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A Rip in Time
A TNG/B5 crossover story
Chapter One
Guinan sat on the window seat of her quarters, the darkness of space punctuated by the reflected light of Betazed around which they were now orbiting. As peaceful as it seemed, Guinan still had the distinct feeling something was amiss, a premonition of sorts that something odd was about to occur.
The Dominion War was finally turning in their favour. The Federation had just retaken Betazed from Dominion occupation. Most of the Dominion and Car dassians, which had not been able to escape, had been rounded up. There were still daily reports of the occasional fire-fight rooting out the last holdouts.
As was her habit, she had candles lit with soft soothing music in the background. She had tried to retreat to the familiar meditative state to calm her over wrought senses but she could not shake the feeling that something terribly bad was about to happen. Her normally accurate ability to see that which could be was out of kilter.
Suddenly she moved, tapping the communicator. *Guinan to Captain Picard.*
Picard sat idly at his ready room desk, idly wondering why they had not been reassigned to an active war zone rather than baby-sitting a now largely passivated planet. Considering the fleet losses it did not make sense.
"Guinan?" He sat up straight and touched his combadge. "Captain Picard here."
Guinan would not contact him at this late hour and when she did there was surly trouble brewing.
*Is everything OK up there?*
"Yes, Why?"
*Oh, I don't know. There's something that doesn't feel quite right.*
"Guinan! I know full well what your feelings mean."
*Maybe it's just me, tonight*
"If you figure out, you'll tell me?"
*Okay, Captain.*
"Now try to get some sleep"
*Sorry to have bothered you. Guinan out.*
Picard made a mental note to visit Guinan in the morning for he had learned not to dismiss her intuitions lightly.
Suddenly, the ship rocked violently. The jolt was so intense that the inertial dampers were late to kick in pitching Worf against the tactical console on the bridge.
Grabbing the edges of the console he rapidly cycled through the tactical sensors. There were no ships in the vicinity, so they had not been fired upon. There were no damage report tell-tales so no meteor strikes.
Nothing until Worf punched the shipwide general quarters alarm and then his comm badge "Captain! Sensors are detecting a massive energy disturbance off our port bow!"
The tone in his voice as strident as the ships alarms. There was a brief pause of relative calm and then the Enterprise rocked violently throwing Picard to the deck as he staggered onto the bridge.
The planet below seemed to be shaking.
Picking himself up, Picard stared at the main view screen, "Is it just me or is Betazed also being affected?"
The ensign the helm station called out "We're being pulled in by some sort of energy anomaly."
"Compensate." Picard ordered.
"Captain." Data addressed him from the tactical console. "We're being hailed from Betazed. They are experiencing intense atmospheric and geologic disturbances."
"Picard to LaForge."
*LaForge here.*
"Run a deep sweep on Betazed?" There was a pause.
*I'm reading tidal waves, clustered tornado activity, and hurricane formation. You name it.* Geordi replied. *It's like, whatever's sucking us in, is also big enough to directly affect Betazed.*
Picard squinted at the view, "What the devil is going on? Geordi, see what you can do to stabilise some of the worse effects."
*Aye, Sir.* Geordi replied. *But I don't know how to manage that and keep us together all at once. There's just too much going on down there, and just as much up here. As it is, I'm trying to hold the ship together too.*
"Do what you can. Picard out."
Beverly Crusher had raced from her quarters to her general quarters station in Sickbay. She had just gotten to her chair when the inertial dampers hiccuped as the Enterprise continued to shaken harder and harder almost as if she were in the jaws of a mad dog.
The ship's damage situation monitors where lighting up alerting her to probable casualties a hull breech on decks two through five. A plasma conduit failure in engineering space 3.
The casualty reports were beginning to flood in as the crews body sensors began to automatically report. Broken bones. Cuts. Two limb crushing. One sucked out into space before the force field patches kicked into action.
"Crusher to Bridge."
*Bridge here.* Riker replied. *Status?*
"I'm going to get a lot of hurt people soon."
