EPISODE 4

A THREE-EDGED SWORD -

PART ONE

 

"OUR SIDE"

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

What a chimera, then, is man! What a novelty, what a monster, what a chaos, what a subject of contradiction, what a prodigy! A judge of all things, feeble worm of the earth, depository of truth, sewer of uncertainty and error, the glory and shame of the universe!

The union binding mankind is based only on mutual deceit.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.

 

 

 

Minbari Outpost, Earthdate December 28, 2260

"Major?"

Aelora Lane Sinclair looked up from her reports to see Sergeant Coffer peering through the shuttle door at her. "Yes?"

"The General says everything’s clear."

Aelora took a deep breath while shoving papers into her satchel then stood to exit the shuttle.

"You may need that, Major."

She glanced down at the oxygen mask that lay in the seat next to her. She hated wearing it. Having suffered from an acute case of claustrophobia all her life, she had difficulty during her military training whenever she was required to wear one. Traveling in the tiny shuttle was bad enough. Aelora did not relish wearing the headgear as well. She scooped it up in aggravation, then pushed past the Sergeant to stomp down the ramp.

Vision was poor at best. Anti-particulate matter and dust from the bombing clogged the air. It blocked out the sun, allowing only a hazy light to brighten the landscape. Breathing was difficult but after the first few coughs, Aelora felt she would be able to handle it sufficiently sans the breath mask. The distinct scent of smoke and ozone hung in the air, along with a faint unrecognizable odor that Aelora found herself loath to investigate. She followed Sergeant Coffer over the rocky terrain, stumbling now and again when her gaze drifted off the trail to the fires that still burned in the distance. A silence hung between them as they walked, silence that Aelora found disconcerting when mixed with occasional cries for help and explosions that sounded around them.

She licked her lips. "So, this is…" Aelora spent the next few moments flipping through her report. "There must be a mistake here. I don’t see a designation for this planet."

"No, ma’am." The Sergeant glanced back at her. "This is just another one of those no-name-backwater-holes-in-the-mud that the Minbari decided to put a base on. We just happened across it thanks to info from one of yours."

Major Ashlen Ladan. Aelora had seen her name in the report. Leave it to someone like Ashlen to leave no stone unturned. Aelora had always been less than enthused by anything to do with Major Ladan.

Sergeant Coffer looked over his shoulder in time to see Aelora stumble once more. "Pardon me for saying so, Major, but it appears to me you ain’t been in the field long."

"This is my first assignment actually," Aelora replied, sidestepping a sharp-looking rock that jutted up in the middle of the small path.

"Who’d ya piss off to get you sent out here?"

She smiled. "I requested it. Sick of the bureaucratic bullshit, I guess."

"So you opted for military bullshit. Makes no sense to me, ma’am, but who am I to say anything."

They came over the rise to find an open clearing where several empty buildings stood. The ground around it was littered with enormous craters from the bombing and Aelora noticed that the unknown stench she had detected earlier was growing stronger. A slight shifting of the wind drew it away and she found herself breathing much easier, uncertain as to why the smell made her nervous. The Sergeant seemed to stare at the buildings intently for the next few moments before turning and heading north.

"We’d best go this way."

"Wait." Aelora scanned her report. "According to the map it is quicker to head west. And the terrain seems much more…inviting."

The soldier glanced once more toward the buildings, frowning. "You don’t wanna go there, Major."

"Sergeant, simply because this is my first field assignment does not make me green. Psi Corps has raised me, my father has been in Earthforce all my life and I have studied every aspect of this war for the fifteen years that it has lasted. For the past eight, I have been scanning Minbari prisoners. That’s thousands of Minbar minds, Sergeant Coffer. Nothing you show me could ever be as horrifying as what I have seen from them."

Her escort continued to appear hesitant prompting Aelora to pull rank.

"Sergeant, I order you to take me west to our rendezvous point."

"Yes, ma’am," he replied less than enthusiastically.

They carefully made their way down the steep slope to the flat land. The closer they got to the buildings, the stronger the stench became and Aelora felt her unease growing. In curiosity, she reached out with her mind to briefly touch on the Sergeant’s feelings and was surprised to find apprehension, disgust, and even a slight amount of fear. She expanded the radius of her scan, searching the area, but detected nothing. For a moment, she found herself reconsidering her order than just as quickly changed her mind. The General had ordered her to learn every available grain of information she could find. The war was not going well for either side, an obvious result considering the millions of lives lost to both races over the fifteen years since the Prometheus had destroyed the Solaris. A simple misunderstanding now placed two powerful races on the verge of extinction. Amazing the destruction that two bulls butting heads could do to one another.

When the Sergeant skirted the first building, moving to pass between it and a smaller one, Aelora found the smell growing stronger, almost unbearable. She gripped the breath mask tightly with her fingers, suppressing the urge to cover her face. She glanced at Coffer, noting that his brow was deeply furrowed, as if he too found the smell overbearing. Aelora’s gaze continued to drift over to the nearby buildings, questions burning in her mind. Unable to stand the suspense any longer, she looked to the soldier beside her.

"Where is that smell coming from?" She fought down the urge to gag as the scent pulled in through her mouth.

Coffer indicated the buildings with his head.

"What is it?"

"Minbari," came the quick answer.

Aelora eyed the thought-to-be empty facility with a frown. "Minbari? But I thought…" Her voice trailed off, an unsettling feeling drifting over her.

She turned towards the building before Coffer could stop her, her boots crunching against the hardened ground as she made her way to the entrance. She heard the Sergeant call out to her but ignored the warning, reaching out to push the door open. It stuck for a moment and she kicked against it with her foot, dislodging it from its hold so that it swung open wide. The stench immediately overwhelmed her, fleeing its contained space to escape to the outdoors and wrap around her like a smothering blanket. She gagged on the bile that quickly rose in her throat, staggering back from the doorway into Coffer who snatched the mask from her hands and quickly secured it over her head.

"Breathe!" He yelled at her through his own headgear. "Breathe!"

Aelora inhaled deeply, choking at first as her lungs refused to accept the new air. Finally, she began to breathe normally, her limbs still shaking from the shock of the unexpected assault to her senses. Coffer continued to hold on to her until she was able to stand on her own.

"Wha…what happened in there?" Aelora finally gasped.

Coffer glanced over her shoulder for a moment. He was about to reply when a deep voice behind him said:

"I was wondering what was keeping you."

The Sergeant spun around, snapping to attention. Aelora looked past him to see General Franklin approaching flanked by two of his officers. She too snapped into a sharp salute though she wavered slightly at the movement. Franklin eyed them both for a moment before returning the salute and then focused his attention on the Psi Cop.

"Major, I see you have discovered Earth’s last hope for winning this war."

Aelora glanced over her shoulder at the opened doorway but saw nothing beyond the first few feet of the doorway. She had no interest in getting any closer. Turning back to the General, she replied, "I didn’t see –"

"Biological warfare, Major. Finally." When he saw her stiffen in concern he shook his head. "Not to worry. It won’t harm Humans. It’s targeted toward Minbari physiology only. You could let this stuff loose in a room full of Minbari and Humans and only one race is gonna walk out of there alive…Ours." The General started forward, moving past the Sergeant and Major to enter the facility. "Come, Major. Have a look."

Not wanting to make a poor impression, Aelora moved forward without hesitation to walk past General Franklin into the warehouse-sized building. It was terribly dark inside and Aelora could see little but some nearby puddles of an indistinguishable matter. The General reached over to activate the power generator and as the light flooded the room, Aelora promptly flew back out the door, tossing her mask aside as she violently vomited behind the building. When her dry heaves had finally ceased, she noticed a canteen of water being offered to her by a silent Sergeant Coffer. She gratefully accepted the refreshment, relaxing slightly as the cool liquid coated her burning throat. She handed it back to the soldier, her hands still trembling and he guided her over against the wall where she collapsed to the ground.

"Just sit here a bit," he instructed her. "It’ll get better."

Aelora doubted it. She knew that for the rest of her life, every time she shut her eyes, that sight would come back to her. Masses of what had been Minbari bodies lay piled within the building, lining the floor from wall to wall. From the brief amount of time that Aelora had looked at them, it appeared as if their flesh had melted away from their bones, slowly, not as if burned by fire but more the way wax appeared dripping from a candle. Their internal organs had then appeared to implode, or perhaps the order had happened the other way around, she could not tell. Whatever it was that this chemical did, Aelora was certain of one thing, the Minbari had suffered untold agony while it had occurred.

"Better?"

Aelora looked up to see General Franklin staring down at her impassively.

"No one told me about this."

He shrugged. "It was on a need to know basis." He glanced back at his officers who were looking on in only a mild interest. Turning back to the Psi Cop, he asked, "Are you still capable of performing your duties?"

Aelora struggled to her feet. "Of course. I was…momentarily caught off guard."

"Good." The General turned and began moving west. "The prisoners are this way."

Aelora fell in step behind him, Sergeant Coffer and the officers taking up the rear. For a brief moment she felt an overwhelming urge to look back, to get one more glimpse of the carnage that was so horrifying it bordered on the surreal. But she quickly suppressed it, forcing even the memory of what she had seen to the back of her mind, to be reexamined at a later time. Aelora had learned quickly not to be too outraged over any aspect of the war. In the first few years, both sides had the luxury of suffering morality and conscience. Right and wrong were easy to see, carved out of black and white with clear definitions. After fifteen years though, survival became the only key in combat. Survival not of the lone warrior battling it out with his enemy, but survival of an entire species – and the extinction of another. At times, Aelora found herself having difficulty understanding mundanes. True, they ruled the galaxy, but sometimes she felt that all telepaths should simply step back and let the mundanes destroy one another. The only loss suffered would be an incredible amount of stupidity.

They walked for a good half-hour before they reached the temporary base set up by the Earth Alliance forces. Aelora immediately felt the strain of continually blocking the emotions of thousands of soldier’s from her mind and hoped that she would not have to stay long. As she followed the General through the camp, she felt their gazes on her, the distrust and suspicion so strong that she was unable to keep it all blocked out. The feelings were something she had grown used to long ago, for though the general populous had finally admitted to the fact that Psi Corps was an asset in the war, telepaths were still barely tolerated. Back at HQ, Aelora had been fairly sheltered from mundanes, except for various emissaries and the prisoners that she interrogated. Since she left Earth though, she had been exposed to prejudice that she had never before experienced. At first, it had angered and upset her, but she had quickly learned to adopt a demeanor of complete apathy to the attitudes that surrounded her.

"There you go, Major."

Aelora snapped out of her reverie to move up beside the General and follow his gaze to the area directly ahead of them. Crowded together in an enormous crater stood hundreds of Minbari prisoners. She allowed her gaze to wander over the gathering, surprised to see many children included. She had thought this was supposed to have been a military base. What were children doing here?

"Well, Major. Choose your victim."

Aelora frowned at his comment. "General, I’m confused. Why are there civilians present?"

"I don’t see any civilians, Major," came the reply.

"But the children." Aelora pointed gestured with her hand. "There are children out there."

"I see only Minbari, Major. And so do you. Now, are you going to choose one lucky soul, or should I choose one for you?"

Aelora looked away from General Franklin to stare into the crowd once more. She could not understand why there were children at a designated military base but knew that no answers were forthcoming from the General. For a moment, she considered scanning him but quickly dismissed the idea. If it were ever discovered that she had scanned a superior, all hell would break loose between the military and Psi Corps. It was one of the conditions of the two divisions working together. If any telepath were caught scanning an officer, they would immediately be court-martialed and stood the potentiality of being charged with treason. Aelora did not relish experiencing either possibility.

"Has anyone come forward as a leader? Or were they killed?" She asked, in the hope that someone involved in Minbari military strategic development might be present. It was a rare occurrence since most battles ended with the winners moving on to the next fight and the losers moving on to the next life.

"There is one who has given us some trouble. We’ve been forced to subdue him a few times." The General nodded toward one of his officers. "Colonel, have the men bring that piece of shit over here."

"Yes, sir!"

While they waited for the prisoner to be escorted over to them, Aelora attempted to satisfy her curiosity. "What are you going to do with all of the prisoners, General?’

Silence.

She cast him a sharp glance. "Will they be taken to Earth?"

The General furrowed his brow. "You should know as well as I, Major, that the prison camps are full to capacity."

"Yes, but certainly you are not going to release them, sir?"

"No, Major. I was not intending on releasing them," he replied, his gaze holding hers.

Aelora looked away from him quickly as the full realization of what he was saying hit her. She tucked a stray red curl behind her ear, licking her lips nervously. She found herself wishing she were back at Psi Corps HQ, attending meetings and dinner parties and writing reports. When she interrogated prisoners, she simply went to their cell, performed the scan, and left. She knew not where they came from, how they were captured or what their behavior was like before the sedatives. Aelora wondered what her father, Captain Jeff Sinclair, would think if he knew his daughter were present at the slaughter of children, and did nothing about it. Minbari, she reminded herself quickly. Little Minbari grow up to be big Minbari, who kill Humans. They would do the same to us. She forced the thoughts away as she watched a group of soldier’s approach, dragging a Minbari warrior between them. She was surprised to see him struggling against the bonds they had placed on him, for past struggles were evident by the cuts and bruises that marred his head and face. His guards kicked him to his knees in front of her, forcefully holding him down as he attempted to stand.

Aelora stepped forward, steeling herself for the coming trial. It was uncomfortable at best to scan an alien mind, and though she had been routinely scanning Minbari for the past eight years, they had the strongest will of any race she met, making the mundanes difficult to penetrate and the telepaths next to impossible. Her many years intruding into their thoughts had allowed her to learn their language, though she rarely attempted speaking it aloud.

What is your name? She projected the question to the warrior.

He lifted his head to glare up at her, the hatred in his eyes so strong that Aelora almost stepped back from it. The rage emanated from him as if it were some tangible force. There was something dignified and majestic in the way he held himself before her, as if even though he were kneeling he would never be subjugated by her or others of her race.

Aelora took a deep breath, tried again. If you cooperate, I may be able to save the other prisoners.

They would rather accept death than help from your kind!

Aelora felt his hatred rush over her in waves and she fought to conceal the fact that it had affected her. She continued to watch him impassively, though her mind whirled with the staggering realization that this scan was going to be unlike any other that she had ever performed. Her interrogations on Earth had happened in tightly secured cells, on prisoners sedated and bound, and most had been broken, pushed past the line of hope into despair. The Minbari before her was anything but desperate.

"Will that one do?" The General asked.

Aelora wanted to answer no and choose one that appeared slightly more sedate and cooperative from the group. But she knew a good chance when she saw one. Something in her instincts told Aelora that the warrior kneeling before her was fairly important and high-ranking among his people. This would be exactly the type of high-profile prisoner that Bester would expect her to choose.

"No, this one is perfect," she replied with a forced smile. She glanced back at the Minbari and, for one brief moment, thought he was able to read right through her, that he saw her apprehension and fear. Aelora turned back to the General. "I need a small room, well-secured and complete privacy. Once I begin the interrogation I can not be interrupted, sir."

The General nodded. "Very well, Major. Corporal, make sure she gets what she needs."

They saluted General Franklin then the guards pulled the Minbari to his feet and pushed him off back toward the camp, Aelora falling into step behind them. It was silent along the way and the Psi Cop found herself wondering who this Minbari was. He seemed very certain of himself to be a simple soldier. Even though she had been scanning the race for over eight years, she still did not understand them or their culture. They were extremely arrogant people who generally kept to themselves, no doubt considering themselves too good to associate with others. The Narn knew very little about them, the Centauri knew very little about them, all the races Earth had met seemed frightened of them. Aelora understood that the Minbari were a very old race, who should have been able to wipe out Humanity without a problem had it not been that much of their existence had been spent in-fighting. From what she had studied, the Minbari culture was loosely based on three castes: worker, warrior and religious. At least, that was the idea. In reality, it appeared the warrior caste had always had the upper hand, even going so far as attempting to eliminate the other castes throughout history.

"Will this do, Major?"

Aelora looked critically at the small building they had reached. She stepped inside, noting it was shaped in a perfect square and contained only one window, one door and very little furniture. "Looks good…but I’ll need you to remove everything but one chair."

Two of the soldiers hurried inside to remove the furniture while the other two stayed with the prisoner. He continued to gaze at Aelora with angry eyes, as if she were at fault for his capture, for the destruction of the Minbari base, for everything. Have you a problem, Minbari? She asked him. At his silence she returned her attention to the soldiers as they quickly piled the furniture up outside the building.

"Anything else, Major?"

"No, thank you. Just remain outside the door. This could take awhile."

"I don’t think you should be alone with him, ma’am," the guard cautioned her.

Aelora was ready to agree with him but replied, "I will be fine, Corporal."

The guards shoved the Minbari inside, forcing him down into the seat, which the Psi Cop had instructed them to place in the center of the room. Aelora then waited until they had exited the room and closed the door behind them until she finally approached the prisoner. She circled him at first, making certain his hands were bound securely behind his back and that there was nothing on the chair that would allow him to change that. As she stood behind him, she briefly attempted to perform a light scan but found too much noise to make sense of any of it. She frowned. It was obvious that he had been trained to block out light scans, someone had taught him how to confuse a telepath with too many thoughts.

You can make this difficult, Minbari, or easy. It is your choice.

What is it you Humans say?…Oh yes, go to hell.

Aelora sighed, folded her arms over her chest as she walked around to face him.

What is your name?

Silence.

She pushed gently into his thoughts, touching on the emotions of his rage and anger. His hatred burned into her, more fiercely than any Minbari she had ever encountered. She winced at the power of it, then pushed deeper, into the most basic aspects of his thoughts.

Neroon. Your name is Neroon…you are…Shai Alyt?

Aelora attempted to hide the shock that she felt at the revelation of exactly how important a prisoner they had captured. Shai Alyt’s were military leaders of the Minbari. It was both a pleasing and horrifying discovery. Bester would be pleased. But Aelora was willing to bet that once the Minbari realized one of their leaders was missing, there would be hell to pay. She considered going to alert the General then found herself not wanting to waste anymore time. The sooner she got this interrogation over with, the more comfortable she would feel.

Aelora was about to deepen her scan when a strange feeling came over her. Immense fear, panic and then a wave of death washed over her. She screamed out as hundreds of voices crying for mercy flooded through her mind. The pain was excruciating and she fell to her knees, holding her hands against her temples, trying desperately to block out the terror. What in God’s name was happening? She wondered.

Neroon watched as the Human dropped to her knees before him. He did not understand what was happening but he knew an opportunity when he saw one. In a flash he kicked out with his right leg, slamming his foot into the Psi Cop’s jaw and knocking her backward to the floor. He jumped up then, working quickly against his bonds in an attempt to get them off. He eyed the Human as she struggled to get to her feet, moving to strike her in her ribs before she completely stood then kicking his boot into her head once more. He knew that the most important thing to do was keep her from using her mind against him. If he could continue to cause her pain, continue to keep her from focusing her thoughts, she would be unable to stop him.

Aelora rolled against the wall, moaning at the tearing pain from both the intruding voices and the Minbari’s attack. She took a deep breath, preparing to scream for help when she was suddenly dragged upright and pushed hard into the wall. The warrior wrapped his hands around her throat, preventing her from screaming, slowly squeezing off her airway. The wailing in her head was slowly growing silent, distant and Aelora was beginning to recover her concentration. She stared hard into the Minbari’s dark eyes, seeking some weakness to use against him when his gaze narrowed and he slammed his head into hers. Aelora thought for certain that he had crushed her skull with the blow but reacted the moment she felt his hands loosen on her throat, sending the pain she was feeling directly into his mind with all of the force she could muster. As he staggered back, stunned by the pain that she had projected into his mind, Aelora dropped to the floor, sweeping her legs out into an arch to knock his feet out from under him. The moment he was down, she called out to the guards, allowing herself a sigh of relief as they hurried through the door.

When the guards saw that Neroon had escaped from his bonds and obviously assaulted Major Sinclair, they quickly exacted their revenge, pounding their rifles into the Minbari’s skull and kicking him until he was barely moving. Aelora watched silently as they beat the prisoner then finally climbed to her feet and walked over to them.

"Stop," she ordered.

When the beating continued, Aelora raised her voice.

"I said stop, dammit! I need him coherent."

The soldiers stepped back, wiping the blood from their guns against their uniforms. Aelora watched them for a moment then knelt down to check the Minbari. When he opened his eyes to glare at her, she knew he was sufficiently well enough to continue with the scan. She stood, watching as he was quickly bound once more, though this time both his feet and hands were tied to the chair. Before the guards left, Aelora turned to them.

"This would not have happened had I not been distracted," she commented angrily. "Something happened out there that intruded into my thoughts. What was it?"

The soldiers looked at one another before the Corporal replied, "They took care of the prisoners, Major."

"Took care…" Aelora trailed off, unwilling to say more. She could not allow herself to think of the children. Not now. "Please instruct General Franklin that anymore distractions like that with a telepath in the area and he can start conducting these interrogations on his own. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma’am." The Corporal snapped into a smart salute then directed the others back out the door.

Aelora turned back to Neroon, catching his gaze as he watched her intently; barely cognizant of the blood that trickled down his face. Had it been any other, Aelora may have taken the time to tend to his wounds, make him more comfortable. Nearing this one though was like attempting to befriend a cobra.

"You are only making this more difficult on yourself," she told him in hesitantly spoken Vik.

