From: avril cullen Subject: The Glistening Stars Above 1/? Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 20:18:31 +0100 The Glistening Stars Above... Disclaimer: - JMS and Warner Brothers own the rights to Babylon 5 and all its characters. Maggie Donnelly and some others are mine. The Glistening Stars Above- "In order to understand Joy, you must appreciate Sorrow; Peace you must experience War, and in order to know Life, you must know Death." A Wise Woman - Earth Part 1 He held her in his arms, cradling her body as if his very touch could will her back to life. Delenn watched, tears in her eyes. His face was a mask, but his eyes.... The sorrow of the universe filled those eyes. He just sat there holding her body, not moving. Delenn continued to watch, hours passed. There was no sound. She felt a soft touch against her shoulder. She looked up. It was John. She motioned to him to join her. "Delenn, we must leave," Sheridan whispered. "We cannot stay here. The Earth Alliance fleet is regrouping." "John, he needs time. I am afraid for him," she replied. "Delenn, we haven't got time. We must go now." Delenn sighed. "I know. I will go to him." Slowly Delenn rose and went over to where the grieving Ranger sat. "Marcus, we must go." He ignored her. "Marcus," she repeated touching his shoulder. Still he did not reply. Delenn reached down and gently placed her hands on his. She slowly began to draw his hands away from the woman he loved. He did not resist her. "Marcus, you must let her go. Let John take her." She motioned to Sheridan to join them. Sheridan moved over. He gazed at the dead body of his friend. He could not believe she was gone. He reached down and eased her body away from Marcus. Marcus whimpered slightly. Sheridan turned to look at the Ranger. Marcus's eye were blank. Delenn put her arms around him. "Marcus come with me," she said gently.She helped the Ranger off the ground and took his hand, leading him out of the ruined command centre. He followed her blankly. As they left she turned to Sheridan, her face lined by sorrow. Sheridan lifted Susan's body up. She was light in his arms. Her long hair had fallen loose, and covered her face, hiding the bruises. She looked like she was asleep. "Dammit," John whispered. "Why did you have to die? Not now! Not after all we've been through. Not after all we've achieved. Why Susan, why?" ---------------------------------- 2261 - The Past Sheridan smiled as he listened to his First Officer arguing with Marcus. They had been bickering for nearly an hour now, and from the corner of his eye Sheridan could see that they were both enjoying it. Marcus had a grin on his face and was trying hard not to laugh as Susan became more and more flustered. Sheridan thought. Sheridan stirred slightly as Delenn slid up beside him. She slipped her tiny hand into his. He turned and smiled at her. "What are you smiling at?" she asked. "Just thinking how determined Marcus is," he replied. "Marcus?" she asked curiously as she turned to look at the couple on the other side of the room. "Ah, yes!" Delenn smiled "I see, poor Marcus!" "Poor Marcus!" replied Sheridan with a chuckle. "Poor Susan more like. She's the one that has to listen to him rabbit on and on, day after day." Delenn rapped him on the knuckles and gave him a stern look." Marcus does not .. How did you put it? He does not rabbit on. Actually Marcus is quite shy." Sheridan raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Shyness is not a word I would have associated with Marcus Cole. Maybe if you had said manic yes, but not shyness." Delenn sighed, and her frown deepened. She grabbed Sheridan's hand and led her out of the War-room. "Walk with me a while." Sheridan stared at her, and then followed. Curious as to what this was about. As he did so, he was struck by how much he loved her. He was often amazed by the depth of his love for this slight, sometimes alien woman. But he loved her none the less. Perhaps it was her passion for life, her faith, her understanding, her strength. As they walked down the corridor, she leaned her head against his shoulder, slipping his arm around her tiny waist. John thought. But he knew that she was the stronger of the two of them. They stopped in front of a view port. The glistening blackness of space before them. Delenn took his hands in hers, motioning for him to sit on a nearby bench. "John, how much do you know about Marcus ?" she asked, looking at him directly. Sheridan was surprised at the grave tone in her voice. "Only what you have told me," he replied. "And that is?" she urged. "That he joined the Rangers after his brother died. That you trust him with your life. That you think he's special," Sheridan grinned. "No more?" she asked. Sheridan shrugged in reply. He wondered where this conversation was going. Now that he thought about it he realised that he truly knew very little about Marcus. "Do you know where he comes from? " Delenn asked. "Where are his family? Do you even know what age he is?" Sheridan shook his head. "I don't understand Delenn. Why are you asking me this? "Do you know the answers to any of these