As the SDF-3 orbited Epsilon III, David Gina thought back to the early communications with Varn. David kept quiet about humanity's hostility to both the Vorlons and the Shadows and informed Commander David Gunther to do the same. Jan spoke up. "Sir? A message from the planet." "Put it on," Gina ordered. The image of an old man embraced in a metal harness appeared on the screen. David nodded his acknowledgement of the being in front of him. "Hello, Varn. How goes our little excursion into history digging." "The ship you call the SDF-1 should not have crashed on your world," Varn said. "It did, and now we have to deal with it," David stated coldly. Varn sighed and looked towards the roof. "If the SDF-1 had not crashed on your world, humanity would have built a space-station that would be taken into the past and allowed the Minbari to win against the Shadows in the previous war. A human by the name of Sinclair would become Valen, a Minbari not born on Minbar." "There is no reason for us not to build the station now. It might actually help us," David said as his thoughts started racing. "There is. An Orieni captain is now Valen," Varn stated. "No problem. We just need some of his DNA and some Minbari DNA to pull it off. Please tell us who he is," David said with a smirk. "Hopefully, we can do it without being seen by anyone. Just give us the schematics for the station and we'll get it built and get it out of the way." Varn stared at David for a few minutes and then shook his head. "I don't understand. Why?" "You'll find out when the Minbari do," David replied. "Very well. I have one more question. Why did you send that Commander Gunther Hawkins down," Varn asked with a bit of quaver in his voice. "He's only seven feet three inches tall. We have much larger infantry than he is. He's the one who handles setting up meetings," David said shaking his head, while fighting a smile. "If you want. I can send down one of our larger infantry men." "Right. I'll pass," Varn replied. "Transmitting data. The station will have to be set up around this planet." "Fair enough. Now then, what about the Soul Hunters?" David asked. "That's the reason we're here bugging you in the first place." "I'm not sure," Varn replied. David shrugged. "I guess we'll have to deal with them the old fashioned way and track them home. At least we got a little bit out of this" As the communications were cut, David looked at Cindy who was going over the incoming technical details. Cindy shook her head. "None of the smaller factories can build this. It's a bit too large for them. The main factory satellite itself is going to have to do this." "I wouldn't want any of the smaller satellites to deal with it. Send the schematics to Patch in engineering along with a recording of the conversations." Cindy did so and turned to face David Gina. "Sir? Why are we helping the Vorlons?" Everyone could hear Cindy's distaste on the word Vorlon. "We aren't, at least not fully. We are keeping our own history intact and setting up for a major humiliation of the Vorlons and Minbari if they try to control us. That's why the schematics are heading down to Patch," David said with a sinister gleam in his eye. "He knows what needs to be done." "Sir? I have some suspicion on what you are planning," Cindy said. "And you'd probably be right. But now, we need to find that Orieni or a place he's been at and bled," David said with a smirk. "Jan, as soon as Patch is done with the schematics, get them off to headquarters. We need to get this out of our way and fast." "Roger," Jan replied. "The Vorlons have tried to take control of time to ensure they would always win. We've perverted their little stunt for our own use," David muttered. "Super-Dimensional Fortress Xanadu commence hyperspace jump to the Orieni space station!" The SDF-3 opened a hole into hyperspace and proceeded into it, as the ship headed on its way. On the trip, David had a debriefing with Gunther about some of the stuff he had learned. Soon enough, the SDF-3 appeared in Minbari space at a nice distance away from the Orieni space station. David Gina shook his head at the modifications being done to it. "It looks close to the plans we have, doesn't it?" he muttered. "Vorlon manipulations. So, shall we send out a strange pulse towards a Shadow held world and see what they do?" A small shuttlecraft landed inside the main hanger bay and a person got out of it. As he left, he scraped his elbow on the side of the door and shook his head. "Sir, look at that shuttle. What we got from Varn, says that that person is the one we want," Cindy declared. "No. He'll be too well protected. I want that shuttle. Send the pulse out and let the Shadows know this is here. During the confusion, we'll send in some stealth Valkyries to grab that shuttle and bring it aboard. Some other Valks will be deployed to grab Minbari corpses," David said. "This is wrong," Jan said. "They're going to fight each other no matter what. We're securing our past, our present, and our future from the control of the Vorlons and Shadows. Both of them would attack us, because we are free of them. The Vorlons took our technology away from us once before and it looked like they were going