From: Kelly Subject: Date: 30 Nov 1999 19:58:04 -0800 Diamond in the Sky, part 1 By Kelly, Morgan, and Billy This story is based on an internet roleplay. For anyone who's not familiar with roleplaying, it’s like a round robin, sort of. Everyone has his or her own character, sometimes more than one, and each person writes the actions of that character. They’re done by e-mail, or on internet message boards. This particular RP took place on an internet forum. I’ve turned this into a regular story, but I’ve tried to do it without changing much of what the other authors wrote. Because of the nature of roleplaying, the action moves along pretty quickly, and the scene changes frequently, but I’ve tried to keep it from getting confusing. Most of the characters are our own creations. A few of them are from another RP, or from earlier stories, so I’ll give you the quick run-down of who’s who. Kathryn Parker is a sixteen-year-old teep, the one from my “Telepath’s Fight” story. Sengen Banek, whom Kathryn currently works for, is an employee of IPX (Interplanetary Expeditions), who has a few shady deals going on the side. Jaza used to be a technomage, but she got killed when an experiment went wrong. Now, she's a techno-wraith who can possess any machine to make it do pretty much whatever she wants. Doruk is a human Ranger, who's about 18 years old. Doruk has befriended a young lurker named Rudy, a shy kid who’s usually too scared to talk. The rest are unique to this story and their identities will be explained in it. The intro and the title are Morgan’s. Na’Grom, Jaza, Braydo, Rago, and Sengen Banek also belong to her. Doruk and Rudy are Billy’s characters, and Kathryn and Zoe are mine. Other characters, locations, etc. belong to JMS, TNT, etc., and this is not meant to infringe on any copyright. Comments and criticism are welcome. Spoilers up to and including the third season. The Centauri have brought the Narn homeworld to the brink of total destruction and their forces still occupy the ravaged world. To discourage Narn resistance, they have instituted a law requiring 500 Narns to be killed for every one Centauri. It doesn't stop there. The Eye of G'dan, a Narn holy relic that the Centauri had hoped to seize to further demoralize the conquered people, is missing. Presumably, it has been spirited away by the crumbling resistance. In anger over being denied his prize, the Centauri military governor of Narn, Fendin Braydo, has ordered that an additional 50 Narn be killed every week until the Eye is recovered. Secretly, he has sent his own agents out to find the Eye. He believes in an old myth stating that the Eye is the key to limitless power, and the Centauri are drawn to power like moths to flame. One of Braydo's agents has been sent to Babylon 5. After the disastrous war, Babylon 5 is perhaps the only door that remains open to fleeing Narn. *** *** *** *** The lost people came like wandering ghosts. Narn numb with grief and disbelief filtered into Babylon 5, one at a time or in small groups, looking for the hope denied them at every turn. Na'Grom was one such Narn. She'd been visiting a colony bypassed by the Centauri in their mad rush to obliterate Homeworld, hoping to collect her elder brother, Sha'grall. Even so, she didn't consider herself lucky. The war had left her homeless, penniless, and with the passing of Sha'grall, without family. All she had was the clothes on her back, two small knives, some of her brother's personal effects, and his dying words. “Babylon 5,” he'd said with rasping breath. Shrapnel from his ship that the medics didn't dare remove for fear of his immediate death was lodged in his laboring chest. “Na'fariki.” Mindwalker. Now that she'd arrived on Babylon 5, she was still not sure of what Sha'grall had meant. Was she to seek a Mindwalker here in this alien melting pot? If so, why? She hadn't had much time to work that mystery out. Since setting foot on the station, she had been swallowed up by Down Below with the rest of the flotsam. Most of her time was spent trying to find something to eat and a place to sleep. Mysteries would have to wait until survival was ensured. *** *** *** Fendin Braydo sat sipping Brivari by the window. Looking out over the desolate red landscape of the conquered world gave him no joy. He preferred to look on gardens, not sandstorms. He resolved to have his servants move his favorite chair away from the window. His aide brought in a report to look over. It seemed that the rebels had killed 10 Centauri this morning. That meant 5000 Narn would have to be put to death, plus the 50 pending the return of the Eye, plus the imbecile who broke his lamp and the little fool who tried to steal a breather unit from his men. Five thousand and fifty two Narns would die tonight. Five thousand and fifty two in addition to those who died in the bombardment of asteroids, those who breathed the now toxic air of the surface, and those executed war criminals, the Kha'ri. That was half the population. Add still more to that- the fighting men who died in the war itself, and it seemed that the Narn could rebuild all of their cities by stacking the bodies of their fallen brothers. Unfortunately, there was simply no inexhaustible supply of Narn. If the Rebels didn't cease their fighting, his men would run out of Narn to execute by next month. "Rago!" he called. His aide returned. "This is unacceptable." Braydo began. "We are swiftly