EPISODE 12

 

REBIRTH AND RELEASE

 

Return To Innocence-Enigma

 

 

That's not the beginning of the end

That's the return to yourself

The return to innocence.

Love - Devotion

Feeling - Emotion

.

Love - Devotion

Feeling - Emotion

.

Don't be afraid to be weak

Don't be too proud to be strong

Just look into your heart my friend

That will be the return to yourself

The return to innocence

.

If you want, then start to laugh

If you must, then start to cry

Be yourself don't hide

Just believe in destiny

.

Don't care what people say

Just follow your own way

Don't give up and use the chance

To return to innocence

.

That's not the beginning of the end

That's the return to yourself

The return to innocence

.

Don't care what people say

Follow just your own way

Follow just your own way

Don't give up, don't give up

To return, to return to innocence.

If you want then laugh

If you must then cry

Be yourself don't hide

Just believe in destiny.

 

 

 

“Aelora?  Aelora, honey, wake up.”

“Mommy?  Where am I?”

“You’re home, honey.”

“Home?  But where is home?”

“It’s wherever you want it to be…”

 

Aelora became conscious of her surroundings long before her eyes opened.  She was instantly disoriented and because of that did not want to face what may or may not be waiting for her.  She forced herself to relax, allowing the feel of the soft mattress beneath her to soothe her nerves.  She could hear the rustle of cloth moving somewhere nearby, the padding of footsteps that were trying too hard to be quiet.  Slowly, Aelora allowed her eyes to open, blinking against the light of the room, focusing on the ceiling above her.  The view did not appear familiar and she had to fight to stave off the wave of panic that rushed over her.  Where was she?  How did she get here?  Where had she been??

“Aelora?  Are you awake?”

Terann?  But how…?  Aelora struggled to sit up, stilling as nausea gripped her at the sudden movement.  When her stomach stilled, she glanced up at the Minbari as she sat gingerly on the edge of the bed beside her.

“How are you feeling?”

Aelora sought for the words to describe it then simply shook her head.  “I have no idea.  What… Where am I?  And how in the hell did I get here?”

Terann fought the smile that threatened.  The Aelora she knew had returned.  “What do you remember?”

The Human sighed, her gaze searching the tiny room they occupied as if it might hold some answers for her.  “Just images I suppose… Centauri Prime!  I was back home!”  She almost shouted, her eyes bright with the realization that her memory was returning.  Just as quickly they dimmed once more and a frown formed.  “I didn’t like it much.  In Valen’s name whoever said you can’t go home again was right on the mark!”  She commented in a chagrined tone.  Then added another memory, “I was sick.”

Terann nodded.  “The Sleepers, remember?  They made you very sick.”

Slowly, Aelora nodded as her memories regarding taking the Sleepers and the reasons for doing so returned.  All of the events that led up to her departure to Centauri Prime returned and she found herself once more feeling nauseous.  “Poor G’Kar…” She said softly.  “Those things I said.  He’ll never forgive – “ Her head snapped up and she stared at Terann wide-eyed.  “G’Kar was on Centauri Prime!  Cartagia was torturing him!  He was going to kill him!”  

“Calm down, Aelora,” Terann reached out with a hand to quiet her before she flew into a panic.  “G’Kar is fine.  Cartagia is dead.  There is no need to worry.”

“Fine?  Dead?  I don’t understand… “  Aelora sighed, brushing a hand in frustration over her eyes.  “I think I am confused.”

“You will be fine,” the Minbari assured her.  “Dr. Franklin released you from MedLab into my care but then you took a turn for the worst yesterday and developed a very high fever.  It went away as quickly as it appeared but it might have clouded some of your memory.  You will most likely be disoriented for a few days.”

“Swell,” Aelora replied in a less-than-pleased manner.  “Care to fill me in?”

Terann considered it for a moment, wondering how best to discuss the details of the past few weeks of Aelora’s life.  She was pleased to discover that the mindwipe had been successful – the Human did not appear ready to run at the slightest provocation – but was surprised at how completely Aelora’s memory seemed to have been erased.  She found herself wondering if much of it did not stem from Aelora’s subconscious wishing for the memories to be gone.  The Minbari offered a slight smile and touched Aelora’s hand kindly.

“Do you remember all of the events that surrounded your time on Centauri Prime?  How you sacrificed yourself to protect G’Kar and the female Narn?”  At Aelora’s slight, hesitant nod, Terann continued, “In anger, Cartagia gave you over to a very militant Narn named Na’Kar.  He held you in captivity until I arrived and got you away from there with the help of a Narn named Ra’Nam.”

            “Na’Kar,” Aelora whispered the name with a hint of fear in her voice as a visible shudder racked through her.  She closed her eyes for a moment, discovering that this was one memory she wished she could forget.  The memory of his touch on her skin…  She opened her eyes once more, fixing her gaze on Terann. “Thank you, Terann, for rescuing me.  I know… “  She glanced down at her wrists then, staring at the slash marks that were slowly disappearing from her skin.  “I gave up… “

            Terann touched her friend’s cheek, forcing their gazes to meet.  “You held on longer than many of us could have.  You are very strong, Aelora.  You survived.  Everything that happened is now simply a memory, one that can be put behind you.  You will never completely escape the wounds that Na’Kar caused you, but you can be stronger for them.”

            “I know what you are saying, Terann,” Aelora smiled, squeezing her friend’s hand with her own then cautiously standing.  She remained still for a moment, willing the room to stop spinning, then slowly began meandering around the confined space.  “What is this place?”

            The Minbari smiled.  “Considering neither of us has incomes any longer, I found us the cheapest place on Babylon 5 that I could.”

            “This isn’t cheap,” Aelora commented pleasantly.  “This is downright criminal… Nice kitchen,” she muttered as she stared at the two-foot counter space, which included a sink on the right side.  Finally she flashed another smile at her friend.  “Please, continue.”   

            Terann was having trouble keeping up with Aelora’s ever-changing mood.  She had to remind herself that this was the same behavior that had so completely baffled her when they had first met.  “Well, I brought you back here because I trusted that Dr. Franklin could help you.

            “It was touch and go at first.  The Sleepers had done their damage – “

            “I remember,” Aelora interrupted, recalling her meeting with Morden in the garden. Even right now, as we speak, they are currently destroying you inside, breaking down your barriers against illness, eating at your insides, affecting your ability to function fully.  Have you coughed up any blood yet?  That should be the halfway mark, you understand.  The frown returned.  “Londo begged me to stop taking them.  And G’Kar… “  She trailed off, remembering that last conversation with G’Kar.  He had been so mistrustful of her while she had brazenly declared how much she loved him.  She had been ready to stop taking the Sleepers if only it would help regain his love.  But by then, it had been too late.

            “Dr. Franklin pulled you through though,” Terann continued, watching Aelora closely.  “I believe the… er, alterations made to your body helped quite a bit.”

            “Is that what they’re calling them these days?”

            Terann ignored the sarcasm.  “Speaking of your abilities –“

            “Were we?”

            The Minbari sighed.  “I would like to test you, to see how – “

            “Not now, Terann,” Aelora cut her off.  “Please?  I think I have enough to reconcile in my mind at the moment.  I have been without my psi abilities for weeks now.  I think it can wait a little longer.”

            “I worry,” Terann told her.  “Yesterday, they appeared to have returned – just before you got sick.  You did not seem to be able to handle them very well.  Humor me, for a moment.  Nothing extensive.”  At Aelora’s reluctant nod, Terann asked, “Can you hear them?”

            The Human nodded immediately.  “Yes.  The hum is there, as before.  All quarter of a million inhabitants.  Are you satisfied?”

            “And me?”

            Aelora frowned, catching Terann’s gaze.  Her eyes narrowed for a moment and the Minbari jumped slightly when she felt the slightest brush against her mind.  Aelora smiled.  “You’re losing your touch.”

            “You obviously have not lost yours,” Terann scowled for a moment, surprised that the Human had entered her mind so easily.  She strengthened her blocks but by then it was too late.

            “What happened on Minbar?”  Aelora questioned, regarding her friend thoughtfully.  “What did Neroon do to you?”

            “Nothing,” Terann denied quickly.  Too quickly.  “We were discussing you.”

            “I’m fine,” Aelora told her.  “You brought me here, I recovered in MedLab, you have taken care of me and now here I am.  Only, you are here as well.  And if I remember correctly, you were on Minbar.”

            “And you were on Centauri Prime.”

            A stalemate, Aelora sighed.  Mentally, she sorted out the various thought patterns she had read before the Minbari had closed her mind off.  The usually staid and unflappable Minbari was currently a torrent of conflicting emotion.  And Aelora knew there was only one factor that could cause someone like Terann to lose her composure.

“Something happened between you and Neroon, don’t bother to deny it,” Aelora commented, folding her arms over her chest.  “Would you like to tell me all of the torrid details?”
           “Not particularly.  Do not push Aelora.  Not now.”

 The Human shrugged.  “Very well.  I guess I could always contact Minbar… “

“I would kill you first,” Terann replied only half-joking.

Aelora laughed.  “You could try.  But then, between Cartagia and Na’Kar, you are a walk in the park, Terann.”

The Minbari found she could not really argue with her friend’s comment and so chose to let the subject drop.  She continued to watch Aelora as she moved around the room, her fingers idly touching objects here and there, her mind appearing to wander ever so often so that her gaze would become distant and removed.  Terann could feel her thoughts whirring erratically through her mind, attempting to organize and regroup the past few months’ events.  She was pleased to find that Aelora’s psi abilities appeared perfectly intact though she knew they would have to further test them later.  After going so long on the Sleepers, she feared that her friend may have lost some of her control but was pleased that she at least remembered how to block the minds of those around her.

Noticing that Aelora appeared as if she wanted to speak, Terann asked, “What is it?”

Aelora took a deep breath then offered a half-smile.  “You said G’Kar was okay… that he… that he escaped Cartagia.  Is he…? I mean, where…? “ She broke off and sighed again.

Terann smiled at her apparent frustration of dealing with the open admission of her feelings for the Narn.  “G’Kar remained at your side almost every hour that you were in MedLab once he returned from Narn.”

“Narn?  What was he doing on Narn?”  Aelora attempted to contain the pleasure she felt at the thought of G’Kar maintaining a constant vigil while she was sick.  It must mean that he had forgiven her and that his love for her had returned!  A smile lit across her face without her even realizing it.  She was fairly dancing where she stood.

The Minbari felt a brief stab of envy over Aelora’s obvious joy but she quietly pushed it aside.  “Cartagia was going to have him executed there, as an example to his people.  But then the Emperor died when his hearts gave out.”

“A heart attack?  Cartagia?”  Aelora burst out laughing at the news.  “He was in perfect health.  He would have to be when one considers half of what he put his prisoners through." She shook her head.  “I guarantee you that Cartagia did not die of natural causes.”  Instantly she thought of Londo and his assurance that everything would be taken care of.  She smiled a secret smile.  She should have never doubted the machinations of such a wily courtier like Londo Mollari. 

“You believe he was murdered?”

“Terann, I am sure Cartagia’s own mother would have attempted his assassination if she had been given the chance.”

“I am sorry that you had to go through all of that.”

Aelora shrugged.  “Lessons learned I suppose.  There is so much I remember – so much that I don’t want to remember or face right now.” She sighed, dropping onto the bed beside Terann.  “The things he made me witness, Terann… And participate in.  I can’t… I can’t imagine that G’Kar would ever forgive me.”

“But none of it was your fault.”

“Wasn’t it?”  Aelora closed her eyes, remembering for a moment the feel of G’Kar’s blood on her hands, the terror and disgust she had felt when Cartagia had forced her to participate in the torture.  She briefly found herself considering that she had deserved everything she received at the hands of Na’Kar.

“Do not ever believe that!”  Terann told her heatedly. 

“I can not invade your mind but you are allowed to invade mine?”  Aelora questioned but did not appear overly angered.

“I did no such thing.  The guilt you are feeling is tangible.  You are projecting it outward.”  Terann knew that it was too soon to allow Aelora to concentrate on the horrors of the past few weeks.  So she quickly suggested that they take a walk around the station.  Secretly, she also wanted to gauge how Aelora reacted around others; what she would do when she came into contact with groups of Narn or Centauri.

Aelora perked up at the suggestion, commenting that she wanted to shower and get her bearings first.  Terann nodded, pleased to see the smile on her friend’s face and the light of life back in her eyes.  Her misgivings regarding the mindwipe were slowly melting away as Aelora, the Human, slowly began to emerge before her.

 

 

 

 

 

Though she had only been back on Babylon 5 for a few hours, Ashlen found herself quickly settling in.  After unpacking her belongings she had reported in with station security telling Zack Allen she was eager to return to her duties.   He had agreed to meet her in the Zocalo an hour later where he would assign her a duty shift and fill her in on recent events on board the space station.  She had then quickly showered and changed into her uniform, feeling, for a brief moment, odd to be back in it.  It surprised her how quickly she had become accustomed to her Psi Cop uniform and the sense of security it gave her.

She check herself in the mirror one last time, applying a little more color to her cheeks in an effort to disguise the scar that still marred the left side of her face.  Doctor Franklin had offered to remove the mark, caused by the Minbari telepath when she had been on her alcohol-induced rampage, but she had opted instead to keep it.  It served as a reminder that she needed to be more cautious, to never underestimate anyone or anything and to never drop her guard, even for a minute.  A slight smile formed on her face as she began to think of the true reason behind her being on Babylon 5.  She looked forward to finally being rid of Terann and having Aelora Campbell where she rightly belonged.

First things first, she reminded herself as she moved through the doorway and down the corridor toward the heart of the station.  She would have to proceed slowly, knowing there were many who had a vested interest in her actions.  It would take only one mistake and her contacts within Bureau 13 would quickly disappear, President Clark would deny all knowledge of her ties to him and she would be left having to deal with Bester and the rest of the Corps.  Her recent lies and subterfuge were enough for her to be sent away on a long vacation.  In her years of work within MetaPol she had seen the inside of the so-called re-education facilities and the treatments she had witnessed were not something she wished to experience first hand.  She had to stay one step ahead of Bester, Sheridan and all the others to ensure her success.  It was a challenge but she was not one to back away from a challenge. 

Reaching the market place she readjusted her mental blocks, keeping out the random thoughts of those around her while maintaining a defensive posture in case anyone wished to catch her off guard.  The idea that one telepath would use their abilities against another without cause or provocation saddened her.  They were, after all, family.  It was the mundanes who were the threat, the mundanes who they truly had to fear. 

“Corporal Ladan!”

She had felt Zack approach long before she had heard him call out to her yet she waited, silently hating the need to hide those things about herself that she was so proud of.  She turned to face him, surprised when a smile crept across her face at the sight of the other Human.  “Sergeant Allen, it is good to see you.”

“You too,” he smiled gesturing towards a quiet table in a small café.  Once seated they each ordered coffee from the waiter then made small talk until their drinks arrived. 

Ashlen took a sip of the hot liquid, blanching visibly at the bitter synthetic taste of it. 

“Not like the stuff you get on Mars, eh?” Zack laughed.

“No,” she agreed.  “And I thought that stuff was bad.”

“With the sanctions against us I am surprised we can even get the fake stuff up here, but I guess it’s a small price to pay if it means the end of President Clark.”

Ashlen nodded, hoping that her expression would not betray her association with the current administration.  Moving to steer the subject towards something a little less volatile she said, “So, tell me what I missed.”

Zack laughed then began to explain all that had happened during her time away from the station.  When he came to explain about Michael Garibaldi’s resignation from his role as security chief, the telepath stopped him.  Not only was she curious as to what had prompted such a drastic move she also wondered if Zack suspected anything regarding the time Garibaldi was missing. 

“I can’t believe Garibaldi would ever willingly quit,” she told him, gently probing at his surface thoughts.

“You and me both,” Zack replied.  “Apparently he didn’t like the changes in Sheridan after returning from Z’ha’dum.”

The telepaths brow furrowed.  “What kind of changes?”

“It’s hard to say, I mean I never really noticed anything.  He seems more determined perhaps, like he can take on the universe.”

“He always was kind of arrogant,” she told him candidly.

“I suppose, but it’s different than that.  I mean he needs to be confident considering all he is up against.  Personally I think there is more to it than that.”

Ashlen nodded.  “Have you spoken with Garibaldi about this?”

“Not lately.” Zack answered the pain of the lost friendship clear in his tone.  “I think he just needs some time.  We’ve all been through a lot with the War and the problems back home.  I guess we are all a little confused.”

The young woman laid a hand on Zack’s arm.  “You’re probably right.  If I run into him I will see if he will talk to me.”

Zack nodded, silently not entirely certain that there was anything she could do or say to convince Garibaldi to open up to her.  They then sat in silence for several minutes, sipping their drinks.

“Anything else happen while I was gone?”

Zack shook his head.  “With the Narns still helping with security detail we’ve had less crime than a year ago.  Seriously I thought Sheridan was nuts when he came to me with this idea, but I have to admit that he was right.  All in all it’s been pretty quiet.”

“Not like before I left then?” Ashlen asked shifting the conversation to something more pertinent.

“You mean with the Minbari?” He asked, continuing when she nodded.  “That’s right you missed all that.  Come on, I need to check in with station house and I’ll fill you in on the way.”

They both rose from their seats then headed out of the marketplace.  Once away from much of the commotion in the Zocalo, Zack began to explain to the telepath all that had happened, from the incident on the White Star to the truth regarding Terann and Aelora’s origins.

At this Ashlen stopped him, feigning surprise at these revelations.  Though she was well aware that the Vorlons had constructed Terann, all that she knew of Aelora’s alterations were based on rumor and supposition.  “So the Minbari is half-Vorlon and Aelora is half-Shadow?”

“Not exactly,” Zack replied.  “Doctor Franklin believes that though Terann is a true hybrid, that Aelora was simply altered.  From what I understand her mother was a very strong telepath and Aelora carried some latent abilities that the Shadows amplified.  Though how far this really goes is anyone’s guess.”

The telepaths brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Aelora claims that the Shadows somehow took control of her, that she really wasn’t to blame for what happened.”

“Sounds to me like she was trying to cover her ass,” the female muttered.

“I agree,” Zack commented dryly. 

“So has Sheridan seen the wisdom of keeping those two off Babylon 5?”  Given Zack’s recounting of events surrounding the near destruction of the White Star and the truth behind Terann and Aelora’s creation at the hands of two ancient warring races it only made sense that Sheridan would keep them as far away from Babylon 5 as possible.  This would make capturing Terann that much more difficult, but Aelora… Without the protection of sanctuary aboard Babylon 5 there was little Aelora could do but run.  It would only be a matter of time before she was back within the Corps where she belonged.

The Security Officer pursed his lips, shaking his head.  “Unfortunately both Aelora and Terann returned to the station a couple of weeks ago.  The details are a little sketchy surrounding their return but what we do know is all in the reports.  Aelora was… well she looked like she had been dragged through the pits of hell.”

“And Terann?”

Zack shrugged.  “Who knows with that one?”

Arriving at their destination, Zack called up the various reports for Ashlen to study on her own.  He then told her he would be back with her duty schedule.  Once he had disappeared into one of the adjoining offices, Ashlen called up everything they had on the Human telepath.  Much of what she found merely confirmed all that Zack had told her.  She knew she could not expect intimate details as the reports contained only events that had happened on Babylon 5 but it did give her some interesting leads to follow.  She then called up the reports regarding the events on the White Star.  In addition to various accounts from the crew of the ship there were also several images of the destruction.  Inwardly, the Psi Cop cringed, the full realization of what she was dealing with hitting her with the force of a fist.  The destruction was unlike anything she had ever seen before; consoles had been torn from their housings, wires and power couplings hung in melted gnarled masses from the ceiling and all throughout the ship, bulkheads were damaged and scorched beyond repair.  Ashlen could not comprehend the strength a telepath would have to possess to cause the damage she was now seeing.  She scanned through the reports, of the ship’s crew, once again reassuring herself that Terann and Aelora’s abilities had been augmented by both the Vorlons and the Shadows and now, without their presence, both were much less of a threat.  One Ranger, by the name of Tyler, reported how the behaviors of both telepaths had almost instantly changed when the Shadow ships had come out of hyperspace.  This alone served to prove Aelora’s claim that she had been an unwitting participant, but what of Terann?  Ashlen herself had seen the Minbari’s abilities without any interference from the Vorlons and this alone was enough to raise concern.

Mentally she shook her head, deciding that she could not sit around worrying.  She had been forced to improvise many times in the past, like when the psi rating of a rogue telepath is underestimated, and she never doubted her ability to do so.  Bureau 13 had chosen her because of her potential and this alone was enough to convince her she was ready for whatever the two telepaths threw at her.

“Find everything you were looking for?” Zack asked emerging from the inner office.

“Sure did,” she replied stealthily slipping a data crystal, which now contained all the reports pertaining to Aelora and Terann, into her pocket.  She then rose to her feet, moving aside to allow Zack to take her seat behind the computer console.  “So when do I start?”

“Eager, aren’t you?” Zack laughed. 

“I’ve been away too long, I guess.”

“Well then, you can help me patrol Brown Sector this afternoon.  Just give me an hour to finish up and I will meet you back here.”

“Sure thing chief,” she said offering him a mock salute before making her exit.  She walked through the station, a little lighter in her step, confident in her current task.  She knew, of course, that there were many obstacles ahead but remarkably this did not concern her.  She knew all that she had to gain from success and all she stood to lose in failure.  This was enough to motivate her to accomplish all her goals and to prove once and for all that she was not a force to be trifled with.

 

 

 

 

Terann dashed toward the bathroom when she heard a resounding scream issue from within.  “Aelora?”  She pounded on the door.  “Are you alright?”

The door opened to reveal Aelora with a tear-streaked face holding the red-colored wig in her hands.  “What happened to me?”  She demanded, sobbing.  “What happened to my hair?”

  “It will be all right,” Terann assured her, taking her hand and leading her over to the bed where they both sat down.  “Everything will be fine.”

“Fine?!  Fine?!  You call this fine??  I’m bald for chrissake!”  Aelora screeched, pointing at her head.  “I look like a goddamned freak!”

Terann sighed.  “Aelora, you are not bald.  Your hair is growing in just fine.  Why look!  You already have a good quarter of an inch showing!”  At the Human’s groan she pointed out, “And what is wrong with not having hair?  Do I have hair?”

“No but… “ Aelora sighed, wiping the tears off her face angrily.  “The last time I looked this way, the Kyra’s forced it on me.  I hated it.  Every moment of it, even if I was trying to be a good little Centauri.  And now… Now I thought I had gotten away from it.”

“It is growing back quite quickly,” was all Terann could think to say.

“How did it happen?  Do you know?”  She reached up and touched the back of her neck gingerly.  “There are scars… “

“You do not remember?”

Aelora shook her head.

“Na’Kar did it to you, to make you appear more Centauri.  He burnt some of it… “  She trailed off, wincing at the pained expression that flashed across Aelora’s face.  “Dr. Franklin worried that the scarring would deter your hair from growing but I knew that the modifications done to you by the Shadows would help.  It appears I was right.”  She watched quietly as Aelora played with the wig in her hands.  “I picked that out for you,” she told her.  “Do you like it?  I tried to match it to your color.”

The Human sighed.  “It is a wig.  It is difficult to like.  Maybe I can wear a hat.”

“Go ahead and shower and then I will help you to put it back on,” Terann instructed her gently.  “I promise you that you really will not mind it.  In another month or so I doubt you will need it.”

“I hate short hair,” Aelora grumbled.

Terann smiled.  “Aelora?”

“Hmmm?”
“I am glad to have you back.”

After Aelora returned to the shower, Terann began digging through her clothes, looking for something that Aelora could wear.  She had not had the heart yet to point out to the Human that she had only one outfit to her name and that was one that Dr. Franklin had acquired for her.  Unfortunately, all of her clothes had been left on Centauri Prime and who knew what became of them.  Briefly, Terann envisioned Emperor Cartagia dressing in Aelora’s discarded clothing and had to keep from laughing too loudly.  She finally settled on silver-colored tunic and pants that were buried in her wardrobe, clothing left over from her Council days.  She quickly tore out the stitching in the hem of the legs, knowing that they would be slightly too short for her taller friend.  For the first time in weeks, Terann found herself believing that everything would work out for the better and that with Aelora’s help, she would be able to forget about the pain she had acquired on Minbar.

When Aelora finally emerged from the shower, towel wrapped around her, Terann could see that she had once again been crying.  Her gaze then traveled over the bruises and cuts that were visible along Aelora’s shoulders and arms and Terann understood what had spurred the tears.  She said nothing, knowing that to mention the marks meant noticing them and the Human did not need that at the moment.  Instead, she held out the outfit to her, forcing a cheery smile.

“I know it is not your standard clothing but it is all I have for now.  We will buy you something more when we hit the Zocalo.”

Aelora took the offered clothing silently, and turned away to begin shrugging into it.  Terann sighed and moved away to pick up the wig that Aelora had discarded onto the counter.  She smoothed the hair down with her fingers, careful to make certain that it looked just right before approaching the Human who now stood silently in her Minbari outfit.

Terann could not help but smile.  “All you need now is a crest.”

Aelora joined her in the smile as she sat down and allowed Terann to place the wig on her head.  She fidgeted under the strange feel of it against her scalp, then glanced in the mirror that the Minbari handed to her, silently consenting that it looked better than nothing.  The hair was straight; something that she was unused to, and cut just below her jaw line in a bob that gave her a more youthful appearance.  She stuck her tongue out at the reflection and tossed the mirror back to Terann.

“Ready?”  The Minbari questioned.

Aelora nodded and followed her out the door.

Their walk through the station began uneventfully.  Terann was pleased to see that Aelora appeared at ease and comfortable among the many inhabitants that they encountered.  Their conversation flowed easily as they discussed mutual friends, various points of the station and the Shadow War.  Terann updated Aelora on all that had happened, how the Vorlons and the Shadows and L’orien, the First One, had gone beyond the Rim.  She briefly explained how Narn was now free of Centauri Prime and that Michael Garibaldi had resigned his commission as Chief of Security.  This last information brought Aelora to a sudden halt in the corridor and she quickly began plying the Minbari with questions, none of which she was able to answer.  She explained how she knew very little of the circumstances surrounding his resignation and that the only people she had spent much time with in the past few weeks were Aelora, Dr. Franklin and G’Kar.  Aelora was about to reply when a voice called out:

“Sim, is that not Aelora Kyra over there?”

“It could not be!  Cartagia made her pay for her crimes against our people.”

“I swear by the Great Maker it is her.”

Terann saw Aelora hesitate out of the corner of her eye and reached out for her.  “Aelora, come.  Let us go in this direction.”

“No.”  Aelora pulled free of her grasp, jutting her chin out stubbornly.  “I am going to have to deal with this sooner or later.”  She turned to face the approaching Centauri, two men who appeared in their early-to-mid thirties, and dressed in the accouterment of the upper class. 

“It is her!”  The first one told his companion, stepping up to meet Aelora eye to eye.  “What are you doing alive, filth?  I thought the Emperor had disposed of you!”

Aelora narrowed her eyes.  “He tried.  He failed.  Like everything else he attempted, he could not get my death right either.”

“How dare you speak of a Centauri Emperor in such a fashion!”  Sim snarled, raising his hand to strike her. 

“I would not attempt to do that if I were you.”

Aelora turned to see G’Kar moving up beside her, fixing a hard gaze on the Centauri until he lowered his hand.  The two Centauri ceased to exist to Aelora and she found she could only concentrate on the being that stood next her silently offering his strength and protection.  Her eyes traveled over the length of him, as if to assure her that he really was there and not a filament of her imagination.

“By all rights you should be dead too, citizen G’Kar,” the first Centauri told him.

“This is true,” G’Kar readily agreed.  “But the fates intervened and here I am.  Perhaps it is their way of playing a joke on the Centauri, hmm?”

Aelora smiled at his comment and glanced back at Terann to see if she found it similarly amusing.  The Minbari appeared distant, looking away from the proceedings as if she would suddenly prefer to be elsewhere.  Briefly, Aelora considered reaching out to her when the conversation pulled her attention back to G’Kar.

“Stay out of this Narn!” Sim spat.  “This is between Centauri.”

“Aelora is not Centauri,” G’Kar pointed out reasonably.  “She is Human.  I would thank you to remember that.”

The two Centauri sneered down at her.  “She is not worthy of being Centauri,” Sim commented, though they both began to back away.  “Watch your back, Human.  The destruction of a noble Centauri House by an outsider will not be taken lightly.”

