Babylon 5 and its characters with the exception of Epsilon Squad were created by J.Michael Straczynski and copyrights are held by Warner Bros and TNT. The characters of Epsilon Squad, as well as the characters of Rei Ayanami-Miranami and Danielle Asuka Langley are my own creation. Please ask for my permission to use them in your own fics. Neon Genesis Evangelion was created by Project Eva and copyrights are held by Gainax in Japan and A.D. Vision in the U.S. Please let me know if there are any othercopyright holders for either series I may have missed, as I'm not out to make any sort of material gain; I'm merely expressing my interest in both these series. In other words, please don't sue me. Author's Notes: This story takes place during Season 5 of Babylon 5, after #99 "Phoenix Rising" and before #103 "Darkness Ascending." To make this story work, I took the events in Evangelion and plopped them into the Babylon 5 universe at the same time as they actually occurred (2000-2015). The following events occurred in the B5 universe at the same time as in Eva: Episodes 1-24, followed by the events of the Rebirth and End of Evangelion movies. This story takes place in 2262. For purposes of this story, episodes 25 and 26 never happened. Although the Warlock-class destroyer is mentioned in the Babylon 5 series, the description given in this fic is conjectural, since no specifications or drawings of this class are known by the poor storyteller to exist. If anyone discovers anything on this class of ship, please let me know. Previously on Babylon 5: After discovering the Angels' return on planet M-235, the Earthforce Special Operations frigate Perry was sent to Babylon 5 after President Luchenko assumed control of the situation from Nerv and its commander, Thirteen. Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Jesa Marason, a Starfury pilot, led his squad into battle with a group of Raiders attacking a transport. Upon returning to the station he runs into Danielle Asuka Langley who became hysterical and ranted about Impacts and Angels and she was taken away by Security to Medlab 1. Meanwhile Garibaldi informs Sheridan about some aspects of Earthforce's takeover of the Angel situation, as well as the possibility of Seele resurfacing, Evangelion Unit 01's restoration by Nerv, and the revelation that Thirteen is Nerv's commander. The Perry has just arrived at Babylon 5 and they were awaiting the arrival of the Griffin and the Missouri. Well, enough of the preliminaries, let's get on with it! Babylon 5: Angels A Babylon 5 / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover by Mark Craig Part 4 - Always With Angels Cruising through the netherworld maelstrom of hyperspace, the Earthforce Warlock-class destroyer Griffin majestically cut her way through on her way to her destination: Babylon 5. Although technically considered a destroyer according to Earth Alliance guidelines, the Griffin's length rivaled that of a Nova-class heavy cruiser and her width was 20% greater than an Omega-class ship. As the Omega class was considered to be one of the best ship designs Earthforce had ever conceived, the Griffin's overall appearance was based on it with some other modifications. Two horn-like protrusions jetted out from either side of the bow serving as additional weapons ports. Four similar but larger protrusions were built into the larger aft section; two were pulse cannon ports and two served as extended sensors. The larger aft section enabled the addition of two more engines to provide the extra power the ship and her crew of 349 required. The Griffin's bridge was nearly identical to that of the Omega class. Twelve officers and crew manned the various stations: weapons, helm, sensors, navigation, environmental, all ensuring the ship which made up the extent of everyone's world last a little longer. The only decoration on the bridge was by the main aft doors. As the Griffin was named after the mythological beast, a plaque of a white griffin in an attacking dive hung next to the door against a black background. Beneath was a smaller plaque with a stylized "G" painted on it, provided the day it first left Earth Station Prime for its one-year shakedown cruise. A shakedown cruise which the current situation had cut short. Too short, in my mind, thought Captain Susan Ivanova, sitting in the center command chair, her fingers steepled as she gazed into the maelstrom outside the Griffin's main view screen. So far the shakedown had produced no major problems as of yet, and her crew was gaining more experience on how this brand-new ship operated with each passing day, but Ivanova still didn't think it enough. Maybe it was her Russian mind set taking over. That's it, she realized. It has to be that ingrained pessimism. After all, the Griffin was the first of a new class of destroyer. She was a fine ship, and Ivanova could not find any fault with any member of the ship's crew. She couldn't have asked for a finer crew an all of Earthforce. Even the C&C people on Babylon 5 would be hard-pressed to match the quality of the Griffin's crew. Thinking of Babylon 5 always gave her pause now. She felt she had seen almost everything in the four years she served as the station's