running out of Narn. If that happens we'll have to go home. Don't look so overjoyed. If you had the wives I do to return to, you would want to order all executions stopped immediately. Sadly, I can't do that, or these savages will never learn. I want security tightened in the work camps. I also want what little drinking water there is available to them laced with a mild sedative to keep the masses co-operative. Do you understand?" "Yes, Lord Braydo." the aide replied with a bow, turning to go. "And have my chair moved. I detest the view where it is." Braydo added as an afterthought. *** *** *** Banek sat on the cold, hard bunk and stared at the camera mounted in the corner. He wondered who was watching him. Was it that smug s.o.b. Garibaldi or one of his lackeys, Sgt. Allen perhaps? Were they enjoying the show-- 5 hours of watching him sit in the brig waiting for Miss Parker to bail him out. When you engage in as many shady dealing as he had of late, you take it as read that you're going to get caught once in a while. It was part of the adventure, part of the appeal of smuggling antiquities and contraband on the side. Quite frankly, the illegal bits were the only halfway interesting part of working for IPX on Babylon 5. The trouble this time was that he'd gone free-lance. He'd handled something his firm didn't ask him to as a favor to Londo and now IPX was refusing to come to his rescue when he got caught. He couldn't call on Londo to get him out. The Ambassador couldn't be consorting with smugglers and thieves now; it would look bad. Still, Banek was sure that Garibaldi would have guessed who the Brivari that he snatched prematurely out of quarantine was bound for. Though he hated to do it, his only other option was to call Kathryn and pray she could post bail. How embarrassing it was to have to beg an employee to bail him out of jail. What could he say? How could he explain his way out of this one without looking like the two-bit part- time criminal he was? He wasn't even sure she would come. Brooding over his troubles got him nowhere. He stretched out on his bunk and wished he'd brought a harmonica. “Alberta, let your hair, Hang down so low...” Banek’s low voice wafted down the hall to the office, even if security didn't have the live feed giving them Segnen Banek live in concert. “Alberta, baby, Let your hair hang down so low.” I would give you, More gold, Than your apron, Could e-ver hold, If you just let, Your hair, love, Hang down so low... As Banek finished singing, Kathryn arrived to bail him out. Funny, she wouldn't have pegged him for a blues man. "That's enough of that in there!" said Zack Allen as he shut down the force field. "I don't wanna hear another word out of you unless it's something from Lou Grisham." "Martian Blues?" Banek replied, mildly appalled. "You've got to be kidding. "Get him outta here." Allen insisted. "And I don't wanna see you back here again!" "Believe me, neither do I." Banek assured him. Free again, he decided to head to the office to see how many meetings he had missed. IPX’s teaching him a lesson had undoubtedly cost them a fortune in salvage rights. “I apologize for dragging you into this, Miss Parker,” he said as they walked. “I just couldn't think of anyone else to call.” “Don’t worry about it,” she replied. “I promise I'll pay you back,” Banek said. “So, how much did they tell you about this old low-life scoundrel?” “They mentioned something about taking Brivari out of quarantine early,” said Kathryn. She smiled sarcastically. “I see that Ambassador Mollari is a fair-weather friend, or you wouldn't have had to call me.” Of course, what could you expect from Londo Mollari? From the rumors she had heard, ditching Banek was the least of his crimes. Other people tended to avoid him now. Because of his association with Mr. Banek, whom she worked for, Kathryn had a passing acquaintance with the Ambassador. She didn't know him well, but even she could see that he had changed in some way that she didn't really want to think about. "Oh well. Things will blow over. They always do." Banek said. “Oh yeah, and about this 'Londo Theory'. Keep it under your hat. As far as Security is concerned I've got a real taste for Centauri hooch." he added lowly. “All right,” Kathryn replied. This would be just one more thing added to the long list of secrets she had to keep. “I’m going back to my quarters now, unless there’s anything else you need me to do.” "If I remember correctly,” Banek said. “I've got a meeting in an hour with a spokesman from the League, Delenn, and Sheridan regarding salvage rights to the Markab Sector. I don't think this is going to be pretty, but I don't see any reason that you absolutely have to come along if you don't want to. I'm sure everyone will be quite honest in telling me how ghoulish it is for IPX to be 'looting' Markab worlds so soon after their unfortunate extinction. But if it isn't IPX, it'll be someone else. At least this way maybe something good can come of it.” “I’ll come,” Kathryn said. After all, she was being paid for her time, and as always, Kathryn was broke. *** *** *** Doruk had been through down below many times before, but it seemed worse to him with each passing day. More and more people came, and a large portion of them made their homes here. He had done nearly all he could, giving out what little food he had. After hours of walking, he finally came back to his quiet spot. It was a