From: Mr G D Williams Subject: Transformations Part 1 of 4 [AT] [AC] Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 13:13:43 +0100 (BST) And so it begins. Kosh Naranek, Personal Observation. And so it begins indeed. Transformations mark the beginning of the climax of the first seasons stories, which will culminate in The Other Half of My Soul. For those of you not in the know, this is the latest in my insanely big parallel universe saga where the Minbari did not surrender at the Battle of the Line and went on to conquer and destroy Earth. Those of you who have been following this all along, my congratulations on your patience. For those of you who havent, Id recommend starting at A Dark, Distorted Mirror and working your way up. Most of the previous stories have either been archived or should be before long, but any questions or missing stories, feel free to e-mail me. Feedback is always welcome and should be sent to: csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk but please be aware that I will only have e-mail access until the end of June and I will hopefully be back with a new e-mail address late September, with nothing in the interim. There are no Spoilers as such, but I am drawing upon all elements of the B5 universe in writing this, and those who are not up to date may be inadvertently Spoiled. Legal Disclaimer: B5 and all related characters are owned by JMS and / or Warner Bros. I am making no money out of writing this and am doing so purely for pleasure. Personal Disclaimer: I am a hopeless romantic. I am however not a very nice hopeless romantic. You have been warned. And on with the show. It is late December 2258. ---------- Transformations, Part 1 of 4 [AT] by Gareth Williams, csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk Hail, Holy One. Hail, Sinoval. Hail, Holy One. Sinoval. Satai of the Grey Council. Entilzha of the Rangers. WarLeader of the Wind Swords clan. Shai Alyt of the jyhad against the Earthers. A long list of titles. More than enough for most people. Branmer himself had borne only two of the four Sinoval currently held. Many lived and served their whole lives without gaining even a fraction of the power or respect Sinoval wielded, and they were happy with their status. Sinoval was not. He dreamed. He dreamed of walking in the footsteps of Valen, and Varmain, and Derhan, and Branmer. He dreamed of reaching out his hand and touching the stars. He dreamed of leading his people to the gates of ZHaDum and tearing them down. He dreamed of bringing light to the darkness. He dreamed, and now his dream was near to reality. There was only one obstacle, the same obstacle that had impeded him countless times before. Her name was Delenn. The period of mourning for Dukhats death was over, and the Grey Council was set on choosing his successor. For over ten cycles, since even before Dukhats death, it had seemed set that Delenn would stand where Dukhat had stood. She had been his chosen at a time when Sinoval had not even stood amongst the Nine. And things had changed. Delenn had been gone almost a whole cycle, vanished when StarKiller Sheridan had made his escape. Whether she had been captured or had gone willingly was not known. Although Sinoval found it hard to believe she had gone with the StarKiller of her own will, it suited him to remind others of that possibility. Some were even starting to believe what he did not. These false beliefs were growing in strength ever since the encounter almost half a cycle ago, at the planet called Epsilon 3, where the Trigati had clashed with Sheridans ship, the Babylon. The second in command of the Trigati, Alyt Deeron, had reported receiving word from the Babylon that Delenn was aboard, even receiving communications from Delenn to back away and leave the planet. Sinoval had publicly denied all knowledge of this, but privately, suspicions were starting to grow, especially when the ease of StarKillers escape was brought up. Sinoval knew the truth, of course, or at least as much of the truth as he could. He hated such rumours, but he let them run. It suited his greater purpose. Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved. An old Minbari saying, one that Sinoval had heard in his first foray into the Dreaming, as he was initiated into the Grey Council. Sinoval repeated it silently to himself, changing it slightly. Delenn must be sacrificed if the Minbari are to be saved. Only a few weeks ago, a warrior, Kalain, had been appointed as temporary replacement for Delenn, the full nine being needed to vote on a leader. This had been a hard fought victory on Sinovals part, but well won. And now Sinoval was mere inches from his greatest triumph. So near and yet so far. The Grey Council wanted proof, one way or the other. Lennann and Rathenn had been screaming for action ever since Delenn had disappeared, but other, wiser heads were able to talk them down about the danger and the risk involved to rescue one who was surely either dead or a traitress. And besides, without Delenn, her sycophant followers were of no importance. Hedronn had spoken up at last, however, and he had the weight of the worker caste behind him. We need proof, Sinoval, he had said. Delenn was the chosen of Dukhat, and we must respect Dukhats wishes. A rescue attempt may have been inadvisable before, but we know your wishes and your actions should you be voted to lead us. If Delenn is alive, and a prisoner, then we cannot let you jeopardise her life in an attack, and we cannot elect you to fill the place that should be hers. Get us proof, Sinoval, and we shall see. Then you shall have proof, Sinoval replied. You wish to see me, Satai, said a voice from behind him. A Centauri voice. Yes, Ambassador. Thank you for coming. Ambassador Refa. A Centauri given the freedom of Minbar. It grated on Sinoval, not because he was Centauri, but because he was a Centauri exile. His plottings on Centauri Prime had led to a power struggle that he had lost, with the result that he had ended up here. Whatever he might say, his position was regarded as a joke by those back on Centauri Prime. That was what grated on Sinoval, that the Centauri saw Minbar as a place to send their unwanted rubbish. But then, even rubbish has a purpose. What is the current news on the treaty negotiations between the Centarum and the Earther Resistance Government? Sinoval asked. Satai, I have no knowledge of any such... Do not lie to me, Ambassador. It demeans my position and it demeans the Council I represent, and that demeans my people. We both have sources on Centauri Prime, and we both know that the overtures of peace made to the Earthers came from your old enemy - a Minister Londo Mollari. Unfortunately, I have been distracted lately, and I am not up to date. I am sure that you are, however. So, what news? Sinoval could practically feel the anger in Refas eyes. Any mention of Mollari tended to do that to him. The Resistance Government are still considering the matter. At least, that is what they are telling the Centarum. I believe they are debating whether my people of the Narns would make better allies. I see. Then would this not be the perfect opportunity for a Centauri noble and diplomat to visit the Earthers? I have enough supporters in the Centarum to arrange such an act, Refa said slowly, thoughts running around in his head. And even to ensure that my... appointment here is not brought up. But why, Satai? Satai Delenn of the religious caste disappeared almost a cycle ago. We know that the Earthers are involved. I... We would like confirmation on whether she is alive or dead, and if she is alive, then in what state. A prisoner, or a welcome guest. I had not heard this, said Refa, but he caught the unmentioned meaning behind the sentence. Undue curiosity is frowned on in our people. We are told what we need to know and nothing more. And, Ambassador, you will not find me ungrateful. The words when I am leader did not need to be said. Both knew the score. It is always a pleasure to serve, Satai. I will get your information. Refa bowed and left. Sinoval returned to his dream, but it was a dream tainted by the corruption he was having to endure. Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved, but where would the some become too many. Would it end at Delenn, or the rest of the Grey Council? It had already cost him his honour, as he recalled with a foul taste why he had arisen so far, and, he suspected, the true reason Sheridan had escaped and Delenn had vanished. Not for nothing was she called DeathWalker. ---------- And we will reunite with the other half of our soul in a war against the common Enemy... So ran the prophecies as set down by Valen a thousand years before. Since then many had studied them, working over countless generations in search of understanding. Delenn had been one of the many, and she had at last found meaning. She gently laid the last piece onto the machine. All that was needed now was the Triluminary itself. Are you sure about this? She looked at the speaker. Captain John Sheridan, the StarKiller, greatest enemy of her people. She saw in him an honesty, a nobility and a tenderness buried beneath fourteen years of war and countless deaths. Maybe her actions would be the catalyst that brought the real John Sheridan to the fore once again. Yes, she said simply. You wont be well received, he warned. I am under no illusions as to how your people will view me, she said firmly. But my people... once I show them the true meaning of Valens words... once I explain to them that I saw Valen on Babylon 4, then they will listen, and they will understand, and I will be able to pull them back from the brink, and set them in the right direction once more. If youre sure... She looked at him again. You sound... doubtful, John. I am. Blood calls out for blood. You cant end this, Delenn. I dont think anyone can. I remember meeting Sinoval in your hall. Like a mirror, she whispered, remembering the confrontation in the Hall of the Grey Council. Sheridan had Sinoval had seemed almost mirror reflections of each other. Sinoval is just one man, she said. Thats all it takes. His Link beeped. It was Officer Allen, who was in charge of guarding Delenns quarters cum cell. Captain, Miss Alexander is here, and she wants to see you. Tell her Marcus is on Proxima. He doesnt work for me any more. A deception, but a necessary one. Susan Ivanova was the link between the Resistance Government and the Shadows. She had to be kept under close observation. She says she knows that. She wants to see you, sir, and the prisoner. Sheridan wasnt sure of what to make of Lyta Alexander. One of the few telepaths living on Proxima, she was a legacy of the destroyed Psi Corps. She sometimes wore their badge and their uniform, but she also broke their rules, having received a number of cautions for inappropriate use of her telepathic powers. She had also played a part in Delenns interrogation. Sheridan had seen the results of that interrogation, and he was inclined to refuse Lyta entry on that alone, but he found himself looking up at Delenn, who nodded once. All right, send her in, but just for a little while. The door opened, and Lyta entered. She breezed past Sheridan, ignoring him completely and she stopped next to Delenns machine. Looking up, she said one word: Chrysalis. Sheridan looked up sharply. Ever since the incident with Bester a few months ago, Delenn had been teaching Minbari meditation techniques to him, Corwin and Marcus - those primarily involved in their little conspiracy against humanitys new allies The techniques were supposed to prevent telepathic scans. Theyd seemed to work on Bester. They should work on Lyta. I didnt scan you, Lyta said, evidently noticing his reaction. The Vorlon told me. Sheridan saw Delenn start. His name is Kosh. He was... once... a part of me, Delenn whispered. And now hes a part of me, God knows why. He wanted to see you, and to give you a message. And so, it begins. Thats it. Does that mean anything to you? It might. Good. And... I wanted to give you a message. Im sorry. For what I did to you. A soft, genuine: Thank you. Lyta smiled, and then turned to leave. As she reached the door, she stopped, and said. Captain, I dont know what game youre playing with Marcus, and I know that I cant stop you, but if he gets hurt because of you, Ill never forgive you. Never. And she left. Sheridan looked at Delenn. What can I tell her? he said. I dont know what danger Marcus might be in, but we need his information. More than we need his life? Perhaps. I wish I could give a definite answer, but lifes never that easy. No, I suppose it is not. She slowly drew out the Triluminary. Are you ready? Yes. She placed the Triluminary onto the machine. I will be here, he said. Count on that. She smiled. Thank you. ---------- A Centauri on Minbar was a rare sight. A Centauri at a recital of Minbari keela poetry was a rarer sight still. Vir Cotto was a very rare Centauri. Officially Ambassador Refas aide, head of diplomatic staff and general dogsbody, Vir should have been preparing a number of things for their imminent trip to Proxima 3. Unofficially - and very secretly - a member of a secret conspiracy that included Refas favourite enemy, Londo Mollari, Vir had a few more important matters to attend to first. The poem ended and there was considerable praise from the listeners. Vir had at first been mystified by keela - Centauri poetry tended to be shorter, simpler and far bawdier - but he had come to appreciate and even enjoy it. He sipped his drink and watched as the poet quietly spoke with the audience. The drink was non-alcoholic, of course, but Vir wasnt entirely sure what it was made of. Refa didnt mind the lack of alcohol on Minbar - he only drank bravari on state occasions - and Vir wasnt bothered about alcohol at all, but other Centauri found the concept terrifying. Finally, the poet bowed and left. Vir knew he had been noticed and that the poet would meet him at their usual rendez-vous, but first he had to kill some time to avoid causing suspicion. He made polite conversation with a Minbari worker, and then left, making for a quiet alley where no one would disturb them. Minbari tended to respect one anothers privacy, but even so... Have you had any news from GKar recently? Vir asked. The absence of news from the leader of their network was troubling him. Alyt Neroon arranged for a message to reach me a few months ago. HaCormarah GKar is still fortifying his position on Epsilon 3. He is gathering ships to his side. Alyt Neroon was going on to the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to gain some aid there. Apparently HaCormarah GKar feels that a number of conflicts will soon erupt. Hes not wrong. The Grey Council is about to appoint a new leader. Ambassador Refa and I are leaving for Proxima 3 tomorrow. The ambassador didnt give any details, but Id bet the timing isnt coincidental. That would not seem likely. No. When will you be starting your tour of Centauri Prime. I leave Minbar tomorrow, the same as you. Good. If you can hand this over to Minister Mollari. Vir handed his companion a data crystal. Normally I give them to him myself, but in light of recent... events, I think he ought to have this information as soon as possible. I will ensure that he gets it. Will you be meeting Captain Sheridan while on Proxima 3? I hope so. We really need him on our side, the way things are going. I... suppose that is so. Alyt Neroon also arranged for me to receive a private message for Captain Sheridan and Satai Delenn. Vir took the data crystal and buried it in the pockets of his jacket. I will be at Centauri Prime for a period of two months. We will meet when I return. Walk with Valen. You too, I guess. Vir left the alley and scuttled away. The data crystal felt very heavy in his jacket. Very heavy indeed. ---------- For Susan Ivanova, some private time was becoming very hard to find these days. Ever since Captain Sheridan and that Minbari witch of his had despatched Marcus to keep an eye on her - all in the name of security, of course - she had rarely been able to find the time to continue with her jobs. Not that it mattered much, as things were progressing fairly nicely now with minimal involvement on her part, and it wasnt as if Marcus was all that difficult to be with. No, he was too much pleasure to be with, and that was why she had to get away from him sometimes. Schemes to accomplish that were varied and this one was nothing more subtle than drugging his drink. Water, for Gods sake. Who around anywhere just drank water? She wouldnt have much time, but it might be enough, and she had already wasted most of it just looking at him as he slept. He was an innocent, a rarity to her. Psi Corps had taken her childish innocence when they had taken her mother, and her father had taken his love. But Marcus, he had seen his family killed, colony destroyed, everything he had wiped out, and he was still an innocent. He had cried the first time she had managed to seduce him, and his tears had startled her to an extent she had found impossible to believe. She had to remind herself of why she was doing this. She had to keep reminding herself about the Minbari, about the Vorlons, about Psi Corps. She had to keep repeating over and over again, the phrase, Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved. She had to keep reminding herself of why she was here, instead of curled up in bed with Marcus. If she didnt remind herself, her two Shadow companions would be happy to remind her. They were not happy. She didnt know how much they knew about lust, or sex, or love but she knew they were concerned about him. They wanted her to either kill him or put a Keeper on him, and she had to keep fighting them, reminding them that such an act would draw more suspicion on her. But was she reminding them - or herself? She reached the door she was after and rang the bell. She knew that the person she was waiting for was in, and she knew that the other person who lived here was not. The door opened and a red haired, pale looking woman stood in the doorway. Susan, she muttered. Susan. Im sorry, I look... No problem, Anna. Anna Sheridan stepped back and ushered Susan - and her invisible companions - in. Susan looked around the room slowly. It was a mess, the smell of cheap Narn liquor mingling with dying orange blossom. Clothes were scattered everywhere, the bed was rumpled and the place clearly hadnt been tidied in months. The Susan looked at Anna. Her pretty features were masked by fatigue and loss. Her shoulder length red hair was mussed and sticking out - shed obviously been sleeping on it. She stank of Narn liquor and sweat and the large T-shirt - the only item of clothing she was wearing - was filthy. A rough night, huh? Susan said. Anna nodded. Several rough nights. I ran out of booze about three oclock this morning. John... hasnt been around? Susan knew full well he hadnt. He was up on his spaceship with his Minbari whore. Looking at the state of the woman who she was beginning to realise was her friend, Susan hated Delenn even more for denying her the chance at happiness. Anna shook her head, and then winced, burying her head in her hands. I havent seen him in months, she whispered. I dont even know if hes here or not. He is. The Babylons in orbit here. The Resistance Government thinks the Minbari will attack soon, and they want the Babylon on full combat readiness. Let them come, Anna muttered. Theyve taken my best friend, my daughter and my husband, and if they want my life, then theyre welcome to it. That isnt the way to talk, Susan said, and surprised herself by realising that she meant it. My friends will be here when the Minbari are, and well hold them back, I promise. As for John, well... I dont know whats happening to him. I havent seen him in a while either, but Ive heard that hes still with Delenn. Her again! Anna snapped. What does he see in her? Shes a Minbari, for Gods sake! She killed our daughter! Its... its sick. Its all so sick, and pointless and... oh, God! I wish she was still here. Susan slowly reached out and drew Anna close, hugging her. She could hear her companions hissing at her angrily, but she ignored him. This was serving their purpose, and if she could make Anna happy, then so be it. I think you should talk to him, she said. Let him know just how you feel. Maybe... I dont know. Maybe there is something you can do. You think so? I know so. Oh, God, Im a mess. Anna almost chuckled. Look at me. Look at this place. Ill... Susan thought of Marcus, still asleep. Ill help you clean up - both you and here. And then, you can go up to the Babylon, and talk with John. Thank you. I dont know what Id have done without you. Susan heard the hiss of her companions and she suddenly, for one brief and irrational moment, hated herself for what she was doing. But only for a moment. ---------- Out of the nine on the Grey Council, there were some, like Sinoval who spoke often and loudly. There were some, like Hedronn, who spoke seldom, but whose words carried great power. There were some, like Delenn, who did not need to speak often for their power to be noted. And there were some, like Rathenn, whose words were seldom heeded and less offered. That did not mean his opinions were any less strong than those of, say, Sinoval. It merely meant he had to find another outlet for them. Usually it was Delenn, who listened and understood, but Delenn was not here. She had been forsaken, and forgotten and lied about. Rathenn knew that the thought of her going willingly with the StarKiller was absurd - no, worse than absurd, sacrilegious. And now Sinoval was taking the place that should have been hers, that should still be hers. It took a great deal to make a Minbari angry, but once a Minbari was angry, their wrath was a thing to be feared, as the Earthers had discovered. Rathenn needed an outlet for his anger, and so he listened to keela. Remembrance of the past and thoughts for the future. The poet was skilled, and gifted, but his words were not assuaging Rathenns anger at all. Finally, he raised his hand and the poet stopped, and bowed. Do you know Satai Delenn? he asked. I know... of her, the poet replied, looking down. It was not seemly for anyone to look directly at a Satai of the Grey Council. Rathenn looked at the poet. News of Delenns disappearance was not common knowledge, and for him to reveal that secret would get him into trouble but still, a poet may hear the words of a Satai, as the saying went. But no, this was not right. The poets head was still bowed. Warriors and their pride, Rathenn whispered. They will destroy this Council. Sinoval will destroy this Council. And we, the Third Fane of Chudmo, we will stand idle as he does so. And why? Because we have no other choice. Remember the Grey Council, Shaal Lennier. Remember us in our poetry, because soon, there will be no one else who will. When will you be leaving for the Centauri? Tomorrow morning, Satai. I can only help but wonder if the Centauri will appreciate your poems, Shaal. I doubt is somehow, but if anyone could, then I am sure you will make them. Shaal Mayan must be proud of you. Yes, Satai. She is. Good, and so she should be. Go, Shaal Lennier, and walk with Valen. Thank you, Satai. Lennier bowed again and left. Rathenn was alone at last, staring into the shadows all around him and feeling his own anger simmering in his breast. Warriors! The Council had been in the hands of the religious caste since long before Dukhat, since the days of Liraval herself. And in Delenns memory, Rathenn swore that it would be again. ---------- Anna Sheridan was not exactly an unfamiliar face to many aboard the Babylon - some of whom had been present when she married the Captain shortly after the settlement at Proxima 3, but she hadnt been seen on the ship in over a year, and as far as Commander Corwin knew, the Captain hadnt seen her for six months or so. So when he received a message saying that Anna was in the docking bays wanting to speak to her husband and incidentally very interested in why security seemed much tighter than usual, he was initially fairly surprised. Shes not... drunk, is she, Mister Allen? Corwin said hesitantly. For all that the Captain tried to pretend it wasnt important, Annas drinking was not exactly the best kept secret on Proxima. No, sir, Zack replied. Least, it doesnt look like it. Im on my way down. As he made his way from the bridge to the docking bays, Corwin mentally researched just what he was going to tell her. *Sorry, Mrs. Sheridan but your husband is watching over our Minbari prisoner whos currently in some sort of cocoon in fulfilment of ancient prophecy. And incidentally the reason securitys so tight is because we dont want anyone to find this out, and we definitely dont want Susan wandering around the ship until we work out what to do with her. Well, they dont, and Im not sure what I want regarding Susan any more.