questions?" she insisted, her voice more forceful. "Dammit, no" Sheridan replied, angry at this stage. "Neither do I," replied Delenn gently, a sad smile on her lips. Sheridan stared at her stunned. "I would have thought that you knew everything about him," he stuttered. "No, " Delenn answered, shaking her head. " I only know this much. When Marcus came to Minbar, it was to fulfil a promise to his dead brother. You know he died when the Shadow allies attacked his home colony. Marcus returned too late. When he arrived on Minbar he was......, " Delenn paused. "He was different. He was "Z'at'r", like one who has lost his soul. He barely spoke, he was dying. He had lost everything and everyone and he wanted to join them. They had left him behind, all alone. Only his vow to his brother prevented him from joining them." Sheridan turned to look at her. "How did he get to be a Ranger?" Delenn smiled. " At first the others would not let him join. They felt his motives were wrong. Even Rathenn felt he could not make a true Ranger." She smiled. "In a way he was right. Marcus is very different from the others. Only Jeffery stood by him. I think he saw something in the broken man before him. Something precious, Something that should not be wasted. Jeffrey took him as his protege and trained him. I believe it was quite difficult. It took him a long thing to get Marcus out of his shell. To want to live again." "Marcus has buried himself in his work. Everything he does is his work. Sometimes still I worry about him. He will not talk of what happened on his homeworld. It is still too painful. Sometimes, I am afraid he will be lost again. When I see him with Susan, I can see the hope in his eyes. He has found love again. But I can also see the fear. He has already been hurt so much. I am afraid for what will happen to him, if she breaks his heart..." "Susan would never deliberately hurt him, " Sheridan replied, trying to defend his friend. "I know that," Delenn sighed. "But what if she dies ? We are at war, John. We do not know from one day to the next what the future brings. I knew the heart-ache and pain of losing the one I loved." She reached up and gently caressed his cheek. "I thought my world had ended, but I was fortunate, you returned to me. I could not imagine what it would do to Marcus to lose someone he cared for again." ------------- Present - As Sheridan carried Ivanova's body, he thought of Delenn's words so long ago. He had seen Marcus's face. The emptiness in those eyes. It frightened him. Suddenly he feared that he had not just lost Susan but Marcus as well. End - Part 1 Avril Marcus Deprivation Sufferer, Former repressed anger sufferer, have been taking Marcus lessons! Works too! Finally folks Part 2. Many thanks to the wondeful Elaine for editting, despite her arm. I promise part 3 wont take as long. The Glistening Stars Above - Part 2 Disclaimer: - JMS and Warner Brothers own the rights to Babylon 5 and all its characters. Maggie Donnelly and some others are mine. The Glistening Stars Above- "In order to understand Joy, you must appreciate Sorrow; Peace you must experience War, and in order to know Life, you must know Death." Part 2 Lennier sat in the semi-darkened room keeping his vigil as Delenn had asked. It had been six days since Susan Ivanova had died and in that time Marcus had neither spoken nor moved from the corner of the room. Delenn had bought him back to her quarters from the White Star, and since then he had retreated into himself. Stephen Franklin would return from Mars tomorrow and until then Delenn had felt it more appropriate to leave Marcus be. Lennier did not understand much about human grief but he knew how strongly Marcus had felt about Susan Ivanova. In many ways Marcus's reaction was like that of a Minbari. On Minbar when someone you cared for died, those left behind would often find solace in a vigil of prayer and abstinence. When Sheridan had been lost at Z'ha'dum, Delenn had taken a similar path. On that occasion both Lennier and Franklin had worried about her health. As half human, she was not able for the full ritual, Marcus even less so. Already even after only a few days without food or drink, he was pale and gaunt. Lennier gazed over at the man, sitting silently in the corner, staring blankly. Both Lennier and Delenn had taken turns to watch over him but Delenn was also concerned over the Captain's reaction to Ivanova's death. They planned to hold Ivanova's funeral the next day. Sheridan would perform the ceremony. The realisation that he would be burying his friend had finally bought home the reality of her death to him. When everyone had left C&C earlier, Sheridan had collapsed weeping. Lennier understood that too. The Captain and Ivanova had been friends for along time. More than just friends, comrades and allies. Losing Ivanova was like loosing a part of himself. Delenn had returned to her quarters earlier to ask Lennier to watch over Marcus a little longer. "I am sorry Lennier, but John..... he needs me to be there with him. He will not admit it, but Susan's death had been a great blow to him. I need to be there for