small storage space that no longer stored anything. He had done what he could with it, but it was mostly just a small pad with a couple of blankets he got from Delenn. As he sat down, Rudy came and lay beside him. Doruk had been protecting him for as long as he had been there; he could still remember the first time. The PPG burns on the wall never allowed him to forget it. He pulled a slice of bread out of his hiding spot and began eating it, giving half of itto Rudy. *** *** *** Five days and six relatively sleepless nights passed by like a slow decade for the displaced Narn. So far, pity had kept her fed for the most part. A Narn who'd escaped the occupation a lot better off than she had slipped her food in the mornings, but he was very condescending about it. He regarded her as little more than a pouchling, which was essentially true, but not in her mind. She could handle herself on her own. Besides, as she saw it, among Narn, there were no children anymore. There were only wandering animals fighting for scraps. It made her old soul sick to see the depths to which her people had fallen. A short distance away from Na'Grom sat another young lurker, a girl named Zoe. She had come here a few months ago when she had hit puberty and discovered that she was a latent telepath. Not wanting to join the Psi Corps, she had cleaned out her savings account, which gave her just enough for a one-way ticket to Babylon 5. She hadn't thought about what she would do when she got here; she had just run. Now, she survived by stealing and by digging through garbage for food. An adult lurker could at least get a job every once in a while, but who was going to hire a twelve-year-old? Zoe noticed the young Narn sitting near her. She thought it was a girl, but it was hard to tell. Heck, with her own short hair, dirty face, and ratty clothes, it was hard to tell that Zoe was a girl. "Hello," she said. Zoe had survived in this place by making as many friends and as few enemies as possible. Her philosophy was that everyone down here was in more or less the same boat and it was best to stick together. That didn't always work, though. There were some people who would cut your throat as soon as talk to you, but Zoe's telepathic abilities helped her figure out who those people were and steer clear of them. Na'Grom looked up from the medkit she'd stolen to find herself eye to eye with a young Earther. Until five days ago she'd never seen an Earther, young or otherwise. Here they were practically stacked on top of one another. "What do you want?" she said without emotion. It was the only Earth greeting she knew, for it was over-used in the bowels of B5 she haunted. Zoe was a little taken aback by the Narn's response. Her words sounded hostile, but her tone held no emotion. Maybe it was a language thing. "My name's Zoe," she said. "Do you want something to eat?" She held out her hand, offering the Narn a crust of bread. It wasn't much, but she looked hungry. Since the Narn probably didn't speak English that well, Zoe wanted to make a gesture of friendship that couldn't be misunderstood. The Narn cocked her head to the side, studying the stranger and her offering. Slowly she took the offered food. "Your welcome?" she said questioningly. It had been a long time since Sha'grall last gave her a lesson in the Earthers' strange tongue and it's equally strange usage. She'd hoped to learn further by immersion, but in Down Below most of the aliens she met would sooner step on her neck than talk to her. To reciprocate what she assumed was either an act of good will or a con she didn't yet understand, she offered Zoe a bottle from the medkit. She couldn't read what it said, but it smelled like water. It wasn't easy to get clean water down there. Some of the Lurkers with access to it were territorial, willing to split your skull for it unless you paid them. Zoe smiled. So, she was right about the Narn not knowing English very well. She accepted the water. "Thank you," she said. "What's your name?" she asked, not sure if the Narn girl would be able to understand her. "Na'Grom," she replied warily, not quite ready to let her guard down. She wasn't quite sure what to say either. The first English phrase she'd been taught, the one she most firmly grasped did not apply here. When you live in a place that smells like stale urine, you don't need to ask where the bathroom is. The second phrase she had a reasonable grasp of, "Show me the throat of mine enemy, so that I may cut it," just didn't fit into polite conversation. "It's nice to meet you, Na'Grom," Zoe said. *** *** *** As Banek predicted, the meeting was ugly. Delenn, who had helplessly watched B5's Markab population die not that long ago, remained quiet and reflective. Banek and Sheridan, on the other hand, wound up in a loud argument after less than ten minutes of discussion on the matter. "Haven't you people ever heard of respect for the dead?" Sheridan shouted. "What better respect can we give them than seeing that their technological legacy and their culture live on and are appreciated?" Banek argued. "BS." (Only Sheridan said it.) "You don't give a damn about their legacy. You only want to turn a profit." "Not me, Captain." Banek corrected. "Don't confuse me with the firm. The fact of the matter is, pirates and smugglers are laying waste to Markab worlds..." "And IPX wants the opportunity to do so legally, with no competition." Sheridan cut