second-in-command, and she had felt everything a person could possibly feel there as well: anger, fear, loneliness, despair, joy, love. She chuckled to herself every time she heard someone mentioning Something about love. Not so long ago, the concept of love was almost foreign to her. Hell, her few attempts at starting relationships ended in unmitigated disasters. She had come to the conclusion that she would never feel true love, and she accepted that. Then she was posted to Babylon 5, and all that began to change. For better or worse, it began To change. I think I loved Talia, she reflected. She confessed this to Delenn in the Minbari Rebirth ceremony just after the station broke away from Earth. Before she was posted to Babylon 5, and even for some time afterward, the thought of having anything at all to do with a telepath completely was completely ludicrous. She despised telepaths in general and Psi Corps in particular after what happened to her mother. Yet in the end, there she was, admitting her love for a telepath. Only Delenn knew, of course; that was part of the ceremony. But what about Marcus? The months since the end of the civil war gave Ivanova time to recollect, to think, to wonder. Only when she awoke in Medlab to find Marcus Cole slumped next to her dead from using the Alien Healing Device to drain his own life force to save her did she realize how much she meant to him, and she had given him nothing but grief in return for everything he had ever done for her. She and Marcus were more alike than she'd ever admit, even to herself. They had the same mannerisms, the same wit, even the same worldview, and their personalities were so similar they often clashed. Only in the end did she realize what true love was. She decided she had enough musing for the moment. There would be time for that; there always was when the work was all said and done. She glanced at the tall, dark-skinned form of Commander Claudia LaSalle, her first officer, standing next to Ensign Carter at the tactical console. Carter had just graduated from Earthforce Academy this year and this was his first assignment. He seemed to have the makings of a good officer, but he did lack certain instincts which distinguishes a true field officer from a paper-pushing desk jockey in EarthDome. Those instincts would come with experience, though, given time. Except if what her orders said were true, the whole thing about experience would be academic if their mission were to end in failure. "Commander," she said, "what's the status of the Missouri?" "She's still with us, Captain," LaSalle replied. "Captain Lind reported no operational problems." "How soon before we reach the jumpgate?" "On our present course we will jump to normal space in twenty minutes, eighteen seconds." She looked at the starboard aft display next to the view screen showing an image of the battleship Missouri, one of only three Sovereign-class battleships ever built by Earthforce, and the only surviving ship of its class. The other two, the Arizona and the Iowa went down in the Battle of the Line. The Missouri was decommissioned after the Earth-Minbari War but was later brought out of mothballs, refitted with the latest weapons and sensor systems, and returned to active service. She's still a fine ship even after all these years, Ivanova thought to herself. It was said serving on the Missouri was one of the highest honors an Earthforce member could ever hope to achieve, even above the various service awards and the promotions. Stretching more than twice the length of the Griffin's 425 meters, the Missouri was the largest ship in Earthforce with a crew of over 1,200, including pilots and deck crews for four Starfury squadrons and three Thunderbolt squadrons. Commanded by the Ice Woman, Captain Emily Lind, the Missouri stood proud as the flagship of the Earth Alliance. Ivanova recalled her orders: meet the battleship Missouri and travel to Babylon 5 to meet with the frigate Perry. Once there she would meet the Perry's captain for a briefing concerning something about the return of the Angels. The very thought of them returning brought her to a state of near alarm. The Angels were responsible for the Second Impact and they helped in causing the Third Impact. In her studies of those events back in her Academy days she learned the Angels were quite powerful; the only way to defeat them was to use the Evangelion units. In this day and age, Ivanova had to assume they still were. Not only that, she couldn't really bring herself to trust Nerv any more than the Angels. She almost regarded Nerv with the same trust as she did Psi Corps. She had heard about all the experiments Nerv performed to discover the secrets of the Angels and how to fight them, and the fact they used children to pilot the Evangelion units themselves. Still, most of Nerv's military personnel still wore Earthforce blue; they were Earthforce Special Operations officers. The Perry's captain, Commander Rei Ayanami-Miranami, was one such officer. Ivanova looked up her service record after receiving her orders to see who she was going to be dealing with. The interesting thing was she entered Earthforce at Nerv's insistence. Why would Nerv use the tremendous influence it commanded