next to the ex-tech, as usual sharing space. And immediately to his left was Roque who manned weapons and tactical. Clay was interrupted from his review of the bridge crew.
“Clay! New message from Entil’zha Delenn, it’s marked urgent.” Jensen reported from comms.
“What is it?” Clay looked at the ex-tech specialist.
“Probably wants us to play babysitters again.” Roque complained. “I tell you Clay; if I don’t get to blow something up soon…I’m going to get cranky.”
“How did you ever manage to make it through Ranger training with an attitude like that,” asked Pooch from his seat.
Cougar just huffed in amusement as he scanned over their long range sensors.
“Does no one care what the Entil’zha wants? Or should I just tell her we don’t want to do it?” Jensen put in petulantly.
“Go ahead Jensen put the message on screen so that we can see it.” Clay ordered easily.
“Entil’zha,” Clay said as he gave a respectful nod to Delenn’s image.
“Shok-na Clay, I have a mission of the utmost importance for White Star 13. It requires the specific skills of Anla’shoks Jensen and Alvarez, to accomplish the task,” Delenn’s image intoned to the bridge crew. “Various reports have come in that some scientists on planet Bandan, near the edges of the Non-Aligned Worlds, have found a way to disrupt operations on a Shadow vessel. It is imperative that these scientists are brought to Babylon 5 to insure their work does not get destroyed, and can be used to benefit us all against the Shadows.”
The command crew's focus sharpened at the seriousness in Delenn’s voice.
“Jacob, your part in this mission will be to ensure that the data is viable. You of all the Anla’shok are well versed on Dr. Franklins work in regards to certain workings on Shadow vessels.” Delenn explained. “It’s been noted you’ve followed Dr. Franklin’s reports on what he’s found, even when you weren’t supposed to know about them.” She gave a warm but censorious look toward Jensen. Who looked more sheepish that he'd been caught, than repentant. “So it is up to you to be sure that this is not a trap.” Delenn shifted her attention, “Carlos is to provide reconnaissance and back up. The two of you have been noted to work excellently together, getting in and out of difficult situations. Discretion is imperative unless it cannot be avoided. Then by all means necessary that information is to either be destroyed, or brought to Babylon 5.” Delenn’s voice was crisp and strong.
“What are the rest of us to do Entil’zha?” Clay asked.
“You will hide in orbit next to their small moon. You go in only for extraction or if things get difficult. Provide any informational support you can for Jensen and Alvarez.” Delenn clarified. “Any other questions?”
“No, Entil’zha we understand,” Clay answered.
“Go with Valen,” Delenn said in farewell.
Clay bowed his head and said, “In Valen’s Name,” as the connection was ended.
Clay looked around the bridge and sighed. “You heard the lady, Losers. We have a job to do. Pooch set a course for the Bandani sector. Jensen, I assume a mission packet was sent along as well.” Jensen nodded affirmation. “Then you and Cougar join me in my office and we’ll go over strategy plans.” Clay nodded to his second, “Roque, go and kit them out with small, portable, unnoticeable explosives and anything else you can think of. Just in case they’ll need it.” As everyone hustled to do as they were told Clay sent up a silent prayer that things didn’t go to hell during the mission.
“Prepare to jump into hyperspace.” Clay gave a brief look around. “Pooch, punch it.” An observer form the outside would have seen the event, as a giant hole of blue, black and neon blue whorls. The ship would have appeared to have been sucked in by the phenomena, followed by the return of normal space.
“Coming up on jump into normal space,” Pooch called.
It had taken thirty-six hours to reach the Bandan’s planetary system, instead of the normal eighteen hours, from their previous position. But they’d taken a route via several busy commercial jumpgates, before using the ships onboard jump drives to reach the edge of the planet’s system. It was the best way to make sure they weren’t tracked. Also good insurance that they wouldn’t be seen coming into the system.
“Alright, people prepare for jump to normal space.” Clay looked around seeing everyone ready. He gave the order.
“Jump.”
Any onlooker, if there was one, would see the ship appear to have been shot out of a neon blue glowing straw. But the minute it reached the edge of the straw’s reach, it was caught suddenly, and gently rolled along its way.
Clay felt this transition from hyperspace to normal space, as nothing more than a brief pull of gravity on his body. “Engage stealth mode and take us towards Bandan’s orbiting moon.” Using the White Star’s advanced systems to hide the ship from sensors; they approached the planet's moon.
“All right then.” Clay grinned. “Cougar. Jensen. Get ready for the drop.” He ordered. “As soon as we achieve orbit on the dark side of their moon, you’re up.” Clay gave each of them a stern glare. “Remember discrete, and if anything goes belly up, call. We’ll come in blasting if we have to. Understood?” Both his men and fellow Rangers gave nods.
“Good, now go get settled in the shuttle.” Clay watched as they left and had an unsettled feeling. Usually they all went down as a unit, on multiple target missions. This was the first time in three years, since the Losers had been Rangers, that they were split in such a fashion. Clay just hoped that Cougar and Jensen would be alright.
“Cougar. Jensen. You are clear for go.” Clay informed the shuttle.
“Roger that Papa Bear.” Jensen chirped. “We should rendezvous with you within twenty-four hours. Check in will be every four.”
Clay rolled his eyes at Jensen’s nickname for him but ignored it. “You better, or else we’ll come down there to wring your necks.” He threatened.
“Aww, sir we didn’t know you cared.” Jensen cracked. Cougar huffed in amusement over the comms. Pooched snickered, and Roque got a put upon look on his face at the tech’s antics.
“Seriously, Jensen, you and Cougar watch your six.” Clay’s voice held not an ounce of humor. “Entil’zha wasn’t one hundred percent sure, this wasn’t a trap. But we need every advantage we can get in the Shadow War, so we’ll chance it. Don’t do anything stupid or risky. Get in, get the information, and get out in one piece.” Clay finished firmly.
“We will.” Cougar’s accented voice answered.
“We’ll be careful, Colonel.” Jensen always reverted to Clay’s former rank when things were serious. “Shuttle Seven requesting permission to disembark.”
“Permission granted,” Clay said. “Godspeed, be with you.”
“We’ll contact you when we land, and then communications blackout. Except for check in. Shuttle Seven out” Cougar added as the comms went silent.
Clay stared at the viewer, as he watched the tiny shuttle on screen move away from the protection of the ship, and toward the planet.
“You sure we shouldn’t go down there with them, Clay.” Roque asked.
“It’s what Ranger One wants.” Clay looked at Roque. “We live for the One. We die for the One. That is the oath we made when we joined the Rangers, and have lived by for the last three years. It’s not led us wrong yet.”
“Clay, man this feels like we’re making a sacrifice play.” Pooch added his objections.
“We follow orders. We’ll have faith in Cougar and Jensen to get the job done.” Clay glared at the two remaining members of his team. They’d been together since just before the Battle of the Line almost fifteen years. “We’ll have faith in Sinclair and his belief in Delenn. And the faith we’ve put in, fighting against the Shadows.” Clay gave them a vicious smile, “If we do happen to be needed. We’ll make sure our displeasure’s known.” He got two equally vicious smiles in return from Roque and Pooch.
Cougar and Jensen took the shuttle down to Bandan’s surface. The green, blue and grey striped atmosphere didn’t give away the fact that the planet had about sixty percent water, but it did make it look like a pretty marble. Nor did it give away the fact that the Bandani were of a distant reptilian evolution similar to the Drazi.
Jensen for some reason always thought Drazi had evolved from some creature similar to Earth’s Komodo Dragons, or maybe something like a giant Gecko. But the Bandani reminded him of an old twentieth century movie he’d seen as a kid, Enemy Mine. Either way the planet had a breathable atmosphere for humans even if the gravity was just below Earth norm.