The group remained silent as the two troublemakers moved off and Aelora finally turned to focus her gaze on G’Kar, only to find him already watching her.  She flushed under his intense gaze, suddenly worrying as to whether or not she looked presentable.  “Ever my protector,” she commented finally with a smile.

G’Kar remained silent; unable to form all of the words he wanted to say.  When he had come around the corner to see Aelora – his Aelora – standing there, he had been forced to fight to contain his joy.  Now she stood before him, smiling, welcoming, and even teasing.  It was more than he could have hoped for.  Briefly, he glanced over Aelora’s shoulder at Terann who hovered in the background and he sent her a questioning look is she all right? 

Aelora is fine, Terann cast to him.  She is having problems with her memory… Other than that, she is safe.

G’Kar took a deep breath and returned his gaze to the Human whose smile had faded into a frown.  “Aelora?” He asked quietly.

He started slightly when her hand suddenly reached up to him, her fingertips tenderly touching the edge of his eye patch.  “What did that monster do to you?” She whispered, her tone indicating that she dreaded the answer.

Her concern for him was a balm to his spirit.  G’Kar flashed a soft smile, attempting to put her at ease.  “It is not important, Aelora.  Do not worry –“

“That is easier said than done, G’Kar,” she replied.  “Unfortunately, I am having trouble recalling the past few weeks.  What did he do to you?  When did this happen?”

The Narn sighed, realizing that her tenacity had not diminished in the least.  “It was just before we went to Narn for my execution.  He did not like the way I was looking at him, so he had the guards remove my eye.”

Aelora sucked in a sharp breath and cursed neatly in a mixture of Centauri and Minbari.  Her eyes immediately filled with unshed tears.  “G’Kar, I am so sorry!  If I could have done something –“

“Shh.” G’Kar stopped her.  “It is over now.  We are both here and we are both safe.”

Terann stood away from the scene before her, fighting against the wave of jealousy that was sweeping over her.  Just when she thought she finally had someone that she could talk to, someone who cared, she lost her to another.  It did not seem fair.  What had G’Kar done to protect Aelora?  Terann had rescued her from Narn, dealt with her captors and subjected herself to a lifetime of nightmares in order to give Aelora her life back.  And yet, the moment G’Kar appeared, Terann was forgotten.  She could not decide who she was angrier with, G’Kar, for having the bad fortune of having fallen in love with Aelora, or Aelora for so easily casting Terann aside.  She found herself regretting the mindwipe suddenly.  After all, eventually, Terann could have earned Aelora’s trust.  She knew she could have.  It would have been G’Kar that the Human would never have been able to trust again and that would have been his problem, not hers.  Instead, she had gone against her own ethics and betrayed her best friend so that G’Kar would not be denied Aelora’s companionship.  If only G’Kar had died on Centauri Prime –

Stop it, Terann!  What are you saying?  The Minbari mentally chastised herself, silently asking Valen to forgive her for such thoughts.  She did not understand what was coming over her lately, why she felt the need to blame everyone around her for her loneliness instead of the parties at fault.  True, the Vorlons had created her, used her and then tossed her aside as if she were little more than a useless experiment but what did that have to do with Aelora?  And yes, Neroon had betrayed her trust and destroyed her heart beyond understanding but was that G’Kar’s fault?  Terann told herself it was time to be happy for G’Kar and Aelora, to celebrate their togetherness with them instead of condemning them for it.  She could share in their happiness instead of looking to destroy it.  After all, she should be proud of the fact that it was because of her intervention that they were able to have a future together. 

Forcing a smile, Terann moved up beside Aelora. “I am going to leave you two alone,” she told her friend.  “I will meet you in the garden and we can attempt some of those exercises we spoke of.”

Aelora nodded absently, glancing at the Minbari before her gaze returned to the Narn.  Terann noticed G’Kar’s expression of thanks and nodded her acceptance of it before turning and moving off toward the Zen gardens.

“How are you?” G’Kar asked finally, breaking the ensuing silence of Terann’s departure.  He allowed his gaze to roam over her, as the memories of all she experienced rushed through him.  When he had returned to his quarters the night before, he had spent hours writing everything he had learned when Terann had carried him with her into Aelora’s mind.  And then he had hidden it all away so that Aelora would never find it but he could go back to it when he needed to, if for no more than to remind himself why Terann had see fit to put him through such a Hell.

“I am fine,” she smiled up at him.  “Disoriented a bit but Terann thinks that will go away soon.  I just feel as if I fell asleep and while I slept the entire galaxy went topsy-turvy on me.  Everything has changed.”

“Yes,” G’Kar agreed.  “Everything has.”

“For the better I hope.”

The Narn smiled.  Another long silence followed where Aelora began thinking that G’Kar seemed on edge and slightly distant.  She considered briefly scanning him then quickly pushed the thought aside.  There was a reason she had begun taking the Sleepers and she was not going to back away from her convictions so easily.  She could not begin whatever relationship may occur between her and G’Kar by a blatant invasion of his mind.

            “We have a lot to discuss… “ She began.

            G’Kar nodded, wondering if they would ever be able to say everything that needed to be said to one another.  So much time had been lost between them.  “I do not want you to feel rushed, Aelora,” he told her.  “When you are ready – “

            “Great Maker, G’Kar!  If we push this off much longer I am going to be a toothless old hag and won’t be able to talk much at all!”

            The Narn laughed, pleased that Aelora’s humor had obviously returned.  It was one of the most precious points of her personality, her ability to make him laugh no matter the situation.  “I don’t see that happening, shon’Ur.”

            Aelora smiled at the use of the endearment, one that she never expected to hear him say again.  “Very well.  Would you… would you like to meet for dinner… and talk?”

            “I would like that, Aelora,” he replied.  “I would like that very much.”

            “Great!”  Aelora let out a mental sigh of relief at his acceptance.  “How about the Fresh Air at, oh, seven Earth standard time?”

            G’Kar nodded and they both turned to move further into the Zocalo when G’Kar came to a sudden halt.  Aelora followed his gaze to see Londo standing a few yards away, watching them warily.  Her immediate reaction was relief in seeing that Londo was unharmed but she felt G’Kar tense and bristle beside her.  Casting a sideways glance, she saw his expression had hardened.  She began to reach out to him when he moved away and headed straight toward the Centauri.  She watched as they approached one another, almost circling like dangerous animals.  Hurrying down the steps, Aelora moved up behind them, placing a calming hand on G’Kar’s arm, but he did not seem to notice her presence.  The Narn spoke in a steady, warning voice:

            “My world is now free.  You no longer exist in my universe.  Pray that we never notice one another again.”

            G’Kar turned to go, and then as if suddenly remembering that Aelora was there, looked down at her.  “I will see you tonight, shon’Ur.”

            Aelora nodded in response and watched as he walked away before she turned her attention to Londo.  “I am sorry about that, Londo.  Certainly you understand though.  He… we have all been through a rough time.”

            Londo blinked for a moment as if registering her words before nodding.  “Yes.  Well… I am pleased to see that you are safe.  If I could have done something, Aelora, I –“

            “I know,” she cut him off.  “It wasn’t your fault.  I charged into the whole situation head on.  And… well a part of me is glad that I did so.”

            “Well I would have preferred if you had refrained from doing so, young lady,” Londo admonished her.  “My hearts almost gave out on me when Cartagia said he had killed you!”

            She placed a hand on his arm.  “Thank you… for helping G’Kar and Narn.”

            The Centauri frowned.  “I did nothing for the Narn, Aelora.  Every action I have ever done has been for the good of the Centauri Republic.  Make no mistake about that.”

            The Human leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you anyway, no matter the reason.”  She headed off toward the Zen Gardens, thinking to herself that perhaps there was hope for the galaxy after all.

 

 

 

 

 

The silence that engulfed Terann as she entered the garden was almost more than she could bear.  When in the rest of the station, amongst the thousands of inhabitants, the hum of their thoughts effectively drowned it out.  But here in the garden and when she was tucked away in her quarters the silence permeated her senses, reminding her of her displacement in the universe.  She moved along the twisting paths, avoiding anyone whom may also be seeking solace here, not wanting to attract attention to herself. When she arrived at a spot deep within the heart of the garden, obscured from view by several large trees, she came to a stop, looking around briefly.  The area surrounding her reminded her of the images of Earth’s forests she had seen; taller trees forming a canopy over several smaller flowering shrubs and plants.  Though beautiful, she knew that the vegetation served an important function in the station’s oxygen reclamation.  As always, the ingenuity of Human’s continued to amaze her.  Where other races would build elaborate machinery the Earther’s would design something of amazing simplicity to perform the same function. 

Sinking to the soft, warm ground, Terann lowered the barriers in her mind, allowing the noise of the station to calm her, driving the sickening silence from her thoughts.  When the Vorlons had first departed, she believed it would to be only a matter of time before she became accustomed to the void they had left within her.  Yet as the days stretched into weeks, she became certain she would never again feel whole.  Once more a wave of jealousy washed over her as she compared her current situation to that of her friend.  Aelora had lost everyone who had claimed to care for her; her father, the Kyra’s, even the belief in the rightness of her people.  But through it all, G’Kar had stood with her, seeing past the anger and the Centauri conditioning, to the Human who was now emerging.  To see them together, to feel the happiness they shared with one another served only to remind her of all she longed to have with Neroon.  Emotions such as this were completely uncharacteristic of her.  Always the Vorlons reminded her to maintain distance with those around her, those who were beneath her.  It was something she had forced herself to believe… until Neroon.  With Neroon she had attempted to be a part of something, to feel emotions she believed herself incapable of.  But where had this left her?  Abandoned and alone, feeling inadequate and cast aside by those around her much as they would a Pak’ma’ra.  It was these things that led to her envy her friend and her blossoming relationship with G’Kar.  It was not a feeling she relished, nor was it something she would share with Aelora out of both fear and embarrassment.  So she tried to bury it deep within her, all the while doubting her success in doing so. 

She allowed herself a sad smile as she felt Aelora draw near, her happiness almost tangible. 

“So this is where you have been hiding,” Aelora teased, settling to the ground beside the Minbari.

“I would hardly call this hiding,” Terann retorted.  “I was merely testing your ability to find me.”

“And…?”

“You performed adequately,” she replied her tone cool, though the trace of a smile could be seen at the corners of her mouth.

“Well that was entirely rude!” Aelora pouted.  “Anyone ever tell you that you have the sense of humor of a Psi Cop?”

Terann said nothing in response, instead casting a glare at Aelora which said effectively what she thought of her comment.  “You are in a good mood.”

“And why shouldn’t I be?” the human asked incredulously.  “I am away from Centauri Prime, Cartagia is dead and I have a date with G’Kar.”

“A date?”

“Tonight!  I asked him to take me out for dinner, to try to put everything… all of it, behind us.” 

“I am happy for you, Aelora,” Terann forced a smile, not wanting to dampen her friends spirits.

“Oh my gods!” Aelora exclaimed as if a great tragedy were about to occur.  “I have nothing to wear.”

At this Terann laughed.  “Do not worry, we will find you something in the Zocalo.”

“But…”

“Do not worry,” Terann told her, anticipating what Aelora was about to say.  “Between the two of us I am certain we have enough to buy you something.  Besides, this is important to you.  You and G’Kar have been through so much, you both deserve something special.”

“Thank you, Terann,” the Human smiled brightly placing her hand on the Minbari’s arm affectionately.  “So,” Aelora continued, moving to change the subject, “I suppose we should get started.”

Terann nodded, turning to face the other telepath.  “Given the amount of time you were without your abilities, we will go slowly.  Can you hear anything?”

“Yes, like before there is a hum.  It is quieter here, but I can still hear it.”

“Good, now I want you to focus on one person, it does not matter who.  Now reach out to them, but do not scan them, simply feel them.”

Aelora closed her eyes and focused her thoughts.  She allowed her mind to travel to the farthest reaches of the station, choosing a mind at random.  “It’s a maintenance worker, in Grey Sector.”

Terann listened quietly as Aelora listed off what the worker was doing as he repaired a damaged section of the water reclamation system.  So closely the Human followed his movements that she remained unaware of Terann’s actions until it was too late. 

There was nothing gentle about the Minbari’s intrusion, and it took all of Aelora’s efforts to simply keep up.  It wasn’t as if Terann was scanning her, simply seizing control of her mind, burying herself so deeply within that Aelora began to doubt her ability to ever get her out.  Once recovered from the initial shock, the Human gathered her sensibilities building one block then another, only to have the Minbari tear through them as if they had never been there.  Pain and anger threatening to overwhelm her, Aelora gave up the fight realizing she had neither the strength nor the will to continue.  Lowering what remained of her defenses she felt the Minbari’s grip tighten ever so slightly before slowly receding. 

The pain gone, Aelora’s anger took over and jumping to her feet, she cast a hate-filled glare at the other telepath.  “What the hell is wrong with you?  You have no right to scan me!”

Coming to her feet, Terann met Aelora with a level gaze.  “I did not scan you.”

“I don’t care what you call it!  Stay the hell out of my head!”  Aelora shouted at her, her hands forming fists at her sides. 

“I am only trying to show you…”

“Show me?” Aelora laughed without humor.  “Show me what?  What an deceitful bitch you are?”

The Minbari took a slight step away from the enraged Human before her, aware that it would not do her any good to become upset as well.  “Aelora, please understand, I am only trying to help you.”

“I’ve heard enough Terann,” Aelora told her, anger turning quickly to hurt.  “And to think, I had thought you had changed.”

When the Human turned to leave, Terann reacted quickly by taking her by the arm, forcing her to face her once again.  “Dammit, Aelora!  Listen to me!  You are a Human telepath.  You no longer have the Centauri or the Rangers to protect you.  Rest assured the Psi Corps will learn of this and they will come.  You have to be able to protect yourself from them.”

Breaking free of her friend’s grip, Aelora narrowed her eyes.  “You said yourself that I am far more than a Human telepath.”

“Yes Aelora, you are.  Which is why you must learn to control your abilities.  Even an untrained rogue P12 is no match against a well-trained Psi Corps P5.  You must learn to be on the offensive as well as the defensive.  Imagine that worker is a Psi Cop, you watch him, knowing where he is and what he is doing.  If you focus all your attention on him you leave yourself open to any others who may be hunting you.”  Terann then paused, stepping towards the Human and taking her hand gently in her own.  “I love you, my friend.  You are all I have left in the universe.  I nearly lost you once and I refuse to do so again.”

Aelora considered her friend for a moment, noting the loneliness and desperation she tried so valiantly to hide.  So apparent were Terann’s emotions that Aelora did not, even for the briefest of moments, doubt the veracity of her admission.  All that she was sensing from the Minbari seemed incredibly strange to her.  There was a time, not so long ago, when Terann possessed an arrogance that infuriated her, when she would act as if the entire universe were beneath her.  But now it appeared as if all that had been stripped away leaving her alone and vulnerable.  What could have happened to her, to cause such a sudden and drastic change?  Almost instantly Aelora felt a twinge of shame.  She had been so preoccupied with her own problems, the changes she had gone through in her own life, that she had not noticed her friend quite clearly needed her.  

Gently Aelora squeezed Terann’s hand, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.  I have just been through a lot, I guess I am ready to lash out at anyone for anything.”

“I understand,” the Minbari replied softly.  “I am simply concerned about you and need to know that you are able to protect yourself. I suppose I should not have pushed you so soon.”

The Human nodded, then:  “Shall we try again?”

“Perhaps another time,” Terann told her.  “It would do little good as you will anticipate my actions.”

“What then?”

Terann glanced around them, searching for some other way to test Aelora’s reemerging abilities.  Her eyes settling on a nearby plant, she moved over to it, instructing Aelora to sit once again beside her.  “Even before your other psionic abilities manifested, you told me you possessed the ability to encourage plants to grow.  Perhaps that is the best place to start.”

Sighing, Aelora acquiesced then brought her eyes to study the fragile plant before her.  It’s delicate leaves were a strange yellow with a hint of green tracing the borders and several swollen buds stood ready to blossom atop several tall stalks.  Of all her gifts, the ability to harness life itself was one she had both cherished and feared.  Since her meeting with Morden, on Centauri Prime, she had begun to imagine all the harm that could come from such a powerful gift.  Even now, when she was quite certain that she and Terann were alone, she hesitated, longing to forget about this part of herself.  At Terann’s gentle insistence, the Human reluctantly stretched out her hand, touching one of the leaves gently, instantly feeling the life that pulsed through it.  It sang to her in a voice she knew only she could hear or possibly understand, and as her mind responded to its almost silent cry the song grew louder, echoing through her almost deafeningly. 

“In Valen’s name!”

The Minbari’s awestruck voice broke into Aelora’s thoughts and she pulled herself back, her eyes flying open, seeing instantly what it was that had startled the Minbari.

The once small and fragile plant now formed a large clump of vibrant green and yellow leaves, several inches higher than it had been only moments before, capped with pale purple blooms too numerous to count.  Even Aelora seemed stunned by the amount of growth the plant exhibited.

“I don’t understand,” Aelora commented hastily.  “It’s never happened so quickly before… and with such ease.”

“It is likely that whatever modifications the Shadows made to you enhanced this part of your abilities as well.”

My Gods! Aelora screamed inwardly.  Everything Morden had told her had been true.  Before, when she had been young, this strange ability had proven to be little more than whimsy, something that could never be used on a large scale.  But now, considering the ease at which she had summoned so much growth from one tiny plant in mere seconds, she realized the enormity of her talent. 

“There is nothing for you to fear, Aelora,” Terann assured friend, picking up on her distress.

“I don’t want this!  What if the Psi Corps finds out about this?  What if…”

“Aelora!” Terann said firmly, silencing the Humans seemingly endless questions.  “You were able to hide these abilities before, I have no doubt that you will be able to again, if that is what you choose.”

“But before was nothing like this, the Shadows…” Aelora stopped.  Everything Morden had told her raced through her mind coupled with terrifying images of worlds at war; eager to control the woman who held the gift of life within her bare hands.

“The Shadows are gone.  They can no longer control you or your abilities.”

The Minbari sounded certain of her words, but Aelora was not so convinced.  The tone Morden had taken with her, the memories that had slowly begun to resurface since the battle on board the White Star, everything pointed to the Minbari being wrong.  She knew the Vorlons had left evidence of their existence all throughout the galaxy, Terann herself was proof of that, and not once had she doubted her own alterations being a response, by the Shadows, to this.  For some reason be it a continued lack of trust or an unwillingness to appear foolish, Aelora buried these fears deep within herself, deciding that there was no one she could share them with.  Brushing the dirt from her hands she rose slowly to her feet, waiting until Terann did the same before moving out of the garden.

After several moments of uncomfortable silence, Terann spoke.  “I did not mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t,” Aelora replied shaking her head.  “There are just many things about myself that I am being forced to accept, my abilities being a part of them.  Everything around me has changed, who I am… what I am.  I just need time to catch up.”

 “So where is it that G’Kar is taking you tonight?” Terann asked attempting to change to a lighter subject.

At the mention of the Narn’s name, Aelora felt her spirits instantly lift.  What was it about him that could bring a smile to her face no matter how dark her mood was?  “Fresh Air.”

“Then we will need to find you something suitable to wear.  You will also need a few other outfits as I doubt you will wish to continue wearing my clothes.”

“No, I suppose not.”  Aelora then laughed.  “But I must say they do look much better on me.”

Terann affected an angered look at her friend’s comment, before joining her in her laughter.  It felt good to have Aelora back with her, to begin healing the old wounds between them.  Terann knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to atone for all that she had hidden from her friend, but for now she wanted to enjoy her company. 

Once in the marketplace, the two women moved at a leisurely pace, stopping occasionally to purchase a few things to spruce up their quarters giving Aelora the opportunity to take note of what other Humans were wearing.  It was all so confusing to her.  As a child and young woman on Centauri Prime, she had been forced to dress in extravagant gowns, which accentuated and flattered, designed to draw the attentions of possible suitors.  Then later as a Ranger, she had assumed a more modest form of dress that did little to enhance her attractive figure.  Not since she was a small child, on the run from the Psi Corps, had she dressed as a Human, and from what she saw of those around her it seemed a daunting task.  Unlike the Centauri or the Minbari, style did not seem dictated by social position or caste, but by taste and this is where her problem lay.  She had been taught all through her life to think as a Centauri, and later as a Minbari, but as a Human she did not have the first clue. 

“Perhaps we should try here,” Aelora suggested as they came to a small boutique.  Upon entering, Aelora immediately stopped becoming overwhelmed by the numerous racks of varying garments. 

“Come on,” Terann said, taking her friend by the arm.  “Do not give up so quickly.”

“Hmph!”  Aelora pouted, prepared to offer a retort before being cut off by a small, yet attractive, middle aged saleswoman.

“Was there something I can help you with?” She asked her tone pleasant enough.

“I need clothes,” Aelora told her simply.

“I see.”

Terann stepped beside her friend a coy smile playing at the corners of her mouth.  “My friend here was the sole survivor of a recently destroyed freighter. She spent two days adrift in a life-pod and only by a miracle was she rescued by a passing transport.  Needless to say everything she owned was lost.”

The woman waved a hand at Terann, obviously hearing all she needed to.  “You poor dear, how dreadful that must have been.”  She then took Aelora by the arm guiding her to a nearby chair then once the telepath was seated she passed her a catalogue.  “Look through this, if I don’t have what you are looking for I can certainly get it, though some will take a few weeks given the problems back home.  Take your time, and let me know if you need any help.”  She then squeezed Aelora’s hand reassuringly before moving to attend to another customer.

“You enjoyed that didn’t you?” Aelora accused once the saleswoman was out of earshot.

“Of course I did,” Terann laughed.

“I thought Minbari never lie.”

“They do not,” the Minbari replied.  “But Vorlons never tell the truth, so I guess I am allowed a little leniency.”

Aelora rolled her eyes at this, eliciting even more laughter from her friend before returning her attention to the book in her lap.  Almost an hour later the two emerged from the shop having purchase one casual outfit for Aelora and ordering two others.  All in all, Aelora was beginning to feel better about herself and her position in the universe.  She no longer felt displaced and dejected.  Instead she was beginning to feel as though she had truly found a place where she could belong, where she had people she cared for and who cared for her.  Though she was not ready to forget all that she had been through she was certainly prepared to embrace a new beginning.

In the short time that had passed the Zocalo had returned to its usual bustle of activity and Aelora immediately felt the strain on her mind.  Terann sensing her friend’s discomfort guided the Human down an adjacent corridor in order to bypass much of the crowd. 

“It will become easier,” Terann told her.

“Sure it will,” Aelora responded sarcastically. 

“Trust me,” she said, placing a calming hand on the Human’s arm.

“Yes, trust her.”

The voice froze Terann in her place and immediately she set about silently chastising herself for not being more attuned to him.  Given the parting she had had with Neroon, she knew she had no choice but to keep her guard up, to never give him the upper hand.  But now he had her off-balance, her once unflappable exterior crumbling with each passing moment. 

“You would not lie, would you, Terann?” Neroon continued when both women turned to regard him, his tone accusatory.

Despite Aelora’s gentle pull on her arm, Terann cocked her head, keeping her tone and appearance as pleasant as she could.  “Was there something you wanted, Neroon?”

“Aside from killing you?”

“And how do you propose doing that?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.  At his continued silence she added,  “Was it Shakiri who sent you?”

“Shakiri had nothing to do with this.”

 “You do this out of pride then.  I have injured you.”  Her face then broke into an amused smile.  “I had not thought you so sensitive.”

Clenching his fists at his sides, Neroon took a threatening step towards her.  “Do not question my willingness to crush every bone in your body, freak!”

Terann’s face turned hard in that instant.  “Do not believe you can intimidate me, Neroon.  The last being to do so was a Vorlon several millennia in age.  You hardly seem his equal.”

“Ah yes,” Neroon smiled evilly. ”The Vorlons.  Even they did not see you fit to be among them.  I have heard how they stopped short of killing you, how they cast you aside as being so far beneath them.”

Aelora watched the exchanged between her friend and the other Minbari, her ire growing with every passing moment.  With each of his words she saw her friend’s confidence crack more and more, until Aelora, herself, was tempted to shove him through a bulkhead.   

Step away, my friend; he is not worth it.

Terann turned her angered eyes away from Neroon to consider the Human beside her.  Finally she nodded.  “You are right, Aelora, he is not worth it.”  She then turned her attention back to the Warrior.  “Whatever there was once between us, Neroon, ends here.”

She then spun on her heel following her Human friend back towards the Zocalo.  Once far enough away to convince her friend that she had truly left whatever remained unsettled between her and Neroon behind her, she ‘cast’ to him a time and a place where they would meet and truly end things between them.  She hated deceiving Aelora once again, but she doubted the Human would understand.  Certainly she had been trained as a Ranger but she was not Minbari, and only a Minbari could understand such things. 

“Are you okay?” Aelora asked finally.

Terann nodded.  “I am tired, nothing more.”

Aelora allowed the lie, not willing to further add to her friend’s upset.  “Perhaps you should return to our quarters.  I only have to find something for tonight, which shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Are you certain?”

“Of course,” she assured Terann, who smiled graciously then turned to move away.

For several moments, Aelora watched her until she disappeared into the crowd.  She recounted the conversation between the two Minbari, noting the lack of finality in Terann’s voice.  Slowly she became certain that neither she nor Terann had seen the last of Neroon.

 

 

 

 

 

Aelora stood before a mirror at the Hot Spot in the Zocalo, wondering how the black dress she held before her would look.  She had read earlier in Universe Today that the ‘little black dress’ – whatever that meant -- was back in style and so had asked the vendor about it.  He had produced a garment that perfectly fit the description of ‘little’, of that Aelora was certain.  It had thin straps over the shoulders, a low neckline, an even lower back and a skirt that ended a few inches above the knee.  As much as she would have loved to see herself in it, Aelora knew that the numerous bruises and scars that her skin now carried would not be appropriate accessories for the outfit.  The realization saddened her, stinging her vanity.  For a moment, she allowed justifiable rage to sweep over her, all directed at two beings – Na’Kar and Cartagia.  She found herself hating them both with a passion that rivaled any emotion she had before harbored and silently prayed that they were both suffering in whatever Hell they had been sent to. 

Staring at the reflection before her, Aelora wondered if the changes she felt within her were as visible on the outside as they were in her mind.  Accepting and acknowledging her feelings for G’Kar had lifted a great deal of weight from her shoulders, freeing her heart in a way that left her feeling somewhat light-headed.  She felt proud for standing up to Cartagia, for letting the entire Centauri court see and hear her love for a Narn.  The forgotten memories of her childhood before her mother’s death that she had reclaimed were uplifting balms to her spirit; proof that she had been loved and cherished and special to someone at one time in her life.  The knowledge provided an added comfort and peace that she had not felt in a long time.  She felt more secure about herself, hopeful about her future and slowly began accepting the person she was. 

“Interested in that little number?”

Aelora turned to the vendor, Harden Fenning, a stout little man with a balding spot in the center of his head and an ever-present cigar in his mouth.  She forced a smile.  “I like it but… “ She paused.  How exactly did one say “I was recently tortured and raped and my body has not yet recovered from the damage done to it” to a total stranger?  Instead, she told him,” I recently had surgery and I am afraid the scar would show.”

“Well that’s rotten luck.”  He smiled while clenching the cigar between his teeth.  “Got somewhere special to go, Miss…?”

“Campbell.  Aelora Campbell.  And I am having dinner tonight.”

“Date?”

Aelora felt her cheeks become warm, and found she could hardly contain the smile that appeared.  “I think so, yah.”       

            “Who’s the lucky fella?”

            “Ambassador G’Kar.”

            Harden chuckled, his gaze sweeping over her.  “So you’re the flavor of the month, eh?”

            “Pardon?”  Aelora asked quizzically.

            “Just saying you ain’t the first customer to come in here looking for nice frock to catch the eye of that one.  He’s been around the station a time or two.”

            “I see.”  Aelora pursed her lips, tossing the dress to the chair beside her.  She was suddenly hearing about a side of G’Kar that he had kept well hidden from her.  Liked the ladies, did he?  She found herself chuckling.  Well, at least she was not the only one who fell for his charm.  But flavor of the month?  She was not quite certain how she should take that.  “Do you have anything less… flirty?”

             “How ‘bout this?” He reached to the right and held out a black pantsuit that included pants and tunic that shimmered as it moved in the light. 

            “It’s nice.”  Aelora reached for the tag, grimacing when she saw the price.  “A little more than I can afford though.”

            Harden waved it at her insistently.  “Go ahead and try it on.  The changing rooms are to the back on your left.”

            Aelora hesitated only a moment longer before taking the offered clothing from him.  She glanced at the tag inside and then cocked a brow at the vendor.  “How did you know my size?”

