EPISODE 14

THE BEAUTY OF GREY

Moby - Porcelain

In my dreams I'm dying all the time
As I wake its kaleidoscopic mind
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to lie
So this is goodbye
This is goodbye n my dreams I'm dying all the time

Tell the truth you never wanted me
Tell me

In my dreams I'm jealous all the time
As I wake I'm going out of my mind
Going out of my mind

Aelora sat on the desk opposite the medical bed, her feet dangling beneath, as her gaze remained trained on the doctor who stood before her, and his patient. She had been worrying her lower lip for the past five minutes while Doctor Franklin explained to G’Kar the differences of having a prosthetic eye as opposed to his biological eye. The Narn had balked when he had discovered the new prosthetic eye to be blue instead of red, but Aelora has quickly reassured him that many Humans had two different eye colors and the doctor had promised he already had a red eye on order.

As the doctor inserted G’Kar’s new eye into the empty socket, Aelora could not hold back an empathic squeak that caused Stephen to glance back at her with a grin.

“Squeamish are we?” He asked with a chuckle.

“Oh hell no,” she replied. “I watch people shove eyeballs into empty sockets all of the time.”

Stephen shook his head as he returned his attention to his patient. “Give your brain a moment to accept the images it is reading, G’Kar. Don’t force it.”

“That’s quite a thing to say after you shoved it into his skull.”

The doctor made a face. “G’Kar, was it necessary for you to bring her with you?” He looked back at the grinning telepath. “I thought you never wanted to step foot in here again?”

“Oh, I don’t mind as long as it is someone else getting poked and prodded.”

“How enlightened of you.”

Aelora laughed as Stephen and G’Kar began discussing the eye once more. G’Kar seemed quite pleased when he discovered he could still see through the eye even when he took it out of it’s socket. He had given a pointed look to Aelora at that moment which had caused her to comment that every shower she took would now begin with a thorough examination of the bathroom. Stephen watched the interaction between the Human and the Narn with a mixture of curiosity and pleasure. Aelora had admitted to him earlier that her nightmares – the ones she could never seem to remember – had lessened and Stephen was ready to admit that perhaps the mindwipe had worked. In the end, an action that he had been set against occurring had restored the young woman’s life to her; a new life, in fact; a new chance. Her scars had healed well and her coloring and weight had returned. The only evidence of the trauma the telepath had suffered was visible in the section of pure white hair that had grown back in with the rest of the red strands. Aelora seemed to accept its presence and Stephen had to admit that it only added to her beauty, lending an ethereal and otherworldly appearance to her.

“You two seem inordinately happy today,” Stephen commented as he put away the various instruments around the desk.

“I should think it would show,” the Narn replied as he once more poked the telepath in the side, eliciting an indignant squeal from her. He caught her lips in a quick kiss then turned to face the doctor. “I am a very lucky Narn.”

“And why is that?” Stephen asked, facing them both. He smiled at the obvious pleasure in their faces.

Aelora held out her hand, showing off the ring G’Kar had given her the day before, fashioned from metal mined in the G’Quan mountain range and encrusted with tiny diamonds. “G’Kar said that the Earth custom for getting engaged is for the man to give the woman a ring, which frankly I find slightly barbaric but who am I? Besides, I think it is very pretty, don’t you, Stephen?”

It took the doctor a moment to recover from his shock in order to reply. “Well… yes. Yes, it is very pretty. I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like it. Congratulations.”

“Thanks!” Aelora jumped down from the desk, not noticing the look exchanged between G’Kar and Stephen. “I need to run by my apartment before anything else,” she told the Narn beside her.

“You go on ahead,” G’Kar replied, kissing her when she was about to protest. “I am going to ask Doctor Franklin a few more questions about the eye before I leave.”

“I can wait – “

“My stubborn little Human.” G’Kar placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “I will meet you there, shon’Ur. Just a few minutes. I promise.”

Aelora glanced between G’Kar and the doctor, noting that there was an undercurrent of unspoken thoughts swelling between them. Knowing it would be prying of her to push for answers she finally gave a slight shrug, thanked Stephen for all he had done and left MedLab.

G’Kar watched her go, pleased at last to have two eyes with which to look at her, before turning his attention back to Doctor Franklin whose smile had turned into a frown. “Doctor Franklin, I know what you are going to say.”

“Do you, G’Kar?” Stephen shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. “Well, I am going to say it anyway. All of it. Don’t you think this is a bit soon? After all, we have no idea what the long terms affects will be. What if you marry and the next morning she awakes with her memories intact? What then, G’Kar?”
“And what if the station was to be attacked tomorrow and we were all to die, doctor. What then?”

Stephen shook his head once more, emphatically. “You aren’t listening to me. I just think you are moving much too quickly.”

“Has anything changed? Is she unwell?” G’Kar demanded.

“No,” Stephen answered honestly. “She is as healthy as she ever was. The genetically enhanced cells that were bonded with her own cells by the Shadows have seen to that. She is the healthiest person on this station – physically. But G’Kar, we both know what could happen mentally.”

“Could,” G’Kar pointed out. “But you do not know this for a fact. Nor do I.” G’Kar sighed, thinking of a way to explain his reasons to the doctor. “I understand your concerns, Doctor Franklin, and am pleased that you have voiced them, for it shows how much you care for Aelora. It makes me happy to know that there are others out there who love her. But do not think that I have not considered every scenario on my own. I have. I have spent hours going over in my mind what is right and what is wrong and this is right. We have lost too much time, Aelora and I, time that will never be granted to us again. All we can do is put everything that has happened behind and move forward, start our lives together and face whatever is thrown in front of us.”

Stephen rubbed a hand over his eyes in frustration. There was nothing he could do; no word of warning would help. Besides, the Narn could very well be right. Aelora seemed healed; she seemed to no longer dwell on the past, on what she had been through. Perhaps by marrying G’Kar she would focus so completely on the future ahead of her that the threat of the past would be forever buried.

But there were so many snags that could occur. Stephen had learned from Terann that she had left the Narn, Na’Kar, alive. However slim the chances were, what if Aelora were to come face to face with her tormentor? What would happen then? And then there was the possibility of the mindwipe simply wearing off over time. It could happen slowly, in strange visions and reoccurring dreams that would only serve to push their victim over the edge. Knowing Aelora, she would speak of it to no one until it was too late. Stephen only worried because he felt both Aelora and G’Kar had been through enough all ready.

“Very well, G’Kar. I will trust your judgment in this. And I am happy for you. I hope you know that.”

“Thank you, doctor.” The Narn smiled. “Without you, Aelora and I would not be together now. For your kindness, we both thank you.”

While G’Kar finished his discussion with Doctor Franklin, Aelora moved through the corridors of Babylon 5 toward the small apartment she shared with Terann. It had been a few days since she had last seen her friend and she was hoping that she might be there so that they could chat for a while. Besides, Aelora wanted very much to tell Terann of her engagement, more than anything she wanted her friend to be happy for her, to share in her excitement. She also wanted the Minbari to be a part of the ceremony, although the details of the ceremony still needed to be discussed. Already she had posed the question to G’Kar – did they marry as Humans, Narn, Centauri or Minbari? G’Kar had laughed at her worry over the dilemma though she had not found the situation amusing. She knew nothing of Earth wedding ceremonies, had been raised to believe she would always marry as a Centauri and yet, as a daughter of Valen, should she not at least honor her father by marrying in the Minbari tradition? Of course, it would be much simpler to marry G’Kar by Narn tradition but was that not then forgetting who she was? By the time Aelora had gone through all of the options the night before, she had been ready to call the whole marriage off, much to G’Kar’s amusement, who had spent the entire evening laughing at her.

Now, as she moved through the station, Aelora could not help but muse the many other concerns that came with marriage. Where would they live? Would G’Kar wish to return to Narn someday and, if so, would she be able to handle the memories of her captivity there? Where else would they live? She could not begin to imagine spending the rest of her life on Babylon 5, as pleasant as living on the station had become. There was certainly no place for them on Centauri Prime, even with Cartagia gone and the war over; and Earth meant Psi Corps and factions like the Homeguard. There was always Minbar, which she was certain would open their arms to them but she would ultimately end up missing her father too much living there.