to continue to manipulate us, if it wasn't for the SDF-1 and the Rain of Fire. I don't like this either, but it has to be done," David said. "Sir, Patch has finished the modifications on the schematics," Cindy said. "Good. Marsha get the squadron leaders on the horn," David ordered. "Done." "This Captain David Gina to the leaders of the Valkyrie squadrons. Phantom squadron, you will be going after a shuttle and bringing it on board. Equip your craft with escape FAST packs that are rigged for destruction. Dragon squadron, during the upcoming fight, you will be searching the wreckage to get a hold of Minbari corpses. Skull, Faerie, Firebird squadrons will hover close by and support if one of the other two have problems. Remaining squadrons are on stand-by in case of an attack. Do not launch until ordered. Jan send that pulse and let's watch the Shadows and Vorlons fight." "Why Phantom and Dragon squadrons?" Marsha asked. "They are the ones messing around with the new VF-22 Stealth Valkyries," David replied. "Skull and Faerie have Patch's contribution called the YF-5 Metal Siren. All the rest have VF-4's. However Firebird has some of the more recent upgrades." "Understood." "As soon as the pulse is sent, use the Vree method of travel to get to the other side of that planet. We don't want certain people to see us," David said "Roger." As soon as the pulse was sent, the SDF-3 quickly placed itself on the opposite side of the planet where the space station was. David pointed his finger down towards the floor and the SDF-3 slowly went into the planet's methane atmosphere. "Now we wait," David said, as he sank into his captain's chair. Soon enough, a Shadow Battlecrab appeared in system and quickly left. Vorlon and Minbari craft started appearing out of hyperspace disks around the space station. A bit later, Shadow ships appeared out of hyperspace and the battle was joined. "Phantom squadron hold near the ship. All other active squadrons launch. Dragon squad get under the battle, but do not leave the atmosphere, and grab any falling Minbari fighters. I don't care how bad they are damaged. If that shuttle falls, grab it first. It's top priority. Phantom squadron, keep an eye on the shuttle," David ordered. It was a good thing that David had gave the orders about the shuttle, since during the fight, it was dislodged from the space station and fell towards the planet. Skull squadron switched to Gerwalk mode so they could grab the shuttle and haul it into the SDF-3. After a bit, four very badly damaged Minbari fighters were pulled on board the SDF-3. "All Valkyries, return to ship. We are getting out of here. As soon as we clear the atmosphere, we fold out," David ordered. "Patch, get to that shuttle and get the blood off the door and then get some Minbari DNA to go with it. It's time for us to create Valen." Once the last of the Valkyries were on board, the SDF-3 headed for space on the opposite side of the planet from where the battle hovered overhead. "Set course for Earth. Initiate fold!" A ball of light surrounded the SDF-3, as it folded away from the battle. Everyone on the other side of the planet picked up the flash of light. The Vorlons hesitated a bit too long. The Shadows were able to deliver a crippling blast to the space station and it fell towards the planet and exploded. Ulkesh was enraged by the loss of the station. He saw that the Shadows were leaving the battlefield with their mission accomplished "What is the status of Valen?" Ulkesh sent. "He's injured, but he is still alive," Kosh replied. "This is just a setback. What was that flash of light?" "Unknown. It wasn't anything that we have encountered so far." "We'll have to hunt for what caused it," Ulkesh said. "Agreed," Kosh replied. On board the SDF-3, David walked down to engineering and watched as his former teammate from the Black Panther placed blood scraped from the shuttle into a test tube. "Think I pissed off the Vorlons?" David asked. "Probably," Patch replied, as he removed the eye-patch from his bald head, and looked at David with both his eyes. "Now, it's time to piss off the Shadows by creating Valen and the station that went back in time," David said airily. "Why?" "I want to get them so mad at us, that they rush towards Earth without scanning the planet and run straight into the Grand Cannons." Patch shook his head, rubbed his left eye, and replaced the eye-patch. "I would call you nuts, but I served with you for so long that I know you are." "If it wasn't for the SDF-1, we would be slaves of the Vorlons and doing what they want us to do. So how long?" "It'll take about a week before he's finished and the same goes for that station with all the added features I know you wanted in it." "Hmmm. I'll have to ask to see if Britai can take it to Epsilon III with Valen. This is important," David said. "If it is that important, you know we'll be assigned. You are the only one who knows what is going on in what you call your brains," Patch said with an amused huff. David smiled. "Well, I'd better go see if Ishtar is okay and I do need to talk with Dernia." Patch nodded and waited before he muttered something under his breath. "Yes. Go see your daughter and your wife."