The shuttle's arrival was timed for the early evening when most people would be already indoors. They landed on the edges of the city their targets were located in. The word city was a misnomer it was more like a large village than a true city. But that didn’t stop it from having what looked like heavy security. According to the reports the city was one of three that housed the majority of the governmental, educational and research divisions for the planet.
The scientists Cougar and Jensen were to get, were reported to be involved in the creation of a projector of some sort that disrupted bioelectrical fields. In this case the bioelectrical frequency, supposedly given off by telepaths when interfaced with a machine gestalt, like what the Shadows used in their ships.
“You scout ahead. I’ll hack in. See what I can find in their systems, any information on the scientists and where they are.” Jensen suggested after they landed the shuttle.
“Sounds good,” Cougar agreed standing up to stretch. He made sure his Denn’bok, fighting pike, was on him. He would have preferred his sniper rifle. But this was the weapon of choice, for the path he'd begun three years ago. It was one that suited him better in many ways, but sometimes old habits were hard to break.
Cougar looked over at Jensen seeing the tech specialist already being absorbed in the local system. “Ten cuidado,” he admonished.
Jensen just waved a hand dismissively in the air. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be careful.” He shot Cougar an amused smile, “You’re such a worry wart.”
“Someone has to. You don’t take care enough.” Cougar countered but smiled fondly at Jensen, and then shifted to a serious visage. “En serio. Be safe. Llámame si me necesitas.”
“I will Cougs. We’re a team. You’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours.” Jensen said with all sincerity. “Go on times wasting and we need to get this done.” Jensen nodded toward the exit hatch.
Cougar gave Jensen one long stare, then nodded, and exited the shuttle, going to get a lay of the land.
An hour later Jensen realized their mission had gone to hell in a hand basket. The three Bandani scientists that was their objective, had been captured three days before. They were being confined at a local high security research facility, and forced to work for the enemy. “Cougs, man I need you back her ASAP. We’ve got problems.” Jensen called through their secure comm link.
“Si, on my way,” Cougar replied.
A half hour later Cougar arrived, “¿Que pasó?”
“We hit a huge snag. The scientists have been captured.” Jensen pointed at the monitor which had a schematic of a security facility. “I managed to find out where they’re being held. But it’s not going to be easy.” Jensen explained.
“Dime,” Cougar demanded. “What else?”
Jensen bit his lip apprehensive, “I think there are Shadow agents on the way to interrogate them. The locals just made a call before you got here, asking for someone or something they call The Prober.” Jensen looked at Cougar fearfully. “The only Prober, I’ve read about or heard, is something the Shadows have been rumored to use. No one knows for sure, since all who encounter it don’t survive or remember.”
“¿Cuándo llegan?” Cougar asked.
“ETA is two hours.” Jensen answered. “I’ve got no clue how it’s getting here. If it’s by ship or if it’s already on planet.”
“The Losers?”
“Comms blackout, for another two and a half hours, when we’re due to check in,” Jensen reasoned. “There’s no way, we can get a message directly to them, before then. They’ll have to shift out from behind the moon in order to receive it directly. I may be able to bounce it off a few of the planet’s satellites in order to hit them directly but there’s no telling how long that will take to reach them.” Jensen looked to Cougar.
“We go. Send the message to Clay.” Cougar ordered. “We’ll get the scientists, but may need help with extraction.”
Jensen nodded and proceeded to bounce the message off satellites hoping no one would notice. Cougar looked at the schematics that were still up and attempted to plan their way in and out.
Jensen finished with the message. He’d routed it through as many satellites as he could, to avoid detection. His attention turned back to data mining. He crawled through the security facility's systems, to grab all the useful information Cougar would need, to plan their next step. Jensen was good at strategy. Being a tech you had to be. But when it came to missions, he was more likely to make it up on the fly. His hands stilled, as he pulled up the holding cell records.
“Cougs, we’ve got a problem.” Jensen’s voice wavered.
“¿Qué?” Cougar looked up from his perusal of the floor plans. He didn’t like the pallor in Jensen’s face.
“They’re holding the scientists’ kids hostage as leverage.” Jensen held up a tablet and pointed to the screen. “They’re located in another section.” Haunted eyes looked toward his fellow Ranger. “It looks like it’s a creche room of some sort.”
Cougar cursed vehemently in Spanish. “Are they well?”
“From what I can tell they are. And they’re all between and the ages of four and eight in Earth years.” Jensen had tapped on the screen, to pull up what dossiers he could find. “There’re five…no, six kids, total,” his fingers flew across the screens, skimming through data. “But according to the records, two of those kids don’t belong to our scientists. So, I don’t know what’s going on with them.” Jensen clicked to another screen and tapped furiously at the various menus to find out more. “I’ll see what I can find.”
“Claro,” Cougar nodded. “Check on security changes, routes and internals.” He focused his attention on a scan of the exterior. “Voy a hacer lo externo.”
“Sure thing,” Jensen agreed. “But we don’t have a lot of time, to do a full analysis, like we’d normally do.” Jensen bit his lower lip. “This is going to be a really quick and dirty…entry, and exit.” He looked at Cougar waiting for a reply.
“Si,” Cougar nodded his head, and focused back on the scans.
“It’s not going to be like last time…is it Cougs?” Jensen’s quiet voice sounded minutes later.
Cougar’s breath caught in his throat, for a moment. Memories not so long ago healed, coming to the forefront. Before he could answer Cougar performed one of the focus meditations, they’d learned in Ranger training. “We won’t let it.”
Jensen curtly nodded, and fierce determination entered his eyes. He turned back to the tasks he had to do.
Cougar and Jensen entered the security facility quietly through a break in the shift change, via an infrequently used maintenance access. Before parting, they used their old hand signals to communicate their objectives once more. And then went their separate ways. Jensen’s job was to locate and remove the kids. Cougar’s objective was rescue, and removal of the scientists. Each Anla’Shok had a running count-down in their head, knowing they were in a race against the clock. Neither one wanted to be around when the Shadow Prober arrived within the hour.
The shadows in the corridor, welcomed Cougar like a long lost son. The semi-dark color of the walls, allowed the browns and blacks of his Ranger uniform to blend in. Cougar moved on silent feet, around the security cameras they knew of. He avoided patrols and sweeps easily. He was almost to the junction where the scientists were being held, before he had to actually engage a guard. He heard footsteps ahead, and grabbed the guard when they were in range. Cougar put them in a choke hold and had to readjust his grip once, to accommodate for the alien physiology, but eventually they went down. He dragged them to a nearby closet and locked them in.
Minutes away from his targets' location, Cougar slowed, before the final turn to the labs. He reached in to one of many pockets in his uniform, and pulled a mini gas grenade Roque had equipped him with. The ping pong ball sized grenade, rolled toward the two guards by the door. The gas hissed out, before either guard could move a step to investigate. Both went down like a ton of bricks.
Two minutes later, Cougar entered the corridor. He picked up the spent grenade, and tucked it back within his pockets. Cougar used the lock pick tablet, as Jensen called it, to open the door. He waited, on the right side of the open door, for any threat. When none came, he entered the room. Cougar identified four Bandani, in science looking robes huddled in a corner.
“Are there others?” Cougar asked in Standard.
“The children, Ranger.” Tandi, a female Bandani, said shakily. She recognized the Anla’shok pin on the uniform.
“Being taken care of,” Cougar replied surprised to be recognized as Anla'shok. Three of the scientists had looks of utter relief, easily recognizable, regardless of species. The fourth was an anomaly; Cougar would keep a close eye on. “But we need to go. Now!” He gestured toward the door. “Gather all your notes, and research. Destroy any backups. We leave nothing.” Cougar ordered. “You have five minutes.” Cougar took up a position by the door, while keeping an eye on the scientists.