Then there was the biggest question of all. The one she had not dared to voice to G’Kar just yet: what about children? Biologically, it should be impossible BUT even Stephen had admitted that the genetic changes made to her body by the Shadows could mean any matter of things. He had warned her that he really had no idea of what all her body was capable. And Morden had told her she had been created as a weapon-in-disguise for the galaxy. What would the Centauri do if a being was alive who was able to reintroduce telepaths in the Narn genes?

Aelora mentally shook the thought away, telling herself that such a thing was impossible and right now all of her questions were hypothetical anyway. She was not pregnant and would very likely never be pregnant. There were plenty of children out there who needed a home. She and G’Kar could adopt.

When she finally reached her apartment shared with Terann, and entered, Aelora realized that whenever her friend had last been there, she had left in a hurry. Lights were on throughout the rooms and various objects were haphazardly placed. It was unlike the Minbari to leave things in such disarray but Aelora knew that with the work she was now doing for Delenn, it was quite possible she had been forced to leave in a hurry on a mission. She took a moment to put a few things away before grabbing a bag and filling it with a few of her belongings.

G’Kar had insisted that since they were now to be engaged, Aelora must move in with him. She had balked at the idea, unwilling to give up her newfound freedom just yet, but finally coming to a compromise. Slowly, she had told him, and she had meant it. So she would divide her week between his apartment and her own, spending more and more time with him until she felt comfortable with the new arrangement. The truth was, she did not understand why she was resisting. She wanted nothing more to begin her life with G’Kar, to never be separated from him again, but still something inside her held back. She refused to believe it had anything to do with her upbringing, knowing that such an idea would hurt G’Kar immensely, only going to prove that she would never be free from the Centauri teachings. And Aelora had more faith in herself than that. She had to believe that her only reason for not instantly agreeing to the arrangement was her desire to spend just a little more time on her own, making her own decisions, facing life without someone to fall back on.

After gathering a few changes of clothes, some toiletries and a book she had been reading on the Mystery of the Great Pyramids of the Universe, Aelora slung the bag over her shoulder, preparing to leave, when something out of the corner of her eye caused her to stop. Setting the bag on the floor, the telepath moved over to her friend’s bed, staring in bewilderment at the object that lay on the coverlet.

“Shon’Ur.” G’Kar poked his head in through the door’s threshold, smiling when he caught sight of her and entering to retrieve her bag. “Are you ready?”

Ignoring him, she reached out to pick up Terann’s denn’bok, an object Aelora knew was never far from the Minbar’s side.

“Shon’Ur?”

“This is Terann’s,” she said, turning the weapon over in her hands as her expression of bewilderment turned into a frown.

“Yes, I know. I have seen it before. Are you ready?”

Aelora shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. Terann never goes anywhere without it. I swear she showers with it. Why is it here now?”

“Perhaps she left in a hurry.”

“No. If she had somewhere to go, she would take this with her.”

G’Kar sighed, reminding himself to have patience where the friendship with the Minbari was concerned. He would never understand it, the strange link between the two telepaths, but he knew it was not his place to question it either. “Aelora, stop frowning like that. It is possible she simply forgot it.”

Again, Aelora shook her head. “No. I am trying to tell you, she doesn’t go anywhere without her pike. It’s more than a need for protection, which certainly she is fine at without a handheld weapon. It’s a connection to her true self; it’s who she is. It would be like my purposely leaving you behind.”

G’Kar smiled at the comparison.

“Besides, it is also very valuable. There is no other like it. See the Vorlon writing? It is a Vorlon denn’bok – or whatever the Vorlon word for it would be. There is no other like it in existence.”

“Shon’Ur – “

“Something’s wrong, G’Kar. I can feel it.”

G’Kar moved over to the Human, taking her gently by the shoulders and turning her to face him. “Aelora, I am certain there is a perfectly good explanation for this. What do you think? That someone came in here and kidnapped her? Well to dispel your mind of that, I will tell you that I ran into Terann in the hall only the other day looking for you. She said she was on a mission for Delenn. She is fine and you are simply allowing your paranoia when it comes to things going wrong around you to take over. Take the denn’bok with you if it will make you feel better. Leave her a message saying you have it, so that she does not call out the Rangers when she comes back and finds it missing.”

At her continued frown G’Kar kissed her mouth gently but with a promise of more to come. “Let us take your stuff to my quarters and get you settled in. If you want I will even let you put out some flowers or something else very silly and feminine in the main room.” He smiled.

“She has no one else to look out for her,” the Human murmured, laying her head against his shoulder.

“She has you,” G’Kar told her. “And you are doing quite a good job at it. But she is fine, Aelora. Terann is the last person I would ever worry about getting into trouble. Trust me.”

Shivering against the cold, Terann made a mental note to inform station maintenance about a malfunction in the environmental systems before reaching to pull her blankets back over top of her. Only after being unable to locate them did she realize that instead of being on her pallet, she was lying upon the floor. Her eyes opening to the darkness she called out for the lights, which blatantly ignored her command. Cursing under her breath she moved to stand, only to have the ground rush back up to meet her as she pitched forward, an overwhelming wave of nausea causing her to wretch violently. Only when her stomach was emptied of what little contents it had, did her mind begin to piece together what had happened.

She vaguely recalled leaving Babylon 5 after receiving the message from Neroon…

Neroon! She had met with him, and then… her memories began to fade as her thoughts became clouded once again. She attempted to force her mind to focus but each time she did it seemed to slip through her grasp, never centering on one thing long enough for her to remember.

She reached out her hand to feel the area around her, noting the cold metal of the floor beneath her, but little more. She then ran her hands up her arms, noticing that instead of her uniform, she was now dressed in thin starchy material and around her left wrist there was a thin metal bracelet. She pulled at it, attempting to slip it off her arm, only to have it dig painfully into the skin at the base of her hand.

Sighing in frustration, she calmed her breathing, focusing on the silence that permeated the dark room. For several moments she listened intently, hoping to hear something—anything—that would give her a clue to her current location. But instead she heard nothing; not even the normal ambient noises made by a ship or a space station. So where was she? She could sense nothing with her Psi and the constant drumming in her head caused her to hesitate before extending her abilities. At first she reached out to the area immediately surrounding her, seeking out signs of life, before extending her reach in desperation. But she felt nothing. In fact the only time she felt this isolated was when Captain Sheridan had forced her to take the sleepers.

That was it! Her mind whirled in recollection. She remembered meeting with Neroon, how he had played at being kind, serving her dinner, all the while biding his time while the drugs he had laced her meal with began to work. Her returning memories however did little to help her answer the questions that still plagued her. Most specifically: Who was holding her active and, more importantly, why?

Neroon’s involvement was a clue in and of itself but she had difficulty figuring out exactly how it fit in. There was no way she could even begin to imagine the Minbari—not even her own caste—being involved. Not only would they have already killed her, but also the methods used were too cowardly and lacked the typical Minbari honor.

She also quickly dismissed the smaller league worlds as well. Though many still possessed a great deal of anger and hatred towards the Vorlons, she doubted they would risk any undesirable attention the Minbari may turn upon them.

The Narns were not suspect either. The occupation of their world by the Centauri had left them beaten and weak. Besides, they would be more likely to target one of their aggressors than an uninvolved alien.

So that left only the Centauri and the Humans. But which one? Both had obvious reasons for wanting to detain her. For the Centauri it could stem from they’re past alliance with the Shadows as well as the near destruction of their homeworld by the Vorlons. Both gave them cause enough to strike back at any trace of their enemy.

Conversely, the Humans presented a myriad of possibilities. Human terrorists with isolationist leanings were becoming more prevalent in Human society and had not been known to hesitate in striking against any alien they deemed to be a threat. There were also dissidents within the ranks of Earth’s military known to still harbor a great deal of animosity towards Minbari. Then there was the possibility that it was someone working from within Earth Gov, with the full knowledge and support of the President. This was the possibility that frightened Terann the most. Terrorists, though known to be merciless and brutal, lacked sophistication; their needs being akin more to sending a message to alien races as opposed to desiring information or technology. They were also not likely to be very skilled in dealing with telepaths. No, she thought to herself, it is more than that. She knew her mind and body better than that, and the drugs she knew to be coursing through her system were far more than black market telepathic suppressors.

As her mind once again began to lose its faint grip on reality, she thought of Aelora. It was odd, she knew, but somehow she could almost hear the Human’s voice in her mind, pondering with her, trying desperately to figure out what exactly was happening. So real were the sensations that Terann found herself calling out to her friend, begging her to slow down, telling her that her mind could not work that quickly. But the Human refused to stop, she kept going, moving through Terann’s memories flipping each notion upside down and backwards analyzing each possibility before casting it aside for the next.