* There. Thatll go down just fine. He was still saying that to himself as he entered the docking bays and found Anna waiting there, obviously impatient. Corwins eyes widened slightly as he saw her. Her hair was newly washed and trimmed and done in a slightly different style. She was wearing loose fitting light blue trousers and top, and jewellery as well. Corwin made it a habit of noting as much about people as he could, and he spotted a wedding ring gleaming on Annas finger. She hadnt been wearing her wedding ring in years. Id like to see my husband, if thats okay, she said harshly. Assuming he isnt too busy, of course. Ah, well... Corwin began. What had the Captain said? *Alert me if its an emergency only.* Corwin hadnt been sure what the definition of an emergency was, but he knew from experience that while the sudden arrival of twenty Minbari cruisers would count, anything less probably wouldnt. Hes busy at the moment, Im afraid. If you have a message I could leave... I could do that over the comm channels, she said. I want to talk to him. Im very sorry, Corwin said. I will let him know you came as soon as I can, but I am afraid we are very busy here... Very busy was not the word. Corwin had been performing so many drills, inspections and checks that he felt he was in danger of joining the walking brain dead. Actually, Commander, Zack suddenly said. I was wondering about that. Miss Alexander was muttering to herself as she came back from seeing him a few hours ago. She kept saying the word chrysalis. Does that mean anything to you? No, Sergeant, Im afraid it doesnt, Corwin snapped. Miss Alexander? Oh right, so its all right for him to see other women, just not me. Oh no, Im just his wife, thats all! And what does chrysalis mean? Your guess is as good as mine, Zack said conversationally. They dont tell me nothing. Some Minbari thing, I guess. That will be all, Sergeant! Corwin snapped. I am very sorry, Mrs. Sheridan, but the Captain is busy. I will be sure to let him know you came. Busy? Anna said slowly. Busy, yes Im sure he is, what with other women and Minbari! Dont bother, Commander! She turned and stormed away. Corwin glared at Zack. Hey, I didnt know it was such a big secret, Zack said. Im sorry. Id have thought youd know better than to go blabbing about secret business to all and sundry, Sergeant. Aw Hell, youre right. Look, Im sorry, Commander. Ive just aint had much sleep recently, you know what I mean. Its all this added security and drills and inspections and stuff. Im just... a bit dead on my feet, you know. Corwin sighed and breathed out slowly. I understand. Look, how long are you on duty for? Another four hours or so. Head down to the surface when you finish. Take a break, and relax a bit. Were all under a lot of stress lately and I can see how it might get a bit much for some of us. Just, Mister Allen, dont do anything that stupid again. Youre right, sir, Im sorry. I doubt its made much difference. Things between the Captain and his wife werent that great anyway, and Ill be damned if the word chrysalis means anything to her. Hell, Im involved in this, and I dont know what the damn word means. Yes, sir. And again, Im sorry. Dont worry about it. No harm done, I suppose. No, sir. ---------- It is time we faced facts, Vice President Clark was saying. We are all living on borrowed time. The date Mister Welles obtained from our Minbari prisoner passed almost two month ago. Even taking into account the time needed for the Grey Council to thrash out their power struggle, they must have chosen a leader by now, or be in the process of doing so, and that means the Minbari ships could be here any day now. We all know this, Morgan, muttered President Crane wearily. Her health was not good, and she had come to this meeting purely because of the importance of the subject matter. Over four hours of debate had done nothing for her strength and she looked on the verge of collapse. We all know this, and we have been making preparations. Lieutenant Ivanova assures us that her friends are monitoring the situation and they will be here. Our early warning probes have picked up nothing yet. We will be ready for them, Morgan... But, General Takashima spoke up. Our time is still limited. We have still not given a solid answer to the Centarum about their overtures of peace. The Centauri could be valuable allies. With the arrival of Lord Refa in a few days, it is important that we take this chance. Surely the Minbari will hesitate if we have the Centauri on our side as well. I doubt they will, Clark said. But it would still be important to have the Centauri as allies. Of what use have the Narns been so far? Less than nothing. So if the Centauri want to offer their help against the Minbari, then we would be fools not to take it. I am still doubtful about this Lord Refa, Crane whispered. I have never heard his name before. Why are the Centauri not sending Minister Mollari or one of his aides? He was the one after all who first proposed the treaty. Minister Mollari is bound to be a busy man, Clark replied. Lord Refa is a prominent Centauri noble, and the diplomatic pouch did bear the seal of the Centauri Emperor himself. And any doubts you will be able to put to him directly. I feel however that there is a greater problem at hand. A potential security risk. When Satai Delenn was first brought here, I advocated keeping her alive. As a prisoner and as a potential hostage she could be a valuable asset, and indeed, Mister Welles obtained a great deal of information from her. Of late however, she has spent all her time aboard the Babylon. According to Captain Sheridans reports on the Epsilon 3 fiasco, her presence there was not sufficient to prevent a Minbari ship firing upon the Babylon, and therefore her value as a hostage is somewhat doubtful. Captain Sheridan has also repeatedly denied Mister Welles or anyone else the chance to continue questioning her. Whether she holds some... unhealthy influence upon Captain Sheridan or not is not my place to say. I believe however that her presence here has ceased to be an asset and had become a potential danger. The sooner we are rid of her the better. And of course, a public execution would serve as a powerful moral boost for the public, would it not? To Be Continued... From: Mr G D Williams Subject: Transformations Part 2 [AT] [AC] Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 02:17:59 +0100 (BST) Hi people. Spoilers, Disclaimers and general notices as at Part 1. Part 3 should be out in a few days. Transformations, Part 2 of 4 If Captain John Sheridan had been told a year ago of where he would be today, he would have laughed, and refused to believe. Then, he had been a loyal defender of humanity, last hope against the Minbari, fearless captain of the EAS Babylon. Everything had seemed so simple. Of course, his daughter Elizabeth was dead, and his wife Anna was drinking herself into a stupor most nights, but he at least knew who he was and why he was doing what he was doing. But then he'd set in at Vega 7 for repairs to the Babylon, he'd been betrayed by Administrator Na'far and captured by Minbari, he'd been met in a Minbari cell by Susan Ivanova, he'd escaped from Minbar, capturing Satai Delenn in the process, and everything had fallen completely apart. Everything from his mission to Narn, to his freeing of Satai Delenn from Mister Welles' interrogation, to the whole Epsilon 3 / G'Kar scenario and the very strange Babylon 4 encounter afterwards... everything seemed strangely unreal to him. As if this were all a dream. He would wake up and find he was back on Earth - just him and Anna and Elizabeth, and they'd be in his father's garden with the smell of orange blossom all around them, and they'd be having the life they should have had, the life they would have had if the Minbari had stopped before they came to Earth. But then he woke up, and he realised that Elizabeth was still dead, Anna was still a stranger to him, Earth was gone and all his family and memories with it, and he was here, on board the Babylon, looking at a giant cocoon. Delenn had called it a chrysalis, of course, but that made him none the wiser. He found himself absurdly thinking of her emerging as a butterfly, with wings and everything. He wasn't really certain what she was going to emerge as, save that she was hoping it would bring their two races closer together. That was a fool's dream as far as Sheridan was concerned, but she believed, and the fiery belief in her eyes almost made him believe as well. Almost. Sheridan did not believe in prophecy, or in destiny, or in happy endings. When he thought about peace between human and Minbari, all he could see as the Black Star, or the Minbari fleets massing over Mars, or Satai Sinoval in the Hall of the Grey Council, and he knew that things would only end in blood. Perhaps when Minbar had gone the same way as Earth, maybe then things would be at peace, but he doubted it. So why was he here, watching a cocoon that contained the woman who had led the war against his people? Why was he lighting candles set in positions he did not understand? Why was he here when he should be running his ship? Why was he following the words of a prophecy he did not believe in? Why? Because he believed in her. Sheridan had been privileged in his life to know certain people around whom everything turned, people who could command respect and authority with their mere presence. He supposed that he was one of those people, although he certainly did not feel like one. He remembered General Richard 'FireStorm' Franklin, with such force of presence and an almost tangible aura. He remembered his first CO - Captain Jack Maynard - with his almost inexhaustible font of knowledge and sayings and stories. He remembered his father, a diplomat of years, whose softly spoken voice had addressed emperors, leaders and prophets, and he remembered his mother, whose firmly spoken words had maintained order on two very mischievous children. All of them were now dead, but Delenn wasn't. She was no military leader, and Sheridan did not suppose she was a diplomat. From what he understood of the Minbari caste structure, he knew her to be a priestess. Yet she held the same sense of presence that had characterised all the great military leaders and diplomats Sheridan had ever known. And she had more. She believed. She really, honestly believed in the rightness and the justice of her cause. Sheridan believed in nothing these days, and so he latched on to her belief like a drowning man gasping for air. And so he waited for her. He suspected that beneath the air of certainty there was a tinge of doubt. Delenn had not been sure of what this would do to her, for all that she acted as if she did. And so, as part payment for all the words of comfort she had given him, he was waiting for her. She had said it would take several days, perhaps even a fortnight. She had been in there for five days so far. Sheridan had barely eaten or drank, but he had gone days without food or water in the past, and his hunger ceased to bother him. Her movements from within the chrysalis had stopped three days ago, and Sheridan could not see her through its thin strands any longer. He was waiting. Commander Corwin understood even less about this than Sheridan did, but he respected his CO, and had ensured that nothing reached Sheridan, not even the news of Anna's attempted visit, an event which, if Sheridan had known about, might have prevented all the tragedy that later came, but at the time Sheridan was isolated and still, and strangely at peace. It wasn't to last. Nothing ever did. Sheridan understood this, but even so, he was still a little irritated when his Link activated and Corwin's voice came through it. "I'm really sorry about this, sir," he said. "But there's a Gold Channel transmission from Vice President Clark, sir. I've tried telling him you're indisposed, but he wants to talk with you immediately. He says its urgent." "I understand. Thank you, David. I'll take the message in my office." Sheridan looked at the chrysalis again. He had promised Delenn he would be here for her, but he wouldn't be gone long. Even if he had to go down to the planet, he would only be a few hours. Hed be back in plenty of time. "I won't be long," he told the chrysalis. "I'm sorry. I won't be long." He left the room and locked the door with his own personal access code. He turned to the two Security guards on duty. "No one but Commander Corwin is to go into this room until I get back. If anyone tries, lock them in the brig." Of necessity, Delenn's quarters, which were supposed to be her cell - despite the fairly comfortable furnishings - were far from the actual bridge and Sheridan's office at the front of the ship, and so it was a long walk to his office. If Sheridan walked a little slower than usual, then that was definitely unintentional. He didn't like Clark, but that was no reason to irritate him, right? At least, that was what he told himself. When he reached his office, he stood before the communications panel and activated the Gold Channel message. Clark's face appeared on the screen. He did not look happy. "You took your time, Captain Sheridan," he snapped. "I'm sorry, Vice President," he said. "I've been busy with inspections and so forth. We want to make sure the ship is ready for when the Minbari come." "Our early warning probes have picked up no sign of Minbari activity yet. We have at least twelve hours of opportunity." "Believe me, Vice President, thats not nearly long enough." "We'll see, and I'm sure the Babylon can run without you for a few hours. We have a Centauri diplomat here to discuss a possible mutual defence alliance, and he would very much like to see you..." "Vice President, I am very busy here. I am sure he will get by without seeing me..." "He insists that is not possible, Captain, and I would remind you that you serve the wishes of his Government. If we can complete this treaty with the Centauri then we may not even have to fight the Minbari at all." "Vice President, I've fought both the Minbari and the Centauri, and I'm telling you, a Minbari fleet could go through anything the Centauri send to help us like a hot knife through butter. And if they don't, then the Narns will likely sell us all out to the Minbari and scrap your early warning probes, as well as all the other equipment they sold us." "We shall see, Captain. The fact of the matter is, your presence is requested on Proxima as soon as possible, and you will have to be here." Sheridan swore silently. "I will be there, Vice President." The signal ended, and he stepped backwards, sitting on his desk, thinking. A Centauri, here? In what was technically Narn space, with Narns in and out of Proxima all the time - well, more out than in at the moment. But why would a Centauri come this far into a war zone? The Minbari could arrive at any moment - Sheridan didn't exactly trust any early warning probes - so why would a Centauri noble risk being caught in the crossfire, let alone risk being beaten to death by a Narn? Questions? Always too many questions, and never enough answers. Sheridan swore again, and made preparations for Delenn while he was on Proxima. He wouldn't be gone long anyway. A few hours at best. Yes, that would be all. ---------- Secret meetings and clandestine plots were practically compulsory behaviour among the nobility on Centauri Prime these days. Emperor Marrit was well meaning, competent, polite and sincere, a combination that meant it would probably be easier if he had just painted a large target on his forehead and walked in front of a firing squad. There were many who said that Marrit was not half the man his father had been, and those complaints were true, but the point was that Turhan had been a great leader for the early part of his reign. He had pulled the Centauri out from the whole Narn nightmare with less loss of face, chaos and loss of life than many would have thought possible, and his dealings with other governments, especially the rising power of the Earth Alliance, had brought the Centauri new hope for a reconstruction and a possible renaissance of power. But Turhan, like so many great leaders, had lived too long. He had grown old and frail and his court had slipped away from him. The Centauri's most powerful allies - the Earth Alliance - had been ripped apart and reduced to less than a fragment. When the Centauri had been unable to assist that fragment, they had turned to the Narns for help, help which had been given gladly, if not freely. And then came the war with the Narns, and the Centauri's renaissance had started, much to the surprise of everyone in the galaxy, not least the Narns, who found out that their mighty war machine was not as mighty as they thought. Turhan had died during the war, and his son had succeeded to the throne, but as a figurehead and nothing more. With all attention focused on the war, a small coalition of nobles were able to rise to power and guide the Centauri back to greatness. Through skilled use of diplomacy, military tactics and the same strategies of attrition that the Narn had employed against them, Londo Mollari, Urza Jaddo and Forwerd Refa had managed to guide the Centauri through the war. Yes, it had ended in bloody stalemate, but at least the Centauri were still free, and rebuilding. And then the hammers had started to fall. Londo Mollari had seen something at the war of the war that he would not talk about to anyone. He had been sent out on a diplomacy mission to the Drazi that was attacked by Narns, and he disappeared for over a week. Upon his return he was distracted and vague, and suffered from increasing nightmares. Urza Jaddo had become focused on the Emperor, and finding a way to end the war and improve matters at home. And Forwerd Refa... he had become lost in the dreams of power, guided no doubt by his fair lady wife, Elrisia. Urza and Refa soon found themselves at opposite ends of the political spectrum, and the whole of the Centarum came close to open war. Forced, somewhat against his will, to choose sides, Londo had allied with his old friend Urza, but he was clearly not happy about it. Refa had too many allies for him to be gotten rid of permanently, however, and so he was dispatched to Minbar, out of the way. Urza became the Emperor's First Minister, and Londo... was left to complete his own agenda. But somewhere between Refa's banishment and the present, events had slipped from the control of the Three Who Rule - Marrit, Urza and Londo. Marrit, still unmarried, was finding himself drawn increasingly under the influence of Lady Elrisia, who was enmeshed in some form of deal with Londos wives Mariel and Daggair. Several powerful nobles had died mysteriously of natural causes. Marrit was growing more and more divorced from reality and a number of Turhan's nephews and cousins were emerging from the woodwork and taking stronger roles in Centauri power politics. And then there were the Narns. The recent attack on Narn-won colony at Ragesh 3 had sparked the whole business with them up again. No one seemed to have ordered this attack, and no one seemed to mind that the Centauri had been beaten away. That did not matter, and if the Narns did attack then, well... the Centauri had beaten them before... the Centauri would beat them again. And while Centauri Prime was set to burst into flames, Emperor Marrit sat alone, captivated by his noble lady Elrisia, Urza Jaddo was preoccupied with personal matters, and Londo Mollari... had affairs of his own to deal with... Londo hated poetry. He hated Minbari. He