"I don't understand you, Jack," Garibaldi said. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had a place in Security. I supported you, defended you. I trained you and made you my right hand."
"The thing is, Garibaldi," Jack said. "I'm someone else's left hand, and they're the winning side. They're the new order of things, and they don't play by the broken old rules that have kept our people down too long. Think of the big picture Garibaldi, and get out of the way."
Michael stood up and glared, sometime ago, his anger was intense and vocal, but he'd had time to cool down and think about it. He was no less angry, but he wasn't going to be letting it drive him.
"If you say so," Michael said with a smile before raising a salute to his head in mockery of one given him by a particular Psi-Cop the previous year. "Be seeing you."
Jack stopped and stared a bit coldly.
"What the hell do you think you know, Michael," Jack demanded.
"Well, that's for me to know and you to be paranoid about," Garibaldi said before turning to his men. "Let's get him out of here now."
Secrets were part and parcel of Babylon 5, and Sheridan was beginning to see that as he read over Susan's official report. He'd worked with her before and known her too long not to see when she was holding something back.
"'Information gained from a witness led to discovery of the suspect's whereabouts,'" Sheridan read. "Garibaldi's report reads about the same. Is there anything else not in the report that I should know about?"
"There was a data crystal, sir," Susan said, leaning on a crutch and trying to stand at attention. "In the man's briefcase."
"I know," Sheridan said. "Garibaldi said it contained some accounts and addresses, but nothing damning. Nothing to point to who he was answering to. All we have is some circumstantial evidence and Garibaldi's word that he was involved in the assassination on President Santiago. And while that's enough for me, it's not enough for anybody else. Do you have anything else we can use?"
"Unfortunately, sir, just more hearsay and testimony," Susan said.
"And what is that?" Sheridan asked.
"Psi-Corps, Captain," Susan said. "One of our witnesses thinks there's a psi-cop involved."
The next thing he said was very guarded. If telepaths were involved thoughts could betray.
"Was this witness using...unconventional means," he asked.
"You could say that, sir," Susan said. "Do you want to know a name, sir?"
"Unfortunately, I think I've already guessed it," Sheridan said. "I think I've had an odd encounter with those unconventional means myself."
"Sir, I'm telling you right now," Susan said. "I'm not reporting her or the family."
"Relax, Susan," Sheridan said. "I'm not asking you to. I've never liked the way the Psi-Corps works. Look through history and you'll see separation of populations has never worked. But behind the assassination...?"
"My biases aside, sir," Susan said. "The news made a big stink about the Psi-Corps' recent active involvement in politics. And we know something is wrong."
Sheridan nodded, not mentioning that part of what he was here to do was to investigate the staff and provide an avenue of safe harbor for the elements of the military that suspected...differing loyalties within the government.
"We can't risk the possibility that they're compromised," Sheridan said. "Leave the report as is. How's the Drazi thing going?"
"Well, it's over for us, sir," Susan said.
"Good work, how'd you manage it?" Sheridan asked.
"We dyed all the green sashes purple," Ivanova noted.
"That's all it took, huh?" Sheridan asked. "All right. Now, I think we should celebrate Mr. Garibaldi's return to service. Invite the rest of the command staff."
Susan recognized a call for an informal, off-the-books meeting when she heard it. Sheridan had used that method before occasionally in Mars and a couple of other places.
Ivanova knew very much that Sheridan's paper trail and official record made him look like a hard case blunt force soldier. But that was because of these informal staff meetings keeping the bulk of his method off the record.
Sheridan wasn't a strange to intrigue, even if he acted naive and overly idealistic.
"I understand, sir," Susan said with a smile. "Have a place in mind?"
"Normally, one of the places around here," Sheridan said. "But for something this private...maybe my quarters would be better."
"Understood, Captain, now, should I hobble my way out?" Susan asked.
"Get to it," Sheridan said. "I'm going to pay a visit to medlab."
"Careful there, Captain," she said.
"Well, she has an aggravated concussion," Dr. Franklin said cautiously, aware of the security guards. "A wrenched soldier and appears somewhat dehydrated for some reason. You need to drink more water, especially with your body temperature."
"Yeah, I try to," Shanti said.
There were also some signs of use of the neurons similar to a telepath pushing themselves but in a slightly different pattern.