If her knowledge of his language surprised him, Neroon did not show it. He remained silent, the hatred he felt for her flaring in his eyes. He was tired though; the Psi Cop could feel that much. The beating had taken a toll on him, especially the blows to his head, making it difficult for him to concentrate. The only problem was, Aelora felt her own physical and emotional strain. The knowledge of the new biological terror her people had created was one thing, the mental response to the deaths of the hundreds of Minbari men, women and children not more than twenty meters from her was another.

Aelora sat Indian style on the floor in front of Neroon, folding her hands in her lap. For a moment, she tried to remember what life had been like when she had no knowledge of how it felt to enter into alien minds. Then again, she wondered what life had been like before the war. She had been ten at the time but that was really all that came back to her. Raised by Psi Corps since she was three, Aelora had known very little outside the training facilities until the Earth/Minbari war. Life had changed immediately. Instead of being trained as a Psi Cop, learning how to track down rogue telepaths and protect mundanes from those telepaths who would cause them harm, she was schooled in various other skills and specialties. All telepaths were suddenly required to attend basic military training and join Earthforce. Aelora was taught how to use her talents to the utmost ability, including the all-too-necessary talent of killing with her thoughts. It was something she had only been forced to use twice, and she would never forget either incident.

"If you cooperate, I will try not to damage you," she said to Neroon, holding out one last hope that he would make this easier on both of them.

His reply in Vik was untranslatable in English but Aelora got the meaning all the same. Her eyes narrowed and she slowly, forcefully found her way inside his mind. Neroon tensed at her expression, knowing that she had begun the scan and quickly used every ounce of energy he had to misdirect her intrusion, to fill his mind with nonsensical thoughts and riddles. Aelora frowned, surprised that a mundane could focus his thoughts so clearly, wondering who had taught him to do so. She took a breath and pushed harder, knocking aside what she deemed to be nonsense and searching for anything important. Faces and names began to filter into her mind, locations, dates, numbers, and military strategies. She filed it all away in the furthest corners of her mind, where she knew she could return to and retrieve when the scanning was over. Neroon gathered up his strength to throw her off once more but Aelora would have none of it. She pushed her way easily past the barricade, digging deeper into the knowledge he had concerning the Minbari’s war against the Humans. Neroon’s rage sky-rocketed and every bit of hatred he felt for Humans for the past fifteen years he found himself directing at the telepath who sat before him.

Aelora’s breath caught in her throat at the sudden wave of hate that washed over her. An image of the deaths of the hundred’s of thousands of Humans the Warrior had been responsible for killing flashed through her mind at a staggering speed. The pain and suffering caused by him overwhelmed and angered her, and Aelora found herself wanting to make the Minbari before her pay for what he had done. Using the strength of her talents that she had been taught to suppress, the Psi Cop burrowed deeply into the alien’s memories, ripping out each moment of his life layer by layer. Dimly, she heard Neroon gasp at the pain and the understanding that he was beginning to feel some of what he had caused others to feel only spurred her on. She saw every aspect of his life, every person he had held dear, every hope, every dream, the fears that he had never acknowledged to a single living soul. Aelora knew each of these aspects about the Warrior intimately, lived his life through him, and opened the doors to his very soul. Before long, she lost all concept of who she was or what she was doing, probing deeper and deeper, the screams of the Minbari she was destroying piece by piece never reaching her ears. The entire experience began to consume her, drawing her into a dark void where Neroon’s ancestors spoke to her through crumbling skulls, calling to her, reaching out to her. The universe itself swirled around her, coming to life, shouting in voices that threatened to shatter her mind: Consider the end. Aelora looked down to see Neroon’s heart in her hand, warm and slippery, it’s blood dripping over her knuckles, it’s pulsating rhythm beating in time to her own. She stared in fascination as it began to slow…thump…thump…..thump…….thump……….thump. Dear God, I’m killing him!

Aelora jerked her mind away from his at the last moment, the pain of the sudden separation knocking her back onto the floor. She lay there for a long while, willing her breathing to calm, the pounding in her head to silence. She closed her eyes, silently berating herself for going too far. Never had she intruded so deeply into an alien mind. It was a moment of recklessness that had almost ended in the deaths of both her subject and herself.

When she found her strength returning, Aelora slowly pulled herself up to check on the Minbari. He was collapsed in the chair against his bonds, his pallor much more pale than what was typical of his race. A drop of blood could be seen running from the left ear, and Aelora cursed softly. She began to worry that she had damaged him beyond repair. She now understood how important he was, and knew what that could mean if she brought him back to Earth Gov. But Aelora doubted he would be much use to anyone after her foolish scan. Damn!

The Psi Cop was about to step outside and alert the guards to the end of her secession when the ground suddenly shook violently beneath her. She felt the panic set in on the thousands of soldiers in the area and knew that her reckoning for the scan of Shai Alyt Neroon had arrived.

The Minbari were attacking.

 

 

 

 

The first wave of Minbari fighters that flew over the compound seemed intent on targeting specific buildings, as if there were a purpose to their attack beyond simply destroying the Human invaders. The second wave attacked the troops, herding them like cattle into a specific region until shuttles began to land and Minbari Warriors entered into the fray.

When the first buildings began exploding around her, Aelora was at a loss for what to do. She glanced back helplessly at the unconscious Warrior, her conscience nagging at her to move him to safety. After all, she may have fried his brain beyond repair but he was not dead yet, and she really did not wish to feel responsible for such an occurrence. Yet even if there were an area of safety anywhere near them, Aelora seriously doubted she had the strength to move the big Minbari by herself. As she was about to leave to search for shelter of her own, a thought occurred to her and she turned back to focus her gaze on the alien. Focusing her thoughts, she once more dove deep into his mind, although this time she moved directly to a specific area, imbedding an irremovable command. It was something she had done for the past four years with every Minbari she interrogated, ever since the one Warrior who had escaped and come after her with less than friendly intentions. In the off chance she and this Neroon did cross paths again, she wanted to make certain she had the upper hand in the encounter. Once the command was secure, Aelora moved to the door once more. She threw one last glance toward the Minbari thinking, Luck to you, my enemy, then hurried out into the battle.

Just as she emerged from the building, Aelora saw Sergeant Coffer running past.

"Sergeant!"

He slid to a halt, turning to jog over to her. "Major, its every man for himself. You got any weapons on you?"

Aelora flashed him an expression that showed him the likelihood of such luck. The soldier nodded, shoving a PPG into her hands. The weapon seemed slightly useless to her, compared to the rifle Coffer was carrying. What was she supposed to yell at a charging Minbari? Stop! Or I’ll burn you!? She dropped the gun into her pocket and glanced nervously at the overhead clouds. The particulate was making it difficult to see anything of use. There could have been a fleet of Minbari Warcruisers above them and they would not have the slightest clue.

"Any help on the way?" She asked in a moment of hopefulness.

Coffer shook his head. "Sounds like they jumped out of hyperspace right on top of our ships and took them out before they could even warn us. We’re on our own, Major. All I can say is from what I’ve heard you better hope you don’t get captured. It’s best to go down fighting."

That bit of advice did little to lift Aelora’s spirits. It was a common resignation among EA troops in the past few years though. If they were caught in a battle, with few to no reinforcements, they pretty much figured their lives were over and it was best to battle it out to the end. Aelora’s own military training warred with that of her duty to Psi Corps. She felt duty-bound to fight beside the soldiers and take as many Minbari with her as she could before her own life was ended. But she knew she carried within her mind information that would be crucial to Earth’s future and she had to, someway or another, make it out of there alive. She hated the idea of hiding like a coward while others around her faced their deaths bravely, but she had little choice in the matter at that point.

"Shuttles incoming!" A soldier shouted off in the distance.

"Shit!" Coffer cursed, grabbing onto Aelora’s arm and pulling off deeper into the compound.

She stumbled along after him, picking up the pace when she realized he was going to take her along with him whether that meant dragging her along behind or what. Laser fire began behind them, and the shouts and cries signifying battle soon filled the air. Two more soldiers joined up with Aelora and Sergeant Coffer and the four Humans searched for suitable cover among the compound buildings. One of the group, a Corporal Hart, informed the others that more than a dozen Minbari shuttles had landed with at least two score Warriors on each. Between the air support and the ground troops that the Minbari had, Aelora was pretty certain it was a losing battle. It seemed extremely silly to even attempt to survive through the attack, especially once the Minbari discovered Earth’s new weapon and it’s affects. Survival was an instinct difficult to fight though, and Aelora found herself just as determined as those around her to make it through this.

As they rounded the corner of one of the warehouses, they all came to an abrupt halt at the sight of a group of Minbari Warriors waiting for them. Aelora screeched in surprise, as the head of the private who stood next to her exploded in a mass of brains and bones, from a perfectly aimed rifle shot. She wiped a hand across her face to clear it of the brain matter that had covered it, barely registering the fact Coffer had grabbed her once more and pulled her back around the corner with himself and Hart. The soldiers began firing back at the Minbari from their position of cover while Aelora glanced around for somewhere else to go. From what she could tell, the battle was all around them and the Minbari effectively herded them into a carefully maneuvered trap. Aelora was briefly snapped out of her contemplation when a Minbari Warrior moved up on them from behind. She quickly shouldered the rifle and fired before the alien had time to make his move. Coffer glanced back briefly at her, then returned to his own firing.

Aelora knelt down behind him, cautiously peering around him at their enemies. It appeared that more reinforcements had joined in the fight. "We need to get out of here before we become trapped further."

"I’m open for options," Coffer replied, taking a moment to aim a volley of fire that removed another Minbari. "Any telepathic shit that you can pull off and make these assholes go away?"

Aelora frowned. "I’m a telepath, not a technomage. Sorry Sergeant. We’re going to have to be creative on this one. Besides, even if there were something I could do, that scan I just did effectively wore me out."

Hart looked over his shoulder to cast a glare at Aelora, and she could easily read his thoughts from his expression: What was a telepath good for? If they had not been in such a dire situation, she would have gladly demonstrated her abilities to him. Instead, she returned his gaze until he finally looked away and focused his attention on the fight once more. Aelora watched him for a moment longer before returning her thoughts to more pressing matters, like what to do. She glanced around and up, an idea finally occurring to her.

"Sergeant, you gotta grenade on ya?"

"Yah. Why?" He followed her upward gaze and nodded. "Right. Here." He reached a hand to his belt, unclipping one of the palm-size devices and tossing it to her. Hart quickly took the space he occupied as Coffer moved to help Aelora up onto the roof of the warehouse. He boosted her up until she could grab onto the ledge, then watched as she pulled herself up and over onto the roof. Once she was out of sight, the soldier moved back into firing position.

Aelora crawled on her stomach across the roof, careful not to make any noise or movements that the Minbari might notice. A small fear centered on the idea of a fighter flying overhead and spying her but luckily none appeared to be in sight at the moment. What felt like hours took little over a minute for the telepath to reach the other side of the warehouse. She peered tentatively over the ledge, her gaze focusing on the group of Minbari Warriors. They were clustered together directly in front of her, not more than perhaps three or four yards from the building. She quietly pushed herself up into a kneeling position, in order to give herself better leverage for the throw, flicked the lever on the explosive and threw it hard toward her target. It exploded on impact, pieces of Minbari and dirt, flying in every direction. Aelora ducked quickly, covering her head as bits of debris rained down around her. She heard a loud "Whoop!" from Coffer, signaling that she had achieved her objective. She scurried back across the roof, dropping form the ledge and landing on her feet beside the Sergeant.

"Come on!" He shouted, darting back around the building, Aelora and Hart following behind.

They made it half way across the compound before a nearby explosion sent a projectile through Hart’s chest. Aelora and Coffer barely hesitated as he dropped beside them, protecting their heads with their arms and continuing on. They were finally able to see the edge of the base when over a score of Minbari appeared around the corner, firing as they came. Coffer pushed Aelora violently aside as laser fire flew between them. The telepath stumbled and fell to the ground, unable to climb back to her feet before one of the Warriors came after her with his fighting pike. She rolled out of the way as the end of the weapon slammed into the space where her head had been, then attempted to scramble to her feet as she felt it smash into her side. In a lighting fast move, she reached around, grabbing the weapon with both hands and yanking it from the startled Minbari’s grip. Aelora then shoved the end into his jaw, coming back around and whacking it across his temple. The Warrior stumbled, falling to the ground as she turned to look for Coffer.

The soldier was busy holding off as many of the Warriors as he could, picking them off with his rifle as they came after him. "Major!" He shouted. "Get the hell out of here!"

Aelora hesitated a moment, knowing that if she left him there, he had no chance of survival whatsoever. The soldier knew it though, and was willingly making the sacrifice so that she had the chance to escape. She sent a silent message of thanks to him before lifting her rifle into her hands and running back off into the midst of the buildings. She was careful to avoid the areas where she heard the most laser fire, staying close to the warehouses and relying on instinct. This was certainly a situation she had never expected to find herself in, and though her adrenaline rushed and she felt alive as she never had before, she was terrified beyond belief and more than prepared to return to the safety of her work back on Earth. Leave the fieldwork to Ladan, who seemed to revel in the assignments.

Finding that the fighting was still heavy back toward camp, Aelora skirted around the base until she reached the outskirts to the south. She hugged the side of a building, checking the area for any movement before darting across the open space toward an irrigation ditch that ran the length of the compound. She just made it to the edge of the embankment when a Warrior slammed into her from behind, knocking them both over the edge. They rolled down the slope, struggling against one another all the way until they came to a rest at the bottom in about five inches of standing water. Aelora scrambled away from the Minbari, slipping once on the mud which afforded him the chance to grab hold of her ankle and pull her back down. Her face landed hard into the bank, stunning her for a brief moment while the Minbari climbed up to her, rolling her over onto her back. She quickly regained her wits, smashing her fist hard into his face, pleased when she heard a satisfying crunch from his nose. The Minbari cursed angrily, grabbing a handful of her hair into his hand, lifting her head off the ground, and then slamming it back into the hard earth fiercely. Stars danced before Aelora’s eyes and she felt her consciousness slowly begin to slip. Her subconscious looked on dispassionately as the alien began tearing at her clothing and squeezing her left breast cruelly.

"I have always wanted to have an Earther female," he laughed at her in Vik.

Aelora squeezed her eyes shut, willing her strength to return before the Minbari accomplished his goal. She had never had a sexual encounter with any alien, and she was not inclined to making this the first. As his hands wandered over her, the telepath surreptitiously crept her right hand down to her pocket where she had earlier shoved the PPG given to her by Coffer. She could barely contain a sigh of relief as she gripped the weapon in her palm then withdrew it quickly, shoving it into the Minbari’s abdomen and firing three times at point blank range. She lay there silently for a moment as the warm blood coursed over her hand, before she pushed her attacker off of her into the water. She climbed unsteadily to her feet, glancing down at the Minbari, her mind barely registering how young he was before she turned and climbed out of the ditch. She shoved the PPG back into her pocket, wiping the Minbari’s blood onto her torn jacket. The telepath took a quick moment to fasten some of the buttons that the alien had undone then looked back up at her surroundings.

The fighting appeared to have quieted, which meant that what Humans were still alive were being gathered as prisoners to be interrogated. And that meant telepaths. Aelora rubbed her temples for a moment, uncertain whether she had the strength or not to set up a block but knew that it was necessary. She took a deep, steadying breath then set about building a mental wall around her. If she effectively constructed it and held onto it, then no telepath should be able to detect her presence. If she could find a suitable hiding spot, she could be safe until the Minbari took their leave. Of course, all of that was based on absolutely every little thing going her way. The odds of that were unthinkable.

Aelora jogged back toward the base, figuring that if worse came to worse, she could always hold her breath and bury herself under the carnage she had glimpsed in the warehouse when she had first arrived. There was very little chance that the Minbari would take the time to clean up such a mess when they had no idea if more Earth ships would be arriving. She did not relish the idea, wondered if her mind and stomach would be able to handle it, and then reminded herself that it meant her survival.

Voices to her right brought her to a quick halt and Aelora hunkered down against the corner of one of the smaller warehouses, watching as a small group of Minbari gathered a few yards ahead of her. They were mostly older, and spoke in hushed, aggravated tones. From their manners and presence, Aelora figured them to be leaders. A younger Minbari female, to whom they reacted with a curious deference, soon joined them. She spoke to them for a moment then stepped inside the warehouse in front of which they were gathered. When the door opened, Aelora was able to briefly see inside, noting that it was where they had herded all of the prisoners into. The telepath considered doubling back but found her curiosity overrode her good judgement. The spot she had found was effectively hidden, after all, and she could very well learn some more pertinent information if she remained. So, for the next few hours, Aelora quietly watched the activity of the Minbari around her. She found her eyes once more drawn to the female Warrior as she emerged from the warehouse with General Franklin in tow. She frowned for a moment, the sight all too familiar. The leader of the enemy forces, the one with the potential of knowing the most information, being led away to a private area for interrogation. So that could only mean one thing: the female was a telepath. Aelora found herself relieved that she had set up the block. She felt a moment of sorrow for the General, knowing that they would exact their revenge for what she had done to the one named Neroon, but knew that she could offer him no help. As Coffer had earlier said, it was every man for himself.

She forced herself to ignore the screams of the soldiers in the warehouse as the executions began, remaining in her hiding position as the Minbari once more scouted the area, then prepared to leave. The sky had grown dark, and Aelora squinted into the night to watch as the shuttles lifted off. She did not move from her hiding place, attempting first to calm the fears that had quickly began to arise as the silence and death around her engulfed the compound. She continued to tell herself again and again that it was all over, that she had made it out alive, when the sky above suddenly lit up with fire. Aelora turned a surprised green gaze toward the fireball as it flew toward the base; every thought of survival escaped her as a scream tore from her throat.

 

 

 

 

 

"Think that was Human?"

The two Narns stared curiously down at the indescribable mass of bones and blood that lay before them. The larger of the two hunkered down beside the pile, picking through it until he found a recognizable object.

"Not only Human, but one of their Generals." He flashed the rank bars at his companion.

"Must have been some battle," the one standing commented, his voice slightly wistful as if he wished he could have been a part of it.

He was younger, less accustomed to the horrors of war. He reviewed the carnage that spread before them in the warehouse with an expression of apathy. From what he could tell, it had not ended very long before their arrival. There would not have been much of a fuss had the Narn ship arrived during the battle. So far, throughout the Earth/Minbari war the Narns, like the other races, had remained carefully neutral. If the fighting had still been going on, they would have simply returned to hyperspace and would have eventually forgotten about it.

But this was different. They could not, in good conscience, simply pass over a battlefield without at least checking for survivors. It was a way of winning favor with either of the governments. Besides which, it was an excellent opportunity to search for weapons that the Narn could use in their own battles against the Centauri.

"Dar’Goroth!"

Na’Kal looked away from his perusal of the blood-soaked warehouse out the door to where some of his men stood gathered around a heap of bodies.

"We have a live one!"

Na’Kal nodded. "Human or Minbari?"

"Human."

He glanced down at G’Kar who continued to stare pensively at the carnage around them. "Third one we’ve found alive. I wonder if any of them will make it."

G’Kar shrugged, slowly standing once more. "We can hope. If we can return a few survivors to Earth, it will strengthen our relations with them and help in our bid to have them join forces with us against the Centauri. They are close to giving in. We need only a few good deeds such as this to help tip the scales in our favor."

The Narn Captain nodded, moving out the door with G’Kar following close behind. They continued around the area, surveying the damage done, searching for any more survivors when one of Na’Kal’s men called out:

"Dar’Goroth, I think you may want to take a look at this."

They walked over to the crewman, who stood near another large warehouse, a sickened expression on his face. Na’Kal looked at his crewman curiously, wondering what had caused the warrior such distress then peered into the building.

"By G’Quan!"

G’Kar peeked in around his shoulder and uttered a curse of his own. The damage before them was caused by much more than simple guns. It was obviously the work of a biological agent developed by the Humans, a very effective biological agent from the looks of it. G’Kar frowned, wondering why his spies had not learned of this, curious as to how the Humans had kept such a weapon in complete secrecy. No wonder the Minbari had retaliated with such force. If biological weapons had now entered into the war, the tone of it would quickly change. And not for the better.

A sound from his left caught G’Kar’s attention and he turned to stare at a pile of rubble a few meters from them. His eyes narrowed at the sight of movement and he walked away from Na’Kal toward the pile of debris, leaning over to glance under it. He heard a sound similar to a moan and quickly set about discarding the metal sheeting and beams that created the pile. Na’Kal appeared beside him to help, and soon they cleared the pieces away enough to see a Human female trapped underneath. The Captain called out to have a medic brought around as he watched G’Kar kneel down and slowly extract the injured female from her debris-caused imprisonment.

At her first moments of consciousness, Aelora felt hands pulling at her and panicked, believing it was the Minbari. She struggled against the contact, biting against the pain her movements caused, crying out in hopelessness when the hands did not release her. She only began to quiet when she realized that the hands touching her were gentle, without malice or ill intent. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, blinking against the glare of the sun off of the particulate matter in the air.

"It is all right," a deep voice assured her softly. "You are safe now."

Aelora attempted to speak but found her throat and lungs still burned from the explosion she had barely escaped with her life. She only recalled bits and pieces of the Minbari attack. She had been certain the worst was over when a Minbari Warcruiser had struck the nearest building. She remembered the flames licking over her skin and clothing and dropping to the ground to extinguish them but the memory ended there. She felt her rescuer adjust her slightly so that she was resting against him. Aelora maneuvered her head around to glance up at him, somewhat surprised to find he was a Narn. She licked her parched lips, attempting to speak, relieved when he guessed to her question.