in. "IPX wants the opportunity to study what's left and run a proper salvage operation. The raiders hitting the planets now are taking no precautions. They could be spreading the Markab plague to other worlds. We have already seen that it can jump species. Would you rather we ignored it and see how many more lives can be lost? At least with IPX handling things there would be no threat of off-world contamination. All we need is a few ships for defense and permission. What's it gonna be?" Kathryn sat silently, watching the argument between Mr. Banek and Captain Sheridan. She glanced over at Delenn, who also did not attempt to get involved in the discussion. Kathryn knew that she had tried to help the Markab, but there was nothing she could do. Kathryn could sympathize. She understood the feeling of hopelessly watching someone die all too well. She sighed softly. Kathryn had only been on Bablyon 5 for about a year, but in that time, she had witnessed so much pain, so much death. And now, an entire species had been wiped out. It was almost beyond comprehension. Kathryn really didn't know which side of this argument was right. Sheridan was only trying to give the Markab proper respect, but Banek had a point. It was possible that the raiders would spread the plague to other species. *** *** *** Rudy quietly stood up and left Doruk asleep in the corner. Doruk had become like his brother, always protecting him. Rudy couldn't remember his real family; it had just been too long spent in the Down Below. He wasn't sure exactly, but he thought it had been four or five years. Being only ten, he wasn't very tough but he had quickly learned the trade that had kept him fed. He was a very good thief, but since Doruk had arrived, his skills were getting dusty with lack of practice. Doruk took good care of him, but he didn't know what would happen if Doruk disappeared the way so many did in Down Below. He figured someone like Delenn might take care of him for a while, but he needed to be able to provide for himself. He hadn't gone very far down the hall when he spotted a Narn talking to a young girl. They didn't look like they had much, but the Narn was holding a medkit. At least it would be a good test of his skills. He had heard that Narns were a very aggressive race. He hoped this one wouldn't chase him down. He took a few steps forward and then took off at full speed. He stuck his left hand down to try and scoop up the medkit but instead he found himself stopped. His hand was being squeezed by the Narn! "Ah! Let me go! Help!" His heart went into a panic. Where was security when he needed them? "Mine." Na'Grom insisted, her fiery eyes accentuating her point. She let go of the boy only when he released her rightfully stolen merchandise. Once released, he fell down and backed away from her until he was up against the opposite wall, not far from Zoe. She thought a moment, then tossed the frightened kid the bread that had been Zoe's peace offering. "Ste-al from some-one with things to spare." Her words were slow, almost mechanical and very carefully chosen. Each syllable was practically its own word, over-enunciated but easily understood. There was a Narn maxim that better suited the situation, but she couldn't translate on the spur of the moment. She didn't want the enmity of the frightened Earther, but she wasn't about to give up that medkit. It could be fenced or traded if she didn't need to use it first. She was quickly learning about such things. She knew who to barter with, who would give you a good price, and who would rip you off. Not bad for a week of bad living. Unfortunately, she had learned the ropes by getting cheated several times. "Not again you steal me from." At that moment, Doruk showed up. Seeing the bread on the floor, he quickly realized what had happened. Rudy must have tried his little skill again, but he'd gotten caught in the process. He knelt beside Rudy and took the bread, handing it back to the Narn. "Here, take it back. He is fed well enough. Rudy, apologize. Rudy! Snap out of it kid!" Rudy just stood there, silent and motionless. He did this every now and then when he was scared; he would not talk until he had calmed down. Doruk turned back to the two strangers. "And who might you two be? Are you in need of anything?" "My name is Zoe," she replied. She didn't answer his second question. It seemed as though it should be obvious that they were in need of quite a few things. A decent place to sleep, a bit more food, and clean clothes topped her list at the moment. Na'Grom looked at the Ranger in surprise. Rangers were not unknown to her. They had given aid to the Narn refugees on Shi. Still, she hadn't expected to see one in the slums of B5. Thinking back on Shi brought to mind many things that she had pushed aside, like Sha'Grall's death. She hadn't even yet looked through the green leather bag that had belonged to him, though she carried it with her at all times. It was too painful. It might contain something worth fencing or bartering, but she couldn't bear to think of doing such a thing. It was all she had left of her family. The Ranger had asked if she needed anything. Despite her many needs, the only thing that came to mind was Sha'Grall's mysterious last word. "Na'fariki." she said, half expecting him to instantly solve the mystery she herself could not. The word meant less to non-speakers of the now endangered Narn tongue than it did to