on behalf of this one individual? What was she to them? Still, Rei's record gave Ivanova the impression she would be dealing with a very intelligent and resourceful officer. She was a private person, the record showed, living alone most of her life after entering Earthforce Academy. She tended to keep her distance from everyone around her, until she became the Perry's captain. Ivanova suspected there was quite a bit more to Rei Ayanami- Miranami than the service record showed. "Concerns, Captain?" LaSalle asked. Ivanova didn't realize her first officer had left Carter's station until she saw her standing next to the command chair, a look of curiosity on her face. She let out a small sigh. Evading the question wouldn't work around LaSalle, she was far too intelligent to be fooled. "Just one," Ivanova admitted. "Have you ever met Commander Ayanami-Miranami?" LaSalle shook her head. "No, I confess I haven't. Special Ops people under Nerv don't usually mix with other Earthforce officers. Something to do with security concerns, I heard. It must be serious if Nerv's authorizing it now." "Probably. Of all the surprises I could've received today, I was certainly not expecting or welcoming the Angels returning." "Agreed. And if the Angels are anything like what the Eva pilots faced 250 years ago, this could mean a Fourth Impact, which wouldn't confine itself to Earth if certain religious groups are to be believed." Ivanova grunted. "Fourth Impact. Scarcely bears thinking about. Maybe we should all hold hands and sing 'Kumbaya' while we still can." LaSalle merely shrugged. "We've made many of the same mistakes now as we did before Third Impact," Ivanova continued. "They say the Impact marked the beginning of a new age in the evolution of mankind. So far, I've yet to see it." "Maybe that's why the Angels are returning, Captain," LaSalle mused. "Possible." "What about the uproar this is causing back home? I hear Nerv and Earthforce are having a real knock-down drag out over Earthforce taking charge of the Angel situation on President Luchenko's orders." "Whatever for?" Ivanova wanted to know. "Nerv can't possibly think they can handle the Angels alone this time. If they do, I'll add delusional and stupid to the list of wonderful adjectives I routinely use to describe them." "I would point out Nerv has acquired most of the data on the Angels the first time they appeared." "That was over 200 years ago. That data is probably antiquated by now. If we've supposedly evolved, shouldn't it stand to reason the Angels have, too?" "Perhaps, Captain," LaSalle admitted. "And Nerv doesn't strike me as a very trustworthy group, either. I can't really put my finger on it. There's something about them which make me uneasy." "I think I can say Nerv makes us all uneasy, Captain," LaSalle replied. "There are just too many unknowns in dealing with them. In that way they're no different than the Angels." "'Who watches the watchmen?'" Ivanova quoted. They are coming. They who are of the six by three are coming. You must leave this place. Leave before they arrive. The one who is half is already here. Those thoughts came back to Danielle's mind as she lay on the medlab bed. The last thought gave her pause, though. The one who is half is already here. What the hell did that mean? Surely it couldn't mean the Nerv clone's here on the station. Or could it? She had made it a personal crusade to find out all she could about Nerv after the incident at Proxima-3 which forced her to leave Earthforce. She had learned about Nerv's attempts at cloning after Second Impact. They had spliced human DNA with an Angel, namely Lillith. Three clones were known to have been successfully created, all virtually identical, all named Rei. After Nerv was reestablished in 2203, it hardly surprised her that Nerv would attempt this form of cloning again. After all as the old saying went: "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to one day repeat it." This time, though, Nerv extracted DNA from the remains of the Rei/Lillith merge which was destroyed in the Third Impact. As a result only one stable clone was created in 2226. The others were either malformed, psychotic, or both. Why would they use that? Danielle often wondered after finding that little bit of information out earlier this year. Probably the same rationale which motivated Seele to use dummy plugs ingrained with Kaworu's personality in the mass-production Evas. Danielle had used her ship's computer and over three dozen relay stations, including unwitting listening posts and jumpgates, located throughout the Earth Alliance to obtain that and other information from Nerv from the most logical source possible: Melchior, the last surviving Magi supercomputer. The machine may have been over 200 years old, but it was still more powerful than most computer systems used in Earthforce today. The six by three are coming. Since Proxima-3, Danielle knew what Kaworu had meant by the phrase "six by three." He obviously meant the Angels; between the Impacts a total of eighteen Angels appeared. Six by three equaled eighteen; it was flawlessly logical. So why didn't they believe me? Why don't they believe me now? Can't they see what is plain as their own hands? Didn't