*Manageable?*
"I believe so, if we can this shaking to stop."
*Anything else?*
"I'm also getting reports from all over the ship about headaches, severe disorientation, nausea."
*Understood.* Riker replied.
Deanna slipped into her chair beside Picard. "Sir, I'm sensing extreme fear from below." Deanna said with a not unusual concern in her voice.
"Noted, Counsellor." Picard replied as the ship began to shake even harder than before. "Ensign, have you any readings on what the anomaly is yet?"
"No, Sir." The ensign replied. "I've been too busy just trying to compensate for it trying to drag us out of orbit. It's very powerful." The ensign's hands were moving rapidly over the helm controls. "It's no use, Sir, we're being pulled into it." He paused and shook his head.
"My sensors concur, Sir." Worf said as the ship rocked ferociously.
"Thrusters. Full reverse!" Picard ordered.
There was a brief pause as the ship begun a rapid shudder, even as the shaking increased.
Data spoke. "Reverse has no effect, Sir. Except that if we keep trying, the ship's integrity structure will fail in approximately four minutes after which the Enterprise will be torn apart."
"Full stop!" Picard barked. The shuddering was replaced by the shaking.
"Any sensor data on what's pulling us in?" Riker asked.
"I'm still not sure, Sir. The readings are not making much sense" Came Worf's reply.
From Picard's other side, Riker hit is combadge as the ship shook again. "Riker to LaForge."
*LaForge here.*
"Have you any readings on what this is?"
*No, Sir.* Repied Goerdi. *It has some characteristics of an unstable wormhole and of a temporal rift, but its nothing like either of them.*
Suddenly the Enterprise wrenched as if someone wanted to turn them inside out. There was an open line to Engineering as Geordi began barking out as stream of orders.
"LaForge, what's happening down there?"
*In a minute, Commander.* The pandemonium in engineering continued. *We're trying to stabilise the ship and prevent more hull breeches.* Geordi replied. *We need to evacuate decks fifteen through twenty immediately!*
Another massive explosion rocked the Enterprise as she was spun farther into maw of the growing anomaly. Betazed was also going with the ship into the anomaly.
Picard was confused on how something could be so strong as to pull a planet with it. "What is it that is swallowing everything in the area?" He thought. "Number One, you have the Bridge."
"Sir!" Riker responded accepting command.
"I'm going to see if I can get some answers." Picard said as he started for the turbolift, but before he could step onto the turbolift the ship jolted again. Picard toppled backwards and fell to the deck. The shaking of the ship became stronger tossing everyone about like rag dolls.
The ensign's console shot sparks as he was thrown from his chair to the floor, unconscious. As the ship recoiled, Data flew in the opposite direction hitt ing his head on the seat support of the now vacant helm chair, and went into protective shut down.
Worf was pitched over his console, landing on top of Riker knocking them both onto deck. Worf rolled off of him aided by another lurch.
Deanna had grabbed onto the arms of her command chair but she too was pitched onto the floor with everyone else.
In Sickbay, all the medical carts had emptied their contents onto the floor, scattering instruments and supplies everywhere. There was no one left standing and even patients that had made it to the Sickbay had been unceremoniously dumped from their biobeds.
Then it stopped. It did not ease off. It just simply stopped. The ships internal structures groaned as the structural integrity fields strained, returning the ship to its proper shape.
Beverly snapped orders as her yeomen and nurses battle training kicked in. They triaged the currently sick and injured who were already there, while getting ready to accept new patients as the casualty reports rolled in from all over the ship.
Back on the Bridge, everyone, but the unconscious ensign and Commander Data was moving, trying to right themselves. Picard, the first to get standing, again looked at the main view screen. Nothing seemed to have changed. Betazed, was just where it should be and the Enterprise seemed to be in a stable orbit around her.
Data's self-protection programming wake up sequence kicked in and he too began to come around. Once aware of himself, he ran a quick diagnostic, and finding no significant problems, sat up and observed that the console beside him was still smoking.
Rising to his feet he took his position at the tactical console and began running external analysis.