“It is quite puzzling, is it not, my friend? One minute it seems we have figured it out and the next… poof! Is it not quite maddening to have no idea whatsoever what is happening?”

“Aelora!” Terann called out into the darkness, and then stopped herself. This is insane! She mentally chided. Aelora was not there; it was drugs she was certain.

“Oh, don’t be such a wet blanket, Terann.”

The Minbari scurried away from the image before her. It was not Aelora and yet it was. She blinked hard against what her eyes were showing her and what her mind insisted was not possible.

The Human sighed. “You always were so dramatic. Now, who do you think it is? Personally I think it’s the Humans. True the Centauri aren’t above this kind of thing, but we are infinitely more creative. This is definitely more our style.”

She is not here! Terann repeated to herself, clenching her eyes shut and trying to focus her mind.

“Of course I am here!” Aelora’s voice echoed dejectedly through her thoughts. “Now… where were we?”

The Human then continued on with her ramblings, listing the reasons both for and against each possibility. Only when Aelora began suggesting a co-conspiracy involving the Pak’ma’ra, the Gaim and the Hyach did Terann cry out in anger clenching her fists against her temples in an attempt to rid her mind of the endless rambling.

Her frustration however did not end when silence once again permeated the room and her mind continued to spin tapestries. In the ensuing stillness, Terann once again became cognizant of the throbbing behind her eyes and the resurfacing nausea. The discomfort continued to mount until she found herself wishing for the return of Aelora’s clamoring if only to pull her mind from the pain that now ravaged her body.

“I knew you’d miss me!” The Human returned with glee. “So I’m betting on it being the Humans…”

Terann’s attention was pulled towards the doorway as it opened with a piercing squeal, allowing a sudden burst of light to spill into the room. Terann once again darted backwards away from the blinding light, her eyes, however, remaining on the doorway. The light hampering much of her sight, she was only able to make out the outline of three clearly Human shapes as they stepped through the entryway.

“Told you they were Human,” Aelora’s voiced laughed through her mind.

“Shut up, Aelora,” the Minbari snarled in anger.

She could then make out the voices of the newcomers.

“…She’s hallucinating…”

“…Sleepers must be wearing off…”

Terann regarded the newcomers, trying to determine who and what they were. At least some of her curiosity was satisfied as two Human males moved towards her, the light from the hall reflecting off the bronze and copper badges on their chests. Rough hands pulled her to her feet and with what little strength she still possessed she fought against them, ignoring the pain that now shot from her head down her spine and into her limbs. All she could focus on was the doorway and the chance of escape. As futile as she knew her attempts to be, she needed to at least try, to let them know that she was not going to willingly remain their captive. But as she struggled against the males’ hold on her, she became vaguely aware of a pressure like sensation in her head. It was an odd feeling, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, it was simply there; moving along the curves of her mind. Then suddenly, she pitched forward, her legs buckling beneath her, as a blinding hot pain shot through to the farthest reaches of her mind. Her breath knocked from her, her stomach heaved violently sapping what strength she may have had from her.

Once incapacitated it was an easy task for the Humans to drag the Minbari to an awaiting chair at the center of the room. When seated, they moved to bind her arms and her legs, stopping only when the Human female instructed them to.

“I much prefer her aware of how completely powerless she is.”

The males nodded then stepped aside allowing the female passage.

The Minbari sucked in a sharp breath as the woman stepped into view: Ashlen! Confusion reigned heavily in Terann’s mind for the next few moments as she contemplated this strange turn of events. She had thought that Ashlen and the Psi Corps had only been after Aelora. What possible interest could they have in her?

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Ashlen asked with a self-satisfied smile at the expression of irritation that crossed the Minbari’s face when a Human so easily read her thoughts. “What would Psi Corps want with you, freak that you are? Well, put your mind at rest, Terann. Psi Corps has absolutely no clue about this particular… operation.”

“Then who…?”

Ashlen shrugged. “What does it matter to you, really? After all, its not as if you are going to live to exact your revenge or anything. If I were you, I would simply put it from your mind.”

“Don’t worry, old friend,” Aelora spat. “When you are singing hymns beyond the veil, I’ll seek vengeance in your name!”

“Gee, thanks,” Terann retorted. “That makes me feel much better.”

The telepath before her frowned, trying to decide if the Minbari were talking to her or hallucinating again. Deciding it was unimportant, Ashlen folded her arms across her chest and moved around the Minbari, continuing to watch her as she paced. “I must say, Terann, you are a very interesting individual. No one here seems to believe it is possible – creating a Vorlon hybrid out of any species. You have some of our type scientists completely baffled.”

“That does not seem so hard,” Terann sneered. “After all, you are only Human.”

Ashlen lashed out instantly, kicking Terann hard across the face with her boot. The Minbari spat out a mouthful of blood, including a tooth, and turned to find the telepath watching her, smiling.

“Amazing how once incapacitated, you are truly just as easy to harm as anyone else,” Ashlen commented. She leaned over, moving her face to within inches of Terann. “Do you know how much I am going to enjoy sifting through your mind? Tearing out your memories, your secrets, everything that is personal about you, that makes you who you are?”

“Great Maker!” Aelora’s voice laughed from the corner of the cell. “She must be really desperate for a personality of her own!”

“Why?” Terann asked. “Are you that desperate for a personality of your own?”

“Hey! That was my line!” Aelora pouted.

Ashlen’s smile died and she slowly straightened, focusing a glare at the Minbari. “Feeling brave, are we?” She asked softly, her tone menacing. “And here I thought you would have more sense than that.”

“I pity you,” Terann replied, spitting another mouthful of blood to the floor nonchalantly. “I really do. You desperately search for the answers to something you do not and can not understand, hoping that it will somehow elevate your station in life, get you noticed, get you the acclaim you feel you deserve. But you are really a sad little being, too blind to see what is truly important. To full of your own arrogance to understand that the universe does not revolve around what happens to you.”

“Oh that sounds familiar,” Aelora commented sarcastically. “What’s the saying? Oh yes, it takes one to know one.”

“Shut up!” Ashlen spat. “You know nothing about me and who I am and what it is I seek or need! Arrogance? Do you wish to speak of arrogance? You who continue to sit there calmly, as if nothing or no one can touch you. Without the slightest hint of fear when your entire world is about to come crashing down around you –“

“I have lived through that before,” Terann replied calmly.

Ashlen glowered, her expression darkening. “You refuse to understand then? Refuse to understand that I plan to put you through the worst kind of tortures? To make you scream until your throat tears. Until you beg for your own death. And then? Then I will only grant you that when I have everything it is that I want.”

Terann shook her head. “You are right on one count – I do not understand. Why do you do this? What drives you to wish to cause me pain as you describe?”

“Because creatures such as you should not exist. You are an aberration to nature. If alien beings can go about and create races as they wish, then what is to happen to the purity of the Human race? We must continue to go own. We must put this galaxy on a leash; train the errant races to behave as to the order of things. You… You have no place among the rest of us.”

Terann had heard it all before. Perhaps not the same wording but the sentiment was the same. Neroon had said it. And at the time, his words had torn her apart. Perhaps that had been the reason she had been so willing to believe that he was seeking her forgiveness, that he really did not believe the words he had spoken. And she had walked into his trap. And here she was.

“We all do stupid things for love,” Aelora commented from the corner, examining Ashlen as if she were some strange, unexplainable bug. “You really can’t blame yourself. I probably would have done the same.”

Terann forced herself to ignore her friend, knowing that a conversation between them could only lead to issues the Minbari would rather choose to ignore. The problem was, she truly was afraid. She knew the woman before her was mad, and that the people she worked for were madder still. There would be no reasoning with them, no getting them to understand, to open their eyes. The Human race, as a whole, was extremely stubborn, refusing to believe that they were anything less than right and perfect and justified in all of their actions. They needed to be taught a lesson, and perhaps she would be the one to do it. No matter what, she could not allow them to see her fear, especially Ashlen.

“Heh. And you call us stubborn,” the voice from the corner called out before the image of Aelora slowly faded away.

A bleep of Ashlen’s comlink pulled everyone’s attention in the room. The telepath raised her hand to her mouth. “Ladan here.”