G'Qeth say our struggles would begin with Angels? Didn't he also say we would pay for those struggles with our own blood, the blood on the hands of the Angels? What must I do to convince them, G'Qeth? How can I make them see what I see before the Angels destroy us all? G'Qeth declined to respond, possibly being on a break. I do have to get away, but first I must find the one who is half. Maybe she will believe me. I must find her, as soon as possible. But did she know why she had to find her? What was so important about the one who is half which made it seem so urgent to see her? How did she know the one who is half is female? Danielle didn't know; all she knew was that she had to see her, and quickly. She knew she had to leave before they came. The six by three are coming. Wait a damn minute! Danielle's more rational side screamed at her. What the hell are you thinking? You can't leave here. Not when you know they're coming? You wanted to find the Angels and avenge what they did to your ancestor 250 years ago. Even now the Angels are trying to influence you; they have ever since Proxima-3, even more so now that you found the Evangelion. Don't you see? They want you to leave Babylon 5 because you can stop them. But they don't believe me. They never believe me, the irrational side protested. Let them believe what they will. It's what you believe that counts. I'm afraid. Always with Angels will our struggles begin. Don't be. I will be here. I have always been here. Danielle rose out of the bed, her decision set. She would find the one who is half. She had to find her, whoever she was. She glanced quickly around to make sure neither Franklin nor any of his staff was nearby. She found her clothes in a nearby locker along with her backpack. Rushing to open it she found nothing was missing, even her Book of G'Qeth. She dressed quickly and quietly snuck out of medlab. She located a transport tube nearby and she stepped inside. "Destination?" the computer queried. "Red Five." She got off on Red-5 and made her way into the Zocalo, which was its usual bustle of activity. Humans, Drazi, Centauri, Narns and others milled about buying and selling various goods. Carefully avoiding the prying eyes of station security Danielle made her way to an unoccupied terminal and activated it. "Command?" "Computer, list any Earthforce military ships which have arrived on Babylon 5 in the last twenty-four hours." "Security authorization required." "Authorization Nerv-2-1-8-9-Alpha-8." I'm going to be throwing red flags all over Security Central if this doesn't work. A few moments passed, then the computer replied, "Authorization confirmed. One Earthforce vessel has arrived within specified time parameters." "Which vessel?" "Earthforce Special Operations Frigate Perry. Commander Rei Ayanami-Miranami commanding. Vessel arrived at 0835 Earth Standard Time, July 30, 2262." Rei Ayanami-Miranami, Danielle thought. She must be the one. "Computer, is Commander Ayanami-Miranami on the station?" "Affirmative." "Specify location." "Commander Ayanami-Miranami is located in the Blue-3 conference room." "Does she have assigned quarters on-station?" "Affirmative. Blue-5, Suite 16." She looked around and noticed two security officers lurking nearby in the crowd. She closed down the terminal and slipped out into a Red Sector corridor. Rei Ayanami-Miranami, I think it's time you and I had a little chat. In the four years since coming to Babylon 5, Lt. David Corwin had just about seen everything from his post in Command and Control. He stood watch over the starscape outside from the command console. Corwin was one of those guys who treated even the most unusual situations as commonplace as breathing. He found it easy to lose himself among those glowing stars. Hard to believe all that's gone on here the last three years. Two wars, breaking away from Earth, Sheridan going off to Z'ha'dum, the campaign against Earth, and all the stresses associated with all that. Yes, Babylon 5 had certainly changed over the years, and he had changed along with it. The jumpgate sequence activated, breaking his train of thought. Two more Earthforce ships exited the gate and approached the station. Corwin knew before the station's computer identified them they were the Griffin and the Missouri. The Missouri was rather hard to miss; it being the only full battleship in Earthforce. And with the Griffin's approach, Corwin got his first look at a Warlock-class destroyer. An impressive pair of ships, he thought. It would be more of an honor than he thought he deserved to serve on either one of them. "Lieutenant," one of the techs called from below him, "the captains for both ships are on-line." "I've got it," Corwin said, opening the link. "Griffin and Missouri, this is Babylon Control. You're cleared for priority docking in Bays 15 and 16." "Confirmed, Babylon Control," came the crisp Captain Emily Lind of the Missouri. Lind was a typical ship's captain, or so Corwin thought, with that severe look most captains had developed over the course of age and experience. Only her green eyes and auburn hair really betrayed how young Captain Lind was. Hard nosed, high-strung, disciplined, those were the traits of a typical Earthforce