"I am Ambassador G’Kar. This is Na’Kal, Captain of the G’Tok" Aelora heard footsteps approach to her right "We were en route to Earth when we came across space debris from a recent battle."

G’Kar watched the Human female as a frown marred her brow. He could tell that under the soot and dirt and burns she was obviously quite stunning. Her dark red hair was badly singed, though a few strands proved that before the battle it had been extremely long. She was tall and shapely and her bright green eyes hinted at a keen intellect. G’Kar gently probed her arms and legs for any broken bones, stopping abruptly when he noticed the insignia on her uniform just above her left breast. Psi Corps. He looked at the Human with a renewed respect. His race were among the only ones who did not have naturally occurring telepaths and had been responsible for showing the Humans the error of not using telepaths in military strategy. For what it was worth, G’Kar’s spies had informed him of Psi Corps’s political plans. It appeared that those in high positions in the Corps had their sights on certain high ranking political positions in Earth Gov. Not that G’Kar blamed them; the telepaths of Earth had been relatively ignored by their people for years. Now that they were gaining popularity from their participation in the war against the Minbari, they were out to take advantage of it while they could.

"Can you tell me your name?" G’Kar asked her.

Once more, Aelora attempted to speak but dissolved into a racking cough that ripped at her throat. G’Kar rubbed her back until the coughing ceased, concerned as to how injured the telepath might be. He knew that Earth Gov. would be extremely grateful to have one of their telepaths returned to them and wanted to make certain this one made it.

Aelora felt immense frustration at not being able to speak. She wanted to ask what had happened, how many were alive, was the General all right, and had they found the Minbari she scanned. She had made a vow not to get inside another alien mind for at least a few days but realized it was the only way she would be able to communicate until her throat healed. She had entered Narn minds before, so it would not be completely foreign to her, and she never had to worry about accidentally encountering a telepath among their people. Still, any alien mind was distressing and after what she had recently been through, she was not looking for another fight. She only hoped that this G’Kar would accept her invasion. Aelora forced herself to relax, then slowly, tentatively projected her thoughts to the Narn.

Aelora.

G’Kar’s eyes widened. He glanced down at the Human quickly, certain she had just spoken but he had not seen her lips move. He looked up at Na’Kal. "Did you hear that?"

The Captain raised a brow. "What?"

G’Kar shrugged and looked back down at the telepath, who was frowning at him in a slightly perturbed manner. "Did you just say something?"

She sighed. I am Major Aelora Sinclair. He can’t hear me, only you can. I’m afraid I am too exhausted to project to both of you at the moment. Something is wrong with my throat. My lungs I think as well. I was too near the blast.

G’Kar was silent for a long moment, contemplating the meaning of this sudden revelation. Not only was this a telepath, she was obviously a very strong telepath for from what he understood, only those with a rating of P12 had the ability to project their thoughts to ‘normals’. And just what was a P12 doing out in the field? During the war, Earth had elected to keep their strongest close to home, where they could interrogate prisoners and not risk the chance of losing them to battle. For a P12 to have been sent out into field duty could only mean something very important was going on. G’Kar did not see how it could have anything to do with the biological weapon the Earther’s had apparently developed, for the work there appeared to have been done. That meant they were searching for something from the Minbari, something they had suspicions of but needed confirmation.

Did you hear me?

"Huh? Oh, yes. Sorry, Major, it is only that you surprised me," G’Kar replied, glancing down at the bright green eyes that were assessing him with a frank gaze.

"Who are you talking to?" Na’Kal asked, watching the other Narn as if he had lost his mind.

"She is a very strong telepath," G’Kar replied, flashing a meaningful expression at the Captain. Na’Kal caught on quickly and turned to yell for a medic once more. G’Kar returned his attention to Aelora. "I am sorry, we are not very well equipped to provide medical attention to Humans but we are not far from Earth and will have you home soon."

Thank you, Ambassador. I am lucky that anyone is here at all. The company means more than you can imagine. This place will haunt me the rest of my life.

G’Kar frowned. "Can you tell me what happened?"

I’m sorry. That will have to remain confidential until I report to my superiors.

"Of course." Schrock! He knew that was what she would say but he had to ask anyway. Well, he was certain Na’Kal’s men would comb the area carefully and report any worthwhile information immediately. Once they arrived at Earth, he would make certain his spies were on the alert to anything mentioned about this particular sector.

After the medic determined that aside from the burns Aelora also suffered from five broken ribs and a fractured ankle, they transported her up to the G’Tok and set course for Orion VII. Doctor Stephen Franklin, the son of General Franklin, was based there, and having known him fairly well, Aelora felt it was her duty to inform him of his father’s death. She also had some questions that she felt only he would be able to answer for her. Her recent experience and the information she had learned from her scan of the Minbari Warrior had shown her that the war was about to take a dreadful turn. If something was not done somewhere, and quickly, she feared that neither race would survive the outcome.

 

 

Earth Alliance Colony, Orion VII

 

"Aelora!" Doctor Stephen Franklin smiled at the telepath seated on the examination table. When he had heard she was injured, he had feared the worst and was relieved to see she was moving around of her own accord. "Looks as if the Narn took fairly good care of you."

"Y…yes." It was still difficult for her to speak and her voice was gravelly and hoarse.

Stephen frowned. "That does not sound good. Try to speak as little as possible, all right? And if you really need to say something, don’t attempt to whisper, it’ll only make it worse. If you’re going to use your vocal chords, use them all."

Aelora nodded, looking away for a moment as Stephen grabbed his bioscanner and began his examination. She was uncertain how to approach telling him about his father as it was obvious he had heard nothing yet. She wondered if Earth Gov. had even gone to the undesignated planet to clean up or were they going to simply sweep it all under the carpet like they so often chose to do?

Stephen.

The doctor glanced up from the readings. "Yah?"

I hate to be the one to tell you this but…well, your father…the Minbari killed him.

Stephen stood silently for a long moment, allowing the information to register. He was uncertain as to how he was supposed to feel. He and Richard Franklin had never been close, and the war had separated them even further apart. Both had made different choices for different reasons, and because of whom Stephen’s father was he had been forced to change his choices, to follow orders, to overlook his own beliefs. Perhaps he would feel sorrow later, when he had time to think about it. But for now, all he could honestly feel was relief, freedom.

"Thank you for telling me, Aelora," he said finally then continued his examination in silence.

After Stephen finished the examination, confirming the Narn medic’s findings of broken ribs, fractured ankle and first degree burns, he stepped away to file his report in the computer. Aelora hopped off of the table to follow him, her mind still filled with questions that she was determined to have answers to. During the trip in the G’Tok, she had a long conversation with Ambassador G’Kar regarding what his people had found on the planet. He confirmed her scan findings that the outpost had not been an outpost at all but actually a military base set up by the Minbari to look as if it only held a civilian population. He had informed her of what had been left of Earth’s forces and what remains had been left of General Franklin. Aelora had reviewed what she had learned from her scan of Shai Alyt Neroon many times and found herself fearing the worst. His thoughts had told her of another Warrior named Terann, who appeared to be his second-in-command, as well as a very strong telepath. She had apparently been the one who had taught him how to protect himself from low-level scans. G’Kar had informed her that they had found no Minbari fitting Neroon’s description in the building where she had left him and Aelora feared that he had escaped, that his second-in-command had come looking for him, and that meant she had found and scanned General Franklin.

Stephen.

"Hmm?"

I fear that the Minbari may have scanned your father.

Her friend glanced up at her, frowning. "And?"

She worried her lower lip for a moment considering how to approach such a delicate topic. Finally she said, The bioagent. You created it, didn’t you?

For a moment, Aelora felt him prepare to lie to her, to deny any knowledge of it but she saw the flash of realization in his eyes that she could read his thoughts. He dropped heavily into his chair. "I hadn’t meant…I didn’t…I mean, I refused for so long to do what they wanted but the war kept going and going and millions of lives were lost and I began to think If something isn’t done soon, no one is going to survive this! So, I gave in. Went to work on it with a bunch of other scientists and time and time again we failed."

Intentionally?

Stephen smiled. "You know me too well. Yes, there were a few times I would purposely go against my instincts and try something that I knew wouldn’t work. But then I would convince myself that was wrong and jump back into it. The problem was Minbari physiology could withstand so much. They are such an old race; they are immune to all of the viruses that we could come up with. The closest we ever got was to making them really, really sick…"

And then?

"And then…" Stephen shook his head. "I don’t know what happened. One night, when I was working late, this guy comes in and says that he has some associates who have what we are looking for and that he was informed to give it to me."

Did he say his name? Had you seen him before?

"No. But he was one of yours." At Aelora’s surprised expression Franklin nodded. "Yah. He was Psi Corps. I saw the insignia plain as day. He didn’t seem inclined to hide it. He did tell me that I was to tell no one where the information came from or myself and my family would suffer for it. He said that certain parties held a vested interest in the destruction of the Minbari. Actually, I didn’t believe any of it. I took the information, messed around with it and two days later discovered that he hadn’t been lying. We suddenly had a biological weapon capable of killing Minbari within seconds. And I never saw the guy again."

And you have been given credit as to the invention.

Once more he nodded.

Aelora looked away, her mind whirling. Who else wanted to see the Minbari wiped out badly enough to hand over the means to do so to Earth? She knew the Narn wanted to see the war ended so that Earth would join them in their war against the Centauri but she also knew the Narn did not have the technology or information to create such a weapon. Besides which, this was not something they would do in such secrecy. They would have bragged about it to every high ranking official in Earth Gov., hoping to sway opinions and gain support. All of the other races had carefully remained out of the war between Earth and Minbar, even the Centauri who seemed to glean some sort of perverse satisfaction out of it’s continuation. At times, Aelora wondered if the Centauri did not purposely attempt to prevent peace from happening between the two races. It seemed a ridiculous notion at first but the more she thought of it the more it made sense. If the war ended, there was a very real possibility that Earth would join with the Narn in the war against the Centauri, since the Narn had done everything to prove their own support in Earth’s battle against the Minbari. If that were to happen, the Centauri would surely lose and she knew that Centauri ego could never allow such a thing to happen. Aelora mentally shook her head. Fifteen years of war had complicated galactic politics beyond reason.

Stephen, I believe you should leave here immediately. Hide out for awhile.

"Why would I do something like that? I have work to do, Aelora. Injured pour in here every hour."

I understand and I know you want to help them but I believe the Minbari know about the bioagent, and know who is responsible for creating it. The planet where your father was killed, that was where they tested the weapon. I saw its effects. Stephen, it was used on women and children. If I were the Minbari, I would seek revenge.

"Goddammit!" Stephen slammed his fist against the console and stood to pace around the room. "They promised me it would only be used for military targets!"

It was a military target, Stephen. Unfortunately, the Minbari wanted it to look like a civilian outpost.

"But why?"

I’d rather not discuss that.

Stephen frowned. "Still, I can’t leave simply off of your beliefs. People need me here and if I can save one more life, well that is worth dying for, Aelora."

Maybe for you but what about the hundreds of thousands of civilians who live here? They shouldn’t have to suffer for your pride!

"No but who is to say the Minbari won’t attack if I leave? An entire processing plant of the bioagent and more biological weapons is located here, Aelora. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave that alone. Besides, this is all conjecture. You do not know for a certainty that they know anything."

But your father, Stephen! He knew!

Stephen leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I appreciate your worry. Here, I’ll put you through to Earth Gov. so that you can warn them, ask them to send us some ships for protection, just in case. They’ll listen to you. Will that make you feel better?"

For some reason, it did little for alleviating her spirits but she nodded and allowed him to put the call through. Luckily, she was able to speak with General Lefcourt directly and told him as much as she could over an unsecured channel. She warned him that she believed the Minbari knew about the bioagent and that they would almost certainly attack Orion VII. If he was surprised at her knowledge of the weapon, he did not show it. He appeared genuinely interested in what she had to say and assured her that they would take care of it. After closing the connection, Aelora found herself pondering the conversation. It seemed to her almost as if the General had simply been telling her what she wanted to hear. She dismissed the thought, warning herself not to become too paranoid. The events of the past forty-eight hours had left her shaken to say the least and she had to warn herself not to go jumping at shadows because of it.

"Major Sinclair?"

She glanced up from her musings to see Ambassador G’Kar leaning in through the door. There was something about the big Narn that made her feel comfortable around him, she actually found herself enjoying his company. On the whole, she had never really grown close to any alien, sheltered by Psi Corps the way she had been and all. She had known a few Centauri but found them to be too pompous and posturing, the Drazi were completely untrustworthy, the Pak’ma’ra…well, little could be said about the Pak’ma’ra that was complimentary. The Narn she had come to know seemed less trusting than the other races, more defensive. No wonder, given their history of slavery under the Centauri, but she was pleased to find that G’Kar seemed a little more receptive to letting down the barrier that appeared naturally inherent in his race.

"The G’Tok is ready to leave when you are. I have informed your General Bester of your imminent arrival."

Thank you, G’Kar. She fiddled self-consciously with a strand of her hair. When she had first glimpsed her horribly singed locks in a mirror, it was all she could do not to scream in despair. Of course, she could not let the Narns believe that something as unimportant as her hair could cause her so much distress, so she had swallowed her upset and quietly spent the following hour using a sharp dagger to even the strands out. She made a mental note to visit a hairdresser the moment she returned to Earth.

Aelora stood and moved over to Stephen, taking his hands in hers. Be careful, my friend. And do not blame yourself. For this war, we are all at fault. She kissed his cheek softly and followed G’Kar out the door.

 

 

 

Earth, Psi Corps Headquarters

When Aelora stepped off the shuttle into the Psi Corps docking bay, she immediately noticed the heightened amount of activity around her. There was a sense of excitement flowing from the crowd and she could not help but grow curious as to its cause. She glanced around and caught General Bester watching her from the edge of the room near the exit into HQ. From the expression on his face, he had been waiting longer than he wished. She started toward him when G’Kar spoke from behind:

"Major?"

Ambassador, I didn’t see you behind me.

He had grown used to the feel of her speaking inside his head during the past two days, so that it no longer surprised him. He actually found himself enjoying it, knowing she was speaking so that only he could hear. Still, G’Kar also wondered what her voice sounded like. Ever since he had first met Humans, he had discovered a particular attraction to their females and Aelora was no exception. In fact, his interest in her was becoming increasingly stronger.

"I just wondered if you need me to escort you anywhere?"

Aelora had once more began casting glances around the station; her mind whirling with all of the information she had yet to impart along with all of the questions she had regarding the activity around her. She looked back at the Narn, her expression apologetic.

I’m sorry, Ambassador, my mind was elsewhere. No, thank you. General Bester is waiting for me. I really must be going.

She turned to leave when G’Kar caught up with her, catching her elbow to stop her. At her questioning look, he said, "I am sorry to bother you, Major. It is just, well…I was wondering if we could not get together sometime? For a drink, or dinner?"

Aelora felt Bester call to her, wondering what was taking her so long. She sent a reply that she would be there soon then looked up at G’Kar. She knew he had an interest in her, it was difficult not to see and feel, and though she found herself wondering at the possibility, she knew it could not be. G’Kar, I am a part of Psi Corps. We are very restricted in our personal lives. We do not have the same freedom of choice that mundanes do. When they deem it appropriate, a marriage will be arranged for me with another telepath of like capabilities and interests. It is all done in the sake of keeping telepaths pure and strong. I am sorry but there could never be anything between us.

"But that is unfair," G’Kar argued. "You are not their prisoner!"

Aelora placed her finger against his mouth. Shh. You are in hostile territory here, whether you know it or not. Thank you very much for all that you have done for me. I hope I see you again sometime, Ambassador G’Kar. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek then turned and hurried off to join Bester.

What was that all about? Bester directed at her as she moved up beside him.

Nothing. I was thanking him for saving my life. Is there a problem?

Bester looked at the woman before him. He was willing to admit that it appeared she had been through Hell but she was alive and functioning and that was all that was important. He was eager to find out what she had learned. Follow me. It is time for a debriefing.

Wait. Aelora put a restraining hand on him. What is going on? Why all the activity?

You never miss anything, do you, Major? Bester flashed her his sweetest smile, which to Aelora was somewhere in between a sneer and a grimace. Actually, everyone is preparing for the attack.

What attack?

The attack on the Minbari Shipyards at Dorado.

Aelora felt the panic set in. What was going on? She had specifically told General Lefcourt that the Minbari were certain to attack Orion VII now that they knew about the bioagent. Shouldn’t they be sending the fleet to protect that outpost? There were over a million people living at the industrial colony. Certainly they meant to protect them!

But General, the Minbari are –

Yes, your warning is what gave Earth Force the idea. While the Minbari are busy using all of their resources at Orion VII, we will sneak in and attack Dorado. Our forces are all ready gathering at the rendezvous point.

There are one million people on Orion VII!

One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.’ Josef Stalin. There are two million Minbari on Dorado, Major. Do the math. If we want to win this war, we are going to have to make a few sacrifices.

Has anyone asked the citizens of Orion VII if they are willing to make this sacrifice?

That is enough, Major. The General grabbed her arm roughly, forced her to look at him, to focus her attention. The last time I checked you were not in charge of Earth Force or making any decisions of any such magnitude. We are at war, Major. A war that is quickly becoming a burden to both sides and must be dealt with in any manner possible. You will remain silent about your conversation with Lefcourt, is that understood?

But the public –

Is that understood?!

Aelora felt his anger reverberate through her mind and wilted under the heavy emotions. She was still too weak to stand against such strength and knew that she had little choice in the matter. If Earth Force had made their decision, then nothing could stop them. Aelora could attempt to alert the media, to get word spread among the general populace but there was not enough time and she would be caught before it could happen anyway. There were others listening. There were always others listening. She nodded meekly and allowed the General to lead her through the halls of Psi Corps toward his office. There they would be under reasonable enough seclusion for him to scan her, to learn everything from her that she had learned from Neroon. It was not the way she would have preferred. She would rather have the choice of simply telling him what she knew but Psi Corps had long ago decided that there was always the chance some important piece of information could be forgotten, lost. In short, they did not trust their telepaths enough to provide them with everything they knew.

When they reached his office, Bester instructed her to sit down. She dropped into one of the dark leather chairs, watching Bester closely as he moved around his desk and took his seat. "So," he spoke finally, folding his hands in front of him and flashing another one of his smiles. "How are you feeling?"

Aelora reached her hand up to her neck. "M-my th-throat…"

"Ah. Well, you are safe and that is what matters. It is a very sad thing, what happened to our forces there. What monsters must those Minbari be to simply appear out of hyperspace and destroy their own people because they wanted to destroy ours."

Aelora frowned. "G-General –"

"You see, Major, our forces came out of hyperspace near that sector and picked up a distress signal from the Minbari colony claiming that they were out of supplies and their homeworld was refusing to answer to their pleas. So they surrendered under the agreement that our forces would not harm them and would bring them back to one of our camps on Mars. Only, shortly after our forces landed, the Minbari came out of hyperspace and attacked the colony, destroying almost every living being. Miraculously, through some divine intervention, you survived."

No, that’s not the way it happened! And there were others. There were five others who survived ---

"You were the only survivor, Major. And that is exactly how it happened. The report has all ready been filed.

"Public sentiment is once more growing against the Minbari, 86% of the members of Earth Alliance want to see the war to it’s bitter end, if only to rid the galaxy of our enemy. As we speak, our forces are heading into Dorado to dump our highly effective bioagent into the atmosphere. Within minutes the galaxy will be two million Minbari shorter and their major shipyards will then be blasted to bits by our ships."

But what about Orion VII?

Bester stood, moving around the desk to stand beside Aelora. He crouched down next to her, placing his hand on her arm. "Somehow, the Minbari learned of our plan to attack Dorado. But instead of sending their fleet to protect it, they decided to take out one of our outposts while they had the chance. Being the cowards that they are, they wanted to avoid the chance of a head to head confrontation."

The whole situation was growing increasingly laughable. Did Earth Alliance really believe they could get away with this? Twisting facts to suit their purposes was beyond ridiculous. They were the cowards, the deceivers, without honor or pride. Was the war truly going so badly that they had to resort to such blatant propaganda? Aelora did not believe she could go along with this, did not believe she could sit back and do nothing while a million innocent people died. But what could she do? Psi Corps would hunt her down before she could speak with anyone who would listen. She would be court-martialed by both the Corps and Earth Force. She was the only one with the answers to all of it, which meant she was treading on dangerous ground. One wrong step and it could all disappear from beneath her. No, she had to wait, had to plan. Somehow, the truth would have to come out. It all would have to end or there would be no Human or Minbari left in the galaxy.

"Do you understand what I have said to you, Major?"

"Y-yes."

"Good. Now, let us get this debriefing over with, shall we? I am anxious to see what you have learned."

Aelora felt herself automatically tense at the intrusion she knew was to come. Scanning someone else was nothing compared to being scanned yourself. It often made her empathize with those she interrogated, knowing what they felt to have someone intrude upon your very thoughts and secrets. Luckily, she knew enough to send the entire experience of her scan of the Minbari Warrior to the forefront, bypassing any emotion she was currently feeling or thoughts that occupied her mind. Basically, she handed Bester everything she knew that he wanted so that he would go no deeper. Normally, it worked. He knew what she was doing but he allowed her to get away with it, trusting the thought that she would never hide anything from him. After their recent conversation though, she felt him enter her mind with a high concentration of suspicion. Aelora panicked at first, when he had read the information from the Minbari, and then continued on deeper into her mind. She forced herself to relax, believing she really had nothing to hide from him that he did not all ready suspect or know about her. She focused her mind away from the pain, kept herself from fighting against the intrusion. It ended quickly and relief flooded through her as Bester stood and returned to his seat.