            “‘S my business,” came the reply as he turned to greet a newly arrived customer.

            Aelora considered this for a moment then moved off to try on the outfit.

            Harden watched her as she disappeared.  So this was the telepath that he had heard about, eh?  She did not seem like much but then he had learned early on in life not to judge others by first impressions.  After all, everyone had his or her little secrets that were hidden from the casual glance.  It was when you got close to someone that you learned what they were truly made of.  Harden realized that having Aelora Campbell as a friend could very well be a valuable asset to him.  His associates on Earth would especially look it upon favorably.  While he shuddered at the thought of her association with the Narn Ambassador – the idea of inter-species relations sickened him – he was willing to put it aside long enough to gain what information he could with her assistance.  Being on Babylon 5, in the Zocalo, was the perfect opportunity to glean information from sources that one would otherwise never consider.  If there was one universal constant Harden had noticed, it was the fact that all beings, no matter the species, seemed to relax while shopping, and speak of things that they would otherwise not have in mixed company.  Secrets could easily slip and, as strange as it seemed, empires could be made and destroyed while spending money on trinkets.

            “That outfit was made for you, Miss Campbell,” Harden declared as Aelora emerged from the dressing room.

            She stopped to peruse the reflection in the mirror; silently agreeing that the cut of the garment was attractive, while the ensemble was very comfortable on.  The sleeves were long and full, the neck high enough to cover whatever marks Aelora did not want seen, yet the shirt itself was tailored to fit with a tapered waist and hemline to her thighs.  The pants were likewise billowy yet seemed matched to her height and shape. 

            “It is very flattering,” she replied.  “But way beyond my price range.”

            “Perhaps we can make payment arrangements,” Harden suggested in what was a very atypical proposition for him.

            Aelora shook her head. “Thanks but no.  I would have no way to pay you.  I need a job first.”

            “Really?”  Harden allowed a smile.  It could not have been more perfect if he had planned it himself.  He had just been handed a way to obtain the telepath’s trust.  “It just so happens that I am in need of another employee.  My last one joined a freighter crew last week.  Ever thought of retail sales?”

              Aelora smiled.  “As a matter of fact, no I haven’t.  Exactly what does it entail?”
            “No more than having a friendly smile and a pretty face,” he replied with a wink.  “I think you cover both just fine.  You’ll have those customers eating out of your hand.”

            “You’re going to give me a job?  Just like that?” Aelora narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

            “There’s not much too this job, little lady,” came the reply.  “It’s not as if I am asking you to operate sophisticated machinery or anything.  You agree to work for me and I will give you an advance for that outfit you like so much.”

            “Really?”  Aelora’s suspicion crept up.  She was tempted to scan the man before her but again her conscience nagged at her not to acquire such bad habits so readily.  She had to learn to trust again.  How had she made it through life before she discovered her psi abilities?

            “Really!”  Harden winked again, causing the female to smile.  It was readily obvious to him that the young woman before him was searching both for acceptance and the desire to feel needed.  Therefore, handing over her trust was fairly easy if it meant gaining both a friend as well as the chance to prove herself.  For a brief moment he found himself wondering what had caused this woman to be so uncertain of herself and everything around her.  Based on the telepaths he had met through life, he expected her to be extremely arrogant and condescending.  As it was, she was neither.

            Aelora changed back into her clothes then discussed the terms of her employment as her new boss, Harden Fenning, packed the pantsuit into a bag.  She promised to start the next day then left the shop feeling more light-hearted then she had when she had first entered.  She could not wait to tell Terann that she had a job so that they need not worry about income any longer.  And for the first time in a long time, she found herself feeling normal, like everyone else around her.  She did not have an adventurous job that meant excitement and danger; she was no longer a part of a wealthy household or had important connections.  She was simply Aelora Campbell, orphan.  She could not see how she could possibly be happier.

            As she was making her way out of the Zocalo, Aelora saw a familiar face just emerging from the crowd.  Hooking the sack over her arm, she pushed her way through the throng of beings, hurrying in hopes of catching up to her quarry.

            “Excuse me,” she muttered, stepping on a passing Drazi’s foot.  She ignored the rude comment uttered back at her, craning her neck in an attempt to see over the individuals that cluttered the area around her.  The crowd thinned as she neared the edge of the marketplace and she sighed in relief as she entered the almost empty corridor.  The press of minds so close around her was much greater than she had been prepared to handle and she stopped for a brief moment to calm the turmoil in her mind.  Once the threat of a mindache passed, Aelora continued in her pursuit, breaking into a job when she rounded the corner.

            “Michael!” She called out.

            Michael Garibaldi turned at the sound of his name and smiled when he recognized his pursuer.  “Aelora!”  He grabbed her into a welcoming hug.  “It is good to see you up and around.”

            “I am doing much better,” she smiled, her gaze searching his face, looking for any explanation as to why he had chosen the recent changes in his life. 

            “I came to see you in MedLab but you were unresponsive at the time,” he explained, taking a step back.  The last time they had seen one another, he had learned the secret of her psi abilities and he found himself uncertain of how to react to her.  At the time, he had been angry at what he felt was her betrayal of their friendship and afraid of what her obvious power was from the damage she and the Minbari had done to the White Star.  Sheridan had forced her to take Sleepers or leave and surprisingly, she had agreed to the Sleepers.  But according to G’Kar, after all of the events that had happened to Aelora on Centauri Prime and her imprisonment on Narn, she refused to take the Sleepers any longer, and that simple fact made Garibaldi nervous.  He was uncertain of what to expect from her, how to behave around her.  Though G’Kar had assured him of Aelora’s devotion to her friends – her sacrifice on Centauri Prime only proved this in the Narn’s opinion – Garibaldi was still doubtful.  She was a telepath, after all.

            “Unresponsive.”  Aelora laughed.  “That’s an interesting way of putting it.”  Gently, she touched the edges of his mind, and sensing his distrust, quickly set about to forcing him to relax.  “I have missed you, Michael.  I was terrified when you disappeared.  I wanted to make amends for what happened… I mean, when you discovered what I could do –“

            “I think it best that we not discuss that matter, Aelora,” Michael cautioned.  “I’m not quite sure where I stand with you still.”

            “But that is why we need to,” she insisted, touching his arm.  “It all happened quite suddenly when I arrived.  Terann says that I was a latent telepath until my psi was triggered and – “

            “I said I don’t want to discuss it!” He snapped at her.  “Look, you’re Jeff’s kid and for that I am willing to allow you a little leeway but its no secret how I feel about telepaths.  You can’t trust them, be they Psi Corps or Rogue or latent or whatever.  You could be creeping around in my head right now while I am standing here talking to
you -- “

            “I would never do that!”

            “And I would have no way of knowing it,” he finished.  “Now G’Kar has assured me that you are not capable of such things but then it is obvious he is a little biased when it comes to you.”

            Aelora felt her cheeks grow warm at the comment.  She looked away, wondering for a moment how to regain Michael’s trust.  She certainly could not start a new life for herself by alienating her father’s best friend.  Meeting his gaze, she asked, “Is there any way that I can get you to trust me again, Michael?”

            He shrugged.  “I don’t know, Aelora.  I just don’t know.”

            “Very well,” she sighed.  She resigned herself to the fact that it would have to be left at that until she could prove to him that she had no plans of using her abilities for her own personal gain.  “Can you at least tell me why you quit security?  You always seemed so happy in that job.”

            Michael looked away for a moment.  “Just seems too risky.” He shrugged, turning back to face her.  “Anything could happen now that we have broke from Earth.  I don’t relish the idea of a court-martial if things don’t go the way that Sheridan wants.  Besides which, I just don’t agree with the way he is handling things.  Ever since he returned from Z’ha’dum he has been acting strangely.”

            “You seem suspicious.”

            “Hell yah I’m suspicious!” Michael barked.  He leaned nearer to her. “Is it just me or has he developed some sort of god complex?”

            Aelora smiled, thinking Captain Sheridan did not sound any different than the last time she had met with him.  “I wouldn’t know, Michael.  I haven’t spoken with him since I returned from Narn.”

            “Well he has,” Michael told her.  “You’ll see.”

            The telepath shook her head.  “Is something wrong?  I mean, did something happen that you aren’t telling anyone about?  This just doesn’t sound like you, Michael.”

            His eye narrowed.  “Maybe you just don’t know me as well as you seem to think you do.”

            “Maybe.”  Aelora looked away, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong and it frustrated her that she could not figure out what it was.  True, she did not know Michael Garibaldi as well as her father had but she liked to believe that her father was a good judge of character.  She was not arguing that Sheridan did appear at times to believe himself far above all others – she would be the first to agree to such a comment – but it should have been the other way around.  She should be the one making the statement and Michael arguing it.  “Well, I just want you to know that I am here in case you need help of any kind.”

            “I’m sorry, Aelora,” Michael told her.  “But I just can’t bring myself to trust you.  Thanks anyway.”

            Aelora fought against a rising tide of frustration as she watched him walk away from her.  Why did everyone on Babylon 5 seem so fearful of telepathic powers?  It was not as if she or Terann or even Lyta were on any power-hungry crusade.  Certainly, everyone had reason to fear the Psi Corps if everything her mother had taught her were true, but it would seem more reasonable that they would ban together against the Corps instead of fighting it out amongst themselves.  Besides, Aelora believed that telepaths had more to fear from other telepaths then mundanes did.  At least, that was what she was beginning to understand from everything she was learning with Terann.  Mundanes seemed generally forgotten about by telepaths until they stuck their noses into teep affairs, then all hell broke loose.  But as it was, it appeared to Aelora that the real danger to telepaths were their own kind.  Much like among the mundanes, your position depended on how much power you had. Only while among the mundanes that power was achieved through money, social status and employment, among telepaths it was acquired through psi abilities.  The P12’s wanted power over the P5’s and the P5’s were envious and so took their anger out on the mundanes who then turned it back around on the telepaths.  It all seemed to be a vicious circle no matter where one stood.

            And now Aelora was thrust into the center of it all, where even those she had once considered being friends were mistrustful of her.  She was beginning to understand why Terann always seemed so alone.  She had always thought that though Terann could have a thousand friends, she would always be lonely.  Now, Aelora knew why.

 

 

 

 

 

            Silence permeated the table for minutes after Aelora and G’Kar had been seated at the Fresh Air.  Both appeared to be so absorbed in their menus that they hardly seemed to realize that the other was there.  In fact, the opposite was true.  Aelora was so aware of G’Kar’s presence that she had difficulty keeping her focus on the page before her.  Before leaving to meet G’Kar, Terann had convinced her to practice her psi while with the Narn.  At first Aelora had protested but once the Minbari had explained to her that all she wanted her to do was open her senses to him, allow his breathing and heartbeat and even the pulse of his blood to become a part of her, she had agreed.  Terann had explained that because Aelora had the unique tie to G’Kar from healing his wounds that he obtained while their venture to Narn, she would be able to sense him more deeply and easily than others.  Now that she understood the scope of what Terann had wanted her to experience, she found that she could not shut it off.  She was able to feel every emotion within him, anticipate every action before he made it – all without ever invading the privacy of his thoughts.  According to Terann, if Aelora associated herself enough to the feel of him, she would be able to sense his presence over great distances.  The thought of such ability both terrified and amazed her.

            G’Kar cast a casual glance up at Aelora, wondering what she was thinking.  He could not help but worry that she might regret her invitation of dinner, that the memory of their last foray into public together might frighten her away from trying again.  Then again, he realized her silence could stem from the same reason as his own: the uncertainty of where to begin.  The simple fact that they were both sitting there was enough to bolster his spirits though and give him hope that a future between them were possible.  He did not want to push her into conversation if she were not ready; her presence was enough for him at the moment.  Still, one began to feel silly just sitting there, saying nothing.

            With that thought, he asked, “What are you going to have?”

            “Nothing that squeals when one cuts into it.”

            G’Kar sat perplexed for a brief moment, the realization that she had easily fallen back into her quick wit stunning him into silence.  Finally, he shook it off enough to chuckle.  “I see.  So any recommendations from me would be out of the question?”

            She met his gaze and flashed a teasing smile.  “Most likely.”

            They ordered their meals and slowly the conversation began to pick up.  At first, it remained safe and uncompromising, with the discussion focusing on matters around the station, Aelora’s new job and the end of the Shadow War.  G’Kar spent the time gauging Aelora’s memories and her current emotional state, measuring their limits by her replies and reactions.  He enjoyed seeing the animation in her face with her comments and replies but each time she smiled or a sparkle glimmered in her eyes, he found he could not forget all that she had been through, all that his people had put her through.  The night before he had slept little, unable to close his eyes without reliving the brutality that she had endured at Na’Kar’s hands, without hearing her screams of mercy in his mind, without feeling the terror and shame that had gripped her soul.  He could feel nothing but hatred for Terann with the flash of each and every scene; for forcing him to know, firsthand, what the Human before him had suffered.  It made these moments with her difficult, almost painful.  He tried to convince himself to instead cherish it, to allow the nightmares only to remind him of how to make each and every moment he spent with Aelora special and treasured.  Still, it was a difficult concept to initiate.

            G’Kar watched silently as Aelora laughed at something the server said as he stopped to refill their drinks.  I love you, he thought to himself, and then felt a brief stirring of jealousy, as Aelora's gaze seemed to linger too long on the Human beside her. 

            The telepath sensed first the outpouring of emotion from G’Kar, followed by the flare of jealousy.  It touched her, filling her with a sense of worth and belonging that she had been bereft of for a very long time.  Pulling her attention away from the server, whom she had to admit was very attractive; she commented as he walked away, “I think he is searching for a big tip.”

            The Narn chuckled.  “He does appear a bit overly attentive.”

            “Well it is flattering at least,” she replied, taking a sip of the wine.  Setting the glass back down, she played with the rim for a long moment before commenting; “I appreciate your agreeing to have dinner with me.”

            G’Kar raised his brow at that.  “Did you think I would turn you down?”

            She shrugged.  “I didn’t want to hazard a guess.”  She caught his gaze.  “You and Terann are all I have left, and the thought of losing either of you scares the hell out of me.  I don’t want to sit around hanging onto ghosts.  The regained memories of my mother and Da’Tan are bad enough.  I would prefer to concentrate on the living than the lost.”

            G’Kar reached out and took her hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.  “An Army of Shadows could not pull me away from you, shon’Ur,” he promised her.  Eager to learn more about Aelora’s history as a child and Human, he continued, “You mention the memories of your childhood that have returned.  What was your mother like?”

            Aelora smiled, her gaze turning inward as she snatched at the images that hovered in her mind.  “She was very beautiful and an incredibly strong Teek.  I remember wishing that I could grow up to do the things I saw her do.  She was smart and had a very quick temper – one which I often felt the fires of.”

            “Mischievous, were you?”

            “I think I coined the term!”  She laughed.  “Poor Da’Tan did not know what he was getting himself into when he took on my mother and I.  I think he would have gladly tossed me back!”

            “Somehow I doubt that,” G’Kar commented.

            She shook her head.  “No. You’re right.  Da’Tan was the closest thing to a father I have ever known.  He would dry my tears when I fell and scraped my knee, tell me stories at bedtime, carry me when I was tired.  Whenever I did something to incur mother’s wrath, he would always protect me, sometimes going so far as to take the blame when I broke or lost things.”  Aelora grew silent for the next few moments, her gaze lost in the flame of the candle before her.  She added, “I could not stop crying when Psi Corps found us and we had to leave without telling him.  I remember blaming him because he wasn’t there to protect us, and then swearing that I would never again think of him or speak his name.  I vowed to hate him forever.”  She shook her head.  “Children can be so damned vindictive.”

            “You did not mean it,” G’Kar told her.  “Had you held on to your memories of him and your mother, your time on Centauri Prime would have been that much lonelier.  You had to embrace a new life, a new you, for the purpose of self-preservation.”

            “You’re right,” the Human admitted.  “But that doesn’t make the memories any easier.”

            “It will in time,” he assured her, gaining the smile that he had hoped for.

            Dinner was a quiet affair, with brief snatches of conversation here and there but for the most part they simply ate their meals.  While G’Kar declined dessert, Aelora decided to try the hot fudge cake sundae, providing G’Kar with the entertainment of watching the sheer bliss on her face as she ate it.  Twice she attempted to get him to try it but both times he refused, saying he would prefer that she enjoy all of it.  Reaching across the table, G’Kar wiped a smudge of hot fudge from the corner of Aelora’s mouth when she turned her head and quickly kissed his palm.  The Narn stilled, staring at her.

            “Why did you do that?”  He asked, his heart racing.

            She smiled with her eyes.  “Because – “

            “Aelora, I am so pleased to see you!”

            The Human turned with a frown to see Delenn and Sheridan approaching the table.  She cast a quick glance at G’Kar, hoping the Narn could somehow help her escape the coming confrontation but he was already rising in greeting, exchanging pleasantries with the couple. 

“Captain Sheridan, Delenn,” G’Kar greeted, bowing slightly.  “Would you care to join us?”

“No thanks, G’Kar,” Sheridan replied with a smile before casting a surreptitious glance at Aelora.  He looked back to the Narn.  “We’ve been looking forward to some much needed time together.”

“That I can understand.” G’Kar smiled in return.

“I am so pleased to see that you are feeling better, Aelora,” Delenn told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.  “I was so sorry to hear about the Kyra’s.”

“I’m certain you were,” the telepath replied noncommittally.

Delenn appeared confused by the remark, looking over at G’Kar who was watching Aelora curiously.  The Minbari finally turned back to the Human female.  “I have been meaning to come visit you but so much as has been going on, of which I am sure you know.  I wanted to apologize, Aelora, for what happened before you left for Centauri Prime.”

Aelora clenched the napkin in her lap tightly, forcing down the fury that wafted through her.  That the woman could stand before her and behave as if it were nothing more than a simple misunderstanding that took place between them was beyond imagination.  Aelora did not know if she should laugh or scream.  Refusing to look at G’Kar, not wishing to see the reproach she was certain would be there should she continue on her current course, Aelora turned to face Delenn and flashed a bitter smile.

“For which part, Delenn?” She asked.  “For taking from me the only thing I had left to cling to?  Or for throwing the truth of my father in my face so that I would be ashamed of it, rather than proud and relieved?”

“Now see here – “ Sheridan started but Delenn put a hand up to stop him.

“No, John.  This is between myself and Aelora.”  She glanced down at the telepath for a moment before meeting his gaze.  “Perhaps you should go to our table and order our drinks?”

“But – “

“Please, John,” she asked once more, her tone implicating clearly that it was more of a demand than a request.

Sheridan continued to regard Aelora, who only returned the look with a mildly amused expression, before he finally nodded.  “Alright.  Fine.  You know where I am in case you need me.”  He leaned over and kissed Delenn’s cheek.  “G’Kar.”  He nodded in a friendly manner to the Narn then walked off.

Delenn stepped closer to the table, wishing she could sit down and talk to Aelora eye to eye but it was apparent by the telepath’s posture that the last thing she wanted was closer contact.  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed as G’Kar took a step back, allowing them some privacy.  She tried to reach out and touch Aelora’s hand but she snatched it off the table quickly and her expression quickly hardened into a glare.

“Aelora,” Delenn began.  “Please try to understand.  Every indication you ever gave me was that you harbored an extreme prejudice against the Narn.  When I heard about what happened in the Zocalo, in front of all of those witnesses – “

Aelora snapped, “If I had truly hated G’Kar, Delenn, I would have handed him over to the proper officials when we were on Narn.  Instead, I risked my life and the Kyra’s by sneaking him into G’Khamazad.  But aside from all of that, I still have trouble understanding by what right you held the information regarding my father from me?  What makes you think you are so important as to dictate the lives of those around you?”

“Aelora, it was not like that.”  Delenn shook her head with a frown.  “Surely you understand how dangerous the truth could be – to my people and to Humans,” she whispered fiercely.  “I could not just tell anyone.  I had to trust you first, had to know you.”

“That’s the problem,” Aelora replied, standing suddenly.  “You never took the time to get to know me, Delenn.  You formed your opinion off of supposition and never bothered to learn the truth.”

“That is a little harsh,” the Minbari commented.

            “Really?”  Aelora wanted to say more, wanted to tell Delenn what she thought of her based off of ‘supposition’ but they were in a public establishment and aside from that, she did not want to ruin her chances with G’Kar.  So she simply looked away, indicating that the conversation was over.

            Delenn sighed, looking over her shoulder to see G’Kar watching them quietly, his eyes full of concern.  What surprised Delenn was that the concern was directed at the Human, that he appeared ready to jump to her defense at a moment’s notice.  Had he always harbored these feelings for Aelora?  And if so, why had she not noticed it sooner?  It was obvious that G’Kar had seen something in Sinclair’s child that she had not. 

            Trying once more to reach out to the telepath before her, Delenn pulled an object from her pocket, clasping it tightly in her hand.  “Aelora, it may take awhile for you to forgive me for my oversights regarding your character and my secrecy regarding your father, but I still wish to make amends.” She held her palm open, Aelora’s Ranger pin lying within it.  “I truly am sorry for what occurred and would be pleased if you would retake your place among the Rangers.”

            Aelora stared at Delenn incredulously for a long moment before reaching out and taking the pin from her hand.  The jewel felt cool against her palm and she clasped it tightly for the next few moments while her mind raced.  Finally, she opened it and turned her hand over, dropping the pin.  Delenn gasped in shock as the Human lifted her foot and stomped hard on the brooch, shattering it against the floor.

            “Aelora!”  Delenn pleaded in disbelief as G’Kar moved up beside her.

            “We live for the One; We die for the One,” Aelora stated, before Delenn could say any more.  “The creed of the Anla’Shok.  Only I can’t live by it anymore, Delenn.  A Ranger should believe in and trust the Entil’zah and I cannot bring myself to do so.  You’ve created your own opinion of me, well I have done the same of you and all I see is a selfish, arrogant woman who can’t decide if she should be loyal to her Minbari side or her Human side.  You have too much power, Delenn, and that frightens me, as well as it should frighten every person on this station!

            “Oh I know you have them all wrapped around your finger, have them believing that without you the war against the Shadows would have been lost; that they need you to lead them and guide them and hold their hands just as the Vorlons did, scolding them when they misbehave.  Oh, you are so damn righteous and good!  Well what about the millions of Narns whose lives you are responsible for, Delenn?  Have you ever admitted that?  Have you stood before this station’s inhabitants and admitted that you could have averted the slaughter of billions of Narns but that in your infinite wisdom you didn’t feel it was necessary?!  Have you ever shed even a single tear over them, Delenn?  And yet you had the gall to stand before me and make your judgment on me and destroy everything that I held dear and perfect in my life!  And now you dare to come to me and ask me to live and die for you?  To hell with you, Delenn!  And to hell with your damned Rangers!”  Aelora seethed, grabbing her glass and throwing it against the wall in anger.  She cast an apologetic glance at G’Kar and dashed from the restaurant.

            A heavy silence surrounded the nearby tables as those present stared at Delenn with curious and questioning gazes.  The Minbari stood unmoving, unable to meet those gazes; unable to comprehend how things had taken the ugly turn they had with Sinclair’s daughter.  She forced herself to remain calm, to not allow the words to hurt but they broke through the barrier all the same and stung with a similar ferocity with which they were spoken.  She turned to G’Kar, hoping for an explanation or a supportive word but the Narn only continued to regard her silently.  Finally, he shook his head.

            “I am sorry about that, Delenn.”

            She opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and then tried again.  “I do not understand.  Why does she harbor this animosity towards me, G’Kar?”

            “I cannot answer that,” he replied, moving past her.  “If you will excuse me, I must make certain Aelora is all right.”

            Delenn was about to stop him, about to ask him why and how he could care for such a hateful person but she stopped herself.  Aelora had been right.  She had based her opinions of the girl off of what she had heard from others and never took the time to get to know Aelora herself.  Yet it was obvious that G’Kar had – that he had somehow pushed beyond the barriers of her prejudice against his race and reached her.  But Delenn had never taken the time to get to know Jeffrey Sinclair’s daughter and now it seemed there would be a very slim chance of her ever getting to do so.

 

 

 

 

            When G’Kar finally caught up to Aelora in the Zen garden, she was standing next to the reflection pool, a slight frown marring her expression.  The harsh artificial sunlight emphasized the bruises and cuts that still lingered over her complexion, causing a pang of guilt to once more knife through the Narn over her treatment at the hands of his people.  Treatment that she no longer remembered the extent of.  A part of him remained angry with Terann for forcing him to relive what had happened to Aelora, for making him feel her pain, for driving him to feel guilt over the pleasure Na’Kar had received during her torture.  He understood why the Minbari had done it but now that Aelora was free of the memory of the horrors she had faced, G’Kar found that shame plagued him each time she touched him or looked at him with completely trusting eyes.  He did not deserve her trust, did he? 

            “You are disappointed in my actions,” Aelora commented to him without turning around.

            Instantly, G’Kar shook his head.  “No, shon’Ur.  No I am not.  In fact, I am proud of you.”

            She turned to face him, her eyes searching his.  She seemed pleased with what she found there for she immediately pressed herself against him, snuggling her head against his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.  “I feared you would hate me for saying what I did to Delenn.  I’m not sorry though, and I won’t apologize.  It is how I feel.”

            G’Kar remained motionless for a moment, caught off-guard by her nearness, her scent.  Finally, he wrapped her in a comforting embrace and allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of her in his arms.  It was a completely new and wonderful experience. 

            “I believe you made the right choice,” he told her.  “All your life, your decisions and choices as to the roads you should take have been made for you by others.  First your mother, then the Kyra’s, then the Rangers… Now you have finally chosen to move forward on your own.  I think it is something you need to do.  Perhaps one day you will wish to return to the Rangers but for now I believe you need to do something for yourself.  You have spent your life in the service of others.”

            Aelora tightened her grip around G’Kar’s waist, wondering to herself how she could have ever believed being in this wonderful creature’s arms as being repugnant.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice muffled against his vest.

            “What was that?”

            Aelora leaned her head back to look up at him.  “I’m sorry, G’Kar.  I am so sorry for all of the time I wasted between us, and the things I said and did to hurt you.  I –“

             “Shhh,” G’Kar cut her off.  “No more apologizes, Aelora.  We could spend a lifetime apologizing to one another for the things we said to hurt one another.”

            “But I’m the one – “

            He put a finger over her mouth to quiet her.  “Stop taking the blame, Aelora. Please?  I want nothing more than to see you happy.  Can you give me that?”

            She nodded with a smile.  It felt so nice to stand here with him without fear of the repercussions or caring for what others might think of her.  There was only one thing that seemed to be in the way of her complete happiness and it seemed to stem from G’Kar.  Maybe she was being paranoid but he seemed tense around her, out of reach.  It was one of the reasons she apologized again, because she felt that maybe everything that had happened still hung between them.  But he seemed sincere in his wish to let it drop.  So why then did he seem uncertain?  Why did he appear unwilling to make any moves to further their relationship?  Aelora told herself that perhaps she was wanting too much too soon.  But then they had been denied so much it only felt right that they should take advantage of what was left for them.  She wanted to tell that to G’Kar but feared rejection.  Would she be able to handle him telling her that it was too late?  That all he wanted anymore was her friendship?  Once again, Aelora found she wanted to scan him and had to fight back the urge.  She began a litany in her head You do not need to rely on your psi abilities, you do not need to rely on your psi abilities…

            The Narn pulled away from her, not realizing that in doing so he caused her more pain.  Guilt still plagued him and he was afraid that with one wrong touch and her memories of her captivity on Narn would return and Aelora would fall apart before him once more.  “Would you like me to walk you back to your quarters?”  He offered, believing it would be best to end the evening before he said or did the wrong thing.

            Aelora’s shoulders slumped in dejection and she could barely bring herself to nod in reply when a sudden wave of rebellion swept through her and she replied with an emphatic,” No!”

            G’Kar stopped abruptly, turning to look at her in surprise.  “Is there somewhere else you would like to go?  A walk perhaps?”

            Aelora built up every bit of nerve she had in her, knowing that she had never before acted on her instincts when it came to G’Kar and was hesitant to do so now.  She did not want to do the wrong thing though her heart screamed at her to act on her impulses before it was too late.  She felt more aware than anyone did how short and precious life really was.

            G’Kar was uncertain what to expect as Aelora stepped up to him and placed her hands on his chest.  He met her gaze, thinking that he could get lost in her eyes that were currently a green so light in color they were almost translucent.  He was about to ask her what was wrong when her arms snaked around his neck and she raised herself upward, pressing her lips to his.  He was so unprepared for her kiss that he could do nothing more than stand there as her soft lips moved over his in an almost timid manner.