captain, and she displayed it all perfectly. "Roger that," Ivanova said. "It's good to be back, Lieutenant." "Likewise, Captain," Corwin replied. He always had a great deal of respect for Ivanova, who had been his superior officer for much of his time here. Ivanova always had a unique insight on things not often found in most people. He always found some humor in her dry little asides regardless of the crisis of the moment. He got on the internal link and contacted Captain Lochley to let her know they had arrived. "I see I've taught you well, Lieutenant," Ivanova observed. "I take it Captain Lochley and President Sheridan know of our arrival." "Yes, Captain." "And Commander Ayanami-Miranami?" "She will be awaiting you and Captain Lind in the conference room on Blue-3." "Very well, Lieutenant. Inform them we will be on-station shortly." "Yes, Captain, Babylon Control out." Within moments, shuttles were launched from both ships and entered The station's main docking bay. The automated docking control systems flawlessly guided both shuttles to their respective bays. "So this floating tin can was your old stomping ground, eh, Captain?" LaSalle said in the cockpit of the lead shuttle. "It was," Ivanova replied. "But it's a pretty big tin can." "I'm not sure I could handle a posting on a front-line station like this. Having to deal with races at each others' throats day in, day out." LaSalle shook her head. "Not for me. All I ever wanted was a tall ship so I can sail among the stars." "I didn't know you were so poetic, Commander," Ivanova observed. "I'm not. It's the simple truth. I'll take a ship posting over a station desk job any time. There's a certain beauty in serving aboard a ship." "There is that," Ivanova admitted, gazing at the approaching bay. "Still, as Mr. Garibaldi once said, it is a big tin can in outer space." The shuttles completed docking without incident. Both captains and their execs made their way to the customs area, where Ivanova saw Sheridan and Lochley waiting for them. Customs officers checked in all four officers and they met up with Sheridan and Lochley. "It's good to see you again, Captain Ivanova," Sheridan said. Ivanova gave a slight smile. "It's good to see you too, John. This is my executive officer, Commander Claudia LaSalle." LaSalle nodded in acknowledgment as Ivanova turned her attention to Lochley. "Captain Lochley, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I can see Babylon 5 is in capable hands." "Thank you, Captain. I only wish this were under better circumstances." Ivanova nodded. "Mr. President, Captain, I take you've met Captain Emily Lind of the Missouri, and her exec, Commander Richard Reider." "I told you I'd be back one day, Mr. President," Lind said, shaking hands with both Sheridan and Lochley. "Captain Lind," Sheridan acknowledged, "Commander Reider." "Mr. President," Reider said. "Well, we don't want to keep Commander Ayanami-Miranami waiting," Sheridan said at length. "She, Lt. Commander Akagi, Ambassador Delenn, Mr. Allen, and Mr. Garibaldi are waiting for us in the Blue-3 conference room." With that, he led the others out of the customs area down a Blue Sector corridor. Jesa strode purposefully down the Green-2 main corridor towards Ambassador G'Kar's quarters, a load of questions on his mind after examining the data the station's computers provided him concerning G'Qeth and his writings on Impacts and the Angels. Perhaps the Narn ambassador could help him answer those questions, being as knowledgeable with Narn history and historical figures as G'Kar was. He reached the door outside G'Kar's quarters and tapped the door tone. He waited a few seconds before he heard "Enter," from inside and the door slid open. Jesa stepped into G'Kar's quarters, which resembled surroundings he'd probably see if he ever went to the Narn homeworld. G'Kar sat behind a stone table brought from Narn doing ambassadorial paperwork. The room glowed a reddish color. To Jesa's right on the table sat the copy of the Book of G'Quan, a Narn religious figure about a thousand years ago in whom G'Kar believed in rather strongly. G'Kar looked up at his visitor and nodded in recognition. "Ah, Lt. Commander Marason," he said pleasantly. "What can I do for you?" "Ambassador G'Kar," Jesa said slowly, "I don't mean to disturb you. I was just wondering if you could provide me with some information." "Of course." G'Kar indicated a chair in front of the table. "Please, sit." "Thank you," Jesa replied and took the offered seat. "Now, Lt. Commander, what is it you needed to know?" "I was wondering if you've heard of a Narn philosopher named G'Qeth." G'Kar gave it some thought. "I know his time was about 150-200 of your years ago. Relatively speaking he was a contemporary thinker. But among my people G'Qeth was considered a radical. His followers are few, and most are on Homeworld. He wrote about entities which existed before the Vorlons and the Shadows, visiting other worlds, including your own. I believe you called them Angels, did you not?" Jesa nodded. "He was supposed to have predicted with frightening Accuracy when the Angels would strike at Earth, as well as the Second and Third Impacts. My question is, how could he have such insight into a