2267, Ultime Croisade (1999)

Captain Matthew Gideon is assigned to the prototype destroyer Excalibur, to spearhead the search for a cure to the plague unleashed by the Drakh. His first mission is to seize a downed Drakh craft on Ceti 4.

The Medusa has been stationed around Regula 4, supporting miners who seek a mineral which extends human life by fifteen years. It seemed a simple job, as the colonists are the descendants of people who subscribed to a Back-to-Nature belief; they should have posed no problem for the technologically superior Medusa. But the Medusa has encountered problems: a series of incidents that verge on terrorism. The Excalibur has been called in to investigate. Capt. Gideon considers Medusa's captain to be drunk or worse, for among his complaints are attacks by a golden dragon! But despite Galen's disbelief, Gideon has agreed to check in on these problems. It takes only a few hours planetside for Gideon to discover both the source for Galen's amusement and the Medusa's concern. There is a Technomage present: an old friend of Galen's named Alwyn. From him, Gideon learns that there are considerable problems caused by Medusa, not the least being a strip-mining of the land. Protests have been laugh

""Mr. Jones"" from the Congressional Panel on Telepaths, has arrived to test Lt. Matheson, to make certain he has not broken any of the new rules for telepaths. Although Capt. Gideon is concerned that this is the second testing in the past six months, Matheson has assured him that these tests are necessary.Galen has shown the Excalibur's top officers a wonder: a stone which will lead him to the Well of Forever. Intrigued by the possibility that this place ""where questions are answered"" might be able to help with Excalibur's quest, and in the hopes that he might learn more about Galen's ship, Gideon has agreed to have the ships' navigation programs merged. As they travel farther off the beacon into hyperspace, the Excalibur crew begins to discover new life-forms, including an embarassing incident with the vapid Fen.There are many problems afoot. Mr. Eilerson's greedy nature has been noted. ""Mr. Jones"" wants to know about the Excalibur's destination and Matheson cannot fend off the psi-tes

""Enter freely through the Path of Sorrows."" A simple directive, but one which stymied Excalibur's scientists until Galen suddenly realized what was being asked. After upsetting Dureena, Galen used her tears to open the way to a mysterious globe. Inside the globe, barely seen, was a reptilian alien with a sad face.The globe has been transferred back up to the Excalibur for study. Capt. Gideon was angered that someone had abandoned the globe and its occupant. Lt. Matheson was more concerned that the englobed alien might be forcibly imprisoned. Galen brushed aside all concerns, intimating a connection to a random universe. Gideon was later compelled to actually talk to the alien and spoke of the EAS Cerebus, his life afterwards, and a curious item called 'the Apocalypse Box!

Minutes before reaching the Excalibur's destination, Capt. Gideon was sent by Col. Thompson from Earthforce to find a group of infected colonists at Theta 49. Gideon had argued that there was no need to move the infected people from an uninhabited world, but Thompson forced the Excalibur crew to do as he desired. Similarly, Mr. Eilerson has been under pressure from IPX to present more new patents.Dr. Chambers, after using a 24-hour viral screen, sent Gideon, Dureena, and herself to the surface of Theta 49. There, they were met by Tim, the lieutenant leader of the possibly infected folk who regarded them with suspicion. Robert Black, the designated spokesman of the people, arrived and agreed to be tested for the Drakh Plague with the stipulation that only he would be tested.Dureena went exploring on her own. But what she found and didn't report remains a secret that is only beginning to take shape.

The Excalibur is called to Mars for a medical symposium on treating the Drakh plague. Irritated at being called away from his important job, Capt. Matthew Gideon finds himself clashing with the officer in charge of security: Capt. Elizabeth Lochley. Lochley herself is in contention with Carr, the Mars-raised officer supervising the situation by Mars.Meanwhile, as the captains clash -- and find themselves rubbing each other the wrong way -- Dr. Max Eilerson wrangles with shuttle pilot Trace over who will escort Dureena Nafeel through the clamor of Mars. Needing neither escort nor the not-quite-friendly banter of the two men, Dureena finds herself forced to defend Eilerson when he runs afoul of an incompetent thief.But Gideon's and Lochley's worst fears seem to be fulfilled when a delegate is discovered dead, murdered by a member of an extremist Doomsday cult. It seems that someone does not want a cure found for the Drakh plague -- someone who has already chosen the next victim to die.

The Excalibur has come to Babylon 5 to negotiate a landing on Lorca 7 -- a landing that the Brakiri ambassador refuses to allow. Lorca 7 is a re-colonized planet; Capt Matthew Gideon suspects that there might be medical technology in the ruins left by Lorca 7's previous inhabitants.Gideon discusses his negotiations with station commander Capt. Elizabeth Lochley. Whether or not he receives permission, Gideon says will do what is necessary to find an answer.Meanwhile, members of the Excalibur's crew check out other business, including Max Eilerson's ex-wife Cynthia Allen. Allen needs money -- she has borrowed money from a loan shark, and he intends to collect either the money he loaned, or her life.But the purity of the Lorcans -- and the greed of the loan shark -- will not yield to reasonable requests. So both Gideon and Eilerson both are forced to consider unreasonable subterfuge.