him, to help him with his pain." She glanced at the dark dishevelled figure in the corner. "Lennier, what should I do?" she asked. "Marcus needs me also." Her voice trembled in sorrow as she looked at her friend. Lennier gently took Delenn's arm and guided her towards the door. "I will watch over Marcus," he replied. "You are right. You should be with the Captain. He needs your comfort. I will call you if anything happens." That had been hours ago. Lennier had kept his promise to Delenn and watched over the silent Ranger. He was tired, the events of the last few days had taken their toll on them all. Slowly Lennier felt his eyes closing, he was unable to stop. he thought to himself. Then he felt a sudden chill as if a breeze had blown through the room and he opened his eyes. There was nothing there, the door was still closed. He turned to glance over at Marcus and rose quickly. The Ranger had gone. -------------------------------------------------- She lay on the bed, her long hair behind her, her face like porcelain, her beauty marred only by the vivid bruise on her forehead. Slowly he reached down to caress her cheek. It felt so cold, so still. The silence in the room overwhelmed him. He felt his grief and sorrow raise up and tears fell. "Why did you leave me?" he whispered, as he touched her pale skin. "Why? " He bent down and kissed her lips, placing a shining object on her breast. And then as silently as he had slipped into the room he was gone, leaving the shadows to return to their silent vigil. ---------------------------------------------------- "What do you mean he's gone?" Sheridan roared accusingly at the smaller man. "I am deeply ashamed Captain. I only closed my eyes for one minute and then he had disappeared." Lennier glanced over at Delenn who was standing in the corner staring at the object in her hands. It was an I'shil'zha, the same one that Marcus had left by Susan Ivanova's body before he had disappeared. They had searched the entire station but the Ranger was nowhere to be found It was as if he no longer existed. "John, it is not Lennier's fault. Marcus wishes to be alone and we must respect his wishes." "And how the hell can you be so sure of that?" shouted Sheridan across the room. "John, there's is no need to..." Delenn started to reply. Sheridan sighed and sat down. "I'm sorry Delenn. You too Lennier. I shouldn't have shouted at either of you. You're right! This is no-one's fault. Its just the last few days it feels like everything is falling apart. I don't know what to do anymore.." Delenn went over and sat down beside Sheridan. She reached forward and placed his head on her shoulder, wiping away his tears. "John, it will be all right Fate manages. We will manage." As she spoke she glanced at the jewelled brooch in her hand. "Marcus has left us for now. But when it is time he will return." End Part 2. Marcus Deprivation Sufferer, Former repressed anger sufferer, have been taking Marcus lessons! Works too! --------------- END b5-creative.v001.n412 --------------- From: avril cullen Subject: glistening stars above 3 Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 13:11:08 +0100 Folks here's part 3. the rest will follow in a while, real life interferes. All comments are welcome. THE GLISTENING STARS ABOVE - Part 3 Usual disclaimer stuff: B5 and its characters are JMS and Warners. Maggie's mine! God help me! 2264 - General John Sheridan sat in his office and watched his wife speaking on the monitor. "There has been an increase in activity around the Rim. Three of the Rangers have reported increased movement around the old Z'ha'dum jumpgate in the last few weeks. I have sent one of the White Stars to that area to investigate further." Sheridan frowned at this latest piece of news. "Anything we should be worried about Delenn?" he asked. "I am not sure. We have been unable to keep track of the movements of the Drakh and their allies in the last few months. That combined with this latest development has me slightly concerned." Sheridan smiled at Delenn's words. This small frail looking woman on the com-screen in front of him was one of the most powerful women in the known universe. When Delenn became concerned governments trembled. Noticing his smile, Delenn shook her head. "John, there is no need for you to join me here. Not at the moment. Both I and the baby will be fine. These are just rumours. Anyway, I am on Minbar," she smiled. "I will be quite safe." Sheridan's tone harshened slightly. "No offence to your people, Delenn, but someone's has tried to kill you twice on Minbar. For some strange reason this doesn't reassure me." Delenn's frown deepened. "You are right, but the situation here has calmed down since the civil war. And besides it would be a great insult to the Leader of the Gray Council to murder one of his personal friends." Sheridan chuckled out loud. "How is Lennier doing?" he asked. "He is managing very well. I think my former shy temple acolyte has the makings of a great leader. He has somehow managed to win both the respect of the religious and the warrior caste." Sheridan could see the obvious pride in