world your people would not encounter for almost 200 years?" "That is still being debated to this day, Lt. Commander. No one who has ever studied G'Qeth's writings has ever agreed completely on what he was trying to say until we made contact with your world and saw the truth of what he had seen. G'Qeth also considered himself a prophet. He made predictions about our world concerning these entities which were quite honestly too preposterous to believe, that they would cause a cataclysm which would engulf the galaxy." "Fourth Impact," Jesa said, "some radical groups in Earth Alliance believe essentially the same thing, about the Angels returning to see mankind has not evolved and the whole galaxy would be punished for it." "Do you believe that, Lt. Commander?" "To be honest, no. I don't. I'm not a very religious man, G'Kar. I only believe in two things: my squad, and the Starfury I have in Cobra Bay 4." "Then I don't understand why you're asking me about G'Qeth." "An Earth woman started ranting about Angels and Impacts a few hours ago, and she mentioned G'Qeth's name. Security Chief Allen also told me she was in possession of a Book of G'Qeth. I was trying to figure out what was going on." "Indeed." G'Kar said, intrigued. "She was a Starfury pilot before the civil war, fighting on the side of President Clark, then after Proxima-3 she was given a psych discharge from Earthforce. She became a trader among the Non-Aligned Worlds and later the IA. What I can't figure out is what she would be doing with a Narn text." "Perhaps it's the only thing she can find which contains the answers she seeks. It is common for other races to study the writings of our spiritual leaders and philosophers. We would never accept them as true followers, of course, but they still can learn a great deal from those words of long ago." "At the time she sounded rather hysterical and crazed, but the more I think about it, the more I worry. And we've got three Earthforce ships, including one from Nerv, here on a mission concerning the Angels. I have a bad feeling about this, Ambassador. A very bad feeling." "G'Quan once wrote 'anxiety leads to knowledge. Instinct is a valuable tool to those who know how to use it.' Trust your instincts, Lt. Commander Marason, and all will be well." Jesa got up and headed for the door. "I always do. Thank you for your time, Ambassador." "Not at all, Lt. Commander," G'Kar said and Jesa left the room. Garibaldi, Delenn, and Zack sat at the large table in the Blue-3 Conference room. He saw Commander Miranami standing at the head of the room in silent conversation with Lt. Commander Akagi, awaiting the arrival of Sheridan and the others. Garibaldi looked warily at the Nerv emblems on the two officers at the head of the room. For the longest time he felt Nerv was as trustworthy as Psi Corps. And given the information he dug up about Nerv and its connection to Bureau 13, he felt he trusted Nerv too much. Especially in light of what's been going on with the rumored Nerv-Earthforce split back on Earth, the restoration of Eva-01, and Seele prowling around again. This mess will get out of control, Garibaldi thought. It'll get out of control and we'll all be lucky to live through it. The thought of the Evangelion units returning made Garibaldi even More nervous. After briefing Sheridan on what he found, he persuaded Zack to let him see Eva-02 himself. Zack agreed and they examined the unit. From what Garibaldi could tell it did indeed appear to be operational. The history of the Evas was well known to everyone who was in Earthforce. These were the machines which saved Earth from the Angels, machines which some have said were the same as the Angels they fought, and which also were responsible for the Third Impact. And now they're starting to appear again. What the hell does this mean? Moments later Sheridan walked quickly in, followed by Lochley, Ivanova, Lind, LaSalle, and Reider. Sheridan introduced Rei Ayanami- Miranami and Mina Akagi to Ivanova and the others. It felt like the Babylon 5 of old now that Ivanova was back on-station, Garibaldi reflected. Once the introductions were completed, Sheridan indicated everyone to sit. When everyone was seated around the frosted glass table, Sheridan said, "Commander Ayanami-Miranami, it's all yours." "Thank you, Mr. President," Rei said as she pulled out a data crystal and inserted it into the crystal port next to a wall monitor. An image of an approaching planet appeared. "This is the planet M-235, located in Sector 999," Rei began. "It was first discovered by the Tycho deep-space probe in 2105, then it was charted by the destroyer Damocles in 2257, under Captain Lochley's command, I believe." "It was part of a three-month stint where we did a preliminary survey on Sectors 995 to 999," Lochley said by way of explanation. "This was in preparation for a mission by an Explorer-class ship later that year, when those sectors would be charted in greater detail. At the time we didn't find anything particularly unusual about M-235, so we moved on." Rei nodded. "For the past several years, Nerv has charged us with the task of determining where the Angels went after Third Impact. Our mission led us to M-235 less than twenty-four hours