Episode 5: The Teep

Z minus 3 months 29 days

"Fire!" Davidson ordered.

The Grey Star fired at the last of the attacking ships. The craft tore apart and finally exploded.

Davidson could not understand the motives of this race. Three times the Grey Star had encountered one of these ships. Each time, the alien race had responded to all attempts at peaceful communication by attacking.

This time the alien ships had attacked not only the Grey Star but another vessel in the area. Only one life sign remained on that vessel and it was weak. Perhaps whoever or whatever was still alive could give him some answers, some understanding.

"Have a rescue party assembled," Davidson said to Brenn, "we're going over there to have a look. Lin, come with me. Brenn, you have the com. "

"Yes sir," Brenn responded taking his place in the command chair.

A flyer exited the Grey Star's hanger bay and made its way to the alien vessel. Slowly and carefully, the flyer approached until it lightly touched the damaged spacecraft. From the lower part of the flyer, a breaching connector descended and magnetically attached itself to the alien vessel's hull. Charges burned away at the hull until a doorway opened between the two craft.

"Proceed," Davidson ordered the trooper in charge.

Rangers from the flyer poured through the opening and spread throughout the alien craft. Davidson and Lin boarded with them, beginning their own search of the vessel.

Lin was the first to find signs of life. "Captain, I'm picking up life signs down this corridor."

As Davidson led his team in the direction Lin indicated, he noted that the ship was in terrible shape and beyond repair. Lights flickered as they reached a room near the end of the corridor.

Dead aliens lay scattered about the room as if they had been tossed there by the battle. An orange liquid pooled beside and beneath the bodies and was smeared across consoles and walls. Undoubtedly, the aliens' blood thought Davidson.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement and rushed towards it. Lin stood over what appeared to be a comatose alien.

"How is he?" Davidson asked.

"Not good, sir, lost a large amount of blood..." Lin's voice trailed off.

"What's wrong?"

"Captain, his blood is white. He's not the same species as all the other beings on this ship."

Davidson took a good look at the comatose alien. It had very leathery skin and fangs that overlapped the lower lip. The creature wore a headpiece that extended across the front of the head from one temple to the other.

Davidson looked around. The other bodies had ridges that went up the forehead and over the top of the skull until they reached the spine. Hair parted from either side of the ridges. These aliens were unquestionably a different species from the creature at Lin's feet.

"Take him up to the Grey Star, " commanded Davidson. "See what the doctor can do."

"Captain, I think we should leave him," Lin said hesitantly.

"Leave him? He's the only source of information we have come across in this section of space and you think we should leave him?"

"Call it a gut feeling, sir, but I think he should not be brought aboard the Grey Star."

"Your suggestion is noted. Now you two," Davidson pointed out two Rangers, "take him to the flyer. When we reach the Grey Star, you accompany him to medical and keep guard. Understood?"

The two Anla'shok nodded. Davidson watched them carry the alien off. The search had yielded little of use. The battle had destroyed the vessel's computer. If he was to get any useful information, it was going to have to come from his unconscious guest.

Scott walked to Lin's quarters and chimed the bell. "Come in," she called out. The door opened and Scott walked into the room.

"Oh, it's you," Lin acknowledged. She was not very pleased to see him.

"Hey, why do you have to be so negative around me?"

"Because you won't leave me alone! You haven't since the incident."

"Look, you kissed me okay? I didn't ask for it, " he said defensively.

"We were alone, on a dead White Star. I thought I was going to die. I just wanted a kiss before the darkness came." She glared at him. "A kiss from anyone. Ok? You just happened to be there. Now, why did you come here?"

Scott took a deep breath before speaking. "You looked freaked when you came back from that ship. I was wondering what happened, that's all."

"Freaked, I did not look freaked, " she shouted. Then, in a softer voice adding, "I'm fine."

"Why did you tell the Captain that he should leave the alien on that ship."

Lin looked at Scott, her eyes deadly serious. She started to say something then abruptly stopped. Looking away from him, her gaze darted around as if she were listening to a conversation in the next room.

She looked back up at Scott her expression changing to one of astonishment and horror. "Oh no."

The doctor examined the alien's injuries. The creature seemed very responsive to treatment. It was only a matter of time before the being awoke.

Attempting an examination of the alien's chest plate, she turned away and picked up a new instrument from the tray behind her. She turned back to find the alien siting straight up and looking directly into her eyes.