"She'll be fine in a day or two," Franklin said. "Nothing to worry about. I'm going to suggest you wait at least that long before doing anything strenuous. Just in case there's something that doesn't show up until then. No good being on a ship in the middle of nowhere needing a doctor you can't get to."
Rally nodded. It wasn't the most subtle way to warn her against leaving soon, and the message was easy to understand.
"All right, Doctor," she said, looking to Shanti. "Two days of resting, Shanti. That means staying home."
"Aww," Shanti whined. "That means no video games."
"I think we'll all be staying in," Rally said, by way of compensation. "Business can hold for a little bit."
Vivian nodded at that and fiddled a bit.
"Do you mind if I intrude a bit here?" a new voice asked.
The Vincents and Dr Franklin turned about to see Sheridan sticking his head into the room, smiling broadly.
"If you want, Captain Sheridan," Rally said narrowing her eyes at him.
Sheridan looked toward the guards on the door then.
"I think you two can head back to security," Sheridan said. "The suspect is in custody and I don't think he has any accomplices set to kill our witnesses."
"All right, sir," the men said as they were dismissed.
Sheridan turned back toward Rally.
"Commander Ivanova told me about that bit of...detective work you did in tracking down this dirty cop of ours," the captain said with a smile and clear emphasis. "I have to say thank you, though I don't think I can do much more than that right now."
"I had some of my own motivations," Rally said. "But hey, it might bring me some business."
"Well, about that," Sheridan said in embarrassment. "Your name isn't going in the official report. It would look bad, you see, if the home office thought we had to depend on a civilian over here for information."
"Wait," Shanti said excitedly. "Does that mean we don't have to leave?"
"Shanti!" Vivian snapped in a hushed tone as Rally held out her hand.
"Leave?" Sheridan said with a laugh. "I certainly hope not. I don't get to meet interesting people too often."
"Sometimes people don't like having others interested in them," Rally noted.
"Oh don't worry about me getting in your business," Sheridan said. "I'm not looking to start whole new corps or anything."
Rally looked toward the Doctor whose mouth was hanging open and then back toward Sheridan, crossing her arms.
Subtle was not the nature of hints dropped by these people it seemed. Pretty fine with her.
"I told you he was a good person," Vivian said quietly.
"Thank you for that, Captain," Rally said calmly, dropping her arms down to her side.
"Thank me for what?" Sheridan asked with a smile as he started to turn to leave before turning back. "Oh, by the way, we're going to be having a celebration of sorts over Mr. Garibaldi's return to duty. It'll be at my quarters, time to be determined, talk to Commander Ivanova for the details."
"Another party?" Shanti asked hopefully.
"This one sounds like it'll be a bit boring," Rally said. "Like the parties we have when I have old friends over."
Vivian and Shanti nodded then.
"Oh," Vivian said. "I got it."
"Will we see you then?" Sheridan asked.
"I haven't decided yet," Rally said. "I'll let you know."
"Right," the Captain said with a smile as he left.
It was later, by a day or more, coming home from the day's work that Sheridan walked into his quarters to get ready for the party that would be coming.
He walked into his quarters and stretched, running his mind through things.
"Lights," he said idly.
The lights flashed on in the room and he caught, out of the corner of his eyes, Rally Vincent sitting in a corner of his room.
"Well, I guess I can expect you tonight," he said harshly after a moment of surprise.
"One thing you are going to understand now," Rally said. "My girls are minors and they are nobody's weapon."
"I can respect that," Sheridan said. "If you can respect me enough not to pull this again. I've seen your record, I don't need proof over it."
"If it was just me, yeah not worth insulting you," Rally said. "I owe my girls at least one demonstration."
"Good," Sheridan said. "Now all I have to hope is I don't get a reputation for having a woman let herself into my quarters."
"Don't worry about it," Rally noted. "You're very much not my type."
"Oh?" Sheridan said, mildly curious. "What type is that?"
"Two X chromosomes for one," Rally noted. "They made some vague notes in my discharge papers on that."
"Right, forgot about that," Sheridan said, flushing nervously. "Well, I suppose we should wait for the others then."
"What's for dinner?" Rally asked casually...
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(Posted Sat, 25 Dec 2010 03:01)
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