really hated Minbari poetry. The only reason he was sitting through a recital of Minbari keela poetry was for the simple reason that it was the one place where none of his wives would be found. (Timov had no patience for this sort of thing, Mariel was too busy scheming and not even Daggair could find anything nice to say about the stuff.) Oh yes, Londo was here for another reason as well. The poet. He'd never met Shaal Lennier before, but the personal, coded message he'd received the day before alerted him to the fact that coming here would be an idea. *There will be nine shadows over Lis House tomorrow* Londo hated codes, and he thought he'd given up this tedious plotting business years ago, but the word shadow meant that he could not. This was important. This was connected to G'Kar. Many times when performing duties for G'Kar, Londo wondered why he was doing this. If he were caught, then he would be in very big trouble. Political scheming was one thing - betraying highly confidential secrets and altering official government policy on the say so of a Narn would lead to nothing less than his immediate and very painful execution. But whenever he asked himself why, he remembered the big ship, the one that screamed in his mind, the one that had nearly killed him, the one that he dreamed flying over Centauri Prime every night of his life. And he remembered G'Kar, the Narn who had saved him, the Narn who had attacked his ship in the first place. The two had been trapped alone on a barren world, both their ships destroyed. At first G'Kar had been spitting words of hatred, and Londo had been afraid, remembering the vision of his death and recognising G'Kar from it. But then, they had seen the ship, and G'Kar had sworn in the name of G'Quan. He had sat down, and then he had spoken to Londo, he had spoken of an Ancient Enemy and a dead world called Z'Ha'Dum, he had spoken of the Book of G'Quan and of a darkness sweeping over the land. Londo had, more out of fear than interest, listened to G'Kar and he had slowly understood, caught in the Narn's fear and determination. The two had parted as each was rescued by his own people, but as the war ended, Londo began tracking the Narn's movements, more out of interest than revenge. And when a Minbari had come to his quarters in the middle of the night and spoken about G'Kar and asked for a favour, Londo had listened, and agreed. Now he was a part of G'Kar's little conspiracy. Londo was not sure that he believed in the Ancient Enemy or in Narn prophecy, but he remembered that ship, and his dreams, and his death vision. Perhaps he could prevent that death vision - of him and G'Kar strangling each other on the steps of the Imperial Throne - by working with G'Kar. Perhaps, but he didnt know. And so he was waiting here, listening to poetry he could barely stand, drinking luke-warm bravari and looking at the poet's small broach, fashioned in the shape of a circle of light, with a black sword in the centre. Londo wore a similar design - a clasp at the neck of his jacket. Thus did the followers of G'Kar know each other. The poem finished, for which Londo was eternally grateful, and several Centauri went up to congratulate Shaal Lennier. Minbari things were becoming fashionable in the Imperial Court these days, Minbari fashions, Minbari customs and especially Minbari poetry. Londo overheard several Centauri ladies make assignations with the poet that would make anyone else blush profusely and back away. The poet merely smiled and nodded. Afterwards, Londo made a personal request for Shaal Lennier to entertain him and his wives in private. Lennier had considered the matter and had agreed, out of a desire for politeness and improving relations, of course. Londo felt a brief surge of glee at forcing Timov, Mariel and Daggair to sit through some of this appalling rubbish. Besides, it would at least set their minds working as to what he was up to, and they were bound to look in the wrong direction. And so, Shaal Lennier had accepted a journey to Minister Londo Mollaris personal palace for a private audience. No sooner were they in Londo's personal transport - designed for status, show, sound-proofing and not at all for little things like comfort or speed - than Londo spoke up. "Well, then? What news from G'Kar?" "None recently, I am afraid, Lennier replied," after a slow and steady look around. "I do have news from Ambassador Refa, however, or more correctly news from his aide." "Mister Cotto, yes. I have had some dealings with him." "Ambassador Refa is apparently going on a mission to the human's power centre at Proxima 3. A mission of... diplomacy... to discuss the human / Centauri alliance." "What?!" Londo bellowed. He then stopped and looked around. Of course, there were no windows, and the transport was completely sound proof. Not even the driver could hear them, but still... when he continued, he kept his voice down. "That was my treaty. I arranged everything at G'Kar's behest. And now you are telling me that that... that... imbecile is on a diplomatic mission. How... No, do not tell me. Lord Jarno. He would arrange everything for his good and dear friend, Refa - to whom he owes a substantial fortune in gambling debts. And Lord Jarno's beloved wife - I think the Great Maker that it was Lord Jarno who married her and not me - is a close friend of our dear Lady Elrisia - the only lady on the planet who is even worse - and who has her claws wrapped around our little Emperor. Yes, I see where this has gone. Thank you for this information. Things are slipping away from me too fast here. I think a word with my good friend Urza might be in order. Is that all you have to tell me, or should I just hack my head off now?" "No, there is more, but..." Lennier seemed distracted. "Is that smell common to this mode of transport?" "What smell? I smell nothing unusual." "It is a gas," he said. "In the paromide range, I believe. I can only just smell it." Londo's eyes widened. "What? Paromide garadine. Oh, Great Maker." He banged on the comm panel. "Driver, stop now!" There was no reply. "Driver! Oh, Great Maker, why hast thou abandoned me?" "It is poisonous?" "Very." Londo began battering at the doors but they refused to open. "Fortunately I provided an escape route," he muttered. Fumbling beneath his chair with his left hand, his right arm covering his mouth and nose, he pulled a lever and the top of the transport opened. Scrambling up onto the chair, he hauled his way up. The transport was not going very fast, but it was still fast enough to provide some serious injuries if he jumped off. Lennier also scrambled out from the top of the transport. "We can escape from here?" "Oh well," Londo muttered. "I wasn't using all my limbs anyway." He quickly jumped off from the transport and closed his eyes. The impact with the ground, when it came, was less jarring than he had been expecting, but his leg twisted badly as he landed, and he was reduced to leaning against the side of a tree. Whose idea was it to build his palace so far out in the country? Oh yes, his. Lennier landed fine, without any discomfort at all. Londo muttered something under his breath about Minbari as he watched the transport fade away into the night. That transport cost him a fortune, and he doubted he'd see it again. "The driver has been suborned, it seems." "Something like that. Paromide garadine gas. Odourless, tasteless and a slow acting poison. And very expensive, too. I sense the hand of my dear Lady Elrisia in all this. I think that word with Urza had better come soon. The sooner the better. This has gone far enough, I think." "I'm inclined to agree." "Ah!" Londo swore. "I will have to call Timov for transportation to my house. Bah! She will love this." "Your wife?" "One of them. Take my advice, and never get married. No good will ever come of it, youll see. Bah! Why did I ever get involved in this whole thing? I should have become an insurance salesman." "I am sorry? What is... insurance?" "Never mind. You really do not want to know. Really, you do not." ---------- Susan Ivanova had always found the fine art of diplomacy an annoying irritation, at best, but she had learned to live with it, diplomacy having become a vital part of her new life. She found she infinitely preferred working behind the scenes to out in the open however, which was why she was not present at Lord Refa's little meeting with Captain Sheridan and the Resistance Government, and why she was instead making for the quarters of an old friend. Marcus was with her, as always. It was possible to get around his almost constant surveillance of her, but she had been doing that a lot lately and he was growing suspicious. Besides, when he wasn't watching her, she couldn't be watching him either. But when she received a linked message she realised that she would have to act sooner than she had anticipated. Marcus was more than just charming company at the moment, he was turning into a real threat. She had things to do, and he was standing in her way. She hadn't planned on doing this for a while yet, but she'd learned to seize an opportunity when she was given it. For the best part of a year that Minbari whore had been standing in her way. It wasn't enough that she'd destroyed Susan's planet, killed her brother and her father, and all her hopes for the future. No, it was because of her that Susan was forced into going against Captain Sheridan. She liked Sheridan, she admired him. In a very strange way he reminded her of her father. And Susan had grown to like Sheridan's wife - Anna. She'd first made contact with Anna as part of a short-term scheme for Anna to kill Delenn and be rid of an obstacle with no blood on her own hands, but in the process of doing so, Susan had come to like Anna, and to share in her hopes and dreams. Susan hoped that Sheridan would come to his senses one day and get back with Anna. She pondered the possibility and had actually managed to entwine that hope into her plans. And then there was Marcus. She had seen him around before, always following Captain Sheridan, but then the good captain had assigned him permanently to her side. Ostensibly Marcus was her diplomatic aide and bodyguard. In reality, he was a spy, but given that she knew this - a handy, almost invisible tracking and listening device shed implanted inside Sheridan ensured she knew almost everything that was going on, or at least she had until it had stopped working a few months ago - he only discovered what she was too lazy to prevent him discovering. But he was still an irritant, so why hadn't she gotten rid of him? She was hesitant to use the L word, but she was surprised by the depth of her feelings for him. Her first efforts at seduction had been little more than attempts to get him on her side. She had not expected to find such innocence, however, and she had certainly not expected to find such emotion in him. He... intrigued her, but he also reminded her a little of the way her brother Ganya had been before Psi Corps took their mother. The Shadows didn't like this, of course. They were all for killing him, but she had resisted, and as everything was going along the lines of their plan, then what did it matter? And now she'd been given a window of opportunity. Not a very large one, and there were a few things she had to do first, but... if she timed this right, she could kill Delenn, make certain that any sympathy Delenn might hold amongst the people on board the Babylon was destroyed for good, and try and get Anna and John back together. A simple enough trick, but first she had to get rid of Marcus. "I thought you were going to see a friend," he said, evidently noticing their detour. "This is the way to the Detention Centre." "I am," she said. I" just need to talk to someone there first. Mister Welles has been talking about added security for me, or something, and he wanted me to go and discuss the matter with him. It won't take long." "And the message you got over the Link?" The one she'd made damned sure he hadn't heard, despite his efforts to do so. "That was from Mister Welles, letting me know where I could find him." "Ah." He didn't believe her, but she didn't mind. Oh Marcus, you'll understand in time. Its all her fault. That Minbari... Morishi was on the desk as he usually was and he let her past without questioning. Susan Ivanova was one of the few people with free run of the entire Main Dome. It was wonderful what a Vice President with a Keeper would do. Susan absently reached out and took Marcus' hand in hers. He started, but did not move his hand away. She smiled. She wondered if Captain Sheridan suspected she would have this result. Well, to be sure, there wasn't really anyone else Sheridan could send here. David? He was still too tongue-tied around her to do anything. Everyone on board the Babylon was too noticeably connected with Sheridan, and everyone knew as much. No, Marcus was the ideal choice, but still... Sometimes Susan wished her transmitter inside Sheridan was still working. He must have discovered it somehow, and had it removed, and he wasn't letting her get close enough to plant another one. Oh well, such is life. They reached the end of a corridor, where the Security guard called Boggs was waiting. Susan smiled slightly. Evidently the source of her information had been taking steps to make this easier. She'd have to remember to thank him. "So where is Mister Welles, then?" Marcus asked. "Right in there," Susan said as Boggs opened the door. Marcus came to a halt, obviously suspecting something. Susan's smile grew wider. Boggs lunged forward and elbowed Marcus in the face. The spy tumbled, and Susan released his hand just as soon as she'd pulled his Link from it. Marcus staggered back, and raised an arm to block Boggs' next attack. Marcus then lashed out two punches in quick succession, and the Security guard had to fall back. Susan sighed melodramatically and waited for Marcus to step off balance. She then reached out and pushed him through the open door. He fell inside the cell and she pulled the door shut quickly. Boggs was rising slowly, fingering his bloodied nose gingerly. "I told you to be careful," Susan said. "Well, I would have told you to be careful." "Whatever," Boggs muttered. "Just give me a few moments with him and I'll..." "You'll do nothing. If he gets even slightly scratched, I'll have you reduced to waste disposal. Just keep him in there out of the way until I do what I've got to do. If he's been hurt at all when I get back, you will be so dead you shouldn't have even been born. Understand?" "Yes, miss." "Good. Thank you." Susan turned and left, her two Shadow companions by her side. They had'nt shown themselves in the fight - they hadn't needed to - but they would have if they did. It is good to have friends, she thought, even if only for a little while. And one of her friends needed her now. Anna Sheridan looked ill. Not quite as bad as she had been before, but she still looked bad. Susan needed only one look at her friend to know that Anna hadn't been sleeping much recently, and that she'd probably been drinking instead. Anna had made a trip up to the Babylon to see John a few days ago, but he'd been busy, apparently. Not too busy to be spending time with his favourite Minbari, however, but Anna had provided an inadvertent clue as to why this was the case. The word, Chrysalis. >From her counterpart among the Minbari, Susan had learned all about the prophecies of Valen and she knew the significance of the word. Her mind had immediately started working, and she'd at last found a means to get rid of Delenn. All she needed was to get John out of the way, and now he was here on the planet, on a diplomatic mission with a Centauri noble, who was in fact, as Susan had been so handily informed, the ambassador to Minbar. There were a number of things Susan could do with that information, but for the moment, she was quite happy to proceed with her original plan. Phase 1 was complete - getting rid of Marcus so that she could work in peace. Now it was time for Phase 2 - keeping Sheridan from getting involved. "Um, hi," Anna had said sheepishly as Susan arrived. She still looked a mess, although her quarters - hers and John's quarters - were slightly neater than they had been the last time. The permanent aroma of Narn liquor had been replaced by the scent of orange blossom - a smell that Susan gathered had special significance for John and Anna. "I've been... trying to keep the place tidy," Anna muttered. "I don't have much to do these days. I've been looking back and wondering where all the time went, and then I realised it all went down the bottom of a bottle. I..." "Anna, I've got some news for you. John's here, on the surface. He's in some sort of diplomatic meeting at the moment, but he wont be in there long." Anna looked up, and there was a brief ray of hope in her eyes. "You think... he'd see me?" "I don't know, but it can't hurt to try." "I don't.... no. He didn't come to try and find me after I went to see him before. He's probably too busy to see me." "Anna! Look, you have to talk to him. The Minbari will be here soon, and you may not get another chance. I know what it's like to lose someone when you had words you should have said to them. Don't let that happen." "You think so?" "Yes. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel. It won't be easy, I know, but you have to try." "I... You're right. There's nothing more that can happen to me that's worse than what's happened these last few years." Anna met Susan's eyes. "I still love him, Susan. I always did." Susan hugged her friend closely. "I know, and he does too. Just tell him." "Where is he?" "The Conference Hall." Anna pulled back and smiled. "Thank you, Susan. I don't know what I'd have done without you." Susan only smiled in reply, but her mind thought of the Shadows lurking beside her, and she felt a sudden stab of grief and shame. A betrayal of the one true friend she had made here. But she knew that she would do it again if she had to. Some things were more important than friendship. ---------- Sheridan hated diplomats, by and large. He hated passing meaningless pleasantries with people hed never seen before, who were only interested in his reputation. His father had been a prominent diplomat and Sheridan had grown up hearing all about the fine art of diplomacy, about travelling to strange places and taking part in unusual customs. He'd been fascinated, then, and had said, with all the conviction and determination that eight year old boys have, that he would become a diplomat when he grew up. But that was then, before the Minbari, before the StarKiller. He'd been present at any number of diplomatic meetings since the Battle of the Line, largely so that the Resistance Government could show him off to the visiting dignitaries. He felt half like an embarrassed child showing off his skills with a piano or his artwork to his parents' friends, and half like an open threat. We've got the StarKiller on our side. There were only so many times you could talk about the destruction of the Black Star - an act more noted for its playing on Minbari overconfidence rather than its tactical skill or innovation - or about the Battle of Mars, which had been fought on pure fury, and which he still remembered with shame. After a while, he'd grown tired of the whole affair, of being trotted out whenever the Resistance Government was trying to impress a new trade delegation or to win an alliance. Sheridan knew that they wouldn't get any such alliance. The StarKiller may be strong, but the Minbari were stronger. Still, this Lord Refa had intrigued him. Sheridan had had some contact with Centauri nobles, certainly enough to know that the archetypal Centauri noble - power crazed, machiavellian, decadent and permanently scheming - was, like most archetypes, based on the truth. Refa's carefully chosen words and barbed comments confirmed that he was after something, but it seemed to be more than just mere political power. He was after something specific from Proxima, and something even more specific from Sheridan, and Sheridan couldnt be exactly sure what. Oh, he had his suspicions. Lord Refa had never once mentioned Satai Delenn - about whom the Resistance Government would certainly have told him - which implied that she was connected in some way to his scheme. Unless of course Lord Refa had anticipated this reaction from Sheridan and was really after something else he had been talking about in order to... Sheridan just gave up. Thinking like a Centauri made his head ache. Of equal if not more interest, was Refa's companion, Vir. Outwardly bumbling and apologetic, he was quiet just enough to listen to everything that Refa was saying. Sheridan also recognised the small circle of light sleeve clasp Vir was wearing. He'd seen Ta'lon and Neroon wearing similar devices. No, it was true that Minbari fashions were becoming popular among the Centauri recently, but it was also true that G'Kar had sources and allies everywhere - including amongst the Centauri. Vir had evidently noticed Sheridan's gaze and had made somewhat stilted conversation implying something along the lines of, We have to talk later. But later was later, and for now, all Sheridan wanted to do was get back to his ship and to keeping an eye on Delenn's cocoon - sorry, chrysalis. She should have several more days yet, but he didn't want to take any risks. Fate was standing in his way. As he saw Anna waiting outside the Conference Hall, he hesitated, and silently groaned. The last thing he wanted was another round of drunken insults from her. Acting almost on instinct he backed away, because it was too painful to be with her, as a living reminder of everything he'd once had and lost. But this time was different. Sheridan could see the focused clarity in her eyes. He could not smell any alcohol. He could even see the hint of sadness in her expression. Caught, almost captivated, he slowed down and wandered to her side. "Anna," he said. "You're um... looking well?" He was half afraid that this was all some kind of illusion that would abandon him soon, or some trick. But no... she wasn't drunk. His senses were telling him that this was the woman he had fallen in love with and married. This was no