            When G’Kar did not at first respond to her, Aelora attributed it to surprise.  But as he continued to stand there, her heart sank.  Slowly, she broke the kiss, stepping back, her gaze looking anywhere but at him.  “I… I’m sorry… “ She trailed off and turned away.

            The Narn saw the tears in her eyes and snapped out of his fog, mentally kicking himself.  He had to forget her treatment at the hands of his people just as it had been stripped from her memory or they would never have a chance together.  This was what he had wanted, why he had fought Terann to get her to perform the mindwipe.  Aelora was here before him, stripped of her past prejudices, no longer living in fear of her torture by the Narns, offering herself to him and he just stood there! 

            Reaching out, G’Kar turned her back to face him, placing his hand under her chin and lifting her tear-streaked face.  “I already told you, shon’Ur.  No more apologies.”

With that said, he leaned down and captured her mouth in a fierce kiss, making certain he relayed to her his own apology, as well as his assurance that he did indeed still want her.  At her soft whimper of surrender, G’Kar crushed her to him, his mouth devouring hers with a need and desire that had been long suppressed.  He memorized the softness of her lips as they molded against his and inhaled the scent of her as it washed over him, wrapping him in it’s heady mixture of sweetness and spice that was all Aelora.  At the inquiring touch of his tongue she parted her lips, allowing him entrance, and he drank in the taste of her, his heart clenching at the feel of her softly uttered sigh against his mouth.  She pressed herself closer to him, her hands clenching the edges of his coat as if she could somehow pull him into her and make them one.  The station around them seemed to disappear until it was just the two of them in a silent, perfect galaxy where only their world existed.

            After the kiss ended, they still did not pull away from one another.  Aelora rested her head under G’Kar’s chin and they stood there in silence for the next few minutes, simply enjoying the feel of one another. 

            It was G’Kar who finally broke the serenity.  “Back on Centauri Prime, when you came to me in my cell and declared your love, I… I foolishly refused to listen and believe.  I rejected what I had longed for and what you so freely gave – “

            “You had every reason,” Aelora interrupted.

            “No. Let me finish,” he gently admonished her.  “I should have believed in you, shon’Ur.  I tried.  I want you to know that.  That day in the Zocalo when you said those things – when you took the blame for the ambush – I walked away telling myself there was something wrong, telling myself that I knew you better than that.  But somewhere along the way, I just quit hoping.”  He tipped her chin up so that their gazes met.  “Do you know when I first started loving you?  That night on the Ilaws, when you stumbled into our quarters, drunker than a Centauri on his wedding night and passed out.”

            Aelora laughed.

            “I never thought I would hear that again,” G’Kar told her smiling, thinking that her laughter was the most beautiful sound in the galaxy.  “I am sorry I turned you away on Centauri Prime.  I am sorry that I did not tell you then how very much I love you.”

            Aelora shook her head and kissed him softly.  “I always knew, G’Kar.  The way you spoke to me, the way you looked at me and touched me, your anger – if you hadn’t loved me you wouldn’t have cared.  No one has ever looked out for me the way you have, G’Kar.  I just wish I could have seen it sooner.”

            The Narn smiled, touched her cheek.  “I want to hear you say it.”

            “I love you, G’Kar.”

            He hugged her to him tightly, wondering for a moment if it all was not just a dream from which he would awaken to find himself back on Centauri Prime, confined in that oppressive cell.  The feel of her lips placing kisses along his neck reassured him of the reality that surrounded him.  His kissed her forehead then stepped back.

            “I don’t want this night to end,” Aelora told him.

            He wondered if she had read his mind.  “It does not have to.”  He held out his hand to her, praying silently to G’Quan that she would take it. 

            Aelora hesitated only a moment before placing her hand trustingly in his and allowing him to lead her from the garden.

 

 

           

 

 

            Ashlen sat alone in the Eclipse Café, glancing through Universe Today while enjoying a cup of coffee.  She was not on duty for another two hours so she took the time to herself to catch up on current events while surreptitiously watching the goings-on of the station around her.  Since her return, she had been able to quietly monitor the Minbari telepath though she had glimpsed Aelora Campbell only once.  She had remained far from either of them, acknowledging that it would be safer to first make her plans accordingly before rushing in and either ending up dead, or any chance of succeeding in her mission ruined.  To Ashlen, the latter was more frightening a consequence than the first.

            She had spent most of her time in Zack’s company, finding that he was really her only friend on the station.  Though she had met up with Garibaldi once, the subsequent conversation had not gone well.  She had thrown out one too many questions regarding his departure from his position as Chief of Security and he promptly ended the conversation, careful not to allow any chances of a recurrence.  She thought that Bester would be pleased to know that his implant was working well.  So far, Garibaldi had appeared to alienate every person that he had been close to on the station especially Captain Sheridan.  And it all appeared to make complete sense, leaving no one to question his motives or behavior.  Briefly, Ashlen had wondered if the Minbari or Aelora Campbell would be able to sense anything but then she figured that they would have to know what they were looking for and she doubted that the Minbari would take the time to even question the goings-on of the Humans around her.  As for Aelora, Ashlen doubted that the telepath were that well trained yet to recognize a telepathic implant. 

            In a way, she found herself feeling sorry for Garibaldi.  Though it had not been allowed to run its course, a relationship between them had began to blossom and though she had simply been using him for her own gains, she had come to care for him in her own way.  He was intelligent, as mundanes went, and had the ability to make her laugh which she could not say about many people.  Certainly, if Bester had not required his assistance, Ashlen would have had to kill him in the end, but she could have easily enjoyed his company in the between time.  She shuddered at the idea of being a mundane, of being so easily susceptible to the power of suggestion.  To be so simple-minded that another could without much trouble enter your mind and completely change the person you were inside, ruining your life, commanding you as little more than a puppet.  The truth of the matter was it was a practice far more prevalent than mundanes knew.  If word ever got out regarding how often the use of suggestion from telepath to mundane was, the true was would then begin.  And Ashlen found herself looking forward to the day the truth could be spoken. 

            Good morning, Ladan.

            Ashlen started at the familiar presence that echoed through her mind and glanced over her shoulder to see Bester standing behind her, smiling pleasantly.

            React as any mundane would, he instructed her.

            It was a difficult to control the reflex that told her to reply telepathically.  Instead, she stood, forcing an angered expression and warned, “Get out of my head!”

            Very good, Bester smiled while moving around her to take a seat in the empty chair across the table from her.  “My apologies,” he said aloud.  “It’s habit.  Please, Corporal, have a seat.  You wouldn’t wish to arouse curiosity, now would you?”

            Ashlen did as bade, careful to keep her expression wary and distrusting.  “What do you want?  I figured the presence of Psi Corps would be unwanted here since the stations break with Earth.”

            “It’s still a free station, isn’t it, Corporal?”  What do you have to report?

            She shrugged.  “I suppose that depends on what you classify as free.”  I have not been back long.  It appears Campbell was captured and tortured on Narn.  From the records, she almost died.  Apparently, she was heavily drugged on Sleepers.  Our suspicions were correct.  From everything I have read and heard, she is a very strong telepath, with her abilities being further enhanced by the Shadows.

            Bester’s facial expression did not change at this news though inwardly she felt his surprise.  You are certain of this?  “Curious that you should say that.  From what we hear on Earth, Babylon 5 is one of the last places people would refer to as ‘free’.”

            “It is those poor souls left on Earth who are not free.”    Aelora has admitted to it.  And all evidence points to her abilities being far beyond that which we had at first suspected. 

            Incredible!  “That is simply paranoid propaganda, I assure you.  Does my freedom appear to be in jeopardy?”

            “Those in power have no fear for freedom.”  So what is the plan?

            Bester leaned back in his seat, contemplating his next course of action.  Now that the news of Aelora’s abilities was obviously public, it would be far easier to approach her regarding her place in Psi Corps.  There would be no question now or any possible way for her to object.  Is it your belief that she can be approached?

            From what I have learned, she no longer has a home on Centauri Prime to turn to.  Apparently, she did something to anger the Centauri Emperor and her family was executed, the entire House dissolved.  I did some checking and discovered that the Kyras never legally adopted her.  Therefore, she is still an Earth citizen.

            Excellent.  I commend you for your work, Ashlen.  Stay close.  I may need you still.

            Then I am to remain undercover?

            Yes.  “Tell me, Corporal, do you believe in Captain Sheridan enough to follow him into the bowels of Hell?  Because that is where you will end up if you remain here.  Good day.” 

Bester stood and moved off, ‘casting to Ashlen that he will be back in touch with her soon with more instructions.  The truth of the matter was, he now knew with a certainty that she was working behind him, against him perhaps with her own agenda in mind.  He trusted the information she gave him but he did not trust that her heart was in it or the mission.  She had something else in mind, something that he had been tempted to scan her for.  But he would let her move first, with the hope that she would make a mistake along the way.  He held the impression that she was more interested in the Minbari than she was Aelora, and that was just fine by him.  If there was someway that she planned on getting the Minbari out of the way, then that would be all the better for him.

Though he would never admit it, Bester was a little afraid of Ashlen.  Not afraid that she could ever harm him – he would always be one step ahead of her simply because her overconfidence got in the way of her success.  What he did fear was her ruthlessness.  He used to believe he held the corner in that market until he met Ashlen Ladan.  He knew without a doubt that she would sell out her best friend if it meant her own gain, and that included Psi Corps.  Her pride and faith in her people had gotten her far but somewhere along the way, she began to believe that she were above her people, above doing what was best for her people and using her significant gifts for her own achievement.  When one forgot their family, one became ultimately dangerous.  She was no longer working for him, no longer working for Psi Corps, no longer working for the betterment of telepaths.  The most worrisome part of it all was that she did not appear to have any set agenda, nothing that was laid out on the table for Bester to see.  Her defection was completely unexpected.  The worst of it was, Bester was curious - curious to see where her ultimate goal was and where it would take her.  He was not prepared to step in and stop her yet, wanting instead to see how far she would really go to achieve her undisclosed objective.   

            Ashlen visibly relaxed as Bester moved out of sight.  She had not expected his arrival, not expected that he would come to Babylon 5 himself and attempt to take matters into his own hands.  This had the possibility of making matters more difficult for her.  She would have to think fast as to how she was to accomplish her mission.  If he stepped in and began his pursuit of Aelora than it was very possible that she would lose the perfect positioning of the Minbari, that she would no longer remain where Terann could easily secure her captivity.  That meant that she had to develop a plan – and soon. 

            Tossing her paper into a nearby recycling bin, Ashlen stood and moved off toward Station Security, figuring that if she checked in early, perhaps she could access a few more files, learn more that might help her.  She felt out of control and she hated being in that position.  She would have to be careful now because she knew that Bester would be watching her every move.  Briefly she wondered if he knew of her involvement with Bureau 13 then quickly shook the thought away.  He was not omnipotent and all knowing and she had to stop fearing him.  She had been raised in the Corps to see Alfred Bester as some sort of godlike figure, someone to respect and fear.  In truth, he was a Psi Cop just like her, older and more seasoned perhaps but definitely not indestructible.  The more she thought about it, the more she realized that her panic was foolish.  And could ultimately cause her to make a mistake along the way if she did not control it.  Forcing herself to relax, Ashlen convinced herself not to rush into things.  Instinctively she knew that if she simply sat back and watched for a bit, an answer would come to her that would ensure the success of her mission.

           

             

           

             

 

It was not until they reached G’Kar’s quarters in Green Sector that Aelora’s uncertainty set in.  As she stepped over the threshold, the voices from her childhood began to assail her:

            Animals!  They are simply animals!  They murder bad Centauri children in the dead of night!

            The only good Narn is a dead one.

            They are foul, nasty creatures!  Just to touch one would ruin you for life, Aelora!

            “Shon’Ur?”

            Aelora looked up at G’Kar’s voice, shaking the voices away.  “Sorry?”
            “I asked if you were alright.”  He watched her as she hovered just past the doorway, her face significantly pale.

            “Yes. Fine.”  She flashed him a chagrined smile.  “Old childhood teachings die hard, I suppose,” she admitted.

            “Oh.”  G’Kar turned away, attempting to look busy with cleaning up the papers on his desk.  He fought off the anguish he felt at her words.  Would Aelora forever remain attached to the Centauri, double-thinking every action that pertained to him?  The thought worried him.  Someday she could wake up and hate him for pulling her away from everything she had been taught to believe.    Would there come a time when he would look into her eyes and once more see the disgust and abhorrence she had been told to feel toward members of his race?  He could not stand to allow that to happen.

            “If you would rather leave… “  He began.

            “Do you want me to?”  Aelora questioned fearfully.

            G’Kar turned back to her.  “Only if you would prefer.”

            The Human burst out in laughter.  “Oh, G’Kar!  This is ridiculous.  Of course I don’t want to leave.  And you don’t want me to either.”  She moved over to him, burying her fears deep within her, and hugged him tightly.  “The voices continue to plague me, is all.  Voices I no longer trust and would certainly never listen to.  Perhaps it is the guilt I feel for my part in destroying the Kyra House.  Perhaps there is a part of me that feels shame for being so happy now that I can be with you while Lord and Lady Kyra lay rotting in their graves.”  She shook her head.  “That Centauri part of me just won’t let me go without a fight.  But it will never interfere between us, G’Kar.  I promise you that.”

            He took her face in his hands and kissed her lips.  “Thank you for the reassurance.  I suppose we both have ghosts to live with.”

            Aelora nodded, pulling away from him to glance at the papers on his desk.  She knew it was impolite to be nosy but could not refrain from allowing her curiosity to take hold.  She had always wanted to read his writing, ever since she had first discovered he was doing so.  Mentally, she shook her head as she recalled telling him she was surprised to learn that a Narn could read and write.  It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the foreign writing; it had been a long while since she had last read Narn.  Aelora became so engrossed on the page before her regarding the time that G’Kar had spent in jail on Babylon 5 after attacking Londo, that she seemed to forget his presence.

            In truth, G’Kar did not mind.  He enjoyed the chance to watch her without reservation, to memorize the details of her face, her expressions.  It was easy to interpret her thoughts, a frown, a furrowed brow, and a thoughtful smile.  G’Kar thought it would be a distinct pleasure to spend hours simply watching her as she read through his book.  He was pleased to see that the wig Terann had found for her was not obvious in its appearance.  Though the color was not an exact match – G’Kar doubted anyone could recreate the true red of her hair – the style was flattering to her face, making her appear younger and child-like.  Terann had told him how upset Aelora had been at having lost her hair and he had worried that she would not accept the idea of wearing a wig.  He was pleased that she had adapted to it though he knew that her vanity no doubt gnawed at her.  Dr. Franklin had worried that due to the terrible damage done to her scalp, her hair would not grow in.  But Terann had been right in her predictions that the alterations made on Aelora by the Shadows would ensure her healing process.  Only a few days ago she had told him that Aelora’s hair was already beginning to grow back.

            “You took Dust?”  Aelora turned to him, her eyes questioning.

            “I sampled it as a possible weapon for my people,” he told her.  “It was a terrifying experience – but if I had not done it I would not have come to the understanding that I did.”

            Aelora nodded, returning her gaze to the pages in her hand.  It was difficult for her to picture G’Kar as warlike and hateful.

            “I am pleased that you know my language,” G’Kar commented, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. 

            “The Kyra’s – “ She stopped abruptly, realizing that she had once more almost repressed the memories of her childhood that had been so long forgotten.  “That’s not right.”  She shook her head.  “Da’Tan, the Narn my mother fell in love with, he began teaching me.”  She glanced up at G’Kar with an embarrassed smile.  “I have always been able to understand it much better than read it.  Da’Tan used to get so flipping mad when he would go through my lessons with me and make me read to him in Narn and I couldn’t get an entire sentence formed!”  She laughed at the memory.  “He could never understand why I could turn around speak monologues in the Narn language and yet was never able to read and write it.  I was veritable thorn in his side from the day he found us.”

            “How long were you with him?”

            “About a year.”  She flinched at the realization that she had lost so many happy memories for so long.  “Da’Tan contracted serum sickness and mother nursed him back to health, but then she developed it as well.  He left for Narn to find her a vaccine since the outpost we were at had only the crudest medical supplies. While he was gone, Psi Corps appeared.  Mother and I had to leave while we could.  I never saw him again.”  She dropped the papers and embraced G’Kar once more.  “Things would have been so different if he had returned in time.”

            “Perhaps,” G’Kar replied, stroking her back in consolation.  “Then again, we may have never understood one another if things had happened differently.  Or we might have never met.”

            “I don’t believe that.”  Aelora looked up at him with a teasing smile.  “I don’t think I could have ever been that lucky!”

            “Brat!”  The Narn chuckled before he captured her mouth in a passionate kiss meant to steer her thoughts elsewhere.

            The ploy worked.  Aelora forgot the recent voices of her foster parents that taunted her love for a Narn; forgot the pain of losing her mother and the only father figure she had ever known in her childhood.  She lost herself in the strength of G’Kar’s embrace, in the safety and comfort of his touch and in the desire that boiled within her.  Though the memory of her rape at the hands of the Narn Na’Kar remained, Aelora knew she had nothing to fear.  From the moment they had first met in the lift, G’Kar had been her champion. He had taught her how to love and be loved and how to forgive and be forgiven.  He had shown her that she was worthy of his devotion, worthy of happiness and belonging.  He would never bring her harm nor allow harm to come to her.  With G’Kar, she could always be herself without ever fearing the repercussions.  She realized with a start that she had never known true acceptance until now.

            “Shon’Ur… “ G’Kar whispered as he trailed kisses across her cheek, his hands caressing her shoulders before moving down her arms to her waist, pulling her closer to him.  He traced Aelora’s ear with his tongue, eliciting a soft moan from her that only served to heighten his desire.  He was so hard with need that it was painful but he forced himself to move slowly.  Whatever memories had been wiped from her mind, she still suffered at the hands of his people and he would spend his life making it up to her.

            As his hand cupped her breast, Aelora pushed against his palm, her nails digging into the leather of his coat in anticipation of the feel his skin against her own.  His fingers worked deftly at releasing the buttons of her shirt and as he pushed the fabric off of her shoulders, he heard her whisper:

            “Get those damned gloves off!”

            G’Kar chuckled; doing as she requested then remained still as she likewise removed his coat.  Then she stepped back, holding his coat against her breasts in a sudden wave of bashfulness. 

            “Shon’Ur?”  He questioned gently.

            “I… the bruises… I forgot,” she explained, worrying her lower lip while her gaze refused to meet his. 

When he reached out to her, she moved away, turning her back to him and G’Kar sucked in a sharp breath at the sight that greeted him.  He had not known of the deep bruising that marred her back nor had it occurred to him that there would be scarring along her neck from the burning of her scalp.  She had been told that Cartagia had shaved her head and had not yet questioned as to the extent of her injuries.  But had she wondered where and what the scarring came from?  The bruises were fading, thankfully, but it was still noticeable, enough to once more cause the anger and self-recrimination to surface in G’Kar.

“Aelora.”  G’Kar grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him.  He reached out to wipe away her silent tears.  “Why are you crying?”

She shook her head.  “I keep trying to tell myself… “

“Tell yourself what?”

“That you won’t care about the things Na… Na’Kar did to me.  That you won’t be too disgusted to touch me.”

“Oh, shon’Ur.”  G’Kar’s heart went out to her and enfolded her in his arms comfortingly.  Though he still harbored doubts about his duplicity in her mindwipe, he found himself grateful that Terann had finally agreed.  With the full memories of everything that had been done to her, she would never have been able to allow anyone to get close to her again.  “When I think of what that monster did to you, I feel nothing but rage and the need for vengeance.  For you, I feel only love and pride that you survived it.  That you are here now, with me, not harboring anger for the injustice a member of my race did to you.  Nothing could keep me from you, Aelora.”

He set her away from him, taking his coat from her hands with a gentle tug and tossing it to the couch.  When he turned back to her, he had to force himself to fight back the visible flinch at the marks that marred the skin of her breasts and shoulders.  Though the bruises were faded to a pale yellow, the fact that they were caused by fingers was unmistakable.  But it was the evident nail and teeth marks that pained G’Kar the most.  He did not want Aelora to see his fury for fear of frightening her.  He forced a gentle smile, moving his hands lightly over her shoulders.  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

She moved to shake her head but he kissed her to silence, his hands roaming delicately over her breasts, his palms encircling her nipples until they hardened into tight buds.  Her inhibitions quickly fled and she leaned into his touch, her arms wrapping around his neck to pull him closer.   He continued to caress her, calming her, before moving to rid her of the rest of her clothing.   Once she stood bare before him, G’Kar stepped back to view the beauty he had never expected to be allowed to behold.  She was still a bit thin but not as emaciated as she had been when he had first returned to Babylon 5.  He pulled his attention away from the evidence of her torture and instead focused on the loveliness of her.  Her legs were long and shapely leading up to gently flared hips, small waist and full breasts.  She blushed under his steady gaze and G’Kar thought the slight coloring over her body was enchanting.  There was a tiny beauty mark on the left side of her ribs and G’Kar knelt before her to kiss it lightly.  Aelora inhaled a sharp breath at his touch, her hands moving to touch his cheeks as he moved his mouth across her stomach, alternately kissing and licking at her with his tongue.  Her legs trembled at the exquisite touch, threatening to give out on her, but G’Kar held her firmly and steadily by the hips.    

His hand moved back to the juncture at her thighs, moving in circular motions through the curls until he finally slipped a finger within her, running it along the cleft before withdrawing to return to her hips while he moved his mouth across her ribs, worshipping her skin with his tongue.  She writhed against him, arching to meet his mouth.  Surprised by her sudden boldness, she almost allowed the fear to seep back in when his mouth had reached her thighs and he alternately nipped with his teeth then licked the brief pain away.  All thought left her. 

            G’Kar positioned himself between her legs, continually caressing her hips softly, moving his hands between her thighs, parting them gently.  He cast a surreptitious glance up at the Human, noting the glazing of her eyes, the slight sheen of perspiration on her skin.  The fear was still there, hidden behind her eyes but the desire and need had overpowered it and she was finally giving herself over to him completely.  With gentleness and care, he took her with his mouth.  He laved her with his tongue, teasing the already swollen nub as Aelora pushed against him, her attempts at stifling her cries failing.  He burrowed his tongue deeply within her, leaving no part of her unmolested, before taking the nub into his mouth and suckling at it until he felt Aelora’s muscles begin to clench around him.  He held her as he felt her collapse against him, her body trembling with the force of her climax, her fingers digging into his shoulders like a lifeline.  When he was certain she had regained some of her strength, he stood and kissed her forehead, her cheek, her mouth, lingering over her lips.  He kissed her deeply, allowing all of the love he felt for her to rush forth, his tongue teasing hers playfully, the taste of her still lingering.  His hands moved over her skin, stroking her back and hip, before brushing lightly across her breast.  She moved into his touch, moaning low in her throat as he teased her nipple into a tight bud.  He continued to fondle her breast tenderly, his lips moving away from hers to travel down her throat and across her breastbone to take her nipple into his mouth.  He drew on it delicately at first, gauging her reaction until she arched forward to meet him, then he sucked on it voraciously, holding Aelora against him as she writhed from the sensations that ran rampant through her.  He moved from one breast to the other, lavishing each in an ancient form of worship, his touch gentle and unthreatening.  Lifting her into his arms, G’Kar carried her over to his bed where he laid her carefully against the sheets before divesting himself of his own clothing.

            “You’re the one who is beautiful,” Aelora told him as her eyes roamed over his smooth, muscular form.

G’Kar smiled in response before lying down beside her. 

Aelora reached up and tentatively touched the band of his eye patch.  “I hate what he did to you,” she whispered, her fingers trailing down his cheek.

The Narn took her hand in his and kissed the palm.  “No sorrow, shon’Ur.  Forget the past.  Our lives begin now.”

He reached out and gently cupped her breast, relishing the weight of it in his hand, teasing the nipple with his thumb until it hardened once more into a tight bud.  He noted the soft glaze that was settling over Aelora’s eyes, felt her tremble at his touch.  He leaned over and licked at the nipple once, twice, stilling as she wriggled under him, her breath turning to soft sighs.  He blew on the wet bud, teasing it once more with his thumb before finally taking it into his mouth, sucking on it forcefully before drawing back and licking it again.  Aelora let out a loud gasp, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her.  He turned his attentions to the other orb, teasing the nipple as he had its twin, sucking on it greedily like a starved child. 

Aelora closed her eyes, losing herself to the exquisite feelings running rampant throughout her.  Her body had wanted this for so long, though her mind had denied it, and now she felt as if she would explode under G’Kar’s ministrations.  His mouth was insistent on her, at times bordering on pain before gentling back to a tender suckling.  While one hand continued to pet her breast, the other moved slowly down her stomach, lingering over her abdomen then moving to caress her hip, teasing as he neared the apex of her thighs.  His attention to her body was torturous, his touch leisurely. He continued to play with her nipple lightly between his teeth, while his hand lingered at her thighs, which automatically opened at his touch, and he slid a finger excruciatingly slowly within her wet warmth.  She arched her hips against his hand, searching for more, only to have him withdraw and return to gently caressing her hips.  She whimpered at the loss but quickly forgot her disappointment as he moved his mouth across her belly once more, pausing to tickle her belly button with his tongue before moving back across her thighs.  Over the next few minutes, G’Kar bathed her body with his tongue, flipping her onto her stomach so that he could pay special attention to the sensitive spot at the small of her back, lingering over the fragile lines of her ankles, nipping the soft skin at the back of her knees.  

By the time he had left no portion of her skin untouched, Aelora thought she would weep with the intensity of the need that burned through her. His purposeful ministrations had left her a trembling mass beneath him, a rag doll simply waiting for the next sweet torture that he would visit upon her.  She had become so used to his pulling away, leaving her bereft of his touch, that when he did so again she simply accepted it, unable to form the words needed to beg for release.  But this time Aelora’s breath escaped her as G’Kar entered her, the girth of him filling her until she thought she would burst. Her body seemed made to mold to him, so tightly did he fit within her, and once the discomfort of his initial entrance subsided, she arched up to meet his thrusts. He pulsed and throbbed inside her until her head began to whirl.  He continued to drive into her, never once hesitating even as she shook and trembled beneath him, the spasms of her consuming climax taking over her.  Aelora thought she had surely died from splendor when her conscious barely registered that G’Kar had not reached that pinnacle with her.  Instead, his hand reached between them, stroking the embers in her to burning again until she was once more calling out his name, her legs wrapping around his torso.  She seemed to explode inside, but as he moved on her, the excitement began to build again until she was unable to tell the real from the unreal.  She was soaring, yet melting away.  Again G’Kar brought her to climax, all the while continuing to stroke her relentlessly, never giving in to his own pleasure until Aelora finally lay exhausted beneath him.  She had little enough strength left to keep her arms around him, her hands hovering over the marks her nails had made in his shoulders.  The sound of G’Kar calling out her name brought her slowly back to reality, enough to enjoy the feel of his essence pouring into her, the wild thudding of his heartbeat against her chest.  He caught himself before dropping his weight on her, rolling to the side of the pallet and pulling her with him into his arms.  G’Kar stroked her back for a moment, enjoying the simple feel of her bare skin against his before he realized that she was fast asleep.

He caressed her cheek, kissing her softly.  He thought to himself how very much he loved her and how often he would tell her so daily, so that she would never again be left to question her place in the Universe.  For it was easy to see, for anyone who truly looked, that her place was and always would be safe in his embrace.

 

 

 

 

 

“Hello?” Terann called out, her voice echoing throughout the darkness surrounding her.  As if in response, several lights above her illuminated, one by one, in a row stretching down a seemingly endless corridor.  A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she recognized instantly where she was.

This is not real, she told herself clenching her eyes shut, willing the dream to fade.  But it did not.  Instead other details worked themselves into existence, a stale smell, the bitter air and the sounds of laughter and incessant screaming. 

Her body working under its own accord, she moved down the hallway, stopping when she came to a doorway.  Without hesitation, Terann reached out to open it but it refused to allow her entry.  In curiosity, she pressed her ear against the door, hearing the voices of countless others within.  They laughed and joked amongst them, apparently finding something enormously amusing, yet something in their tone rang of a malevolence that chilled the Minbari.  She tried once more to gain access to the room, the voices growing in intensity as if to mock her.  When she took a step back, preparing to use her abilities to break through the door, a piercing scream drew her attention away from her plight. 