“Miss Ladan, you wanted me to let you know when the doctor had arrived.”

“Yes. Thank you. Show him to the lab. We will be there shortly. Ladan, out.” Ashlen dropped her hand, glanced back up at Terann and smiled.

“As children in school, we take biology in our science classes. It assures that every Human being grows up with an interest in knowing what it is inside other species that makes them tick.

“They bring us all manner of animals that we get to dissect – slice open, pull out their insides, slice open their insides… well, you get the idea. Sometimes one had to be very delicate, careful to slice just right to pull out the correct organ without destroying the others. If you didn’t, well, it could end up getting pretty messy what with all of the fluids hidden throughout our bodies and such. I remember in Psi Corps once getting to dig through the inside of a mundane’s brain. It was fascinating. Of course,” Ashlen stopped herself, smiling. “That was nothing compared to the Minbari I got to see dissected at the Academy during the Earth-Minbari War.”

Terann watched as Ashlen crouched down, placing her hand to the floor for a moment before standing and moving back over to her prisoner. She held her fingers out, over which crawled a fuzzy black spider, the only creatures in existence that resembled the ancient enemy, the Shadows. Interesting, how spiders were only found on Earth and nowhere else in the galaxy.

“What a tiny, insignificant creature,” Ashlen commented, her face expressionless as the arachnid clamored over her hand. “We shudder to look at them because they are ugly to us, and we never give a second thought to squashing them into nonexistence because no one will ever truly care.” To emphasize her point, Ashlen crushed the spider between her finger and thumb. She raised her gaze, meeting Terann eye to eye. “Do you think anyone will ever truly care?”

The telepath then wiped the remains of her kill across Terann’s cheek. “Mourn for it, Terann. Mourn for it, as none shall do so for you.”

After meeting with Da’Tan for lunch, Aelora and G’Kar returned to the Narn’s quarters so that she could put her belongings away. She had continued to insist during their meal that something was wrong where Terann was concerned but G’Kar answered only that she was overly paranoid after all that she had been through. The comment had hurt but Aelora had kept her thoughts to herself, mulling over the mystery of Terann’s disappearance.

Once she had put her belongings away, the telepath pulled out her friend’s denn’bok and looked it over, in hopes of some clue as to Terann’s whereabouts. But the weapon was silent, revealing nothing. She sighed, smoothing her hand across the Vorlon writing that was etched into the strange metal that seemed almost incandescent in the light. Knowing as little as she did about her abilities, Aelora was uncertain if there was any way she could use a personal possession to locate its owner. During the past few weeks her training under Terann’s tutelage had dropped off, but Aelora was certain she was stronger than ever before. She just was not positive where it was she should direct the strength.

“I have to attend a meeting with the Brakiri Ambassador.”

Aelora looked up at G’Kar as he moved over to where she sat on the couch.

“I am sorry to run off on you like this, shon’Ur.”

The Human shook her head. “No. Don’t be. It’s your job.”

“What about your job? Will you be gone when I return?” He tucked a curl behind her ear, his fingers lingering over her cheek gently.

“No. I wasn’t scheduled for today.”

G’Kar hesitated for a moment then commented, “You know, shon’Ur, that you do not need to work. I can support us both – “

Aelora jumped to her feet and kissed him to cut him off. “Don’t,” she said when she pulled away. “I need to know I can do these things, you know that. Besides, I won’t be a merchant always. I’m sure there is a promising job out there for a Shadow-enhanced Human telepath who is in no way associated with Psi Corps.” She frowned, thinking. “Well, maybe not. Perhaps I shall open a business of my own!”

G’Kar rolled his eyes. “The very thought terrifies me.” He dodged a well-placed punch then gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. “I will return soon.”

Aelora waited until the door closed behind G’Kar before she moved over to the Com panel.

“C&C, please,” she requested.

The screen flickered for a moment before an image appeared. “Lieutenant Corwin here.”

“Lieutenant, I need to check outbound records for the past seventy-two hours.”

“Name of the ship?”

“The Arani.”

He typed the name in, glanced over the readout for a moment before looking back into the monitor. “The Arani left three days ago at 16:00 hours. Bound for…” He paused, frowning. “Sorry, Miss Campbell. There does not seem to be any indication of destination.”

“How is that possible? I thought ships couldn’t leave Babylon 5 without a destination logged?”

Corwin just shrugged in reply and Aelora knew that Terann had most likely used her contacts with the Rangers to skip that part of the process.

“All right, Lieutenant. Thank you.”

As the Com panel went blank, Aelora stood silently, worrying her lower lip, twirling the weapon absently in her hands. At least now she knew without a doubt that Terann was not onboard the station but where did she go from here? She was certain the denn’bok had been left behind as a signal to her but without knowing what location Terann was destined for, Aelora was back to square one. Unless… Perhaps she had not perused their apartment as efficiently as she should have. Glancing at the clock, Aelora gauged that she had about an hour to do her detective work before G’Kar returned. Once she had a strong enough case, she would present it to him and then certainly he would agree to help her locate her friend.

Hurrying from G’Kar’s quarters, Aelora made her way through the station with the intent of heading directly to the apartment she shared with Terann in Brown sector when she paused on her way through the Zocalo. Sheridan and Delenn were seated in the Eclipse Cafe having lunch and it occurred to Aelora that perhaps, just perhaps, she had better ask Delenn about the mission Terann had been on mission for the Rangers. It rankled her still to ask Delenn for anything, but for Terann’s sake, she would do so.

Making her way through the throng of tables, the telepath reached out with her senses to gauge the moods of the couple she approached. After all, she did not wish to interrupt a lover’s spat or confidential meeting. But she sensed they were both relaxed and continued her progression forward.

“Excuse me, Captain Sheridan, Delenn.”

The couple turned and Delenn instantly flashed a smile at the telepath. “Why, Aelora, hello. How are you?”

“Fine, thank you.” She flashed a quick smile at the Captain who returned it. “I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“Not at all,” Sheridan assured her. “In fact, I was planning on looking for you after lunch.”

“You were?” Now what did she do?

“Yes.” Sheridan grinned as if reading her mind. “I wanted to congratulate you and G’Kar. I heard from Stephen a while ago that you are engaged.”

Relief spilled over her. “Oh, yes.” She smiled, relaxed, tucking her hair behind her ears nervously. “News travels fast around here.”

“I am so happy for you,” Delenn told her, and she meant it. Though she could not help but wonder, with the relationship that had between G’Kar and Aelora’s father, what would Sinclair say if he knew his only daughter was marrying the same person who was responsible for an attempted assassination on the life of Ambassador Kosh? She hid a secret smile, thinking how ironic the Universe turned out to be at times.

“Thank you. Both of you,” Aelora replied, finally focusing her attention on the Minbari. “Delenn, I was wondering… well, that is, did you send Terann off on a mission for the Rangers the other day? I know that information is confidential but I really must know.”

Delenn frowned for a moment but replied, “No, Aelora. I was holding back on giving her anything else immediately since she had barely returned from her last mission. Why?”

Alarms went off in Aelora’s head. No, don’t worry. Not just yet, the voice of reason told her. “She’s gone. I mean… well, I know you may think me silly to worry but she left behind something that is very important to her and I just… well, and I don’t believe it was by accident. And, well she told G’Kar she was going on a Ranger mission.”

“No, I have not seen her since she debriefed us on her last mission!” Delenn cast a worried glance at John, and then turned back to Aelora. “Do you have any indication as to where she might have gone? Or why she would have lied?”

Aelora shook her head. “No. I found out that she left three days ago but that is it. I was just going back to our apartment to see if I missed anything.”

“Did you check any last transmissions on the ComUnit?” Sheridan suggested helpfully. “Perhaps she received a call from someone.”

Aelora had not thought of that. “Thank you, Captain. I will do that.” She smiled at them both then started off toward Brown sector when Sheridan suddenly appeared at her side, taking her arm and bringing her to a halt. “Something else, Captain?”

“Just that… “ He paused, uncertain of what to say. It was hard for him to apologize and admit to being wrong, especially where the woman before him was concerned. She had been a very real threat to both the station and Delenn but then everything seemed to change and Sheridan was uncertain of how to react to it all. “I know we’ve had our differences, Aelora, and if I misjudged you, I apologize. I want you to know that I am very happy for you and G’Kar and hope that your future together is much easier than the past has been.”