simulcranum, hologram or doppelganger. This was her. This was the real Anna, the one who had been buried for so long beneath alcohol and fear and regret and grief. "Thank you," she muttered. And she was looking well. She must have made a special effort to look nice, something she hadn't done in years, and had done rarely even before Elizabeth's death, knowing that her mere presence was enough to make John smile. Knowing that because he insisted on telling her. "Um... is something wrong?" he asked. They hadn't spoken properly in months. Their last conversation that hadn't either started out as or ended as an argument had been the morning of Elizabeth's memorial service. "No..." She smiled ruefully. "Yes. There is. It's us. It's me... it's... it's the world. Can we... talk? Just for a while." He blinked slowly. "I... I'm a little..." What could he tell her? And for that matter why should he? Delenn had days yet before she was due to emerge from the chrysalis, David was more than capable of running the ship for a few more hours, and they'd have twelve hours notice in case the Minbari arrived. Despite what Sheridan had told Clark, that was enough time for the Babylon and her crew. It would have to be. He activated his Link through to the Babylon. "David, it's me. I'm going to be here a little longer than I expected. Only link me if its a real emergency, and if you could check in on our guest every now and then." "No problem," came the slightly puzzled voice through the Link. John looked up at his wife - his wife - and he smiled, slowly and sadly. "I'd love to," he said. Remembering an old, old joke, he smiled. "I could cook us something." Anna gave a soft chuckle. "I don't think that would be a good idea." She hesitated. "Besides, doesn't your cooking contravene several defence laws here?" He gave a bark of laughter. "But they seem to cope with your snoring," she added. "And if that doesn't breach defence regulations, then I don't know what will." "I do not snore." "Yes, you do." "No I don't." Anna smiled, and John found himself smiling too. She extended her arm and he took it, slowly, unwilling to believe that this was real, that the woman hed been in love with for so long had finally returned, and only too willing to hope that the man shed been in love with was returning as well. The Minbari would be coming soon, Delenn would be emerging from her cocoon in a few days, the Resistance Government had made a deal with the devil, and Lord Refa was sneaking around pursuing some unknown agenda. But none of that mattered. For the first time in years, Captain John J. Sheridan, StarKiller, was in the company of the one person he loved with all his heart, body and soul, and for the first time in years, Captain John J. Sheridan, StarKiller, dared to hope that he might be happy at last. Even if only for a little while. ---------- For Susan, the rest had been laughably easy. Shuttles were travelling to and from the Babylon all the time, carrying replacements for weapons components, technical engineers, people going on and coming off leave, seeing the last glimpse of a home they may never see again... All Susan had to do was hop aboard one such shuttle and hide. Arriving on the Babylon, she'd been met by the one who'd been expecting her, the one whose handy information on Sheridans whereabouts had made this possible. He had provided her with a completely clear path to the relevant room. And with her always, there were the Shadows. Then there were the two guards outside the door. One of them seemed to recognise her and was clearly unsure as to what to do with her. On the one hand, she was a respected and powerful ally of the Resistance Government, and they had given her the run of Proxima. On the other hand, their orders were that no one but the Captain and Commander Corwin were to enter the cell, and that meant no one. Susan soon solved his dilemma. She killed him. She'd been secretly practising with the Minbari pike she'd taken from Delenn all those months ago, and she'd managed to master the art of extending it and striking in one movement. The first guard was dead with his chest crushed before he even knew what was happening. The second guard had started, almost unable to believe this, but she had reacted quickly. Not as quickly as a Shadow, who shimmered into view behind her and literally disembowelled her with one swipe of its foreleg. Two deaths would not go unnoticed, but it was not as if Susan was planning on taking the blame for them, not when there was a so much more convenient scapegoat to hand. The door was of course locked and security coded. Fortunately, Susan's informant had provided her with the codes. The door opened and Susan and the two Shadows stepped inside. The first thing she saw, bathed in candlelight in an otherwise dark room, was the chrysalis itself. It was fixed to the far wall of the room, and came up to the middle of Susan's chest in height. Susan thought she could dimly pick out a humanoid form within it. Her other senses could definitely pick out a form within it. Her first thought upon seeing it was: How beautiful. But then she remembered that Minbari ships could be considered beautiful, Vorlons could be considered beautiful, while her friends, the saviours of humanity, they were feared and reviled. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Susan walked up to the chrysalis and held out her pike, still stained with the blood of the guard she had killed. Holding it back, she swung out with it. A part of the chrysalis tore away. Susan struck again, and again and... and a humanoid figure fell free. Susan looked at Delenn, who was stretched out naked upon the floor. Whatever the chrysalis had been doing to her, it had not finished, and he was a curious amalgamation of human and Minbari. Delenn was breathing in hard, sucking in great gasps of air. Susan guessed that she had been conscious throughout the whole ordeal. "Lights," Susan said, and the room was bathed in light. Delenn started, still emitting small, piteous moans, trying to hide her eyes. But then the Shadows hissed and buzzed, sending their anger to their representative. "Welcome back to the world, Satai Delenn," Susan said slowly. Delenn knew her. Delenn recognised her. "Out of the darkness... "And into the light." To Be Continued... From: Mr G D Williams Subject: Transformations Part 3 of 4 [AT] [AC] Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 00:42:37 +0100 (BST) Spoilers, Disclaimers and notices as at Part 1 Transformations, Part 3 of 4 [AT] [AC] by Gareth Williams, csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk The chains we wear are of our own making. Marcus was not sure who'd said that first of all. It had a very Dickensian feel to it. As Marcus paced up and down the small room that had been made his impromptu cell, he had a vision of himself being loaded down with chains, just like a ghostly Marley, come back to warn Scrooge about his selfish ways. If only Marcus had had a Marley, he might not have ended up here. He was not wearing any physical chains, but he had enough spiritual ones to load down an entire army. And most of them were of his own making. Hatred of his brother Joseph, who had always been everything that Marcus wasn't. Hatred of Joseph's wife Katherine, the first and greatest love of Marcus' life. Hatred of himself for never telling Katherine how he felt. Hatred of himself for surviving the attack that left them both dead. Hatred of the drink which had nearly destroyed him, and hatred of himself for letting it do so. Hatred of the Shadows for attacking his colony. Hatred of the Narns for not stopping them. Hatred of the Minbari for making his home be run by Narns in the first place. Hatred of Captain Sheridan, who had saved Marcus. Hatred of Satai Delenn, who hadn't. Hatred of Councillor Na'toth and Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar, who knew about the Shadows and did nothing, and hatred of them both for telling him about the Shadows and making him a part of their game. Hatred of Lyta, for daring to care for him. Hatred of himself for letting himself care for her. Hatred of Susan, who had changed the situation so that she was the hunter and he was the hunted. Hatred of himself for letting her do so. Hatred of Captain Sheridan, who had sent him here. Hatred of himself for failing Captain Sheridan's trust in him. So much hatred, each object another chain weighing him down. Each chain causing his greater hatred of himself. Marcus did not know what Susan had planned that would necessitate locking him up in here. He certainly knew enough to be sure that he wasn't the primary focus of her plans. He was just in the way. Fortunately Marcus had not been unprepared for this eventuality. Susan had ripped the Link from his hand before throwing him in here, but he had another, hidden in the folds of his jacket. He had drawn it out and tried to contact Captain Sheridan, but there had been no reply - no indication that the message had even reached Sheridan at all. Marcus wondered if he had been the focus of Susan's plans. A similar attempt to contact Commander Corwin had failed. In fact, he could not reach anyone on the Babylon. There were a few possible explanations, the Link was broken, there was no way to send Linked messages from this room, or communications on the Babylon were down... or everybody on board the Babylon was dead. None of them were exactly pleasant options. He was not sure if he could contact anyone on the surface of Proxima, but then there was only one person on the surface that he trusted and to her... to her he dared not speak, out of shame, and out of hatred. Lyta Alexander was just one more link in his heavy chains of hatred, and he was mortally afraid of ever letting her find out this, knowing that if he did so he would expose his true self to her, and that she would turn from him, and he would lose the greatest - and only - light of his life. And so he waited. Marcus hated waiting, but more than anything else, he hated himself for being in the this situation in the first place. One more link on a very big chain. ---------- "Welcome to the world, Satai Delenn. Out of the darkness and into the light." Susan could feel Delenn's eyes on her - the eyes that could blaze with an intensity and a fury as passionate and as hot as the stars. Instead, all Susan saw now was the empty, haunted eyes of a child. Susan had no knowledge of what the chrysalis had been doing to Delenn - a complete genetic alteration, or simply an outwards transformation? Would it have changed her to a full human, a half-human, or something else? And what had been the results of Susan shattering the chrysalis sooner than it would naturally have opened? Susan did not know, but then she did not care either. All she had to do was kill Delenn and her problems would be over. Sheridan would have no focus for his quest against the Shadows, and with the happiness of a renewed relationship with Anna, he would have no need to do so. But as Susan raised her pike - the very one that Delenn had once wielded - she seemed about to hesitate. Delenn was lying out on the floor, completely naked, obviously wracked by pain, as helpless as a child, and with a look in her eyes that said that mentally, she might be nothing else. Susan looked at her with a slow eye. Delenn's bone crest was still there, only a little smaller than before, but it was cracked down the middle, where there was a growth of hair, long and black. Delenn's ears were still in the normal Minbari place - a little lower than human ears - but the bone crest above them was higher. Delenn's head and body were slimmer, and more human looking, but her eyes... her eyes were those of a child. And then Delenn blinked slowly, and she whispered one word, half as though it were a link to her past, and half as though it was a toy she had just found. "Shadows." The Shadows behind Susan had evidently decided that if their emissary would not act, then they would. They scuttled forward, approaching Delenn. Susan took a step back, and was content to watch. Had Delenn felt like this as her fleets destroyed Earth? Had she been content simply to watch, as a child was killed by adults who knew best? Delenn saw the things advancing on her, and her eyes widened in a gesture of childish curiosity, but then... a legacy of something left in her mind woke up, and started. Delenn rolled away from the Shadows, back towards the broken husk of the chrysalis. She reached out and rested on it for support. Its touch seemed to revitalise her, although only a little. Susan started and slumped, silently screaming as a burst of pain tore into her skull. "Oh no," she whispered. "Oh no, not again. Not... again." She recognised a telepath's presence when she felt one. And so it appeared did Delenn. She raised her head slowly, curiously, hesitantly, out of hope - or pain? "We don't have... time..." Susan rasped, holding both hands against her skull. "Kill her... now." The Shadows were only too happy to comply. --------- It had been three words that had alerted Lyta Alexander to the danger. Three words spoken - although she hadn't known so then - at the time when Susan Ivanova had taken the shuttle up to the Babylon. Three words spoken by the voice in her mind that was called Kosh. "She needs you." Lyta needed no clarification as to who the 'she' was. For months now she had been feeling a connection to Satai Delenn - ever since she had first mind scanned her. Something profound had passed between the two of them - two somethings in fact. The first was a sense of understanding and connection. The second was Kosh. Lyta had been sensing a general fear of doom all day. She had not seen Marcus in five days, although her thoughts had rarely been from him. She had dreamed dark dreams of Proxima being engulfed by a black cloud, and of Susan Ivanova standing watching as it happened. Lyta had been irritated and afraid and cranky all day. And now this. Immediately, Lyta had tried to Link someone on board the Babylon - she had repelled slightly at the thought of contacting Captain Sheridan, and so had tried Commander Corwin. He had listened politely, but had replied that Delenn was being guarded by two of the Babylon's best Security personnel with orders to let absolutely no one in until the Captain returned. It wasn't that he didn't take her seriously, just that he was very busy. Where Captain Sheridan was, Lyta had no idea, and she didn't exactly care. That left Chief Security Officer Allen, who had also listened politely and had told her he would look into the matter. That should have satisfied her. The Babylon was, after all, their domain, not hers. She had only even been there once before, after all. But still... Kosh's presence was still lingering at the forefront of her mind, and so she made for the shuttle bays. As it had been for Susan, getting a shuttle up to the Babylon was simple. Lyta's rank may not have been as high as that of Susan's, but she was able to feign a request from Commander Corwin to arrive at the spaceship. She had been met by Mister Allen at the docking bays. He had tried to tell her that everything was fine, and that he had checked out the area, and that no one had gone in or out of the room in a while. Lyta might have believed him, but then Kosh's voice screamed at her. "Touched!" Theoretically it was possible for a telepath to literally change someone's mind. Lyta had seen this done on a few occasions - during her internment with the Psi Cops. Altering a person's opinions, beliefs and even memories was a favourite trick of the Psi Cops, but it had never been something she had dared to do for herself. She had made small attempts in this field, but only rarely and usually to get something she wanted - such as past the Security guards to go and see Marcus - but she knew this was important, and, acting on fear and concern, she had changed Zack's mind. "Yes, of course," he said. "I'd be happy to." And he had taken her towards Delenn's quarters. Lyta should not be able to do this - Zack's normal psyche should return after a few minutes at most, but he had kept with her, as her heart beat faster and faster with each moment. She could feel Delenn's fear, but there was something else in Delenn's mind. Lyta was not exactly sure what was happening to Delenn, but she could feel Delenn's pain. Her first sight upon arriving at Delenn's quarters were the two dead guards outside the door. Both were covered in blood - one had had his chest smashed open, and the other had been ripped apart. Zack had merely stared, but Lyta had started, losing her telepathic control over him. She didn't care. She saw the blood, and she saw the bodies and she could see the taint of Shadows. Lyta darted into the room, and saw the whole grim tableau in one scene. Delenn cowering, Susan standing, and... two creatures from her worst nightmare. Susan started and staggered back, panic verging on terror in her expression. The... things (the things that were causing Kosh's voice to scream in her mind) they also turned and backed away. Delenn looked up slowly. Susan sprang forward with her pike, lunging at Lyta, who ducked out of the way. Lyta, acting on instinct - or perhaps the Vorlon was doing all the acting for her - lashed out with a burst of telepathic pain. Susan screamed, far greater and far louder than would be expected with such a short burst, and she staggered out of the way, pushing past Lyta and scrambling for the room. Lyta looked out for the two creatures, but they had just vanished, as if they had never been. Reaching out tentatively with her mind, she recoiled as she felt the touch of something so... ancient and alien and awesomely powerful that she felt sick and weak and she had to fall to her knees. The feeling passed, and Lyta crawled forward to Delenn, who was still lying on the floor, cowering. Lyta tried to turn Delenn's head, and she was met by the full force of Delenn's brilliant green eyes. Eyes which seemed dulled and empty. "Who... are you?" Delenn whispered. "Who... am... I?" Lyta said nothing, not thinking of anything to say. She cradled Delenn's head in her lap and called for Zack. The Security Chief hobbled into the room, looking pale faced and queasy. "What...?" he tried to say. "What?" "Find her," Lyta snapped, sending orders as naturally as if she'd been born to them. "Don't let her get away." Zack snapped, almost subconsciously to attention. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Er... should I call for Doctor Kyle as well?" A doctor? Lyta looked at Delenn. Yes, of course she would need a doctor. "Yes, and you'd better get Commander Corwin or... Captain Sheridan down here as well." "That won't be necessary," said a voice she recognised. Looking up, Delenn saw Corwin enter, flanked by two Security guards. "They were told to report in every half an hour. When they didn't, I came to investigate. What happened here?" "She's dying," Lyta snapped. "Get a doctor." Corwin looked at her and then down at Delenn. He activated his Link. "Doctor Kyle, get a med-team to Room 99, Block Beta, Level 35, ASAP. Mr. Allen, I believe you have some work to do." Zack snapped to attention again. "Yes, sir." He glanced at Lyta and left, taking the other two Security guards with him. "Do you want to tell me what happened here?" Corwin asked Lyta. "Or should I just piece everything together myself?" Lyta looked up. "I... I don't know exactly what happened." "It appears your suspicions were right. Tell me, what exactly made you suspicious?" "A... feeling. It's hard to explain. I just knew." "Trust me to expect simple answers from a telepath," he muttered. "What about... her?" He looked at Delenn, and his eyes widened. Lyta discreetly moved to the bed - slanted as per Minbari style - and grabbed a blanket - as per human styles - which she draped other Delenn. Delenn stirred a little, but still said nothing. "God's name, what happened to her?" "I don't... I can't explain it, because I don't really know myself." "Funny. That's usually my job. I don't suppose your feelings tell you where the Captain is." "No, and I don't particularly care." "Well I do. I haven't seen him since yesterday. I don't like this. I really do not like this." ---------- The Captain was currently sleeping. A quiet, peaceful, dreamless sleep for the first time in years. No staying up late drinking ersatz coffee staring into the darkness around him. No reliving the sight of Earth as he had last seen it. No endless nightmares about the Minbari coming for him and him being unable to stop them. No billions of voices screaming his name. Nothing but the quiet, peaceful dreamless sleep of those who have finally found happiness. Anna looked at the sleeping form of her husband and smiled slowly. She reached down to touch his hair. He muttered something in his sleep and rolled over. She rose from the bed and looked at him, still smiling. She had been watching him for several hours now. She hadn't been able to sleep very well - years of drinking herself into a stupor every night had made it difficult for her to sleep without drinking and she was determined not to go back to that. Sometimes she found herself yearning for another drink, but now she did not need one. For over two years - since their daughter Elizabeth had been killed in the Minbari attack on Orion 3 - Anna and John Sheridan had both been living in a twilight, shadow world. She had crawled into a bottle, and he had crawled onto the bridge of the Babylon. Neither had left their chosen refuge in all that time, certainly not mentally even on the rare occasions they had done so physically. And last night, they had finally come together again. Anna had been watching her husband sleep for some time. She had done this some times during their marriage when she couldn't sleep. They were frequently apart, but they always made up for it when they were together. She had always seen John's constant anger and worry and fears fade as he slept. When he did sleep, he was the same fresh faced enthusiastic man he had been when Liz had introduced the two of them over ten years ago. She remembered all the times in his father's garden, when they had sat and looked around and just... been together. The smell of orange blossom had been so beautiful then. She