“Aelora!” She called out, recognizing instantly her friend’s screams for mercy.  She raced down the corridor, stopping only when she came to another set of doors.  Turning to the first, she didn’t even waste the effort of trying to open it manually.  Yet no matter how hard she tried her abilities proved to be useless in opening it. 

Screams once again reverberating through the corridor, Terann glanced at another doorway, then another, the horrible sounds growing louder with each passing moment.  Pounding her fists once again against the cold surface of the door, she pleaded for someone—anyone—to open it, if only to silence Aelora’s cries.

“You cannot open them.”

Terann turned towards the voice, shocked to see the being standing behind her.  “G’Kar…”

“She is not here.  You killed her, or rather this part of her.”

“How can you say that?” She asked.  “We saved her… together.  You were as much a part of the mindwipe as I was.”

“Was I?  You showed me only what you wanted me to see.  You played god with her memories, erasing those which cast you in a bad light, manipulating her thoughts so that she would once again trust you.”

“You have no idea what you are speaking of!” Terann spat at him, turning her attention back to the doorway.

But the Narn would have nothing of it.  He stalked towards the Minbari, taking her by the arm and forcing her to face him.  “I know what you hid from her, how you colored your betrayal of her, ensuring that she would call you friend again.  If given the truth she would never accept you.  And you know you are undeserving of her.”

“She is afraid to be alone.”  The musical voice of the Vorlon, Ulkesh, rang throughout her mind as he materialized behind G’Kar. “That is why she would not kill her as we demanded.”

“But she did kill her… she killed the person Aelora had become.”

“Neither of you are here!” Terann shouted at them.  “None of this is real!”  She then broke away from them, running down the corridor searching for someway to escape. 

Reaching another hallway, this one narrower than the other, she spotted a light spilling from a slightly opened doorway.  Cautiously moving to stand before it, she reached out a hand, pushing it open silently.

“Come in, Aelora!” a voice sang, and before Terann could escape a gloved hand reached out grasping her hand tightly, pulling her into the room.

With disgust, her eyes fell upon the former Centauri Emperor Cartagia.  “You are not real!  Cartagia is dead!”

With a demented smile on his face, the Centauri backhanded her hard across the face.  “You will mind your place, Lady Kyra!  You would not wish to upset our guests.”

Then as Cartagia gestured, she turned her attention to the other side of the room where Na’Kar and the other Narns responsible for Aelora’s imprisonment stood.  They eyed her with a combination of lust and repulsion, some even licking their lips in anticipation.  She struggled against the Centauri as he pushed her towards the expecting Narns, but her arms hung useless at her sides, the bones quite obviously broken. 

She clenched her eyes shut as she felt the hands of countless Narns on her, tearing at her robes and bare skin, Once they forced her to the ground, they came at her one by one, beating and ravaging her body in increasingly brutal ways.

This isn’t real, she assured herself once again begging for reality to once again consume her.

“But it is real!” Cartagia laughed, now standing over her, watching the Narns with great interest.  “We were all once a part of Aelora.  But you took us from her, locking us away where she cannot find us.  She is safe from us… but you are not.  We are now yours!”

Terann jumped from her pallet, calling for the lights to come on.  The feel of the cold floor and the brightness of the lights quickly pushed the remains of sleep from her mind, but the images and sensations lingered.  Remembering, too late, that she now shared her quarters with Aelora she turned towards the Human’s bed, hoping she had not disturbed her. 

Upon seeing Aelora’s empty, neatly made bed, Terann’s stomach knotted in pain, knowing Aelora had not come home the previous night.  She knew she could not open up to her friend about her dreaming she simply wanted the comfort of another, to simply know that she was not alone.  Yet once again all she had was an unnerving silence, proof that she truly was. 

Almost instantly, Terann felt a wave of regret wash over her, for she knew that had she not performed the mindwipe, Aelora would not have so readily turned her back on her.  As soon as the thought formed, she pushed it aside knowing it was unfair to begrudge Aelora and G’Kar the happiness they now shared.  She knew in her heart that the two of them belonged together, deserved to be together.  By what right did she believe she could impede upon that? 

She knew it was the Vorlons who rightfully deserved the blame for her isolation, but to focus her anger on them was difficult.  They were gone and would not return.  To be enraged at them was much like fighting against one who refused to retaliate.  The whole thing infuriated her.

And what of Neroon?  Did he not also hold some responsibility?  He had known of the questions surrounding her heritage, had at one time easily accepted her as outcast and therefore beneath him.  And despite all this he had come to her, offering her both friendship and love, assuring her that there was more to her than rumor and supposition.  Yet when given the truth he had done as he had assured her he never would.  She knew she could not expect him to go against convention but she also could not fathom how he had so easily swept aside the feelings they had shared, coming to her in anger and hatred prepared to kill her with little thought or remorse. 

Her eyes moving back to Aelora’s empty bed a shudder ran down her spine as thoughts formed within her of the night her friend had most certainly spent with G’Kar.  With the memories of her captivity erased, Aelora was now free to explore her feelings for the Narn sexually, unhindered by horrifying sensations of pain and violation. 

We are now yours.

The Cartagia of her dream had been right.  These memories were now hers to bear.  But it went deeper than that.  To ensure that the mindwipe was successful, she had to face Aelora’s demons personally before destroying them, making it seem as if all that Aelora had endured, she had also endured.  To know the inhumanity that sentient beings were capable of, to feel it first hand, would she ever be able to trust another intimately again?  Perhaps it was as they say that nothing happens without reason.  Had Neroon stayed by her side how could she ever explain to him her apprehension at his simple touch?  Oddly she began looking upon her exile as a good thing, knowing it would not offer her the chance to become close to another.  It was a sad thought, and not one she relished.

Straightening she decided it was high time she stopped moping about and accepted things the way there were.  Quickly she washed and dressed deciding the best way to deal with her problems was to not allow them to control her.

The door sliding open before her, she jumped back in shock to find Michael Garibaldi standing there preparing to ring the chime.  “Mr. Garibaldi,” she said pleasantly overlooking the hard gaze he had pinned on her.  “Was there something…?”

“I’m looking for Aelora,” he told her quickly, not wasting time with false pleasantries.  After his encounter with Aelora the previous day, he had wanted to apologize to her.  He had been rude, that he could easily admit.  And though he was not willing to trust her yet, he knew she was not to blame for the changes in her life.  He had easily embraced her before her telepathic abilities had manifested, perhaps if given time he could accept her once again.

Terann chose her words carefully, not knowing how much Aelora wished to have disclosed regarding her relationship with G’Kar.  Deciding it best to leave such matters to her friend, Terann replied, “Aelora left early this morning, she did not say when she would return.”

The Human nodded slightly in a gesture of thanks then turned to leave.  But when the Minbari continued to eye him curiously he asked, this time his tone clearly showing his disdain, “Is there a problem?”

“No,” Terann said quickly.  “I will tell Aelora you were looking for her.”

“Whatever.” Garibaldi then stalked away, disappearing down an adjacent corridor.

For several moments after the Human had left, Terann’s mind continued to race.  She had not intended to scan him, and in fact she had not exactly done so.  It was merely a feeling she had gleaned from him, something that pointed to something strange.  Terann knew his Starfury had disappeared during a Shadows’ attack, but had they touched him she would have recognized this instantly.  This was different, something not so obvious, simply a feeling of duality, as if two beings inhabited the same body.  But it did not make sense.  She had seen this kind of fracturing of personalities before, usually in an unstable telepath or in someone who had undergone a poorly performed mindwipe, but she was certain that neither of these applied to Garibaldi.  Besides, in these instances, the effects were so blatant that even a non-telepath would suspect.  This was much subtler, and that was what set off alarms in Terann’s head.  Not wishing to appear rash, she decided it best to simply watch Garibaldi and be alert for any other hints to what might have happened to him. 

Securing her quarters behind her, Terann headed in the direction of the core shuttle.  She hugged her robes around her tightly, attempting to appear unthreatening while still maintaining an air of strength.  Making her way through the darkened corridors of Brown Sector, Terann hated to think of her and Aelora being forced to live there.  This part of the station barely stood as a step up from Down Below and the inhabitants were just as paranoid here as they were there. Most that she past seemed to not see her at all, while others noted her with a strange mix of curiosity and confusion, most likely due to the various chemicals that flowed freely through this part of Brown Sector. 

Stepping off the shuttle in Red Sector, Terann found herself taking a deep breath, instantly relaxing among the bustle of people.  She found she liked it here where she was quickly able to blend in.  Here there were no curious stares or harsh whispers, here she was simply a Minbari, and right now that was all she wanted to be. 

She began at one end of the market place, moving from vendor to vendor.  Stopping at a small booth run by a young Human woman she purchased several candles and some incense from Earth she was certain Aelora would like.  Offering her thanks, Terann continued her journey, gathering a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables into her satchel.  Food was expensive here, since much of it was brought in from far off planets and colonies, but despite this she managed to purchase enough to last her and Aelora several days. 

After more than an hour in the Zocalo, Terann had begun to feel better about herself and her future.  She could admit that life aboard Babylon 5 was not completely terrible, that being out here amongst so many different lifeforms reminded her of all she had been created to protect.  The faint traces of a smile formed on her face as she exited the marketplace, deciding to explore the station further before heading back to her quarters.  She did not follow any set path, simply allowed her body to wander without interference from her mind.  It was something she found to be a refreshing change.  In the course of her travels, she passed a pair of Rangers, one of which she recognized from the crew of the White Star she had commanded at Corianus.  The young Human smiled and nodded at her in greeting, which pleased Terann.  It was nice to know there were those who knew what she was and what she was capable of, who were able to accept this without recrimination or fear.  For a brief moment she considered Delenn’s offer of returning to Minbar to join the Anla’shok, but she knew it was not something she could currently allow.  Whether she agreed with the wishes of her Caste’s elders or not, she could not defy them. 

So lost in her thoughts she was that when she came to the lift, she entered it without taking heed of who was currently inside.  When finally she did pay him notice, it was too late, as the doors slid closed behind her, cutting off her only means of escape. 

Instantly she recognized the Human for what he was his identity given away by his black clothing and bronze and copper badge.  Though she had heard stories throughout her life regarding Psi Corps, it was not until meeting Aelora that she had received a full account of the horrors they inflicted.    Her own experience with them had been limited to the Psi Cop Ashlen, and though she appeared somewhat harmless, this one seemed different, urging Terann to reinforce her defenses.  As she had showed Aelora, she maintained a rigid block all the while remaining on the offensive, prepared to meet any encroachment head on.

Alfred Bester had been entirely preoccupied with his own affairs to pay little notice to those that boarded or disembarked the lift as he made his way to his assigned quarters.  So much was presently occurring in his life that even his finely honed mind was having trouble keeping up.  In addition to his love, Carolyn, still being kept in stasis and the possibility of helping her close at hand, he also had Garibaldi to guide and a rogue telepath to track.  It was the latter which currently held his thoughts.  Many times, his predecessors had managed to track Soria and Aelora Campbell, but none had ever come close enough to detain either of them.  Now that Soria was gone, Aelora had become an even more valuable commodity.  Ashlen had regaled him with details of all she had learned about the Human, which did not amount to much.  He knew, in his heart, that there was far more to this mysterious young woman; much that he was determined to uncover.  But all in good time, he assured himself.  Once she was amongst the Corps there would be plenty of time to determine the true extent of her abilities. 

Sighing audibly, his eyes fell upon the Minbari who now occupied the lift with him.  Her back was to him, and she appeared as uninterested in him as he was in her.  That was until he sensed the deep void emanating from her.  Normally being this close to someone, even a strong telepath, he would detect something, the basic sense a sentient being naturally emits.  But he felt nothing from her; it was as if she were merely a figment of an over active imagination. 

A small smile formed on his thin lips as he realized whom he was in the presence of.  Given the strength of her mental blocks, he knew she was as aware of him as he was of her.  Yet if he could catch her off-guard he may be able to learn something about her or the Human, Aelora.  On the other hand, he could simply provoke her into using her abilities and the knowledge learned through such a display would no doubt prove to be just as valuable.  Deciding the benefits far outweighed the risks, he moved quickly, tearing into her mind with unrestrained determination.  He felt the block slip, before crumbling completely, a wave of satisfaction washing over him.  Perhaps she is not as strong as suspected, he thought as he made his way through her mind, picking apart what details he could as quickly as he could.  Yet as he worked, his suspicions were piqued.  The information he tore from her mind either seemed too easy to retrieve or too well placed.  It was then that he realized in horror what was happening.

Using a counter technique the Vorlons had taught her, she fed Bester the information he sought all the while building a sort of feedback into his own mind.  It was not until she was deeply entrenched in his thoughts that he realized the scope of his error.  She ripped through his mind, paying little mind to anything except his reasons for being on Babylon 5.  She had believed, originally, that he had been sent merely to apprehend Aelora, and though that was part of his assignment, there was far more to it.  Breaking the connection between them, she turned to face him dispassionately as he slumped momentarily against the bulkhead. 

Quickly composing himself, Bester fixed the Minbari with an angered stare.  “You cannot keep Aelora from us.”

“Watch me,” Terann warned.  “You have no idea who or what you are dealing with.”

“Yes, your abilities are impressive.  But Aelora belongs with us and in the end there is little you can do to stop us.”  He then stepped towards the lift door as it slid open, turning to face the Minbari once more.  “For Aelora’s sake, and your own, I suggest you stay out of our way.”

Terann watched as the Psi Cop exited the lift, too stunned to act on his threat.  It wasn’t his interest in Aelora that worried her, at least not presently.  No, now there were more pressing concerns -- concerns that could have repercussions that stretched between hundreds of worlds.  She knew this day would come, had even feared it.  Yet now that the time was at hand she knew what had to be done and would do so without hesitation, she only hoped she was not sealing the fate of every living being in the galaxy.

 

 

 

 

G’Kar awoke early the next morning a wave of contentment immediately washing over him at the feel of the sleeping Human nestled in his arms.  Since meeting the young woman he had longed to hold her as he was now, to know instinctively that she felt safe within his embrace.  But now as he held her he realized how fragile such desires were, how close he had come to losing her completely.  Her appearance was something he could easily overlook, even with the horrid cuts and bruises.  But he knew where each mark had come from, knew the enjoyment Na’Kar and the others had elicited in reducing her to barely a shadow of her former self.  Had it been simply her appearance and second-hand accounts of her mistreatment he was certain he could have easily dealt with her ordeal. But after the mindwipe, when Terann had forced him to relieve every agonizing minute of Aelora’s torture and imprisonment, it had become increasingly difficult.  This had been what he wanted and he could readily admit that.  To think of Aelora being plagued with the humiliation was almost unbearable, but he had not consented to the Minbari’s tactics.  How was it that Terann believed he must suffer for the actions of those who had harmed Aelora?  By what right did she believe she could force him to relive Aelora’s horrors every time he closed his eyes?  He wanted to believe that Terann had done so out of a need to see that her friend was not hurt again, but something deep within him urged him not to believe this.  To think that perhaps there was something darker behind Terann’s motives, something he was not sure he wanted to understand.  He did not question his belief that the Minbari had changed since her return to Babylon 5 that much was clear by the cold lifelessness he saw in her eyes.  Perhaps it was as Terann had said that he truly never knew her.  He then found himself questioning how well Aelora had known her.  He recalled how after the truth of Terann’s origins had become known, how he and the others had reasoned that Aelora had been altered to counter the Vorlon’s creation.  What if Terann now planned to use this to her advantage?  Keep your friends close and your enemies’ closer.  He recited the age-old phrase with grave disdain.  During the mindwipe Terann had showed him simply what she had wanted him to see, keeping his mind so centered on Aelora’s mistreatment, giving herself free reign over the rest of Aelora’s mind.  What if she had used this opportunity, seizing hold of Aelora in her weakened stated, to ensure the final destruction of her enemy.  At the end of the war the Vorlons had gone quite mad, eliminating whole worlds in a bid to rid the galaxy of the Shadows and their influence.  What if Terann now hoped to complete their work? 

Sadly he knew there was little he could currently do.  Perhaps this was merely paranoia, spawned by all he knew of Aelora’s mistreatment, perhaps Terann truly had Aelora’s well-being in mind or perhaps he was simply jealous of the closeness the two telepaths shared, knowing he could never experience a bond like it with the Human.  All he could do now is to watch over Aelora, protect her as he had sworn to do, and if Terann moved against her… well that was something he would be forced to deal with when and if the time came. 

He was pulled from his musing by Aelora as she stirred in her sleep, her muffled cries sending a piercing pain shooting through his heart.  Gently he caressed her cheek, whispering softly that he was there and no harm would come to her.  Would she ever be free? He wondered, always fearful that the mindwipe would prove to be ineffective and Aelora’s memories would come back to her in a torrent of pain and terror.  How ironic he found it, that his love for the woman beside him would bring him so much happiness, fear and pain all at once. 

“It is impossible to sleep when you keep staring at me!” Aelora told him pointedly, her eyes still closed and a smile spreading across her face.

“It is hard not to stare when one is in the presence of such beauty.”

Aelora groaned loudly, swatting at his bare chest with her hand.  The Narn caught her hand gently by the wrist bringing it toward his lips where he kissed each fingertip lightly.  Aelora leaned into his embrace, her own lips taking the place of her fingers.  The kiss was full of passion and longing, as if all that had ever she longed to show him was culminated within it. 

G’Kar matched her kiss with a ferocity that stunned and aroused him, his tongue exploring her mouth, tasting her, proving to her his desire.  He laid her gently back against the pillows, careful not to hurt her with his movements or the weight of his body.  She was still showing signs of emaciation, despite the more severe of her injuries having already begun to heal.  He pulled her tightly into his embrace, wrapping his immense arms around her tiny form.  Aelora did the same, pulling him closer to her, her hands gently tracing the curve of his shoulders before dancing across the skin of his back. 

“In Valen’s name!” She shrieked her touch running over the marks left by the electro-whip. 

G’Kar focused his eyes on hers, taking her hands in his. “It is alright, Aelora.”

“No!” She shouted.  “He did this to you… Cartagia.”

The Narn nodded.  “He had me whipped to force me to scream for him.”

The strength that Aelora had maintained crumbled in that instant, tears spring forth.  “I’m sorry, G’Kar… I…”

“Shhh, shon’Ur,” he silenced her, wiping the tears from her pale cheeks.  “No more guilt… no more pain.”

He then retook her mouth in his, this time more gently, as if to reassure her.  When she relaxed once more into his embrace, he traced his way to her neck, his tongue darting out to taste her skin, breathing deeply of her warm scent.  He continued his descent, capturing her left nipple between his teeth, sucking on it gently before nipping it lightly.  He took her other breast in his hand, teasing the nipple until it formed a swollen bud.  He then replaced his fingers with his lips, sucking on it as he had its twin.  His hand now free to explore the rest of her body, he tracing over the taut flesh of her abdomen, brushing through the curls at the apex of her thighs, a faint smile forming as he felt Aelora’s legs part slightly in anticipation.  He continued to tease her, his hand grazing over her skin, barely touching her.  She arched into him, silently indicating her need.  Only then did he part the folds of her, his finger quickly finding her core while his thumb centered on the swollen nub. 

Aelora marveled at the sensations that were racing through her body at G’Kar’s ministrations.  How easily he could read her body, bringing her to the pinnacle then stopping short, continuing to tease her until she thought she would weep from the lack of release.  Moving her hands to cup his face she brought his mouth back to hers, kissing him deeply, their tongues intermingling with one another. 

Only then did he take her, moving over the top of her and thrusting into her with just enough restraint to ensure that he did not harm her.  Aelora felt her body melt in his embrace, her breath coming in gasps as she matched his rhythm.  She clenched her eyes shut desperate to hold herself back until that last moment when they would both be released.

They moved together, their bodies becoming one in their coupling, both racing towards climax.  Losing hold of her control, Aelora felt her body erupt into flames, her body clenching onto G’Kar’s sending him into the abyss with her.

Their movements stilling in the wake of their lovemaking, G’Kar moved off the Human, pulling her into his arms while relishing the closeness that had developed between them, never once the fear of losing her leaving his mind.

Afterwards they lay there for a long while, Aelora resting peacefully in his arms and G’Kar gently stroking her head.  The Human pressed her ear against his chest, simply listening to the rhythmic beating of the Narn’s heart enjoying the feel of his warm body pressed against hers.  It was a simple pleasure, one she had denied herself for so very long.  So much time they had lost, she thought sadly, so much time that she longed to… needed to make up.  All her life she had sought for someone to love her, to accept her unconditionally, and when that being had come forward, she had rejected him simply because of the race he had been born.  Now as she remembered this she felt ashamed and angered.  How ignorant she had become.  Her mother, her real mother, had taught her better than that.  She remembered now.  Remembered the love her mother had felt for her, remembered how it felt to have that projected telepathically onto her, embracing her, assuring her that whatever the cost she would ensure that no harm came to her child.  After her mother’s death she had wanted to feel that way again, had done everything to gain the acceptance and love of those who had taken her in and given her a home.  Instead she had learned fear and anger and hatred, and in doing so she had grown from a gentle loving girl to a cold, unfeeling woman.  Only after coming to Babylon 5 did she realize the damage done to her by the Kyra’s, yet she continued to fight against those who attempted to help her, to find the gentle, loving woman who dwelled inside her.  Only now, as she opened her heart, mind and soul to the one person she had feared and hated the most did she realize how lost she had truly become.  She wanted to scream and weep and rail against all who had made her who she was.  But most of all she wanted to punish herself, for in her heart she believed that it was with her alone where the blame should lie.

“No more tears,” G’Kar told her softly, kissing away the tears that she had tried desperately to hold back. 

She nodded imperceptibly, pressing her body even harder against his.  She marveled at how easily he had forgiven her for all her past wrongs against him and his people, how easily he had accepted his love for her and stood by that love regardless of what obstacles they faced.  If only she could find the strength within herself to do the same, then perhaps there was still hope for them both.

 

 

 

 

 

Aelora had to admit that it was difficult concentrating on her first day at work.  Whenever she was left alone, her thoughts returned to the night she had shared with G’Kar and the slightest hint of a smile would appear on her face.  It was hard to want to be where she was, and not back in his embrace, where she knew he would lavish full attention on every part of her body, where his kisses and caresses would send her into frenzy, where he could take her to paradise again and again.  As she remembered their morning together her cheeks would grow warm and inevitably, that would be when Harden would yell out her name, needing her to perform some inane task or help a customer while her thoughts were far from retail sales. 

“Busy day,” Harden commented as Aelora totaled her sales in preparation to leave. 

She nodded as she added the final tally.  “And only two shop lifting attempts.”

“Which would have been successful if not for you,” her boss grunted.  “I never realized what all it would mean to have a telepath working for me.”

Aelora glanced up at him with a suspicious gaze.  “You have never mentioned my telepathic abilities before, Mr. Fenning.  I am wondering, is that why you hired me?”

“No, no.  Of course not.”  He denied with an emphatic shake of his head.  “Just an added bonus.  As a matter of fact, I was never truly convinced you were a telepath, until today.”  He paused for a moment, chewing on his cigar, then asked, “I am curious though, you ain’t registered with Psi Corps, are ya?”

“I don’t see how that is any of your business,” Aelora bristled, slamming the cash drawer shut.

“Hey now, little lady.”  Harden held up his hands in mock surrender.  “’S not like I’m gonna turn you in or nothin’.  Just curious is all.  I’m not one for wanting to deal with the Corps comin’ in here and tearing up my place to catch a rogue.”

She sighed.  “I am not a rogue.  I am not an Earth citizen.  They have no jurisdiction over me.”

“Heh.  ‘ Way I see it Psi Corps don’t much care about the standard rules of the universe, Miss Campbell.  They tend to do what they want, when they want.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied quickly when she realized she was late for her check up with Dr. Franklin.  “Anything else?”

“Nope.  See ya tomorrow.”  Harden waved her away, noting her sudden shortness.  He did not wish to gain her antipathy so he left the conversation where it stood.  Still he could not help but wonder whether or not Psi Corps would come for her.  That was a situation he did not wish to get caught in the middle of unless he could somehow beat Psi Corps to the punch.  He was still waiting to hear from his contacts back on Earth and once he did, then he would know when to make his move.  He was not about to let such a perfect opportunity slip through his fingers without taking advantage of it.

Aelora hurried toward MedLab 1, angry with Harden for bringing up a situation she would rather not contemplate.  She knew it would not be long before Psi Corps did show up looking for her, and then what?  If they contested her citizenship as a Centauri, she doubted that there would be anyone on Centauri Prime who would back her up.  And while she knew Captain Sheridan offered a certain amount of protection to Lyta Alexander, she knew that he would not be as willing to do the same for her.  So that left G’Kar – and the last thing Aelora wanted was to have to fall back on his protection constantly.  Though she knew he would more than willingly offer it, she felt the Narn people had enough of their own problems to solve in which they would need his guidance without adding her to the list.  So where did that leave her to turn?  She certainly could not go to the Minbari; her ties to them were all but severed with the disappearance of her father.  There would be those who would argue that with all things being as they were – her a child of Valen – that she was most completely tied to the Minbari people.  But that was not how Aelora saw it.  It would bring up too many complications regarding allegiance to Delenn, an allegiance she was not yet prepared to give.  Perhaps someday she would be able to forgive, and maybe even forget, but it was not in the near future.

So she would be left up to her own devices to escape Psi Corps and the thought of being forced to leave Babylon 5 – forced to leave G’Kar – terrified her.  She could run as her mother did, spending the rest of her life leaving people and places she cared about behind but would she ever be able to acclimate herself to such a life?  Her mother at least had her child with her, someone to care for and worry about, to keep her mind occupied instead of focusing on her own selfish wants and desires.  Aelora knew that if she were forced to leave, she would never be able to keep herself from returning to G’Kar, never be able to forget that the only happiness she had truly experienced had been with him.  How would she possibly be strong enough to throw that all away?

Paying little attention to her surroundings, Aelora entered the lift taking no notice of the accompanying passenger until she heard “Computer, halt” called out shortly after they began to move.  She recognized the voice instantly and her senses became alert to the quiet animosity that was directed at her.  Bracing herself for the coming confrontation, Aelora gritted her teeth and spun around.

“Captain Sheridan, if you don’t mind, I have an appointment to get to.”

“It can wait,” he replied smoothly.  “We have a few important matters to discuss.”

“Isn’t this entrapment or something like that?” Aelora frowned, leaning against the back wall and folding her arms across her chest impatiently.  “What did I do now?”

“Nothing yet,” came the reply.  “But I am certain there is trouble just around the corner.  You seem to attract it like a magnet.”

She shrugged.  “I can’t help that I am an attractive person.”

“I am not joking, Miss Kyra or Sinclair or whatever your name is.”

“Campbell, thank you very much,” Aelora snapped.  “And just what is your problem with me anyway?  What have I ever done to you?  Nothing!  Okay, so maybe I took part in the revamping of a White Star but that was not my fault!  I was under the influence of the Shadows and – “

“The Shadows made you what you are, Miss Campbell.  A very powerful teep that spells nothing but trouble for this station and its inhabitants!”

“The Shadows are gone!”  Aelora shouted out him, pushing away from the wall so that they were standing toe to toe.  “Only I am responsible for my actions and no one else!  It was one incident, Sheridan – one!  You can’t continue to hold me responsible for every ill in this galaxy!”

“I am not taking any chances here, not after what we have all been through with the Shadow War,” Sheridan told her, his voice and manner too calm.  “If you wish to abide on my station then you will do so according to my rules.”

“Your station?”  Aelora threw her hands up in frustration.  “This ownership issue has gone a little too far, Captain.”

Sheridan leaned over her threateningly.  “I am not here for your opinion, Campbell.  If you want to remain on this station then you will continue to take the Sleepers.”

Aelora’s mouth fell open and for the first time in months, she found herself completely speechless.  “The last time I took those, Captain,” she informed him calmly.  “They almost killed me.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“In Valen’s name, I do not believe I am having this conversation with you!”  She turned away from him.  “Computer, continue.”

“Computer, halt!” Sheridan barked grabbing Aelora’s arm and turning her roughly to face him.

Aelora’s anger sparked and she flashed him a quelling glare.  “By all means, Sheridan, perhaps you would like to settle this telepath to mundane, hmmm?”

“Are you threatening me, Miss Campbell?” Sheridan asked, his voice dangerously low.

Aelora closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to calm while she pulled her arm from his grip.  She stepped away from him, silently reminding herself that he was only looking out for Babylon 5 and the people he was sworn to protect.  She could understand how he would see her as a threat, especially after the current relations between her and Delenn. 