Jensen located the room the kids were being held in. It seemed like the area wasn’t as heavily guarded. Quietly, Jensen snuck behind the guard outside the door, and used a broad spectrum sedative to knock them out. He made quick work of the security keypad to the pseudo jail cell-nursery. But when the door opened, he wasn’t expecting the mini-psionic blast that assaulted his mind, which stopped just as suddenly as it had begun.
“Sowwy.” A little human girl said. “Didn’ know you a Wanger.” She stuck her thumb in her mouth worriedly and stepped closer to her twin.
Jensen shook his head, to get the buzzing inside his skull to stop. It was a good thing the Anla’shok trained to be able to shake off mind attacks quickly. Well he had been at least. Jensen looked around the room, and noticed it was in typical daycare decor. There was what looked like six beanbag chairs, except they had rigid edges reminiscent of pet beds, aligned along the back wall in a horseshoe arrangement. Some small amount of toys to the left and what looked like items for coloring, on a low table to the far right of the door. Another door to the left, looked to lead to a bathroom. The room wasn’t more than four by five meters. Jensen noticed the other kids, huddled in the corner, furthest away from the door, with the older kids shielding the littler ones. The human girl was standing next to another, who was obviously her sister and twin.
“That’s okay, sweety.” Jake smiled. He knelt down to be less threatening, and on their level. “Hi, my name is Jake. What’s yours?” He said to the dark haired girl.
“’m Kara. This Anet. She my sister.” Kara announced around the thumb still in her mouth.
“You a Ranger for real?” Anet asked.
“Yeah, sweetheart, I am.” The girls were about the same age, no more than five maybe six years old. The two looked almost identical on first glance, but closer examination showed dissimilar facial traits, and one’s hair had more auburn than brown in it. “Are you two here alone? Where’s your mommy or daddy?”
Anet answered for them, “They gone.” She held on to her sister’s hand tightly. “Are you going to take us away too?”
Jensen’s imagination ran wild with all the potential scenarios, which would prompt that type of question from such a young child. He shook his head, “No, sweetness. I’m here to rescue all of you, and take you to safety.” He looked out the door, to make sure the guard was still out, and no one else was around. “But we have to go now. Are both of you telepaths?”
The two girls stared at Jensen for a minute, searching for something, before they gave him careful nods. “That’s great then. You two can help me get all of us out of here.” He gave them a confident smile as, in typical hacker fashion, he was about to wing it. Jensen stood up and turned his attention to the native children. “Do any of you speak Standard?”
One of the oldest in the group answered. “I do. Little.” The boy, Jensen assumed based on clothing, carefully said.
“That’s Kanthi. He’s the oldest. His sister’s Kini. She’s the youngest.” Anet pointed out to Jensen. “The others not related, Benni and Reme.” Anet informed Jake quite seriously.
“Wonderful. Do you understand more than you can say, Kanthi?” Jensen inquired. The boy nodded. “Great. We’re going to go out of this place. I need you guys to be as quiet as possible. Think you can help me do that?”
Kanthi stood taller and nodded very solemnly.
“Then let’s go. Gather things the younger kids will need, and put it in a bag.” Jensen ordered before turning to the girls. “You two have a special job while we get out of here.” He started carefully. He didn’t know how far their ranges were, but even a few minutes of a heads up would be an advantage getting through the halls. “You two can sense when someone’s coming, right?” They both nodded. “I want you to do that, as we move through the halls. Let me know, if you sense anyone we can’t see. Okay?” The girls nodded vigorously at that. He gave them a quick hug.
The Bandani kids approached where Jensen and the girls were. He took the bag that Kanthi half-carried and half-dragged over. “Okay, now one last thing before we go.” All the kids looked at Jensen intently, “Potty break. All of you go use the bathroom, before we leave.” The kids all scrambled toward the bathroom, and lined up to take their turn.
Ten minutes later, Jensen gave them all a cursory once over, to make sure they were set. “Okay then, let’s go.” He squared his shoulders, and sent a prayer up to any god that was listening, that he’d be able to keep them all safe.
Cougar took point for the extraction, but halfway back to the rendezvous point, Cougar sensed something wasn’t right. He gestured for the scientists to stop, and looked them over. The unknown scientist had suddenly gone missing. Cougar silently cursed up a storm inside his head. He had a very bad feeling about this. “Where is the other scientist?”
The three remaining scientists looked at each other, and shrugged. Tandi, the one who spoke the best Standard answered, “He wasn’t scientist. Was assigned, assistant. We,” she pointed at the others as well as herself, “thought, there like us.”
The cursing in his head got more vehement. “Claro,” the Spanish slipped out unintentionally. “Okay,” Cougar corrected. “Change of plans. Do any of you; know another way, out of here?”
Before they could respond the lights overhead brightened suddenly, then started pulsing red and orange in time to a strident alarm. “Too late, vaminos! Let’s move,” Cougar ordered. The scientists jumped nervously at the noise but followed the Anla’shok.
Cougar hoped that Jake had gotten to the kids before the alarm went off. He proceeded down the hall. He removed his Denn'bok from its place on his belt, had it extended, and at the ready in a matter of seconds.
Jensen was surprised, by the progress he’d made with the kids. He suspected that the twin telepaths had something to do with it. They were probably keeping the youngest ones calm, and able to keep up. He hoped their luck lasted. They were three quarters of the way to the rendezvous when the alarms started blaring. “Frag!” Jensen turned around to look at the kids trailing behind him.
Kini started to cry at the loud noise and lights. Kanthi pulled her into a hug, and tried to calm her down. Kara hugged them both, and a minute later Kini calmed down. They all resumed the position they’d been in as they’d moved through the halls.
Anet, one of the twins, held on to the belt of his Ranger uniform, and Kara was at the rear of the group. The four Bandani kids were strung between them, like pearls on a necklace as they held hands. According to his internal clock, which had been honed due to training by Earth Force and Earth Force Intelligence, they had about twenty minutes before the Prober arrived, then they’d be out of time.
Jensen searched the corridor for a way to ensure they’d be able to make it to the meeting point without being seen. All his options suggested he'd have to leave the kids unprotected in order to ensure a clear path out. That idea did not sit well with Jake. If it was an adult he’d have no qualms about stashing them someplace, and coming back for them. But these were defenseless kids in his care, under his protection, and he wasn’t going to fail them. Not again.
A tug on his belt got his attention. He looked down to see Anet staring at him. “Gonna be ok. Momma said, normals be fooled. Sissy, and me too little, do big alone. Momma said, need ampyfier until older.”
Jensen kneeled down to be on her level. “What do you mean by amplifier, honey?”
“Don’ kno’ words. But can show,” Anet beamed, proud of having already mastered this particular skill.
Jensen nodded, and allowed his mind to be touched, when Anet put her hand on his temple. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the images in his mind, but best guess was that the girls could use non-active and latent telepaths to boost their abilities temporarily. This would increase the damage they could do with any mental attack they tried. The downside, it seemed, was that they’d temporarily fry their shields, and be exposed to the full brunt of the minds around them. They’d need to nest in a mind that was calm, and didn’t broadcast much of their own emotions, the kind of mind that Jensen did not have.
Every single telepath Jensen had come across, for as long as he could remember, said his mind was a constant state of white noise. Even when he didn’t project, it was always broadcasting a blanket of thoughts that were quick, random, energetic, and seemingly chaotic. Most telepaths said, after being in his mind for any period of time they needed a rest or had a headache. Jensen didn’t mind, it just meant that it was harder for telepaths to breach his mind without his notice.