had taken to sprinkling it around this room - partially to hide the smell of her Narn liquor, but also in memory of that time. One of her greatest sorrows was that she would never be able to take Elizabeth to that garden. Both Elizabeth and the garden were gone now. Gone forever, except in memories... and dreams, Anna looked at John's Link, lying on the side where he had placed it. All too often they had been interrupted by business before, but they would not now. She had deactivated it as he had slept. Whatever turmoils gripped the outside world would not touch their brief moment of happiness. For now at least, John and Anna Sheridan were together again, and that was what mattered. The outside world would just have to get by without them both for a while. ---------- "This had better be important," Lord Refa was uttering to himself as he waited in the Conference Hall. The other members of the Resistance Government - saving President Crane, who was still ill - were gathered there. Refa looked around at his companions in this unexpected late night soiree. Vice President Clark was bleary eyed, and looked as though he had just gotten out of bed. He yawned frequently and blinked a lot. He was also talking to anyone who would listen, which was no one. General Takashima was engaging Clark's interest a little with an occasional remark. The two seemed to be discussing Lieutenant - or perhaps Ambassador - Ivanova, about whom Refa had heard a lot, but had not yet met. She sounded interesting, and he wondered just how much Sinoval would want whatever information he picked up about her. Their conversation was quiet however, and he could not hear much, and so he switched his attentions elsewhere. Mister Welles did not look tired. He did not look, in fact, as if he had ever been asleep. He was watching, interested and perhaps even intrigued. Refa recognised the type of man he was from a number of his contemporaries, who all possessed the same outward calmness and silence. Others underestimated such people. Refa did not. Welles would need watching. General Hague was, however, easy to dismiss. He looked haunted, his face gaunt. He clearly had not been asleep either, but unlike Mister Welles, his fatigue showed clearly. Hague was on the verge of falling, and whether he fell to his death or started flying was of no concern to Refa. Being rousted out of bed at this hour of the night was, however. Refa had been on this wasteland for five days now, and he had picked the barest word about Satai Delenn - the real reason he was here. Sinoval and the rest of the Grey Council wanted confirmation of her status here. Such information could be doctored fairly easily for Sinoval's - and Refa's own - benefit, but first of all Refa needed information to doctor, and all he had found so far was that there was a Minbari aboard Captain Sheridan's ship - the Babylon. That was not nearly enough And to top it all off, Vir had gone missing. Confounded moron! He was never around when he was needed. When Refa returned in glory to Centauri Prime and sat upon the Imperial Throne he had have much better servants than Vir Cotto - and that was a fact. The door to the hall opened and Refa looked as a human woman entered. She was dishevelled and limping slightly, but Refa could easily see the power and authority in her bearing. He supposed she would be considered quite beautiful, but his unfortunate experience with his own wife - who had many unpleasant characteristics, but her looks were not one of them - had biased him against beautiful women. They couldn't be trusted. That applied to ugly women as well, for that matter. "Ambassador Ivanova," said Clark. "What has happened? It was you who asked us all to gather here?" "Yes, Vice President," she panted. "I'm sorry if this inconvenienced anyone, but this is important." She paused, breathing in harshly. "Satai Delenn has... she has..." She was still breathing in deeply, but she know had Refa's full attention. Satai Delenn? He caught more than one glance in his direction and he knew this was informastion the others did not want him to have. "She's... I don't know how to say it. Here. I took these pictures. Maybe these will prove it." She laid a small object down on the table and activated it. Refa recognised a primitive form of recording and playing holographic equipment. An essential guide, of course, to any politician's arsenal. Even he started at the image the appeared before them. Two humans lying dead. There was blood everywhere. Neither killing looked particularly clean. Refa, a master in the art of poltical assassination, was surprised at the unsubtlety of these deaths. Unless, perhaps, that was the point. "Satai Delenn did ths," Ivanova said. "These were the people who had to guard her." "Where is Delenn now?" Clark asked. "And how did you get hold of this?" Takashima added. "I assume that Delenn is on board the Babylon. I don't think she did this to escape." "Then why?" asked Clark. "For this." Ivanova fiddled with the device again and changed the image. It was of a woman who appeared to be half Minbari and half human. Refa was fascinated. He didn't think the mix was possible, but then he realised something else. What would Sinoval say about this? "She took their DNA," Ivanova said. "She's been trying to turn herself into a human. Why, I don't know, but I think it's been harder than she thought. She killed the two guards, took their DNA and managed to adapt it to her own, or something." "If Minbari could turn themselves into humans," Hague said. "Think of what they could do. Do they have this level of technology?" He was appalled, and more than a little terrified. "Obviously they do," Clark said. "And she is still on the Babylon?" "I think so." "May I ask how you uncovered this?" Welles said, speaking up suddenly. "I... went up to the Babylon to consult on a few matters with Captain Sheridan," she said. "He was not on the bridge, and so I thought he might be with Satai Delenn. He has been spending a lot of time with her recently. I went to her cell and found what I have just shown you." "And did you find Captain Sheridan?" "No." "What about Commander Corwin?" "Him neither." "This raises some very disturbing questions," Clark muttered. "How much do Captain Sheridan and his second know about this, and where are they? Mister Welles, bring them both here so that we may discuss this with them. And send some men up to the Babylon. Liaise with their Head of Security and find out as much as you can about this. A breach of security of this magnitude at such a critical time is very bad. If this were due to simple incompetence it would be bad enough. I dare not contemplate the other possible reason. Are you clear with this, Welles?" "Absolutely, Vice President." "Sir?" spoke up Takashima. "Shall we tell the President?" "That will not be necessary, General. She is too ill to be bothered with matters such as this." Refa looked at those gathered around him. He supposed it must be Lieutenant Ivanova who had sent him the message asking him to attend this meeting, but why? As he looked at her, she noticed his gaze and looked back. He smiled slightly. There was no doubt about it. She was good. Very good. Not as good as a Centauri, but then she was only human, after all. ---------- "So, Doctor, what an you tell me?" Doctor Kyle looked back at the slumbering form on the bed in MedLab. "I don't know what I can tell you, Commander," he said slowly. "Her DNA is like nothing I've ever seen before. A mixture of human and Minbari. It isn't co-existing very well." "She wasn't finished," Lyta whispered from her place at Delenn's side. "What?" Corwin asked. "What do you know about it?" "I don't know. I just keep picking up stray thoughts from her. The word chrysalis, and a sense of... incompletion. Whatever she was doing, she wasn't finished doing it." "Yes, what did you get from that piece of the... chrysalis thing we brought you?" "Nothing, I am afraid, Commander." "Nothing?" "It disintegrated before I had a chance to study it. It just melted away." "Oh great! Why did I get up this morning? For that matter why didn't I become a dustman like my mother wanted?" "Commander," Kyle said, and Corwin fell silent. There was something about Doctor Kyle that made him resemble a fourth grade teacher. Corwin felt the urge to mutter "sorry, sir," and to do a hundred lines. "Back to Delenn, I can offer no explanation as to what is happening to her. Her DNA seems stable at the moment, but her body chemistry is still very out of synch. She could collapse into a coma, or respiratory failure, or heart failure at any moment." "Oh, wonderful. And her... mental state?" "A child," Kyle said. "At the moment anyway. She's said nothing since she was brought here. Her brain readings are... well, strange, to say the least. I don't know if this is permanent, temporary, natural or what? She defies analysis, Commander." "Can you scan her?" Corwin asked Lyta. "Try and find out... something." "No," she said. "Scanning without permission is against the law." "That's never stopped you before." Lyta had several cautions for inappropriate use of her telepathic powers. "We have to know what happened to her." "Chrysalis. That's all I can tell you. I won't scan her, Commander, and you can't make me." Corwin rubbed at his eyes. He was tired, and he was stressed and he wasn't cut out to be running a starship. Where the Hell was Captain Sheridan? His Link beeped. "Corwin here. Is that you, Captain?" "Fraid not, sir," said Zack. "There's still no sign of him. There is another matter, though." "You've found Susan?" "Not that either. Mister Welles is here with a group of his own Security people, sir. The Resistance Government has heard about what happened. They want to take Satai Delenn into custody on the planet and they want you and the Captain to meet the Resistance Government to discuss the, ah, situation." Corwin closed his yes. And he'd thought things couldn't get worse. ---------- Ironically, Londo's thoughts were on Refa as he was waiting for the Emperor - may the Great Maker enable us all to actually remember his name - to rise and deign to meet him. The assassination attempt of the night before had been greeted with another this morning - poisoned bravari. Fortunately Londo had spent considerable time memorising the taste and smell of every type of popular poison used amongst the Centauri, and he had faintly recognised the tang of lemons. Having the drink tested confirmed that it had been poisoned. Now he was definitely not happy. A second assassination attempt in two days was one thing, but having to tip out a whole vat of warm, steaming, fine bravari really annoyed him. Someone was going to pay for this. And Londo wasn't the only one, either. His fine network of overpaid and underworked sources had reported that Lady Drusella had eaten some very bad marnago the night before and had been afflicted with a terminal stomach ache. Since her husband had died during the War, her daughter Lyndisty now inherited the vast family fortune, at least until someone found her a husband. (Londo silently wished any husband of hers good fortune. He had known fish less wet than she was.) This whole affair was getting serious. Centauri Prime was returning to the old ways, and this was not good. With the Narns biting at Centauri heels, and G'Kar's Ancient Enemy growing stronger all the time - not to mention the humans and the Minbari shortly ripping each other apart - Centauri Prime had to be stable and orderly, and that meant having a stable and orderly ruler. Londo had tried contacting Urza, but he was on a state mission to Gorash 7 - they still called him "The Hero of Gorash" and he knew how to use that hero worship. So, it was a matter to bring to the attention of the Emperor himself. Unfortunately, it was not the Emperor who greeted him. "Why, dear Londo," said the voice, and he grit his teeth very firmly together. "It is so good to see you again. I was just talking with Daggair the other day, and we were complaining that we see so little of you these days." "My Lady Elrisia," he said, smiling. "A pleasure, as always," he lied. "I hear there was an attempt on your life last night. I am so glad it failed." "A seasonal occurance, my lady. I am... always alert to these things. After all, no one has killed me yet." "But they only have to be lucky once, Londo. You have to be lucky all the time." Londo looked at his companion and silently thanked all the Gods in the Centauri pantheon that he had not been the one to marry her. Lady Elrisia was beautiful, unscrupulous, intelligent, ambitious and devious. Most Centauri ladies possessed at least two of those characteristics. The more dangerous ones possessed three or four. Lady Elrisia had all five. She was almost as bad, if not worse, than her husband, the gone and mercifully forgotten Lord Refa. "I... came here to meet the Emperor. I thought that with First Minister Jaddo away..." "The Emperor is sleeping now. He is... quite tired." "I see. You will tell him I was here." "Of course. He appreciates your concern for his health, dear Londo. he told me as much last night." "I am gratified that his Mahesty thinks so highly of me." "You may go, Londo." "My lady." "Oh, there is one thing. I understand that there was a Minbari poet with you last night. He is well, I trust." "Very well, my lady. Shaal Lennier is currenly enjoying my hospitality." "I would be most interested in hearing his work. Could you possibly arrange a private meeting at all?" "I shall... broach the subject matter to him, my lady. Good day." "Good day, Londo. It was a pleasure as always. We should meet more often." Londo waited until he was outside the palace before he started swearing. This was not good. This was definitely not good. Nothing these days ever did seem to be good. Time for a meeting with Mister Lennier, it seemed. Perhaps G'Kar might have some handy advice in store. ---------- "What?" "You heard me, Commander Corwin. The Resistance Government wishes to see you, Captain Sheridan and your prisoner. And they wish to do so now." "And if the Minbari happen to tun up while we're... seeing the Resistance Government, Mister Welles, or aren't they worried about the Minbari?" "I am only relaying their instructions, Commander Corwin. I understand that Mister Allen is investigating this incident up here?" "Yes, and he is doing so well enough for me. We do not need..." "What you need is irrelevant. I and my men will meet with Mister Allen to co-ordinate this matter." "You can't do that." "Commander Corwin. The actions of the senior staff on this ship have been, at best, incompetent, and at worst, treasonous. And not just on this incident, but for some time." "We run this ship as we see best..." "Then you may explain that to the Resistance Government. I am sure that if what you say is the case, then you will have nothing to worry about, Commander." "And who do you expect to run the ship while I'm on the planet?" "The people here are capable of running the ship for a few hours." "But..." "Those are the direct instructions of the Resistance Government, Commander. You, Captain Sheridan and the Minbari are to attend the Resistance Government at once." "Delenn can hardly move. Her health is..." "Irrelevant. You will do as you have been ordered by your direct superiors in the chain of command. Is that clear, Commander?" "Perfectly clear." "Good. There was no need for all that hostility then, was there? I do have one question, though. Where is Captain Sheridan?" ---------- Captain Sheridan was waking slowly. He stirred, and opened his eyes slowly. For a brief moment, he was surprised. This was definitely not his room on the Babylon. These were his quarters in the Main Dome. Well, he supposed they were Anna's quarters. She lived here. He could not recall spending more than fifteen minutes at a time here before. Anna was sitting beside him on the bed. She was smiling. "Good morning," she said. "Anna," he mumbled, surprised. She was.... she looked beautiful. She looked happy. "Anna..." "If you said any other name, I'd be very angry," she said, her eyes dancing. "I love you, John." The fog of sleep left him, and he remembered last night. She had come to him after his meeting with the Resistance Government and Lord Refa. She had... been like the Anna she had always been before. She had cooked him something - it wasn't much, food on Proxima never was, but his cooking could make anything taste awful - and they had talked for a long time, about the past, about their future, about Elizabeth. Sheridan had not felt guilty about doing so. His Link was on and if there were an emergency David could call him. He had been astounded throughout the meal, as if this were all a dream. He had resigned himself years ago that he and Anna could never be as they had been. The war, Elizabeth's death, the destruction of Earth... it had all just become too much for them. John had watched Anna sinking deeper and deeper into her own private world and he had been unable - or unwilling - to prevent her, knowing that he was doing precisely the same thing. He never stopped loving her, but he had stopped believing that they could be happy again. Last night had surprised him. For a few hours at least, he had actually been happy. Both of them had. "I love you," he whispered, and he watched her smile, the smile lighting up her face. She looked so beautiful. And then he blinked. "What time is it?" "O-six hundred or so," she said. "You always did get up early." "But... oh my God, the ship, De..." He nearly said Delenn's name, but then he stopped himself. So much had changed in one day, but he did not want to jeopardise it. He looked around for his Link and saw it lying on his side. "John, they can get by without you for one night." "But the Minbari, the..." (chrysalis). "Anything could have happened." He picked the Link up, and saw to his horror that it had been deactivated. He looked at Anna. "I just wanted us to be alone," she whispered. "I... I didn't want to lose you again." Her smile was gone, and his heart went out to her. He clambered across the bed and held her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder. He felt her hair brush his cheek. He loved her. He always had. Slowly, he re-activated his Link, and patched a message through to Corwin. "Anything to report, David?" he asked. "Captain, where the Hell have you been?" A belated, "Sir." "In bed," Sheridan replied slowly, and Anna chuckled. "I'm sorry. Things are okay up there, aren't they? Nothing... unusual?" "The only usual thing that's happened up here is that everything's fallen apart. The Resistance Government want to see us both. This is serious. They want to see Satai Delenn as well." "Delenn? But..." (She's still in the chrysalis, isn't she? She wasn't meant to come out this early. I told her I'd be there for her. I promised her I'd be there for her.) "Oh my God, David. What's happened?" "Oh boy. Look, Captain, the Resistance Government wants to see all three of us sharp-ish. They'll explain everything. You really won't like this." "I... All right. I'll be at the Conference Hall. Sheridan out." Sheridan pulled back to look at Anna. "I heard," she sighed. "There's always something, isn't there?" "Aw, I'm sorry." "Don't be. It's your duty... I'll have to find something to do, I suppose now. Just... make sure you come back to me, John. We've spent too long apart." "Always." He kissed her, and held her tightly, as if he were afraid he would lose her if he ever let her go. He remembered his vision from aboard Babylon 4. Much of what happened there was still a blur to him, but that vision he would never forget. The sight of Anna's body slumping and falling as he shot her. It would never happen, he told himself. Never. But he had always suspected it might. Now, he knew for certain that it never would. "I love you," he said, pulling back. "I love you, too," she replied. "Just come back to me... Oh, and make sure you get dressed first. It might help." He smiled. --------- "Well, Commander," Clark said. "Can you explain this?" "I would appreciate it, Vice President, if you would tell me what I am accused of before you ask me to plead guilty." Corwin stared at the four people looking at him, and he tried hard to avoid swallowing harshly. Beside him was Delenn. She was standing as straight as he was, but she had not answered any of the questions put to her, and her very presence, with her tinges of human appearance, was enough to damn her, Corwin and the Captain. "Dammit, man!" Hague exploded. "Two of your Security guards are dead, and you bring that... that freak here! How can you live with yourself? Why did you go through with this? You must have known something! How could you have let her do this?" "Satai Delenn's change has nothing to do with the deaths of the two Security officers," Corwin said firmly. "I have reason to believe that they were killed by..." He did swallow, unable to even speak her name without feeling as though his heart were about to burst. "By Lieutenant Ivanova." "What?" snapped Clark. "Young man, this..." "This is absurd!" snapped Hague. "Excuse me, Commander," said Takashima. "Are you telling me that Ambassador Ivanova killed two Security guards aboard the Babylon?" "Yes, General." As much as it hurt to say it. Susan wasn't the same woman as the one he had known - the one he had fallen in love with. "And do you have a motive for her to do this or are you making this up as you go along?" "Miss Alexander and I saw her attempting to kill Satai Delenn. The Security guards were under orders to let no one but myself and Captain Sheridan past. She must have killed them so that she could get to Satai Delenn." "Then I just have one more question, Commander. What has happened to Satai Delenn?" "She has... changed, General." "We can see that," snapped Clark. "Are you telling us you knew this was happening?" Deep breath. "Yes, Vice President." "Then why did you permit her to do such? And how did she do it for that matter?" "It was a piece of Minbari technology. I do not know the specifics. I believe the transformation was broken off early - probably by... Ambassador Ivanova. As to why... apparently the Minbari have some form of prophecy which seems to state this transformation would take place. She