He folded his hands before him, staring at her with a thoughtful expression. "Interesting. Very interesting, indeed."

 

 

 

Earth Alliance Colony -- Orion VII

"I won’t hurt you," Dr. Stephen Franklin told the young patient he had spent the last hour trying to diagnose. The young girl’s mother tried desperately to calm her child, who had been brought in after a morning of complaining of intense ear pain. Finally, on the verge of accepting defeat, Stephen knelt down, bringing his warm brown eyes to meet her pale green ones. "Sarah," he said gently. "I promise you this won’t hurt, and when I am done I will give you something special so your ears don’t hurt anymore."

Sarah studied the doctor carefully, feeling that she could trust him. Her family had moved here, to Orion VII, only a few weeks ago and at the tender age of four she had found it difficult to make friends. Most of the other children who lived here were older, and she still had a couple more months before school started. She glanced back at her mother, who was smiling at her reassuringly, then proceed to let go of the leg she had firmly attached herself to, and moved toward Franklin. Stopping within inches of the handsome doctor, she flinched slightly when he moved his hand towards her.

"Its okay, sweetie," he told her, his voice soft and warm.

The young girl cast a glance back to her mother, then turned back to Stephen, smiling slightly. He reached forward to tuck her long curly blonde hair behind her tiny ear. He quickly checked one, then turned his attention to the other ear, confirming a slight infection. He reached out and gently pinched the small child’s nose signaling that he was finished, causing her to laugh. He stood up to speak to Sarah’s mother. "She has a slight infection, it isn’t serious and with medication it will heal within a day or two."

"Thank you, Stephen," the young mother said. She had known Doctor Franklin for almost ten years. The two had met through her husband, Doctor Andrew Freddette, who had been working as a bio-engineer at a medical facility on Earth. They had fallen out of touch, due mostly to the on going war with the Minbari, but were recently reunited when Andrew was transferred to the colony to work at the weapon research and design facility. Cherryl had contested her husband’s involvement in the design and development of biological weapons, but he had insisted that it would be the only way to force the Minbari to surrender. Looking, now, at her young daughter she realized that he had been right. She would personally kill every last Minbari if it meant saving the life of her child. She then remembered the attack on the Minbari colony, and the subsequent death of Doctor Franklin’s father. "I am sorry to hear of your father’s death."

Stephen, who had been preparing the medication for Sarah’s ears, only glanced back to Cherryl. "Thank you," was his reply.

The young woman stepped forward and put a hand on Stephen’s shoulder. "I know the two of you were not close, but you have to give yourself time to mourn. Should you really be here so soon after all of this?"

"Look, Cherryl, I am fine," he said more harshly than he had intended. He sighed deeply, then continued, his tone considerably softer. "I have obligations here, the same as he had obligations. I will miss him, when I have time, but for now, I can’t. I see over a hundred wounded soldiers a day here. Grief is a luxury I can’t afford right now."

She nodded her understanding, then quickly turned to look out the window in horror as the planetary alert sirens began to sound.

Sarah ran in terror to once again attach herself to her mother’s leg. "What is it mommy?" She asked, tears beginning to form in her green eyes.

Cherryl quickly scooped the child up into her arms, pressing the girl’s small head onto her shoulder, trying desperately to hide her own concern. "What is it Stephen?" She asked the doctor as he looked out the window, her voice trembling slightly. Andrew had told her of the atrocities committed by the Minbari, of the countless Humans they had tortured regardless of their military involvement. Her heart began to pound in fear, and she began to find it difficult to breathe. The light scent on her daughter’s hair filled her senses and she fought to control her terror. She found herself wondering what they would do to Sarah if they got their hands on her. They are animals, Cherryl, her husband’s words echoed through her mind. She had never noticed how frightening his words had been until now.

Stephen quickly scanned the sky, searching for signs of an impending attack. He shook his head, slightly, not seeing anything. After several minutes he turned back to the young woman, who tightly held her crying child in her arms. "I don’t see anything, it must be just another drill," he told her, trying to force himself to believe that it was in fact only a drill, though he had not been informed of any being scheduled for that day.

Suddenly the room seemed to darken, as if a large cloud had passed in front of the sun, causing him to return his attention to the window. The sky looked odd. Instead of being it’s usual blue, it had assumed an almost rusty red colour. He looked at it in awe trying to determine what exactly was causing it. Without warning, he felt as if his throat were constricting, causing him to gasp for breath. He spun around in horror, to face Cherryl and Sarah. The young girl’s green eyes were wide with terror and she clawed at her throat, causing several cuts to form. What on earth was happening? He thought, feeling the tightness in his throat increase.

Cherryl fought against her own pain, trying in vain to comfort her child. Sarah’s eyes began to bulge from their sockets, and she tried to scream as blisters began to form and burst on her tiny limbs. Before long her tiny body gave up it’s struggle and succumbed to the death that awaited her.

Stephen collapsed to the floor, struggling to make it to the young woman still cradling the lifeless body of her beloved child. What if he had taken Aelora’s advice and left? What if he had refused to work on the bio-agent? What if he had declined the help of the mysterious telepath? Unfortunately he was beyond what if, as he surrendered to the cold, blackness of death.

 

 

 

 

Earth – Psi Corps Headquarters

Aelora tugged at the collar of her dress uniform in discomfort, the rough fabric irritating her raw skin. She ran a frustrated hand through her red curls, still unused to the bob-style the hairdresser had shaped it into. Its natural curliness seemed to stand out more, stray curls continually wrapping themselves around her neck and across her cheeks. She brushed an errant strand out of the way, wondering if this was to be how she would spend her evening. After her debriefing the day before, Bester had informed Aelora of a celebration that had been coordinated by Earth Force to pat themselves on the back for the creation of their biological terror. Her attendance had been ‘requested’, and she had been warned that she might be required to speak. Aelora hated speaking in front of crowds.

She flexed her hands in the tight, black leather gloves, wincing for a moment at the pain of the cloth straining against her burns. Her hands had suffered the worse, the medic speculating that she must have used them to put the fire out. Aelora had no reply to that; she remembered very little of the entire episode once the Minbari Warcruisers had begun raining fire down on the colony. She figured it had something to do with selective memory rather than memory loss. She had no real interest in replaying one of the most terrifying moments of her life over and over again in her mind. So she simply forgot about it. Bester had met with her twice more the next morning after the debriefing. He had questioned her regarding the top-secret information she now had knowledge of, seeking out her intentions. Aelora had remained carefully neutral in her thoughts and feelings on the matters. She knew she could not let Bester see how upset she was by the recent turn of events but neither could she attempt to make him believe she agreed with everything. He knew her better than that. So, her mind had remained carefully erratic, giving Bester little to go on and yet little to be suspicious of either. After three taxing hours spent in his presence, she had spent the rest of the day relaxing, getting her hair done and catching up on the latest gossip around Psi Corps. She had been sitting in the Officer’s Lounge, chatting with two other Psi Cops when the announcement regarding the attack on Orion VII came across ISN. The room had grown eerily silent as the anchorwoman, while attempting to describe the devastation of the colony, had broken down into tears. The reports did not specify what the Minbari attacked with for Earth Force had been keeping all civilian transports away from the planet. But Aelora knew. It was exactly as she had feared once she had read it in the Minbari Warrior’s mind: the Minbari had their own biological weapon, and they had just completed the first test successfully. One million Humans dead. She watched as people around her ran out of the room, hoping to discover that loved ones had made it safely away. Who was she to stand up and yell "Sorry, but Earth Central made the choice not inform anyone of the coming attack that they were very well aware of because they were off creating their own destruction." A part of her held out a small hope that Stephen had successfully escaped but she knew it to be only wishful thinking. He would never have abandoned other’s suffering to save himself.

After the announcement had effectively dampened everyone’s spirits, Aelora returned to her quarters to prepare for the party. She had orders to dress in her best, for everyone from Psi Corps, Earth Force and Earth Central were going to be there, including President Clark. Aelora felt anything but charming and her only consolation was the fact that her voice had returned. It was still somewhat tender when she spoke but it was bearable as opposed to the sandpaper that she had felt rubbing against it before. She brushed a finger against her Psi Corps insignia, trailing it over her two medals and rank bars. For some reason, the symbols before her held no meaning any longer. She was a part of this war because, like so many others in the galaxy, she had been swept up in the tidal wave that was speeding among the stars. There was some galactic insanity that seemed to be infecting everyone within it’s midst. Earth and Minbar were out to destroy one another, the Centauri and the Narn were trying to attempt the same, the Drazi had lately begun attacks into neighboring space and now some unknown race was lending it’s assistance to Earth in order to wipe out the Minbari. War was insensible as it was but it was quickly going beyond anything Aelora could even attempt to put into perspective. Certainly, war promoted growth both economically and technologically for those people involved but it also wasted resources as well as lives. Could not a galaxy of races that worked together achieve more than a galaxy full of races out to destroy one another? Aelora shook her head. She did not know why she wasted her time considering such questions when she did not harbor any sort of power to change things. She was not foolish enough to believe she held such importance in the universe.

Aelora glanced down at the time, panic setting in when she realized she was all ready twenty minutes late. She quickly sprayed a small squirt of perfume on her neck then grabbed her ID and dashed out the door. She moved through the corridors of Psi Corps quickly, becoming blatantly rude when people would not move out of her way. She finally made it to the transport station where she hopped aboard the first shuttle available headed for Earth Central. It was a fifteen-minute ride, and then another five minutes or so for her to get to the convention hall so basically she figured herself at being an hour late. This would not look good to her superiors. It would not look good at all. She pushed the curls off her forehead, glancing out the window at the passing scenery. It suddenly struck her in a strange revelation that she had never experienced her homeworld outside of Psi Corps. She had never traveled to any of the other continents, visited any of the historical structures that still existed, sun-bathed beside an ocean or climbed rocks in the mountains. A feeling of sadness washed over her and she made the promise to herself to enjoy some of those experiences while she still had the time. While Earth still had the time.

After exiting the shuttle, Aelora hurried toward the ballroom at Earth Gov. Headquarters, glancing once at her watch with a muttered curse. She flashed her ID badge to the private posted at the door and jogged down the steps into the room. The party was all ready in full swing, with over five hundred guests in attendance. Aelora could swear she had not seen so much brass in a band. There also appeared to be quite a few alien dignitaries in attendance, at least from those alien governments who were not afraid to risk the wrath of the Minbari. She noted quite a few Narn present, as well as the occasional Centauri. She wondered if any fights would break out between them like that which had happened during the last gathering she had attended. Two Centauri and a Narn had been killed then and Earth had warned both governments that they were close to being kicked off planet. Aelora felt a good fight might make the night more interesting. She grabbed a glass of champagne off of a passing tray, took a large gulp, and started her way into the crowd.

She had not moved very far when she felt a hand at her elbow. She turned to find Bester frowning at her. "You’re late."

Aelora shrugged. "Doesn’t look as if I have missed anything."

"Luckily. President Clark won’t be speaking for another hour or so. Until then, I expect you to mingle, to tell people what you saw during the battle with the Minbari – what we discussed that you saw – and make certain you whisper the right words into the right ears. Have you got that?"

Aelora took another drink of her champagne. "Yah. Sure."

Bester nodded at her and moved off into the crowd, leaving Aelora standing alone once more and prompting her to taker another sip. She allowed her gaze to roam around the room, making note of those she knew, those she merely recognized and those she had never seen before. Conversations around her consisted of hushed whispers regarding the destruction of Orion VII, disagreements over the course of the war and military strategies and the occasional comment concerning the upcoming presidential election. Aelora understood why the discussions revolving around the election were few and far between considering its three candidates were present. It was too early in the campaign to make any predictions as to the outcome and Aelora was willing to bet the course of the war throughout the next year would make the final decision. It was becoming increasingly obvious to her that the candidates saw the exact same conclusion and that worried her above all else.

"Major Sinclair."

Aelora turned to find General Lefcourt approaching, a handsome captain beside him. "General." Aelora took the last swallow of her champagne and flashed a bright smile. "How are you?"

"Very well, thank you. I was hoping to see you this evening. I saw your father a few weeks ago. Things are going well on the station. Though those damn Minbari destroyed the first three, Babylon Four will withstand this war and thank God for it! It has provided much-needed backup for our crippled ships. They were attacked recently but not to worry, Major, your father and his crew destroyed their attackers quite promptly. There was minimal damage. I have to say I wish we had a hundred of these battlestations. Ah well, perhaps we have learned our lesson for next time, hmm?" The General grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing tray and handed it to Aelora. "Major, have you, by any chance, met Captain John Sheridan?"

"Ah, Starkiller," Aelora spoke without thinking, caught herself, flashed an embarrassed smile. She reached a hand up to her forehead. "Um…Sorry. Instant reflex. So many Minbari minds scanned and every one of them screamed out that name. Please accept my apology, Captain."

"Well, of course." Sheridan smiled at her, though he rocked back on his heels somewhat uncomfortably.

He was a tall man with dark blue eyes and dimples when he smiled. He was quite popular on Earth, being the first to destroy a Minbari Warcruiser; one of the few the Minbari had constructed at the onslaught of the war. There were four left that Aelora knew of, and they were the one weapon of the Minbari that truly frightened Earth. Of course, that was all changed now, after what had occurred at Orion VII, the Minbari possessed a weapon infinitely more powerful than a Warcruiser.

"I was pleased to hear that you had made it back alive," General Lefcourt commented to Aelora. "When the first reports came in, we feared the worst. We certainly can’t afford to lose one of our best Teeps, now can we?" He chuckled, Captain Sheridan joining in with him.

Aelora winced at the word "Teeps"; she had always hated it. Somehow, the word seemed to cheapen what she was, made a joke out of her abilities. And mundanes seemed to relish the use of it, speaking it in a snide sort of way that caused Aelora’s teeth to grind together. She took a sip from her new glass, wondering what the General’s expression would be if she told him what she really thought, if she let him know exactly where the Human race would be in this war had the telepaths never entered into it. How she, and others like her, were his only salvation, and that his troops were little more than toy soldiers and target practice for the Minbari, without the information and strategies that were provided to them by Psi Corps. She took another quick swallow of her champagne, mentally scolding herself for thinking such thoughts, for that course usually led to speaking those words and that was not a mistake she could afford to make.

General Lefcourt was one of the three candidates for President of the Earth Alliance. His platform was riding on his performance in the war with the Minbari, his years as a General in Earth Force and, what he hoped to be a victory before election time. Aelora very much doubted he would get his wish. She had no doubt that he would do everything possible to make certain the outcome of the war followed the path he wanted it to, but she also knew that the other two candidates were hoping the same thing. Three men determined to end a fifteen-year war in order to secure their position within a political office. It was the formula that nightmares were made of. In all fairness, a few years ago Lefcourt would have been a shoe-in for the election. But too many things had changed since then. The Psi Corps had become key players in both the war and the political arena and their rise to power was due, in part, to President Clark who had always appeared to be on the side of the telepaths. That gave President Clark a certain edge in the presidential running. Then there was the growing popularity of Psi Corps and telepaths in general among the public, for more than once were victories assured to Earth Force troops due to information gathered by a telepath. The lives of countless Humans were being saved because of Psi Corps’ participation, and this fact was being made quite clear to the voting public, which made the last presidential candidate stand over and above the other two: General Bester. In a way, Aelora found the thought of a telepathic president absurd although she was not blind to the potential benefits. There would be a definite shortage of backstabbing among cabinet members and an assassination would be next to impossible. The president would be aware of everything going on around him. But it was at that point that the possibility of a telepathic president became absurd for the power of the position would increase beyond belief. There would be fear of ever opposing him and any action planned to be taken against him he would easily discern, unless it were other telepaths that moved against him, and rarely did telepaths ever oppose their own kind.

"Ah! Ambassador, welcome!" Lefcourt turned his attention up and over Aelora’s left shoulder.

She glanced back to see the Narn Ambassador, G’Kar, moving up to stand beside her. He nodded to the General and Sheridan, then turned his gaze to Aelora.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Major." He smiled kindly at her though his gaze held a flicker of concern, as if he were attempting to assure himself of her well being.

His caring surprised Aelora. She had thought that once they had parted ways, G’Kar would have forgotten about her. Out of sight, out of mind. But that was obviously not the case. "As well as you, Ambassador," Aelora replied, finding it strange speaking to the Narn when all she had done before was communicate to him telepathically.

Her voice sounded exactly as G’Kar had imagined it would: soft, slightly husky. Though her telepathic communication with him held a certain intimate quality that he would always remember, he found himself preferring her direct speech. Maybe it had to do with the movement of her full lips, the occasional flash of her pink tongue. Everything about the Human female before him exuded sensuality, mixed with a subtle hint of innocence, a combination that was undeniably intoxicating.

"It is good to see your injuries are healing well," G’Kar commented, his gaze perusing her carefully.

"Thank you." She glanced over at Lefcourt and Sheridan who were eyeing the conversation before them curiously. "It wasn’t in the report, but Ambassador G’Kar here is the reason I made it back to Earth alive from the encounter with the Minbari. If not for his…relentless search for survivors, I would have been left for dead."

"It is miraculous that you were discovered among so many dead," Lefcourt commented.

"There were others – " G’Kar started but Aelora quickly cut him off.

"None of them survived." At G’Kar’s frown, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it lightly. "You and the others did all that you could. Those soldiers were simply too badly injured."

It was a blatant lie and Aelora could see that G’Kar knew it. The worse injury among the others rescued had been a broken leg. According to Bester though, the official report listed her as being the sole survivor, the only one who knew what had happened there. Bester had been very adamant about the fact that though Aelora had not written the report herself, it had been dictated word for word the way she had described it. Another lie. The entire encounter had been shaped to fit Earth’s needs, Earth’s plans. The public sympathized with Earth Force for the unprovoked attack by the Minbari; they raged against the senseless slaughter of Minbari civilians by Minbari. So many lies were beginning to build up regarding the war that Aelora began to fear confusing them. Sometimes, she wondered if the war itself were not simply propaganda produced by the Earth Alliance to build up their strength and influence among the League Worlds. All in all, it extended to the simple fact that Humans could not conceive of a race more powerful than themselves.

General Lefcourt watched the young telepath before him silently. Bester had warned him that she had a tendency to rebel against orders she did not agree with. She had been the one possible snag in their propagandistic war. From all appearances though, Aelora Sinclair seemed to be settling into her part quite well. Lefcourt doubted that she would refute the story at all. She appeared to be quite loyal to Earth, like her father, and Lefcourt was willing to bet she was firmly on their side.

"Well it was nice chatting with you, Major." Lefcourt smiled, steering Sheridan deeper into the crowd. "I see President Clark is finally free. Ambassador." He nodded to G’Kar then he and Captain Sheridan disappeared into the throng of people.

There was a moment of silence as the General and Sheridan moved away then G’Kar turned to glance down at Aelora as she downed another swallow of champagne. He could tell that something was going on with the Humans, and his spies had not alerted him to anything especially spectacular. Unfortunately, the rescue of the soldiers, which included Major Sinclair, did not provide the results that the Narn had hoped for. Instead, they had received little more than a pat on the back, a nod of thanks and then it was forgotten. Not that if G’Kar had the chance to do it again, he would turn away. No, saving the life of the Human female before him seemed more than enough of a personal reward, whether his people had gained any foothold among the Humans or not.

Aelora caught G’Kar watching her, downed the last drop of her champagne and shook her head. "Don’t ask, Ambassador," she warned him. "Don’t bother getting caught up in EA politics. Somehow, the knowledge doesn’t seem worth it."

G’Kar was surprised at the bitterness of her tone and wondered if it did not result from the affects of the alcohol. He was accustomed to the pomposity of Humans, the arrogant belief that they were the supreme forces in the galaxy and nothing could stop them. Yet Aelora behaved as if she understood that Humankind had finally met a force against which they had little to no chance of conquering.

"Grab me one of those, will ya?" Aelora poked G’Kar in the arm, pointing him toward a tray of champagne that was being carried by. "And grab one for yourself. Ladies shouldn’t drink alone."

G’Kar did as he was prompted, handing her the glass as she set her empty one onto a nearby table. She held up the new goblet and declared, "Here’s to the end of the Human race. It’s been real, and it’s been fun. But it hasn’t been real fun."

The Narn Ambassador watched in fascination as she swallowed the full glass without a breath. He glanced down at his own, frowning slightly. He had never been partial to many of the Human’s alcoholic drinks, especially champagne, finding the bubbles to be most disconcerting. He noticed the many glances that were being cast in their direction after Aelora’s declaration of the Human race’s fate and decided that steering her somewhere less observable would be the wisest action to take. G’Kar set his glass back onto another passing tray, grabbed Aelora by the elbow and moved her away from the crowd toward the edge of the room. The telepath glanced around her new surroundings for a moment, as if surprised to find herself there, then smiled up at G’Kar coyly:

"Trying to get me alone, Ambassador?"

She batted her lashes enticingly causing G’Kar to frown.

"Major – "

"Aelora."

"Aelora…if I had any designs of having you to myself, it would certainly not include a time when you are intoxicated beyond the capacity to remember any of it."