"Mr. Data." Picard addressed. "What is our location?"
Data touched a few more buttons on his console. "Sir." Data sounded puzzled. "Sensors indecate that we are still in the same location as we were ten minutes and forty-nine seconds ago."
Picard looked at the view screen stunned. "How can that be, Mr. Data. We were obviously being rather violently moved by the anomaly as it seemed to suck us though." He said very confused. "We all felt it. Data, Please recheck those readings, they can't be right. Number One. I want a level two diagnostic down on all systems. I want answers and I want them now! Mr. Worf, I want anything on the sensor records about what ever we were pulled through." As Picard headed toward the turbo lift he called out, "Number One you have the Bridge."
"Aye Sir!"
The turbo lift doors closed behind him. "Deck ten."
The mist of the fire suppression system within her quarters, annoyed Guinan as much as the mostly broken candles, which were now strewn across the floor of her cabin, and the music had stopped.
"So, much for candles." Guinan said, somewhat disgruntled. "There something to be said for meditation without candles."
Then she looked out her window again and the earlier disquieted feeling returned, rolling over her in a way that almost brought on nausea.
A pitiful meow broke the feeling. Guinan looked down. "Spot, what are you doing in here? You should be in Data's quarters." It was then she noted that the door way to the hall was in the full open position. "I see. Well, never mind. Just stay out of the glass."
Spot rubbed her orange body against Guinan's legs. "Enough." She commanded as she picked up Data's furry friend and turning back to the window again, filled with the image of Betazed. "Spot, whether anyone knows it or not yet, we're not in Kansas anymore."
Spot meowed back in reply.
"Right! Now, what am I going to do with you while I clean up?"
Spot gives another meow as a knock on the frame of the open door alerted her. "Guinan?"
She did not turn from the window. "Come in, Captain."
"I'm glad you and um..." He paused. "Spot, are doing well."
"She wandered in looking for someone after everything stopped shaking. I was trying to figure out what to do with her before I started cleaning up this mess." Guinan stated rather absently. "I'm afraid to see what Ten-Forward looks like."
" Guinan?" Picard began. "Do you know what just happened? Are we really still where we were before all of this happened?"
Guinan became eerily serious. "Well, Yes and no."
"Guinan, that's not an answer."
"Actually it is. You see we are in the same place as we were, but it is not the same place."
"Guinan, I don't want riddles. I don't have time for them right now." Picard snapped in frustration. "I need answers."
"Captain, I can't give you a better answer." Guinan said calmly. "Only."
"Only what!"
"Nothing. Just a feeling of were we might be, but even then I'm not sure."
"Okay then, give me your feeling." Picard said with resignation.
"I feel that we are in a place that once had ones who were dark and dangerous." Guinan said. "Then they were called Shadows. Not quite as bad as the Borg, but almost."
"You say once had. What do you mean?" Picard asked Guinan.
"A different time. The same place but different time." Guinan replied in her enigmatic way. "That's what I'm feeling."
Picard frowned. "These Shadows. You have seen them?"
"I've been around long enough to see many things." She replied mysteriously.
Picard continued to frown, but did not pursue that line questioning, knowing that Guinan would give up such information reluctantly.
"Geordi has only guesses on how we got here, but no answers. Do you, by chance, know how we got here, wherever here is?
"In a time, long ago there was a reality in which there were jumpgates in this sector." Guinan stated as her countenance drifted into an almost trance like state. "You could call them manmade wormholes which opened passages or rifts into another space. The ones the Shadows used were rifts in the fabric of time and space. The jumpgates, which all others used, were more like stable wormholes which allowed ships of all kinds to transit through the other space in null time. One of the Shadows' ancient rifts may have opened from the other side and we were the unlucky ones who got sucked into it. Not all of them were stable and not all were destroyed."
"Rifts in time?" Picard asked.
"Yes, The shadows could move through time, as well as space, though moving through time drained them of energy. I think that we are in one of those pasts" Guinan stated.
"Would these rifts be strong enough to pull a planet in along with us?"