Delenn's eyes as she spoke. "Lennier has agreed to a meeting between the three castes tomorrow to try and acknowledge the positions of those Minbari Rangers who fought in the war. I should be there to support him." "Of course I understand. It's just... Well..." Sheridan smiled sheepishly. "I miss you. I miss you here with me. I just want you here. Hopefully before the baby arrives!" Delenn's smile lit up her face. "I will be home shortly. In plenty of time for both you and Stephen to fuss over me. I should go now, John, and let you get on with your work. I miss you too." Sheridan shut down the monitor and smiled to himself. How things had changed in the last few years. Lennier had been chosen as the new leader of the reformed Gray Council, nearly 6 months ago now. Delenn had spent of lot of time since then with her former pupil offering him advice. Sometimes Sheridan wished that Minbar was nearer. Delenn was almost eight months pregnant and with their limited understanding of her mixed physiology, Franklin was concerned that she might deliver anytime. Sheridan tried to convince his wife to remain on the station but to no avail. Arguing with the woman who helped topple Clarke's government was a no-win situation, he thought to himself. It had been almost three years since the war with Earthgov had ended and the Babylon Accord, ensuring the independence of the Babylon Station, Mars and the colonies had been signed. Shortly after that the newly independent states, with the exception of Mars had formed the Babylon Alliance, a coalition of states and non-aligned worlds acting together to try and rebuild after the disaster of two wars. Times had been hard for every one. Much had been lost on both sides. So much loss, so much pain, Sheridan thought. Unable to return to Earth after the end of the War, he had returned to the Station. There were too many on Earth who hated him for what he had done and what he represented. The Traitor and his Minbari Whore they called him. Too much bitterness, too many dead. After a while he had been approached by the young Alliance to help reassemble their military. There had been too many attacks by preying Raiders, and everyone still feared the presence of the Drakh and their allies. He had accepted the position, with its nominal title of General. It allowed him to remain on the station, which felt like his only home now. Even though technically it was under the command of a former Earthforce renegade, Maggie Donnelly. Also, Delenn had been appointed Ambassador to the Alliance, letting them both live on the Station together, in some form of peace, near to their friends. Those few who were still alive. Shortly afterwards they had married. It had been a simple ceremony, Brother Theo and Rathenn performing a mixed human/Minbari ritual. Delenn had hoped that Marcus would have resurfaced for the ceremony, but the Ranger remained hidden. Both of them had felt the loss of Susan and Marcus at the ceremony. Strange, thought Sheridan. Even after all this time I still miss her. He leaned over and picked up a heavy black object from his desk. Maggie Donnelley had graciously allowed him the use of his old office, having holed herself up in a makeshift room on C&C. He had been surprised to find the remnant of the Black Star that Susan had given him still there. It often reminded him of his old friend and the price they had paid for victory. He lifted it and felt the weight in his hand. Dammit Susan, he thought. You should be here to see what we have done, what we have built. I wanted you to see my child. I wanted him to know you. Sheridan's musings were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. He looked up to see the Station Commander, standing there. "May I come in General?" she inquired, in her distinctive soft lilt. "Certainly Captain." He gestured to her to enter and to sit down. Maggie Donnelley was a tall woman, with a soft voice and quiet manner. She was also one of the most efficient officers he had ever served with. Her manner hiding her determination and resolve. Physically she often painfully reminded Sheridan of Ivanova. Tall, dark hair, pale skin. But unlike the particularly neat Ivanova, Maggie's shoulder length hair was wild, falling erratically into her green eyes, hinting at her more outgoing personality. Yes, thought Sheridan, so alike but so different. Career military, Maggie had finally taken a stand against Clarke's Government following the attack on civilian ships at Proxima 3. She had refused to fire on an unarmed liner, and when attacked had been forced to shoot down one of her own ships. Afterwards she had fled Proxima and joined Ryan's fleet on Orion. She had proven to be an uncompromising and fiercely determined addition to Ryan's fleet. When the war had ended Ryan had suggested her name to Sheridan as Station Commander, following Ivanova's death. It had been an inspired choice. Maggie's easy going nature and sense of humour had allowed her to fit in well. It was true she liked to have things her way, and that lurking beneath the charm was a temper that rivalled that of Ivanova's, but she rarely lost it, preferring to talk her way out of situations. But that did not take away from her expertise and ability, she knew exactly what was going on, where and to whom, everywhere on the galaxy. Very little slipped by her. "Penny for your thoughts Captain?" Maggie interrupted, with a slight smile. Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about the past," Sheridan replied and he placed the Black Star back on his desk. "Any news from Ambassador Delenn about the situation on the Rim?" she asked, changing the subject. "I didn't know that you were aware of that particular problem," he responded. Maggie twisted her head and grinned slyly. "I just happened to be in a bar Downbelow and overheard two of our finer examples of Station life, Grimes and Ford. I think you know them." Sheridan's eyebrows rose at this admission. Both were smugglers and criminals of a particularly nasty strain. What Maggie had been doing in a bar with them was beyond him. "Anyway, they were discussing the new opportunities all the movement at the old Z'ha'dum jumpgate was bringing. Seemingly someone is very interested in getting arms to that area." "They told you all this, did they?" Sheridan asked, astonished. "Mmm, not really. I was kind of out of uniform at the time and they had no way of knowing who I was. It must have been my honest face, made them trust me." Sheridan laughed out loud at her audacity. "God-Dammit Maggie, you're impossible. You're telling me you just walked into a bar sat down beside these two notorious smugglers, and got them to tell you everything?" "Something like that!" she replied, her eyes lighting up with glee. "Maggie, you have got to be more careful. One of these days someone is going to recognise you, and you'll get yourself killed. Then what am I going to do for someone to run this Madhouse!" Maggie frowned, "General, I am a grown woman. Well able to take care of myself. I have been hanging around dives like that since I was four years old. Besides, the only people in danger there were the two of them." Sheridan smiled at the younger woman's claims. Suddenly he was struck by a story Delenn had once told him about Marcus. Sheridan shook his head. Same lack of fear and belief in the impossible. "Dammit Maggie, you remind me of an old friend. He would have done the same thing." "You know he once walked into a bar Downbelow. He sat down at one of the tables. It was surrounded by the roughest thugs and criminals around. And as polite as you like he explained to them that he was looking for information, and, if he didn't get it, in five minutes no-one at the table would be standing, and five minutes after that no-one in the bar." "And was he successful?" she asked innocently. "Yes, but he did have to wait for one of them to regain consciousness first!" Maggie laughed out loud. "I would like to meet that friend of yours someday. Sounds like my sort of man!" She stopped noticing the sad expression on Sheridan's face. "What happened to him?" she asked softly. "I take it he didn't survive the war." "No," Sheridan replied. "He survived. At least as far as we know. He disappeared over three years ago. No-one's heard from him since." Sheridan thought of the last time he had seen Marcus, his pale face, his haunted eyes. A sense of fear ran through him. "We don't even know whether he's dead or alive. We just don't know." ----------------------------------- The Rim: The dark figure ran through the tunnels, panting for breath as he tried to evade his pursuers. On a hunch he had come to this abandoned colony world almost two days ago. A tip had suggested that the Drakh were using this as a arms depot. But they had been waiting for him. He had managed to kill two of them and escape into the mining tunnels underneath the complex. He had hoped to lose them there, but they pursued him relentlessly. By this stage exhaustion and hunger were setting in. He was no longer sure of where he was. He had lost all track of direction hours ago. He had only one goal now, to evade the Drakh. But time was winning out and he was slowing down. He knew he would not be able to last much longer. He stumbled in the half-lit tunnel, falling heavily to the ground. He gasped at the sharp pain in his side as his ribs connected with a rock below. A wave of nausea swept through him, and he nearly gave in to the darkness. But he forced himself to get up, holding his damaged ribs with one hand. It was getting harder to breathe, pain and exhaustion blurring his vision. He heard the sounds of movement behind him, getting closer, and he forced himself onwards yet again. A smaller tunnel branched off to one side and he slipped in it hoping to lose them once more. He continued down the tunnel, the light fading. He turned on the small hand torch to see where he was going, balancing the risk of the faint light against that of falling into some crevice or chasm. He relaxed slightly, hearing the sound of his pursuers fading, as they passed the tunnel by. But then he came to the end of the tunnel. There was nowhere else left to go, a dead end. A wall of solid bedrock lay in front of him. He turned to retrace