“Look, Captain.”  She turned back to him.  “Somewhere along the way, we got off on the wrong foot and I am sorry about that.  Maybe your animosity towards me stems from the stress you had during the Shadow War and my presence did not help.  Maybe its there because of your feelings for Delenn and you may see me as a threat to her.  Whatever.  All I am saying is, whatever your opinions of me, they are wrong.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is.”  She paused for a moment, thinking how best to mend the enormous rift that existed between her and the station’s commanding officer.  “I would never do anything to jeopardize my place on this station, nor anything to harm even one of its inhabitants.  Whether you believe it or not, I feel at home here, and I don’t want to lose that.  I know you have seen the worst of me – my behavior towards the Narn population when I first arrived not withstanding.  But I have changed, and I am willing to show you my best, if you will simply give me this chance.”

“You expect me to believe you have changed, just like that?”

The telepath nodded.  “It’s a leap of faith, I know, but it is there just the same.  I can’t explain it to you in detail because neither of us has that kind of time but I am a different person.  G’Kar would vouch for me.”

“Yes, I have noticed the two of you seem close,” he commented, his eyes narrowing as he regarded her.  Something inside him urged him to believe her, to give her another chance.  He had been beyond angry at her treatment of Delenn the other night but even Delenn had urged him not to judge her by what was said.  It seemed that she was still willing to give the daughter of Jeff Sinclair a chance, and she had asked him to do the same.  Still, John worried.  Though he did not see Aelora as a threat by herself, he had heard rumors regarding her telepathic abilities.  Even Delenn was uncertain of what was true and what was exaggeration. 

   “Captain, if you must go to G’Kar and question him to make you more comfortable, then please do so,” Aelora told him.  “You trust him, don’t you?”

“G’Kar?  Of course,” Sheridan replied as if the simple question were insulting.  “Love has a tendency to blind though.”

Aelora smiled.  “Perhaps.  But I think you know G’Kar well enough to know that he would not allow such a thing to cloud his vision.”

Sheridan could not help but notice the respect and love evident in the young woman’s voice when she spoke of the Narn.  Perhaps she really had changed.  He knew that to go to G’Kar and ask him to vouch for Aelora would insult G’Kar and place a rift in their friendship.  By giving her the chance that no one else was willing to, G’Kar was placing his trust and loyalty on the telepath’s side.  Sheridan knew that he would expect others to understand that from his actions.

“Captain,” Aelora spoke interrupting his thoughts.  “Would it make you feel any better if I told you that should G’Kar ever see the need for me to begin taking the Sleepers again, I promise that I will do so?”

“You love him that much?”  Sheridan did not wish to appear astounded but he could not help it.  The Aelora he had first met he doubted would ever willingly lay down her life on the word of a Narn.

She nodded with a soft smile.  “More.  And I trust him, I trust his wisdom.”

“Computer, resume,” the Captain called out, wondering what Delenn’s reaction would be when he told her of this conversation.  He glanced down at the telepath who appeared visibly relieved.  “This is not to say I will not be watching you, Campbell.”

Aelora laughed.  “I wouldn’t expect any less.”

As the lift stopped and Sheridan moved to exit, he turned back to her.  “One more thing.  Should I ever have need of your help, especially in the coming months, can I count on you?”

“I – “ Aelora was uncertain how to answer, afraid to hand over such a strong commitment so easily.  Morden’s warning regarding her gifts flashed through her mind and she could not stave off the worry that giving someone such power over her abilities was a bad idea.  She could only hope that Sheridan would not take advantage of her agreement; that he would in turn not prove to be no better than those the Shadows counted on for her exploitation. 

Reluctantly, she nodded.  “Yes.  Of course.”

Sheridan nodded with a tight smile then moved off.  As the doors closed on his retreating figure, Aelora fell back against the wall, relief flooding through her that the confrontation had gone more easily than expected.  Though she was uncertain about so readily agreeing to help him should the situation arise, she figured she would worry about it when the time came. She would talk it over with G’Kar, informing him of the entire conversation and see what he believed should be done.

On arriving at MedLab 1, Aelora discovered that Franklin was in the middle of patching up a couple of drunken Drazi who had started a brawl in Eight to the Bar.  One of the assistants escorted her into Exam room 3 where he ran a couple of basic tests, scanned her vital signs and recorded the findings before informing her that Dr. Franklin would be with her soon.  Aelora spent the next few minutes calculating the time she had spent in MedLab as opposed to anywhere else on the station.  As frightening as it was, she had most likely spent more time as a patient under Doctor Franklin’s care than most of his patient’s combined.  She made the silent vow to herself to stop visiting the infirmary so often.

“Well hello there, Aelora.  How are you feeling today?”  Franklin greeted her with a friendly smile as he entered the room.

“Great.  Can I leave now?  I just came to the startling conclusion that I have spent too much time in this place.”

The handsome doctor laughed.  “Why Aelora!  If you left my business would be cut in half.”

“That isn’t even remotely amusing,” she replied with a frown.

“Well I’ll tell you what.  If everything looks good today, you don’t need to come back.  How’s that?”

“Sounds great!”  Aelora smiled.  “As long as an asteroid doesn’t hit me on the way out of here.”

Franklin chuckled as he ran the scanner over her.  He asked her the occasional routine question, looked over the worst of her scars, commenting on the regenerative healing abilities of her body that had left them all almost undetectable.  He was pleased to see that her blood count had reached its normal level and that her immune system was fully active once more.  He checked her reflexes, reacted with surprise at the amount of hair that had already grown in and pronounced her physically healed, though he cautioned her to continue to eat well and regain her strength and color that she was still lacking.  

“How are you feeling otherwise?” He asked her as he entered his notes into her file.

Aelora smiled.  “Wonderful.  Perfect… Alive.”

He glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow.  “That good, huh?  And to what do we owe this joy of life?”

She felt her cheeks grow warm at the memory of the night before.  “G’Kar.”

“I see.”  Franklin continued to enter his notes before setting the data pad down and taking a seat on the stool next to the examination bed.  He considered carefully how he wanted to approach the next subject, without alarming her or ruining the progress made since Terann performed the mindwipe.  “I take it you and G’Kar have… consummated your relationship?”

Aelora stared at him blankly for the next few moments before finally replying, “I don’t see what that has to do with –“

“Humor your physician, Aelora,” Franklin told her gently.  “You went through hell on Narn, do you understand?  The Narn that held you captive was bound and determined to kill you and he almost succeeded, I only want to make certain everything is all right.  That you are all right.  Physically and mentally.  Do you understand?”

Aelora nodded though she looked away, unwilling to broach a subject she would rather have forgotten.

“Did you experience any pain or discomfort during intercourse?”

“No!”  She snapped, quickly rethinking her silent pledge to cooperate.

“Aelora,” Franklin chided her softly.  “What about fear?  Were there any moments that you experienced flashbacks?”

“I – “ Aelora broke off and sighed.  The truth was that the fear had threatened to overpower her at first -- fear of being trapped in G’Kar’s arms, of looking up and seeing Na’Kar’s face hovering over her once more.  And that fear had remained all through the night to the morning when she had awakened, disoriented and uncertain of her whereabouts.  But the fear stemmed from more than what she remembered – it grew out of what she did not remember and could not place.  “I don’t know what you are expecting to hear, Dr. Franklin.  Yes, I had my reservations but I conquered them.  I love G’Kar and I certainly can’t blame him and his entire race for what one Narn did to me.  That would be selfish and cruel.”

“But?” He prodded, noting the hesitation and uncertainty in her voice.  While he understood Terann’s reasoning behind the mindwipe and G’Kar’s wish for it to be performed, he was still unsure as to how good of an idea it was. In his experience, things like this always came back to haunt you. 

His patient shook her head.  “It’s hard to explain.  You know when you have a dream and when you wake up, you remember the gist of the dream but there is nothing tangible?  I mean, you remember the events but if anyone were to ask you the hows or whys, you wouldn’t be able to answer.  That’s how I am feeling.  I see these scars on my head and I know Na’Kar put them there and I can feel the heat of the fire as it burned me, and fell the pain of the hairs being torn from my head.  But it is as if I saw it happen to myself, not like I had it happen to me.”  She held out her hands, wrists up, displaying the fast disappearing scars that ran along her veins.  “I remember doing this but I don’t remember why and I don’t remember how.  What brought me to it?  Had I really given up that much?  I don’t remember what I was feeling when I did it, Stephen.  I don’t even remember where I was or what condition I was in.  It’s like someone told me a story and now I am beginning to wonder as to the details.  And it’s the not knowing that is scariest of all.”                 

Franklin began to worry that her continued exploration of the missing pieces of her memory might break through the mindwipe.  Then where would they be?  He made a mental note to speak with Terann about it then reached out and touched her hand reassuringly.

“Aelora, you went through a lot in a short time.  And who knows what lasting repercussions the Sleepers damage may have on you?  I wouldn’t let it control you.  As you said, you are beginning to feel alive again and you have a whole new future spread before you.  There are those who care very much about you who do not want to see you hurt anymore.  Try to look beyond the past, stop giving in to the nightmares and the fears and let it all go.  Don’t you think it is better that you don’t remember?”

Aelora shrugged, not certain how to answer.  This was something she had not discussed with G’Kar and not mentioned to Terann.  She did not wish for them to worry anymore about her, for they both had spent too much time doing so and she knew they each had their own problems to occupy their time.  Perhaps Franklin was right and the difficulty with her memory stemmed only from her use of the Sleepers.  Then why were so many other things crystal clear?  Why was it that only her time on Narn and part of her stay on Centauri Prime was difficult to delineate?  She could only conclude that there was something – some memory – that her mind refused to remember the details of.

And the very thought was terrifying to her beyond comprehension.  

 

 

 

 

 

Aelora entered the quarters she shared with Terann to find the Minbari sitting on the couch, staring into a candle that was fast reaching the end of its wick.  She appeared to be deeply in meditation and the Human felt instantly ashamed to interrupt her.  She considered leaving and coming back later when Terann called out:

“It is all right, Aelora.  I was simply thinking.”  She unfolded her legs from under her and stood to regard the Human.  “I was worried when you were not in your bed this morning.”

“Sorry.”  Aelora flashed a quick apologetic smile.  “I’m fine.  I was with G’Kar.”

Terann nodded but did not comment.  She continued to watch Aelora silently as the Human moved over to the kitchenette and prepared some tea.  Finally she asked, “How was your first day of work?”

“As well as expected for retail work.”  Aelora smiled.  “I caught some shoplifters.  Funny how handy telepathic abilities can be.”

“You are not a security guard, Aelora,” Terann admonished with a frown.  “That sort of work is beneath you.”

“I doubt I was hired for that purpose, Terann,” Aelora replied, rolling her eyes.  “It’s just something that happened to come up.  Unexpected, that’s all.  Lighten up a little.”

Terann pursed her lips and turned away, replacing the burnt candle with a new one and discarding the old.  She could feel the joy radiating from Aelora like the heat of a flame and she could not help but feel the slightest tinge of envy.  Though she did not begrudge her friend her happiness, she did find herself - for the first time ever -regretting her telepathic abilities.  The change in Aelora was a palpable thing, as if the Human had emerged from a cocoon as a completely different being than what she had been born.  It angered Terann that she could feel this; she could see this change and yet G’Kar would never be able to experience it, would never realize it had occurred so significantly and the sheer beauty of it would be wasted.  And yet Aelora chose to be with the Narn, seemed more inclined to shun those who were like her instead of seek them out.  Terann knew she would have to make Aelora understand that they were different, and that those like G’Kar and Neroon would never be able to truly know them, or truly accept them.  She had to make the Human realize this before she was hurt.

“So what were you thinking about?”

“What?”  Terann turned to see that Aelora had moved up behind her, sipping delicately from the cup of hot tea. 

“I asked what you were thinking about that had you so engrossed?”  Aelora dropped onto the small couch, tucking a leg beneath while the other she bounced before her as if she was too hyper to sit completely still.

Terann shrugged her tiny shoulders.  “Recent events.  That is all.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

Really she did not, but she found herself thinking that if she could show Aelora what had happened to her, then perhaps Aelora would understand that her relationship with G’Kar could prove to be disastrous.  Taking a seat opposite the couch from her friend, Terann carefully searched for the words to describe an event she had not spoken of since its occurrence.

“Things happened, during my return to Minbar,” she began.  “I was accepted by the crew of the Ingata, respected for my position and seen as one of them. For the first time in a long while, I felt as if I belonged, as if I finally knew my place in the galaxy.  I had a purpose and… and I really wanted to be a part of everything around me.  I realized how tired I had become of watching from the sidelines as beings around me went through their everyday lives.  I had always wanted to be in the midst of it all – one of them – and for once, I really was there.”

Aelora smiled.  “I would have liked to have seen that.”

Terann shook her head.  “No matter how badly we want something, it does not mean it was meant to be, Aelora.”

The Human took another drink of her tea, averting her eyes from Terann’s gaze.  She knew what the Minbari was driving at but did not understand why.  Her friend had always seemed supportive of her feelings for G’Kar – why then was there this sudden change of heart?  Choosing to ignore Terann’s hints, Aelora asked, “So what happened between you and Neroon?”

At first it appeared as if Terann was going to refuse to answer the direct question.  At the simple mention of his name, the Minbari seemed to whither away from her former self and become little more than a shell of what she was.  Aelora felt both shame for asking and curiosity at the answer.  She leaned forward, placing the mug on the nearby end table.  Reaching out, she touched Terann’s hand.  “Terann?” She inquired gently.  “What happened?”

“We grew close,” Terann replied softly.  She glanced away for a brief moment before returning to meet Aelora’s gaze.  “Intimately close.”

The Human clapped her hands together.  “Woohoo!  I knew it!  I told you there was something there.”

“I only wish there had not been ‘something there’,” Terann commented as she stood and moved away from the couch.

“What happened?”

Terann turned back to her.  “He found out the truth… about me and who I am, where I came from.  And he reacted as any of them would have… with anger, hatred and fear.”

Aelora jumped to her feet.  “The bastard!  What did he say to you?  What did you do?”  She moved up to the Minbari, her gaze searching.  “Tell me what happened?”

Terann sighed but began to describe the events that took place from her meeting with Shakiri to the moment Neroon left her apartments.  She left nothing out, explaining to Aelora her fears regarding the coming conflict on the Minbari Homeworld to everything painful that occurred between her and Neroon.  She was pleased with herself for having the strength to make it through the details without breaking down.  The last thing she wanted was for Aelora to see her cry.  Maybe it was foolish pride on her part but she did not want the Human’s sympathy nor did she want to be viewed as anything other than the strong person she was.  Deep inside, she did want to cry.  She wanted to break down and scream and weep and rail against the pain of losing Neroon.  She wanted to be held, just for a moment, and have someone tell her that everything would be all right.  That someday she would find someone who loved her no matter what she was or where she came from and that she would belong, without ever fearing displacement again.

Instead, Terann continued to show a façade of strength, pretending she that felt if Neroon did not want her, and then she did not need him.  She wanted to appear apathetic regarding the entire situation, making flippant remarks and ending her tale by saying it had all been a great mistake to begin with.

Aelora saw through the lie but did not push.  “I am sorry to hear that you went through that, Terann.  I wish I could have been there to knock some sense into him for you – besides the fact that I would have enjoyed knocking him around a bit.”

“We both have our trials to face,” the Minbari told her, ignoring the barb at Neroon.  “I hope you can learn from my own mistakes.”

Aelora was placing the empty mug in the sink when she glanced back at Terann with a frown.  “And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“Do not be a fool as I was,” Terann urged her, moving forward.  “We have both been so desperate to belong, so desperate to have someone to love us that we would grasp at anything given to us without thinking of the repercussions.  No matter how much we love them, how much we want to be with them, they will never understand us, never truly know us.”

“You can’t possibly be comparing me and G’Kar to you and Neroon?”  Aelora asked in disbelief. 

“And why not?”  Terann pressed grabbing Aelora’s arm and forcing her to meet her gaze.  “You are a telepath – a very strong telepath with incredible gifts – and he comes from a race that does not even have telepaths, Aelora!  He will never understand you or your situation.  He does not even truly understand what you are.”

Pulling her arm from Terann’s grasp, Aelora walked away, unable to believe what she was hearing.  She could not decide if she wanted to be angry or flabbergasted.  Ignoring her friend, she spent the next few moments changing into a long brown skirt and sweater that they had purchased the other day for her to wear.  Silently, she reminded herself that someone who she loved and freely given her heart to had hurt her and that, in effect, was coloring how she saw the galaxy around her.  Still, it did not help that she seemed so against Aelora’s relationship with G’Kar.  Was it so difficult for the Minbari to simply be happy for her?

“Look, Terann,” Aelora told her as she returned to the couch.  “No matter what you may think, G’Kar does know and understand me.  He has seen what I can do.  We both understand that there will be rough times ahead.  What happened between you and Neroon is a completely different situation.  G’Kar has known what I am from the beginning, and has accepted me with that in mind.  Neroon… Neroon was in love with a Minbari; only to find out he was really in love with a Vorlon.  He was confused and hurt by what he most likely perceived as deception on your part.  It’s not an excuse – there is no excuse for how he treated you, for his threats and his cruelty, but it was very clearly a different situation.”

Terann was about to reply when the door chimed.

“It’s G’Kar,” Aelora commented as she walked past the Minbari toward the door.

“You are leaving again,” her friend commented.

“Making up for lost time,” Aelora corrected.  “Come in.”

G’Kar entered their quarters, immediately moving over to Aelora, who he pulled against him and kissed deeply.  She reacted instantly, matching his passion with that of her own, quietly letting him know that the hours apart had been too long.  Terann looked away from the display, memories of a similar kiss shared with Neroon flashing through her mind. 

“How was work?”  The Narn asked when the kiss ended, though he still held tightly to her.

“Not as exciting as what I am accustomed to,” Aelora admitted.  “But it could be worse I suppose.”

G’Kar glanced over to see Terann occupying herself by fluffing a pillow on the couch.  “Good evening, Terann.”

She glanced over her shoulder.  “G’Kar,” she nodded, and then returned to her task.

Aelora found herself looking from one to the other, the animosity between them thick enough to cut through.  She could not claim to know where this sudden dislike (distrust?) between them stemmed from, unless something had occurred during her time in MedLab that neither was willing to discuss.  Whatever it was, she did not like it.  Did they not see that forcing her to choose between them was impossible?  

“Are you ready?”  G’Kar asked Aelora though his gaze had not left Terann.

“Just a moment.”  She pulled away from his embrace and moved back toward the bathroom to apply some lipstick. 

“I noticed Aelora did not return here last night,” Terann commented.

“She was with me,” G’Kar informed her.

“Yes.  That is what she said.”  Terann worked her way around the couch to stand a few feet in front of the Narn.  “Do you think you are moving a little too quickly?”

“I do not see how that is any of your business?” G’Kar replied, turning to move toward the door.

Terann felt her anger stir when he dismissed her so quickly, especially when they were discussing Aelora.  “G’Kar… sounds a lot like Na’Kar, does it not?”

The Narn rounded on her, his eyes narrowed.  “What was that, Terann?”

“Perhaps the two of you are related,” Terann sneered, digging the insult ever deeper.

“Terann!”  Aelora’s cry stopped the situation from becoming any worse as she hurriedly positioned herself between the two combatants.  She stared at her friend with an expression of unmitigated horror.  “How in Valen’s name can you say such a thing?”

 The Minbari looked away, unwilling to apologize, unable to disclose the truth of what had occurred between her and G’Kar.  Aelora glanced back at the Narn, wincing when she saw the mixture of pain and anger apparent in his gaze. 

“G’Kar?  Will you wait for me in the hall please?”

He appeared ready to argue at first then finally nodded and disappeared out the door.  The Human turned back to her friend, someone she had entrusted her life to more than once, and found herself looking at her as if she had never seen her before.  If Aelora thought she could get away with it, she would scan Terann then and there, just to get to the bottom of what was truly going on around her.  You would not like what you found, she heard ring through her mind and started as she realized the Minbari had ‘cast it to her.  Aelora drew a deep breath, shaking her head.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you, Terann.  That you would attack G’Kar in such a way is beyond cruel – and beyond anything I ever thought you capable of.  Do you know how much you hurt him – hurt me by such a remark?”  When the Minbari said nothing in reply, Aelora pursed her lips and nodded.  “Okay fine, don’t tell me what is wrong.  But I am warning you; you are pushing the limits of this friendship… I am going out with G’Kar now and I will most likely not be back tonight.  I am hoping that when I do return maybe we can have some honesty between us, hmm?”  For a moment, Aelora was tempted to reach over and hug Terann but then her earlier words reverberated through her mind and she shrugged off the inclination. 

When she entered the corridor, Aelora found G’Kar leaning against the opposite wall, staring at the ground.  She walked over to him, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him softly.  “I’m sorry about that,” she whispered.  “I don’t know what has come over her.”

G’Kar knew but could not say anything.  He understood that Terann somehow felt justified in her comparison of him to Na’Kar, and deep inside, he did not know if she were so far off the mark.  After all that Aelora had suffered at the hands of his people, after all he had been forced to ‘witness’ of her captivity, he had still found himself content to take her into his bed, thinking only of how badly he had wanted her.  G’Kar was not so angry at Terann’s remark for the sake of her making but for how close to the truth it had been.  He should have distanced himself from Aelora, at least for a short amount of time, allowing them both to acclimate themselves to the changes in their relationship.  Now, if by some horrible fate her memories returned, even Aelora would believe that he had wanted her memories erased for no other reason than to have her. 

“G’Kar?”

The Narn pulled himself from his thoughts to meet the green eyes that regarded him with love and trust.  He ran a finger along her cheek, silently wondering if having her here before him would be only a fleeting thing.  “I am fine, shon’Ur.  I think… that is, I believe Terann has changed since her return from Minbar.”

Aelora nodded.  “Something happened.  I don’t believe she meant what she said.”  Aelora glanced back at the door to her quarters.  “If she had, I don’t think I could have let it pass so easily.”

The Narn nodded and moved away from the wall.  “Let us forget it.  We have the entire night ahead of us.”

“Mmmm.”  Aelora closed her eyes, smiling contentedly. 

“What would you like to do first?” He asked.  “Dinner?  A walk perhaps?  A show?”

Opening her eyes and casting him a flirtatious smile, Aelora said, ”I have a better idea.  Let’s go back to your place and… “ She finished off the rest of the sentence telepathically, causing G’Kar to break out in laughter before grabbing her hand and pulling her hurriedly down the hall toward Green sector.     

           

 

 

    

      

 

Throughout his journey to meet with Terann, voices of doubt echoed through Neroon’s mind.  It was a strange sensation for him and he would have been eager to chastise himself had he been meeting with anyone else.  However, as much as he hated to admit it, Terann, or rather this Terann, frightened him.

It was not until the debates surrounding the Human Sinclair’s appointment as Ranger One that Neroon had truly spent any time with her.  If he recalled correctly, it was during this time that Terann had acted as little more than an aide to the Grey Council, standing in veiled secrecy seemingly oblivious to the proceedings as they unfolded around her.  Then she had seemed withdrawn, almost reclusive, as if she knew of her exile and had accepted it as something she was powerless to change.

Weeks later their paths crossed again.  This time was after Neroon’s appointment as Satai and Terann’s subsequent resignation from her position as executive officer of the Valen’tha.  Her commission, forced upon them by the Satai of the Worker and Religious Castes, was seen as an insult by most of the Warrior Caste and her resignation only served to further the indignity.  He had confronted her, questioning her about her so-called loyalty to her cast and even to the Minbari.  During her dressing down Terann had remained silent only speaking when necessary and then in an almost inaudible tone.  She had feared him then, cowered before him and it had nauseated him.  For one who proclaimed to be warrior caste, either by birthright or calling, she was small, possessed too much faith in the teachings of the Religious Caste and seemed completely unwilling to defend herself when faced with an apparent threat.  It was then that he decided she was not deserving of his notice and after her apparent suicide he had all but forgotten her.

Until Babylon 5…

Almost immediately, Neroon had noticed the subtle changes in her.  She seemed stronger, more confident and infinitely more arrogant.  It was these qualities that intrigued him and had consequently drawn him to her.  Often he had wondered what could have so drastically changed her, how she had gone from a meek, subservient child to a headstrong determined woman in little more than two years.

Now armed with the truth he understood completely.  All the clues had been there had had just been too blind to notice.  What a fool he and the others had been for allowing the Vorlons to toy in their affairs, spinning tapestries of lies as the Minbari followed along blindly like obediently children.  How far back did their interference stretch?  And how deep did it run? He found himself wondering.  The thought infuriated him and he quickly decided that regardless of the outcome, by the end of this meeting he would have all the answers he sought.

The corridor he followed terminated in a darkened chamber used mainly for storage of industrial supplies.  It was an area of Grey Sector that was of limits to all but station personnel, but Terann had instructed him on a way that would by-pass any unwanted interference.  The chamber itself was unremarkable.  It was long and narrow; its perimeter was lined with crates and containers of varying sizes and shapes.  What light there was emanated from a dust-laden fixture on the ceiling, forming a bright circle in the center of the room while leaving the far reaches in relative darkness.

Neroon remained silent and unmoving, his eyes darting back and forth as he watched the shadowy corners for any sign of Terann.  He did not for one moment doubt her presence here, arrogantly watching and waiting, toying with ideas of what to do with him now that he was here.  He felt utterly powerless and for the briefest of moments he considered leaving but as he turned to do so he caught sight of the telepath as she lingered just inside the room’s entryway.

“Hello Neroon,” she greeted moving to stand a few feet in front of him.  “I would be lying if I said I am not surprised you came.”

“Did I have a choice?” he sneered at her.

An innocent smile creep across Terann’s lips.  “Of course you did, Neroon.  You always have; choosing which path to walk, choosing when to lead and when to follow.  You exercise this right as a matter of course, never once acknowledging your gratitude for having this freedom.”

“And did Dukhat have this right when he allowed a Vorlon to live among us?”

The telepath’s brow furrowed.  “Of course he did.  But like all choices, some are easier than others.”

“Then your existence stands as an affront to all who fought and died in his name!” Neroon spat.  “He allowed us to believe that he was the greatest of us, when in reality he was a fool!”

Anything else he may have thought to say was effectively cut off by a cold grip that threatened to crush his airway.  His strength quickly fled him, his knees buckling beneath him and he collapsed to the deck plate.  Reflexively his hands flew to his throat, clawing desperately at the invisible hands there.  He watched in horror as Terann moved towards him, her now dark eyes never leaving his.  This what not the Terann he knew and had come to care for more than he thought possible.  As an outcast, he could look down upon her, shunning her as being a blight on his people, as an equal he had welcomed her into his heart, taking her as a friend and as a lover.  But the being before him bore no resemblance to either.  Her strength and courage had been transformed into unimaginable arrogance, even her stance served to prove her reluctance to stand among the lesser races, to claim her place among the rest of the galaxy.  Everything about her appeared mystical, cryptic… Vorlon.

Just as darkness began to overtake Neroon, Terann relaxed her hold on him, watching dispassionately as he gasped hungrily for breath. 

“I cautioned you before about speaking of Dukhat in such a fashion, I do not wish to have to remind you again.”  She then turned away, sighing in frustration.  This meeting was not going as she had hoped, though admittedly she was not shocked by Neroon’s animosity towards her.  Several times since she had proposed this, Terann had question the logic of it.  Had it simply been a personal matter between her and Neroon, she would have been more than willing to ignore his presence here on Babylon 5.  However things were rarely that easy.  Despite Neroon’s denial of an ulterior motive, Terann knew there was more behind his reason for being here.  She had sensed it earlier but Aelora’s presence compounded by the (**public location**) of their encounter had prevented her from confronting him with his falsehood.  The telepath knew there were questions he wanted answers to yet the only thing that concerned Terann was what he did and did not deserve to know.

Before her final expulsion from Minbar, she had been prepared to impart with him the secrets of the universe itself.  But now, after seeing his compliance with Shakiri’s plans, she was hesitant.  Her mind whirled with the enigma set before her, knowing that one wrong action or a poorly chosen word could drive him further away.

Yet perhaps, she thought, that was where she was wrong.  He had already turned his back on her and the feelings they had shared with one another.  She had brought him here hoping she could convince him to ally himself with her so that together they could fight against the madness that threatened to consume their world.  But maybe instead of pulling him toward her she need simply push him away from Shakiri.

The pieces of her plan quickly falling into place, Terann turned back to face Neroon.

“I did not bring you here to argue about my existence, Neroon, for I believe such would be beyond your comprehension.  I brought you here to learn.”

At this Neroon laughed without humor.  “And what exactly is it that you believe you can teach me?”