"That I can't answer." Guinan replied.
Picard paused and then put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Guinan." Picard said. "Maybe this rift perception of yours will give Geordi a starting point to find out just what happened."
"Captain?"
"Yes?"
"A further word of warning." Guinan began. "There are good people out there, but there are also just as many or even more bad guys. Be careful."
Picard nodded. "Understood. Thank you." Picard replied and then turned and left.
"Anytime." She replied to an otherwise empty room.
Spot squirmed in her arms wanting down.
"Now, my furry friend. It's time to figure out what to do with you."
Picard was alone in the turbolift, returning to the bridge, wondering if Guinan's puzzle answers meant what they seemed to be implying. He had to believe her because, while devious on occasion, he had never found her wrong.
Picard's combadge chirped. "Picard here."
*Captain, Lwaxana Troi is hailing us from Betazed. She wants answers to give to her people on what happened. She also wants to beam up. What shall I tell her?*
Picard was not happy having few real answers to hand out to anyone, much less the Betazed's Ambassador. Picard sighed. "Beam her aboard. Picard out."
As Picard exited the turbolift back onto the bridge he called out his order. "Number One, would you and the Counsellor care to go down to greet our newest guest? Deanna, it seems your mother is coming up for a visit."
"We'd be happy to, Sir." said Deanna and then mouthed "Don't you dare." to Will.
Will gave her a mock grimace which he could not hold and broke out into a wide grin.
Chapter Two
Lwaxana materialized on the Transporter padd her back to the assembled reception committee. "Oh!" She exclaimed, clutching her hand to her heart. "I'll never get use to this!" Gathering her wits she turned about. "There you are, Little One -- Will, are you two al right?"
"Just a few bumps and bruises, but we're fine, Mother." Deanna replied.
"Oh, good. You two need to be careful. I want grandchildren before I die and I certainly don't want you two going before I do."
Will grinned from ear to ear trying to hold back a laugh. He kissed Lwaxana on the cheek and said, "Welcome aboard, my dear mother-in-law."
"And it's about time too!" She scolded. "You know how long I've wait for you two to get married? Far too long! Now, where's that handsome Captain?"
"He's on the Bridge, Mother." Deanna replied, not too happy with her mother's behavior thus far.
"Well, you don't have to be unhappy about it." Lwaxana said. "I'm sure he must have some answers for us. Take me to him now."
Deanna frowned. Will jumped in to spare her. "We'll be happy to take you to him, Lwaxana. Right this way," he said, gesturing to the doors.
On the bridge Picard stood aside and watched as, yellow clad damage control crews were scurrying to make repairs to the ship as quickly as possible. Where the hull had given way, force field patches sealed the breeches. The transporter doors opened allowing another yellow suit floated a replacement helm console in to replace the damaged one which had been pulled out and now lay up against the bulk head below the main view screen.
The injured ensign was moved to Sickbay. The less serious injuries were being put off until all the more serious cases were taken care of. Fortunately, nothing was so badly broken that a few days of field repairs wouldn't put it mostly to rights. The physical damage to the crew would take somewhat longer. The thing that annoyed him the most was that he had no more information on how they got here than he had before.
"Captain." Worf's voice interrupted his thoughts. "We are being hailed."
"On screen."
An odd fighter like ship was moving toward them. A disembodied voice boomed out. *Unidentified ship. Please state your affiliation, species and origin*
"This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise."
"Your ship's design is not one that I recognize." The unidentified man stated.
Picard was becoming annoyed. "That may be but just who are you and what authority do you claim to challenge our being here?"
There was a pause.
"My apologies, Captain Picard. I am Commander Garibaldi from Babylon Five. I must however repeat my request for proper identification. Please state where your species and point of origin."
"Species… I assume that you mean Human? Point of origin. Earth." Picard asked off handedly.
Suddenly the view link synchronized and the face of a helmeted pilot stared back at them. "Of course." He replied and then paused. "Well most of you appear to be Human, but your ship is not of Earth origin."