his steps when he heard voices getting closer. They had found the side-tunnel. He was trapped. He clawed frantically at the wall of rock, unyielding before him. Nails breaking, skin tearing. He had almost made it. Then slowly he lowered himself to the ground, gasping with the pain the movement bought. He placed the torch to one side. The Minbari had taught him well. How to face terror and how to face death. He did not fear death. Death and he had been close friends for almost three years now. He knew what he must do. He reached into his coat and pulled out the slim dark blade. It had no ornament or design on it. A simple yet lethal thing. The torch light reflected off its simplicity onto the pale face above. Sitting alone in the tunnel the dark-haired man began to pray. An ancient Minbari prayer, words he had almost forgotten. He had known that this time would come, he had been waiting patiently for it ever since she died. In many ways he welcomed it. Farther down the tunnel his pursuers heard the soft murmur of prayer, the soft Minbari words and hurried onwards. They could not fail in their objective. They would not let this one die. This one was too important. He had a role to play in their plans. End part 3. Marcus Deprivation Sufferer, Former repressed anger sufferer, have been taking Marcus lessons! Works too! From: avril cullen Subject: re: The Glistening Stars Above - part 4 Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 20:58:11 +0100 Okay folks, finally another part. Sorry about the delay, but I had to recover from Wolf, life and other exciting happenings. Hope you enjoy. insert; usual disclaimer The Glistening Stars Above - Part 4 ------------ Usual Disclaimer - JMS, Warner Brothers and now TNT own the rights to B5 and some of the characters herein. I'm just borrowing them. The rest, including Maggie Donnelly belong to me! Note: there may be slight spoilers within this. Its set in an alternate universe post season 4 so there may be hints to what happened in prior episodes. Otherwise everything else is just a figment of my very over active imagination ------------------------------ Part 4 2264 - one month later. Maggie sat back and stretched. Slowly she leaned forward and placed her glasses on the desk in front. She sighed. It had been one of those days. From the moment she had arrived at C&C, she had known things were going to get chaotic. Sheridan had been like a bear all morning. Delenn was almost at her expected due date, and was still on Minbar. He had contacted her and tried to convince her to return to the station, but no luck. The two of them had argued a lot, and finally Delenn had terminated the link with John. Maggie knew that it was just the stress affecting them both, but trying to convince Sheridan of that had been one hell of a pain in the ass. God-damn it, she thought. I run a space station. I'm not a bloody counselor. The sooner Stephen Franklin returned from Mars the better. Eventually Corwin had managed to contact Minbar and between them they had arranged to get Sheridan on the next available ship heading there. He had departed for Minbar two hours earlier. Thank God, she sighed. She understood Sheridan's worries and his concerns about Delenn, but he had been driving them all mad. Maggie had almost strangled him. At least now he could go annoy the Minbari instead. There was a gentle tap on the door and David Corwin entered. "Captain, it's been a long day. Why don't you take some time off?" he suggested. Maggie smiled at his concern. She and David had developed a good working relationship over the last year or so. She trusted him and his abilities, and she liked to think he trusted her in return. "Only if you join me Commander. Lt. Davies can mind the shop. Come on, I'm buying coffee." She rose and grabbed him by the arm, leading him to Earharts. ------------------------- The two of them sat a while just talking. They often did this. David had remarked once how unusual he had found it at first, having coffee and chats with his superior officer. Maggie had been surprised at this and asked whether Susan Ivanova had never joined the crew for breakfast. "Well, sometimes she, the Captain and the Doc got together. But I rarely socialised with her. She was my commanding officer. It wouldn't have been right." "I don't believe you," Maggie replied. "You must have had one non-work related moment with her." "Well, just once," he replied, "but I'm still not exactly sure that counts." " "Why?" Maggie asked, all curiosity. She would never have admitted it to anyone but coming to Babylon 5 and replacing the infamous Susan Ivanova had terrified her. She had heard so many stories about the Commander and how much Sheridan had thought of her. She had only met Ivanova once, but her reputation had preceded her. She admired the woman. Since arriving at the station she had taken great pains to learn all about it's former Commander. What she had learned had both surprised and puzzled her. Obviously people had thought a lot of Susan Ivanova, and admired her, but there was something else, a sense of great sadness when her name was mentioned, a