Her full lips affected a perfect pout, and G’Kar found his control slipping. "You certainly can’t hold me accountable for a little fun, G’Kar." Aelora leaned closer to him, reaching up to play with the sash on his uniform. "After all, on the twilight of Humankind’s existence, what else should I be expected to do?"

G’Kar reached up to pull her hands away from their mischief, knowing he did not have the kind of self control she was obviously set on pushing him to exhibit. He held her roaming hands tightly in his own, away from accosting his person. "Aelora, I do believe you are exaggerating just a bit. I did not know Humans to be so…dramatic. I always considered that more of a Centauri trait."

"I’m not in the least exaggerating, G’Kar," Aelora replied, staring down at their joined hands as if fascinated by the sight. "If you knew what I knew…" She sighed. "But, it will all be over soon, so none of it really matters."

G’Kar could not make sense out of a single word. He was certain now that the alcohol had gone straight to her head. "Perhaps I should escort you back to your apartments – "

"Shhh!" Aelora pushed past him, yanking her hands free from his and pointing to the end of the room. "It has begun. His Majesty speaks."

G’Kar frowned, wondering if he should simply toss the telepath over his shoulder and carry her out of there when he heard applause and looked up to see President Clark stepping up to the podium. The Narn moved up beside Aelora, casting a quick glance at her to find her gaze locked squarely on the proceedings before them, a dark cloud passing over her expression. He returned his attention to the President as he began to speak:

"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests and dignitaries from the many worlds represented here this evening, I welcome you and thank you for attending this most auspicious occasion – "

"Everyone loves a good wake," Aelora commented, her voice none too quiet.

"It saddens me that this celebration must take place only a day after one of the greatest tragedy’s in Human history – that of the destruction of Orion VII and the loss of over a million lives. My heart goes out to the many families and friends who have lost loved ones, and I want you to know that you will remain in the prayers of us all.

"But we must not become dismayed or discouraged by this recent tragedy. The enemy has not won, and we must not let them see us downhearted. For in the wake of this tragedy lies our greatest victory, a chance for retribution, a moment of justice, a shining beacon to show the galaxy that we will not be beaten or subjugated by an arrogant, barbaric race such as the Minbari. Humankind is here to stay, ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake about that." Clark hesitated for a moment, prompting a round of rousing applause. As it settled, he continued, "Sadly, I lay the blame for the deaths of those on Orion VII at my feet. Because of Minbari spies, information that was meant to be kept secret at all costs was discovered and the Minbari chose to retaliate but, in doing so, they proved as to how barbaric of a race they truly are –"

"What tangled webs we weave," Aelora snapped, louder than before. G’Kar watched the expressions around them nervously, attempted to push the female back into the shadows but she refused to move.

"A few months ago, a great discovery was made by our scientists. For years, we have been researching weapons that could spell the end of this war, to bring peace once more to the galaxy. I am pleased to say that weapon was finally realized, a biological weapon of such precise, effective agents that it could be let loose into this room and not be noticed by a single individual – unless they were Minbari. The Minbari these agents would quickly and efficiently render lifeless. Now I know that biological weapons are generally seen as inhumane and cruel, but I assure everyone in this room that this particular weapon simply puts the victim to ‘sleep’, with absolutely no pain or discomfort whatsoever."

At this announcement, Aelora laughed outright, loud enough that those around them ‘shushed’ her and cast her angry glares. G’Kar placed a hand on her arm but she quickly yanked it away.

"We made plans to first use this weapon at the Minbari Shipyards on Dorado, when this information was discovered by our enemy. But instead of building up their forces there, making the attempt to protect their people at all costs such as we would have surely done had we known about the attack on Orion VII, they chose to attack us. So while our people were bravely fighting for their lives on Orion VII, our forces attacked the Dorado Shipyards. I am proud to announce that our weapon worked. We have effectively struck the enemy at a tender spot, taking out one of their biggest shipyards and proving to them that we will not go quietly into the night."

Another round of applause, this one unprompted and much more raucous than the first. G’Kar shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat, refusing to applaud such lies. Even he had seen the effects of the Human’s weapon and it was anything but Humane. Still, if Clark’s way to operate was by the lying and deceit of his people, then who was he to say anything. Right now, to get the Human’s to sign on the side of the Narn against the Centauri, G’Kar would happily jump through hoops. He noticed Aelora refrained from applauding as well, and her expression continued to darken. He worried what she might do and found himself moving nearer to her in case he had to prevent her from behaving irrationally.

President Clark moved on to questions fielded to him from specifically chosen members of the press. The topics included how much of the biological weapon needed to be used in order to ensure effectiveness; how long he thought they would need to continue using the weapon before the Minbari would surrender; the minimal loss of Human life the use of this weapon would bring about; and the President’s forecast as to when he believed the war would end. The entire press conference was so staged that many in the room began to cast uncomfortable glances at the floor, ashamed to meet their peers in the eyes, reluctant to admit that deep down, they all knew the truth behind the lies. There were many questions behind those gazes, but little hope to prompt the asking. The apathy was so thick among the Humans gathered in the hall that it was almost stifling to the aliens who intermixed with them. Even G’Kar found himself growing ready to admit that he was in the midst of a dying race.

While the Narn was focused on the momentous event before him, Aelora chanced the moment to down another drink. Perhaps it was to bolster courage; perhaps it was to block out the knowledge she held that few others could even begin to comprehend. Perhaps it was just to forget who and where she was at the moment. For shortly after she swallowed the last drop, Aelora pushed forward through the crowd, shouting the one question everyone else in the room was too afraid to voice:

"Tell us about Orion VII, Mr. President. Tell us how the Minbari killed all of those people!"

There were shocked whispers among the crowd and Clark glared against the lights in attempt to see who was blatantly trying to undermine his control. G’Kar hurried after Aelora, grabbing her by the arm before she got any nearer to the podium and the security guards who were headed her way.

"Tell the world about the end of Humanity!" She shouted, her voice breaking. "Tell them all about the death that awaits us!"

"Who is this person?" Clark demanded. "Seize her at once!"

G’Kar was at a loss for what to do when General Hague appeared beside him. "Quickly, get her back to her apartments. I will keep them occupied."

"But –"

"She is a telepath," the General reminded G’Kar. "They look after their own. But she must get away from here for tonight."

G’Kar nodded, tightening his hold on Aelora’s arm and dragging her through the crowd at a hurried pace. When they reached the doorway, he gave up struggling with her and finally slung her over his shoulder, moving into a quick jog out of the building. When they neared the shuttle station, G’Kar finally stopped when Aelora screamed out that she was going to be sick. He held her head while she vomited into the bushes then helped her over to a fountain where she spent the next few minutes gulping down the cool water.

"Better?" He asked, failing in his attempt to hold back a smile at her plight.

She nodded weakly, allowing G’Kar to lead her to the station where they caught the next shuttle back to the Psi Corps housing district. Aelora rested with her head in her hands most of the way there, though whether it was from the alcohol or her state of mind, G’Kar did not know. He did not need to be telepathic to know that the Human was in a great deal of emotional turmoil and he wondered what it was she seemed to know that few others did. What had she seen during the battle with the Minbari? What had she learned? Though he knew she was not in a state to divulge the information to him currently, he hoped he could some how convince her to tell him when she was feeling more herself. If she continued to keep it bottled up as it was, she would certainly have a breakdown. Besides, whatever the information was, it could be helpful in gaining Earth’s cooperation for a treaty. For a moment, G’Kar felt a sting of guilt at the consideration of using Aelora for his own gains but he quickly reminded himself that it was galactic politics and there were no rules or room for a conscience.

When they arrived at the housing complex, G’Kar offered to help Aelora to her apartments and she did not appear inclined to refuse his offer. The halls were empty and they made it to her door without being seen. Once there, G’Kar stood by silently while she punched in her lock code, then prepared to wish her a good evening as the door opened. Aelora did not proceed inside though; she turned and leaned back against the threshold, staring up at G’Kar.

"I can only imagine what you must think of me," she whispered.

G’Kar frowned. "What I think is that something you know, some information you have discovered, has frightened you terribly. You feel alone, you have no one with which you can share your secret, and it is eating you up inside."

Aelora scowled slightly, a strong indication that G’Kar’s guess was on the mark. "What if I were to tell you that you were looking at a corpse? All of those back there in the hall, and myself. We are all corpses."

"I would say you have a great gift for imagination, " G’Kar forced a smile but could not entirely admit to himself that she was not right.

Aelora moved toward G’Kar until she was pressing her body against his, her hands moving up over his shoulders. She titled her head back to look up at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "This could be my last night alive, you know." Her fingertip traced along his jaw. "Is it true, the things I’ve heard about the males of your race?"

G’Kar stared at her mouth in fascination as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. He felt his control quickly slipping and hurriedly reached up to grab hold of her hands and pulled them away from his neck. "Aelora, I don’t think – "

"Don’t you want me, G’Kar?" Aelora asked, tugging her hands from his grip and wrapping them around his shoulders once more. She pressed herself closer to him, her body molding against the length of his. Leaning up on her toes, she kissed his neck gently, moving to place light kisses across his jaw while her hands caressed his shoulders and chest.

G’Kar felt himself growing hard at her onslaught, his body quickly giving in to any self-control he may have claimed to possess. His hands moved involuntarily of their own will around her waist and he pulled her closer, leaning down to claim her mouth with his. Aelora relaxed into his embrace, her arms locking behind his neck as G’Kar pushed her back against the wall, his kiss deepening. She parted her lips willingly to allow his tongue entrance and he began an increased exploration of her mouth. The taste of her was sweet, intoxicating, as if it were he that had drank all the champagne. He felt her move slightly to the right, never breaking contact, as she slowly steered him toward the door. For one brief moment, before they entered her apartments, G’Kar’s conscious asked him if what he was doing was right. The Narn found a quick justification to the quandary. In Aelora’s own words, her race was doomed. Might as well enjoy what was offered while it was there.

 

 

 

"Good morning. The time is 0500. You have three messages from General Bester. You have one message from Commander Sinclair. You have one message from Major Ladan."

Aelora opened one eye to glare fiercely at the computer monitor. If she had a shoe to throw at it, she would, but her body refused to allow her to move to get one. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to remove herself from her bed. It ranked right up there with listening to the stupid computer drone on.

"You have the following appointments. Follow up with medical doctor, 1000 hours. Meeting with Ministry of Peace Officer, Mr. Wells, 1200 hours. Scanning sessions from 1400 hours to 1700 hours. Meeting with General Bester at 900 hours has been cancelled. Have a pleasant day."

"Hmph," Aelora replied back to the computer, while burying her face back into her pillow. Her head was pounding wildly, and she could not understand why. She really had not drank that much champagne had she? She tried to remember back to the evening before but discovered that very few of it’s events came back to her. She could recall her tardiness of arrival, speaking with Bester, having a drink or two, speaking briefly with General Lefcourt and Captain Sheridan. From there, things began to become to a little fuzzy. Someone else had shown up, that much she did know. But who?

"Good morning."

It was amazing what one’s body could do when prompted. Aelora screeched at the words whispered into her ear, flying from the bed with sheet wrapped tightly around her, staring in outraged indignation at the Narn who lay back against the pillows, smiling affably at her.

"Wha – What the hell are you doing in my bed?" She demanded, her mind still too groggy to put two and two together.

G’Kar’s smile broadened. "Staring at a woman who is incredibly enticing when she is furious."

Aelora was caught off-guard for a moment by the compliment, finding herself ready to thank him when the reality of the situation hit her full force. She shook her head in denial. "No, you see you can’t be here. I mean, we – that is, me and you – this – this did not happen! Could not have happened!" She stomped her bare foot for emphasis.

"Oh, it most assuredly did happen," G’Kar replied with a lift of his brow. "Quite a few times, in fact."

Aelora’s eyes widened and her face paled, causing G’Kar to chuckle. She gathered the sheet more closely around her, as if the closeness of the cloth could somehow make the past nights events go away. She licked her lips nervously, glanced around at just about anything in the room except for G’Kar then finally lifted her chin defiantly and faced him. "You lie. I…I don’t remember any such thing occurring between us."

The Narn sighed. "You probably do not remember telling off President Clark either, but that does not mean it did not happen."

"I…" A complete expression of panic fell across Aelora’s face. She ran a hand through her tousled curls, looking very much for the moment like a small, terrified child. Just exactly how many glasses of champagne had she finished off? Normally, she knew to keep her limit at two because she had a very low tolerance for alcohol of any kind. It was just something she was unused to. Certainly, the past few days had been the most stressful of her life but that was no cause for her to imbibe so liberally. And it was certainly no cause for her to…to…"I refuse to believe that we…that you and I…that I would –"

G’Kar frowned. "I did not know that you were so prejudice in your views toward my race."

"I –" Aelora promptly clamped up. He had her there. She had never considered herself anti-alien, beyond her feelings toward the Minbari, which were to be expected. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was not so much outraged over having had a sexual encounter with an alien so much as she was over the fact that she could not remember it. She relaxed her stance a bit, shrugging her shoulders as if it suddenly did not matter. Once she gathered enough courage, Aelora asked, "Did I…did I enjoy it?"

"I would say that would be a definite yes," the Narn replied, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "That is, if the words "Don’t ever stop ‘something’ me, G’Kar". Oh, what is that term you Earther’s use? Oh yes, it was -- "

"Never mind," Aelora replied quickly, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "I get the point." The telepath dropped back onto the bed with a sigh of defeat. A part of her considered scanning the Narn to see what had really occurred but she quickly dismissed the idea. After all, there was every indication that she and G’Kar really did have sex. From the amount of alcohol she had imbibed the night before, to the fact that there had been an attraction between them from the beginning, to the delicious, languid feeling that always engulfed her body after a rousing night with the opposite sex.

G’Kar watched in silence as Aelora slowly accepted the intimacy that had occurred between them. She was undeniably beautiful in the morning light, the rays of the rising sun glinting off her dark red curls, her green eyes wide and bright with an innocence that betrayed the night’s events. G’Kar found himself wondering if she were not, in fact, simply lying to herself about not remembering everything. He was certain that the effects of the alcohol had worn off fairly quickly, for her behavior had changed at one point from the wild, uninhibited aggressor to tender, passionate and submissive. G’Kar had been surprised to realize that he preferred her that way, that her impassivity had made him feel protective, needed. It was a strange discovery for him. Normally, he liked his women independent, forceful, demanding. Even the Earth women that he had brief relations with had fit into his careful criteria. Aelora was different though. While he knew she possessed a fair amount of strength and courage, there was a small part inside of her that seemed to scream of needing someone to look after her. Perhaps it stemmed from the fact that G’Kar had found her buried under a pile of debris, and that just last night he had to rescue her from self-destruction. Whatever it was, G’Kar knew that his original feelings toward her mattered little anymore.

It was no secret that he was attracted to Human females. Ever since he had first met their race, G’Kar had been fascinated by their women. Whether it was their flawless, soft skin, silk-like hair or the fact that they came in every color and type, G’Kar could not answer. They were unlike any other race he had ever encountered, so unpredictable and ever changing. When he had first come to know Aelora, he had classified her with all of the other of her kind. Very pretty, very soft, stubborn, arrogant and flighty. The physical attraction had been strong, and when she had so blatantly offered herself to him the night before, he would have been a fool to turn her down. Somewhere along the way though, it began to mean more to him than casual sex. When Aelora had fallen asleep in his arms, her head cradled in the crook of his arm, her hand splayed gently on his chest, any previous notion of leaving escaped him. He found himself wanting to kiss her awake, make love to her slowly in the warm rays of the rising sun. Of course, that wish had faded quickly with the abrupt awakening from the computer. G’Kar cast a frown at the offending machine, thinking for a moment how much better off the galaxy would be without them.

Aelora jumped slightly when G’Kar leaned up behind her, placing a kiss on her shoulder. She smiled slightly when she heard him chuckle good-naturedly. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back against him and he softly kissed her ear.

"Is the thought of my touching you truly so repulsive?" He asked, the deep tone of his voice rushing over her as he began to caress her shoulders, kissing her neck.

Aelora sighed, allowing herself to relax against him. His touch was warm and surprisingly gentle. She offered no resistance as he leaned her head back, capturing her lips with his. He kissed her thoroughly, his tongue worshipping her mouth; taking and giving with a force that left her breathless. He leaned her back against the pillows, tugging gently at her lower lip with his teeth while discarding the sheet Aelora had wrapped around herself. He covered her body with the length of his, unable to hide the self-satisfied smirk as she linked her arms around his neck, raising her body up to press closer against his. G’Kar continued to kiss her deeply, his hands stroking her skin skillfully as he slowly raised her desire to a feverish pitch.

The telepath closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in the moment, if only briefly. It was pleasing to have someone touch her so tenderly, to allow herself to believe, for just a little while, that someone in the galaxy could actually care about something other than war and destruction. She liked the feeling of safety in his arms, to know that she could relax her guard for a little while and just be…Human. But she knew it could not last, knew that there was more to the universe than that of simple pleasures. As much as Aelora knew she could get lost in his ministrations, she had to end it before they got too deeply involved.

"G’Kar."

The Narn ignored her, intensifying his onslaught.

"G’Kar." Aelora spoke more forcefully, pushing against his chest with her hands. "G’Kar, stop."

He leaned up, looking down at her curiously. "You are not enjoying yourself?"

"It’s not that." Aelora pushed him off of her, gathering the sheet around her once more and sitting up. She pushed her fingers through her curls. "This shouldn’t have happened, G’Kar. It can’t happen."

"I do not understand," G’Kar argued. "Are you ashamed of this?"

Aelora shook her head. "It’s not that." She stood, wandering over to the window where she pushed back the curtains to look out at the sunrise. "Why should I allow myself to become swept up in what can never be?"

"The Psi Corps –"

"It’s not just Psi Corps, G’Kar," Aelora replied, turning to face him. "The Human race is on the verge of extinction, don’t you understand that? Why should I begin to enjoy my life now when it is nearly over?"

G’Kar folded his arms behind his head. "I thought all of this gloom and doom was brought on by the effects of the alcohol last night. You seem a bit too young to be so fatalistic, Aelora."

"If you knew what I knew…" Aelora turned away from him once more, growing silent.

G’Kar watched her back for a long while, considering how best to approach her fears. Finally, he gave up thinking about it and simply forged ahead. "Aelora, come here." When she ignored him, he called her over once more. She hesitated a moment then turned and walked over to the side of the bed, sitting on the mattress beside him. "There is obviously a secret that you hold that has upset you greatly," G’Kar spoke softly, watching her expression. "If you tell me, perhaps I can help."

"Only if you can bring peace to the galaxy," Aelora answered with only a hint of humor to her voice.

"I’m no miracle worker," came the reply. "But there are steps one can take. Do you truly want peace, or the annihilation of your enemy?"

Aelora looked up at him quickly. "I am sick of death, G’Kar. Tired. I don’t want to see it anymore. I just want the war to end. I want to feel safe, I want everyone to feel safe but it is never going to happen."

"Why is that?"

"I –" She hesitated, not knowing how much to tell the Narn. G’Kar’s race was notorious for doing anything to get information, for making any promise, forging any friendship. Aelora could not shake the worry that he might simply be using her for everything she knew. After all, he had been there, he had seen the devastation left on the Minbari base, he knew of her telepathic abilities, knew that she had discovered very important information.

G’Kar watched the indecision flash across her face, the telltale nervous worrying of her lower lip. Had she been anyone else, he could have fabricated a brilliant lie to tell her, to make her believe in him. But she was a telepath, and would see right through his lies, so perhaps, the best way to win her trust was to simply offer her the truth from the beginning.

"Aelora, I will be honest with you," the Narn began, reaching out to tuck a red curl behind her ear. "Last night, I had every intention of using you for what pleasures I could and perhaps gleaning whatever information you could tell me regarding the war. I thought to myself that being close to a telepath, learning what Psi Corps knows, could be the perfect leverage to get Earth in on the side of Narn against the Centauri."

"And now?" She watched him closely, gently touching his mind with her own. If he were lying to her, she would know now and end this before it began.

G’Kar smiled, knowing that she scanned him and not caring. For the first time ever, he did not care that a telepath was invading his mind. "Now? Now, I would not, for anything, see you hurt. I would not betray you or break any confidence that you may have in me."

It was a strange feeling to know that the words he spoke were true. She flashed a small smile. "Very well, G’Kar. Perhaps you are right. I…You were there, you saw the devastation of the base, what…what had happened to the Minbari there?"

The Narn nodded.

"So you know about the bioagent then? And, of course, our attack on Dorado."

"Yes. That is old news. Is that your fear? Of Earth’s new weapon?"

Aelora shook her head. "No, that is only the beginning. Earth…Earth isn’t the only one."

"What do you mean?"

"The…the Minbari. They have their own weapon. It is what they used at Orion VII, only our officials refuse to make that knowledge public. They don’t want to worry anyone. They don’t want them to know that the Minbari need simply slip through our defenses and let that stuff loose into our atmosphere and in minutes there would not be a living thing left on Earth." Aelora stood once more, pacing around the bed, the sheet clutched tightly to her chest.

"But, how? Where did the Minbari –"

"Jha’dur."

G’Kar’s gaze snapped around to focus on her sharply. "Jha’dur is dead."

