By: Punisher

 

Michael Garibaldi almost spit out his drink when the alarm klaxon began to wail.  He leapt up and started moving.  He keyed the comm unit on his hand.  “This is Garibaldi.  What’s happening?”

 “Sir, we’ve got an intruder alarm in the ambassador quarters.”

 Garibaldi knew he was no longer the station’s active security chief but old habits died hard.  He headed to the lift and came out into the hallway.  Zack Allen was already there, as a security chief should be, and several guards flanked him. 

 “Garibaldi.  I’m glad you’re here.  I could use the help.”

 “No problem.  What’s going on?”

 “I don’t know.  But we’ve got unauthorized access in the Minbari sector.”

 “Mind giving me a loner?” Garibaldi asked one of the guards, indicating his weapon.  The guard handed him his backup pistol.  Then the group moved cautiously forward.  They saw movement to the left and turned. 

 Marcus and Lennier were moving down the opposing hallway.

“Marcus!  What the hell are you doing here?  There an alarm condition present!”

“I am aware of that.  But the fact of the matter is that we were summoned.”

“Summoned?  By whom?”

“That, indeed, is the question.”

“Well stay back out of the way until we can determine the cause of the alarm.”

The party moved forward again.  Then they saw him.  A large man with long hair.  He carried himself with dignity and was clearly very powerful.  He was armed only with a sword and he seemed to be having trouble opening the door.  The door Garibaldi recognized as Delenn’s private meditation chamber.  Allen moved before anyone else. 
“Freeze!”

The man slowly turned and looked at the group.  Then he seemed to recognize Marcus, and spoke, “Ai na vedui Dunadan! Mae govannen!” 

Marcus did a double take.  “King Aragorn?” Then Marcus fell to one knee.  “Sire.  Forgive us.”

 Everyone relaxed as they saw that Marcus knew the intruder.  Allen keyed his comm-link, “This is Allen, secure the intruder alarm.  The situation is under control.”

 “My liege, what brings you all this way through time and space?”

 “I bear an urgent message for the Lady Delenn, from the Lady of the Wood and the words are for her eyes only.”

 As if on cue, Delenn opened the door to the chamber.  “What is all the…”

 She gasped when she saw Aragorn.  “I know you.  Yet I do not know you.  How is that?”

 “Lady time is of the essence and I may not tarry long.  The Lady of the Wood would trust no other than I to deliver this to your hand.”

 Delenn took the scroll from Aragorn’s hand, “Galadriel? How is she?” She absently asked as she opened the scroll and perused the contents. 

 “Oh…this does not bode well.  It has been some time since I have had to read runes.  Can you tell me what this says?”

 “Yes...it is an ancient Elvish name…in Quenya.  It reads Gil-Galad”

 “Ah….tell me…how is Mithrandir?”

 Aragorn laughed, “Gandalf is as usual, recruiting for his cause, and bringing trouble to those who join it.  In fact I really must be going.  Some of my party are late, as usual, and I must go and find them.”  He grasped the end of the amulet around his neck and vanished – to the startled amazement of everyone around him. 

 Marcus recovered first.  “Gil-Galad?  Why should that name bode ill?”

“It does not.” Delenn answered.  “It simply brings forth memories of an ancient Minbari poem.  And it is the poem that bears ill tidings.  A prophecy is coming to pass.”

She began to recite the poem:  

Gil-Galad was a Minbari King,

Of him the harpers sadly sing

The last whose realm was fair and free

Between the mountains and the Sea.

His sword was long, his lance was keen.

His shining armour afar was seen,

The countless stars of heaven’s field

Were mirrored in his silvered shield.

But long ago, he was brought away,

And where he dwelleth none can say;

Far into darkness fell his star

To Z'ha'dum where the Shadows are. 

 

 Marcus Brody’s heart leapt into his mouth as he saw what he thought was a statue moving toward him.  The Kolton opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp angled and serrated teeth.  The Kolton grabbed Brody by both hands and lifted him up closer to its mouth.  A harsh crack sounded--deafening in the close confines of the crypt-- accompanied by a blinding flash.  Marcus was splattered by something.  He didn’t dare open his eyes.  He had them clenched tightly shut, in part because of the flash, but mostly because he didn’t want to see his own end coming.  Then he heard Sallah’s voice.

“Get down Mr. Brody!”

Brody did.  And heard the crack again.  Only then did he look up and saw Sallah fire a third rifle shot into the advancing Kolton.  The Kolton staggered back.  Fell.  And slumped against the far wall.

Indy ran to Brody’s side.  “Are you all right Marcus?”

Brody nodded apprehensively.  Indy then moved to look at the Kolton.  “Damn.  A live Kolton.  Daniel was right.  Come on we still have to get out of here.”

The shuffling of large feet moving down the central passageway was getting louder.  Indy suspected what was coming down but he didn’t want to hang around and find out for sure.  He glanced at the lanterns.  They were a dead giveaway to their position and yet their only source of light in the stygian confines of the crypt.