The telepath ignored his biting tone and crossing her arms across her chest she began moving about the chamber.  “The Humans believe that those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it.  You have forgotten all that our people have suffered, everything that led us to this place.  You need to see the truths that you reject, to see the path that you follow is not the only one, to see that you, Neroon, have a choice.  It is not one that we are all given, but I give it to you to do with as you wish.  You can choose wisely and leave this place with the knowledge and strength to change your mistakes, or you can choose poorly and die.”

“I do not fear death!” Neroon proclaimed with a sneer.

But Terann simply shook her head; he did not understand.  “Death is not something to be feared, Neroon.  It simply is.  But the act of death is something completely different.  Death can be peaceful or violent; it can span mere moments or stretch across what seems to be an eternity.

“But it is not your death that concerns me.  Instead it is the deaths you would allow to occur - the thousands, even millions, of lives that you would allow to perish because of your misguided devotion.  And that, Neroon, is what will be your downfall.  Not a death of your body but the death of your soul.  And that, I fear, is infinitely worse.”

“You speak nonsense,” Neroon sneered.  “You who claims to be Minbari, claims to know what it means to be Minbari, when in reality such things are beyond your comprehension.  You have been mislead by the Vorlons just as we were, the only difference is that we are no longer blind to the truth.  We see you for what you are… a foolish child playacting at being something you are incapable of being.  You have no true understanding of what it means to be Minbari, of the obligations each one of us is forced to bear.  You may look like us, spent years pretending to be one of us.  But you are not, are you?  Your mind is not Minbari and therefore you have no understanding of how to think like a Minbari.”

Terann simply shook her head sadly.  He had not wounded her with his words, as she knew he spoke in anger.  Anger at her for having deceived him, her refusal to accept, one final time, what she could be with her rejection of Shakiri’s proposal.  Yet overshadowing this, and completely surprising to Terann, was Neroon’s anger and disappointment in himself.  Anger that he had not recognized her falsehood earlier, anger that fate had forced him to question everything he had been taught to believe and ultimately disappointment for doubting the person he had been raised to be.

Terann sensed the debate within him as he continued to hurl insults at her, yet she remained passive deciding that to do otherwise would only prove to be futile.

“Do not doubt my ability to see all that I lack, Neroon.”  She spoke calmly, her voice not betraying any of the emotions that coursed through her.  “I know I do not see the universe as a true Minbari, but that is by design not by choice.  Perhaps it is as you say, that I am incapable of truly understanding what it means to be Minbari, but in what I lack I possess an even greater understanding of how things are.  I can see beyond duty and beyond obligation to the truth…”

“Truth!?”  Neroon laughed at that.  “You have no concept of the truth…”

Terann lowered her gaze from his, no longer able to withstand the rage there.  “I see now that it is pointless to argue this with you Neroon.  So convinced of your own superiority, so certain of the path you have chosen to take, that you are now unable to hear anything to the contrary.  You have forgotten where you came from and therefore it is impossible to see where it is you are headed.  But I cannot forget, Neroon.  The Vorlons ensured this.  That is the way with them; passing their knowledge from one generation to another, one mind unto another so we do not forget.

“I know where you were when the Vorlons first found you.  How you existed as nomadic savages, how even as you evolved and developed technologically you still retained your savagery.  Clans battling clans to the point of extinction, petty arguments over land or some trivial piece of technology.  And it did not stop there.  No longer content to fight along clan lines you pressed against the divisions between the castes.  Soon workers were relegated to slavery while the warrior caste sought to avenge some imagined wrong done to them by the religious.  How many died because of the same arrogance you now possess, Neroon?  In a single day alone our ancestors managed to decimate Tuzanor leaving more than a million dead amidst the rubble.”

“And we learned from those mistakes!” Neroon barked, having grown tired of Terann’s self-righteousness.

“Did we?” Terann asked incredulously.  “Even with the Shadow threat, we continued to fall upon ourselves.  Only when the Vorlons provided us with a solution did we finally see how misguided we were.”

Neroon’s gaze searched hers while his mind sought to uncover what it was Terann was suggesting.  As realization settled over him with a crushing weight his eyes widened in both dread and disbelief.

“Yes Neroon,” Terann confirmed.  “Valen – a Minbari not born of Minbari, sent by the Vorlons at a time when we needed him… them most.”

“Lies!” Neroon roared backhanding the telepath hard across the face.

Terann stumbled backwards with the force of the blow but she was not to be deterred.  Regaining her footing she affected a passive appearance.  “What have I to gain from lying, Neroon?  The Vorlons are gone, as are any ties I may have had to the Minbari, even you…” Terann’s voice trailed off as she fought to control her raging emotions pushing back at the pain that surface at the thought of all she had been robbed of.  Pursing her lips she took a step towards him, her eyes appearing to plead with him.  “Neroon, please listen…”

“There is nothing you can say that I need to nor wish to hear, Terann.”  He then straightened, reinforcing his resolve.

The telepath dropped her gaze, realizing with dread that Neroon was forcing her into action.  “Then I will give you what you want.”

“What I want?”

“Yes, Neroon.”  She nodded.  “You wish to see the destruction of our homeworld, our people lying dead at your feet.  You, like Shakiri, desired my compliance in this so now I offer it.”

“It is too late…”

“In this, Neroon, you are correct.”  Terann interjected as she stepped to within inches of him.  She pushed from her mind the sensation of his nearness, ignored the scent of him, the warmth emanating from his body, until she saw him as she did any other mind; a tool to be manipulated, a means to an end. 

Neroon watched in rapt fascination, as a shadow seemed to pass over Terann, darkening her eyes and hardening her features.  He took an involuntary step backwards as the female before him seemed to grow in size, towering over him like a dark and foreboding bird.  In his mind he seemed to hear the flapping of wings, a rush of wind moving past him and then he was caught in a whirlwind, his feet pulled out form under him and everything beneath and around him disappeared, leaving him in a void.  Neroon floundered, closing his eyes, his breath coming in short, quick gasps as panic crept over him, grasping his heart in a vise-like grip. 

Then, just as quickly as it happened, all was still. 

The Minbari opened his eyes to find he stood in the midst of a wasteland.  A soft, dry breeze blew past him, fluttering his cloak around his legs.  He frowned, turning, examining the landscape which seemed somehow familiar yet wholly alien.  His eyes scanned the horizon until a specific area caught his gaze.  He sucked in a sharp breath, biting his lip to keep from uttering the words of denial that pressed at his lips.

“Yes.  It is as you believe.”

He whirled around to find Terann standing behind him, though it was not the Terann he knew, or had come to know.  This Terann resembled that of a Vorlon… somewhat.  She seemed to change before him – Vorlon, Minbari, Vorlon, Minbari.  His brain refused the images flashing before him and he turned away angrily. 

“What is this place?”  He demanded.  “Another of your Vorlon created delusions?”

“No.  It is Minbar.” 

As she said the words, the silence around them was split apart by the roar of ship engines overhead.  Neroon lifted his gaze, covering his eyes against the bright glare to see an Earth fighter soar past them.  Beyond, above them in the sky, more fighters appeared, unmolested as they veered in the direction of Tuzanor.

“Lies!”  He scoffed.  “We would never allow the Humans – “

“In the history books it will go down as your fault, Neroon,” Terann interrupted, staring off into the distance where the fighters disappeared.  “You and Shakiri.  You convinced Minbari to kill Minbari, just as we did in the days of old, only then we used sticks and rocks and it took centuries for us to stumble down the path of destruction.  Now, it takes only months, perhaps a year.  As the Religious and the Warrior castes use every tool at their hands to destroy one another, the Worker caste becomes the innocent victims, in the way of the other two, a simple inconvenience.

“But as the Workers die, so does any and all production of more weapons, ships, defense systems, anything that might keep the other races from attacking Minbar.  They watch silently, waiting, as the Minbari destroy themselves from the inside out.  In your arrogance you cannot see it; cannot see that you have become half of what you were, and less and less as time goes by, as the killing continues.  You are proud of yourselves because you seem to be winning; only when you come to your senses, it is too late.  There are too few Minbari left to make any difference, and the technology and know-how has died with the Workers.  Those who are left are bitter and resentful and refuse to be forced back under your rule.  They would rather die than work for fools.”

Terann lifted her hand/wing into the air and suddenly they were no longer standing within a barren landscape but instead amidst the ruins of a city.  Neroon stumbled at the change of footing, gagging when he realized that beneath his boots lay the skulls of thousands of Minbari.  He made an attempt to move but everywhere he stepped there were more of them, cracking and crumbling as his feet came to rest on them, the power of their dry bones rising in the breeze.

The telepath seemed oblivious to his rising terror.  “And the other races swept in.  Oh, there were those who wanted only to help, only to save what was left of the Minbari people.  But the majority saw the chance before them and took it.  With the Minbari out of the way, that left only the Humans as the superior race in the galaxy.  The Centauri were the first to begin bombing Minbar, finishing what we had started, taking what they could before the Narn and Gaim and Drazi moved in after them. 

“Then the Humans appeared.  Their government saw what was left and quickly ended it, offering refuge to the few Minbari who lived in exchange for what little was left of our home.  What was left to do?  We were obviously of the single mind and purpose to end it all anyway.  Why not let others do it for us?”

Terann took a step toward him, unmindful of the skulls that burst beneath her feet.  She grabbed Neroon’s jaw, turning him to face her, and in her eyes he saw horrors he never wished to witness again.  “This is your legacy, Neroon.  Look hard at what you have reaped!”

Flames licked at him and cries were heard all around as buildings crumbled and explosions lit the night sky.  A Religious caste child lay trapped beneath a small crossbeam, crying for help.  She reached up to a passing Warrior, beseeching him to assist her, but the Warrior simply turned and slammed his denn’bok into her head, crushing the tiny skull and ceasing her cries.  All around him, similar scenarios continued to play out.  A Worker caste family tossed into a crumbling shelter that was then set afire; a wounded Warrior beaten to death by a group of enraged Religious caste children; a Worker caste mother and child running from Religious and Warrior engaged in battle only to be crushed by falling buildings.  All around Neroon, his world fell apart before him until he knew he would go mad from the images.

“Stop!”  He shouted at Terann.  “Stop your lies!  Stop this madness!”

Terann blinked at him deliberately for a moment and then the world was gone and he stood once more within the safe confines of Babylon 5.  He trembled, though from cold or anger he could not decide, and slumped back against the bulkhead, unable to will himself to stand on his own.  Rage suffused itself through him, consuming mind and heart until he saw little but the destruction of the female before him.  He had enough of her lies, of her arrogance, of her conceit that she could force him to her will.  He would not allow her to pollute the minds of his people, to spread her traitorous beliefs among the Minbari any longer.  No matter what it took, he would see the end of Terann.

Feeling his anger, his rage that was directed solely at her, Terann could do little but shake her head in sorrow.  He had not learned and would most likely never learn until it was too late.  Surprised that she felt neither frustration or **disappointment in her** inability to change his course, Terann turned to go.

“That is it?”  Neroon queried behind her, his voice wavering with fury barely held in check. 

“There is nothing more I can teach you,” Terann replied sadly, refusing to turn back to him.

“You make a poor teacher then,” he sneered.  “For you have done nothing more than to prove to me that Shakiri is right.  The Religious fanatics and their foolish ways must be stopped before they corrupt the Minbari people.  Just as you must be stopped.”

Terann halted, casting her gaze at him over her shoulder.  “Do not make threats you cannot keep, Neroon.”

“It is not a threat, Terann.”

She sighed.  “You truly have no conception, do you?  Very well.  You will leave here knowing what your victims will face.”

Without warning, flames rose up around Neroon, licking at his clothing, his skin, the heat and smell of burning flesh rising up to meet him.  He screamed as the indescribable pain seared through him, beating with his hands at the flames that existed only in his mind.  He threw himself to the ground, rolling, slamming himself into the wall, anything to beat out the fire that continued to eat at him.  He felt his flesh melting from his bones, his skeleton burning and turning to ash and still the pain tore through him.  One last piercing scream and blessed unconsciousness consumed him. 

Terann watched impassively as Neroon collapsed in an unmoving heap at her feet.  The imagined burns would fade but the pain would remain forever burned into his memory.  And it no longer mattered that nothing good would come of this meeting.  She had met her fear head on and mastered it.  She had made an attempt to fight the future, and failed. 

But this time, she would walk away carrying no blame for the events to come.

 

 

 

 

 

The bulkhead was smooth and cold as Terann placed her hand upon it, opening her heart and mind to all that had been.  It had been here, in this place, where her dreaming had brought her to the final confrontation between Kosh and Ulkesh.  All that remained of them was a faint telepathic trace that lingered barely above notice.  She knew now that she had been as much a part of them as they of her, that despite the threats and abandonment, regardless of her betrayal, they had loved her as she had them.  It hurt to be here surrounded by all the things she fought to deny.

The faint sounds of their screams echoed through her mind, ringing in tones of pain and anger, the culmination of countless mistakes.  This had not been as it was supposed to be; one Vorlon against another.  They had been one, pure, above the barbarism of the lesser races.  At least that was what they believed.

But belief was not enough.

So convinced they were of their own superiority that they had not once stopped to consider the magnitude of all that surrounded them.  Everything around her, all that she—they had believed was a lie.  They had not been in control, shepherding over the younger races, guiding them towards a common future.  Instead they had been pawns to forces beyond the comprehension of any living being, just as all the others had been. 

Who are you? The memories reverberated throughout her mind, revelation weighing heavily upon her.

Nothing!  She had believed that she alone were insignificant, a small part of something beyond imagination.  But she wasn’t alone.  Without the others… all the others; Vorlon, Shadow, Minbari and Human, they had all been nothing.  Only together could they ever rail against the forces of the universe, only together could they ever truly be all that they were destined to be.

“You miss them.”

The soft voice broke into Terann’s thoughts, and she quickly re-erected the walls around her knowing how foolish it had been to lower her defenses.

“I miss them too,” Lyta assured the other telepath as she turned to regard her.  “But we did what needed to be done.”

Terann eyed her suspiciously for a few moments, remaining silent adding to Lyta’s growing discomfort.  She knew little about this Minbari except to say that she had been close to the Vorlons… too close perhaps.  Her connection to them seemed beyond even that of herself, and this was enough to cause Lyta to be wary.  When she had first gotten Terann’s message claiming that she needed to speak with her, she had considered ignoring it.  But something within her warned her against doing so.  So now she stood, shifting nervously from one foot to the other feeling much as she had when in the presence of Ulkesh.  Ever so slightly she lowered her barriers, allowing the feel of the Minbari to wash over her.  Having been close to the Vorlons had left her sensitive to them and those touched by them, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.  Her mind was instantly awash with the sounds of the Vorlons, their singsong voices echoed through her mind, wrapping her with a security she had thought she had lost.  But how was this possible?  The Vorlons were gone.  The sounds and sensations she was now sensing from the Minbari could not come from one merely altered as she had been.  No there was more, more that she need to understand.  So while maintaining a firm grip on her own defenses she gently reached out attempting to merely touch upon the surface thoughts of the Minbari. 

“I would not suggest that,” Terann warned her quietly. 

Though there were no changes in the Minbari’s telepathic defenses, Lyta withdrew into her own mind, deciding it best not to push Terann too far. 

Terann narrowed her eyes thoughtfully for a moment, considering the woman before her, before finally speaking.  “You are right.  I am not like you, which is why you are here.”

The Human cocked her head to the side.  “I don’t understand.”

Terann lowered her gaze then started to move about the large room, studying the electrical structures around her with great interest.  “This is where they killed him… where you killed him.”

“I had no choice…”

“You betrayed him!  Betrayed all of them!” Terann spat.  “They trusted you, gave you gifts beyond imagination, protected you from the Psi Corps.  And for what?”

Lyta dropped her gaze from the anger being projected at her, summoning all her strength and courage.  “I did what I had to do.  Regardless of how close you were to them, you know as well as I that what they were doing was wrong, that they had to be stopped.  I loved them… I trusted them, but I put that aside knowing that they were wrong!”

“Then I was right in choosing you,” Terann told her simply before moving to walk about the room once again.  She knew what she was about to ask of Lyta was far more than she could expect of anyone, especially now given her continued isolation, but there was no other way.  She would ensure that what needed to be done, was done, through force if necessary.  Too much rested on this to do otherwise. 

“I understand Sheridan has decided to return to Z’ha’dum and that you will be accompanying him.”

“Yes, but how…?”

“This is something we cannot allow.”

Lyta shook her head.  “When he first approached me I tried to explain this to him.”

“I know,” Terann nodded.  “Sheridan is stubborn and arrogant, and though sometimes he surprises me with his brilliance he can be dangerous.”

“But I don’t see anything we can do.  He has made a deal with a Psi Cop from Earth… an exchange of information.  I don’t see how he can be persuaded to change his mind.”

“Then we have no choice, Lyta.”

The Human was about to asked what Terann meant by them having no choice, when suddenly her mind was filled with images: A dead world, hanging isolated in space, allies of the Shadows keeping watch over it, honoring their departed masters in a barbaric form of worship.  She then saw the surface of the world crack, its molten core spilling forth, consuming the barren crust before shattering outward toward the stars.

“I can’t… don’t ask this of me!”  Lyta protested.

“You must.  You know there is no other way.”

“But Sheridan, Delenn… they are my friends.  I can’t betray them.”

“As you did the Vorlons?” Terann asked.  “You betrayed them knowing that it was for the greater good, that despite all that they had done for you, all that you longed to be a part of, this was what must be done.”

“But you are talking about destroying a whole world.”

“Yes!  Because we must.  You know there are others… others who do not understand why we did it or why they left.  The Shadows left their world unprotected and undefended.  They knew this time would come, when the lesser races would begin fighting over their knowledge and technology.  This is a continuation of their work… just as we are a continuation of the Vorlons’.”

Lyta considered what the Minbari was telling her.  She knew Terann was right, that the Shadows’ technology could not be allowed into the hands of anyone.  But the manner in which she was asking her to prevent such a thing seemed impossible.  In doing as she asked she risked alienating herself from the only beings who stood between her and the Psi Corps.

Sensing the Human’s reluctance, Terann took a step towards her attempting to ease her mind.  “Lyta, I understand your hesitancy, and if I could go I would.  But I was too close to them.  The allies of the Shadows will sense me as soon as we come out of hyperspace and though I am willing to sacrifice my life I cannot ask the same of anyone else.  They do not understand things as we do and this we must allow if only for a short while.  Allow them the comfort in the belief that the Shadow threat is gone, it will give us the time to do what must be done.”

“And if Sheridan decides I am too much a risk, decides to turn me over to Bester…?”

“It is not something I will allow.  As you were important to the Vorlons you are important to me.  What was done to you, the gifts they gave you cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.  I can assure you your safety.”

Lyta nodded, acquiescing to what the Minbari was asking her.  “So how exactly do I do this?”

Terann smiled, “When the time comes, you will know.  The Vorlons may have been rash, but they were not without wisdom.”

Sighing deeply, still unsure that what she was doing was entirely sane, Lyta turned to leave stopping only when the Minbari called out to her again.

“Lyta… thank you.”

The Human smiled knowing from her discomfort how out of character it was for Terann to thank someone.  She then left, believing perhaps that she had finally found an ally.

 

 

 

 

Leaving the Hot Spot, Aelora wound her way through the press of beings in the Zocalo until she found her way over to the Eclipse Cafe.  She was to meet G’Kar there but still had a few minutes before his arrival so she wandered over to the bar, ordered a glass of Brevari and took a seat on a nearby stool.  Once situated, she pulled the latest catalogue of Earth fashions from her bag and began flipping through the pages.  Harden had suggested that she choose the selections for the next shipment, though Aelora had no idea why.  Ever since she had informed him of Charlie’s embezzlement, her boss seemed to have a new interest in her, giving her more important duties that required decision-making and a will of authority, two traits she did not realize she had shown him.  More than once she had been tempted to scan him, just to check his true motives but his surface thoughts and emotions had always seemed harmless enough, so she had let it go. 

Glancing over the formal section of the catalogue, Aelora was so lost in her own thoughts and the images before her that she did not feel the encroachment into her mind until it was too late.  The strength of the intrusion instantly sent a throbbing pain into her temples and Aelora’s mind reacted involuntarily, erecting wall after wall against the invasion until it was pushed away.  She spun around on the stool, her gaze casting about for the culprit to find an unfamiliar-looking man standing before her, a cunning smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“It is an honor to finally meet you, Aelora.”

An intense emotion of fear and self-preservation pervaded Aelora’s senses only milliseconds before her furtive gaze locked onto the pin he wore affixed on his black jacket: Psi Corps!  Her eyes flew up in panic to meet his.  “How do you know me?  Who are you?”

Alfred Bester chuckled, finding that he was incredibly pleased with the ease of which Aelora was able to push him from her mind.  She showed promise.  “You may call me Mr. Bester.  And how could I not know you, Aelora Campbell?  I have been on your trail for years, ever since Soria first betrayed the Corps.”  He moved up to the bar in a non-threatening manner and casually ordered a drink while the redhead continued to watch him warily.  Saying nothing while he waited for the beverage, allowing his prey time to gather her wits about her, he finally took a sip from the glass, set it down and turned his gaze back to her.  “I must say it was clever of your mother to hand you over to the Centauri.  We had our fears that we had lost you.  But now that you had the decency to emerge – “

“Don’t come near me!”  Aelora snapped, slipping off her chair in preparation to bolt.  “You have no jurisdiction over me!  I am not an Earth citizen.”

“Ah, but that is where you are wrong.”  Bester smiled pleasantly.  “You were never legally adopted by the Kyra’s nor were you given citizenship on Centauri Prime –“

“That’s a lie,” Aelora informed him confidently.  “I signed those papers myself.”

Bester spread his hands in a sign of hopelessness.  “What papers?  The Centaurum swears that no such documents exist.”

Anger and rising panic speared through her.  “You bastard!”

“Now, now Aelora!”  Bester admonished.  “Such name-calling to a perfect stranger.  I am sure you were taught better manners than that.”

Aelora fought back her fears, forcing herself to calm.  It would do her no good to think irrationally in this situation.  “My mother gave her life to protect me from the Corps.  Do you honestly think I will give in to you so easily now?”

The Psi Cop shook his head.  “Soria had once given her loyalty to the Corps, Aelora.  Corps is Mother, Corps is Father.  Soria understood this.”

“If she understood this so well, then why did she go rogue?  Why did she spend her last years of life running?”

He shrugged.  “Her mind was obviously polluted against the Corps by her relationship with Sinclair.”

“Or perhaps he opened her eyes to the truth,” she spat.

Bester smiled.  “And what truth would that be, Aelora?  Perhaps you could tell me what the horrors of the Corps truly are.  Surely your mother shared such information with you before her passing?”

She had not.  In fact, the only truth that Aelora harbored in her memories regarding Psi Corps was the fear she saw in her mother’s eyes and the knowledge that she herself had always referred to them as “bad”.  But what did she truly know about Psi Corps?  She knew that Terann did not believe in the practices of the Corps, and that most of the people on Babylon 5 did not trust them.  But was it the Corps they did not trust, or telepaths?  Aelora continued to eye the man before her, wondering what he was playing at.  His ever-present smile unnerved her.  She could not sense anything from him and that was even more disconcerting.  Even with Terann she could occasionally feel passing emotions or fleeting thoughts.  But this man was a blank slate to her, untouchable on the surface.  She found herself tempted to scan him.

“I wouldn’t try it if I were you,” Bester commented, taking another sip from his drink.  “You may be strong but you are untrained.  The repercussions of such an unwarranted scan could be… painful.”

“How did you do that?”  Aelora demanded her mind in a panic.  “I didn’t feel you scan me.”

Bester pointed to her eyes.  “Those seem to say a lot about you.  You really should try to keep your thoughts below the surface.  Even a mundane could read you.”

Aelora looked away, chagrined.  Her expressions were always easily read.  “I – I have to go.  I don’t have time to waste talking to you.”

“Aelora.”  Bester grabbed her by the arm, halting her escape.  She struggled to break free of his hold but his grip was strong and determined.  “You are an Earth citizen.  You are a telepath.  You do not belong to Psi Corps.  This makes you a Rogue.  This in turn makes you my business.  Do we understand one another?”

“You don’t frighten me,” she lied.  “My mother was able to escape you; if I were you I wouldn't doubt my abilities to do the same."

“Yes,” Bester replied.  “I have heard rumors regarding your apparent gifts.  I would be more than pleased if you would demonstrate them to me.”

            Aelora’s eyes narrowed.  She knew the game he was playing and would not fall into the trap.  Her senses told her not to trust the man before her that he could prove to be the greatest trial she had ever faced, making Cartagia seem like a walk in the park.  Know your enemy.  Aelora realized that she had been wrong in avoiding the Psi Corps all along.  She should have read up on them, learned every piece of information that she could from those who had dealt with them.  Moreover, she should have deep scanned Ashlen the moment she had discovered that she was a Psi Cop.  It would have prepared her somewhat for this confrontation. 

            “Might I inquire as to what is going on here?”

            Aelora tried not to let the relief that flowed through her at the sound of G’Kar’s voice apparent in her expression.  She kept her face neutral as Bester turned to regard the approaching Narn with a less-than-amused gaze.

            “You are the Narn Ambassador… G’Kar, isn’t it?”  Bester asked pleasantly.  “This is Earth business and has nothing to do with you.”

            G’Kar flashed the same smile at the man before him.  “You have your hands on the woman that I love.  I would say this has plenty to do with me.”

            Bester appeared taken aback by this information, enough so that he made no move to resist when G’Kar grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled his hand off of Aelora’s arm.  The Psi Cop frowned, wondering why this interesting bit of information had escaped Ashlen’s notice.  He had asked her to update him regarding everything considering Aelora but she had failed to mention the apparent relationship with the Narn Ambassador.  Not that it complicated things any.  The Narn race was easily dealt with, especially considering they harbored no telepaths of their own.  But it was the fact that a telepath as strong as Aelora Campbell was involved with a mundane -- and an alien mundane at that.

            “You may want to remind your protector here, Miss Campbell, that as a Narn, he has no say in Earth matters.  And you may caution him,” at this Bester glanced pointedly at Aelora.  “That sticking one’s nose into Psi Corps affairs can prove harmful to one’s health.”

            G’Kar stepped toward the Psi Cop, snarling down at him.  “I do not take well to threats.”

            “And I don’t make threats, Ambassador,” Bester replied with a friendly smile.

            “G’Kar,” Aelora cautioned, placing a steadying hand on his arm.  “He’s not worth it.”

            G’Kar glanced down at the Human to find that her gaze was pleading.  What he really wanted to do was rip the little man’s throat out – an urge that had plagued him since he came around the corner and glimpsed the fear in Aelora’s eyes.  But he knew that she was right.  Unfortunately, logic rarely won out when it came to his feelings for Aelora.  Still, he took a step back, allowing concession to her wishes.

            “Very good,” Bester commented, the sound of his leather gloves making an eerie thumph thumph as he mockingly applauded.  “Can he do tricks as well?” 

            Aelora pushed G’Kar back just as he began to take another step toward the Psi Cop, her anger flaring.  “Look, Mr. Bester, your business is with me.  Understand?  You leave G’Kar and anyone else around this station out of it.  If you want a fight on your hands then bring it on because there is no way in whatever kind of hell you believe in that I am going to go quietly ‘into the night’.  Is that clear?” 

            He smiled.  “As crystal, Miss Campbell.”  Just as it appeared that he might give in and walk away, he turned his gaze back to her and commented, “Just so that you know, I can bring a bloodhound unit back with me.  I do not believe that you would be able to withstand their tactics for very long, Aelora.”

            “You’d be surprised at what I can withstand,” she replied evenly.

            “Do not waste any further time on him, shon’Ur,” G’Kar told her, leveling a glare at Bester.  “He has no jurisdiction here.  Babylon 5 is no longer affiliated with Earth and I am certain that Sheridan would stand with you against him and his Corps.”

            “I had forgotten,” Aelora answered, casting a look over her shoulder at the Narn.  Relief flooded through her as she turned back to the Psi Cop.  “He is right.  Your laws mean nothing here.  This conversation is over.”

            She turned, grabbing G’Kar’s hand and moving as quickly as she could away from the Psi Cop.  She hesitated only slightly when she heard Bester ‘cast to her:

            Oh it is far from over, Aelora.  Far from over.

