From mraborn@tiger.lsuiss.ocs.lsu.edu Sun Dec 22 22:55:06 1996
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 01:53:49 -0500
From: Michelle Anne Raborn <mraborn@tiger.lsuiss.ocs.lsu.edu>
Subject: Sacrifice Part 1/?

    Ok, this is my first chance at fanfic. If it's a little corny, don't 
kill me :). It's just an idea I had rattling around in my head that I had 
to let out.
   Babylon 5 is the property of WB, Babylonian Productions and JMS. No 
copyright infringement intended.

                                 Sacrifice Part 1/?

    "Attention all passengers. Docking procedures are now complete and 
you may disembark at your leisure. Thank you for traveling with us, and 
enjoy your stay on Baylon 5."
     Arian sighed with relief at the captain's announcement. She had 
never liked space travel. She wondered, as she often had in the past, how 
much it had to do with her memories of being trapped in a lifepod alone 
when she was a child...
  **At the age of five, Arian had been traveling with her mother on a 
small passenger shuttle. All she could remember was holding tightly to 
her mother's hand, then being pushed into a lifepod. Her mother's ;hand 
yanked from hers. Falling, hitting her head. Darkness.
  **She woke in a strange place. Afraid, she called for her mother, 
receiving only silence in response. Arian began to sob uncontrollably, so 
upset and afraid that she didn't even feel the hypospray injecting a 
tranquilizing drug into her system.
  **When she woke again, Arian felt a cool, gentle hand on her forehead.
  **"Mother?" she whimpered.
  **"Lie still, child. You must rest." A soft female voice...but not her 
mother's. She opened her eyes--and found herself staring up at a Minbari 
woman.
  **Thought her people had trade agreements with the Minbari, Arian had 
never met one before. And, despite the woman's kind expression, Arian was 
a little frightened. But she had to find out where her mother was. 
"Who're you? Where's my mother? Is she okay?"
  **"I am Delenn," answered the woman. "We found your lifepod adrift. You 
were the only one aboard."
  **Arian knew something very bad had happened to her shuttle. She 
reached out with her Gift and touched Delenn's mind, sensing kindness, 
warmth...and grief. Then Arian knew. Her mother was gone forever...**
    "Gonna sit there all day?" A disembarking passenger's voice startled 
Arian back to the present.
    "What? Oh." She realized that she was the only passenger still on the 
liner. Quickly she grabbed her small traveling bag and left the ship.


    Captain Sheridan had just stepped off the lift when he collided hard 
with Ambassador Delenn. He caught her shoulders to steady her as she 
almost fell.
    "Are you all right, Delenn?"
    "Yes, I'm fine," she answered as she stepped into the lift. He joined 
her, a little concerned. She didn't seem fine to him. If anything, she 
seemed very...nervous about something.
    "Are you sure?"
    "Yes. A very dear friend arrived a little while ago. I was supposed 
to meet her in customs, but I was held up in a meeting."
    John chuckled, remembering a few times he had been held up in a 
meeting when he would have preferred to be elsewhere--like possibly 
being tossed out an airlock. "That seems to be one of the many hazards of 
diplomacy."
    Delenn smiled briefly, but then a flicker of sadness crossed her 
face. "I am afraid that she will not recognize me. It has been so long 
since we last met."
    John knew that she was speaking of the transformation she had gone 
through. He also had the feeling that Delenn was worried that her friend 
would not accept her as she was now. He wanted to reassure her, but there 
was no comfort he could voice. So he simply pulled her close for a gentle 
embrace and whispered, "I bet she will. And if you want, I'll come with you."
    She stared up at him, startled by the depth of his understanding. 
//Am I that transparent to you John?// She leaned against him for a 
moment, drawing comfort from his warmth, his gentle touch. "I...would 
welcome your company, John."
    He smiled and released her as the lift slowed. The doors opened on 
the crowded customs area. Delenn began searching for a familiar face, 
hoping she wasn't too late.
    "I don't see her, John," she said, worry creeping into her voice.
    "Give her some time...she may have been late too," he teased gently, 
laying a steadying hand over hers. She smiled up at him and sqeezed his hand.
    Just then, a tall young woman made her way through the crowd. She 
looked around and then cautiously approached them.

             ......to be continued........