sense of a life wasted. Corwin continued his tale. "I thought she had invited me on a date." "Really!" By now Maggie was all curiosity. "I didn't think Commander Ivanova was known for her romantic abilities." " Maggie, what an awful thing to say." Corwin blushed. She smiled. He really was such a sweet man. "Oh, go on!" "Well, I was wrong, She was actually interrogating me." "Wow, what a wonderful tactic!" Maggie interrupted. "Captain, do you want me to finish this story?" Corwin answered, feigning annoyance. "Okay, I'll be quiet," Maggie replied, looking suitably chastened. "She wanted to see if I was trust-worthy enough to be allowed onto the Warcouncil. This was before we split with Earth. She wasn't completely sure of where my loyalties lay." "Understandable, given the circumstances." Maggie nodded to him to continue. "Oh, it got worse than that. I had bought her flowers, you see!" "You bought Susan Ivanova, the Russian Ice Queen flowers....." Maggie was stunned. Corwin laughed. "Yep, a dozen red roses. Then I discovered what she thought about flowers and those who wasted money on them." "Oh dear!" Maggie sympathised. "So I had to pretend that I had found them outside the door. But that was not the funniest part. For some reason, she decided that Marcus Cole had sent them and blamed him. Poor guy, it was ironic really. You see, he really was in love with her and she never knew it. He had never told her, and then.... well then, it was too late." Corwin stopped and sighed. He stared down at his cup. Maggie paused and then broke the silence "Marcus Cole, I don't think I've heard his name mentioned before. Who was he?" she asked. Corwin smiled. "Marcus? Where to start? You had to know him. He was a Ranger. He acted as the regular liaison between the command staff and the Rangers. But he was more than that, he was one of the Warcouncil. He was quite of guy. He ran an underground information network that stretched from here to Proxima Three. He had more connections Downbelow than most of the rime-lords. Rumour had it he became a Ranger when his family were killed. I don't know whether that's true or not. But he had a certain sadness about him, as if he was waiting for something to go wrong. He once nearly died trying to protect Delenn, you know. She was very fond of him. She was distraught when he left." Maggie shook her head. "He left! What about himself and Ivanova?" "I'm not sure how that happened. He definitely wasn't her type. He just feel in love with her. Saw something special in her. Marcus could be like that. In a strange way he was very old-fashioned, very romantic. I think he still believed in honour and gallantry and all that." Maggie smiled at the image. "So was he there when she died?" "He was on the White Star with her when the explosion occurred." "Was he hurt?" "No, he only had minor injuries, at least physically. But mentally, he fell apart when she died. Wouldn't talk to anyone, wouldn't eat. Then the night before her burial, he left, without telling anyone. No-one has seen him since, not even Delenn." Maggie said nothing for a long time. She thought of her own father and his grief after her mother had died. The deep sadness and the pain of his loneliness. He had known happiness with Nessa. How terrible it was to love someone and to lose them before you even had the chance to tell them. Corwin's story saddened her. She sat for a long time, saying nothing. ----------------------------------- Tagawari stared at the line in front of him. It was one of those days. He casually checked the identi-cards as the crowd passed, only half paying attention. It was the usual collection of businessmen, travellers and misfits. Occasionally you would get someone exciting like an Ambassadorial aide, or a known criminal, but more often than not it was the same old boring day. Babylon 5, the centre of the known universe. Everyone wanted to see it, to visit the birthplace of the new dream. Some dream, Tagawari thought. His feet still hurt, his uniform still itched and he was two weeks behind on his rent. Wonderful! Lost in his thoughts he barely noticed the man handing him the identi-card. "William Drake," he read. "Your purpose on the station, Mr Drake?" he asked. "Business," replied the man with a soft English accent. Tagawari looked up. The face matched the photo on the Identi-card. A slightly built figure with a thin, pale face, dark hair and a beard. He was dressed well, an expensive wool suit, and carrying a single leather brief-case. A typical business man, maybe a little tired and haggard looking, but fitting the type. "And what kind of business might that be?" Tagawari inquired, running through the routine list of questions subconsciously. The man stared at him, eyes slightly glazed. Ten to one, that guy's a user, the security guard thought. Tagawari didn't feel like the hassle of checking this guy out. It was late, his shift nearly finished. Hell, he's possibly just a little zoned from the journey. "I sell rare books. I'm here to meet a client," Mr Drake answered after a short time. "Good business that! Selling rare books?" Tagawari asked. "It has