ago. We picked up some unusual energy readings from beneath the surface of a type we could not identify. So I personally went down for a closer look when we started picking up Angel signatures. I flew over a large crater and discovered this." The image changed to a tannish-black creature like nothing Garibaldi had ever seen; a creature with impossibly thin arms and a face uglier than any he had ever seen before lying on the surface of M- 235. A large orange hemispherical protrusion stuck out of its lower abdomen and its legs were little more than nubs. "What the hell is that?" Garibaldi asked. "That," Rei replied, "is an Angel. More to the point, it is Zuriel, listed in Nerv records as the 14th Angel, and our comparisons on what we found based on those records confirm it. We picked up what appeared to be two more Angels rising out of the surface but we weren't able to identify them. We believe the Angels may be poising themselves for another strike at Earth and, our resources believe, the possibility of a Fourth Impact." An uneasy murmur filled the room as Rei let that sink in. The Third Impact was cataclysmic enough, up to 2/3 of Earth's population were wiped out because of it, and here she was talking about a Fourth Impact which may no longer confine itself to Earth, but spread outward like ripples in a pond. She's just full of good news today, Garibaldi mused. Maybe I should have taken that leave on Disneyplanet last year after all. "Which is why," Rei said after a moment, "we've come here to ask or your help in defeating the Angels before they can leave M-235. The Earthforce fleet is still rebuilding after last year's civil war, and the Perry, the Griffin, and the Missouri are the only Earth ships available. Everything else is scattered throughout known space. We would never be able to assemble them together in time." What exactly is she hiding? Garibaldi asked himself. Nerv doesn't give you anything without an exorbitant price tag attached. "But with help from the Interstellar Alliance, we may be able to stop the Angels and avert the Fourth Impact." Convincing argument. Maybe too convincing. "I don't like this," Garibaldi said suddenly. "Problem, Mr. Garibaldi?" Rei asked, arching one eyebrow. "Frankly, yes. Let's get right down to it, shall we? Nerv is the most secret organization in EarthGov. Always has been. You always use Special Ops whenever you need support from Earthforce. For security, you say. Talk of the Angels has always been very hush-hush, even in the prison that is Nerv headquarters. And now you're suddenly opening up, coming to us for help saying you need us to beat these fraggin' Angels back to wherever the hell they came from. "And at the same time, you're asking us to trust Nerv, an organization partially responsible for the Third Impact, with Seele and the Human Complement Program being the other half of that particular equation. And Nerv was under President Clark's control during the civil war back home. On top of all that, Nerv swallowed up Bureau 13 members, and inherited all those dark little secrets as well, and placed Bureau 13's leader as its commander. How do we know you're on the up-and-up, Commander Miranami? How do we know this isn't some sort of elaborate setup instigated by Nerv, Seele, or both in return for overthrowing Clark?" "Nerv does not operate that way," Akagi said hotly. "We never have done Clark's bidding. Or anyone else's, for that matter." "So you say," Garibaldi countered. "You are, of course, aware that there are factions within EarthGov which still support Clark's regime. And the head of Bureau 13 would love to take a shot at us, and this is the perfect opportunity." "Mr. Garibaldi, we are not Bureau 13 or Nightwatch," Akagi said vehemently. "And I resent your implications otherwise. Whether you believe it or not, the Angels are back. I've seen them, so has the commander. Soon you all will, too." "Commander Akagi, please," Rei said suddenly, raising a calming hand. She glided towards Garibaldi, looking at him like he was some curious new microbe to be studied. Those red eyes staring at him made Garibaldi even more nervous. This woman can't be human. "You don't trust us, do you, Mr. Garibaldi," Rei said. "I don't blame you. Given recent events involving Earth and Babylon 5, were I in your position I probably wouldn't trust us, either. I can't make any one of you trust us or Nerv, so I won't even make the attempt. All I can ask is you hear us out, because on my honor as an Earthforce officer, what we're telling you is the full truth." "Garibaldi has a point," Ivanova broke in. "How do we know Nerv is not going to stab us in the back when they get us out in the middle of nowhere?" They won't," Rei said flatly. "For one thing they would have nothing to gain by it. They are upset with Earth Alliance for taking over the Angel situation, and the repercussions of the whole mess will take some time to reconcile, if it can be done at all. As it stands now, the Angels are an Earthforce matter. I am here on the direct orders of President Luchenko to request your assistance in dealing with the Angels." After a moment's thought, Sheridan said at length, "I see no reason to doubt the commander's word on this matter." "Neither