His sincerity was the first thing to catch Aelora off guard. The second was her response: a grudging respect? Luckily, the smile came easily. “Thank you, Captain. As long as we are having this conversation, may I just say that I am sorry for any threats I may have carelessly tossed about in the past, as well as the trouble I have caused. The past few months have been… well, very trying for me. It’s not an excuse to take it out on everything and everyone around me but it’s the only answer I have.”

Sheridan smiled. “I think G’Kar has made a wise choice. If you need any help in your search for Terann, please let me know.”

“I will. Thank you, Captain.”

Well, that was certainly strange, Aelora thought to herself as she continued toward her destination. Everything seemed to be coming full circle. Now, if only she could locate Terann and know that she was safe, things would be right again.

Upon entering the apartment, Aelora headed straight to the Com panel, requesting that it play the last message received. The person who appeared was the last person she had expected to see: Neroon. She listened as he spoke of meeting with Terann and settling their differences. She made a face. Surely Terann had not fallen for such a trick! Then again, if similar problems had occurred between her and G’Kar and then out of the blue she received a message from the Narn, asking her to meet with him so things could be better, would she not jump at the opportunity? Only she would not have been smart enough to have left a clue behind, signaling to her friend that things may not be as they seemed. Very well then. All she needed to do was contact Neroon on Minbar and ask for Terann. If she was there and they spoke, then all was fine and she need no longer worry. If Neroon gave her any indication otherwise… well, then, she would be certain to be on the next transport out.

The call to Minbar took longer than expected and Aelora had begun searching through Terann’s personal belongings in the hopes of another clue when the Minbari Communication Center answered.

“This is Minbar. How can I help you?” A male of the Worker caste responded.

Aelora hurried over to the monitor. “Er… I need to reach Shai Alyt Neroon of the Starrider clan, please.”

“Shai Alyt Neroon is not on Minbar,” the Minbari replied. “He is at his command post on the Ingata.”

“Can you get me into contact with the Ingata, please? It is very urgent or I wouldn’t be asking.”

The Minbari seemed to consider the request for a moment before nodding. “As you request.”

The screen went blank again before flickering once and a fierce-looking Minbari warrior appeared before her. “This is Alyt Eitann of the Ingata.”

“Alyt Eitann.” Aelora offered him a respectful bow, knowing that getting past Neroon’s second-in-command would most likely be a challenge in itself. “I wish to speak with your commander, Shai Alyt Neroon.”

The Warrior sneered at her. “I do not see the Shai Alyt wishing to speak with a Human. You are wasting my time.”

When she saw that he was about to end the transmission, Aelora grew desperate, quickly making up what she thought was enticing enough a reason for Neroon to speak to her. She affected an authoritative tone that she had not realized she had within her and said, “Look, the message I have for him is urgent. If you want to be responsible for stopping me from giving it to him, fine. I am sure that all he will do is demote you, leaving you and your clan in a scandal of disgrace. Of course, this could all be avoided if you would simply tell him that I have some information regarding Entil’zah Delenn that I have been told by my superiors to share with him.”

Aelora held her breath, waiting for Alyt Eitann to deny or accept her lie. Just when she thought he was cutting the transmission, the screen flickered and Neroon appeared.

“Yes?” He seemed impatient, staring down at a monitor before him. He looked up and for the briefest of moments Aelora saw what she could only describe as panic light across his face. But he quickly replaced it with a scowl. “What do you want?” He barked.

Not an auspicious beginning. She had to be careful how she framed her words. His reply would be her key to knowing whether or not Terann were in danger. “I want to know if you have seen Terann recently?”

Neroon paused briefly enough that most people would never have noticed. But Aelora did. “No. I have not. Why would I? We have chosen to sever our relations, or did you not know?”

“Oh.” The warning alarms grew louder. He was denying any knowledge of having seen her, of even wanting to have seen her. And he mentioned nothing regarding the message. Add those two equations to the fact that he also refused to meet her gaze and took his time forming replies; Aelora knew that whatever had happened to Terann, he was behind it. She could press the issue now but Neroon would simply end the transmission and there would be nothing left. Either way, she knew that going to Notsalrad would be futile. Their meeting was obviously over with and Terann would not be there – at least not alive. No, the search would have to begin with Neroon, and she knew he wasn’t going to like it one bit. The question was, how did she get him to agree to meet with her?

Well, why not the same reason she gave his Alyt?

“I was hoping to get this information to Terann but I can’t seem to find her… but perhaps you will do.”

Neroon sighed, loudly. “Human, do you truly believe you have any amount of information that I would care to hear?”

She thought about this for a moment. Then shrugged. “I guess not. I overheard some information from Delenn regarding some sort of strike the Religious caste was planning against your caste and I just thought…. “

Neroon jumped up from his seat. “What was that?”

She chewed on her lower lip calmly for a moment, not saying anything.

He frowned. “Why should I believe you? Why would you want to help the Warrior caste?”

“Well,” Aelora raised her eyebrows in thought, pursing her lips. “Could be because I hate Delenn with a passion. Could be because the Rangers used me then dumped me without a thought. Could be because the Religious caste is ultimately responsible for taking my father from me. Who knows?”

“I see.” The Warrior sat back down, considering her words. “Very well. Tell me.”

“Over an unsecured channel? You must be joking.”

Neroon’s expression darkened.

“Why don’t I meet up with the Ingata? I will give you the information in person, along with some documents I got a hold of.”

Neroon considered her suggestion for a long moment before finally agreeing. “Very well. We will be arriving at Dorado tomorrow. You can come onboard there.”

Aelora nodded, making note of the ship’s location. “I will see you then.”

She sighed in relief as Neroon’s image disappeared. Aelora could not help but look forward to confronting the Warrior regarding her friend’s disappearance. Now only one hurdle remained: G’Kar.

The door sliding shut behind him, Doctor Benjamin Kyle was once again immersed in the dim lit starkness of Terann’s cell. The Minbari was, as he had anticipated, still unconscious, her head slumped forward against her chest, her arms hanging limply, slack against their restraints. She had been like this for more than two days now since they had started the next phase of their experiments—drifting in and out of consciousness, one minute violently aggressive the next passive and submissive. If they were not invading her mind with deep scans they were violating her body with countless drugs and exploratory surgery, and Kyle found himself shocked by all the Minbari hybrid had been able to withstand.

‘Damned Minbari constitution’ one of the others had claimed, but Kyle was not so convinced. Through hundreds of millions of years of evolution the Vorlons had developed a constitution to which that of the Minbari paled in comparison. It was this to which he attributed Terann’s relatively good health. Naturally the drugs and the scans were taking their toll, but he firmly believed that a pure Minbari would be far worse off.

A soft moan emitted by the Minbari’s still form drew the Human’s mind from its musings. Moving over to her, Kyle knelt in front of her placing his hand on her arm. He forced from his mind the remorse he felt as he touched her cold clammy skin and focused on waking her.

“Terann,” he called in a soft, comforting tone. At first he felt the Minbari stiffen under his grasp but as he continued to speak reassuringly to her she relaxed, her body slowly regaining consciousness.

Slowly opening her eyes, Terann was surprised to find not a harsh looking Human soldier or the telepath Ashlen but a pleasant looking, dark skinned man in medical attire. Still, without the use of her Psi she recoiled from him, knowing it to be unwise to trust anyone.

“It’s alright, Terann,” Kyle told her. “I’m not going to harm you.”

The Minbari stilled as a wave of recognition washed over her. “Dr… Kyle.”

The doctor’s brow furrowed. “You… know me?”

Terann nodded her head weakly. “Kosh…”

“I understand,” he told her simply.

Terann pulled her gaze from his, the weight in her head growing heavier with each passing moment. She willed herself to stay awake, so as not to seem weak or to appear as a will participant. Her eyes moved across her body noting the bruising on her arms from countless injections before settling on the bloodstains on the front of her shirt. Angrily she brought her eyes back to those of the Human. “What have you done to me?”

Kyle pursed his lips nervously. “They were worried — about the drugs they were giving you — “

“And?” Terann pressed.

Kyle rose back to his feet then began moving about the room nervously opening and closing his fists at his sides trying to formulate the right words. Finally he turned back to her. “They operated on you yesterday, to remove your reproductive organs…”

“But I am sterile,” she informed him plainly.