            It was not until Aelora reached the Zen garden that her knees finally gave out from shaking and she collapsed onto the nearest bench.  Paying little attention to G’Kar’s presence, she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to calm her fluttering nerves, while the recent confrontation replayed over and over in her mind.  Psi Corps had found her!  And it was obvious they were determined still to have her.  Only Babylon 5’s disassociation from Earth had protected her and that was shaky at best.  For one, the station would not remain a separate entity forever and besides, she and Sheridan were not exactly the best of friends.  She could not truly believe that he would ever stick his neck out for her if it came right down to it.  That meant the home she had finally found would not last for long.  Her only safety lay in running, as she and her mother had done, and she had seen the final consequences of that action.

            “Shon’Ur?”  She felt G’Kar put his arms around her in an attempt at comforting.  “Shon’Ur, it is alright.  They cannot touch you.  I will keep you safe.”

            “You don’t understand,” she whispered against his chest.  “You have no comprehension of the situation.”

            “I do not agree,” G’Kar replied testily, upset that she blew off his promise to protect her so easily.  “I know a bit more about Psi Corps than you do and quite a bit about telepaths.  I think I understand the situation quite well as a matter of fact.”

            “No.”  Aelora pulled away from him and stood, though she fixed him with a level gaze.  “You understand other telepaths, G’Kar, but you do no understand my situation or what turns my future could take.  Unfortunately, I understand it only to well as it was all explained to me in detail.  I am not like other telepaths, G’Kar.  You cannot compare me to them.”

            “I think you have been around that Minbari too much,” G’Kar commented with a frown, standing up to face her.  “You seem to have become a bit too full of yourself.”

            Aelora stared at him for a long moment before kneeling down and reaching for a rock. She chose one with a particularly sharp edge to it and stood once more while pulling the sleeve back on her left arm.  “Full of myself, G’Kar?”  She asked before dragging the pointed rock deeply across her forearm, slitting the skin open from wrist to elbow. 

            “Shon’Ur!  What are you doing?”

“Full of myself?!”  She shouted, throwing the rock at him as the blood ran in rivulets down her arm, splattering on the ground at her feet.  “Look at this, G’Kar!”  She demanded, thrusting the self-inflicted wound at him, drops of blood pelting his clothing.  “This will scar!  This will become infected.  If not treated, one could bleed to death from this wound!”  She backed away then, grabbing her forearm with her right hand, pressing hard against the gaping skin.  “But not me  -- not me!” 

With that said, a strange, almost eerie light seemed to envelop the skin around her arm.  G’Kar watched in horrified fascination as her arm began repairing itself before his eyes, working through the arteries, the muscle, layering the skin until there was no trace left of the wound save for the blood.  Still amazed by what he had just witnessed, the Narn barely noticed as Aelora moved into the grassy area toward a tiny sapling.  She regarded it for a long moment, considering that there would be no going back if she did what she planned.  After this, she could not deny what she was, she could no longer run away from it, and pretend it did not exist.  Terann was the only other living being who knew of the degree of power she harnessed in her hands.  Until now.

Reaching out, she placed her palm against the roots of the fledgling tree, her fingers digging deeply into the soil around it.  She felt the pull in her veins as it latched onto her lifeforce, drinking from her as if it were a starving child.  She felt it draining her strength; her heart rate slowing as the tree took from her all that she had to give.  Beneath her hands she felt the roots pulsing, burrowing their way deep into the soil while before her the trunk distended and grew, increasing in both width and height.  Bright green leaves and enormous, fragrant white blossoms burst forth on the branches, showering the tree with color as it continued to expand, its girth overtaking that of any other within the vicinity.  When she felt she could give no more, Aelora pulled her hand free and collapsed on the ground beside the trunk, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she attempted to regain her energy.  She sensed rather than felt G’Kar as he knelt beside her, gently gathering her into his arms.

“Am I full of myself, G’Kar?”  She asked softly, turning her gaze up to him.  Noting the tears in his eyes, she silently cursed herself for handing so much pain to someone who loved her so much.  But she pressed on.  “Should I not worry about people killing for this?  Should I not weep for the loss of my mother and Da’Tan and any others whose love I should have known?  My freedom?  Should I not hate myself from bringing you into this?  For willingly and knowingly pulling you into my nightmare?  Should I not be afraid, G’Kar?  Because I am.  In Valen’s name, I am terrified!”

G’Kar held her while she wept, silently asking G’Quan to explain to him why something so precious had been placed into his hands.  What he had just seen he still could not reconcile in his mind.  If anyone had told him of such a thing, he would have passed him or her off as insane.  And perhaps that was the only way to protect her.  To pretend that such things were impossible; to scoff at those who tried to convince him otherwise.  Fear knifed through him at the thought of what would happen to her, should proof of her abilities emerge.  Should Psi Corps get a hold of her she would become little more than an experiment, for them to dissect and disassemble her mind piece by piece.  He had never felt so much fear, mixed with so much awe.  This unbelievable creature loved him, trusted him and looked to him for protection.  Sadly, he no longer knew if he could provide it.

Silently, Bester watched from the shadows, storing everything he had just witnessed deep into the recesses of his mind.  

                       

 

 

 

            Terann sat silently within her quarters, staring at nothing, her mind awhirl with a host of thoughts that ranged from her encounter with Neroon to Aelora’s apparent happiness at G’Kar’s side.  The Minbari did not believe she could feel more alone and yet, the haunting feeling continued to consume her.  During her brief meeting with Lyta Alexander, she thought that perhaps the Human telepath could be the kindred soul she was searching for, the one who would know and understand what a terrible pain the loss of the Vorlons was to her.  But in the end, Terann realized it was simply wishful thinking.  Lyta was an outsider, a means to an end used by Kosh and Ulkesh.  She could never truly understand what it meant to be a part of them, and how it felt to lose them.  If the truth was spoken, Terann saw Lyta as more of a threat than anything.  She had been given too much power without enough guidance.  One day, she would abuse those gifts given to her, of that the Minbari was certain.

            The chime of the indicator at her door pulled Terann from her musings.  She reached out with her sense, gently touching on the presence outside her quarters, and found her brow rising in wonder.  What was Sheridan visiting her for?  She slowly stood and smoothed her tunic before moving toward the door and calling out for it to open.  The Minbari was careful to affect the appropriate expression of surprise at the sight of him, so that he could not begin whatever he was there to see her about with an accusation of the use of her telepathy.

            “Captain Sheridan,” she greeted diplomatically.  “Somehow, you are the last person I expected to see at my door.”

            “Is that so?”  The Human stepped inside, glancing around the room as if he were waiting for some hidden being to jump out and attack him.  He returned his gaze to the telepath.  “You shouldn’t be.  As a matter of fact, I would think you would have been waiting for my visit.”

            She wished she had the lack of conscious to scan him, just so she would be able to stay a step ahead of him.  But scanning Sheridan, especially after he had become such an important figure from his leadership in the war against the Shadows, would not be looked upon favorably.  Currently, Babylon 5 was her only home, and she was not exactly welcomed there.  To jeopardize that would be a compete act of stupidity on her part.  So instead, she honestly told him, “I have no idea what you are babbling about.”

            “Really?”  Sheridan’s expression told her he did not believe her in the least.  “We just returned from a trip to Zha’ha’dum – “

            “Grown attached have you?”  Terann quipped, not knowing why she insisted on antagonizing the Human captain.  Perhaps it was the arrogance that seemed to seep from every pore on him.  He wore his confidence like a mantel.  In ways, he reminded her of a Minbari.  Well, the Religious Caste at least.

            Sheridan ignored her remark.  He felt justified in being there – all his instincts pointed to her influence being involved in what he had witnessed.  When he had told Delenn of his intention, she had accused him of jumping at shadows, chasing what was not really there in an attempt to prove him right regarding the Minbari.  He had denied the accusation, insisting that he did not really hold any particular grudge against the telepath.  It was simply that her actions seemed to constantly prove her to be at odds against what he was trying to achieve, and he could not continue to allow that to happen.  Though he secretly applauded anything that kept Bester from attaining his own goals, he could not allow others to secretly creep around creating their own events for their own purposes.  Too many things could become too out of hand too quickly.

            “To Zha’ha’dum,” he continued in a biting, no nonsense tone.  “And do you know what we found there?”

            “I am on pins and needles with anticipation,” she replied dryly, though she knew what was coming.           

            He was right.  She should have expected his arrival but a part of her must have believed he would never have associated her with the destruction.  Terann briefly considered that Lyta may have implicated her but she just as quickly dismissed the notion.  If there was one certainty she could trust about Lyta, it was her undying loyalty to her own kind – telepaths.  More than likely, that loyalty would one day turn against her.

            “An evacuation,” Sheridan finished with a snap. 

            “Evacuation?”  Terann frowned.  “But the Shadows are gone.”

            The Human nodded.  “Yes.”

            “So who was it that you saw?”

            “I was thinking that maybe you could tell me.”

            Terann shook her head and turned from him.  “I am sorry, Captain, but you are, as you Humans like to say, barking up the wrong tree.  I know very little about the Ancient Enemy except an internal instinct to destroy them.  The Vorlons are gone, as is any part of that legacy for me.  You are talking to the wrong person.”

            Sheridan followed her, his jaw set.  “Excuse me if I refrain from pulling on my harp strings for you, Terann.  But at the moment, who was leaving is not really as important as why.”

            Terann glanced over her shoulder at him but said nothing.  He had obviously come to the forthcoming conclusion on his own, which was why he was biding his time, fishing for answers.  He was hoping she would implicate herself somehow so that he would not be forced to make an accusation outright.  She refused to oblige him however, preferring to force him to scrape for whatever evidence he hoped to find.  Kosh had revered Sheridan, believed in him, left a piece of himself within the Human and Terann was continually disconcerted by this realization.  At times she was forced to fight the urge to fall in line behind the Human captain, as so many others seemed to do.  She could not understand or comprehend believing in one person so blindly. 

            Sheridan was beginning to realize he was not going to get any information from the Minbari; at least none that he had came for.  She was smarter than that, more clever.  But in many ways, she had already given herself away.  She was too glib, too confident; in not saying anything she was saying perhaps more than she would have chosen to.

            “I think you know what happened,” he told her.  “The planet exploded, and would have taken myself and Delenn with it if I had not realized as quickly as I did that something was wrong.  At first I thought it was a self-destruct set off by those abandoning the planet in such a hurry.  But then I realized no that made no sense.  Why would anyone voluntarily choose to destroy a planet housed with obviously far-advanced technology completely at their disposal?  They wouldn’t, of course.  Which means that someone outside the planet had to have triggered some sort of planetary defense built within.”

            “What?”  Terann cast him a casual glance while busying herself with the preparation of some tea.  “Was someone carrying a planetary self-destruct remote with them that your scanners did not detect?’

            Sheridan clenched his fists at his sides.  “I believe such a task would not be beyond that of a powerful telepath.”

            Terann raised her brow.  “Powerful indeed.  You could not conceive of such power it would take to perform such a feat, Sheridan.  And I was not with you, or had you not noticed?”

            “No, but Lyta was.”  He hesitated, watching her face, searching for any sign of capitulation but none was forthcoming.  He had not expected that she would admit her complicity so easily anyway.  “And Lyta was enhanced by the Vorlons.  We know this.  We do not know to what degree but it is no secret that she is not the P5 she is registered as.  So I believe that she has the power and capability to do such a thing.  My question is why?”  He paused again, noting that though she did not look up, Terann was listening intently, her movements having stilled.  It was good to see at least some form of reaction from her.  There were times that Sheridan found himself believing that the Minbari before him was more alien than any other creature he had ever met. 

            “I spoke with Lyta before coming here,” he continued, lacing his hands behind his back and beginning to pace around the room.  “She hypothetically supplied me with what could be viewed as reasonable answers.  Answers I found myself agreeing with.  Answers that, had they been presented to me in the beginning, I may have went along with.  But you see I was not consulted in any way.  This action, this destruction was carried out without any knowledge except by those involved in the undertaking.  Now this is not typical behavior of Lyta.  It was too... aggressive a style for her. 

“But you… You, on the other hand, prefer to take matters into your own hands without the thought or consideration of others.  So as I stood there in Lyta’s quarters, threatening her with the one fear I know she harbors quite deeply, I found myself realizing that she had not done this on her own.  Oh, she performed the task but she obviously did so under the direction of another… another who would not have the chance to be there to do so themselves but who would have enough hold or power or intimidation over Lyta to get her to agree.  And, once more, all paths led to you.”

Still, Terann said nothing.  She felt there was nothing that needed to be said.  Sheridan had his suspicions – even though they were correct – and even if they were not, she could never convince him otherwise.  Though he claimed to understand why she had requested this task of Lyta, she knew he never really could grasp the true meaning behind it.  Though he fought the Shadows, he would never understand the true evil that existed there.

“I hope I make myself perfectly clear on this, Terann.”  Sheridan moved over to her, leaned over the counter so that their gazes met.  “If you ever, ever do something like that again without first speaking with myself or Delenn, I will make certain you regret it for the rest of your life, you understand?  If you want to hold on to any chance of remaining on this station, then you will abide by my rules or you can get the hell out of here right now!”         

            Terann let him stalk toward the door before warning, “You have no comprehension of true fear, true evil.  Do you, Sheridan?”

            He whirled back around toward her, glaring.  “Is that a threat?”

            “No.”  She shook her head.  “As much as you would disagree, we are not enemies, you and I.  In fact, we are on the same side.  The thing is, I understand what you do not.  I know what is out there.  Just because you do not see shadows does not mean they are not there.  They are always there.  A shadow exists because light exists.  One cannot live without the other.  Good, evil.  Yin, yang.  They are inseparable.  Will you battle them all?  Will you take on an evil that you can not even see, let alone understand?”

            “Are you saying the Shadows are still here?”  He demanded.

            She gave a sad smile, shaking her head.  “You do not understand.  The Shadows do not need to be here for their legacy to continue.  The Vorlons have left, yet I remain, as do telepaths – their legacy.”

            “You mean Aelora.”

            Again, she shook her head.  “Look beyond the tip of your nose, Sheridan.  Aelora is no longer a threat to you, to anyone, except maybe herself if she does not learn this quickly enough. 

            “No, Sheridan, the threat runs deeper than that and is more widespread.  Those ships you saw evacuating, they were leaving their home.  A home they shared with their masters, a home they loved.  First, they lost their masters – something they no doubt blame you for.  And now, they have lost their home – “

            “Thanks to you,” he snapped, his patience thinning.

            Terann shrugged.  “It is for the best.  The only thing worse than the Shadow technology falling into the hands of your Psi Corps would be the technology remaining under those who seek vengeance.  Oh, they will still come after you, in their own way.  Make no mistake about that.  I can assure you that right now, as we speak, the Shadows minions are already at work, finishing what their masters discontinued.”

            “If you know of them –“

            Terann held up her hand, interrupting him.  “I did not say that.  As I have already said, I know very little of the Shadows and even less of their affiliates.  But no matter how hard you try, Sheridan, you cannot destroy evil.  It will always exist as long as sentient beings exist.”

            Sheridan frowned.  “So you are saying we should just allow it to overrun us?”

            “Of course not.  But then, you Humans could never sit still for that to happen anyway.  You think you are the galaxy’s watchdogs – there to stop all crimes, instill your morals and laws and rules among the other inhabitants, train and teach and reeducate the criminals.  Though this behavior of yours currently fascinates and inspires the other races, it will not last.  Your belief that you are somehow above everyone around you will one day be your downfall, and maybe the end of Humanity.”

            Sheridan scoffed at that.  The Minbari before him seemed to believe she had all the answers, when in truth she knew nothing about him or his people.  He could not comprehend what it was that Delenn so admired in Terann, what it was that continued to push her to get him to accept the telepath.  This latest infraction only went to show further that she was against everything he stood for.  Though he had promised Delenn he would provide Terann the benefit of the doubt, his intentions of holding to that promise were quickly slipping.  It was her mixture of Vorlon cryptic-ness and Warrior caste arrogance that galled him the most.  She accused him of making the decisions for everyone around him when in fact she had the tendency to do the same. 

            “My original warning still stands, Terann,” he said finally, unwilling to continue the discussion.  “If anything happens like this again, you won’t be getting a second chance.”

            “You are presumptuous as always, Captain.”  Terann smiled tightly as he exited through the door.     

 

 

           

 

 

Aelora awoke with a start, the fading memories of her dream hovering at the edge of her conscious. The more she reached for it, the more it seemed to fade from her until she was left with little more than an impression of something which had terrified her – at least enough to rouse her from sleep.  As the thudding of her heartbeat slowed, she glanced over at the empty space beside her where G’Kar should have been.  Before she allowed panic to seep over her, she reached out with her mind, a smile spreading across her face when she felt his presence in the next room.  Though he was engrossed in his writing, his senses were alert to any sounds that would indicate to him Aelora had awakened.  So she remained immobile, enjoying for the moment the sensation of his love for her, wishing that she could somehow project the same feeling to him.  It was an incredible sensation to know that she would never again feel alone as long as G’Kar was near.

Growing impatient after a few minutes, Aelora sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the pallet.  She made an involuntary move to run her hand through her hair, stopping short when she realized she had discarded the wig late last night.  It pleased her that she was comfortable enough around G’Kar to not worry about receiving his scorn over her lack of hair.  Though it was a constant job to remind herself that it was growing back, and she could expect nothing more than that.  Wrapping the sheet around her bare form, Aelora stood and padded from the bedroom into the main room where G’Kar sat at his desk, huddled over pages of his book.  At her entrance he looked up and flashed her a welcoming smile.

“Good morning, shon’Ur.  Did I wake you?”

She shook her head while stifling a small yawn.  She knew she could not tell him what had awoken her – he would worry, and begin probing what she remembered of the dream until he assured himself that she was all right.  Aelora knew that G’Kar felt guilt for what happened on Narn and if she gave him the slightest hint that her experience there was causing her pain he would suffer from it tenfold.  So the nightmare that plagued her, that she could never quite remember, would have to remain unspoken. 

G’Kar pushed his chair out and Aelora immediately moved over to him, curling up on his lap while he returned his attention to the papers before him.  Glancing over, Aelora realized that it was not his own writing that he was working on but that he was studying the Book of G’Quan.  The ancient text was difficult to read and she quickly gave up, dropping her head back against G’Kar’s shoulder.  She closed her eyes for the next few minutes, enjoying the peace that surrounded them along with the gentle caressing of G’Kar’s hand against her thigh.  It would be easy for her to forget that she had any responsibilities – a job to go to, rent to pay – she realized once she was in the safety of G’Kar’s presence.  It was an odd feeling, to finally know where she belonged, to finally feel as if she had found a home.  But Aelora understood how dangerous it was to become too complacent, to take what one had for granted.  Silently she vowed that from that moment on she would live each day as if it were her last.

“Did you sleep well?”  G’Kar asked softly, never taking his eyes from the book before him.

“Mmmmm.”  She nodded her head against his chest then, noticing his distraction, asked, ”What does it say that has you so engrossed?”

The Narn pulled back and looked down at her.  “You tell me.”

Aelora frowned.  “I am not in the mood for another lesson on Narn writing, G’Kar.  Just tell me.”

He held back the smile at the stubborn jut of her chin and the glint of rebellion in her eyes.  Instead, he regarded her with a stern expression.  “Aelora, if you are serious about being a part of my life – “

She grunted in annoyance at the all-too-familiar lecture and wriggled around on his lap until she could sit up and read over the passage before her.  G’Kar watched her silently in amusement as she alternately frowned and worried her lower lip. 

“Each action we perform provides… opportunity for a… What’s that word?”

G’Kar shook his head.  “I am not telling.”

She flashed a glare over her shoulder at him but returned to the page, going over the word before her in her mind, picking out one definition and discarding it until she said confidently, “Renewal.  Renewal of intent, of purpose.  We may journey through this life by… by… rote – is that right?  Rote?”  At his nod, she continued, “Kissing our spouse each day not because we wish to, but because it is our habit; choosing which robes to wear not because we wish to wear them, but because the situation requires them; walking the bridges without noticing the… holes? Caverns… er, grottoes…   grottoes and geysers below; accepting the service of those not members of the Circles because this is how it is always done.”

“Perfect,” G’Kar whispered in her ear, then placed a soft kiss against her cheek. 

She sighed.  “Read me what the rest says.  I think my eyes have crossed.”

He chuckled but did as she asked.  “This is the way to death.  Not the death found in a harvest, the fulfilled life brought to a proper end, but the death of the spirit.  And without spirit are we truly alive?

“We must bring our attention to bear not just on the large things, but on every thing.  Only then can we truly see, truly feel, truly know.”  When he hesitated, Aelora looked up at him questioningly.

“Is that it?”

“No but this other part is not really important – “

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she replied, moving around to peruse the page before he could stop her.  “Someday the darkness will return, and in that time, only those who act with intent, who know why and how they do each action of each day, will see the signs, and know what must be done… “ She trailed off as a shiver moved down her spine, the words of the ancient prophet reaching out to her across the span of a thousand years.  She understood what he meant by the death of the spirit, about paying attention to every thing around you, and not just those things that you thought were a part of your life.  She wondered if she had read these words before she had come to Babylon 5, would they have meant anything to her?  Or would she simply have blown them off as foolishness?

“Are you all right, shon’Ur?”  G’Kar asked quietly, kissing her shoulder.

“Yes… I just… it seems the Shadows will never truly disappear, will they?”

“One day it will be no more than a distant memory, Aelora,” he told her.  “That I promise you.”

            She knew he meant it and so said nothing more, lapsing into silence as she once more curled against him.  G’Kar continued to watch her, thinking to himself how young she appeared with her hair so short.  He worried that she might appear too much like a Centauri without the wig but that was not the case.  Instead, she simply appeared more like a little girl, her normally wide eyes even larger on her face.  The night before when he had convinced her to remove the wig, Aelora had panicked when she discovered a section of hair on her right side that was growing in white.  G’Kar had been just as confused by its appearance until he had contacted Doctor Franklin and it had been explained to them that things like this sometimes occurred to Humans who had lived through terrifying experiences.  At the news, the Narn had worried that Aelora would begin to question what all she had experienced but luckily the shock of the pigmentation in her hair was enough to occupy her thoughts.  Surprisingly, when he had suggested dyeing it, Aelora had pushed the idea away, saying that it was a lesson she would carry with her for life.  Unfortunately, for G’Kar it would always be a remembrance of shame and guilt.

            “I need to get ready for work,” Aelora announced suddenly, pulling out of his embrace.

            G’Kar frowned.  “I do not like it, you working in the Zocalo.  You deserve more than that.”

            “You’re sweet.”  Aelora smiled, leaning over and kissing him.  “But my days of being fed by a silver spoon are over.  And unfortunately, rent is coming up soon.”

            “I can take care of you, shon’Ur.”

            “Oh G’Kar, don’t start again.  You know I appreciate your wanting to look after me but I have to learn to stand on my own – even you said that.  I will be no good to either of us if I simply allow you to take over my life as I have with everyone else.  No.  I am going to be my own person, work a boring job, and pretend, just for awhile, that I am no different than anyone else.”

            “But you are different,” G’Kar reminded her gently.

            Aelora paused on her way into the room and turned back to look at him.  “Sometimes I just like to pretend.”

            Aelora took a leisurely shower, trying not to think that even G’Kar could no longer look at her as simply a Human being.  No, everyone who knew her had relegated her to that “something else” status and she doubted that there would ever be a way to change it.  In many ways it frightened her; the thought of being in the shadow of something that was greater than she.  She knew that she had the power to bring the galaxy to war with itself and that everything she did in her life, every decision she made would have to be done with the greatest care, the greatest thought.  She could no longer “do” without giving thought to the consequences, and exactly what kind of life would that be in the end? 

            The first few moments out of the shower Aelora spent staring in the mirror at her reflection, ‘willing’ her hair to grow faster.  She was not certain but could almost swear that it had worked.  It did seem longer than it was, though not as long as she would have liked it to be.  Of course, the alternative would have been to use her gift for all of the wrong reasons, to suddenly appear healed, to erase all memory of the sacrifices she had made.  That would not be fair -- not fair to her, to G’Kar, to Terann, to anyone who had suffered for or with her.

            When she returned to the bedroom, G’Kar was sitting on the foot of the bed, waiting for her.  He pulled her to him when she neared, holding her before him while he rested his head against her stomach.  Gently she traced the angles and curves of the dark spots on his head. 

            “I love you,” he whispered before placing a soft kiss against the skin just above her belly button.  “I want you to be happy, keep you safe…”

            “I know.”  She sighed.  “But I am not your responsibility, G’Kar.  I want to be loved by you, to be able to love you but I don’t want to be kept by you, I don’t want to think I have to depend on you.  I don’t want you to think you are anything less or more than my equal, do you understand?”

            He did but that did not change the way he felt.  In many ways, Aelora was still a child, naïve about the galaxy and beings around her.  She still appeared lost to him, still appeared afraid to be whom and what she was.  He knew there would be those who would take advantage of her, who would use her for their means and hurt her in the end.  He wanted to protect her from this, wanted to shelter her like a child but he knew Aelora was independent, knew she had to learn from her own mistakes, be her own person, even if it meant without him.  

            “I could never be your equal,” he replied finally.  He took her hand in his and lifted it upward, staring at it with a blatant expression of awe.  He had seen with his own eyes what she could do, what she was capable of.  He would kill or die to protect her from the Psi Corps and whoever else wished to use her.  “The things you can do, your gifts… I become humbled in your presence.”

            “Stop.”  Aelora kissed the top of his head.  “Of any being in this galaxy, the last one I want to put me on a pedestal is you, G’Kar.  You brought me back down from the stars, please don’t put me up there again.”

            The Narn looked up at her and smiled.  “I am sorry, shon’Ur.” He kissed her hand and stood, pulling her tightly against him.  “We will discuss it no more.  But simply because I do not speak of it does not mean I do not worry, shon’Ur.  That Psi Cop seemed very determined to have you.  Should Babylon 5 ever rejoin Earth – “

            “I will simply have to leave,” she said quietly, unable to meet his gaze. 

            G’Kar placed his finger under her chin and raised her eyes to his.  “You mean we would have to leave.”

            “In Valen’s name but I love you,” Aelora told him in a rush of words before pressing her lips hard against his.  They held each other for the next few minutes, lost in the peace and happiness that surrounded them before the Human finally pulled away.  “You know I could lose myself in your presence,” she laughed.  “But unfortunately I have a job to get to.”

            “We could spend the time doing much more pleasurable things, shon’Ur,” G’Kar hinted.

            She rolled her eyes.  “Don’t I know it?  But one of us has to have some self-control.”

            The Narn laughed as she moved away and returned to his desk, losing himself in G’Quan’s teachings until she emerged from the bedroom once more. 

            “You will be here tonight?” He asked.

            She worried her lower lip for a moment then shook her head.  “I really should stay with Terann tonight, just to make certain she is all right.  We haven’t spoken since that day you snapped at one another and… Well, I just feel like she may need me.”

            “I see.”  G’Kar did not want to force Aelora into a position where she would have to make a choice but he could not help but feel envious of the time she spent with the Minbari.  The time the two telepaths spent together since meeting was triple of that G’Kar had spent with Aelora.  And that fear yet nagged at him that he could lose her again at any moment.  “Tomorrow then?” He asked hopefully.

            “You couldn’t keep me away.”  She kissed him, sealing her promise that there would be more to come later before turning and exiting G’Kar’s quarters without looking back.                   

            In the corridor Aelora stopped, glancing back at the closing doors.  That selfish child inside of her begged to remain within the safe confines of G’Kar’s quarters, to shut herself away from the rest of the galaxy and live in her own little world.  Quickly, she shook the feeling off.  Stop jumping at shadows, she silently reminded herself with an ironic smile.  You’re not alone anymore. It was difficult not to want to break out in to song in the middle of the hallway – the moment seemed to call for some Centauri Opera.  Aelora laughed at the thought, picturing the expression on G’Kar’s face the moment he heard her.  She hurried on toward the Zocalo, before the temptation kicked in full strength.

            Ashlen stepped out from around the corner, regarding the quarters that Aelora has just exited.  When Bester had approached her with the news pertaining to the telepath’s association with the alien, she had been both repulsed and amused.   To think that someone with such gifts would throw them away on a relationship with a lower being was beyond description.  Ashlen could tell that the news had not pleased her superior in the slightest, along with the fact that he had been none too pleased that she had not learned of it first.  What made her laugh though was that Aelora could not see the fool she was making of herself, and the power and influence that she was throwing away by consorting with a being that was little more than an animal.  Bester had told her to take care of the problem and, strangely, he did not wish to know the details.  She wondered if he did not suspect her many dealings with EarthFirst, which was why he left the situation in her hands. 

She sighed.  First the Minbari and now the Narn.  Ashlen was beginning to wonder if she were a telepath or a mercenary.