herself. She didn't realize just how unlikely any epiphany on his part would be. For all he knew, it might have been her name. Or a sneeze! Still, she was sure he could help her. That's what Rangers were for. "Na’fariki?" Zoe asked. "What does that mean?" She doubted that Na'Grom understood her. Even if she did, she might not be able to explain it. Zoe could have scanned her, of course, but she didn't want to do it without asking. In Downbelow, she didn't usually pay too much attention to the "rules" of what telepaths were supposed to do, and her abilities had kept her alive on a few occasions. But, she considered Na'Grom a friend. She wouldn't mess around in her head without permission. And, since she couldn't get permission without revealing that she was a rogue telepath, she wouldn't ask. "Na’fariki? No clue what it means, but I might know someone who does. Stay here; we will be back soon. Rudy come on we got work to do." as he stood up Rudy came to and followed him out. "Where are we going, Doruk?" "I want to find out a few things for them, and you're going to help me. After all, you owe them that much." Na'Grom knew that she hadn't been understood, and it hurt. It was yet another disappointment for the heap, and the straw that broke the camel's back. She watched the Ranger leave without understanding his words, suspecting another abandonment and scolding herself for her moment of hope and faith. Scowling, she slumped back into her favorite corner and glared at the only person left to glare at, Zoe. With no small effort, she tried to string together words that would be understood. "Earther words teach you me!" she demanded. Zoe looked up, startled. Na'Grom's harsh words had caught her by surprise. Well, she would be upset too if she was stuck in a place where she barely spoke the language and no one had any idea what she was talking about. Zoe nodded. "I'll teach you," she said. *** *** *** "Well?" Banek waited for Sheridan's response to his request. "Am I to understand that you want to use Babylon 5's resources to help you strip these worlds?" Sheridan asked, aghast. "Only a white star or perhaps a fighter escort." "Only?" Sheridan scoffed. "I don't know if you've noticed, Mr. Banek, but we're a little busy with a war right now, several wars in fact." "Well, if you think a few small commercial transports filled with scientists and archaeologists can hold their own against raiders with plasma cannons, IPX will go it alone. I hope you can sleep at night after that decision." Kathryn could tell Banek was playing for sympathy by bending the truth a little. His "small, commercial transports" would in actuality be large enough to create their own jump points. Even so, as civilian craft, they wouldn't be armed. Banek continued. "Whatever you decide, if we don't do something now, the whole of the Markab civilization will have been sold on the black market. All I need is an okay and I'll have my people send our ships, with or without an escort." That was another white lie. The ships were already on the way. Sheridan grudgingly relented. "You'll get an escort if we can spare it AND if you get permission from the League of Non-Aligned Worlds." "I was beginning to wonder why I was called here." said San, a quiet Brakiri who sat back from the table a bit, apart from the others. "The official position of the League is one of indifference. We have more pressing concerns now than what happens to a dead system. Do what you will. But know that we will not be held accountable for any misfortune that befalls your expedition. While the winds of war do not blow through that sector at this moment, this is a most...unwise...time to go treasure hunting." "I couldn't have said it better myself." Sheridan concurred. "There are border wars and skirmishes everywhere." "What else is new?" Banek sighed. "War happens. That's your business. You take care of your business and we'll take care of ours." Banek rose from the table, gathering his syllabi and charts. "We'll expect an escort when the ships arrive." he said. "Ambassadors, Captain." He nodded to each, then made his exit. Kathryn followed him out "I love a good verbal sparring match with the Cap now and then." Banek said as he and Kathryn walked down the hall. "Keeps me in practice for the next time my sister calls. So, Miss Parker, what did you think? Any impressions or concerns?" "I think you may get your escorts," Kathryn replied, "just because the Captain wouldn't want to be responsible if something happens to those ships." She put a hand to her forehead. The anger she had felt in that room was giving her a splitting headache. "What about Delenn?" Mr. Banek asked. "She was too quiet. I was expecting a few thousand more moral objections from her. And that San character... I can't shake the feeling that that was as much a threat as a warning. Brakiri space is very near the Markab sector. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if they were stripping the place themselves, but didn't want anyone to know about it. But...I'm probably just being paranoid again." "I don't know. The impression I got from Delenn was that she was so upset about the Markab plague that she didn't even want to be there, let alone argue about it. You might be right about San, though." "Well, thanks for your input. You've got the rest of the afternoon off. Take it easy. You look like you could use a rest,” he said. "I'll be sure to start paying off my bail when I credit your account. It might take me a little while. I seem to be coming up short this month." "Don’t worry about it," she replied, suppressing a sigh. "Whenever you can pay me back is fine." Kathryn headed for her quarters. As much as she needed the rest, she only stayed long enough to grab a few things before heading for Downbelow. She wanted to check on a few rogue telepaths there. Kathryn shivered as she walked through the dark corridor. Downbelow was always so cold. She ducked into an empty room to change clothes and cover her face. Being recognized down here would not be good. When she came out of the room, she was almost unrecognizable. At least, she hoped she was. Victor asked, his thoughts tinged with annoyance. He and several other telepaths were sitting on the floor. she replied. Victor was always like this, but his criticism still hurt. Kathryn reached into the bag she had brought with her. She handed each person a blanket and some food. she asked. Andrea sent. Paying Banek's bail had nearly emptied Kathryn's account. Coming up with money to help her friends was going to become a lot more difficult. Before leaving, Kathryn changed back into her normal clothes. She slipped on the black gloves and pinned the hated symbolto her shirt, repressing a small shudder. On her way out, Kathryn saw two children, one human and one Narn. Zoe cringed as a woman in a Psi Corps uniform walked toward her. She only hoped that she would walk by without noticing her. But, she stopped and looked straight at Zoe. She wanted to run, but she was too frightened to move. "Hi," the she said, kneeling down beside Zoe and Na'Grom. "I'm Kathryn." When the human child looked up at her, Kathryn could feel the girl's fear. The poor kid was absolutely terrified of something, but Kathryn didn't know what. Zoe didn't know what to make of this. Was it some kind of a trap? Or, was it possible that this woman didn't know she was a telepath? "I'm Zoe," she said hesitantly. Na'Grom eyed the stranger with suspicion. Though well dressed, she didn't seem to have anything accessible worth stealing. She wore a strange pin that might have fetched a few credits, but snatching it would be a feat that wasn't yet within her skill. Na'Grom said nothing. She only smiled darkly since what she took to be the stranger's name sounded like the Narn word for "broken." *** *** *** "Why do I have to stay here, Doruk? Why can't I come with you?" Rudy asked as they came to the door of Lennier's quarters. "You know that after that last little incident you aren't allowed in any of the ambassador's rooms except here." Doruk buzzed the door and waited for it to open. "Can't anyone take a joke? I returned it didn't I? After all, how was I supposed to know that Londo cared so much about that stupid octopus looking statue?" The door opened and out stepped Lennier. "Ah Ranger Doruk, and little Rudy. What can I do for you today?" Doruk half-guided and half-pushed Rudy into the room. "Just watch him for me. I need to go talk to someone." With that Doruk turned around and walked away. "All right," Lennier said to Doruk's back. "I'll look after him." Doruk walked up to a door that was flanked by two not so happy looking Narn bodyguards. "I need to see G'kar." The two Narns stepped in front of him and then looked at each other. One of the guards spoke up. "He doesn't want to see anyone. Come back latter." "He will see me. Now step aside." Doruk stared down the guards. He knew this wasn't proper procedure but he wanted to get back to Downbelow quickly; he hated leaving it unprotected. The Narns nearly fell over laughing at the threat from the puny Earther who stood in front of them. "Ha, ha good one. Now for that joke we will let you leave without injury." The first chuckled. The second opened his mouth to say something but soon was on the ground as a metallic object came from nowhere, bashing him in the head. The first guard tried to grab his sword, but a flurry of blows knocked him off his feet. Doruk put up his pike and opened the door. "Thank you for moving out of the way." he said as he entered G'Kar's office "What is the meaning of this outrage!" G'kar yelled as Doruk strolled in. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, but I must speak with you quickly and , well, patience is not one of my greatest virtues." Doruk answered as he took a seat in front of G'Kar's desk. "Ah, Ranger Doruk." G'Kar said. It had taken him a moment to recognize the Ranger. "I have heard Delenn speak very highly of you. Very well, let us talk, but, be warned, Delenn will hear of what you did." "I understand. I was wondering if you could tell me what Na'fariki means? A Narn said something about it in Down Below." "Literally, it means 'mindwalker.'" G'Kar explained. "It is the expression which my people use to describe a telepath. Curious. Can you tell me, was anything else mentioned?" Doruk stood up. "No, she didn't speak much English, but I'll see if I can bring her to you." With a quick bow he headed for the door. First, he would check on Rudy, and then he'd go find Na'Grom and Zoe. A Ranger's work was never done. *** *** *** After watching in dissatisfaction as a couple of chained Narn shuffled his chair around the room to a series of locations, Fendin Braydo gave up and sent them away. He didn't want to miss the executions. Most of them were simple affairs. Groups of savages were either put up