He saw Professor Armitage move toward the central passageway, brandishing a stone of Mnar.  Indy ran to him.

“Professor!  That won’t do you any good here!”

“But it is branded with the Elder Sign!  They have to fear it.”

“And they would if they were Old Ones or their minions…but they aren’t…so come on. 

We have to go!”

“Go where?  They’ve sealed up the main tunnel.”

Indy started moving all over the chamber, scanning hieroglyphs here, pushing against pillars and statues there.  “Nephren-Ka is said to have created a system of catacombs in the hidden valley of Hadoth by the Nile.  Our only hope is to find one of those passageways.  That Kolton had to get in here somehow.”

Brody was almost panicking, “Hurry Indiana.”

Sallah reloaded his rifle.  “Yes Indy, Hurry!”

Indy could hear the shuffling footfalls getting louder.  This time accompanied by a discordant chanting.  The chanting reminded Indy of his adventure ten years earlier when he had saved the Shankara stones from Mola-Ram and his Thugee cult.

Indy was about to tell everyone to turn off the lanterns when his hand finally found a switch!

 

“The King is gone.  His lady Arwen Evenstar stays resolute on the throne, but her heart reflects that of the land.  There are portents from the West.  Rumors that Orthanc is re-risen and that a dark and baleful power resides within.  What say our scouts?” Faramir, Steward of Gondor, asked.

“None have returned sire.”

“What of Stormcrow? Has he returned? The King of the Mark must know something and yet none of our messengers have returned either.”

Eowyn stood, her gown flowing easily around her.  “I shall go.  No messenger knows the land of the Mark as I do.  And I yearn to see both my brother and Rohan again.”

Faramir looked at his wife.  He wanted so much to protect her, to keep her from this perilous errand.  Yet he knew that Eowyn was no common lady, she had once faced and slain the Witch King of Angmar on the Pellenor Fields.  He knew that arguing with her was useless.  She had not been asking a question but making a declaration.

“It is decided.  Who shall accompany the Lady Eowyn?”

There was no shortage of volunteers, but Faramir was sure of one thing.  Only the best would go.  ------------------------- That had been a week and a half ago.  And now the trip was beginning to weary even the stalwart Eowyn.  Her spirits began to lift as she knew they were nearing the land of her youth.  Rohan!  With its ranging plains and pure waters.  One of her escorts looked to the northwest.  A fearsome storm was underway.

“There is evil lightning there.  We can only hope that storm avoids us.”  Eowyn took a closer look, saw that the “lightning” was changing color.  “That is not natural.  One would think the council of wizards had reconvened.  Orthanc is indeed reborn.  Come, we must ride all the faster now.”

The blow of a faint horn reached their ears.  The sound carried on the wind.  Eowyn and her escorts strained their ears.  They could hear bass voices accompanying the horns in a lethargic song: 

Snap! Crack! Bones! Black!

Hammer and Beat!

Yammer and Bleat!

Cinders fly beneath the sky.

Those who hear our voice must die!

Isengard will feast on Gondor!

Saruman is stronger than Mordor!

Azathoth! Azathoth!

Those who hear our voice must die

Meet their doom in the Uruk-Hai!

And Eowyn knew why none of their messengers had returned.  Orcs were once again sallying from Isengard.  She muttered under her breath, “Gandalf Stormcrow…where are you?”

 

 “What are you talking about?” Gandalf looked genuinely puzzled.  Kirk repeated himself.  “How can you not remember! The Regula Station?  Hyuj’s box?  The Sleestack and the lost city?  The battle with Cthulhu?”

 “I am sorry Kirk.  But you speak in nothing but riddles to me.  I know of these people and places that you mention.  But I have as of yet had no dealings with them.”

 Q intervened.  “The answer is simple.  You simple creatures think always in linear time.  What Kirk speaks of happened in his past…but has yet to happen in your future Gandalf.”

 “Then there is still time!  I have not come too late!” Kirk laughed.

 “Too late for what?” Gandalf was completely confused.

 Kirk drew a short black dagger he had concealed and leapt at Gandalf.  Gandalf moved barely out of the way.  The tip of the dagger shredded his cloak and scratched his skin!

 “Treachery!” Gandalf shouted.  He smashed at Kirk with his staff.  As soon as the staff connected.  The illusion was shattered and instead of the illustrious Captain of the Enterprise facing the venerable wizard, a short and stocky Grey snarled as he stood in his place.  The Grey knew its cause was lost! “You grow complacent and weak old wizard.  Even now our venom weakens you.  You will all perish.”

 “I’ve had enough of this,” Q said.  “Begone.” The Grey disintegrated at Q’s whim.

 Hyuj rushed to Gandalf’s side.  “How are you?”

 “I yet live…there is only one other capable of casting such an illusion it would confound even me…Saruman!”