The Human shook her head. "No. I learned it from the Minbari I scanned. They have been sheltering Jha’dur. She is very much alive and has helped them to create the weapon to destroy Earth. That was what that base was for that we attacked. It was where they made the stuff, only they knew we were coming and got it off the planet before we arrived. So after they found out about our weapon, they decided to attack Orion VII, where it was produced and I knew this and I warned Lefcourt but they ignored my warning and retaliated –"

"A logical choice, Aelora. If your forces had been sent to Orion VII, they would have been destroyed as well. In warfare it is the numbers that count."

"You’re not listening!" Aelora yelled, whirling around to face him. "They have a weapon to wipe us out, we have one to wipe them out. We are both planning to attack the other. You know it! It will come. There is no chance for either side, G’Kar."

The Narn knew she was right but did not know what to say to console her. Two races were on the verge of extinction, a fact that others might revel in. For once the balance of power between the Humans and the Minbari was eliminated, the tips of the scale within the galaxy would seriously shift. The worlds would fight for power, for supremacy, the weak would fall, the strong would annihilate one another – just as the two main powers in the galaxy were about to do. He searched for words to reassure the Human but could think of none. Earlier, he had mentioned that peace could be achieved if the right steps were taken. Now, peace was no longer the only means of survival for the Humans and the Minbari, it was the only option left for the galaxy.

 

 

 

 

Aelora moved down the sterile corridor of Psi Corps quickly, ignoring the curious glances from those she passed by. She was accustomed to them now, as well as she was to the fact that for the past two weeks she had been one of the most talked about telepaths in Psi Corps. First, it had been all about her drunken behavior during President Clark’s speech. Now, it was all about her relations with a certain alien.

Aelora caught herself smiling as she thought of G’Kar. During the past two weeks, she had seen the Narn Ambassador daily, and though they had attempted to keep their growing relationship a secret, they had been seen and word had spread. It had surprised Aelora at first how easily G’Kar had become an important part of her life. They argued constantly over the most trivial topics, and always ended up laughing at one another by the end of it. There was very little they agreed on, especially when it came to subjects like Narn’s relations with Earth. As often as Aelora had simply wanted to beat the hell out of G’Kar, she had to admit that never had she met anyone who made her feel more alive. She knew deep down that the relationship could never last, that all of it would have to end soon, before either of them suffered for it. But Aelora planned to enjoy it while she had the chance.

The telepath stopped just outside the entrance into the interrogation unit. It had been over three weeks since her journey into the mind of the Minbari Warrior, Neroon, and she was not certain if she were ready to scan another member of his race so soon. Bester insisted that she get back to work immediately and assigned her to this current scan. As the door leading to the next unit slid open, Aelora felt a chill sweep over her. Words echoed through her head, as if a million voices were speaking all at once: All wrong! All wrong! The telepath halted abruptly, her eyes wide. She remained motionless for a long moment, receiving a curious stare from the guard at the check-in desk.

"Major?"

Aelora remained motionless a moment longer before shaking her head in an attempt to clear the voices. She turned to regard the security officer. "I’m here for the interrogation in Room 10."

"Right. I believe they are waiting for you, ma’am."

Aelora nodded and headed down the corridor. Guards were posted outside the room, moving aside to allow the telepath entrance. The case manager met her just inside the door.

"Major Sinclair. I am Julian Walters from the Ministry of Alien Welfare."

Aelora rolled her eyes. The titles were becoming more ridiculous the longer Clark remained in office. He had this belief that he could organize and control the Alliance through multitudes of different divisions. She found it a hilarious fact that the names of each division usually meant the opposite of the functions they performed. The Ministry of Peace was heavily involved in the war effort and in keeping alien governments at bay. Their actions could rarely be referred to as peaceful. The Ministry of Alien Welfare handled the processing of captives once the military brought them in. Through MAW, the Minbari were processed, rated for interrogation depending on how high they ranked in their militaries chain of command, and then "distributed" according to the ease of their rehabilitation. A rating of H1, or a one on the scale of hostility, meant that the prisoner was a candidate for rehabilitation and shipped off to one of the many camps set up for such a purpose. A rating of H5 meant that the Minbari was considered lethal and dangerous and incapable of being socially rehabilitated. They were executed. In Aelora’s opinion, those were the lucky ones. She had seen the rehabilitation camps and would not wish that existence on her worst enemy, even if those enemies were the Minbari.

"What have you got for me, Mr. Walters?" Aelora asked, glancing around his shoulder at the prisoner who was strapped into the lone seat.

"A hard case, Major. Apparently one of the Warrior caste, though no one can figure out where he fits in the ranks. He is classified as an H4. Killed quite a few of our soldiers before he was subdued." He glanced through the file. "Says here in the report that they were surprised when someone of his obvious ‘elder years’ attacked them so efficiently."

"As long as the mind stays young, the total of years matters little, Mr. Walters," Aelora commented as she pushed past him to approach the prisoner. She judged him to be in his mid-fifties in Minbari years, and there was an age-old wisdom apparent in his stance and manner. He watched her carefully, his gaze never wavering from hers. For a moment, he reminded her of the Warrior, Neroon. Less belligerent perhaps, but just as deadly. The same feeling of unease washed over her and Aelora had to fight back the fear that this scan would turn out as badly as the last.

"He’s been given the proper TP’s, so you should be safe during the scan," the case manager informed her, watching as she circled around the prisoner. "They said –"

"Thank you, Mr. Walters," Aelora broke in, her patience with the mundane reaching it’s limit. "You may go now."

"Actually, Major, I was hoping to stay."

Aelora glanced over at him, her gaze cold. "No one ever interferes in my scans, Mr. Walters. And you sure as hell are not going to be the first."

"Now listen here, Major. I have every right –"

"Out the door, Walters! Before I fry your synapses!"

The case manager lifted his chin defensively, flashed her a superior glare, then turned and marched out the door.

Aelora sighed in relief when he was gone. The look of the little man had reminded her of a weasel and if he had not left when he did, she would not have been able to refrain from calling him one. She may have even reached the point of making him believe he was one. She had done that once before, during training. It had been on a dare and she had telepathically convinced one of the less popular trainees to believe he was a chicken. It had lasted less than a day before Bester had discovered her little joke and ended it. From that day on, the Psi Cop had taken a special interest in her abilities.

The telepath moved to stand before the Minbari. "What is your name?" She questioned him in his language.

The Warrior appeared surprised at her mastery of Vik, though he did not reply.

"I would prefer to make this as easy on you as possible," she remarked, crouching down in front of him. "It matters little to me either way," she lied. "It is your decision."

The Warrior only continued to glare at her through his glazed eyes. Luckily, the TP’s, or Temporary Paralyzers (there was a more technical name but Aelora never bothered to remember it), allowed his mind to remain active while it immobilized his body. Aelora knew it heightened the prisoners anger; she could only imagine how upset she would be if she could not move, could not react while her mind continued to order her body to do so. She watched the Minbari for a moment longer before finally pushing into his mind. She immediately felt the weight of his anger and forced it aside, pushing deeper until she found the area of his conscious that held his memories. As she began scanning the information stored within the Minbari’s mind, a wave of dizziness washed over her and she felt her own conscious pulled into his, as if they were somehow merged, and suddenly images appeared before her. Aelora saw herself and the Warrior fighting one another with the strange pikes that the aliens used in their hand-to-hand combat, watched as he beat her quite fairly but then helped her to her feet. He patted her on the back; they smiled at one another. She heard herself speaking calling him "Master" and he chuckled at her and called her "Tanla Mir", which roughly translated into "foolish child". He said it in a gentle, teasing tone though, much like a father’s nickname for his beloved child. Many other images flew through her mind, all of them showing the two of them as teacher and student, and showing other Minbari around her as well, not treating her as an enemy but as a colleague. Unable to comprehend the meaning of the images any longer, Aelora broke her connection with the Minbari abruptly, causing a sharp pain to throb in both of their temples.

The telepath sat back on the floor, staring at the enemy across from her with an expression of horror. She was not certain what had just occurred but something inside told her not to dismiss it lightly. There was a reason her mind had shown her these images, a reason she suddenly felt shame for invading the Minbari’s memories. The visions had been more than simply a projection from someone’s mind into hers; they had felt like memories, a strange kind of déjà vu. Aelora had never seen this Minbari before and yet she was beginning to believe she somehow knew him. She had never been one to believe in things such as reincarnation and was not prepared to do so now. The thought that Minbari and Humans shared lives was too frightening to comprehend. So what was the answer then? Why had she been shown these things?

Aelora entered the Minbari’s mind once more. She wanted to know who he was, what he did, had he seen the same things she had, was he somehow responsible for them. Her answers came quickly but provided little information. Apparently he was a teacher of combat among the Minbari, and a highly respected one. That explained the image of him teaching her how to use the pike but also posed the question of how had she known? Perhaps the military and cultural information she had extracted from his mind had somehow clued her into it. Aelora did not believe the answer was that simple but decided to go with it for now.

A knock at the door distracted Aelora from her thoughts and she quickly rose to her feet. "Come."

Julian Walters entered with a self-important air. He frowned at her with his too-closely-set eyes. "Have you finished with your scan, Major?"

Aelora folded her arms across her chest. "Why, Mr. Walters? Is there a fire?"

The ‘weasel’ pursed his lips. "Actually, Major Sinclair, there is, in a manner of speaking. As I told you, this Minbari is classified as an H4. Because he does not appear to hold any high military standing among the Minbari, my superiors have deemed him ‘dispensable’. Therefore, I am to escort him immediately to Block 13."

Aelora clenched her jaw. She was in no mood to hand the Minbari over to this strutting peacock for execution. It had little to do with any compassion for the prisoner and a whole lot to do with the fact that she simply disliked MAW. Too, she wished she could somehow spend more time with the Warrior, learn some answers to her questions. She turned away from the case manager, effectively brushing him aside. "Go away. I have work to do."

"Scans do not take all that long, Major Sinclair. Even I know that." Walters clasped his hands behind his back. He smiled as if significantly pleased with himself. "You have been with the subject for over twenty minutes. I am here to escort him to his next ‘appointment’".

Aelora turned to glare at the man. "You really do love your job, don’t you, Mr. Walters?"

He nodded in affirmation. "Indeed I do, Major."

The telepath felt a desire to fry his synapses like she had warned previously. "Bring me proof, Mr. Walters. Then you can have him. Until then, get out of my sight."

"Very well, Major." He smiled like the cat that ate the canary and stepped aside to allow four EA soldiers into the cell. "These gentlemen have the necessary paperwork I do believe. Isn’t that correct, Sergeant?"

The Sergeant saluted to Aelora briskly then handed her the documents ordering the immediate execution of the prisoner. Aelora had no recourse but to adhere to the orders. She nodded. "Very well, Sergeant. The scan is done. He is all yours." She ignored Julian Walters as if he was not even present.

The soldiers quickly moved to release the prisoner from the chair, linking his arms over their shoulders and pulling him up. Aelora frowned at the undignified manner in which they had to drag him, feeling for a moment the sorrow at seeing such a proud Warrior demeaned so deliberately. Suddenly, the telepath felt the profound need to show the Minbari her respect for him, though why it was there she did not know.

"Wait, one moment."

The soldiers stopped, and Walters turned to glare at Aelora. "Major Sinclair, we do not –"

Aelora simply pushed him out the door, ignoring his protests, as she moved to step in front of the Warrior. He continued to regard her with antipathy. Not knowing why she did it, or what it meant, Aelora made her right hand into a fist and held it against the palm of her left hand, bowing before him. The Minbari appeared startled by this, the loathing in his eyes quickly being replaced by confusion as she said in Vik, "What is past is sometimes your future. I will see you again, my friend, in the place where no shadows fall". She stepped back, allowing the guards to pass, her mind whirling with the wonder of her words. She had no idea what they meant or where they had come from, but they had meant something to the Minbari, that much she was certain.

"What was that all about?" Julian Walters stomped over to the telepath, his brow furrowed.

Aelora looked him squarely in the eye. "None of your goddamned business, Mr. Walters. Excuse me."

She pushed past the case manager and hurried down the hall. She had to get away from everyone for a while, had to have time to think about what had just occurred. She stilled her thoughts as she moved through the corridors, not wishing to alarm any of those she passed. The confusion was enough to occupy her mind; she did not need the worry of obtrusive questions from fellow telepaths to further upset her.

Aelora returned to her office in a daze. She could not cease questioning how her subconscious seemed to know the Minbari Warrior, nor the irrational grief she felt over the knowledge of his death. She hated the Minbari, the fact was undeniable and yet, she found herself questioning that hatred or at least her definition of it.

A knock at the office door roused her from her reverie and before Aelora could answer, it swished open and G’Kar stepped inside. He cast a casual glance over his shoulder to determine if he had been seen then, once certain no one was around, he closed and locked the door. The Narn then leaned against it, folding his arms over his wide chest, smiling smugly.

Aelora had given up trying to figure out how he got into Psi Corps only days after he had begun doing it. ‘Normals’, no matter how important, were rarely allowed in, unless it was the President or one of the Generals. G’Kar though seemed to move in and out of the telepath sanctuary as if he were one of them. She was not about to ask whom he was paying off or blackmailing in order to do so. She buried her head into her arms on her desk. "I’m not in the mood, G’Kar," her muffled voice said to him. "Go away."

G’Kar affected a hurt expression. "You are cruel to me, shon’Ur," he pouted, using his nickname for her in a most affective manner in her opinion. In Narn, shon’Ur meant "important" or "cherished". It surprised Aelora the first time he had used it but it had quickly caught on as his nickname for her and she found herself not minding. It reminded her of when she was little, before Psi Corps, when her father had called her "Princess". "All I am here to do is provide you with a little happiness," G’Kar finished.

The telepath groaned in disbelief. "Please, G’Kar…"

"What has got you in such a mood?" He asked, pushing away from the door and moving over to her desk. He leaned over her. "More of that ‘The Human race is on the verge of extinction’ nonsense?"

Aelora lifted her head to glare at him. "It isn’t funny, G’Kar. And no, it doesn’t have to do with that…well, not exactly."

"What then? Come now, I am not about to share my good news with you without a little cooperation from your end."

"I…" She shook her head. "I can’t explain it, really. Have you ever had the feeling that something was wrong but couldn’t explain what it was or why you felt that way?"

"I can not say that I have," G’Kar replied with a raising of his brow. "And that kind of talk can get you locked away for a very long time, shon’Ur."

"Seriously, G’Kar." Aelora stood and began pacing around her office. "I’ve been having these strange dreams lately, that really have little to do with anything that makes a lick of sense and then today…well today I had to do a scan that wasn’t quite right." She turned to face the Narn. "I swear I am close to losing my mind."

G’Kar walked over to Aelora, placing his hands on her shoulders and catching her green gaze. "You are wound like a tightly coiled spring, shon’Ur. I do not need to be telepathic to feel that. You continue to tell me only half-truths which leave me with no way in which to help you."

"I’m sorry," she replied, pulling away from him to return to her desk. She stood there silently, staring down at the many files that covered it, the Minbari names swirling together in a cloud of gibberish. Then, without warning, the names changed. Earther names replaced those of the Minbari on each folder, names she had never heard before yet were somehow familiar to her: Garibaldi, Michael; Alan, Zack; Ivanova, Susan; Cole, Marcus. She closed her eyes against the image her head felt for a moment as if it were spinning. Finally, she glanced back up at G’Kar who was watching her carefully with concern.

"I can feel it, G’Kar," she began again, hesitantly. "Everything…everything around me…is wrong."

"Certainly not everything is wrong, shon’Ur," he chuckled, walking over to her and pulling her into his embrace. "What an overactive imagination you have. This – what we are together – is not wrong it is?"

Aelora remained silent for a long moment, enjoying the brief yet cherished feeling of safety she experienced sheltered in his arms. She felt G’Kar’s growing unease at her continued silence and forced herself to speak:

"It is, G’Kar. This – us – it feels wrong as well."

There was a moment of hesitation then G’Kar set Aelora away form him and moved to the other side of the desk. He drummed his fingers against the wood for a moment then turned to her. "Is it because I am a ‘normal’? Or that I am alien to you that you do not wish to be with me?"

"No, no! It isn’t that," Aelora hurried to reassure him, walking around to him to wrap her arms around his waist. She stared up at him, her eyes wide. "It has nothing to do with my feelings, G’Kar. I am very happy with this, with you. At first, it was a little strange that you were not a telepath as well, but I have become accustomed to it, almost prefer it --- "

"Then I don’t understand --- "

"It’s just this…feeling," she struggled to explain. "Like the molecules around me are flowing in the opposite direction that they should be. Oh, I know it sounds ridiculous and I can’t fully explain what I am feeling. All I know is everything inside me is screaming wrong! And I don’t know why. It’s like --- " She searched for the right words. "It’s as if our being together is a mistake. No, please, let me finish. I’m not saying it is a mistake, it is as if the universe is saying it. I can’t explain it any better than that."

G’Kar remained silent, uncertain of what to say. He could tell Aelora believed what she was saying but he could not help wonder if perhaps she really had lost her mind. It was a cruel thing to think, and he knew he should be more considerate of her worries but everything she was saying sounded so unbelievable. Granted, she was a strong telepath, and he had seen her do amazing things in the past month but what she was saying now made no sense. He found himself worrying about her, wanting to protect her, wanting to bring her happiness and peace. It was what he had been working toward for the past few weeks and now he knew he had finally found a solution.

"G’Kar." Her voice was soft, filled with a vulnerability he was not accustomed to hearing from her.

"Yes, shon’Ur?"

"I’m…I’m afraid."

The Narn frowned. This was not the Aelora Sinclair he had come to know. "Afraid? You? Do not be silly. What is there for you to be afraid of?"

"The future…the unknown." She buried her face into his chest. "That which I do not understand."

G’Kar strengthened his embrace. "Come with me then."

Silence. Then, "With you? I don’t understand."

"Away from here, away from the pain and the fear and the war. I can take you with me to Narn; I can guarantee your safety. Psi Corps could never harm you, never touch you --- "

Aelora pulled away and frowned up at him. "Corps is mother, Corps is father."

"That is foolish, Aelora."

"G’Kar, they have given me everything. An education, a job, a purpose, a place to belong. I can’t repay them by running away, by rejecting everything I have been taught, by betraying them!"

"Why not? You are nothing but their servant, Aelora. You mean nothing to them!"

"That is not true! I am family to them!" Aelora denied, her eyes flashing with anger. "You can’t possibly understand because you are an outsider, a ‘normal’. It is people like you who seek to use us as servants, not our own kind."

"Is that what rogue telepaths believe as well?" He countered.

She glanced away from his gaze. "Rogues have strayed from their ‘family’. They hang on to some imagined hurt. They only need to be shown --- "

"Forget it, Aelora," G’Kar cut her off angrily. "It is obvious you have been brainwashed by these people. We will let it go. Forget I ever asked you to leave with me." He stalked away from her, dropping into a chair on the other side of the desk. "Anyway, I did not come to fight with you, especially about that. I have some good news for you, as I told you earlier."

Aelora took a deep breath, told herself to relax. She was not really angry with G’Kar, not over the Psi Corps argument, but more because it all seemed so incredibly unfair. If she remained with Psi Corps, she would not be able to remain with G’Kar. If she left with him, the Corps would hunt her for the rest of her life. Neither prospect was particularly appealing. She took a seat on the edge of her desk, bracing herself for this news of G’Kar’s. A part of her was tempted to scan him and get it over with but she could never break his confidence like that.

"Very well. What is it?"

"Well, remember when you first told me about your worry regarding the continuation of the Human race and how you just wanted peace?"

Aelora nodded. "Yes. You didn’t take me very seriously."

"Well, I took you serious enough, as did another individual who heard your impassioned pleas at the presidential speech you attended."

Aelora groaned. "This could be bad."

G’Kar shook his head. "Not at all. General Hague was the one who helped me get you away from that party without severe repercussions. I approached him a few weeks ago regarding your fears over the war. Now, wait, before you throw a tantrum. He said that he had been thinking about meeting with you ever since the party, and that he had a plan he would like to involve you in. It turned out that I was able to offer my assistance in helping his plan to come to fruition and you, my shon’Ur, will be involved in the peace initiative that will save both Earth and Minbar."

Aelora stared at G’Kar as if he had lost his mind. She knew he was telling the truth, could feel his excitement and pleasure like a tangible thing, threatening to wash over her and consume her. "What peace initiative? What are you talking about, G’Kar?"

"I can not say anything else," he replied, shaking his head. "We have to meet with him in two days. Are you willing?"

"But I don’t know --- "

"It is a simple yes or no, Aelora," he grinned. "You were the one who wanted this to happen and now, with my help and your dedication, it can."

Aelora shook her head. "I don’t know whether to kiss you or lock you up."

The Narn chuckled as he stood. "You could do both." He set his hands on either side of her on the desk, effectively trapping her. He then kissed her mouth softly. "I am not opposed to being locked up by you."

She sighed as he kissed her, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into him. It was almost shameful how quickly her body responded to him, how fast he could make her want him. Right now her mind should be consumed with questions, they should be discussing this peace plan, they should be getting him out of her office before anyone caught them. But what she should do and what she wanted to do were two different things. She attempted to push him away, she actually attempted it twice, but G’Kar nipped at her neck, then tickled her into submission the first time. The second, he simply slid his hands into her jacket and pushed her back onto the desk.

There was no third attempt.