Jensen blinked to bring himself back to the here and now. He gave Anet a smile. “How about we save that as a last resort sweety? Okay?” She nodded solemnly. “Okay. We’re almost where we need to go.” Jake stood back up. He pulled out his fighting pike and extended it. “When we get there, hopefully my partner will be there with your parents.” The kids that understood gave hopeful nods. “Okay let’s move out.” He turned back toward their previous route, and felt a little hand once again on his belt. One last glance insured all the kids were holding hands and ready. Jensen set off amidst the chaos of noise and lights, and silently prayed that that they’d make it.
Cougar and his group moved at a quick jog. He wasn’t sure how fit the scientists were but didn’t want to risk an injury, they couldn’t afford, to delay them. So he kept the pace quick, but manageable. He’d had to fight off three security personnel so far, and they were still about five minutes away from the exit point he was to meet Jake by.
“We need to run.” Cougar said to the scientists. “The meeting point is right around the corner.” He pointed in the direction they needed to go. “On three,” he held up three fingers. Cougar looked around the corner, and it was all clear. “Two,” he held two fingers up. “One, go!” Cougar waved the scientist toward the exit and ran beside them keeping an eye out for any security.
They made it to the regroup point. Cougar glanced around briefly, noted Jensen wasn’t there yet. He wasn’t worried yet, because they still had two minutes before deadline according to his internal clock. He turned quickly in the direction of shuffled noises he heard over the alarms. Cougar breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Jensen round a corner with the children trailing behind. The scientist all exclaimed, and ran towards the children as they got close enough. Cougar noted two human girls holding on to Jensen’s belt as he herded the scientist, and children back towards the extraction point, amidst the parents’ questions to the kids, and the kids’ obvious relief of being with their parents again.
“While this is all heartwarming, and touching we still need to get out of here folks.” Jensen explained. “We need to get moving, and we need to do it now.” He nodded to Cougar that he was okay, when his fellow Ranger raised a sardonic brow at him.
“We move.” Cougar ordered. The scientists had the kids in order, the oldest ones holding on to hands, while the youngest were carried. The two human girls were an anomaly, but Cougar knew Jensen would explain when they had the chance. Right now, time was of the essence, and they needed to move.
Jensen placed one of the girls with Cougar. “They’re telepaths. They’ll sense someone a few minutes before we reach them.” Jensen explained at Cougar’s inquisitive look. “This is Anet. She’ll take point with you, and I’ll keep her sister, Kara with me to cover our rear.” Cougar nodded sharply in agreement, though he didn’t like the thought of having the children that close, to what could be a fight if they encountered anyone.
“Chill, Cougs. They’re good. It’s gonna be okay.” Jensen soothed. He’d noticed the way Cougar’s forehead had furrowed, which was the closest his friend got to outright frowning in front of other people.
Cougar nodded again then headed for their exit point. He just hoped that the Losers had gotten their message, or else they’d have to do some crazy maneuvers to get out of the planetary orbit.
Clay was reading reports when Akann, a female Minbari and fellow Ranger approached. He raised an inquiring brow at her.
“Shok-na Clay,” Akann bowed respectfully. She always insisted on using the proper Minbari titles, instead of adopting the less formal ones most humans chose. “We’ve received a coded emergency priority message.” Akann clarified her statement, at Clay’s get on with it hand motion. “It’s from the planet, and has Anla’shok Jensen’s id. It has been authenticated…”
“What does it say?” Clay got frustrated sometimes, with some Minbaris and their meticulousness when they reported to him. It made it that much more difficult, to sift through things to get to the important bits.
“It seems that their mission has gone…” Akann wiggled her nose in distaste, “as Anla’shok Jensen put it ‘tits up’, and they will need assistance with extraction. Here is the information they forwarded.” Akann handed over a data crystal.
Clay took the crystal and slotted it impatiently into the port on his chair arm, and watched the information scroll on his screen. “Roque, Pooch!” When he knew he had both men’s attention he continued. “Shit’s hit the fan. They need assist. We’re an hour out from getting to them and by the time we get there they’ll have needed extraction thirty minutes ago.” He looked at his two remaining Losers. “They’ve got three civilian scientists according to what Jensen sent but he's not sure what else is going on. I think there's more going on than they were able to report.” He narrowed his eyes at them. “Plan it.”
“Aye, Colonel.” “Sure thing, Clay.” Pooch and Roque answered seriously.
The determination that emanated from the ships’ captain, and his two command officers, was a palpable thing to the rest of the crew. None knew of the story behind the Anla’shok team, known informally as The Losers. But all sensed this moment was one that screamed of old nightmares, and memories.
For the Minbari Anla’shok they wondered if the Losers had ever faced Mora’dum, the application of terror, during training. It was a ritual designed to test an Anla'shok's ability to recognise, withstand and overcome their own fear while at the same time learning to apply terror against an enemy. Either way, the Minbari, and Human crew members alike silently promised to help out as best they could to ensure a positive outcome.
Clay addressed the rest of the crew, “Engage, active sensor cloaking. All hands to emergency stations. Move us into synchronous orbit over Cougar and Jensen’s last known coordinates.” Clay looked at the screen that was showing the surface of the moon they were currently hidden behind. “Let’s go bring our boys, and their charges home safely.”
Cougar sighed in relief as the exit door came in sight, but was stopped short by the pull on his belt. He looked down at the little girl, Anet that held on to him.
“Lots ‘n’ lots ‘n’ lots out there.” She said solemnly as her little form started to shake.
Cougar knelt down, and placed a gentle hand to her arm. “Dime. Tell me.” He said softly.
Jensen had moved up the line, once again herding the scientists and kids into the alcove as he did so. “We’ve got problems.” Cougar looked up at him inquiringly. “Looks like there’s quite a few baddies, waiting for us, behind this door,” Jensen explained as he pointed to Kara at his side. “Also considering how they’re reacting, I think the Prober’s here. We need an alternate exit route.” Jensen finished, as he pulled a data pad out of one of his pockets.
Cougar turned to the scientists, “Do you know another way out? Our ship is on the southwest edge of the city.” The scientists shook their head in the negative. Jake drew Cougar's attention from asking any further questions.
“Got it!” Jensen pointed behind them, and to the left. “There’s another maintenance access door, two corridors down, and to the right.” Jake frowned, “Only problem it will lead us right near a guard station. That’ll increase our risk of guard patrols finding us. They'll be no way to avoid a fight.” He waited for Cougar’s response to his plan.
“We have friends, remember?” Cougar reached into his pockets, pulled out some of Roque’s special grenades, and treats. He and Jensen shared an evil and scary look, which caused the scientist to clutch their children that much closer.
“Let’s party.” Jensen turned to their charges. “We’re going to move just like we have been, quick, easy and as quietly as possible. The girls,” he pointed to the twins, “will scan ahead and behind to make sure we don’t come across any surprises.” Jensen unconsciously placed a protective hand on Kara’s head. “This time they won’t be with us.” He pointed a finger between himself and Cougar. “You will make sure, they are kept as safe as your own. Are we clear?” Jensen’s voice finished in frigid tone, which left no doubt as to the consequences that, would befall the scientists if anything happened to the twins.
The adults nodded their assent to Jensen’s plan and instructions. “Do any of you know how to use this?” Cougar held out a PPG handgun. Tandi and the other female scientist, Meni nodded. “Jake, darle la tuyo.” He ordered as he handed over his gun to Tandi. Jake wasn’t far behind in handing over his own to the other female, Meni.
“If they’re not us, shoot.” Jake ordered.