Picard was not sure what to say. He too did not recognized the approaching fighter as being any one in his knowledge of Earth's past, but then again, then there was Guinan’s alternative the timelines to consider.
"We are representatives of the United Federation of Planets." Picard finally answered.
"That group is unknown to us." Garabaldi replied.
"A yes, well that seems to be the central problem then." Picard stammered. "Um… What year is this?"
"You don't know?"
"It's hard to explain. Please tell me what year this and perhaps I can answer your questions better." Picard replied.
It was at this moment that Lwaxana, Deanna and Will stepped onto the Bridge. Lwaxana was a still bit flustered by all that had happened and was asking the unknown pilot on the view screen the year.
"Year?" She asked excitedly. "Jean-Luc, what are you talking about?"
Jean-Luc waved her off. Will and Deanna tried to keep her calm. "The year is 2261."
A hundred and twenty-one years into the past. Picard and everyone else was stunned. ‘Kirk would have been twenty-four years old.’ Picard thought. ‘Seven years before he had his own command. Could it be possible that this really was an alternate universe?’
"Um, have you heard of a James T. Kirk?" Picard asked out of curiosity.
"No, not that I recall." Replied Garabaldi. "Please state your business here?" he said tersely.
"Ah, we are… were on what we hoped would be a peaceful mission." Picard stated.
"How is that possible… we are at war?"
"Well, it's hard to explain." Picard answered. "I would like to speak with your commanding officer."
"You talk to me first. I'm in charge of security." Garabaldi stated.
"Yes, well." Picard was seeing there was no way out of this. "It appears that we have been somehow thrown back in time as has been the planet below. Some of us are from Earth, but other of us are not."
The comment about time did not seem to bother this Gerabaldi which peeked Picard’s interest. "That is normal." Garabaldi stated. "We have many species on Babylon five."
"I really would like to speak with someone in charge and get some decent answers as to where, what and when this place is. Also I want to know all that is known about whatever that was that brought us here."
"Sir." Worf interrupted.
“What is it, Commander?” the annoyance in his voice carried a growl.
"A Brianna Curtz from Betazed is hailing us."
‘Lwaxana'a niece.’ Picard thought. ‘Wonderful.’ “What does she want that I have to approve?”
“She want’s to speak to you.”
“Mr. Gerabaldi, I'll attend to this.”
“Go ahead. I'm not going anywhere until I get some decent answers.”
Picard frowned as he turned his head to Worf. “Put her through.”
There was a brief pause then the computer beeped that the connection was established. “Picard here.”
"Thank you, Sir… my aunt, is she there with you?"
Deanna could sense her cousin's anxiety and concern.
"I'm here, Dear." Lwaxana replied.
When Picard turned back to the main view screen he found a rather perplexed Garabaldi. “You have children aboard a ship of the line?” he asked.
“It's more complicated than that. I have a representative of the planet below and the call is from a young relative. Mr. Gerabaldi, may I introduce to you Ambassador Lwaxana Troi of Betazed."
"Daughter of the Fifth House." Lwaxana interrupted. "Holder of the.."
"Mother!" Deanna interrupted.
"The other voice you heard was from the planet below." Picard stated.
"Also Human?"
"I beg your pardon!" Lwaxana exclaimed with her nose up in the air. "We are Betazoids!"
‘Someone needs to cut her nose off.’ Deanna thought.
"I heard that, Deanna!" Lwaxana turned to her daughter, scoldingly.
"Will, will you please escort Ambassador Troi to my Ready Room?"
"Yes, Sir." Will took Lwaxana by the arm and tried to escort her off of the bridge.
"Unhand me, William! I want some answers, Jean-Luc!" Lwaxana bellowed.
"Mrs. Troi, please!" Jean-Luc scolded now. "I will get to you in a minute. For now, please go to my Ready Room."
"No! I most certainly will not!" Lwaxana jerked her arm out of Will's grasp. "I have every right to be here and to hear what this young man has to say even if I know most of it already. Jean-Luc, he's just as much in the dark about us as he is to us and just about as curious as we are about how we got here."