It was not something she had ever given much thought to. The Vorlons had not designed her to be Minbari, only pass as one for as long as was required. Her inability to bear children had always been a non-issue with her, one that rarely, if ever, entered her mind. That is until Neroon. Though admittedly she had not been so foolish as to believe that her relationship with Neroon would ever reach that stage, she had still often wondered what it would be like to marry and raise a family, just for once to be like any other normal Minbari. But she was not normal, never had been. From the moment of her conception when the Vorlons had altered her DNA toying with her genetics on the most basic of levels, giving her unnatural abilities in place of natural ones. Now she understood, she could see that there was some kind of twisted logic behind their thinking. They had intended for her to be unique; a Vorlon inhabiting a Minbari body. They had never intended for her to be anything but Vorlon, never expected her to want to be more. But aside from this they saw a danger. Creating a Minbari hybrid was a big enough risk in itself, but to grant her the ability to procreate, to have her spreading Vorlon DNA through future generations was far more than they wished to bear. It went back, as always with the Vorlons, to being a matter of order and control.

“Yes.” Kyle nodded. “They… we found that out.” There he had admitted his complacency. Regardless of his own antipathy towards what they were doing, he had openly voiced his guilt, not so much for Terann’s sake but for his own.

“But…?”

The Human ran a hand over his brow not sure how to explain all that they had done to her while convincing her that he had been less than enthusiastic about his involvement. As she silently prompted again he stole a deep breath. “Please understand, I don’t want to be here, in fact I had no idea what President Clark wanted. They threaten my family, told me if I didn’t do as they asked…”

“What did they do?!” Terann demanded through gritted teeth.

Unable to hold her gaze any longer, Doctor Kyle pulled his eyes down to his clenched hands. Sighing deeply he confessed:

“They removed one of your kidneys, a section of your stomach and liver and two of your lower ribs.”

Terann clenched her eyes shut as she allowed the reality of what the Human told her to wash over her. Her anger waned as desperation unlike anything she had ever felt coursed through her. Oddly she did not blame Kyle, or Ashlen or even Neroon for her current predicament. Instead she blamed herself: For foolishly believing in anyone or anything, for blindly placing trust in those she knew she should not. Had she not been trained better than that? Taught to set herself apart from the others, to look down upon the younger races, to see them as being un-evolved and inferior? Even the Minbari, who she had fought so desperately to believe could be held to higher standard only proved themselves to be a barbaric child-race. Sure they play acted at being wise and noble, believing themselves to be worthy of taking an authoritative role of the other races in the galaxy but were they truly any better than the Humans, or even the Centauri and the Narn? Sadly she found herself wishing she had not been so mindful of the others, had not spent so much time away from the Vorlons. Had things been different, she would have never hesitated to meet their demands, would never have felt revulsion at their disregard for the lesser races. Had she turned her back on the Minbari, as they had her, and embraced her true nature things would be much simpler.

But would they? She found herself wondering. And what was her true nature? A year earlier, even on the Vorlon homeworld, she had accepted herself as Minbari and Vorlon, never once considering one over the other. But now while she still identified with both the Vorlons and the Minbari, one constantly seemed to pull her in one direction just as strongly as the other pulled her in the opposite. It was a battle she had never had to fight until the lines between what she was and what she wasn’t became so defined. And for this she had only herself to blame.

“I can end it,” Doctor Kyle said pulling Terann from her thoughts. “It wouldn’t take much. They really don’t know the effects of the drugs they are giving you. I could make it seem as if your body simply gave up. There wouldn’t be anymore pain, you will simply fall asleep.”

Terann considered his offer, if only for the briefest of moments. She knew the risk he was taking just by making it and were she Human she had no doubt about what her answer would be. But to simply give up, as he was suggesting she do, was not the answer. If the Fates decided she should die here then she would die, but the decision was not hers to make. “No,” she told him plainly.

“I understand you are proud but you shouldn’t be made to suffer,” the Human argued.

“I cannot.”

“Why?”

“I cannot let them win.”

Kyle sighed deeply in frustration. “You will die here, Terann. Maybe not today but soon. There is only so much that you can endure. You can’t hope to escape, not in your condition, and trying to will only make things worse. So no matter how stubborn you are or how immortal you believe yourself to be, eventually they will win.”

She could see his disappointment in her decision but oddly it appeared not to stem from his displeasure at his own continued involvement as she suspected. Instead he appeared to truly want to help her, to see and end to her suffering. “You do not like what they are doing? What they are forcing you to do?”

Kyle pulled his gaze from hers, his shame making him unable to meet her eyes. “No,” he told her moving anxiously about the room. “I am a doctor and I have an obligation to do no harm. And by being here, by taking part in these experiments I am causing great harm. Not just to you, but to Earth.

“I love Earth and I understand the need to give Humans every advantage possible, but at what cost? Anything they learn here will be used solely to advance Earth, but not in the way we should be. Earth Force will use your knowledge of the Vorlons to create advanced weapons, while the Psi Corps will use your genetics to create an entirely new breed of telepaths. They brought you here, seeing you as something they can exploit but they never even stop to consider why they are doing this or even if they should. We could be embracing the others in the galaxy not hiding behind fear and paranoia, bent on advancing ourselves only through warfare.”

“I am sorry, doctor,” Terann told him coldly. “But I cannot find it within myself to feel pity on your species. Your arrogance, your firm belief in your own superiority will be your undoing. This is not just something that has come about recently. I have studied enough Human history to know that your penchant for self-annihilation is not new. Throughout time you have dreamt of new and wondrous ways to kill one another, the only difference now is that you plan to take the rest of the galaxy with you.”

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Kyle’s attention towards the doorway and away from any response he may have offered. His features contorted in dread as shadows blotted out the stream of light under the door and he dropped his tone to barely above a whisper.

“Regardless of what you believe Terann, I am offering you my help. It may not seem like much, it may even appear cowardly but it is all I have to give.”

The telepath shook her head. “It is not cowardly – It is just… Human.”

At this the Human smiled. Though he did not agree with the Minbari’s decision he knew he must respect it. This was, after all, her life. He then reached into his medkit, withdrawing several vials. After carefully preparing the syringe he pressed it against the pale skin of her forearm, pausing only to ask: “Are you certain you don’t want me to?”

He sighed dejectedly when she once again nodded her certainty.

“You do not have to do this,” Terann told him just prior to his administering the drugs.

“I have no choice,” Kyle replied sadly his thumb pressing down on the injector.

Terann closed her eyes, feeling the usual wave of nausea as the cold liquid entered her system. “We all have choices, doctor,” she managed weakly. “We just do not always make the right ones.”

Doctor Kyle rose to his feet, taking an involuntary step backwards. He still marveled at the speed in which the drugs affected the Minbari hybrid. Where minutes before she had been lucid she now appeared incoherent and withdrawn, her eyes rolling listlessly upward, her skin taking on an unhealthy pallor. Admittedly, aside from the sleepers and a strong sedative, Kyle knew little of what he had just administered to her. Still he remained fairly certain that the effects should not be witnessed so quickly. For a Human, sleepers can take as long as three hours to work but with a Minbari this time can be even longer. Even the sedative they used to keep her calm and more amicable should take several minutes. Glancing down at the medkit at his feet he found himself not simply wondering what other drugs she was being given but also their origins.

Slowly he continued to back away, his eyes never drifting from the Minbari’s form, his mind repeatedly telling him that he had no choice, that he was dealing with powers far greater than he. In his mind he knew that following his brief stay on Babylon 5, he should never have returned to Earth. Instead he should have opted to settle on some distant colony and start a new life. He could have avoided the constant interrogation, the telepathic scans and the continued doubt regarding his care for Kosh. But hindsight was, as they say, 20/20 and there remained nothing he could do to change the past. He was here, and there was little he could do to change it. For a brief moment he considered simply going against Terann’s wishes, but as a doctor he could not conscionably do so. She was, in a way, his patient and he had to respect her wishes no matter how much he may disagree with them.

The doctor started as the door slid open behind him. He turned in time to see what he could only conclude to be the most frightening Human he had ever seen stepping across the threshold. It was not so much his appearance—hair closely cropped, pale blue eyes framed by equally pale skin—as it was his mannerisms, the way he carried himself and the unanimated look of his eyes. Kyle’s gaze moved cautiously over his as yet unidentifiable uniform coming to rest on the tell-tale bronze and copper badge on his lapel identifying him as a member of the Psi Corps. Followed closely behind him were two EA soldiers both displaying the colors of the NightWatch on their arms. The three together were enough to send a cold shudder down Kyle’s spine.