believes she may serve as a means of ending this war." "Then why does she not tell us this herself?" "The... premature ending of the transformation has affected her in a way we have not been able to determine just yet. Her mental abilities may have been damaged." "Do you know anything about her change at all, Commander?" "A little, sir." "Then why did you permit her to make this change without asking for our permission, and without knoiwing the full outcome?" "With respect, sir," spoke up Takashima. Corwin turned to face her. He did not like her expression. "You are being too hard on him. Commander Corwin is, after all, the second in command of the Babylon. Perhaps the one to blame is the one who is in command of the Babylon." "Ah, yes. And what part does Captain Sheridan play in all this, hmm?" As if on cue, the door opened and Captain Sheridan walked in, accompanied by Mister Welles. The Captain did not look even remotely happy. Mister Welles did not either, but then he never did. "What has been happening?" Sheridan asked. "I... Delenn!" She turned to face him, and Corwin caught a glimpse of his expression as he saw her. Shock, wonderment, terror, concern... all at once. He stepped forward slowly towards her. She turned her head slightly. "John," she whispered. "John." She stepped forward and fell into his arms. He held her tightly, while looking at both Corwin and Clark. His face was... stunned. "What has happened?" he asked. "We will deal with you later, Captain," Clark said. "What news, Mister Welles?" "The one Security guard was killed by a single blow to the chest. It broke a number of ribs and crushed her heart. The second guard was disembowelled. The two weapons involved are very different. My guess is they weren't committed by the same person." "Hmm," Clark seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Anything else?" "A strange machine of a type we have not yet been able to identify. It does not seem to be a weapon, but I cannot tell its exact use either. It does look Minbari in origin." "Could she have used that to kill the guards?" "It is possible, Vice President." "Keep your men on the matter, Mister Welles. Well, Captain, what do you have to say for yourself?" "What exactly am I being accused of, sir?" "Incompetence and negligence at least, Captain. Treason at most. Did you know of Satai Delenn's change?" "Yes, I did." "Did you authorise her... change?" "Yes I did." "Why?" "She believed it could end this war. Prevent an attack here." "The Minbari are more than welcome to attack here, Captain Sheridan. With our new allies, we will destroy them utterly. I have every confidence in them. You, on the other hand... for well over a year, you have been insubordinate, reckless and dismissive of orders. You failed to gain the technological deposits at Epsilon 3 for us. You prevented Mister Welles from completing his interrogation of Satai Delenn. You have frequently put personal motivations above the good of humanity. "Now, whether you are a traitor or merely misguided remains to be seen, but for the moment, I think it would be safer for you to be removed of command. Yes, Captain Sheridan, you are hereby stripped of your command pending allegations of treason. You will be incarcerated here until such time as these allegations may be confirmed or denied." Corwin could see Sheridan straightening, almost subconsciously. Delenn was still next to him, but the expression on his face was carefully neutral. "I think General Takashima will be the best person to command the Babylon in your absence. Do you have anything to say before you are taken to a cell?" "Just this," he said slowly. "I fight the Minbari not because I hate them, but to defend humanity. I wear this uniform because I believe in what it stands for. I serve humanity because I feel it is the right place for me to be. "I am afraid that we have become the very thing we set out to fight. The Minbari acted out of madness and grief, the same reasons we are acting now. Unless this war is stopped, then we will become them. And then, Vice President, we will be truly beyond hope." "We shall see, Mister Sheridan. We shall see. Mister Welles. Leave the investigation on the Babylon to the Head of Security there. Your immediate task is to interrogate Satai Delenn. Find out as much as you can from her. Use Miss Alexander's talents, and every resource at your disposal. Do to Satai Delenn whatever you have to do to gain the information we need. Former Captain Sheridan and former Commander Corwin are to be incarcerated until you can verify from Satai Delenn the influence they played in this affair. Leave no stone unturned, Mister Welles." "I never do," he said icily. "So this is what is happening here," spoke up a sardonic voice. Lord Refa. He had clearly been hiding in the shadows, listening and learning. "Perhaps an alliance with your people is a misguided effort after all." "That is still hasty, Lord Refa," Clark said quickly. "You must not let this... unfortunate incident... colour your view of our people." "We shall see," he said. "We shall see." "Mister Welles, take the three of them away." Corwin met Clark's gaze firmly and then turned, walking solemnly from the room. He caught Sheridan's gaze as he gently released Delenn and the two officers shared a meaning more important than any words could convey. Humanity had just been damned. To Be Continued... From: Mr G D Williams Subject: Transformations Part 4 of 4 [AT] [AC] Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 12:12:52 +0100 (BST) So, here's the lead-in to The Other Half of My Soul almost finished. If you thought this was a lot happening, you ain't seen nothing yet. Spoilers, Disclaimers and notices all as at Part 1 ---------- Transformations, Part 4 of 4 [AT] [AC] by Gareth Williams, csrcb@csv.warwick.ac.uk *I will not allow harm to come to my little ones, not here in my great house.* *More valuable to me.* *Welcome to the world, Satai Delenn. Out of the Darkness and into the Light.* Thoughts, memories, feelings, words... all just words, locked in the back of her mind, trapped there, perhaps forever. She had emerged from the chrysalis too early. Her transformation had not been complete. The effect it had on her was... as yet unknown. Physically, she was a strange mix of human and Minbari. Genetically, she was unstable. Mentally, she was... trapped. Satai Delenn had said few words since she had been torn prematurely from her chrysalis. There were no hints even that the woman she had been existed any more. The only description Doctor Kyle aboard the Babylon had been able to put to her was, "a child." Mister Welles knew little about Valen, less about prophecy, and next to nothing about the Enemy, the Great War and Delenn's place in it. None of that mattered to him. All that did matter to him was serving humanity to the best of his not inconsiderable ability. He was an idealist and a pragmatist, a dreamer and a maker, a warmonger and a pacifist. Mister Welles was a study in contradictions, almost as much as the woman before him, an irony that he did not suspect or even care about. His duty was to serve humanity, and nothing else mattered. Recent events were threatening to run away from all of them. Two Security guards brutally murdered aboard the Babylon; Captain Sheridan and his XO, Commander Corwin suspended on charges of negligence and possible treason; Satai Delenn mysteriously transformed; both Captain Sheridan and Lieutenant Ivanova throwing around accusations; and the Minbari fleet could be here at any time. The only currency Welles recognised was information, only where it came to Satai Delenn, the bank was definitely closed. The door opened and Cutter showed in Miss Lyta Alexander, licensed telepath P5. Welles noted Cutter's obvious ogling of Miss Alexander and even more obvious interest in Satai Delenn, but he let it pass. Cutter was a good man, dedicated and loyal. Welles knew no one with not one vice. "Miss Alexander, thank you for coming. You are familiar with recent events, I trust." "Yes," she said, and Welles knew it. She had in fact been on board the Babylon at the time of Satai Delenn's mysterious change and the two murders, all for no adequately explained reason. "Of course you are. It is my task to find the gold of truth in the river of lies, Miss Alexander. Satai Delenn is being unco-operative, although whether from perversity or mental weakness, I cannot say. That is where you come in. You have scanned her before on a number of occasions. I would like you to do so now." "I'm afraid I can't do that." Another person might have erupted into violence, but Welles merely raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" "I am entitled to refuse without giving a reason. I am not an EarthForce personnel and you have no authority over me." "Actually, under the terms of the War Time Emergencies Act of 2247, any ranking member of EarthForce or associated organisations has the right to demand any service from any member of the public as long as he or she believes it is in the best interests of Earth and humanity. That Act has never been repealed, Miss Alexander." "I will not do this." "You never had any problems before." Welles flicked a glance at Satai Delenn. She was responding to Miss Alexander's presence. Delenn was looking up at the telepath, her mouth half open and her eyes fixed, as though Delenn recognised Miss Alexander, but did not know from where. "This would be wrong. I cannot do it." Welles knew a great many things, but the fact that Miss Alexander had a Vorlon inside her mind - gained from Satai Delenn during a telepathic scan - and the fact that Miss Alexander and Satai Delenn had a unique telepathic and mental connection, were not among them. He could read people very skillfully, however, and spotting the look in both their expressions would have been possible for someone far worse at the task than he. "I..." Miss Alexander whispered. There was a silent pleading in Delenn's eyes. "I'll do it." Again, Mister Welles did not know that she had been guided to this change by the advice of the Vorlon within her, but he did know that more than just his urgings had been responsible for this. He stood, and offered his companion his seat. She took it cautiously, and looked across the table at Delenn. Slowly, Miss Alexander removed her gloves and took Delenn's hands. "Chrysalis," Miss Alexander said slowly. "The chrysalis was a means of rebirth. A means of ending this War. She was to be a living connection between our peoples, but... something went wrong." "Did she kill those guards?" Welles asked. "No. No, she didn't. She was inside the chrysalis when they died." "Then who did kill them?" "Lieutenant Ivanova." "Is that what you read from her, or simply your opinion?" "I..." "I want the facts, Miss Alexander, not opinions." "Yes... I..." Miss Alexander blinked and threw her head back, almost in spasm. Her hands slipped from Delenn's and she sat back. "What else did you find out?" "I'm... not sure. She entered the chrysalis in order to change. It was part of a prophecy of her people. She hoped to show the results of this prophecy to their leaders and convince them to end this war. But... something went wrong. She emerged from the chrysalis too early." Welles absorbed this information completely, not missing a word. Such was his gift. "Why? An accident?" "No. Force. Lieutenant Ivanova broke her free. I... don't know what effect the premature emergence has had on her, but this wasn't the intended result. Lieutenant Ivanova was going to kill her." "And that is why Lieutenant Ivanova killed those two guards? To get to Satai Delenn?" "Yes, although Ivanova probably intended to blame their deaths on Delenn as well. To set up these exact circumstances if she failed." Welles' mind was processing all this information, evaluating theories, linking events together, piecing the puzzle. The whole thing sounded preposterous, but it had the faintest ring of truth. He elected to continue with the questioning. If this was an elaborate lie, then sooner or later the facts would betray them. If this was, against all odds, the truth... "Why would Lieutenant Ivanova try to kill Satai Delenn?" he asked. "This all seems a little elaborate for simple revenge, especially when Lieutenant Ivanova knew that Delenn was slated for execution very soon." "This is more than just revenge. Lieutenant Ivanova's friends, these... Shadows we were told about..." Was Welles mistaken, or did he see Miss Alexander shiver slightly as she mentioned the name of humanity's allies? "They and the Minbari have fought before. A thousand years ago." Welles knew this. Lieutenant - or perhaps Ambassador - Ivanova had told the Resistance Government as much. Welles had been thoroughly briefed by General Hague on humanity's new allies. "I think Lieutenant Ivanova was afraid that Delenn might... influence some of us..." Welles raised a hand. "Let me continue. Perhaps the Shadows have a vendetta with the Minbari. As we are the Minbari's only even half powerful enemies at the moment, they could wish to ally with us out of mutual protection, but if they are as powerful as we have been lead to believe, then why should they need our protection? Sympathy for one who has suffered as they have? Perhaps, but there must be more than that. "Perhaps they are following their own agenda, one that has nothing to do with the Minbari, and everything to do with us. The exact circumstances of how Lieutenant Ivanova met up with captain Sheridan have never been revealed. Perhaps they are trying to alter our philosophies perhaps, to bring us over - willingly - to their way of thinking, to their side. Perhaps the Minbari know of this... perhaps Satai Delenn knows about this, and Lieutenant Ivanova is concerned that some... such as Captain Sheridan... may come to doubt her allies. Perhaps she wants to kill Satai Delenn before this happens, and do so in such a way as to completely ruin any of her credibility. "Your argument has merit, Miss Alexander. Perhaps too much merit. It is often tempting to look for ten different answers when the simplest will often do. "I will have to check with my men on the Babylon. Maybe they have found something. You meanwhile, are to remain in your quarters. I may need you again." "Wait... Mister Welles! I have a question. Do you know where Marcus Cole is?" "Your paramour?" Welles enjoyed seeing Miss Alexander blush. Sometimes it was good reminding others just how much power over them he had. "I do not, no. I did not see him with Lieutenant Ivanova during her meeting with the Resistance Government earlier. Perhaps she knows where he is. Or perhaps Captain Sheridan does. Either way, your personal matters will have to wait. Good day, Miss Alexander," As Welles filed out, followed by Miss Alexander, his mind already awash with thoughts of plotting and counter-plotting, he handed the cell - and its occupant, over to the Security guard on duty. It was Cutter. He stepped inside, and closed the door after him. Welles was distracted, so much so that he missed Cutter's knowing leer at this magnificent opportunity fate had handed him. Satai Delenn's eyes were so innocent as she looked at him. Sometimes the world is generous indeed. ---------- "So, you are awake then?" Lord Refa's voice was filled with the sarcastic venom that was typical of the Centauri nobility these days. "And where have you been, pray? Somewhere important no doubt? Important enough to miss out on an important meeting." Vir began to stammer out a reply, desperately thinking of something that would explain his disappearance. He certainly couldn't tell Lord Refa the truth - that he had been trying to contact Captain Sheridan and warn him about Refa's private agenda here. Fortunatly Vir knew his Ambassador very well. After a few moments of: "I, well.. I sort of went to the... you know, well not as such, but... kind of... you know what I mean, and, um..." Refa shut him off. "Vir! It was rhetorical question. I sometimes think you were sent here to try me." Vir mumbled agreement, not mentioning the real reason he was here - which was of course to spy on Refa and, indirectly the Grey Council, all for, of all people, a Narn. "Anyway," Refa continued. "We have more serious issues to concern ourselves with. You are familiar with recent events, I trust. No, of course you are not," Refa continued, not giving Vir a chance to reply. "Well, it appears that Captain Sheridan and his second have been arrested on some charges of... well, treason at the moment. I'm not quite sure of the details, but then I doubt that anyone else is either. No, but more important, I have our proof." "About Satai Delenn?" "No, Vir! About a Jovian treeworm. Satai Delenn is the reason we are here, after all." Vir looked around nervously. He could feel Refa's scornful gaze upon him. Of course this room would not be bugged or anything. Refa had spent several hours after his arrival checking the whole area, and if anyone was a master at recognising listening an recording devices, it was Refa, probably because he used them so often himself. "She is... dead?" "Better. She is... well, see for yourself." Vir looked closely as Refa pulled a small item from his pocket. A classic Centauri recording device. Small enough to be hidden easily, and powerful enough to make instant holographic recordings of pretty much anything the user wanted. Refa activated it, and Vir stared at the image before him. He had never seen Satai Delenn before, but if he had, he would never have recognised her from the image he was just seeing. A woman who looked like a strange combination of Minbari and human was standing closely beside a human who was definitely Captain Sheridan. Vir had never seen him before either, but the legendary StarKiller was hard to mistake for anyone else. They were holding each other gently, not as lovers, and not even quite as friends, but as... more than allies. "It is perfect for Sinoval's needs," Refa was enthusing. "We have evidence that Satai Delenn is alive, and it implies that she is here willingly, that she has even become partially human, and that she is involved with Captain Sheridan. Even Lord Jarno could use information like this to his advantage. I dread to think what someone like Sinoval will do with it." "But... what you said... it's not true is it?" "Vir! Since when was the truth involved in politics? We know that Satai Delenn is here as a prisoner, yes, and the Grey Council doubtless suspects as much, but the fact is that the evidence we have here suggests - no, proves - otherwise. Sinoval's ascencion to Holy One is practically guarenteed and he will remember the one who helped put him there. I doubt I will be exiled out on Minbar for much longer, and who knows? I may even be Emperor in a few years. Stranger things have happened, Vir." Vir was suddenly very glad that it was someone like Lord Refa here, rather than something like Sinoval himself. Refa needed to explain things, he needed to prove to sombody just how intelligent and devious he was, he needed to gloat, even if only in private, of his brilliance. Someone like Sinoval would have said nothing, and taken his own course. Refa could not do that. Vir was glad. It meant he now had time and knowledge to act on this. Maybe he could save the day after all. ---------- Captain Sheridan looked up as the door to his cell opened. There were, after all, only so many ways someday could pace up and down a cell until he got bored. His Link had been taken, and Corwin was in a different cell, so he was completely isolated. He had been here for what seemed like at least an hour now. An hour with no word. No word from David. No word from Delenn. No word from Anna. No idea of what Ivanova was doing with this time. Sheridan still did not know exactly what had happened. Delenn had emerged from her chrysalis, but days earlier than she should have done. He remembered the way she had looked at him, and the way she had pressed herself against him. Sheridan wasn't sure what intentions she had had in mind for her emergence from the chrysalis, but he was fairly sure this was not what she had had in mind. Ivanova was involved in this. David had said so, and Sheridan trusted his second much more than he trusted Ivanova. He had been silently cursing himself for being away from the Babylon on this night, but then a terrible thought struck him. Was all this just a coincidence? Anna, choosing now of all times in the past two years to attempt a reconciliation, at the same time that Ivanova turned a cold war very hot with the murder of two of Sheridan's guards and the attempted murder of Delenn. Sheridan remembered his vision on board Babylon 4. His arm jerking upwards, his PPG firing, and Anna slumping and falling back. He seemed to remember Anna attacking him, although his vision had been so unclear. Had Anna become a Shadow agent? Had this whole affair been part of Ivanova's plotting? Had Ivanova made a mockery of his marriage and his happiness the same way she had made a mockery of his hopes? Questions and no answers. At least, no answers that he wanted to believe. General Hague entered. Sheridan looked at him, standing precisely at attention. The general walked around him slowly, while Sheridan kept his eyes directed firmly forward. The general looked tired however. Sheridan doubted he had been sleeping well. Few people did seem to these days. "Well, Captain?" Hague asked. "General?" Sheridan kept his tone neutral. He knew he had little to explain or to apologise for, whatever was happening to him. "Don't put on that tone with me! I want to know just what you think you've been doing up there! Just because you've spent so long living above us, that does not mean you aren't answerable to us! What has been going on, Captain?" Sheridan swallowed. "Permission to speak freely, sir?" "That's never stopped you before." "I have done nothing to explain away, General. Everything that I have done is for the good of humanity." "That's exactly what Ambassador Ivanova has said." "She's lying, sir." Ambassador? Sheridan did not like the sound of that. "She isn't the one with a... a freak on her spaceship. A freak in the presence of two dead bodies. What happened?" "Satai Delenn entered the chrysalis with my express approval and consent, sir. I