Two ""visitors"" from EarthGov have come aboard the Excalibur to make certain the right ""impact"" is made on the panicked people of Earth. But their suggestions are little more than new colors for the wardroom and new uniforms, and Capt. Matthew Gideon is -- to put it mildly -- unsympathetic.But Gideon is quick to do all he can to determine the race and culture which have created the ship that now lies derelict in Excalibur's path. Lt. John Matheson directs the EVA team exploring the wreck, and is shocked to discover the self-destruction of the crew. Dr. Sarah Chambers leads the medical team which tries -- in vain -- to save the one surviving member of the crew.But there is more to that crew's ""impact"" on the folk of the Excalibur. As Dr. Max Eilerson bemoans the lack of a spoken Rosetta Stone, there is another person who does understand their conversations...

On a world that appears to be dead, the Excalibur discovers equations for propulsion, energy creation, alloy-making -- almost everything but medical technology. Capt. Matthew Gideon is as concerned for a cure as Max Eilerson is ecstatic about their discoveries. Dr. Sarah Chambers, however is more worried at the possibilities suggested by her discoveries: dozens of flakes of DNA from several dozen different alien races from over the past 50 years -- yet no one has announced they discovered the planet before now.Dureena Nafeel, in her separate explorations, has also discovered something disturbing: an apparent cache of globes.When another discovers the eviscerated body of a crewman, and the landing party is attacked, Capt. Gideon immediately leads the attacker away. After a death-defying chase, he manages to escape with Galen's help.Yet the technomage's help may best be applied in a different way. Using an homunculus spell, Galen decides to discover how the crewman was killed -- and why.

Four months into its mission, the Excalibur finds a world for which Capt. Matthew Gideon has long been searching. Although the race which once populated it is dead, the world and its edifaces remain intact.Although Max Eilerson is elated -- perhaps now he will find some technology worth exploiting -- his delight is not shared by all. Galen, in particular, is concerned. For a century, techonomages have been warned away from the planet. The one mage who refused to believe the warnings was destroyed after sending a single message: genus locii, ""the spirit of the place"".Although Galen refuses to land on the planet Gideon, Eilerson, Dureena, and others head down to investigate, each in their own way. But when night falls, the ""stalking death"" strikes...

The Excalibur receives an important message from the Rangers: an alien race, the Moradi, are searching for a criminal they cannot retrieve easily. Hoping to gain knowledge that will help the Excalibur avoid several years of searching, Capt. Matthew Gideon agrees to find the criminal Natchok Var, who has stolen several datacrystals filled with important information.But there are several hitches to Gideon's plan. Natchok Var has been captured by bounty hunters based on Praxis 9. Praxis 9 is a planet with a poisonous atmosphere. Since the Excalibur will be going into an area not pledged to the ISA, the Alliance will disavow any knowledge of the Excalibur or her crew if they are discovered.Dureena Nafeel has been there before and knows Praxis 9 well enough to sneak Gideon and herself into the main dome. But there's something more about Praxis that Dureena knows -- something she dares not discuss with anyone. And Dureena isn't the only person who isn't telling everything...

A First Contact situation arises as a nearly-depleted life pod is discovered by the Excalibur. Capt. Matthew Gideon, assisted by Lt. John Matheson, meets with the aliens to establish initial conversation.But the aliens are clad in 20th Century clothing, and speak 20th century colloquial English as they threaten to shoot any- and everyone they encounter. Together, the man and woman argue that Earth has contacted them, often... to their races' disadvantage. Gideon tries to argue with them, but the man is adamant that he will ""trust no one"" in his search for the truth. And he has ""proof"" -- drawings, photographs, even a recognizable artifact -- that prove something is very screwy. Then their former boss arrives, and the situation threatens to slide totally out of control...

The Excalibur is sent to rendezvous with a special courier for top-secret mission. Obeying the Senator -- and his companion, a rather bland little plumber -- Capt. Matthew Gideon proceeds toward Earth. But when the Excalibur encounters a disabled Starfury, Gideon decides to stop and rescue its nearly-dead pilot: Capt. Elizabeth Lochley.After telling Lochley that he can't tell her anything about their mission, Gideon and Excalibur continue to Earth to pick up a very special person who will help them test the baseline for the Drakh Plague: Dr. Stephen Franklin. But, as they begin to check the details for Dr. Franklin, the little plumber who will serve as Franklin's baseline makes a call. It's only to his sweetheart on Earth -- but more than his sweetheart is listening to his transmission.