against a wall and shot or locked up in a vault and gassed to death. However, as a special diversion for the unfortunate Centauri nobles marooned on this mangled lump of rock, three of today's numerous executions would be performed in the Administrative Compound by one of the Republic's finest pain technicians for their enjoyment. He was quite looking forward to it, hoping to see one of the beastly creatures slowly garroted. It was one of his favorite methods. As it turned out, the night's entertainment was lacking. Oh, the executions were mildly diverting, but the fare was appalling. The spoo was far too fresh, leading him to believe Narn were being use as kitchen staff. The idea put him off eating for fear of another tedious attempt to poison him. Also, the pain technician was sadly far too preoccupied with cutting. Watching the meat sliced off the mildly sedated victims only served to make the Governor hungry. Before the close of the event, he excused himself to see if he could get a sandwich without threat of another poisoning. *** *** *** Kathryn wondered what the young Narn was smiling about. She gave Zoe a questioning look. "Na'Grom doesn't talk much," Zoe said. "She doesn't speak English very well." "I see," Kathryn replied. "So, how did you end up down here?" Zoe paused, not sure how to answer Kathryn's question. Obviously, she couldn't tell her the truth, but Zoe was a lousy liar. "My family came here because, um, my dad lost his job," she said. "He was hoping that he could find work here, but he didn't find anything decent. So, we ended up down here." Okay, now how was she going to explain why her father wasn't still with her? "He, uh, got killed in an accident, and I was on my own after that." Zoe only hoped that Kathryn would believe her Kathryn had the feeling that Zoe wasn't telling her the truth, but she didn't pursue it. "Do you need anything?" Kathryn asked. "I can get you food, or water, or something." "You would do that?" Zoe asked. "We have water, but not all that much. Food would be good, though." Despite her fear of being caught by the Corps, Zoe was beginning to trust Kathryn. She wasn't ready to let her guard down completely, though. "Oh, and Na'Grom said something about Na'fariki. You don't know what that means, do you?" Kathryn shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't. I can take care of the food and water, though." Why must everyone speak Earth words hear but not Narn, Na'Grom pondered in frustration. Earth was but one small world in a huge galaxy. They were only recently gifted with space flight. Why was their tongue suddenly universal while hers was largely unknown? It was maddening. She listened as the Earthers tossed and mangled Sha'Grall's last word between them, trying to guess at it's meaning. Their lack of comprehension was as plainly written on their faces, as was her ignorance of what they spoke of in their own tongue. Food and water she knew, but the rest of the dialogue was incomprehensible. She passed the time pondering the stranger's pin. Was it decoration, or did it have meaning? When their conversation came to a lull, she decided to ask after it. "What?" she said, pointing at the symbol Kathryn wore. *** *** *** Rudy was bored, Lennier was fun for a while, but he didn't want to stay cooped up in a place like this for long. He sort of wished Delenn was there, because every now and then she would show him around the station. Once, he even got to see Kosh's ship. A little idea came into his head; he wasn't going anywhere anyway, so he really had nothing to lose. "Lennier, I'm tired. Can I go lay down?" "Okay, your usual spot I presume. Let me get the blankets." Lennier stood up and headed for a nearby closet. Rudy waited and quietly sneaked snuck up behind him. He threw his body into the door, shutting Lennier in and then grabbed a nearby chair to brace the door. "Hey let me out of here! Just wait till Doruk and Delenn find out!" "I'll be back. We both know Doruk; he needs me by now," he called out as he walked out the door. Doruk was a nightmare; he didn't seem to understand the idea of not biting off more than he could chew. He spent half of his time in down below while spending the other half in Medlab. Rudy wasn't about to let him get into trouble again. He headed back towards Downbelow. *** *** *** Jaza intercepted Doruk as he made his rounds. He looked worried. That was never a good sign. "You have always asked me to keep an eye out for the unusual, my friend, and I regret that I again have something to report. Some ships just drifted through the jumpgate: civilian craft. There wasn't a life sign to be found on any of them. No power either, or I would have gone to investigate myself. I fear that hundreds of people have just had their lives switched off along with their ships." "Today just isn't my day," Doruk replied. "Could it be the shadows? Well, see if you can find some more information on it while I get back to Rudy; the little guy is just as bad as I am. He thinks he's invincible." Doruk headed towards Delenn's. He hadn't walked long when Lennier found him. "Where's Rudy?" "He tricked me and trapped me in a closet. He said he was going to help you." "Argh, why that little...Never mind that right now. I'll take care of him. I need you to see if you can find anything about a group of ships that have run into some trouble. It seems that the crew is missing and I just have a bad feeling