The being exhibited no emotion when it spoke. "Call your captain. Bring him to me." The doctor obeyed without thought, oblivious to the fact that the alien had not spoken aloud. It had spoken in her mind.

When Davidson reached Med Lab, the alien was wearing his headpiece and standing in the middle of the room. The doctor was to the alien's left with the two guards flanking them. Emotionlessly, they watched the captain enter.

Before Davidson could speak, the alien began. "Hello Captain Davidson." Davidson noted that the alien did not speak with his lips, instead he spoke with his mind.

"Yes, I am a telepath and you are very distrusting of us. No matter, my name is Bal'en and we have much to discuss."

"We do?"

"Yes we have much to discuss," Bal'en remarked again.

"Much to discuss..." Davidson said.

Scott stood in Lin's quarters. Briefly, a sense of rapture enveloped him and he could see Lin's nude body against his as they embraced. Then, the image vanished to be replaced by the reality of a somber, fully clothed, Lin.

"Scott, are you okay?" She asked.

"Uhhh... I think so. What was that?"

"I'm not sure. It was some sort of mind probe."

"That wasn't like any mind probe I've ever had," he said, then added under his breath, "although I wouldn't mind having it again."

"Scott, listen to me. The alien has taken over the ship!"

"What? Don't be ridiculous! There's one of him and 340 of us!"

"Scott, there's actually 339 of them and 2 of us! He's taken over their minds telepathically. He's induced an image paradise for the whole crew making them susceptible to mind control." Lin paused a moment in thought. "That head gear he wears must be how he does it."

Scott, realizing the implications of what Lin was saying, confronted her. "Lin, how do you know all this?"

She looked up at him. No use trying to talk your way around it, she thought. "Because I am.... a telepath"

"A telepath! You're a telepath and you didn't tell me? Not even before?"

"Scott, you know they needed telepaths during the Shadow War. I was one of them. The captain of White Star 29 thought it was best if I didn't tell anyone. For other reasons."

"Other reasons? What other reasons?"

"Just drop it ok? The teep knows that we're immune from him, but he's got an army of expendable crew. We have to hide. Now!"

Bal'en sat in the captain's chair on the bridge as Brenn approached him.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Brenn. I would like to ask you to hunt down and eliminate those two called Scott and Lin. It seems that one is immune to my persuasion and is shielding the other as well. No matter. Since they are masking themselves from me, you will have to do a thorough search."

Bal'en looked into Brenn's unresponsive eyes.

"And seeing where your history comes from, you should know the Grey Star quite thoroughly. It is a shame that your crew does not know of your past activities. It would make for an intrusting situation." Bal'en paused before adding, "You may begin your search."

Brenn nodded and left the bridge. Bal'en could not believe his luck. He had found one of the most powerful ships in the region.

He looked around the bridge possessively. Yes, this ship would protect him quite well from the Evaar. Knowing they would lose, they never came at him in their most powerful ships. Even so, their weaker ships could get close enough to do considerable harm.

Bal'en settled himself more comfortably in the captain's chair. With this ship, he was much harder to catch and bring back. He would never serve as his people had always done. He was the last of his kind and he would not let himself be caught. No, he would rather die than be forced to serve.

Scott and Lin made their way out of the access ducts.

"I told you it was a dead end" Scott whispered.

"How was I to know?" she replied following him down the corridor.

While finding their way through the ducts, they had come up with a plan. They reached the engine room door and stopped.

"Are you ready?" Lin asked.

"I'm never ready. But I'll pull through. Okay, lets do it!"

Activating their Minbari Fighting Pikes, Lin and Scott stormed into the Engine room and started attacking every engineer there.

Scott found himself fighting Sonnier and when Sonnier fell to the floor, Scott apologized. Lin slammed her pike against two Rangers, hit one behind her in the gut, then spun the pike in her hands and hit a fourth in the head.

"Alright Lin, hurry it up," Scott urged.

The plan called for Lin to take the engines off line and encrypt the entire engine system to one code. A code only she would know. She worked at the console, quickly accomplishing her task.

"Done!" she declared. "Lets go!"

Brenn grasped at his head in agony collapsed on the floor of the bridge.

"Useless!" Bal'en spoke as he inflicted Brenn with mental pain. "You are utterly useless! You could not find them and now they have left us drifting! I should kill you where you are."

Brenn grunted but he did not let himself scream. Davidson, undisturbed by this display, walked up and spoke to Bal'en.

"Sir. I believe I know where they have gone."

Bal'en looked at Davidson and released his grip on Brenn.

"Tell me."

