From: creative-archive@anxst.com
Subject: A New Beginning
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 08:30:38 -0800 (PST)


First of all I have to apologize for the grammar mistakes. English in not my native language.

This story is placed after the Shadow War and before Ivanova's departure.

the standard disclaimers:

Sheridan, Garibaldi, Susan Ivanova, Talia Winters, Lennier, Vir, Alisa, Lyta, Draal, Delenn, Babylon 5 and etc. are all the property of JMS, PTEN and Warner Brothers.
They are used without permission but also without malice. 

Ok, enough chatter...on to the story....

			"A New Beginning"
						by beagle 



	The war was over and Susan was feeling miserable. While everybody was celebrating she was recovering from her injuries in the sickbay. Dr. Franklin was worried with her emotional stability and also with her physical.
	"Do you know that your telepathic abilities increased?"
	"My what?" Susan was shocked. She never thought that Stephen knew about that. "How did you know?"
	"I'm a doctor, Susan. Your doctor. I know everything about your body."
	She rose an eyebrow.
	"Lyta asked me to check you. She asked a brain scan."
	"How much increased?"
	"According to the scan, your telepathic ability is bigger than the scale offered by Psi-Corp. And it goes only until P12."
	In that moment Lyta entered the room. 'She looks tired' thought Susan.
	"I'm tired, Susan. You're a stubborn person, you know?"
	Since Ivanova didn't say a word. Lyta continued. 
	"I'm glad that you're awake. Everybody was worried with you. Can I talk to her in private, Stephen?"
	"Eh.. sure."
	After Stephen left, Lyta sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Susan.
	Five minutes later they haven't said a word to each other. Lyta was the first to talk.
	"He told you about the scan, didn't he?"
	"Yes, he did. How did you know?"
	"Kosh." Susan looked surprised. "The other Kosh." Lyta added. "Look, Susan. I know that is hard for you to accept that but after Marcus dead you passed away and when you arrived you had an burst. Your mind screamed so loudly that I almost passed away with the pain you caused in me and I was across the station and you're in the White Star. I don't know how you got here. Actually, nobody knows."
	"Why I have the feeling that you are not telling me the whole story?"
	"Why don't you look inside of my mind?"
	"What?"
	"Scan me"
	"I don't know how to do it"
	"Just look at me and concentrate."
	"I don't want do it." 
	"You have to."
	Susan looked to Lyta and it only took a few seconds.
	"You scanned me. I can't believed."
	"Susan, I didn't have a choice and you know that. You gave me a deep scan in just a few seconds. I had to entered in your mind to teach you haw to control your abilities. You're a powerful telepath, Susan."
	"What is my psi-rating?"
	"The official scale only goes to P-12. But if we use the Vorlons scale you're almost P-20. You could reach someone in a very large distance."
	Susan was shocked. She thought something and looked to Lyta.
	"Are you sure?"
	"Yes. You're the only telepath that I can trust."
	"Ok. I'll teach you everything that I know."
	
	Two days later Captain Susan Ivanova was back on duty. After the creation of the New Alliance, John Sheridan was now the new leader and gave the command of Babylon 5 to her. The C&C was quiet. Everybody was still celebrating the victory and was preparing the arrangements for the new alliance. John and Delenn were very happy with the discovery that Delenn is pregnant. Garibaldi was back to his old job. Stephen had recovered of the addiction, Lyta and Zack were trying an relationship 'Who you have thought' and Marcus was dead 'Why did he have to die? Why everyone that I love dies?'.
	Suddenly she started to feel lonely. 'Everybody has someone to celebrate with...' The lack of problem in C&C was driving her crazy. In a couple of hours her duty would over and she would be free. 'To do what?' she wonder... She hadn't felt this way in a long time, for almost three years, since 'Talia's departure. How could I love her the way I did? Why I still feels the way I do when I think about her? She is dead, Susan. Get used to it.'
	'This is not completely true, Captain.' 
	Susan felt the presence of the telepath.
	'Could you talk instead of doing this? I don't want everybody knows about it.'
	Lyta came closer. 
	"You're getting better, Captain."
	"I had a good teacher."
	"Your shift is almost over. I think we should have talk. I'll be in my quarters."  
	After Lyta left, Susan did something that she had never done before: she left her shift earlier and went to her quarters. She met Garibaldi in the way.
	"Hey Susan. Aren't you suppose to be on duty?"
	"I left earlier."
	"Are you okay? 
	"No, I'm not. I haven't been okay in three years."
	She left him wondering 'what the hell happened to her? Three years?'
	As soon as she arrived at her quarters and stepped inside the memories came back.
	'...    "Why don't you stay in my quarters tonight?"
		"Oh. I couldn't.
		"Come on, I like the company."
		"Are you sure?"
		"What I just said?"...
	That night in Susan's quarters was terrific. She had never felt that way with anyone. After two years fighting they realized almost too late that they are deeply attracted to each other. That night was the only night that Susan had loved Talia Winters without any fear...and then, the other day the Talia she knew was dead...'
	'So why that still scary me?' She was sure that the true Talia was dead. Bester told her that they had dissected the other one. 'How could she be alive?' That was the last thought before she fell asleep.
	