about it. Lennier nodded and walked off obviously still angry at Rudy. Doruk headed for Downbelow, sure that Rudy would be going there as well. And, knowing him, the kid had probably gotten himself into trouble by now. *** *** *** Rudy turned the corner only to see a Psi Cop talking to the Narn and the other girl. Fear set in. Doruk had told him to stay away from Psi Cops. Well, at any rate he had to get by her in order to get back to his home and maybe find Doruk. He walked slowly, trying to make out the conversation that the group was having. Then, he noticed the Narn point at the symbol, and he realized that the Narn had just now figured out that she was talking to a Psi Cop. He was guessing the Narn wasn't going to be to happy about it, either. He was scared, but he had yet another idea. Just like everyone else, he hated the Psi Cops; he had watched one of friends get beaten by a group of them only because he saw what they did to a rogue telepath. Maybe he could lead the woman off, until Doruk arrived. But Doruk would probably either get himself killed or he'd run into a large group of people with PPG’s. Doruk seemed to attract trouble. No, he had to save them himself, but how? Kathryn looked at Na'Grom. How could she possibly explain what her Psi Corps pin meant in terms that the Narn girl could understand? "It's because I'm a telepath," she said slowly, trying to let Na'Grom catch each word. She paused, waiting to see if Na'Grom understood. Na'Grom looked hopelessly to Zoe for clarification of Kathryn's answer. Then, she resolved to save all further questions for the next Narn she saw. She was getting nowhere with the Earthers. She'd been sitting around too long *almost* chatting with them. It would soon be time to move on. She'd heard rumors of a meeting today. The Narn of the station were gathering to take stock of their situation. She planned to be there, if only for the familiarity of the company. Zoe tried to help Na'Grom understand what Kathryn had said, wanting to keep her promise that she would teach the Narn to speak English. She pointed to Kathryn. "Telepath," she said, touching her forehead with one hand. She repeated the gesture and the word. Zoe knew that her gesture wasn't perfect; it was like playing charades. Touching her head ought to get Na'Grom to think about "mind" or "thoughts," and she might make the connection to what "telepath" meant that way. Na'Grom was puzzled at first, but the answer finally dawned on her. It couldn't be this easy. She couldn't have just been practically tripped over by one of the very people she was supposed to find. Things just didn't work that way. Nevertheless, she quickly and excitedly began speaking in Narn, thoroughly confusing her listeners. She rose to her feet and motioned for them to follow her. A huge smile broke across Zoe's face when she realized that Na'Grom understood. She and Kathryn followed Na'Grom. Zoe wondered briefly where they were going. Rudy couldn't believe it. Just when he thought there was going to be a fight, the Narn became friendly. He looked around and realized that he hadn't been noticed. Silently, he followed the small group through the halls of Downbelow, hoping that they wouldn’t realize that he was behind them. A few moments, later, though, Kathryn sensed his presence and turned around. "Who's there?" she asked. "Doruk, where are you when I need you?" Rudy whispered under his breath. Being caught twice in one day was really bad; it was sure to crush his self-esteem. With no other alternatives left, he decided to do the only thing he knew: act stupid and hope they forgot about him. "Uh…" was his answer as he stepped out of the shadows to be seen by the group. "Hi," Kathryn said, trying to put the kid at ease. She could tell that he was terrified. "I'm Kathryn. What's your name?" "Umm..." was the only answer Rudy gave to Kathryn's question, but what if the other's recognized him? At this moment, Na'Grom looked back to see she'd lost her Mindwalker. She backtracked and found her talking with the shifty little Earther that had tried to make off with her medkit. As before, the boy was having trouble talking. Na'Grom wondered if he spoke the language. "Hey," Zoe said when she recognized Rudy, "that's the little punk that tried to steal Na'Grom's medkit! Get lost, kid!" It wasn't because she was afraid he'd try his little tricks again that Zoe wanted him to take a hike. She didn't really have anything worth stealing, and Na'Grom could obviously take care of herself. But, she was extremely ticked off at him. Rats! They remembered him! Rudy gave Zoe a quick smirk, and said "No!" Then, he waited for Doruk to show up and save his butt like usual. Zoe just glared at the little brat, resisting the urge to haul off and deck him. "Don't do that again," Kathryn said to Rudy. Her tone was firm, but there was no anger in her voice. She knew it was hard to get by down here without stealing, but if the kid tried to take something from the wrong person, he was likely to get himself killed. And, if it he ended up in a fight with Na'Grom, she couldn't imagine him winning. Na'Grom was unconcerned about the reappearance of the quick-handed little Earther. She was confident that she would be quicker if he should unwisely seek to rob her again. In the end, she was sure he'd be frightened off when he saw where they were going. A gathering of dispossessed Narn was no place for the uninvited.