The two females nodded their heads. The male scientist, Walde, who had been carrying is daughter Reme, now took Kanthi’s hand, so that Tandi would have a hand free to use the weapon. Both females even with a child on their hip were able to check their weapon, and familiarize themselves with it easily.
“Ready?” They all nodded. Jake and Cougar maneuvered the twins to have an adult on each side of them. The girls readily took up the same position as they had with the Rangers. Instead of belts, their tiny fists clutched the loose tunics that the adults wore.
“Let’s move.” Cougar announced, as he and Jake took point. Anything they encountered would be dealt with by them. All their Special Forces and Anla’shok training would be used to their advantage. Cougar just hoped they’d be able to make it out and to their ship in one piece. He sent a swift prayer to the god of his childhood, when he believed such things were still answered. For now Cougar placed his faith in a tenet he’d heard on Minbar, during training, ‘faith manages’. All his faith was in the skills, he and Jake possessed, to get these people to safety and out of harm’s way.
Jake gave Cougar a knowing look. The former sniper raised an eyebrow. Jensen clapped him on the shoulder, and gave him a reassuring smile. Jake knew what Cougar was probably thinking. The odds were against them but they were both exceptional soldiers, not necessarily well behaved but exceptional none the less. Between the two of them they had the skills, and determination to pull this off. Even with the Prober being an unknown quantity, it was possibly to win.
Jensen silently recited the Ranger oath. ‘I am a Ranger. We walk in the dark places no others will enter. We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass. We live for the One, we die for the One.’ In the last three years this had become his touchstone; it had yet to fail him.
“Shok-Na! We have an anomalous reading in high orbit over Bandan.” Akann exclaimed as she sent the sensor readings to the main screen. “It’s a Shadow vessel.” Comparisons of the ship’s silhouette to known silhouettes came on screen finally settling on the black spider-like shape that most Shadow vessels took.
“Great just what we needed,” Roque griped, “uninvited guests.”
“The Pooch says we blow it up before it calls for reinforcements.”
“Only needs one to wipe us out, if we’re not careful.” Roque pointed out, while he disengaged the safeties on the weapons system. “Akann, has it seen us yet?”
“Negative, Shok-nali. Sensor cloaking is still effective. But will be ineffective when we achieve our targeted orbit.” Akann gave the second in command a serious look, even for a Minbari. “We’d be well within their visual range within the next ten standard minutes.”
“Clay, man we gotta do something.” Pooch implored as he turned around in his seat to look back at his commanding officer. “They won’t be able to get out of the planet’s orbit without help.” He waited for Clay to give the order to readjust their course for engagement of the Shadow vessel.
“How long before we can directly communicate with Jensen and Cougar?” Clay rotated his chair to stare at Akann waiting for a response.
“From this angle of approach we have another three point six standard minutes before optimal communications range.” Akann’s hands moved over the communication and sensor console speedily. “And that is with me reconfiguring the communications array to boost the signal.”
“Do it.” Clay swiveled his chair back forward. “Pooch, move us on an intercept course. One that’ll allow us to stay out of their sensor range, for as long we can.” Clay pointed to Roque. “You, need to come up with a fire pattern, to damage or destroy that thing, long enough for us to get Jensen and Cougs. Then we can high-tail it out of here.”
“Sure…no pressure,” Roque glowered at his weapons console. He knew the White Stars packed one helluva punch for a ship its size. That was thanks in large part to the advanced tech of the Vorlons and Minbaris. But Shadow vessels were still far more advanced than the Vorlon-Minbari hybrid ship.
Roque spoke in Adronato, a common Minbari dialect, to a male Minbari from the Religious Caste, who manned the engineering station. “Nokenn, make sure the engine room is prepared to max out both weapons and engine output. We’ll need to heavily rely on speed, and maximize every hit we make.” Roque turned to ensure his message was understood. “Don’t let those shields go down no matter what.”
“Aye, Shok-nali.” Nokenn forwarded the information to the chief engineer. He calculated what systems they could sacrifice, if needed, to ensure that life support, and shields did not fail. Nokenn didn’t intimidate easily, after all he had two older siblings that were Warrior Caste. Both were formidable warriors, who served honorably, as Alyts on their respective ships. But Shok-nali Roque was one being, Nokenn would not encourage to wrath through incompetence.
“Will we be able to communicate with Cougs and Jensen, once we’re in range?” Pooch nudged at the helm’s controls to keep them just out of visual and sensor range. “I mean, don’t these Shadow vessels have some kind of jamming ability. They use upon entry into a system, when they don’t want anyone to know they’re there.” Pooch turned his head to see if anyone heard his words.
“Akann?” Clay asked his fellow Ranger.
“Sensors show no immediate jamming.” Akann checked the readings again to verify. “But that may change upon their notice of us.”
“Wonderful,” Roque exclaimed. “Will we at least, be able to send a message burst to our guys before that happens?”
“I believe so Shok-nali.”
“Excellent,” Clay smiled. “Okay, listen up people. We’ve got two of ours, and civilians counting on us to get them out of a bad situation.” His voice reverberated around the bridge. The message was also translated to the rest of the ship, in Minbari, for those of the crew that didn’t know Standard yet. “We have an enemy vessel standing between us and them. For some this will be your first encounter with these Shadows. But this is what we as Anla’shok have been trained for. This is our duty. Our oath is to ‘Walk in the dark places no others will enter.’ And that includes the fear we carry within us.” Clay looked around at his bridge crew and then looked into the view screen to include the rest of the crew in his gaze. “We will defeat the enemy before us, and all others that we may face. Those of the crew not bound by Anla’shok oath, you have honored us by your choice to side with the Light, and walk this path with us, in Valen’s name.” Clay closed the broadcast.
“Oh that was good. That was excellent.” Pooch’s amused, and sarcastic voice punctured the tense silence that followed Clay’s speech. “Did you think of that all on your own? Or did they give that to you when they named you Captain of a White Star?” Pooch teased.
“Nah, man.” Roque interjected before Clay answered. “That’s the shit they teach you in Colonel School. It’s called How to Blow Hot Air Up Your Subordinates’ Asses So They Don’t Punk Out 101.”
“You guys only wish.” Clay countered as they bantered to relieve the tension.
The rest of the bridge crew, that understood what was being said but weren't human, looked on perplexed at the three Human Rangers. The respect, fondness, and familiarity the three had for each other was evident, even with the contrary nature of their speech.
“Enough, Losers! It’s time. We’ve got some missing members to pull out of the fire.” Clay got them back on track. “Akann send the message as soon as you can. Pooch, let’s go find our lost sheep.”
Cougar, Jensen, the Bandani, and kids moved quickly down the corridors. Time was of the essence. Jensen wasn’t sure if the Prober was telepathic, by the twins’ reactions, it had the ability to affect minds that were sensitive. Jensen hoped it didn’t realize they wouldn’t be exiting where previously told.
“Jake,” Anet hissed. “Lots in front.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Jake whispered. He slowed to a halt before the corner that lead to the corridor by the guard station. “Can you tell how many?” The little girl held up one hand with fingers spread wide. Jake smiled. “Good job.” He turned to Cougar, “Stun, sleep or party?” Cougar raise an amused brow with a smirk. “Stunning party it is.” Jensen sing-songed.
Both Rangers took out two mini stun grenades. They were set to go off twenty seconds after being armed. They armed the grenades, and sent them down the corridor one behind the other at five second intervals at varying speeds, to stun as many of the guards as possible. They exploded into the corridor, on the heels of the last grenade blast, their pikes moved in arcs that stunned, incapacitated, and disarmed the guards in their path.