	Two hours later she woke up. Determined, she got dressed and left her quarters. 'What the hell am I doing?' she was thinking when Lyta opened the door.
	"I knew you would come sooner or later."
	"How did you know?"
	"About you and Talia?"
	Susan looked away.
	"She told me."
	"Excuse me?" Susan's jaw fell open.
	"Once, when Kosh was doing business with her, he recorded her personality in a data crystal. I don't know how did he manage to do it but he did. After his death I found it and put with some other things. When you had that burst I could read you so easily...that was the first thing that I got from you. And while you're recovering I decided to look in my stuff to see if I could find something else to teach you and I found this."
	Lyta gave the crystal to Susan. She stared at it, without taking her eyes from the crystal she asked if she could see it.
	Lyta left Susan alone, what she would do requires privacy.
	It was everything in there. Talia's feelings, memories, even her first thought of Ivanova, the change in her feelings. Lyta was watching Susan from the other side of the room, staring at her intensely. Susan only realized that she was crying when Lyta touched her. She took a deep breath before asking.
	"How do you know she's not dead?"
	"You are still here, aren't you?
	"What do you mean?"
	"Susan, when eh.... when I send the password to Talia's mind and the sleep program took over. Everything that the old Talia knew that new one knew too."
	"I still don't understand."
	"You loved her, didn't you?"
	Susan blushed.
	"Yes." Was the only thing that she could speak.
	"You're a powerful telepath and you were already when you two got involved. And since the Psi-Corps hadn't picked you yet it's because they don't know. She didn't tell then."
	"How could she know? She didn't scan me."
"When two telepath make love, the emotion that they feel is so intense that is almost like their souls have mixed, joined in one. When you and her...well...didn't you fell her thoughts? Her feelings?"
	Susan blushed even harder.
	"Yes"
	"So she also scanned you...even if you both didn't realized it"
	"So why she didn't turn me in?"
	"Because...she never reach Syria Planun."
	Ivanova felt like someone have just slapped her.
	"Where did she go?" 
	"I don't know... but I stole this from Bester."
	Lyta gave another crystal to Susan. She looked at it puzzled. It was another kind of data crystal. A new one.
	"I don't know what's inside. You need a password to get to the second part of it. It's Talia's briefing before she left B5 and after we discovered that she was Control."
	Susan picked up the Kosh's crystal and put it in her pocket then she put the other one to watch it. Talia's face appeared in the screen, she had an evil smile.
	 "Well, Bester. This time you really surprised me. The program is complete. And I'm going home. Tell the 13 that they will love the news that I have. I'm sending....Kosh!! What are you....ARGH!!!!!!!"
	"Please insert password" Susan looked to Lyta who just shock her head. She didn't know.
	"What Kosh did to her?"
	"I don't know Susan. Bester found this crystal in the middle of Talia's things. I don't believed that the message was for him. Don't you know the password?"
	"No."
	"Try to remember. She must have told you."
	"I really don't know. Can we find it with a scan?"
	"Maybe. Do you really want do this?"
	"Yes."
	"Ok."
	Lyta sat next to Susan and hold her hand. The emotions between the women was very intense. Anxiety was the word for Susan's feelings while Lyta was worried, very worried.
	"What's the problem, Lyta?"
	"If I go to deep, I might pick up something that is very personal and also in the middle of the scan you shut me down you could kill me."
	"This is very important to me, Lyta. I'll not shut you down. Maybe I won't feel much comfortable around you..."
	"Let's go"
	Lyta started to "talk" to Susan. 
'Think of the time the two of you spent together'
'That's easy, Lyta.'
The memories of the two of then now was shared with Lyta. Susan keep thinking of Talia. When they met. "I'm in the middle of 15 thing, all of then annoying" 'I can't believed you said that to her' 'Later we laugh about that' Then they reached Alisa. "You know Susan, we'll have to thank her for putting us together. She was our matchmaker." 'It could be that, Susan' 'Alisa?'
	Susan broke the connection and went to the computer.
	"Please insert password"
	"Alisa Beldon"
	"Password accepted"
	Susan let out the breath that she didn't realized that she was holding. Lyta came closer to Susan. Kosh appeared in the screen.
	"I hope that Lyta could found this, Kosh."
	It was Talia's voice. They could not see her, just listened.
	"She will. Give message"
	"Ok. Susan, I hope that you are fine. It's been almost one year that I left Babylon 5. I don't know how the Vorlons managed to revert the sleeper program but they did. I can't come back. For the safety of all of you I can't come back to B5. The powers that Jason gave to me increased and in the hands of the Psi-Corps I would be the perfect assassin. The one that you saw leaving B5 was an android. Vorlon's technology. For security I'm not telling where I am but I know that you are the only person that could know the password. I miss you, Susan and even if I had to tell you this in this way I want you to know that I love you and I'll be waiting for you. Remember the password. It's the key."
	The logo of babcom appeared in the screen. Susan looked at Lyta. She was smiling.
	"She's alive. I have to talk to Delenn."
	"Delenn? Why?"
	"Talia's in Minbar."