"It is the one place that is off limits to the crew. Cargo bay 3."

"Yes, excellent my child." Bal'en rose and stood next to Davidson.

"Accompany me to this cargo bay," he ordered.

"Wouldn't you like to bring an armed escort?" asked Davidson.

"Oh, that is unnecessary. I can deal with them quite easily."

"As you wish."

Scott and Lin lowered themselves out of the ducts and into cargo bay 3. The dark room had not received any outside energy for more than 2 months. The air was quite stale.

"Lin, didn't you say that those pillars needed an energy source?" Scott asked.

"Yes, why..." Lin looked at the pillars. They were glowing. A pale blue light emanated from the stones. It expanded and contracted as if the light was alive and breathing. Then, it faded away.

"Hello, Lin," a voice called out from the other side of the room. It was Bal'en. Speaking out loud, he continued, "You have been very busy haven't you child?"

"Yes we have. Scott and I," Lin responded.

"That changes now," Bal'en said walking toward Lin. In turn, she walked a few steps forward. Scott, hanging back behind her, took out his PPG and aimed. He paused as if waiting for something. Lin looked back at him.

"Shoot!" she yelled. He did not move.

Bal'en chuckled.

"He is under my control now. Your telepathic abilities are much stronger than mine. Normally. But my skills have been amplified. As soon as I made direct contact with Scott, he was no longer a threat."

Scott was in his dream, seeing Lin lying naked on top of him as they made love. In his dream, she spoke (Scott...)

"Scott, shoot her," Bal'en commanded

(i love you) he heard Lin tell him.

Scott flinched. Bal'en's face was no longer kind. It became stern.

"Shoot her, now!"

(i love you)

"SHOOT HER!"

(i love you)

"I love you too," Scott whispered. With his hand raised, he aimed his gun and fired.

Bal'en went crashing to the floor as Davidson and Scott held their heads in pain. Then the pain was gone.

Davidson looked around him. Bal'en lay on the floor bleeding from his chest. The captain crouched down beside the wounded alien. The wound appeared fatal. Bal'en had reached his end.

Bal'en tried to speak. "You... humans had your chance. And you... you failed. I was the last of my kind and now do not worry about the future. I am... relieved."

As Bal'en's voice softened, Davidson bent lower to hear the dying alien's words. "But you... your journey has just begun and now...you must pay the price for your ignorance. The darkness will hunt you down and make you pay. The darkness that was after me will destroy you William."

"Who?" Davidson asked. "The attacking black ships. Who will make us pay?"

"The Evaar. You have not yet tasted their... their might. It was the outsiders fau... fault, your re... sponsibil... ity. You w... ill bear the... the burden. You will pay with your... your life William."

Bal'en drifted off into the darkness, his voice a barely audible whisper. "Mark my words, you will pay with your life in the end..."

Bal'en died.

Davidson got up and went to Scott and Lin. "How did you two keep him out of your minds?"

"Lin is a telepath," said Scott.

Davidson felt every muscle in his body tighten. "A telepath?"

"I'm a P12," Lin explained. "My mother was one of the Emperor's telepaths. I wanted to keep it quiet so that the Centaurem wouldn't come looking for me."

Lin shrugged her shoulders and continued. "Being the Emperor's telepath is like being a mindless slave. It has a heritage. My family has served the Centauri in this capacity for 450 years. It was quite a scandal when I disappeared."

Davidson barely heard her words. He hated telepaths. He was even glad it was Scott, not Lin, who had been the one to end the confrontation with Bal'en.

I cannot trust Lin, he told himself. He would never see her in the same light again. She was now one of those who had destroyed his past.

They were all alike, he thought as he coldly looked at her, all alike. Abruptly dismissing Scott and Lin, Davidson made his way to the bridge. There was now a heavy workload waiting for him.

The bell to Scott's quarters chimed. "Come on in," he said. When the door opened, Lin entered. "Well, what are you doing in my neck of the woods?"

"I just came to see how you were doing."

"You, worried about me? This is new."

Lin ignored the comment and got straight to the point, "How did you stand up against Bal'en's mind probe?"

"You already know how."

"I don't understand?"

"Come on Lin!" Scott was more serious than Lin had ever seen him. "You know the truth! You know why I couldn't pull that trigger!"

"No, I... I..."

"Lin," Scott looked away from her. "Leave. Now."

She started to speak.

"GO!" he screamed.

Lin turned and ran out of his quarters. She did what she always did when it came to Scott, turned and ran as far away as she could.