Jensen spun to avoid weapon fire, from a guard that wasn’t disoriented. He used his momentum to allow his grip to slide down the pike. The new leverage point of his hold allowed him to swing the pike up, and around to knock out the guard with his extended reach. The back swing took out one of the recovered guards, with a hit to the back of the head.
Cougar viciously attacked, his pike struck out to break bone, and cause unconsciousness. Cougar was suddenly grasped around the waist, his arms pinned to his side, He was lifted off the ground by a burly guard. Unable to swing his pike or gain leverage to affect an escape, Cougar did what he could. He collapsed his pike into its compact form, moved his arm as much as he could to get a proper angle, moved his head out of the way, and purposely extended his pike to smash into his captor’s face. The guard fell like a ton of bricks. Cougar and Jensen pressed their forward attack.
Meni did her best to shield the children as much as possible from the violence. She knew it was futile because if they didn’t see the act, they definitely saw the consequences. Each of the were bodies laid out like broken dolls tossed aside. This was nothing like the vids they watched at home. Meni had hoped her child would never witness such things but these were troubling times, and the Anla’shok appeared to be the answer to them.
Meni felt a pull on her tunic. The young human girl had gripped tighter. “Bad comin’. That way.” The girl pointed to a barely visible hatch to the left. Meni held the alien pistol at the ready. She crouched down to provide a smaller target, as well as protect her son, and the human child. Two guards fell to her blasts, as the door opened.
Tandi’s attention was split between the action in front of her, and the possibility of an attack from behind them. The alien weapon was at once familiar but strange in her hand. She was impressed by the grace and lethal force the two Anla’shok presented to the guards. They moved in tandem, each able to anticipate what the other would do, at any given moment. It was both an honorable and fearsome thing to bear witness to.
Tandi’s focus was redirected by a tug on her tunic. She looked down and saw the human girl’s focus was behind them. Without thought she turned around while protecting Kini with her body, fired the weapon behind her, and a guard went down shortly after entering the corridor behind her.
Walde put himself, and the children in his care as close to the wall as possible. He was bookended by Kanthi on one side, and his daughter, Reme, on the other. Walde had been a city scholar all his life, rarely had he ever left. There was never a need for him, to even pick up a weapon outside of an attempt at redesign. Now, he felt useless next to his two colleagues. Why had he never decided to take up some type of defensive hobby? He’d been offered lessons of various forms over the years.
Walde had known that Tandi had served in the military forces, for a number of cycles, and from her actions now, it was not in a non-combat position. Walde had done consultations for the military himself over the course of his career, but nothing more. So witnessing his colleague a fellow scientist and scholar, capable of such violence was quite the surprise. Walde watched in horrified awe as Tandi dispatched another of their people with the alien weapon.
Meni was an even bigger surprise for Walde. She was the smallest of them and soft spoken. She had a stubborn streak and temper, when questioned about the realistic application of one of her pet theories. But usually she preferred to quietly sway you to her ideas. The fact, Meni was a crack shot was a dissonance in Walde’s image of her. He could not dismiss the image of her two shots and two guards down. Walde was no longer certain, if he knew who these females really were anymore. Walde hugged Reme tighter, his child the only solid thing in a world suddenly upside down.
By the time Cougar, Jensen, and the others reached the exit gate, about a dozen guards had been taken out. Most by Cougar and Jensen but the scientists had held their own. They walked out the facility’s gate, and into the surrounding streets, which thankfully were empty at such a late hour of the night.
“Which way to the southwest part of the city?” Jensen asked as he ran in the general direction he figured they needed to go.
“If landed park, short way, that way.” Walde offered as he pointed. He knew the city exceptionally well, after all. “If fountain, need go that way, around park, along water, over bridge.” Walde hitched Reme up higher in his arm, and made sure he had a firm hold on Kanthi’s hand.
“Yeah. Yeah. I know.” Jensen retorted at the very loud ‘I told you so’ eyebrow he was getting from Cougar. “Okay folks. Looks like the long way it is.” He eased his pace so that he would be in the rear position. “Walde? Is that your name?” Jensen asked the Bandani, who nodded. “Why don’t you stay close to Cougar over there? Help direct him to where we need to go. Alright? Good.” Jensen encouraged the scientist who’d offered directions.
Twenty minutes, two skirmishes, and three near misses with security patrols later, the group made it to the park’s edge. Walde directed them down the path that would lead to the creek that ran through it. “Bridge, ahead. This path lead there.” Walde informed them. Just before the group stepped out into the open, Kara and Anet cried out in pain.
Jensen and Cougar swiftly scooped up a girl each. “Shhh…shhh.” Jensen soothed. “Tell us. What’s happening?” Jensen asked, as he gently smoothed back the hair from Anet’s face. Cougar looked over at Jake as he held Kara close, and gently rocked her.
“Black. Skin crawly. Dark. Wants to hurt.” Kara whispered.
“It pulls, twists. Wants creep in. Take over.” Anet sobbed. “Momma said, no let others inside. Protect mind. ”
“The Prober,” Jensen stared uncertainly at Cougar.
Kara reached frantically for her sister, from Cougar’s arms. Jake and Cougar moved closer so they still held the girls but the girls could hold each other as well. Just as the girls made physical contact the others felt the slick, black touch of an alien mind. Jensen managed to look up the path, and all he saw was darkness so absolute that it shouldn’t have even existed, a darkness that was determined to engulf them within itself.
“Kara, Anet. Do the ampyfier thing.” Jacob ordered, the shaking girls in his and Cougar’s arms.
“¿Qué?” Cougar looked puzzled at Jake’s order.
“You’ll see. But they’ll need us or maybe you afterwards.” Jake answered.
“Jake.” Anet whimpered. “Hurts.”
Cougar looked down at Kara, and noticed the twins were almost completely curled around each other. “Calmate niñas.” He looked at Jake for a clue of what to do next.
“The shield meditations we learned. They’ll need them. We’ll need to be their shields after this.”
“Comprendo.” Cougar started the progression for the shield meditation, they’d had to master in Ranger training.
“Sweeties. I know it hurts, and it’s scary.” Jake hugged the girls tight even if it meant including Cougar in the hug as well. “But you need to do it, and do it now.” He didn’t know how much more of the slimy feel across his mind he could stand, without the urge to rip his own skull off to get it out of his mind. Then softly but getting louder he heard the girls sing.
There was a man lived in the moon, lived in the moon, lived in the moon,
There was a man lived in the moon,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle,
And he played upon a ladle,
and his name was Aiken Drum
Jensen looked up surprised, into Cougar’s puzzled eyes. He shook his head to let Cougar know he’d tell him later. Cougar nodded his assent. The others in their group had gathered closer to the Rangers and telepaths as a slowly building wave of quiet emanated from the girls as they sang.
And his hat was made of good round cheese, of good round cheese, of good round cheese,
And his hat was made of good round cheese,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
Cougar kept his eye carefully on The Prober as the…thing expanded and darkened even further. If this was a Shadow creature or creation of some sort, he knew that energy weapons wouldn’t have any effect on it. Even their Denn’boks would be ineffective against the Shadows abilities to phase in and out. The girls started on their second rendition of the nursery rhyme. The Shadow creature seemed to shake and vibrate with each chorus.
And his coat was made of round roast beef, of round roast beef, of round roast beef,
And his coat was made of round roast beef,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
Jensen wasn’t one hundred percent sure, that he understood what was going on, but he had a very good hypothesis. The Prober was visibly shrinking, and Jake found himself humming along to the girls’ words. Even the Bandani who didn’t know what it meant had somehow picked up and were humming the tune. Cougar was the only silent one, but each time the girls said Aiken Drum it was like an invisible blow went out from Cougar to the Prober.