Garabaldi expression turned to one of shock. He sat staring and thinking about the possibility that there was another telepathic race.
"Hey. I’m still here. Can I come up?" Brianna’s voice asked.
“Me too.” Said another smaller voice.
Jean-Luc recognized the child’s voice and sighed. "Worf, beam them both up. Picard out."
Garabaldi was still pondering Lwaxana's uncanny responses when she replied.
"Now he's wondering if I'm telepathic.” Laxwana turned to face the man on the screen. “Mr. Garabaldi, who or what is Psycore?"
Garabaldi shock was complete. "Um, Captain, we can no longer talk on an open frequency. We must continue this discussion in private where transmissions can not be picked up."
The fear and menace in his voice was visceral which Picard picked up on instantly. "I see. What do you suggest?” "Is your ship stable enough to make it to B5?"
“It would be if I knew where this B5 was.”
“I'm going to transmit relative spatial coordinates.”
“Mr. Worf.”
“On it sir.”
“Done.” Said Garabaldi. “Its in a stable Trojan orbit around the fourth planet out in this system. Betazed seems to be now occupying the third orbit in the habitable distance band.”
“Time?"
“About a half standard hour at half impulse”
"Mr. Garabaldi, I do believe that we can." Picard replied.
"I've been on the horn to B5 and there are some people who are real anxious to meet you..." Garabaldi paused. "And the people down on the planet below you.”
“I understand.”
“And it would be a real good thing if you could keep them quiet."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Picard said.
Lwaxana gasped. "We will do no such thing! I refuse to even convey any such request to the people of Betazed."
Picard turned to Lwaxana. "Ambassador?"
"It appears that this Psycore is a very dangerous organization, especially to ones such as us!" Lwaxana replied angrily.
"Ambassador." Garabaldi replied. "That is precisely the reason we need you to keep your people quiet. Please feel free to accompany Captain Picard to B5. I’m sure that Captain Sheridon will be able to figure out something. Hopefully."
Picard was even more curious, now. "Psycore?"
Garabaldi sighed. "They are a well organized institution, that recruits and uses those with telepathic abilities whether those people want to or not."
"He's not telling you everything." Deanna said.
Garabaldi's eyes widened. "I have to admit that they have done horrendous things to telepaths who refuse to join them." Garabaldi explained. "For now, we need to get you all to B5 to discuss this with Sheridon. It's the only way to keep your people safe, Ambassador. Fortunately they appear fully human, but that may not be enough to protect them."
Picard pondered the situation. "Okay, Mr. Garabaldi, we'll go with you to this Babylon five and speak with your captain."
"Also There are several other key Ambassadors on B5 who will want to speak with both of you."
“He speaks with more confidence.” Commented Deana.
"From the future, you say. Well, travel in the stars long enough you see it all."
"How right you are, Commander Garabaldi." Picard replied.
"See you at B5. Garabaldi out."
The small ship pivoted in place as the powerful engines flared with power driving it away from the Enterprise.
"Helm. Prepare to follow that ship." Picard ordered.
“Ready sir.”
"Apparently we are not in our normal time line.”
Will nodded "I agree."
Picard turned to Laxwana. "Now, Ambassador Troi. What are your questions?"
"Is my niece aboard, yet?" Lwaxana asked. "With my son Baron? I don't want this Psycore to be able to get anywhere near him. I'd rather have him close by."
"The young girl and the child are aboard." Worf assured.
"Thank you, Mister Worf." Picard stated. "Ensign?”
“Sir?”
“Engage.” The stars began to move. “Now, Mrs. Troi, if you will be so kind as to join me in my Ready Room. It seems that there is much to tell and little to know as yet."
Chapter Three
As the Enterprise eased into a station keeping orbit at Babylon 5 the size of the station astounded Picard and the rest of the bridge crew. None of them knew what to expect, but it was at least three times larger than any in his own time line. A steady stream of ships, large and small, entered and left the non rotating docking port on this end of the station. The rest of the station was rotating around it obviously generating artificial gravity by centripetal force.