it's moments," Drake replied. Tagawari decided to let him pass. "Well, good luck! Welcome to Babylon 5!" Drake moved on, limping slightly. -----------------------------. Maggie entered The Blue Nun and went to her usual table. She smiled at Kyle, the bartender and waited for him to bring her over her usual drink. She looked around. The place was quiet. Too early for most of the regulars. Just the way she liked it. The Blue Nun was not the most glamorous bar Downbelow but it had a certain charm. It reminded her of her father's place back home. The same dark lighting, the cheerful atmosphere. It was her home away from home. Kyle arrived over with her drink. "Well Captain, to what do we owe the honour of your presence here tonight? And so early too!" "Haven't you heard? Corwin evicted me from C&C," she replied. "Things that bad?" Kyle retorted. "No, not really. Just been one of those days." Kyle smiled at her and sat down beside her. "Tell me about it." When Maggie had first started drinking in Kyle's bar, most of the usual regulars had been horrified at the idea of a prominent member of the Command staff spying on them, but Maggie had made it clear she was just there to relax. Eventually they had gotten used to her presence, and accepted her as part of the crowd. They still went on with their various deals. But she tended to ignore most of it, and they conducted most of their more illegal business out of her way. Occasionally information would pass from one side to the other, but most of the time she just came here to relax. She and Kyle had been talking for a few minutes, when he suddenly stopped and stared. "God-damnit, well there's a face I never thought I'd see on this station again. Maggie turned to look in the direction he was facing. She spotted two men in a corner. The first was Balsco, a known drugs dealer and thief. The second she had never seen before, a slight dark- haired man in a black suit. "Who, the man talking to Blasco?" she asked. " Yea, I swear to God, hE looks like that Ranger. The one we all thought had died. Damn it! What was his name?" "What on Earth would a Ranger be doing dealing with Blasco?" she replied. "Besides he's not dressed as a Ranger. Kyle, maybe you've got it wrong." Kyle shrugged, frowning as he tried to remember the name. From the corner of her eye, Maggie watched as the two men finished their business and left. Suddenly Kyle remembered. "That's what his name was, Marcus Cole. I swear to God that guy was the spitting image of Marcus Cole." Maggie nearly choked on her drink as she heard the name. She thought of her earlier conversation with Corwin. There was no way it could be true. That's was too much of a coincidence. "Are you sure?" she asked Kyle, her sense of curiosity fully awake at this stage. "Fairly," he replied. Maggie quickly finished her drink and stood up. "Excuse me, Kyle. I think I need to go to see a Minbari about a Ranger. Back later." --------- Marcus entered the small dark room he had hired. It was basic, very little furniture. Just a mattress and a chair, with some cooking utensils. That was all he needed. It was luxurious compared to some of the places he had been. He faltered slightly as he moved across the room, his bad leg unable to bear too much of his weight. A wave of pain shot through him. Oh God, he needed to stop that pain. His hands shook as he opened the container he had picked up in the bar. He despised himself for doing this, but it was the only way to stop the voices, the only way to ease the pain. He opened the container and spilled out the drugs within. Slowly, as he was shaking so badly, he prepared them. He paused as the shakes got worse, the pain momentarily unbearable. "You're a coward," a voice in his head screamed at him. "No," he answered. "Its the only way. I've got to be in control. I've got to be able to stop them." A wave of nausea flooded through him and he crumpled to the floor gasping for breath. The buzzing in his head started again, a constant chatter of voices, ceaseless, slowly driving him mad. Always there, only banished by the haze of the drugs. He reached down and picked up the spray and injected himself. Slowly the drugs entered his system, calming him. First taking the chatter and then pain away. He eased back against the mattress on the floor. "A few minutes, then you'll be all right," he told himself. But he knew that was not true. It was taking more of the drug to be able to function, and with each time the effects faded quicker. Soon he wouldn't be able to control them anymore. He didn't have much time. He had to warn her. Tears of frustration and despair flowed dwon his cheeks. "Pull yourself together," he screamed to himself. "You know what you must do. They need you. You've got to stop them before they hurt her. You made a promise to protect her." Marcus pushed against the wall and eased himself up, gently testing his weak leg. The drugs were having their desired effect, only a minute twinge. He turned and limped out of the room. He had too much to do. End part four Avril resident dublin lush daft as a hatter and as hyper as the enigizer bunny on acid