believed it represented the best future for our people. I also believe that Lieutenant Ivanova - " Sheridan was damned if he was going to call her Ambassador " - killed my guards in an attempt to kill Delenn." "Why did you not explain this... chrysalis transformation to the Resistance Government? Why did you not seek our approval and consent?" "Freely, sir?" Hague nodded angrily. "I believe that Lieutenant Ivanova has suborned certain members on the Government, sir. I believe that she intends to use the Resistance Government and all of humanity to fulfill her own aims and those of her allies. Delenn is more aware of these Shadows than I am, and she believes that her transformation would counter any influence these Shdaows might have, and that she may be able to sway members of the Grey Council to end this war and to abort any attack here, sir." "Let me see if I get this straight, Captain. You have taken a maximum security prisoner from our Detention Centre and up to your ship. You have denied us access to question her. You have opposed humanity's legitimate and recognised allies. You have given a prisoner a chance to undergo a transformation, the results of which you did not fully know at the time, all on her say so. "Why in Hell's Name do you believe a single word that Minbari bitch tells you? You more than anyone else should know how much they can be trusted, and that is not at all. After what they did to Earth, to Mars, at the Line, at Orion... to your daughter! No, Captain, all your information on this comes from the word of one Minbari. I am hesitant to mention the word treason, Captain, but I cannot believe that you fell into her charms. You have always been too smart for that. What was it, Captain? What did she offer you?" "General, I resent that accusation. Everything that I have done..." "Has been on the word of one Minbari! Or is there more? Can any others confirm your story? Name them, and I shall seek them out. Is there anyone who will back you up?" Sheridan remained silent. There was G'Kar, of course, but mentioning his name would risk exposing his entire operation, and the Great Machine. Sheridan did not entirely agree with G'Kar, but he would not betray the Narn. Besides, that would only call his own involvement into question. His report on the Epsilon 3 incident had been a masterpiece of misinformation and obfuscation. Revealing the full truth now would only harm him further. "I see," Hague snapped. "At the moment, Mister Welles is doing everything he can to break apart that Minbari bitch and get out anything he can. When he's finished, or when time runs out for us all, she'll be executed. Publicly, in as messy and unpleasant a fashion as can be found. If it weren't for oxygen problems, she'd probably be burned at the stake. And after that, if there's anything of us left after the Minbari have come, then you will be court martialled and executed as a traitor to your race. "I'm sorry to see it come to this, Captain, but you've left us no choice." "She's left you no choice," Sheridan responded. "Don't listen to her, General. She's lying. She's been lying about everything, right from the beginning." "I'm not listening to this. I'll be going, Captain, but try and think of this. What is Anna going to say when she discovers the truth?" The General left, and Sheridan stared at the door. What was Anna going to say when she discovered the truth? What was he going to say when he discovered the truth about her? Had she betrayed him? He didn't like to ask that question, because he didn't like the only answer he could find. ---------- Mister Welles had taken time to think, constantly running Miss Alexander's suggestions and accusations over and over in his mind. The more he thought about them, the more sense they made. He had been experiencing suspicions for some time about humanity's new allies, but he had put them down to his permanent sense of paranoia, and resolved to merely keep an eye on Miss Ivanova and learn as much about her as he could. Once he had learned about the Babylon 2 mission from General Hague and from General Franklin's records, he had put his suspicions aside. Miss Ivanova's story checked out, and he felt - along with everyone else - some sense of euphoria at the thought that humanity was no longer alone. This recent incident had caused all his old suspicions to rise up again. Miss Alexander had gone, pleading fatigue. Welles had been suspicious, but he wanted to put some of these ideas to Satai Delenn herself. If she and Miss Alexander were lying, then he would soon find out. The first sign that something was wrong was when he arrived at her cell. There was no guard outside. There had always been someone on duty, either inside or outside. Usually there was both. Welles hesitated and drew his PPG slowly. He opened the door. The sight of blood had never shocked him before - no one who lived through the attack on Mars could afford to be squeamish - but the sight he saw upon arrival shocked even him. Cutter was laid out on the floor. Welles was unable to detect a cause of death from simple viewing, although it seemed likely that he had been strangled. There were deep scratches down his face, and his uniform was dishevelled. Looking up, Welles saw Satai Delenn sitting calmly at her seat. She had evidently not tried to escape - she couldn't have opened the door anyway. There were scratches and marks on her face and her clothes - a makeshift medical gown - had been torn. Her eyes were red, and as she looked at Welles he could see that the child-like innocence that had marked them was gone. "You," he whispered, lost for words for the first time in his life. "You... did this?" "He tried to hurt me," she said. Had he been feeling normal, Welles would have identified every nuance and sign in her tone of voice, to see whether she was the child she had been before, or the dignified priestess he had known earlier. But he was not feeling normal, and he did not care. "He tried to hurt me." Welles had known about Cutter's somewhat... undiscriminating sexual preferences, but he still trusted the man. Cutter had always done his job well, had always served Earth and humanity, had always been loyal and dutiful. And here he was, once more victim of the Minbari. "One more," Welles whispered. "One more." Never taking his eyes off Delenn, he bent down and closed Cutter's eyes. There were deep nail marks across one of them. "How many more then?" he said, speaking as much to himself as to the woman before him. "Just how many more?! In God's Name, where will you stop?" He had not realised he was still holding his PPG until he was pointing it at her, both hands trembling, the merest fraction of a second from shooting her down in cold blood, from killing her the way she had killed Cutter, and everyone on Earth, and all the dreams of humanity. She looked at him, and this time there was innocence in her eyes, not the innocence of a child, but the innocence of one who was gone beyond dreams, but still dares to believe, the innocence of one who hopes for the future, the innocence of one who has dared to wonder, and has not experienced disappointment. The innocence of one who is facing death in the knowledge that her life had meaning. The innocence of one who knows that another would pick up where she left off. Welles looked into her eyes and saw none of this. For the first time in his life, his chosen skills had abandoned him. He was effectively blind. ---------- At first Refa thought it was Vir who had come into his quarters. Refa had been dozing, trying to greain some of the sleep he'd been unable to get last night. He stirred at the sound of a door opening - one of the reasons he was still alive was because he was a light sleeper - but doubted he had anything to worry about here. He was wrong, as he discovered when he felt the cold touch of metal at his throat. "It's a Minbari fighting pike, Ambassador," said a female voice. "One twitch and it can crush your throat." "I fear you have me mistaken for someone else," Refa said calmly. "I am no Ambassador, merely a humble diplomat." "You're taking this very calmly, Ambassador." "My lady, I have survived more assassination attempts than you have men. The difference is, I can tell mine apart in the dark." A deliberate insult. It would either make her angry - and sloppy - or it would rile her into a debate, prolonging this so that he could gain an advantage. At least, that was how it usually worked. It didn't. She only laughed. "The figure isn't that high, Ambassador. What say we cut to the point?" "I am, as you humans say, all ears." "Your name is Forwerd Refa, head of your house. After a little... power struggle in recent years, you were banished to a derogatory post of little importance on Minbar, where you were seen as little more than a joke. You are here at the behest, probably anyway, of Satai Sinoval of the Grey Council. If I leave anything out, you'll be sure to tell me." Refa was pondering the staple response in such a situation - outright denial - but he sensed that was not going to work. This lady was too well informed. He wondered if it was time to play a trump card. "You are very well informed, Ambassador Ivanova," he said. "I wonder then, why you have not shared this information wih your Government." "That's Ivanova," she said, correcting his pronunciation. "And who's to say I haven't? Who's to say this isn't with their permission? This is a warning, Lord Refa. Tell the Grey Council whatever you like, but if their fleets come here, then they're all dead. Do you understand?" "Perfectly, my lady." Refa was slightly disappointed. So this was nothing more than a straightforward threat cum blackmail then. "Good." She lifted the weight from his neck, and vanished. Refa waited a few moments before rising and activating the lights. He then leapt from the bed and looked around. She was definitely gone, and Vir was nowhere in sight. He doubted she'd have killed him - not that Refa would have minded if she had, but if she had killed Vir, then she would have had to kill him as well. Fortunately, Refa had another - what had been Londo's phrase? - another trump card to play? Typical Londo. All he ever did was play cards and drink and eye up women. He had never had any ambition. Refa then looked at his trump card. His recording device, deliberately left on would have picked up every aspect of their conversation. It could work in any degree of lighting and it recorded sound as easily as images. It had cost Refa a fortune, but it had been worth every ducat. Refa wondered idly where Vir was, as he activated the device and played back the image. He swore. "Great Maker!" ---------- Lyta Alexander was worried. Very worried. About Marcus. She hadn't seen him in days. Mister Welles didn't know where he was - and it was Welles' job to know everything about everything - and Ivanova had been appearing in public without him. She was afraid for him. Lyta had never ben able to rationalise her feelings towards him. She was hesitant to mention the L word - she had always resigned herself to the fact that love would never play a factor in her life. After all, Psi Corps would arrange her marriage based on genetic conformity. Emotional attatchments did not come into it. When Psi Corps was effectively ended with Earth, Lyta felt oddly free. She wasn't bound by their rules, their codes of conduct any more. She had tried to turn her power - which she had always seen as a curse - into a blessing. She had tried to live life. Except for her involvement with Bester, she was now as free as she had ever been... It had taken her a long time to realise that even freedom must have restrictions. She had lost more than one lover because of her incautious use of her powers and her new, fresher approach to life. She doubted that she had ever felt strong feelings for anyone before. And now there was Marcus. It wasn't just physical attraction - although that there was certainly - and she wasn't sure it was true love. The trouble was Lyta didn't know what it was, except that she wanted it to continue. She knew that Marcus was wrapped into something serious, something that had Captain Sheridan's mark all over it. He wouldn't talk about it, and someone had been teaching him to shield his thoughts, so she couldn't find the information herself, at least not without hurting him. She wished he would stay away from Sheridan. Lyta did not know the Captain very well, but she did know he was the sort of person who would send a man to his death if it suited his purposes. Oh, he could reason it, and explain it and maybe even justify it, but the dead would stay dead, and no amount of justifications could bring them back. Lyta would not let that happen to Marcus. Not if she could do anything at all about it. There was a knocking on the door. Lyta started and rose from her bed. Knocking? as if the person didn't know how to use the bell properly. "Open," she said slowly. In walked a Centauri. He was looking around nervously. Lyta tried a quick scan - reading aliens had always been something she had been good at - but all she picked up was a haze of concern and panic. He had learned techniques to block casual scans as well. Was no one fighting fair any more? "Can I help you?" she asked politely. "Um, well, I think. It's more that you can help other people, you see, but, well, we think we can trust you... and I've had some, um, information about you and..." Lyta blinked. "I'm sorry." "I really shouldn't be doing this. I don't have the... authority, you see. But I can't get in touch with the others, and if I don't act fast, there's going to be, well... whoo... trouble, to say the least." "You aren't making any sense." "No, I suppose I'm not. That's the kind of life I'm having about the moment. My name's Vir. Vir Cotto. I'm... a sort of diplomatic attache, but I'm also something else... I... oh I really shouldn't be doing this, but he thinks we an trust you. He thinks you can help us. We... talked before I left to come here and well, I didn't listen. I never listen too much really, but he mentioned your name and..." "Who?" she asked. She didn't know any Centauri. "Ah, that's going to have to remain a... ah, secret for the moment. I really can't... tell you that, but there is... something else. I'd better begin at the beginning, so to speak. That would make some sort of sense." "I hope something does." Lyta tried a second, deeper scan, but all she picked up was the image that he was telling the truth in whatever it was he was trying to say. "Um, please stop doing that. I've had some... bad experiences... with telepaths, you see. Thy don't have many scruples... at least not Centauri ones. I'm not saying you don't have any scruples or anything, but well..." Lyta withdrew. "Thank you. Now... "There are, well... beings in the universe billions of years older than... ooh, anything. Well not anything, but... they're pretty old. Very old. Now the oldest of these, are called the Shadows... "And well, basically, they aren't very nice..." ---------- Subsequent events on Proxima 3 that day are very much open to interpretation. Some things are known. It is known that Anna Sheridan - concerned about the whereabouts of her husband, sought out her friend, Susan Ivanova, to discover if there was any truth in recent events. Susan Ivanova, however, was nowhere in sight, and Anna went so far as to visit the Babylon to try and find her or John. Lyta Alexander, licensed telepath, meanwhile spent the afternoon listening to millions of years of history conveyed slowly, haltingly and repetitively by Vir Cotto, diplomatic attache. Captain Sheridan, Commander Corwin, Marcus Cole and Satai Delenn all remained in prison. Mister Welles was reporting to the Resistance Government the details he had found concerning the two murders aboard the Babylon. He kept his suspicions to himself, as well as the nearness he had come to murdering Satai Delenn. The babylon was nearly deserted now. Mister Welles had pulled his Security officers away, having discovered everything he felt he could, and feeling the need to interrogate most of its senior staff. If anyone recognised the lunacy of rendering Proxima 3's flagship - and only surviving capital ship - no one said as much. Ambassador Refa spent the day making transmissions to Centauri Prime, various Centauri colonies and Minbar. When he heard one particularly pleasing piece of information from Gorash 7, he broke out into laughter. Susan Ivanova's whereabouts were unknown. By mid afternoon, everything came to a head. It began, as so many things did, with Satai Delenn. ---------- Dealing with the Security guards was simple, as it usually was. Lyta simply changed their minds. Literally. She rarely felt guilty about doing so, and she did not feel at all guilty in this case. She had no evidence that Marcus was involved in this, and he was not sure that she believed any of Vir's story, but she did not that Delenn was involved. Drawn by her strange link to Satai Delenn, Lyta felt she had to help, especially when so much that was mystery had been cleared up - albeit very long-windedly - by Vir. Vir was not with her. He was taking care of other situations, although she doubted he would have been that much of an asset, it still grated that she was doing this alone. She trusted Vir - but only because her frequent scans had proved that he was telling the truth about the Shadows and about a Circle of Light being formed against them. There were no guards outside Satai Delenn's cell, and no guards inside it either. Fortunately Lyta had obtained the security code by mind-scanning Welles earlier - just in case, and very gingerly. His was the sort of mind she did not want to stay in one minute longer than necessary. She had not, however, been in Welles' presence since she scanned Delenn this morning, or she might have seen a side to him that she didn't know existed. She opened the door to the cell, stepped inside and came to a halt. Feelings.... of death, of lust, of pain hit her, all the force and strength of a brick wall. Lyta recoiled and stumbled back against the wall. She rubbed at her eyes and blotted out tears, an then she saw Delenn's face looking at her. "What happened?" she whispered. She could still see the blood on the floor. "What...?" "He tried to hurt me," she said softly. "He... Who am I?" Lyta started. "You are... you are my friend. You are Delenn." "Delenn?" She said the name slowly and hesitantly, as if she had never heard it before. "I... don't...." *Welcome to the world, Satai Delenn. Out of the Darkness and into the Light.* Lyta stumbled again, and nearly fell. Those words... it was as if they had been shouted into her ear. She looked at Delenn, and saw that she was pained too. Lyta knelt down beside Delenn's chair, and took her companion's hand. Lyta knew that they didn't have long, but she had to do this. "I'm going to help," she whispered. She didn't know exactly what she was doing. All she knew was that Kosh was giving her instructions. Unfortunately, Vorlon instructions were not exactly comprehensible. Lyta had never tried this before, but somehow, something had passed between them when Lyta had first scanned Delenn, so why couldn't something pass the other way? "I hope this works," she said to herself. She then closed her eyes and reached out into Delenn's mind. If they were caught doing this, but no, she could probably justify this. They hadn't done anything irreversible yet. And then, she was willingly... lost. *I will not allow harm to come to my little ones, not here in my great house.* *More valuable to me.* *The third principle of sentient life... the ability to sacrifice everything you are and verything you have for another, an ideal, a dream, a loved one...* *I must follow the calling of my heart, Delenn. Forgive me.* *Isil'zha veni. In Valen's name.