“Doctor Kyle,” the telepath greeted in an ominously pleasant tone. “I am Nicholas Kent, Psi Corps rating P12 K6. President Clark sends his regrets, but with things as they are both at home and abroad he felt it best to send a less conspicuous representative.”

Kyle nodded, his brow furrowed. “Of course, but why Psi Corps? Ms. Ladan—“

“My interests here, though congruent with those of Ms. Ladan, are much broader and further reaching. Yes, officially I am a member of the Psi Corps; unofficially I am attached to the Research and Development branch of Department Sigma. I report directly—and solely—to President Clark.”

“I see,” was all the Human doctor could manage. He knew there were reasons for his ill feelings towards the telepath but he did not expect his suspicions to pan out so completely. He knew little of the intricate workings of Psi Corps and even less about the almost mythical Department Sigma. What he did know, however, was enough to put his senses on alert.

“So,” Kent said, clapping his hands together. “What is the current status of the specimen?”

Doctor Kyle started by passing the Minbari’s updated chart to Kent, then as the telepath flipped through the clipped sheets, he went on to report on his most recent findings. He concluded by informing Kent of his concerns regarding Terann’s deteriorating condition, telling him that he had no doubt of her soon succumbing.

Kent glanced up from the chart, eyeing the doctor curiously for a moment before asking: “Are the lab results complete on the harvested samples?”

“No,” Kyle shook his head. “Her unique genome is making it difficult to analyze the retrieved organs.”

“I was under the impression, Doctor,” Kent sneered taking a threatening step towards him. “ That you gained extensive knowledge of both Minbari and Vorlon physiology while on Babylon 5.”

“I would not say extensive…”

Kent allowed himself a slight smile feeling Kyle’s apprehension mount. “Ah, but you possess more than anyone here, especially in regards to Vorlon biology. In fact I believe you were handpicked for that very reason.” He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “You have doubts.” It was a statement, rather than a question. “You did speak to President Clark before coming here? He did explain what would happen if you failed to perform your obligations, did he not?”

“Yes,” Kyle told him, straightening his back in an attempt show he would not be intimidated.”

“Good.” Kent smiled. “Then we don’t have a problem.”

Passing the chart back to the doctor, the telepath turned his attention towards the Minbari hybrid. It was clear by the way her head slumped forward that the drugs recently administered to her were working better than anticipated. He had been assured that the modified sleepers would last longer and have a stronger effect but he had not been so convinced. He was glad to see himself proved wrong.

Moving forward he knelt before her, resisting the urge to scan her, opting instead to simply watch her. Oddly he found a sense of respect and curiosity. Before coming here he had, of course, been briefed on their current plans, their hopes that the genetic engineering behind Terann’s creation could somehow be duplicated and used in their own species. But until that moment he had seen her simply as another lab experiment, one of many he had undertaken in his many years of service. Now, as he kneeled before her, the telepath in him felt awe and wonder. He wished to see her away from the influence of the drugs, to see first hand what she was capable of, to compare her abilities to those of his own. But the Human in him knew better. He had been raised and trained to be suspicious of aliens, to know that they would seek the upper hand whenever Earth allowed them to. It was not something he could allow.

“Who the hell are you?”

Kent reached out and touched upon the presence lurking just inside the doorway, instantly recognizing it. “Ms. Ladan,” he spoke in the same tone he had used with Kyle, extending his hand for her to take. “I had hoped you would join us.”

Ashlen simply crossed her arms against her chest, looking the proffered hand with great disdain. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Kyle smiled. He had read and heard much about Ashlen Ladan, had in fact made her his own personal research project on the trip from Earth. He knew she was driven, ambitious and that her loyalty to Earth came second only to her loyalty to herself. The latter was something he was determined to rectify. “I’m Nicholas Kent, P12 K6.”

“You’re Department Sigma?” Ashlen asked already knowing the answer. In the Corps there were only two fates for a telekinetic; the unstable ones were committed, destined to live their lives as test subjects in some god-awful experiments and the stable ones were quickly shuffled off to Department Sigma.

“President Clark asked me to come here, to help you on your current assignment.”

Ashlen’s eyes narrowed and she moved to stand beside the Minbari telepath, appearing almost territorial in her stance. “I was told I had complete autonomy.”

“You were told?” Kent raised an eyebrow incredulously.

Ashlen pursed her lips. “I assumed.”

“Autonomy is not something to assume,” he scolded. “As a member of the Corps you should know we do not act for our own intent. We work for the good of the Corps, the good of telepaths and,” he glanced derisively at the normals, “for the good of Earth.”

Ashlen regarded Kent silently for a moment. Currently she could sense nothing from him, but that was not unheard of with a P12. Still there was something she did not like about him, whether it was his openly reminding her of her place or something else she was unsure. Deciding it best to play along she quickly changed tactics. “Is President Clark unhappy with my progress?”

“Come now, Ms. Ladan, have you truly made any progress for him to be either pleased or displeased with?”

Ashlen felt her ire rise with his smooth accusation. “I thought I had made my reports very clear. Maybe you don’t understand exactly what we are dealing with here. Do not blame my failure on my lack of trying, for I have used every technique I know, even invented a few new ones to help me break through the blocks in her mind. If you want to know her life history, I can fill you in on all the intimate details, but anything else, anything about the Vorlons, their great plans for her, or any information on their technology is effectively buried. You are welcome to see for yourself, but I wouldn’t dig too deeply if I were you. President Clark will be none too pleased when he learns over zealousness caused an aneurysm.”

“I would not dream of being so careless, Ms. Ladan. We simply believe that a fresh perspective might help things.” He stepped closer, his tone lowering to barely a whisper. “You and I both know that she will not last much longer, and though the Corps will benefit from her alive or dead, President Clark is adamant that we learn all that we can about the Vorlon Homeworld and its defenses.”

Ashlen crossed her arms defensively across her chest. “So what exactly do you propose? Those blocks are unlike anything I have ever encountered and there is absolutely no way of breaking through them without causing irreparable damage.”

“For one P12 perhaps,” Kent told her, affixing her with a gaze that caused her to cower.

Ashlen shook her head knowing instantly what it was he was proposing. “No way!” She told him firmly. “Telepaths have to undergo years of training for that to work and even then it is difficult.”

“Do you truly doubt your abilities so much?”

“It is not my own that I doubt,” she countered.

“I see,” he said calmly. “I can assure you I have linked with many minds and have never had anything unpleasant happen. Still if it will make you feel better I will allow you to lead. Besides you have scanned her and therefore your mind is accustomed to her.”

Ashlen considered the man before her briefly, silently debating whether to do as he suggested. It was not so much that she doubted her ability to hold her own with him, it was more a matter of trust and trust was not something she held in abundance. Not since her academy days had she linked with another mind and then it had been a very close friend, someone she had known from the Cadres. Kent, though he appeared pleasant enough, was a different story and she was not certain she wish to open her mind so completely to him. Still she wondered if she really had any choice. If she were to fail in the task set before her, Clark was almost certain to question the wisdom of keeping her within the Bureau. Failure, she knew, was not something he tolerated. And then what? She knew once inside that there was only one way out. Recognizing that this was a lose-lose situation, she decided it was better to do as Kent suggested and take her chances with the other telepath. The alternative was too terrifying to fathom.

“Very well,” she said with an authoritative tone. This was after all her project and whether it was against protocol or not, she was determined to make sure Clark knew who was responsible for handing the Minbari, and everything she knew, to Earth. “But as you said, I will lead. I don’t know you and therefore I don’t trust you. For all I know this is some kind of loyalty test, someway to get me to drop my guard so you can take a stroll through my mind—“

Kent raised his hand, a chuckle escaping his lips. “You have nothing to be concerned about, Ms. Ladan. I have been briefed on your contributions to Bureau 13 and am well aware of the benefit you are to us. I can assure you I will do nothing to jeopardize your well-being or that of the subject.”

