This was for an 'Iron Chef' challenge, which asked us to write a consolation letter on behalf of one of the characters. I chose Jane, and used her as if she were in the 'Babylon 5' universe.

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Mr. Trent Lane

Olympus Mons

Mars Colony, Earth Alliance

It is with profound sadness that I must inform you of the death of your sister, 1st Lieutenant Jane Lane.

On 29 July 2260, the Earth Alliance station Babylon 5 came under attack from forces loyal to Earth President William Morgan Clark. During this attack, Lieutenant Lane, who was the Executive Officer of Zeta Squadron, was part of the defensive effort to protect Babylon 5.

Jane showed great skill and bravery and skill during the battle, having downed seven enemy fighters and damaging three more. During the battle, she suffered damage to her forward maneuvering thrusters; despite being ordered out of the engagement zone, she stayed long enough to destroy two enemy fighters who were about to strafe friendly pilots who had ejected from their craft, including Commander Susan Ivanova, the Executive Officer of Babylon 5. Unfortunately, she suffered an in-flight collision with an enemy fighter, which resulted in the destruction of both the enemy fighter and her own ship.

As her Commanding Officer, I had come to know Jane quite well in the fifteen months that she had served under my command, She was an excellent pilot, a conscientious and skilled warrior, and a person who I am proud to have known and to have called friend. There are no words that I can say to ease your grief at the loss of your sister - in our time in service together, she had told me many times about the bond the both of you had shared as children - but I hope that it brings some solace to know that because of her efforts, over 250,000 humans and aliens were saved from annihilation at the hands of a ruthless despot. Because of your sister, people who would have been killed without mercy now have the opportunity to have a future, and many of those who would have followed evil men have received the justice that they richly deserved at her hands.

In his coronation speech, King Arthur spoke the following words:

'Through the history of the Earth, the strong have had their way. I pledge the dawn of a new day, when strength shall be used not for its own ends, but to protect the weak, to crush the wrong, to serve the right.'

Jane Lane was the embodiment of those words. She used her strength and her courage to defend those who had no others to stand for them, and this universe will be the poorer with her passing.

With deepest regrets,

Major Kyleton I. Armalin

Earth Force Marine Corps Aero/Space Division

Babylon 5

Tigris Sector

Revised 27 June 2007