	Susan run towards the station until she reach the captain's room.
	"Yes?"
	"Delenn, I need to speak with you."
	"Susan? Come in."
	As soon as the door opened Susan stepped inside.
	"What can I do for you, Susan?"
	"I need to go to Minbar."
	"And what's the problem?"
	"I want to stay there."
	"Why?"
	"My happiness is there."
	Delenn smile a little.
	"So, you found the crystal."
	"You knew?"
	"Not the entire story. Alisa told me that you might wanted to live in Minbar if you discovered a specific crystal. You are two years late, Susan."
	"Two years. When can I leave for Minbar?"
	"Whenever you want. You can be our ambassador in Minbar and the new rangers leader there."
	"That would be great. And I also could be here any moment I wanted."
	"And you also could learn more about your abilities."
	"Did John told you about that?"
	"Yes. He also said that Dr. Franklin told you your P-rating."
	"It was Lyta who told me."
	"And?"   
	"She said that in the Vorlons scale I am P-20."
	"In Valen's name!"
	"What's wrong, Delenn?"
	"The Vorlons scale is the same that Minbari's but is different from Psi-Corps'."
	"I know that. But what's the difference?"
	"In Minbari scale you are P-20, in the Psi-Corps you would be almost 30."
	Susan became pale. Very pale. Delenn touched her. Suddenly Susan felt like she was Delenn. She was in Delenn's mind!!
	She pulled back her hand.
	"You felt like you're me."
	"Yes."
	"In Minbar we have a great telepath. He'll teach you what Lyta didn't."
	The door opened and John cam in.
	"Hello, Susan. Is anything wrong?"
	"No, captain. Ah, John I'm quitting."
	"You're WHAT?"
	Delenn left the two alone. John was shocked. He couldn't believe that she was about to leave him.
	"I want to live in Minbar. Delenn said that I could be our ambassador there and the rangers' leader. And every time that you need a help you can call me, I'll be right here."
	"Why?"
	"Someone is waiting for me."
	John looked puzzled. Marcus had died in the war. Who is this person so important for her?
	John took a deep breath and called Delenn. 
	"Delenn, I want to introduce you to our first ambassador, Susan Ivanova. And also ranger n. 1."
	"Good luck Susan. I'll call Lennier in Minbar and he'll set the arrangements. The Grey Council will be glad with your choice."
	