Will whistled. "That's one huge monster."
"Indeed it is, Number One."
"We are receiving docking instructions."
"Decline them, Mr. Worf. We will maintain the Enterprise at station keeping out here. Please get clearance for one of our larger shuttles."
"No beam in, Sir?"
"I would rather that capability not be disclosed, just yet."
"Aye, Sir. Requesting clearance now."
Garabaldi watched from B5's spaceport control tower as the Enterprises shuttle settled onto one of the available landing pads, was secured by the ground crew, and began to move toward him spiraling until it matched the stations rotational speed and was docked within one of the bee hive like embarkation bays.
Touching one of the operators on the shoulder, he noted. "I'm heading down. Hold them at inbound clearing until I get down to meet them."
"Will do, Mr. Garabaldi."
"Well, this is it." Garibaldi waved expansively to the shops area which lined the wide corridors just outside of the disembarkation and clearing area. "Babylon 5."
"It's a lot like DS9," said Laxwana.
"DS9?" questioned Garabaldi.
"A station where we come from."
"Captain, I was instructed to take you to Captain Sheridan as soon as you had arrived."
"When can I meet with the other Ambassadors?" Lwaxana complained.
"Shortly, " commented Garabaldi. "They are as anxious to meet you as you seem to be to meet them. I think you will find that most of them are what would you call, a high breed of character."
"Why thank you, Mr. Garibaldi." Lwaxana stated.
"Now if you'll follow me."
Garabaldi escorted Captain Picard, Lwaxana Troi trailed by Worf into Captain Sheridan's office. Picard noted that while man who sat at the broad desk was definitely military in background he also sported a non regulation beard.
"Welcome aboard, Captain..." he glanced at the computer screen on his desk, "Picard is it." Picard nodded formally. "And you must be Ambassador Troi."
"I am," Laxwana replied.
Picard was so surprised by her simple reply that he quickly turned his head to her. She looked at him with a small smile then made a small motion with her head to look behind him. Picard raised an eyebrow and turned further.
Two shapes, one trailing the other, stepped from the shadows behind them.
"Ah, Delenn." Garibaldi exclaimed. "You're here already."
Sheridan spoke up. "Ambassador, Captain this is Ambassador Delenn of Minbar and her aide, Lennier."
"I am pleased to meet you." commented Laxwana. "I am Laxwana Troi, Ambassador to Betazed, newly arrived in this system."
This brought a small smile and a hands folded nod from Delenn. Her aid quietly bowed his head deeper in formal greeting and said "Welcome to Babylon Five."
"And this is Captain Picard--"
"of the Enterprise" Picard concluded.
"Would you mind showing the Ambassador around the station, Delenn? The captain and I have much to discuss" Sheridan turned to Picard. "That is, if it is acceptable with you, Captain Picard?"
The informality between Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn was not lost on Picard. "That's acceptable to me if it is also acceptable to Ambassador Troi."
"I would be pleased to show Ambassador Troi the station." Delenn said with a smile. "There are some of us who would be pleased to learn more about where you came from."
"Captain, I strongly recommend we stay together." Worf stated emphatically.
"Duly noted." Picard answered. "I'm sure that I'll be in good hands here so you may accompany them as Ambassador Troi's assistant."
"Assistant?" He growled.
"Or body guard or what ever. It appears that persons of the Ambassadors rank normally have accompaniment." Picard implied.
"But you, Sir?" Worf said.
"Oh, I'll be fine." Picard insisted, waving Worf off with his hand. "I think you should be more worried about our Ambassador's safety. Take care of her," he warned.
"I will, Sir." Worf replied with a fierce, warrior like growl.
"Well, shall we go then?" Delenn inquired.
Lwaxana gave Worf a rather annoyed look then turned an said, "Yes, let's." Then thought, 'Before I rip this Klingon's throat out. Really, thinking I can't handle myself! And with another Ambassador, too!'
Garibaldi stayed behind after the four had departed.