 

 

Two days later, Earth Force Headquarters

Aelora glanced down at her watch for the fourth time as the shuttle hurried its way toward EarthForce Headquarters. She was running late, as usual, though this time she did not entirely place the blame on her own shoulders, at least not directly. She had spent the better part of her morning trying to convince herself that the increasingly realistic dreams she had been having, visions that bordered on nightmarish, had nothing to do with reality. By the end of two hours, she finally had herself mostly convinced to ignore them. She thought perhaps the stress of the war was finally getting to her and causing the paranoia. She made a deal with herself to ask for some vacation time once this meeting was over with.

Once arriving at the Earth Force HQ, she was met with mild derision as she made her way through the building toward General Hague’s office. She found herself not blaming them for their distrust of her, though not for the reasons others would believe. From everything she had witnessed and heard in the past few months, it appeared to her that those who held the power in Psi Corps seemed to be doing everything possible to prolong the war. Aelora could not come up with any logical reason why they would want to do this. The only fact of the war was that the longer it went on, the more mundanes were killed. While prolonging the war in the hopes that Earth would become a telepath-dominated society seemed absurd, there were those Aelora could picture believing in such a possibility. And that alone terrified her beyond all knowing.

"Ah, Aelora. There you are."

Aelora glanced up from her musings to see G’Kar stepping from General Hague’s office. "I’m sorry I’m late."

G’Kar kissed her quickly. "Do not worry. The fact that you are here is all that matters. Come, the meeting is about to start."

G’Kar guided her into office, the door locking behind them. Hague was seated behind his desk, and Aelora saw that Captain Sheridan was present as well, seated in one of three chairs positioned opposite the General.

"Major Sinclair." The General stood to greet her, returning her salute. "You’ve met Captain Sheridan?"

Aelora turned to salute him as well. "Captain."

"Major." He returned her gesture. "I recently met your father. He’s a fine man."

"Thank you, sir." Aelora hated drawn out pleasantries as much as long good-byes. She felt the tension in the room though, and knew that what they were doing could be regarded as an act of treason. She felt Sheridan’s apprehension and even a small amount of distrust toward her. The feeling was mutual. Aelora dimly remembered meeting him at the party just before her drunken stupor, when he had been in the company of General Lefcourt. She found herself wondering just whose side the Captain was on and reached out gently, careful not to let him know she was touching his mind. She sensed no deceit and knew that she would have to be content. To do a deeper scan would mean risking detection. She forced herself not to worry about it, turning her attention to General Hague as she took the center seat between G’Kar and Sheridan.

The General circled around his desk to stand in front of his guests. He eyed Aelora closely. "Major, what do you think of the Minbari?"

For a moment, Aelora found herself prepared to shout that she hated them but then she reconsidered his question. He had asked what she "thought" of the Minbari, not how she "felt".

"They are a very intelligent people. Brave, dedicated, loyal…honorable, even." She was surprised at her response, and felt surprise from G’Kar and Sheridan as well.

Hague simply nodded. "I chose the two of you because you see something that many others among our people do not." He flashed an ironic smile. "We Humans are an arrogant race, so full of our own self-importance that we can not imagine our own demise. Unfortunately, this fault has brought us to the very edge of that extinction we do not believe possible. This tragedy came about due to misunderstanding and childish petulance. It has continued because of the same reasons. We have already made three separate attempts at peace throughout the years. Each time, it has failed. Why?"

"Each attempt has been sabotaged by small factions of one side or the other," Sheridan replied, leaning back in his seat to regard the others. "And after each attempt, each side blames the other, without proof, and the war escalates."

"Ah, there is the key," Hague remarked, as he circled his desk, locking his hands behind his back. "Without proof. What conclusions may one draw from this fact?"

Aelora took a deep, steadying breath. She did not know how much information she should share, how much she should let them know about what she knew. She cast a questioning glance at G’Kar, what should I do? She asked.

Trust him, she heard him reply.

Aelora nodded then turned her attention to Hague. "I think…I mean, that is, I believe, General, sir, that there is a third party involved."

The General turned to fix her with a deep, steady gaze. "A third party? Please explain, Major."

The Psi Cop nodded, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Just after the attack which Ambassador G’Kar and his people saved me from, we stopped at Orion VII so that I could receive medical attention. While there I spoke with an old friend, Dr. Stephen Franklin, who I discovered at that time was responsible for the creation of our bioagent against the Minbari." At this, General Hague nodded. "Only I learned from him that he was credited for something he didn’t create." She paused, noting that alarm filled the General’s thoughts while confusion intruded on Sheridan’s. "He told me that a Psi Cop showed up one night and handed him the formula, telling him that there were "certain parties that held a vested interest in the destruction of the Minbari". Stephen didn’t believe it was real but after testing it he discovered it worked."

"Wait a minute," Sheridan interrupted. "You talk as if you knew about this stuff before you met with Dr. Franklin. The brass never told anyone about it until after the attack by the Minbari with their own weapon."

Hague and Aelora looked at one another for a long moment before the General turned to Sheridan to explain. "President Clark and his advisors thought it in their best interests not to let but a few amount of people know about the bioagent when it was invented. A specific corps, led by General Franklin, was chosen to test it. Major Sinclair was unfortunate enough to be present at our last testing of it, the one which led to the attack on Orion VII by the Minbari."

"So you’re telling me the Minbari already knew about our weapon before the attack on Orion?" Sheridan’s eyes narrowed as understanding swept over him. "Then you are telling me that the deaths of over a million of our people was prompted by our own actions? And we knew of it? Why was nothing done?"

"The President felt it would strike a harder blow to the Minbari if we were to attack them while their defenses were down."

Sheridan let loose with a few colorful words for the President and his advisory council. Aelora found herself agreeing with everyone one of them.

"There is more."

The Captain glanced over at Aelora. "What more could there be?"

She licked her lips before replying," The Minbari annihilated the inhabitants of Orion with a bioweapon of their own."

Sheridan blanched at the news, the color clearly draining from his face. The General watched dispassionately for a moment then continued, "Now you understand, John, my haste, and my references to the extinction of the Human race."

Sheridan rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Okay. All right, so that all explains a lot but I still don’t see why Major Sinclair thinks there is a third party involved? I mean, what you described sounds exactly like something Psi Corps would come up with to sway public opinion to their side – by wiping out the enemy."

Aelora pursed her lips. "While I would agree with you, Captain, that there are those in power in the Corps who would jump at such a chance, I can assure you that such is not the case in this instance. Psi Corps doesn’t have the type of technology it would take to develop such a weapon. For that matter, no one on Earth does. It clearly came to us from an outside source."

"I agree," the General commented, taking his seat behind the desk. He folded his hands together and leaned forward. "Now the question remains: who?"

There was a heavy silence as everyone contemplated the question. Aelora mentally recalled each alien government, quickly dismissing them as each came to mind. The races she checked off were due to few resources, no political reasoning or gain or low technology. The only two races she knew of with enough resources or power beyond the Humans or Minbari were the Narn and the Centauri. Though the Narn were warrior-like race, she could find nothing that they could gain from destroying the Minbari. In fact, the Narn could only benefit from the continuance of both races and the securing of them as allies. Such an alliance would assure protection for them against another invasion from the Centauri.

Aelora’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly as her thoughts turned to the race that had brashly made themselves known to the Humans, falsely claiming them as a long-lost tribe. She knew from her encounters with any Centauri that they were greatly upset about the change in their status among the races. Once known as the Lion of the Galaxy, the Centauri Republic was lately looked upon as more of a joke. Recently, as their latest war with the Narn had increased, their behavior had grown more erratic. Aelora had not doubt that this was due in part to their enemies strengthening relations with Earth. If her people ever chose to take sides with the Narn against the Centauri, the outcome would be quick, decisive and unfortunate for the former Lion.

"What about the Centauri?" Aelora asked suddenly, breaking the surrounding silence.

G’Kar scoffed at that. "I think you are giving them too much credit, Aelora."

"Besides," Sheridan added. "What would the Centauri gain without the Minbari around? For all of their blustering, we could still beat them if a war were to occur. Especially if the Narn and League worlds were to help."

"Perhaps." Aelora worried her lower lip for a moment in thought.

"Though I don’t give the Centauri as much credit as Captain Sheridan does," General Hague commented. "I do find myself agreeing with G’Kar. While the Centauri would not have the forethought to think that the other worlds would join in a war with us against them, and attack us blindly, I truly don’t believe they have the nerve to develop a weapon of this magnitude."

Sheridan nodded. "And you’ve heard them speak of the Minbari. They are terrified of them."

"But as the General pointed out, they are neither very bright nor very cautious," came G’Kar’s reply.

"Wait." Aelora stood, beginning to pace around the room. "I did not say the Centauri developed the weapon; I did not say they were planning to invade us. My question was what about them? Where do they fit into all of this? Very little goes on around this galaxy without them being involved or knowing about it. They have the most intricate and detailed spy network of all the races. If something is going on, they either have a hand in it or know something about it."

"I challenge you to find a Centauri to speak willingly about what they know," G’Kar muttered.

Aelora flashed a smile. "They don’t have to be willing."

"All telepathic subterfuge aside," the General interrupted. "If you are correct in believing that there is a third party involved, then we must be even more cautious about keeping this entire endeavor quiet. It makes sense when you put it in the perspective of the previously failed attempts at peace. Obviously some of our own people must be involved, which would explain the Psi Cop being the go-between. That is why I have asked Ambassador G’Kar to work with us. Obviously, the Narn have little to gain with the extinction of either of our races. But, in the event that something does go wrong beyond our control, I have chosen to send you as well, Major." At Aelora’s questioning look, Hague explained. "Obviously, I am sending Captain Sheridan in because he has had plenty of experience in potentially dangerous situations and knows how to get all of you back should anything go wrong. He is also very popular among the public, should this go as planned and we present it to our government. But I am sending you, Major, in case there is something up with the Minbari or anyone else. You are to be the eyes and ears of those things that can not be seen or heard. Should you feel the situation to be dangerous, you are to tell the Captain immediately and get the hell out of there. I want you scanning your contact the moment he arrives and never stop. At the same time, I would like you to scan both Ambassador G’Kar and Captain Sheridan – "

"And who is to scan her?" Sheridan broke in angrily.

"If you knew anything about my superiors, you would not be asking that question," Aelora replied, refusing to look at the Captain. She turned her gaze to General Hague. "You do realize I will be forced to go rogue after this, sir."

The General nodded. "I am asking a lot of you, Major. I realize that. But I would not have done so if I did not believe that you, out of all of us here, understand the implications of the continuance of this war."

She nodded. "Very well. When do we leave?"

G’Kar was the one to answer. "We will be meeting with one of my government’s war cruisers at Mars in two days. You will put in for a few days leave to make it seem as if we have gone on vacation together and General Hague has designed an assignment for Captain Sheridan at the colony. From there we will travel to the rendezvous point, a planet that will remain undisclosed to both of you in the interest of our own protection. If all goes as planned, a treaty between Earth and Minbar should become a reality within a week or two."

Aelora found herself still pondering the question of the Centauri. Something told her they were somehow involved but she could not put together a scenario that made sense. Certainly, they would have told Earth if they knew anything that could end the war peaceably, after all they were allies. What would they gain from the extinction of Humanity? Or for that matter, the extinction of the Minbari? If both the Minbari and the Humans were to be annihilated, that would only leave the Narn and the Centauri and they –

"General." Aelora cast an expression of shock toward the others as her thoughts formed. "What if we and the Minbari succeeded in destroying one another? Then what?"

The General shrugged. "That’s not something I wish to consider, Major. We should be thinking positively for the time being."

She shook her head. "No, you don’t understand. If our two races were gone, who would be the major powers in the galaxy?"

"Why the Centauri and ourselves, of course," G’Kar replied haughtily. "We have stronger militaries and more power than the League worlds."

Aelora nodded. "And were the struggle for power to be left between you both, who would win? Truthfully, G’Kar."

The Narn frowned. "Well, were this supposition of yours to occur, say, tomorrow, before my government had more time to build up our resources, then I would have to admit the Centauri could possibly win the struggle. But it would be a long and hard fight and they would not win by much."

Aelora ignored his posturing. "The point is, the Centauri would have supreme power in the galaxy. They would then overpower each and every world until they once more gained the notoriety and prestige they once held as a race."

"That’s a stretch, Major," Sheridan commented. "And we have already pointed out that none of us believe them capable of creating this weapon themselves."

"No, but they would certainly be willing to lend assistance to those who could if such a proposal was handed to them, don’t you think?"

Silence followed in which they all considered Aelora’s words. It was more than something to think about. Now knowing that there was a third party who would benefit from the destruction of the Humans and Minbari made reaching a peaceful solution even more vital. For if her assumption was correct, there were more lives at stake then those currently involved.

 

 

 

 

Psi Corps Headquarters

 

After a quick parting with G’Kar, following the meeting in General Hague’s office, Aelora headed back to her quarters, at Psi Corp headquarters, to pack. She forced the memory of the meeting and the knowledge of the upcoming peace initiative back into a dark corner of her mind. By keeping it at the forefront she risked others learning of her mission. The first casualty of living among telepaths, was privacy. She was well aware that there were those in the Corp that had a vested interest in the continuation of the war. The recent attacks on the Minbari outpost and the shipyards had only served to further the confidence of most of her colleagues. All of them were unaware of the Minbari’s weapon, and she often found herself fighting to prevent herself from simply screaming out what she had learned from the Minbari warrior. Aelora knew, deep down, that this attempt at peace was her people’s only hope, and she swore to everything that she held dear that she would make it succeed. Once at her quarters, she fumbled briefly with her keys.

"Something wrong, Major Sinclair?"

Aelora felt herself stiffen upon recognition of the snide voice behind her. She quickly composed herself and unlocked her door. "No General, I am fine." Aelora could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head. "Is there something I can do for you?" She asked, not trying to disguise her annoyance behind false pleasantries.

"We should talk inside," Bester told her, pushing past her to open the door and enter her quarters.

She followed behind him, angered by his intrusion. Her patience was quickly growing short. In the past month Bester had demanded more from her than she was prepared to give, but she did, only because it was required. Now, with G’Kar’s offer, she found herself eager to thumb her nose at Bester and the rest of the Psi Corp. She crossed her arms across her chest and watched as Bester sat on the sofa, eyeing her smugly. She carefully checked the block around her knowledge of the upcoming peace initiative, making certain that Bester would not detect her efforts unless he scanned her deeply. Quickly, she filled her mind with nonsensical thoughts about everything from the presidential election to her recent relationship with Ambassador G’Kar. As ruthless as she knew Bester was, she did not think even he would probe too far past the erotic images that now filled her mind. After several moments of watching Bester stare at her, Aelora asked, "So General, what can I do for you?"

He smiled at her and gestured to a chair across from him. After she was seated he began. "I have become concerned about you, Major, you have been acting in poor judgment lately. You have a very promising career ahead of you and you are putting all of that in jeopardy with your recent behavior.

"I spoke to Mr. Walters of the Ministry of Alien Welfare. He tells me that you refused to allow him to witness your scan. He also tells me that you acted strangely after the scan and were unwilling to share the reason. I also went over your report and find it somewhat lacking. You listed details of the subject’s name, age and background but you failed to list his rank, his position within his caste or any other pertinent information. Now, our tests detected no sign of telepathic ability in him, so you should have easily gotten all of the requested data from him."

Aelora worried her lip for a moment. "It was a difficult scan. I don’t think I was prepared to back in a Minbari mind so soon after…." She trailed off, feeling a slight trickle across her mind. She quickly put up a block and forced the other telepath out.

"We need the information you got from the Minbari, Major. Now, you can either volunteer to give it to me, or, I can take it by force. Your dissatisfaction with the war is common knowledge, but if you try to hide any necessary information the consequences will be quite unpleasant."

Aelora jumped to her feet. "I am tired of this war, General. Tired of death. Tired of scanning alien minds. Tired of it all." Her voice was full of the desperation she was feeling.

"So that is why Hague chose you," Bester said to himself.

Aelora spun around to face him, shocked by his words. She had not felt him in her mind, which meant he knew of the meeting with the Minbari before coming to see her.

Bester smiled casually at her surprise. "Don’t worry, Major, I have no intention of preventing you from completing your mission. I am here simply to give you….new directives."

Aelora could feel her heart sink in her chest. What exactly was Bester proposing? He was as aware of the Minbari’s weapon as she was. Certainly he could see that their two races had reached a stalemate. "What do you mean by ‘new directives’?"

He paused for a moment, running through his plan again. If, after telling her what he expected from her, she refused, he would have to deal with her, his way. Aelora had begun to prove herself as a stumbling block; her displeasure with the continuing war was only the tip of the iceberg. He looked at the young woman, thinking it would be a shame to have to dispose of her, but, if needs be, he was prepared to do it. He then began to explain. "We have just received new intelligence reports of Minbari fleet movements."

"Are they preparing to attack Earth directly?" A wave of horror passed over her. She began to wonder if the meeting with the Minbari was simply to stall the humans while they completed the final assault on their homeworld. Aelora mentally shook her head. Hague had assured her of the Minbari’s sincerity and at this moment she was more inclined to believe him than the insidious man that currently sat before her.

"Quite the contrary, Major. They seem to be withdrawing from all major sectors. As difficult as it is to believe they have begun to evacuate their deep space colonies and outposts, transporting civilian and military personnel back to their home system."

Aelora was becoming confused. "Why would they do that? Everything we know of their culture clearly shows that they would never retreat, it would be an insult to their honor."

"My thoughts exactly," Bester replied. "They may be truly concerned that we plan to attack Minbar itself. Or…" He paused.

Aelora pick up where the General left off. "Or they are attempting to give us a false sense of hope. Trying to trick us into believing that they are retreating while a smaller fleet attacks us…here."

"That is why I want you on this mission. I need you to scan the Minbari you are meeting with, retrieve everything you can from him. We need fleet locations, and details of the defensive capabilities of their homeworld."

Aelora began to protest. "But he will know I scanned him. He will tell his people when he goes home. They will adapt their strategies to compensate."

Bester reached into his jacket and withdrew a small vile of a faintly blue liquid. "He won’t be going home," he told her plainly, holding the vile out for her to take.

Aelora looked at the General in contempt. "That’s the bio-agent, isn’t it? You had no intention of allowing me to even attempt peace with the Minbari, did you? You simply want me to get what information I can from him, so we can annihilate his race. What kind of animal are you?" Her temper was flared.

"The Minbari are the animals, Major. Never doubt that," he spat back at her. "It is no longer a matter of if or when, when it comes to the destruction of our two worlds, it is only a matter of who will do it first. I for one would prefer it was us." He forced the vile at her, urging her to take it. "After the attack on Orion VII we have been forced to concentrate the bio-agent. There is enough here to kill two maybe three dozen Minbari."

Aelora took the vile, unsure of what to say. She had committed herself to helping end this war and she was going make every attempt to ensure that that was exactly what she did. If the meeting proved to be a trap then she would use the bio-agent, but something told her that the Minbari were honestly prepared to end this insanity.

Bester flashed a smile at her and then moved to stand, stopping short before settling back on the sofa. "There is one more thing we need to discuss, Major."

Aelora sighed deeply, her patience for General Bester quickly growing short. After asking her to sabotage her races only hope for survival she found it hard to believe that there could be anything else that he would want from her.

"Your recent relationship with a certain Narn ambassador has caused quite a stir around here. And your stubborn refusal to keep it discrete has caused much discussion around the Corps. I understand that he has been chosen to accompany you and Captain Sheridan on the peace mission. You will terminate this relationship as soon as you can without damaging diplomatic relations with the Narn." Aelora began to protest but the General raised his hand, silencing her. "You have been careless, Major," he informed her, his tone hardening. "I am not just talking about your public behavior, either. The Narn are not that genetically dissimilar to our own race, and it is possible, however unlikely that something could come of it."

Aelora knew of what he was speaking. She had given little thought to a child coming from her relationship with G’Kar. A shudder passed over her. There had been rumors of some in the Corps, having such relations with a mundane. The mundane and the resulting child had a tendency to meet with unfortunate circumstances. She refused to believe Bester would sanction the assassination of an alien dignitary. She told him as much.

He laughed lightly in response. "You seem to forget, we are the Corps. You have been misguided by external influences for too long. I see we were right in making this decision."

Aelora was confused. "What decision is that?"

"You recently underwent several medical tests after your injuries sustained at the Minbari colony. They were done as part of your genetic cross-matching."

"What are you saying, Bester?" She asked, her anger barely held in check.

"Do you remember Brayden Caufield?" He asked her, a coy smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes, he was a couple of years ahead of me at the academy. Tall, arrogant…" She trailed off, a wave of realization washing over her.

"He was found to be a perfect match to your genetic makeup. Because of that, we believe that you and he would produce strong P12 children."

Aelora jumped to her feet, her anger erupting. "No way, Bester!" She shouted at him. "I have lived my entire life for the Corps. I have done everything you have asked of me, even when it conflicts with my conscience. I will not do this."

"You do not have a choice, Aelora. Your genetic structure belongs to the Corps. You can try to fight, try to resist us, but in the end we will win." He moved toward the door, turning back to her only momentarily. "The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father. Never forget that."

Once alone, Aelora collapsed on the sofa, her emotions overwhelming her. As tears streamed down her face she replayed the conversation with Bester. Every aspect of it swirled through her mind. His demands on her regarding the meeting with the Minbari, her relationship with G’Kar and the forced union with Brayden Caufield. Her entire life seemed to collapse around her while she lay helpless to prevent it. She then quickly sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks, chiding herself for allowing Bester to get to her. She remembered G’Kar’s offer of sanctuary. Now looking around her sparse quarters she made her decision. No matter what happened next, she would not be coming home again.