	Lyta was waiting for her in Susan's quarters. 
	"So, you are leaving for Minbar. It's a good choice."
	"Take care of everything for me, ok?"
	"Sure."
	Lyta hugged Susan and left. Susan asked for a gold channel to Alisa Beldon in Minbar.   
	"Susan! How are things in B5?"
	"Now it's fine. I'm going to Minbar."
	"Really? That's great. How much time are you planning to stay?"
	"All my life. I'm going as the new alliance ambassador."
	"I know someone that will be very happy to hear that."
	"Why you didn't tell me?"
	"It was not save. It isn't still save. Why did you take so long? It's been almost an year."
	"I didn't know. I just found the crystal yesterday."
	"We'll be waiting for you."

	Two days later the former Captain Susan Ivanova of B5 was leaving for Minbar. It was time for her to find happiness. 

	The minutes seemed like hours. The trip was long and boring. Minbar now was only a few minutes from there. 
	'Time to test my new abilities, Lyta said that I could reach someone in a very great distance, well, let's see.'
	Susan closed her eyes and relaxed. She thought of Talia. She felt her presence. She smiled. She heard someone calling her name, it was the Captain.
	"Ambassador Ivanova?"
	"Yes, Captain?"
	"We're in Minbar."
	"Thanks"
	Susan got up and stepped out of the ship. She had never been in Minbar. It was beautiful. 
	"I knew you would like, Ambassador."
	"Hi Lennier."
	"I hope that you had a pleasant flight, ambassador."
	"Yes, thank you Satai Lennier. Ah, by the way, how's Vir? 
	"He's fine. He is at the party."
	"Party?"
	"Yes. Delenn asked that you should be welcomed with a very big party. After all  you are a war hero, ambassador."
	"A party? I think I'm going to love this place."
	"I'm sure you will, ambassador"
	The party was wonderful. Alisa was there, also was Vir, Lennier and a lot of minbaris and rangers that she didn't have any idea of who they are. Lennier told her that all Minbar was celebrating that day. But Talia wasn't there, she didn't feel her presence in the room.
	"Don't worry she will be here."
	"Did I thought that loud?"
	"No. I just figure it out. Why did you think that I could read you with all that people between us?"
	"Ah. Ambassador Ivanova. I'm Kraal."
	'Draal's brother?'
	'Yes. Delenn told me about you. You'll be a challenge for me.'
	"I'm always a challenge"
	Kraal spoke with her for almost tem minutes and went to talk to Lennier. Suddenly she felt it. She close her eyes and wait.
	'I was waiting for you.'
	'I'm sorry but I was in the middle of 15 things, all of then annoying. I'm surprise of how much you have learned'
	'Lyta is a good teacher'
	'That should be my job'
	'I want you to teach me other things.'
	Susan opened her eyes and saw Talia standing right in front of her. She was blushing. Grinning she hugged her.
	'I missed you so much'
	'I know. I'm sorry'
	'This is good. Don't ever leave again'
	'I won't.'
	After Talia's arrival Susan couldn't concentrate in anything else. They couldn't stop looking at each other. Susan could felt Talia's emotions. And they are wonderful. She stared to project images in Talia's mind and every time Talia looked at her she was blushed.
	'Stop doing this. You're driving me crazy.'
	'That's my point.'
	'We need to get out of here, as fast as possible.'
	Susan excused herself with Vir and Lennier and went to her new home. It was close to Vir's. It was beautiful it was decorated with things from Earth, especially from Russia.
	A couple of minutes later she heard someone at the door. 
	"Hi."
	"Can I come in?"
	"Sure"
	Talia stepped inside and closed the door. Susan watched her. She was nervous. She led Talia to the couch and they sat side by side. 
	"I'm nervous too. It's been a long time."
	"I heard that you almost were killed in the war. I was afraid."
	"The war made my abilities increase."
	"I know. In the Minbari scale I'm know a P-7, which means I'm P-12 in Psi-Corps'."
	"I'm P-20, Talia"
	"Oh my God!"
	Talia reached for Susan's hand and hold it. Susan strokes Talia's hair. And pulled her head. Her lips were trembling. The kiss was soft but full of promises. Breaking the kiss, Talia rose up and led Susan to the bedroom.
	'Welcome home, Susan'


The End

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