"Michael, your report?" asked Sheridan.
Garabaldi reported about going out to investigate the sudden appearance of the new planet in the system and of finding a new, fully habitable planet now orbiting their star within the band of habitable orbital distances orbited by a star ship of unusual design, with both claiming to be part of some sort of earth federation.
"Is that it?" Sheridan said doubtfully.
"Other than those on the planet seem to be telepathic, that's about it."
"Telepathic!" Sheridan looked shocked then rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "That's just what we need now!" he commented sarcastically. Turning to Picard. "Is Michael's story correct, Captain Picard?"
"More or less." Picard replied, "I really would like to explain more about our origin, but the Prime Directive normally prohibits me from doing so until we can more properly access the situation. I will, however, confirm this much. We seem to be from the future, at least based on the dates given. I'm not certain if this past is our past or if our future is your future. Just now, I am beginning to think that it's not. This place and time appears to be Earth's past, but not the past we know so I'm forced to assume that we have been dumped into an alternate time-line universe"
"I can understand your not divulging possible futures." Sheridan stated. "Even so, I need to know how you got here, if only to help you get back."
"Ah, yes." Picard said as he pushed back invisible hair on his head. "Mind you some of this is speculation on my part. While in orbit around Betazed in our own time-line, an energy anomaly appeared which rapidly built to massive proportions sufficient to suck the planet through as well as our ship. If I had to hazard a guess then I would call it some sort of a huge but transient time-space rift."
"I see." Sheridan said.
Picard sensed that Sheridan knew more that he let on as he continued. "Do you know where it came from?"
"I couldn't say but there was nothing in the ships memory that matched the energy/cronotron signatures we detected." Picard replied. "We suspect that it opened from this side but since we have no knowledge of this universe we don't know what you may know about space-time rifts."
Sheridan frowned and paused in thought, then avoided a direct answer. "Well, we'll see about doing what we can to help you get back." Sheridan turned to the window of his office, the Enterprise was distinctly different and larger from the other ships coming and going. "In the meantime, by the way that ship yours appears to be quite powerful.."
The shift of subjects was not lost on Picard. "Yes, she is. Or will be again, once we've made repairs." Picard smiled as came to stand beside Sheridan.
"The Enterprise?"
"Enterprise E. She's actually the current in a long line of historical ships to carry that name. The last seven have been starships."
"Seven? But E is only the fifth letter in the alphabet."
"The first was NX01. The one you see there is the sixth to carry the 1701 hull number."
"I realize that this may be a bit premature considering that you've just arrived but would you mind temporarily joining with helping us out with a problem?"
"That would depend upon what it is and what it would entails." Picard replied noncommittally. "Given our circumstances I don't believe that we should become involved with any major action."
"I see." Said Sheridan, hands behind his back paused to consider what he was about to do. "Let me explain. Here we are at war with an alien race called the Shadows. It's hard to explain just what and who they are, but we need all of the power we can muster to keep them from taking over. Should
that happen the forces of darkness will rule all races and planets including Earth." He paused again. "It could have been one of their space-time rifts which pulled you through.
"So these are new here..." Picard was equally as cautious. "We'll have discuss this some more after we have more information. I will say that we will consider the request but cannot commit to it or reject it at this time. I simply have insufficient information at this time." Picard replied. "Now, I really do need to get back to my ship. If you will excuse me."
"Um, before you go." Sheridan said. "There is something you need to take back with you as a caution to your telepath friends. Psi Corp really does take telepaths and makes them work for them and, if they refuse, make them take something which completely represses their psychic abilities. Given their history you can be sure that they will attempt to take your people. Watch them carefully."
"Is the planet safe where it is?" Picard asked.
"For the moment, we are the only ones who know about it." Sheridan stated. "and while I'd like to keep it that way, it is inevitable that others will know in a short time"
Picard had sized up the man before him and he liked what he saw. "Thanks for the warning. If you will excuse me then."
Sheridan spoke into his wrist communicator. "Michael, Will you come in and escort Captain Picard back to his ship"