And his buttons made of penny buns, of penny buns, of penny buns,
And his buttons made of penny buns,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
Kara and Anet were visibly shaking with the effort to put everything they had into the attack they were building. They could feel the untapped potential of two of the Bandani kids. The other Bandani were just there neither intrusive or absent; they just were. Jake’s mind was noise and energy, even as he was focused on the mission, Anet liked it. Cougar’s mind was quiet, calm, focused, and Kara liked that he was so still. That stillness was just what they needed to channel their attack. Kara and Anet’s mother had told them it took three sayings to make it work. At least until they were big enough, for it to be instinct. The first saying drew the attack, the second made more power and the third saying let it all go at once. They needed a mind or minds bigger than their own that could handle that letting go, to go through it. Neither girl let their eyes drift away from the thing of dark that wanted to tear their minds apart.
And his vest was made of crusty pies, of crusty pies, of crusty pies,
And his vest was made of crusty pies,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
Cougar could feel something building inside of him, but not from him. It must be whatever the girls were doing. He remembered Jensen telling the girls about an ‘ampyfier thing’ this must be what he meant. They needed someone to be an amplifier for their abilities to make it stronger. He just hoped that they didn’t hurt him in the process.
And his pants made of haggies bags, of haggies bags, of haggies bags,
And his pants made of haggies bags,
And his name was Aiken Drum! BOOM! BOOM!
By this time the darkness was no longer surrounding the group. The Prober seemed to have compressed into itself as if to concentrate the focus of its attack. Like a hammer hits a nail, the girls yelled the last words of the song, along with the attack words to let it go. With each word Cougar flinched and the Prober screeched a blood curdling sound that reached down to a being’s very soul. The thing crumpled, like an invisible hand balled up used paper. Kara and Anet passed out.
The group was finally able to move the dark weight not longer heavy around them. The Bandani kids started to cry. Kara and Anet had buried deep in the folds of Jensen and Cougar’s uniform unconscious.
“Let’s go.” Jake ordered. He holstered his collapsed Denn’bok back onto his uniform and Cougar did the same. “Hold on to the kids tight folks. We’re making a run for our ship.” Jake hitched Anet higher up in his arms and Cougar did the same with Kara.
They started moving toward the bridge just beyond the path. “How much further Walde?” Jake asked.
“Not far.” Walde had no idea what just happened all he knew was that one moment there was a truly vile and alien presence in his mind. Its seductive song of all he ever wanted or desired, was tempting until it offered the return of his beloved, Aman. He knew then its price would be too high. Walde looked down at his daughter, who would not be here if he’d been left to choose between mother and child. Aman had taken that choice from him. He mourned her passing but did not resent her decision. Reme was a bright star in his otherwise logical world of formulas and facts.
Tandi had never felt something that evil in her life. It offered her the chance to go back to military service. A career she had been exceptionally good at. One that had taken her away for two cycles, shortly after Kanthi had been born. She had returned and her son had not known her. She left the service and finished the degree she had been working on for so many cycles. She'd found a job working at the university and a cycle later she was pregnant with Kini. Shortly after she was without a mate, he'd left unable to handle the scholarly life she'd chosen. If she had stayed in the military she would not have gotten to have or know her children. They were the sun in her darkest days and brought her more joy than any battle she every won.
Meni still felt cold, from the touch of that vile thing. The images it offered her were absurd. Answers and proof to all her hypotheses and research. What was the sense of it? If she had wanted an easy way toward answers, she would have chosen another field that was more fact than theory. Life was not meant for strolling through. The struggle to achieve something greater than ourselves, was what made it worth living. So what if Meni was without a mate. She did not need one to have meaning in her life. Benni was the best she had of Dosi anyway. No one could have foreseen his death before their bonding and acknowledgement of his son. Meni’s wish for no other was seen by many as a failing, but she’d only loved Dosi. Nothing could compare to that except the love she had for her son.
Jensen almost breathed a sigh of relief as the shuttle came into view. They were almost home free. He glanced at Cougar, and saw his barely held back relief. Jake inputted the code to open the hatch, and ushered the Bandani into the ship. It was going to be a tight fit.
Cougar kept hold of the now sleeping Kara, as he moved around the shuttle. He made sure that their passengers got buckled in, and were okay. He reclaimed their PPG pistols from the female scientists, who had put them to good use in their adventure. Cougar offered, everyone a bottle of water, and the first aid kit. Afterwards he headed up to the cockpit to join Jensen at the controls.
Jensen immediately noticed the blinking red light on the communications panel. There was a message waiting for them. He hitched Anet’s sleepy body to a more comfortable position. Jake played the message while he did a pre-flight check.
“Lost Sheep, we got your message.” Clay’s voice came out of the speakers. “We’ll be ready to help with evac when you say so. Be warned there’s a big bad wolf in orbit. We’ll keep its attention off you, so that you can rejoin the flock. Afterwards we’ll leave as fast as we can. Hopefully we’ll have discouraged it enough, that it doesn’t follow us or call for reinforcements.” Clay’s sigh was audible over the speakers. “Light a flare when you hit the air or about to break atmo. Papa Bear out.”
Jensen turned around a looked at Cougar, “You heard?”
“Si.” Cougar moved to take the other pilot seat. Both Rangers, refused to let go of the girls they held. He looked down at the little girl in his arms. “¿Qué pasan con ellos?” Cougar gently passed a hand over Kara’s head.
Jake looked down at Anet and then back at the flight controls. “Let’s get us back on the White Star. When we get out of this mess we can decide.” Cougar nodded agreement and helped with the checks.
Clay was ready to burst. The message had been sent over ten minutes ago and still no reply from his men. They were now shadowing, the Shadow vessel just out of visual range, waiting for word that they were about to leave the planet.
“Shok-na, incoming message! It’s from Shuttle Seven.” Akann informed Clay.
“About time. Let’s hear it.” Clay growled.
“Papa Bear do you read?” Jensen’s voice came through loud and clear.
“We read you Lost Sheep.” Clay’s shoulders lost some of their tension. “What’s your status?”
“Well we are five by and all in one piece. We’ve found a couple of stray lambs, as well as a few other lost sheep and their lambs.” Jensen replied.
“Lost strays? Are they looking for a good home?” Clay didn’t like the sound of things. Lost strays usually meant someone willing to join their side or turn sides. But lambs meant kids. The lost sheep and lambs must be the scientists and their kids. So who were the strays?
“I think they’ve already chosen their home, Papa Bear. It’s just a matter of how to give it to them.” Jensen added.
“You’ll tell us all about it when you get here.” Clay ordered as it sounded like Jensen and Cougar got adopted. “In the meant time what’s your ETA on reaching black sky?”
“We’re two minutes out.” Jensen answered as he plotted as direct a course as he could to the White Star. “Just don’t rock the boat too much while we find our way home.”
“Understood but can’t guarantee anything.” Clay muted the audio. “Pooch, move us between them and the Shadow vessel. Roque you better be ready with that firing solution because surprise right now is our best advantage.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I do all the work and you do all the bitching.” Roque retorted as he armed the weapons systems to max.
“Hitting black sky in five, four, three, two…one.” Jensen intoned. Clay unmuted the audio, “We’ve got you on sensor and visual. We’re coming in hot. Good luck.” Clay clicked off his audio.
“Roger that, Papa Bear.” Jensen added and ended communication.
The fight with the Shadow vessel was fast and fierce. Jensen had to creatively dodge several volleys from the Shadow vessel as well as stay out of the White Star’s line of fire. When they’d finally arrived onboard Jensen and Cougar made quick introductions, and left their guests in the care of the medics. Jensen gave orders that the two telepaths not be separated, preferably put in the same bed.
