Free Babylon 5: Red Fury by Claudia Christian, Morgan Grant Buchanan Page A

still hardly the end of...”
    “Our intel says your old comrade Susan Ivanova is piloting it.”
    “Susan?”
    Garibaldi jumped out of bed and pulled on his robe, his mind racing.
    Susan’s ship Titans , a Warlock-class destroyer, had been found to have hidden Shadow tech built into its systems. She’d worked together with Sheridan and Lyta Alexander to destroy it—they’d used the Vorlon ship to do the job. The end result was that the Vorlon vessel had ended up permanently integrated into Titans’ systems, sealed away in a locked deck. Garibaldi felt a headache stirring at the back of his skull.
    “Sir, I’ve received an update,” Reynolds said. “She’s attacked a top-secret Psi Corps base in Siberia.”
    “The new one they’ve been pouring all their money into?” Garibaldi said in surprise. “With cutting edge defenses?”
    “Another update, sir. The Vorlon craft has destroyed the Siberian base and is moving across the Bering Strait at high speed. What are your orders?”
    “You were right to wake me up, Reynolds. The world’s not going up in flames yet but it might be by the time Ivanova’s done.”
    “Do you want us to forward our intel to Earth Dome, sir? Or the
    Alliance on Babylon 5? They don’t have our resources. They won’t even know what’s hit them until they start reviewing and analyzing data. We can give them a heads up, so they’re ready if she strikes again.”
    “She’s only hit a satellite and a base, both Psi Corps property?”
    “Yes, sir. And now she’s single-handedly tackling a squadron of the Psi Corps fighters. There’s a repeating message transmitting from her ship.”
    Reynolds tapped a button on his console and Garibaldi’s room was
    -6-
    RED FURY
    filled with the sound of Susan’s voice. She didn’t sound happy.
    Where is Bester? I keep going until I get Bester.
    “Bester?” Garibaldi’s head began to throb with a single, painful intensity.
    “Sir, if she can harness that kind of firepower it might take a half-dozen White Stars to stop her.”
    “Then here’s what I want you to do, Reynolds,” Garibaldi said
    calmly. “I’m going to have something sent to you.”
    “I’ve got everything I need here, sir.”
    “What you don’t have is a pot of bagna càuda,” Garibaldi replied with forced enthusiasm. “I want you to relax. Sit back and enjoy it.
    Wait for more intel to come in.”
    “But...”
    “Don’t notify Earth Dome, and you sure as hell won’t say a word to Babylon 5. Capiche?”
    “Sir, innocent lives could be lost if she strikes again. The base she’s just hit suffered seventy-two casualties.”
    “All Psi Corps?” Garibaldi asked.
    “Yes...” the man replied hesitantly.
    “Enjoy your meal,” Garibaldi replied, shutting off the
    comm channel.
    Reynolds was pedantic but he knew how to follow orders. Garibaldi rushed towards one of the black steel walls of his vast bedchamber and pressed his palm against it. A hidden doorway appeared, leading into a labyrinthine network of tunnels. Garibaldi quickly traced out an intricate route known only to himself. He was short on time; his programming was already kicking in. Lyta Alexander had removed
    all of the psychic protocols the Psi Cop Alfred Bester had woven throughout his mind—all except one. He was no longer compelled to betray his friends but buried deep inside his mind was a command that under no circumstances could he harm or knowingly allow harm to
    befall Bester—the man solely responsible for nearly destroying his life.
    -7-
    RED FURY
    Lyta had promised to remove that block only when Garibaldi had used his power and resources to utterly destroy the Psi Corps. Until then, he would not be permitted to take his revenge.
    So what exactly had Bester done to piss Ivanova off? Something
    stupid, that was for sure, because now she was on the warpath,
    mounting a one-woman crusade. Or maybe that was all part of the Psi Cop’s plan? The command at the back of Garibaldi’s mind was