 

 

 

Aboard Narn Cruiser

 

The trip from Mars on the Narn Mak’Aroon Cruiser was long and boring. Aelora remained isolated in her quarters desperate for something, anything, to do to take her mind off the future. On the one hand she found herself eager to embrace the opportunity for peace between her world and the Minbari. She wanted to know that she was contributing something to the future of her people. Then logic took over, and she began to fear that the entire initiative was doomed to failure. No matter where she looked, it appeared that someone or something was striving to prolong the war, to ensure that one of the races involved did not come through alive. She hated the Minbari, that much she was unable to deny. However, if peace were achieved, it would ensure the safety of her race. They did not need to become allies with the Minbari, only ensure that all hostilities ceased. There was, after all, a vast amount of space between the two powers. And who knows, in time they could come to trust and respect each other. A small smile spread across Aelora’s face at the absurdity of that thought. She had seen far too much, on both sides, of this war. Both sides were guilty of atrocities beyond comprehension. After scanning thousands of Minbari minds she wondered how any race to be so brutal. She had ‘witnessed’ the torture of countless Humans in the minds of the Minbari. She had ‘seen’ what had become of those unfortunate enough to have been taken prisoner by the Minbari. The only solace she found was in knowing that the Minbari did not allow them to live long after being taken. The Minbari did not believe in prisoner of war camps. Unlike her own people, the Minbari did not think the Humans useful enough. Her own people maintained several prisoner camps. She had never visited one, and from what she had heard of them, that was a blessing. From what she understood, men, woman and children were forced to live in deplorable conditions. They were given only enough to ensure their survival, and no more. Forced to work at any task deemed necessary by the warden of these camps. If one was too sick or injured they were either beaten or left to die. Despite what she had been told by her superiors, she was well aware that there were no innocents in this bloody war.

A light rapping at her door broke her from her reverie. She took a moment to collect her thoughts and to straighten her uniform. As she stood she could feel the vile of bio-agent cut into her leg where she had tucked it into her boot. A grim reminder of what was expected of her. She reached out with her mind, to determine that it was Ambassador G’Kar at the door. A wave of relief washed over her, knowing that it was not Captain Sheridan coming to remind her of where her loyalties lie. She struggled to see General Hague’s reasoning behind sending Sheridan with them on this mission. On one hand, she knew without a doubt that the Minbari would not welcome the one called Star Killer. Hague had assured all of them, that they would be meeting with a member of the Religious Caste, but that did little to ease Aelora’s concern. If this meeting went as planned they would have to meet with Warrior Caste and she doubted that Sheridan’s presence would aid the situation. If, on the other hand, this meeting went totally awry, having Sheridan present may anger the Minbari causing them focus their hostility, not just at Sheridan, but at her and G’Kar.

She heard G’Kar knock again, and she called out, "Come."

The door slid open silently and G’Kar stepped across the threshold with his usual air of certainty. She found herself relaxing in his presence but her face betrayed her true feelings, and G’Kar quickly picked up on this. "Are you okay, shon’Ur?"

She quickly smiled, trying to bury her anxiety, unwilling to burden him with her concerns. "Yes, G’Kar I am fine. Please come in," she said gesturing to the sofa. Once he was seated she joined him. "Would you like some tea?" She asked him nodding toward the pot she had set on the table an hour earlier. She was relieved when he declined.

"I came to make sure you are all right. No one has seen or heard from you since we boarded the ship and I have begun to worry about you."

She sighed deeply, attempting to put up a bold front. She had become so close to the Narn that she knew how he felt about strong women and was determined to present herself as such. "I am sorry to have worried you. It is necessary that I prepare myself for this meeting. You would think that after scanning thousands of Minbari, that I would become accustomed to their strength. Unfortunately, this time it is different. Usually I am told to simply retrieve any and all information from a subject and then move onto the next one. Now I have to try to determine his thoughts without his knowledge, that may prove to be difficult at best."

G’Kar looked on in confusion. His understanding of telepathic ability was very limited, even given the month he had shared with Aelora. "I don’t understand. From what you have told me most people can only detect a deep scan. If you are just going to focus on his surface thoughts…"

Aelora shook her head. "The Minbari are incredibly sensitive to psionics. Even a light scan can be detected by a mundane." She cringed slightly, she knew he hated it when she used the word ‘mundane’ but after spending her life with the Psi Corps she found it a habit that was difficult to break.

If her use of it had bothered him he did not let on; instead he reached out a hand and caressed her cheek. "My dear Aelora, your eyes betray you. Please tell me what it is that is troubling you."

Aelora found herself daring to open up to him. To tell him everything. To tell him of the strange connection she had made with the Minbari called Durhann, of her meeting with Bester and of what he was insisting she do. She swallowed hard against this desire, and immediately blurted out another. "Please, G’Kar, I beg you, do not go looking for things you do not wish to find. Despite what you, and the others from the alien worlds, have been led to believe, we are not as blameless as we like to think. Our leaders would rather hide behind half-truths and blatant lies than to face the fact that we have lost. They would allow every last one of my people to die before admitting defeat."

"Aelora, you have told me all this before. I thought this was the reason behind the meeting with the Minbari, to prevent both your worlds from destroying one another. From what General Hague said both your worlds are evenly matched and there are those on both sides eager to end this before it is too late."

Aelora quickly glanced away and started worrying her bottom lip. G’Kar reached out with his hand once more and turned her face back to his, his eyes begging for her to tell him what was upsetting her. She finally relented and reached into the top of her boot, pulling out the vile given to her by Bester. She held it out to him, and recoiled slightly as he snatched it from her grasp. He had never reacted to her in such a fashion and before she could explain he leapt to his feet. "This is what I think it is?" He asked not waiting for a response. "I thought you were different than the others."

Aelora quickly stood. "You don’t understand," she began, but he would hear nothing of it.

"You tell me how you are not like your superiors, yet you bring this with you. By G’Quan Aelora, what the hell are your intentions?"

"Please G’Kar, trust me. I had no choice. Bester is determined that this is a trap. He doesn’t trust the Minbari, and quite frankly neither do I. He ordered me to scan the Minbari, we are meeting with, to determine his peoples intentions, then use the bio-agent to ensure our safe return to Earth."

"You never planned to go through with any of the peace process, did you? Your loyalties have always been to the Corps. You are no better than the rest of them," he spat at her, then spun around to leave.

"Please G’Kar…wait," she begged. Her desperate tone was enough to stop him, but he did not turn to face her. "I only brought it with me to ensure nothing would happen to us if things went wrong. I have no desire to use it. I have seen more death than anyone should. I came here to make this peace initiative work. To ensure a future for my people. And then…" She trailed off.

G’Kar slowly turned back to her, curious as to what she was going to say. "And then what?" He prompted.

She raised her eyes to meet his. "And then, I had hoped to go with you. Back to your world. Away from the mandates of the Corps. Away from the politicking and backstabbing. If I violate Bester’s orders, whether he was authorized to give them or not, he has the power to ensure that it does not happen again."

His eyes widened slightly, coming to the realization of what she was truly saying. Was loyalty that important to the Psi Corps? How is it that they could operate in such a fashion without the government stepping in? A month ago he would have dismissed her claim quickly, but he knew her fears were well founded. He took a step toward her and reached out to take her hand leading her back to the sofa. "You know what you are saying? If you leave you will never be able to go back home. They may even come after you, though I am certain I can guarantee your safety. Are you prepared to leave everyone and everything you have come to know?"

She had struggled with this decision since G’Kar had first proposed it to her and now she was more certain than ever. "If I go with you I will have to leave my entire life behind me, but if I do as Bester has instructed I will not be able to live with myself, knowing that I sacrificed my races future for his arrogance."

He brushed her cheek with his thumb, wiping away a stray tear. He could see her anguish and he would do anything to erase it from her. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "Then it is done," he told her reassuringly.

She sat for a moment, studying him, finally realizing exactly how he felt about her. In the beginning there had been more than enough mistrust between them, but now she found herself trusting him far more than she had ever trusted anyone. She knew that he would never allow her to come to harm, that he would sacrifice himself to ensure her safety. She found herself wondering if she would do the same for him and she knew, without hesitation, that she would. She reached out to take the vile from his hand, feeling him resist slightly as she pulled it from his grasp. She reassured him silently that it was only a precaution before tucking it back into the top of her boot. She was ill with the knowledge that she had in her possession the capacity to kill several dozen Minbari. She found it no longer easy to dismiss them as only Minbari, as she had been trained to do. She found her anxiety quickly returning. In a way she felt she was betraying everything she had been brought up to believe. For as long as she could recall she had been told to do anything the Corps had asked of her, and that her own conscience came in second to her obligation to them.

G’Kar eyed the woman before him with curiosity. Though he had dealt with countless Humans before meeting Aelora, he found her to be far more complex than most. He knew it was more than her simply being a telepath. She seemed to carry the weight of her world around with her, and he knew that if he could help her, to ease her burden, in anyway, he would gladly do it. He cupped her face in his hands and leaned forward to kiss her, hoping to erase her concerns at the coming task.

Aelora found herself hesitant to return his advances, not entirely certain that she wanted to be intimate with him, given their current situation. From what she understood, regardless of her actions in the coming days her superiors would most likely reject any offer the Minbari made to them. She knew in her heart that Bester and the others were merely allowing this meeting to go ahead in the hopes of buying enough time to permit them to end this war on their terms. If that proved to be true, they were all dead. She could sense G’Kar begging her to respond to his actions. She leaned back, allowing him to deepen his kiss, letting his scent and taste cloud over her apprehension, deciding to permit herself this one last pleasure before everything changed irrevocably.

 

 

 

 

Abandoned Drazi Outpost

 

The inhabitants of the tiny shuttle were silent as they neared the landing point on the deserted planet. Once inhabited by a thriving colony of Drazi, it was now as inhospitable and uninviting as anyone could imagine. During the Drazi’s first years of experimenting with an undisclosed weapon’s technology they had stolen from the Brakiri, a project had gone terribly awry, causing the weather systems of the colony to take a turn for the worst. An enormous explosion, which had immediately killed more than half of the colony, created an impenetrable cloud of radioactive matter and quickly plummeted temperatures to -100° Fahrenheit. Two hundred years later, the weather had not improved.

Aelora glanced out the window with an expression of distaste. She pulled the hood of her thermal parka more closely around her face though the temperature in the shuttle was comfortable. She thought they were safe from sabotage; no one would be crazy enough to follow them to this place. Aelora turned her attention away from the window when she felt a wave of concern for her from G’Kar. She turned to flash him a reassuring smile, slipped her hand into his. She was oddly comforted by his presence and now that she had made the decision to leave with him once the mission was over, she felt as if an enormous wave had been lifted from her. She did not know if she loved him, or if this was something that would last, but she did know she was happy for the moment and that was enough.

She was still having strange dreams though, and that was more than enough to cause Aelora to worry. They came more frequently, more intensely than before and often she found herself fearing of ever awakening from them. The most curious she had dreamt was just the night before, and while she tried to attribute it to the coming mission, she could not justify how they fit together. In the dream, she had encountered herself, only the other ‘Aelora’ had been closed within a narrow glass box. She had been dressed in a strange outfit comprised of a tunic and long coat and appeared somewhat less inhibited than Aelora was herself. She had approached the box and attempted at communication with herself, but could not understand what the other was saying. Whatever it had been, it had appeared important because ‘Aelora’ had continued to pound her fists against the glass and was shouting, though Aelora could not hear a word said. She had tried to read her lips, and for a moment thought that the other ‘her’ had said something like ‘You can not save him’ but it had made no sense and everything had quickly become garbled once more. Aelora had finally moved away from her twin to walk deeper into the room only to come upon another glass box. In this one was a Minbari female who was unfamiliar to her. What had been strange was that the Minbari appeared to know her. The Minbari only spoke once to her, and the words had been as clear as the glass that incased her. "There is no time...Child of Valen...You must find your way here...". Both the voice and the words had been familiar to her, though Aelora could not place them and before she could question the Minbari, the glass began to crack and the box shattered into a million pieces, flying out toward the Human, slicing her as they came. She had screamed in pain and woke up to G’Kar attempting to quiet and comfort her. She had lain awake long after she convinced him that she was fine, her mind in turmoil over the sense that something in her life was terribly wrong.

Sheridan brought the shuttle down to a soft landing approximately 20 meters from the rendezvous point. For the next few moments, the occupants remained motionless, watching the blizzard that awaited them. Sheridan finally removed his harness and stood, glancing back at Aelora. She knew that he was curious about her relationship with the Narn, she saw it in his eyes whenever he saw them together. But her feelings for G’Kar were private, intimate, something never to be shared with any who could not understand.

"I think this is when you start your work, Major."

Aelora nodded, allowing herself a moment to relax before reaching out with her mind to scan the area. She sensed only their three presence’s in the vicinity and nodded to Sheridan that it was safe. As he and G’Kar set about securing the shuttle, the Psi Cop took a quick moment to scan each of them. She hated doing it, felt as if she was somehow betraying them but she understood why Hague had requested it of her. If either of them had been involved in a set up, now would be the time that it would surface in their thoughts. She was pleased to detect little more than the expected agitation and uncertainty from both of them. As she stood, the vial of the bioagent tucked away in her boot scraped against her ankle, reminding her of its presence. She could not imagine actually using the weapon, especially after having seen it’s effect first hand. She could only hope that the Minbari’s intentions were real and that all would go well. Aelora forced herself to look ahead to a life of her own, free of the Corps, free of demands or orders placed on her by others. She glanced down at her hands, at the dark leather gloves that covered them. Ever since her psi abilities had been discovered, she had forced to where them. Now, after her heart had turned away from those she had been taught to rely on and believe in, the gloves represented the chains that bound her life to the Corps. They, like the insignia she wore on her jacket, were a symbol she had come to detest. Soon, she would be free of them. Soon.

G’Kar handed her an oxygen mask and Aelora recalled a similar moment, another need for the use of such an item. "You are all right, shon’Ur?" He asked softly.

She nodded, fitting the mask over her face. "Yes. Fine. You?"

He smiled and winked at her. "I am thinking of our future together, and how pleasant it would be to be tucked away in a warm bed with you at this current moment."

As G’Kar spoke, Sheridan opened the shuttle door, a frigid gust of wind blowing around them.

Aelora sighed. "G’Kar, right now it would pleasant to be tucked away in a warm bed with a Pak’ma’ra."

The Narn chuckled, causing Sheridan to glance back at them. "Are you two ready?"

Aelora hurried out the door in response, knowing that G’Kar followed closely behind. The wind hit her hard, blowing with such force that it took her a moment to walk without being knocked over. She felt G’Kar take her by the arm and steady her, then hurry her on toward their destination. Aelora could see nothing through the blinding snow and wondered how G’Kar knew where to lead them. Se put her trust in the big alien though, knowing that he had never given her cause not to. She sensed Sheridan on the other side of G’Kar, though she could not see him. The wind seemed to tear it’s way right through her coat and Aelora wondered if she would freeze to death before the meeting occurred. Fancy took over and she found herself considering the thought that perhaps the Minbari had planned this all along, to simply allow three fools to freeze to death. That would be a way for them to win the war. Continue telling Earth that they were going to make an attempt at peace and kill the Humans off three at a time. She chuckled at the thought.

"It’s just ahead," G’Kar told them, though his voice could barely be heard over the howl of the wind around them. The trio made their way to the abandoned bunker, in silence, the concept of trying to speak against the raging wind a moot idea. Aelora continued to scan the area for any signs of deception, when she found none she tilted her head up to look at the darkened sky. She was aware that the Narn cruiser had established an orbit directly above the site, yet it did little to calm her apprehension. If the Minbari were planning anything she doubted the Narn ship would be any threat against a Sharlin Warcruiser. And what of the third party that they believed to be stoking the hostilities between the humans and the Minbari? From what Aelora knew of the bio-agent, it involved pretty advanced technology, beyond even that of the Minbari. If they chose to interfere, there was little either side could do in defense.

Once at the bunker, they huddled together while Captain Sheridan fought with the locking mechanism. When it appeared that the lock was not going to cooperate, Sheridan stepped back and forcefully kicked his heel into to center of the door. It squealed loudly as it opened from lack of use and Sheridan cast an arrogant glance at Aelora. The telepath rolled her eyes at him, clearly showing her irritation with his continued brashness. She still had her doubts about his being on this mission. The Minbari were most likely to take his presence as an insult, not exactly the impression the Humans needed to be making. She pushed past him into the darkness of the bunker. They were forced to feel their way through the room before G’Kar was able to locate the emergency power generator. After a few slight blinks the lights came on, emitting a dim glow. Given the faint light, they were finally able to take a look around.

"Strange place for a meeting," Sheridan commented quietly.

"Perhaps that is why they chose it. The remoteness of the planet would draw little attention from those who may attempt to disrupt our efforts," G’Kar responded. "Can you sense anything, Aelora?" He asked, turning to the telepath.

Aelora took a moment then shook her head. As much as she hated to admit it, she was having problems focusing and could very easily miss something that would otherwise scream out to her.

"Then I guess we wait," Sheridan commented dryly, taking a seat on one of the nonfunctioning consoles.

They did not have long to wait before the door was pushed open and a frail looking Minbari walked in. Sheridan instinctively reached for his PPG but Aelora put a hand on his chest, preventing him from doing so. The telepath quickly reached out and gently probed at his thoughts. A frown formed on her face when she found she could read nothing from him. It was definitely not a block from the Minbari himself rather a block that had been planted in his mind by someone else.

"You are human?" His question was directed at Sheridan.

The Captain nodded remembering that this Minbari was from the Religious caste. He knew that the Religious caste had remained safely out of the war due mostly to their hatred of the Warrior caste rather than a sense of cowardice.

"I am called Lenonn. I was sent here to speak on behalf of my people," he began to explain.

Aelora stepped forward. ‘Why you? Why not one of your war leaders?" She really was not interested in the answers as much as she was the thoughts that her questions may provoke. When she could detect nothing she risked pushing harder but was still unable to break through the block. Given enough time, she was certain she would be able to. Unfortunately, time was a luxury they could ill afford.

The telepath stopped her attempts when she heard Sheridan speak. "What the Major means is why a member of your caste? From what we know of the Religious caste, you have remained silent throughout all of this."

Lenonn smiled slightly. "It was felt to be wiser to send one from my caste, so as not to appear threatening. I assure you that I am here at the request of a high-ranking member of the Warrior caste and am certain of her intentions regarding the peace initiative. For all their blustering, the Warrior caste is not without wisdom, a fact which, up until a few weeks ago, I was unaware of."

Sheridan appeared thoughtful. "What is it you are proposing?"

Lenonn began to speak but was effectively cut off by nonsensical sounds coming from G’Kar’s comm device.

"Captain, I told you..." G’Kar began to admonish Captain Na’Fal for the intrusion.

"Ambassador…ship coming through the gate…it appears to be…" the connection was severed after several explosions were heard.

"Na’Fal! Na’Fal!" The Narn shouted into the device, but to no avail.

Aelora’s mind raced. If the Narn ship was destroyed then their chances at getting off this world were gone as well. She quickly looked at the Minbari trying to gauge his reaction to the attack on the Narn vessel. He appeared as shocked as the others did. That still did not preclude the possibility of the Minbari being responsible for the attack. As for her own people, from the military’s recent behavior coupled with that of the Psi Corps and the President, it would not surprise her if they had attacked. She remembered what Bester had told her about her own behavior of late and how there were those that had been less than pleased with her. Perhaps this was a way of disposing of her as well as cementing the importance of the continued war in the mind of the public. It would not be entirely difficult for the government to blame the attack on the Minbari. She could see it already. Clark’s propaganda machine would spew out garbage about how dishonorable the Minbari were to attack a group of relatively unprotected humans on the eve of peace between their worlds. The press would have a field day.

A faint wail broke her from her reverie, forcing her to recall her experience at the destroyed Minbari colony. She knew the sound well and quickly screamed at the others, "Get down!"

Almost instantly the area around the bunker exploded, causing the building itself to shudder violently. Pieces of the ceiling collapsed in on them, and she watched as Sheridan dove to protect the elderly Minbari. His attempts failed as pieces of debris fell in on the two of them. He carefully climbed off the Minbari noting with horror that his chest had been crushed certainly causing severe internal injuries.

Aelora quickly made her way past broken consoles and wayward wires to kneel beside Sheridan who was trying desperately to save the life of the broken alien. Aelora looked on, helpless to do anything. The Minbari gazed up at her, and gently licked his lips before trying to speak.

"Don’t try to move," Sheridan told him, causing Aelora to cast an angered look at the Captain.

She was eager to hear what he had to say to her, and was determined to hear one way or another. She attempted to enter his mind and found that a blow to his head by the flying debris had helped to loosen the block in his mind. It was not eliminated totally and the telepath could still not penetrate it without risking further injury to him, still it was enough for him to speak silently to her. What is it? She inquired softly so as not to upset him.

His eyes widened then closed and Aelora thought he had lost consciousness. Then she felt him attempt to reach out to her, relaying a message whose origins she was unsure of. Z’ha’dum has awakened.

Aelora collapsed back only to be caught by G’Kar. "Are you all right shon’Ur?"

She glanced up at him vaguely, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. What did the strange message mean and why did she feel it was important to the end of the war? She considered the dying man before her and silently assured him that she would do everything in her power to see that his death was not in vain. Somehow or another she would see the end of it.