Cougar and Jensen arrived on the bridge, Akann quickly relinquished the comms and sensors stations to the two Rangers. Akann was more than ready to resume her normal post at the secondary system station.
Shields were down to fifty percent and slowly dropping. “Clay, we need to do something fast or else we’ll be toast.” Jensen told him.
“Roque, tell me you have something for me?” Clay looked to his first officer and second in command.
“I think I’ve narrowed down where their engine systems are.” Roques’s hands moved rapidly over the controls, a burst of lasers hit the Shadow vessel head on. “I just need to see if I can tweak the frequency of the beams, to penetrate their shields more.”
The entire ship rocked as they took another hit. “Well you better make it fast, shields are down to thirty-five percent.” Jensen informed.
“I…” Roque fingers flew over the weapon controls. “Got it!” A barrage of laser fire erupted and went through the Shadow vessel hitting their intended target. The ship jerked and an explosion was seen near where their engines were supposed to be located. The Losers cheered in victory.
“Pooch, get us out of here. Now!” Clay ordered. When they were safely in hyperspace with no trace of pursuit, he ordered everyone to stand down. He looked over at Jensen and Cougar, both of whom looked wrung out. “Cougs, Jensen. Report to medical, give me your report in twenty-four." Both of them nodded and trudged wearily toward medical.
Jensen and Cougar put the twins down on Jensen’s bed ,in the room that the two shared on the White Star. Medical said that the girls were just fine but suffered from psychic exhaustion. It was anticipated they would wake within the next twenty-four hours. The Bandani scientists and their children had been looked over and given guest quarters onboard.
“Can you feel it, Cougs?”
“Si.”
“They anchored themselves deep.” Jensen crouched down next to the bed, and gently brushed away a lock of hair from Kara’s face.
“¿Qué hicieron?” Cougar leaned against the wall closest to the bed, to watch Jake and the girls. Waiting for the explanation that Jensen was to give.
“You know why the Psi Corps insist that telepaths wear gloves?” Jensen continued when Cougar didn’t reply. “They tell telepaths, and mundane alike, that it’s to prevent inadvertent scans without permission, through touch. But the telepaths of any other race, we've encountered, don’t have to have such a physical barrier between themselves and non-telepaths.” Jensen tilted his head to look at Cougar. “Ever wonder why?”
Cougar shook his head, not knowing where Jake was leading with his words. Normally Cougar could follow easily but the day had been long, and his patience was almost gone.
“Touch, makes it easier for telepaths to make a connection to a living mind.” Jensen turned to fix the thin sheet over the girls. “It makes it easier to share things. To be things.” Jensen’s eyes fixed on a point above the girls’ heads. “Telepaths when linked physically can form a gestalt mind. Where one isn’t powerful enough, two or three or more are. Non-human telepaths, that are properly trained, learn to link minds without touch.” He looked at Cougar, “The Psi Corps wants to keep telepaths unable to share skills, and teachings easily. They want to breed stronger and stronger telepaths, loyal only to the Corps, with no outside connections to anyone or anything else. They brainwash and indoctrinate telepaths into believing ‘The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father’” Jensen sighed. “The Corps wants the exact same thing that the Shadows want except, it’s telepaths who are loyal to the Corps that rule.”
“What did the girls do?” Cougar asked again.
“They used their innate connection as twins to form a gestalt mind. But their mother had taught them something else to augment their abilities.” Jensen sat gently on the edge of his bed, careful not to jostle the girls. “They’re still too young and haven’t reached their full potential. Yet they are still pretty strong for their age. No wonder their mother went rogue.” Jensen took off his glasses and ran his hands over his face. “The song they sang, I’d heard before when I was really young. My Nana, great-grandmother, used to sing it and teach it to some of us great-grandkids. None of us knew why. All we knew was that certain kids got certain songs that others didn't. Our parents said it was just Nana’s way. She’d done it with the kids and grandkids too. My song was Aiken Drum but not the version that we heard.”
Cougar didn’t like where this was going. “What was different?”
“When I as ten a few years before she died. Nana explained to each of us at that age, why we had certain songs. I don’t know what the others meant but Aiken Drum was meant to protect and attack.” Jensen leaned back on his arms. “The girls used the song as a word association, to build and project a psychic attack. The words that they used were basically all words that gave them the vision of circular things. That was their way of building a shield or trap, around the intruder. The hammer anchoring those points in the shield were the last line of every stanza. They built up their power mentally, with the ladle by dipping into their ability, and pouring it into a conduit for them to attack with.” Jensen sat up and looked at Cougar. “The difference was, the girls’ mother taught them, to use not only their own psychic energy but the untapped, and non-active potential energy in, other minds. That’s why we all started to hum the song. Everyone except you, because you were the conduit they needed, so they wouldn’t fry their own immature mind.”
Cougar stiffened. He knew they’d done something but not what. Afterwards he’d felt like he’d been in a nest for a few days and had just hit his target and was in the throes of an adrenaline spike.
“They chose you because my mind had already been protected.” Jensen looked apologetically to Cougar. “Nana’s song was a shield for my mind." Jensen looked at the ceiling, not wanting to see Cougar's face at his revelation. "She once told me, I could set my mind to do anything I wanted it to do but only if I wanted it. I thought it was in regards to learning and choosing a career. Later on, I figured out she meant I have the potential, but not the temperament. I’d be an easy target for others to force my potential. The way she talked, I don't think, I was meant to come online. If I did it would be because someone forced it on me or it was a last ditch effort on my part.” This was a secret Jake had held close all his life. He never before knew of anyone else, outside of his great-grandmother and grandmother, to use musical triggers to implant telepathic protections. “My Aiken Drum song, wraps around my inner self like an ancient army marching off to war. That’s what telepaths hear, when they spend any length of time in my mind. It’s what my Nana said old time armies sounded like on the battlefields, with all their gear, and drums as they marched and fought. It’s why telepaths, after being in my head, are exhausted. On a subconscious level their abilities try to sort out the differing noises on my mental landscape and can’t.” Jensen finished.
“Ever learned?” Cougar asked taking all the information in.
“No. I think that one of the Sechs at the Ranger Facility had her suspicions, but never pushed the matter. She did teach me how to shake off the effects of mental attacks, so that my shields never completely drop.” Jensen ran a hand through his hair. “Because of what the girls did, it left them connected to us when their own shields crashed in the final push. They’ll eventually unanchor themselves from our minds when they feel strong enough but until then…we’re it for them. We’re their shield.” He gave Cougar a look that implored him to be okay with the situation.
Cougar sighed. He couldn’t be mad at the niñas for doing what they could to help out. For doing what only they could do. Cougar looked at Jensen and knew what the man wasn’t asking. When he looked at the girls, he knew he’d be unable to send them away without knowing they were safe and cared for. Cougar heaved another sigh and pulled Jensen up off the bed and towards his own.
“Si, we’ll talk. Mañana.” Cougar stripped out of the heavier layers of his uniform. He knew somehow he and Jensen would make things in regards to the twins work. They’d speak with Entil’zha after they talked with the girls to find potential relatives that might object.
“Really?” Jake beamed at Cougar. He stripped out of his uniform like Cougar had, then slid into the bed. “Think they’d like Minbar? It wouldn’t be so bad for them there. You think?”
Cougar huffed in agreement as he joined Jake. “Mañana. Plan. Ahora. ¡Dormir!” Cougar said as he pulled Jensen close. It was the best way the two of them could sleep well, on the narrow bed.
“Thanks, Cougs. You’re the best.” Jensen yawned at the end and settled down to sleep. Tomorrow would manage itself.