* Thoughts, feelings, memories, voices, names, places, friends, loves lost, loves found, dreams forged, dreams broken, screams, cries, laughter, love, hatred, fear, life, death, destruction, chaos, order, good, evil, shadows... always shadows... Lyta could not scream. She could barely breathe as she and Delenn became connected on a level that she would never have thought possible. They were privy to each other's thoughts and feelings, they could put names to people only seen in the other's memories. It was the most beautiful experience Lyta had ever had. Lyta started, and her hand slipped from Delenn's. She fell backwards, and collapsed on the floor, too exhausted to even breathe. "How?" she asked the voice in her mind. "How did you know this would happen? Why did you do it?" "Connection," he said in reply. "Together. Purpose. You will discover. when the time is right." Lyta slowly scrambled to her feet and, leaning on the table, she looked at Delenn. "Are... you...?" "I think so," she whispered. Her eyes were no longer those of a child, but she was... unsettled. Lyta could read it in her. "I feel... strange." "I'm not surprised," Lyta replied. "If what I picked up from that... connection, then you've just gone through several years of puberty in a few days. I'd feel strange, too. Are you... you?" "And who am I to make me me? I... have my memories, and my... thoughts are my own, but apart from that... I do not know. This was early. Far too early. I should not even be alive." "Yeah well, if word of this gets out none of us will be. You'll need to get off Proxima, and fast." "Captain Sheridan!" Delenn started, as though she had only just remembered. "We must help him... and Commander Corwin. We will need them." "Are you crazy? The instant we leave this cell we're all on borrowed time. Getting you out is going to be hard enough, never mind..." "Never mind what exactly?" Lyta spun around, a cold terror gripping her heart. She hoped that she was wrong. She prayed that she was wrong, but she knew that she wasn't. Standing there in the doorwa was Mister Welles. "I suppose you can explain why you are here?" he said calmly. "And how you got here?" Lyta paused as she tried to evaluate an answer. There was something... different about Welles. His icy demeanour was gone, and his stare... he was reknowned for having the most focused, uncomfortable stare that anyone could wish to look at. But it was not focused on her. He was staring at Delenn. And his gaze was one of fury. "I'm waiting," he said slowly. Lyta could feel his mind now, like soft clay running through her fingers. She could feel him near to breaking point. There was a hot flame burning through all his control, all his precious reserve was close to cracking. Grief and anger and long - restrained hatred were all burning within him. And with grief and anger and hatred, there was inevitably pain. Lyta had never been able to master this trick before, but it had worked against Ivanova earlier, and she found herself thinking it would work now. She reached out, feeling the Vorlon guide her, and she touched Welles' mind. Pain! He gave a strangled cry and fell forward, knocking the table aside. His body spasmed on the floor. Lyta slowly helped Delenn to her feet. pulling her away from the almost epileptic man. Slowly, always looking at Welles, Lyta opened the door. "I think I remember how to do this," she muttered. "Do what?" Delenn asked. "Change the access code. You need it to get in or out. I am now so dead here, I might as well start digging a grave for myself. The more time we have before they come looking for us, the better." "Thank you, Lyta," Delenn said simply. "You have risked a great deal for me." "I think I was risking it as much for myself as well," Lyta said slowly. "I don't know why, but... I don't know why." Delenn smiled. "I thank you anyway." "Do you still want to find Captain Sheridan?" "I need to find him." "There's an old saying," said a familiar voice at the other end of the corridor. "Be careful what you ask for. You might just get it." Lyta saw Delenn smile, a warm, happy smile. She certainly did not begrudge her friend happiness but she could not share it, certainly not at the sight of Captain Sheridan, Commander Corwin and Susan Ivanova all together. ---------- Londo Mollari was drunk. In fact, he was very drunk. He was also bad-tempered drunk. Normally he tended to become convival, happy, cheery and very bad at gambling when he'd had too much to drunk - which he hadn't, at least not in recent times. But this was a special occasion after all. After all, it wasn't every day that you received reports of the death of your best friend. He'd received the message earlier, and had proceded to get incredibly drunk. He supposed he should notify G'Kar, or at least whichever of his agents happened to be nearest - Shaal Lennier, he supposed - but Londo simply didn't feel like it. What he felt like, at the moment, was breaking a lot of glasses - check- breaking a lot of items of furniture - check - and then breaking several necks - no check. It was an accident, they'd said. Of course it was. yes, that was right. Major Centauri warships went around having 'accidents' all the time. And the fact that First Minister Urza Jaddo happened to be on board when this 'accident' occurred was also accidental, right? Londo was alone. Timov had fled, not used to her husband having a worse temper than she did. Daggair was off at one of her interminable parties, spending more of his money than he could afford. And Mariel, she was... anywhere but not here. Londo didn't care. He raised a glass of bravari. "Here's to you, Scatura," he said. "Here's to you, Urza." ---------- Lyta had seen a number of strange and unpleasant sights in her lifetime. The last year had seen a drastic increase in their number and frequency. But she doubted she would ever forget the sight of Susan Ivanova removing her head to reveal Vir Cotto with a Changeling Net. Refraining from asking the obvious questions - like where he got it, and how he got it smuggled into Proxima - she concentrated instead on Captain Sheridan. He was holding Delenn tenderly. He was not smiling, but the frequent expression of anger on his face was gone. He looked strangely... peaceful. She contemplated a quick scan, but decided against it. Sheridan had always been hard to read, and she did not want to make her actions obvious. Delenn was smiling. She looked happier than Lyta had ever seen her. It was suprising how much her new human-like features improved when she smiled. "I've, ah, arranged a shuttle to take you up to your spaceship," Vir was explaining. "This... little device was very handy, and there are a few... friends of friends here, if you know what I mean. You should get there uninterrupted, but you had best leave as soon as possible." "And I suppose your... friend... with the Machine has some ideas what we should do after that?" Sheridan said. "We'll have effectively exiled ourselves, and taken away Proxima's only heavy class ship." "Hopefully our... friend with the machine... will offer sanctuary. If you're ready to take it, Captain. And we both know that there are more powerful defenders here than the Babylon." "I won't be going with you," Lyta said. Delenn looked up. "Why not?" she asked. Because I don't like Captain Sheridan. Because I think all this is crazy. Because I wish I couldn't believe any of this. Because I'm afraid of what the voice in my head in telling me. "Because I have to find Marcus," she said. "He's likely dead by now," Sheridan replied. "I asked him to watch over Susan for us." "I have to find him," Lyta said firmly. "Goodbye, Delenn." Delenn smiled. "Goodbye, Lyta." Lyta noticed Sheridan's embrace tighten softly at Delenn's smile. She noticed a great many things about Captain Sheridan, things she wished she hadn't. "If you need help finding Marcus, track down Zack Allen," Commander Corwin said. "I think he's still on the surface here, and he'll be able to help you." "I will," she said slowly. And she meant it too. "Walk with Valen," she whispered, and then paused, surprised. She hardly knew who Valen was. "And you, my friend," Delenn said. "And you." ---------- The Babylon felt very... empty. With most of its crew recalled to Proxima for questioning, and with all Mister Welles' Security patrols also recalled, there was only a skeleton crew running the ship. That suited Sheridan well enough. It made it easier for him to regain control over his ship. As he sat in his chair on the bridge, and began the taking of the ship away from Proxima, he turned to Corwin. "What are we doing here, David? We're abandoning our people. We're betraying them all." "It's Vice President Clark and the others who have done that, sir," Corwin said slowly, after a moment's thought. "They betrayed humanity. I think we're the only ones who haven't." Sheridan thought about this for a moment, and then nodded. "Take us away." Lieutenant Franklin was one of the few members of the bridge crew who was still aboard. He looked a little bewildered by the whole affair, but, like Commander Corwin, he trusted his captain. "We're leaving Proxima now, sir," he said. "Jump point formed. We're in hyperspace." "Do you think they'll send anything out after us?" Corwin asked. "What have they got to send? They won't risk a light cruiser or a medium sized warship against the Babylon?" "And what about one of these Shadow ships? The things that cut through two Minbari cruisers in a matter of seconds?" "Then... we will deal with that as it happens, David." "You cannot," said a voice. It was Delenn. "None of us can hold up to the Shadows, not yet. But by working together, perhaps we can. I do not know what this... G'Kar has done in preparation for the Shadows, but I do know that by working together, we have a far better chance than we do alone." "I only hope you're right..." Sheridan blinked suddenly and looked around. Somnething about this felt... familiar. He turned and saw the door to the bridge opening. He started and rose from his chair. No! This was impossible. Anna was on Proxima 3. She had to be. But she was here. "John!" she said. "What's been happening?" Sheridan drew his PPG and pointed it, across the length of the bridge, at her. "John? What...?" Then she saw Delenn. "I see. What they were saying was true, then. I didn't want to believe them, but... They were right. You did betray us all, John." "You betrayed me, Anna. Why? I wondered why at the time. It was Susan, wasn't it? I should have realised. What did she tell you? What did she offer you?" "John, you aren't making any sense. But... I suppose that's not surprising. I never thought. I just... never thought." John glanced at Delenn, glanced away just long enough for Anna to draw her own PPG. He pointed his weapon back at her, silently cursing himself. He was the one who'd insisted she carry a weapon, never imagining she'd point it at him. "This is a mistake," Delenn whispered. "This is a misunderstanding. John, please, listen!" But he wasn't listening. Anna was. "Why are you doing this?" she pleaded. "Why? Doesn't... Doesn't Elizabeth's death mean anything to you? That... that freak killed her. She killed Elizabeth, and your parents, and mine. She took everything from both of us. And now she's taken you as well. John, please!" "What did Susan tell you? What did she...? Anna, no!" Anna turned to point her PPG at Delenn. John's arm jerked upwards... Corwin would never forget the expression on his Captain's face as he fired. Despair. The ultimate, tragic, most heartwrenching form of despair he could ever imagine to be possible. But it did no good. Once the weapon was fired, it could never be taken back. Anna slumped and fell, her own weapon falling from her lifeless fingers. Sheridan just stood there, staring for a moment, then he dropped his own weapon. "Anna," he whispered. Slowly, he walked across the bridge to her side and he knelt down beside her. Corwin knew that she was dead. It was inconceivable that she could be otherwise, but still... he could hope that she was alive. Not for her sake, but for his. Sheridan, on the other hand, seemed to know. As if he had been expecting this all along, but had never adjusted himself to its inevitability. He simply knelt beside her, touching her hair, whispering her name, over and over again. Corwin was looking at Sheridan so much that he did not notice Delenn move. If he had, he might have stopped her, but he did not, and the first he knew of it was when she gently touched his shoulder, standing by his side. He spun around, lashing out. He pulled his punch at the last minute, but it was still enough to floor her. She fell sprawling, and Corwin caught the look in her eyes as she fell. Terror and tragedy. "Get her out of here!" Sheridan snapped to anyone who was listening. "Throw her in the brig! Throw her out of an airlock! Just get her out of my sight!" Delenn tried to rise, but he moved forward, fire and death blazing in his expression. Corwin ran forward, again for his sake, not for hers, and he helped Delenn to her feet. She was leaning on him heavily, although probably more from shock than from pain. Corwin shared a long, sympathetic, empathetic look with his captain as he led Delenn from the bridge, and down to the brig. As a result, he missed what happened next. "Captain," breathed Lieutenant Franklin. "This... this is..." "What?" Sheridan replied dully. "Come and see." Sheridan made his way down to Franklin's console, moving slowly, not caring, not thinking. He looked at the read-outs. His eyes widened. He had never seen a Shadow ship before, but he knew that that was what he was looking at. Ivanova had sent the Shadows after them, after all. ---------- It had taken Lyta several minutes to regain her breath after leaving Sheridan, Corwin, Vir and Delenn outside the Detention Centre. Vir had put his Changeling Net back on again, and was planning on guiding the others to the shuttle he had arranged. She was still a trifle unclear about his motives, but her thoughts were far too enmired to worry about them for the moment. The first thing she did was return to her room, and collapse on the bed, drawing in great, gasping breaths. She knew that she had to find Marcus. That was her main concern here. For the first time since leaving the cell, the thought of what she had done to Mister Welles nagged at her. What if she had killed him? What would he do when he got out? None of that mattered. She had to find Marcus, and Corwin had told her how to do so. Once she had recovered her breath, she left her room and headed in search of this Zack Allen. Tracking him down was not difficult - a whole ship-full of Security personnel tended to make an impact, and all it took was a few questions. She did not even have to use her powers to gain the information she needed, although she was nervous the whole time, wondering if each person she talked to knew about what she had done. Was this how normals felt in the presence of telepaths? This whole, envelopping terror, always afraid of what they had done that they might be called to account for? When Lyta found Zack, she mentioned Sheridan's name, and he became attentive. He listened to what she had to say - which took a while, as her breathing was still laboured, and she was still afraid. Kosh's voice was trying to tell her something, but she hardly heard it. And after she had finished, Zack had left to do a bit of checking. A few minutes later, he returned. "Found him," he said. "He was slightly injured in a brief scuffle last night. MedLab are looking after him." Lyta started, knowing that for a lie. She could feel Marcus when he was in pain. Zack was lying. She rose to her feet, but then the door to his room opened again. In stepped Vice President Clark and Mister Welles. "Mister Allen here tells us you have an interesting story to tell, Miss Alexander," Clark said. "I would very much like to hear it." ---------- "Is it making any form of hostile action?" Sheridan asked. "I don't... think so. I don't know what it's doing." "Hah! Join the club, Lieutenant. Where's the nearest safe place we can get out of hyperspace?" "I can get us out in Sector 37 in a few minutes." "Do it." Franklin was marvelling at the change in Sheridan. Mere moments after seeing his wife die and being nearly ready to attack Delenn, he had become calm, collected and poised. Sheridan only seemed to become alive in battle, these days. If Sheridan spared a lingering look at the body of his wife, Franklin chose not to comment on it. Franklin suddenly looked up. His readings were... no, this was impossible. "Captain, it's... gone..." "Gone?" "It just veered away. Like it was scared of... We've got an incoming transmission." Sheridan sat bolt upright. "The sort of ship that can tear apart two Minbari cruisers in a matter of minutes isn't going to be afraid of us. Put the message on, but audio only." Sheridan turned to the communications panel by the side of his chair. He heard a stern, firm voice come over the channels. "You would be Captain Sheridan?" "Yes. And you are?" "Colonel Ari Ben Zayn, formerly of EarthForce Special Intelligence. With me is my associate, Mister Harriman Grey. We have a... mutual associate, Captain. He asked me to come and find you." Sheridan knew the name. Ben Zayn was a decorated soldier, reknowned in many battles and wars. He was said to be a talented, ambitious and very dangerous man. He was also supposed to be dead. "And who is this... mutual associate." "Later, Captain. When the time is right. We offer you a place of sanctuary. In return for certain... services, Captain." "What kind of services?" "When the time is right, Captain. When the time is right. Well, do you accept?" Sheridan looked around at the nerly empty bridge. His gaze caught on Anna's body. He swallowed harshly. "I will not raise a hand against my people," he said. "We won't ask you to." "Fine. Then I accept." ---------- Vir had been back on Minbar for three days now. His last day on Proxima had been tense. Miss Alexander had gone missing shortly after their last meeting, and she knew enough to have him arrested and executed. She also knew enough to tear apart the Circle of Light if such information ever slipped out. Vir had trusted her then, and he still did, but there were... ways of gathering information. He hoped she had escaped the planet, but his hopes were thin. Still, Captain Sheridan had escaped. That was something to be thankful for. Vir had sent a message to G'Kar detailing everything that had happened on Proxima immediately upon his return to Minbar. Events there were taking a turn for the worse. And events on Minbar were becoming worse still. Refa had not noticed any sign of Vir's preoccupation, which was in itself a bad sign. He was pleased about something, very pleased. Vir knew the real reason for their mission here, and he knew that if Refa was pleased, then it could not be good news. And it wasn't. Refa received news of Captain Sheridan's escape a few hours after the fact. He had feigned outrage at Proxima's "inefficient Security" and "treasonous operatives". Refa had managed to completely tear down the accord that Londo had been trying to build between Centauri Prime and Proxima 3. Even if the Resistance Government received word of Refa's true allegiances, the climate of mistrust and suspicion would take too long to allay. The Grey Council were apparently still deliberating Refa's information, but Vir knew it would not be long now. Delenn had been completely discredited by the image of her and Sheridan Refa had provided Sinoval. There was now only one choice for the position of Holy One. Vir had come out to meet with Lennier, hoping that his companion had some better news. He hadn't. Solemnly, the two swopped tales of what had happened. Vir revealed events on Proxima 3, while Lennier told of the heightening tension among the noble Houses of Centauri Prime - culminating in the death of First Minister Urza Jaddo in an apparently unrelated 'accident'. But there was one more piece of bad news to come for Vir. After meeting with Lennier, he returned to the diplomatic quarters he shared with Refa. The ambassador was in a very good mood. Vir asked what had happened. "Ah, you have not heard? There was another minor skirmish between some of our ships and a Narn cruiser at Ragesh 3. The colony there has fallen to those it once belonged - us. The kHa'Ri has responded with more threats against our colonies elsewhere, and the Centarum has, finally, taken decisive action. "We are at war, Vir. And this time, the Narns will not get off so easily." ---------- Sinoval looked out across the circle at the eight people who surrounded them. They had been debating for days, ever since Refa had presented his evidence to him. Hedronn had finally come around, accepting the information for what it was - genuine. Only Lennann and Rathenn still spoke out. As of course they would, but they were fighting a losing cause. Sinoval knew it, Hedronn knew it, and they knew it. Refa had done exceptionally well. Not just in the image of what Delenn had become - the sight of her with StarKiller - but the other image as well. The sight of a human woman with a Shadow beside her. Sinoval had long suspected humanity of being in league with the Enemy. Refa had provided his proof, and indirectly, the knowledge that Delenn was with the Enemy as well. "Am I to believe that you doubt your own eyes?" Sinoval asked, confronting the two opposite him. "You have seen what we all have. That is Delenn. Do you deny that?" "No," Rathenn said, "but..." "And that is StarKiller Sheridan. We have all seen him. We all know what he looks like. Or do you deny that as well?" "No," said Lennann. "Then how can you stand there and dare to defend her? You have asked for evidence about Delenn, my fellow Satai. You have wondered whether she may still be alive, and is being held against her will. You have asked for proof and I have given you that proof. Now, now do you believe me?" The words felt like ashes in his mouth, but Sinoval didn't care. Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved. Delenn would have to fall so that Sinoval could save the rest of their people. "Humanity is in league with the Enemy. That we have seen as well. Therefore, Delenn is in league with the Enemy." "We do not know that..." Lennann began. "What other explanation is there? We have stood here and debated for too long. We waited until the mourning for Dukhat was over. We waited to build the Rangers. We waited for proof of Delenn. The longer we wait, the easier we will fall. We must act now - together - or not at all! Shall we stand by as the Enemy advances? We formed the Rangers nearly eight cycles ago to oppose the Enemy that we all knew was coming. Now that Enemy is here, and we must be ready for it. "We cannot afford the luxury of conflict. Delenn has betrayed us. I hold that she be named Zha'valen." There was no mutters of protest, not even from Rathenn and Lennann, although their looks would have killed Sinoval if they could. "She has betrayed us all, and all of Minbar as well, to the Enemy. I hold that she be named Zha'valen." Zha'valen. A shadow upon Valen. Outcast from Minbari society. No Minbari could speak to her, speak her name, or even look at her. Sinoval did not want to do this, but if the only way he could guide the Minbari to their prophesied destiny was to sacrifice Delenn then so be it, and he would never look back. "Zha'valen," said Kalain, now formally Satai. "Zha'valen," said another warrior. "Zha'valen," rasped Hedronn, his voice marked with bitter, angry disappointment. "Zha'valen." "Zha'valen." The word ran around the circle until only Rathenn and Lennann had not spoken. The two priests looked at each other, and finally, Rathenn said: "Zha'valen." Lennann repeated the word, his voice even angrier than Hedronn's. "And now, my Satai, is there any more doubt left as to the position of Holy One?" It began with Kalain, and with the other warriors, and it spread. Lennann and Rathenn did not speak, but they did not matter. Six of the Nine were with Sinoval, and that was enough. At last, he had achieved the beginnings of his dream, but the words were not spoken in dream this time, but in reality. "Hail Sinoval! Hail Holy One!" Next: The Other Half of My Soul (7 parts) Fire! Brimstone! Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse! Sinoval launches the Minbari on the path of their destiny, Sheridan must decide where his true loyalties lie, Bester plays a trump card, Delenn plans a means of ending this, Londo finds events running away friom him, Marcus has to make a choice, and Lyta stares into the abyss. Coming soon to a computer screen near you.