do I," Delenn agreed. "I know what happened with the Angels before and we need to stop them before they can cause any more harm." "I agree," Lochley said. "So do I," Lind added. "Commander Reider?" Sheridan said. "With all due respect, I have no love for Nerv. I have never been able to trust the organization partially responsible for the Third Impact, and I never will trust them, either. But that is neither here nor there. Commander Ayanami-Miranami is an Earthforce officer, as is Commander Akagi. They wear Earthforce blue. The civil war with Earth is over. Earth is part of the Interstellar Alliance, and it needs their help." "I agree," LaSalle added. Sheridan nodded in satisfaction. "Mr. Garibaldi, you do have a valid point, but Commander Miranami deserves to be heard, and I see no reason why we shouldn't help them. Please continue, Commander." "Thank you, Mr. President. Once this meeting is concluded I'm going to upload all the data we have on the Angels which threatened Earth from 2000 to 2015 into Babylon 5's computers. They will be able to instantly recognize any of the Angels we may encounter. There are seventeen known Angels we encountered in that time. Let me give you a rundown on what exactly you may be dealing with, how they operate, and what their capabilities are." When Jesa returned to his quarters, he was more than a bit surprised to see Lt. Rico Vazquez and Lt. Laura D'Amico lounging about on his couch. Wait a minute. This isn't poker night, is it? No, it can't be. I've got to change my lock code more often. "We hope you don't mind, Jesa," Laura said in her semi-apologetic voice. "We just let ourselves in." "We missed you at Earharts'," Rico added, "so we wanted to see what was up." "Oh," Jesa said, getting out a cold soda and taking a swig. "Was that last night?" He shook his head. "Sorry, I was distracted with something else and completely forgot." "The crazy woman?" Rico inquired. Jesa choked on his drink, clearly taken aback. "How did you know?" "Come on, Jesa," Laura replied. "Don't play dumb with us, you with the BaBearLon 5 Teddy Bear. Your encounter with her is the talk of the whole squad. And what's all this we keep hearing about Angels and Impacts?" "I'm not completely sure myself," Jesa admitted. "The woman seemed to be just ranting on about the Angels, Impacts, and G'Qeth. At the time it didn't make sense, but I had the computer run a search on those words. You remember in Earth history what happened with the Angels and the Second and Third Impacts, don't you?" "Not really," Rico said. "I wasn't really much into history. I was too busy chasing these three girls in history class, all at the same time." "Rico, you should've studied more," Laura chided. "Second Impact happened over Antarctica when the first Angel exploded back in 2000. Third Impact occurred in 2015 after Eva Unit 01 stabbed itself with the longinus spear and combined with Units 05 through 13." "I see," Rico said. "But who or what the hell is G'Qeth? What's he got to do with this?" "He was a Narn philosopher who lived during the time of the Impacts," Jesa replied. "He was somehow able to predict the Second and Third Impacts even though at that time we wouldn't make first contact with the Narns for over 200 years. He even wrote about these entities which have wandered the stars since before even the Vorlons, the Shadows, or even the First Ones, entities which were supposed to resemble the Angels." "But weren't the Angels 98% human?" Laura asked. "So some of the surviving Nerv records say," Jesa agreed. "But nowadays, nobody knows for certain any more." "Getting back to the subject at hand," Laura said. "I managed to get her name. That is, if you're interested, Jesa." "Do I want to know how?" Jesa asked, giving her a suspicious look. "Jesa Marason, you should know I'm not that way," Laura said in indignation, then softened up a bit. "But I confess I used my not inconsiderable charms on an innocent, young security officer." Rico shook his head. "And she yells at me for playing the field." Laura cuffed him on the shoulder and turned her attention back to Jesa, now sitting at his breakfast bar with his usual soda. "Anyway, her name is Danielle Asuka Langley." "I remember now," Jesa said. "Captain Lochley mentioned Danielle when I first met her. She was one of the best 'Fury drivers in Earthforce before Proxima-3. Danielle had claimed she saw images out there during the battle, but to this day, nobody knows what happened to her out there." "There was something else," Laura added. "Apparently Danielle was chasing a red-and-gold Starfury when she went nuts. And who around here has a red-and-gold Starfury?" Jesa gave it some thought. "Hmmm. I remember during the battle there was someone chasing me around ships and other fighters, or at least trying to. I couldn't shake whoever that was, they were pesky and very skilled. I finally lost him when the dying White Star rammed the Pollux. And now you tell me this crazy woman was the pilot I faced at Proxima. It's a small universe after all." End Part 4 Comments can be directed via private e-mail to mcanime@swbell.net. Constructive comments are welcome and will be read. Non-constructive Flames will be used for PPG target practice.