Ashlen hesitated a moment longer, before extending a gloved hand to Kent. Moving to the opposite side of the now unconscious Minbari, he placed his own hand in hers feeling at the moment of contact her mind reach out to his. It was an unsettling feeling, but one he quickly pushed aside, focusing all of his attention on their objective. Forcing aside the last of his mental barriers he felt Ashlen’s mind encircle his, wrapping itself around his. They spent the first few moments like this, one mind gently probing another in an attempt to break down their natural defenses for it would not do for them to have to fight one another while in the mind of the Minbari.

Are you ready? Kent asked silently, still sensing the anxiety in his counterpart.

Mentally nodding, Ashlen took the lead, placing her other hand atop the alien’s head before pushing into her thoughts.

While Ashlen, being familiar with the Minbari’s mind, pushed past the irrelevant nonsense, Kent held back. His curiosity overwhelming him with the need to know; the need to see everything that Ashlen had already found. He sifted through her memories, seeing her life played out like a holo-vid. Every hope and dream, everyone she had ever loved or who had ever cast her aside came to life as vividly as if he were witnessing them first hand. Under it all he slowly became cognizant of a strange song. Barely above notice, his mind strained to hear it, to summon it forth. Fighting against the link he shared with Ashlen he groped at it, feeling it work its way into the core of his being. What started as a simple curiosity became a burning need unlike any he had ever known, the desire to become consumed in the beauty of it indistinguishable tones.

Stop!!

Ashlen’s voice pulled his attention from his efforts and with great sorrow he realized the song was gone, lost to even his most acute of senses.

Why? He started to argue.

It’s one of her natural defenses. Ashlen told him. Whether it was planted there by the Vorlons or simply a product of her genetics we aren’t sure. All we do know is that a young telepath by the name of ***** ****** is now a babbling vegetable because of it. I suggest you stop treating this like a Sunday outing and focus on doing what we came here to do.

Tightening her grip, Ashlen lead Kent deep into the Minbari’s subconscious, to the darkest of places she doubted even Terann was aware of. To the Human telepaths, the scene manifested itself as a brick wall—not uncommon with telepathic blocks. Though what made this different were the bricks comprising it—they seemed to glow and shift, waves of energy crackling across their surface. Any other time both telepaths would appreciate the beauty of it, but now it was more of a challenge, something mocking them, daring them to attempt to breech it.

Gingerly, Kent stretch out a hand, his fingers barely grazing the surface of it. The response he received was swift, a wave of white-hot pain shooting through the appendage and settling into his brain sending him to the floor his hand clutched in fists at his temples.

Ashlen, having suffered the same in a previous attempt, had shielded herself and as a result received only a minor echo of the pain felt by Kent. She allowed herself a moment’s satisfaction watching the telepath at her feet, before offering him a hand up.

“That was highly unpleasant,” Kent commented dryly.

“Did I not tell you?” Ashlen remarked with a raised brow.

Kent turned to regard the woman beside him. He understood her lack of trust but her outright disdain was not something he could readily comprehend. Clark had been quite adamant that they work together, had informed him he had special plans that involved the two of them. While he was aware the Psi Corps had played an integral part in the President’s rise to power, he was curious what further plans he had for telepaths and, more specifically, what role he and Ashlen would play. Somehow he would have to find a way to convey his concerns to Ashlen, to tell her that he was not her enemy, that in Clark’s mind telepaths were not the ends but simply the means. He knew he would have to be careful, would have to earn her trust slowly, but once he did he was certain she would be willing to ally herself with him. She was drawn to power, that much he possessed no doubt of, and as a stable telekinetic, power was something he held in the palm of his hand. The world was full of those like Bester and Clark, those thrust into the public’s eye, believing themselves to be pre-destined for greatness. And while they worked under such false pretenses there were a handful like Kent, those who possessed the will and the telepathic ability to truly control others.

Glancing back at the surface of the mental block, Kent held out his hand to it, never touching but leaving it several centimeters away. He studied it thoughtfully as he slowly waved his hand before it, watching the ripples of energy as they seemed to follow his movements. He then raised his other hand, doing the same with it as he did the other. He had hoped to be able to detect a momentary lapse in the Minbari’s defenses, hoping that he could somehow distract her while giving Ashlen a window of opportunity to break through it.

“Damn it!” He cursed. “It’s almost as if she can anticipate our movements, as if she knows what we are planning even before we do. But with the sleepers that is impossible—“

“Is it?” Ashlen asked with a raised brow. “She is a Vorlon after all…”

“No, she isn’t,” Kent said with the air of someone having just had a great epiphany.

The female’s brow creased even further. “Did I miss something?”

“We both did,” he told her taking a step backwards. “Mentally, yes she is a Vorlon. But physically she is Minbari.”

“And?” Ashlen prompted, not at all certain what point he was trying to make.

“Don’t you see?” He asked as if it were the most basic concept. “You can’t just put a Vorlon inside a Minbari.”

“Obviously you can,” Ashlen said her frustration quite apparent.

“No… I don’t think you can,” Kent answered thoughtfully before straightening. “What do we know of the Vorlons?”

“Not a whole lot,” she answered. “What we were able to learn from Terann tells us that while they remain individuals somehow they share a collective mind, passing what they know amongst themselves, over great distances and even over time.”

“And how long have they been doing this?” Kent asked much as a teacher would a pupil.

Ashlen shrugged. “Who knows, could be millennia.”

“Exactly!” Kent beamed.

Ashlen searched his features, briefly wondering if the reports of his stability had been more than just a little exaggerated.

Kent roared in outrage. “Don’t you get it? You can’t put the consciousness of every Vorlon into a single Minbari mind; it would be like trying to put an ocean in a teacup. But what if they filed everything away, protected her from the knowledge they gave her, until the time came when she needed it.”

A look of understanding crossed Ashlen’s face, but then: “I still don’t understand how this helps us. We still can’t break through that block.”

“That’s because it isn’t just one block.”

“You mean--?”

“It’s hundreds of smaller blocks, each one protecting a single secret.”

“So instead of picking one big lock, we have to pick several hundred little ones. Swell!”

At that Kent smiled

“Wait,” Ashlen spoke. “This is information given to Terann by the Vorlons that, we can assume, they wanted her to use. So there must be someway of going around the blocks.”

Kent nodded his understanding. “We may be able to send her some kind of telepathic signal, trick her mind into giving us what we want.”

“But there are still so many, and to try to break through them all—“

“We may not have to,” Kent reassured. “What if it’s like a building, one stacked on top of the other, we break through enough of them and maybe the entire structure will collapse.”

Ashlen sighed. “Okay, now that we know how to get around these blocks, where do we start?”

“Do you trust me?”

“What?” Ashlen cocked her head to the side.

“Do you trust me?” Kent repeated. “I need to know.”

“I suppose,” Ashlen stammered.

“You will need to in order for this to work. During the Shadow War, Earth had friends, powerful allies that only a handful of us knew about. Sheridan, the others on Babylon 5, even this Minbari were all on the other side.”

“You mean Clark was working with the Shadows?”

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?” Kent asked as if it were the most obvious thing. “They weren’t the horrible creatures everyone believed them to be, they simply had a different philosophy—“

“Yah,” Ashlen scoffed. “One that killed millions.”

“Aliens!” Kent barked. “They were attempting to make us strong, to give us an advantage in the universe that only a handful of others were ever offered.”

“Okay fine.” Ashlen waved a hand in dismissal, not wanting to argue galactic politics. “So how does that help us here?”

“It’s simple really,” he told her. “While working on several… classified projects I had the opportunity to work with some of the associates of the Shadows, they gave us ideas and technology that will advance us by tens even hundreds of years. During this time I got used to the feel of them, their telepathic signatures. If I could project these sensations into her mind I may just be able to elicit a response.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “What is it you want me to do?”

“I simply need you to help boost the signal. We need to convince her mind that the telepathic probe is coming from the Agents of the Shadows, her enemies. We won’t get anywhere if we feel Human.”

“Alright, “ Ashlen said, quickly coming to her decision. “Let’s do it.”

The female telepath took a deep breath, forcing her mind to accept the touch of Kent’s. Once again their mind’s linked, swirling together until it became impossible to discern where one met the other. Ashlen felt herself sinking as the stronger telepathic abilities of her counterpart took over. Only when she gave herself over to it completely did she become aware of horrid images she was certain she would carry with her as long as she lived. She saw strange, emotionless aliens with large bulbous heads doing unimaginable things to Humans. She heard muffled voices—Human voices—commenting on the various stages of the torture, watched as they were guided by the aliens, in the implantation of bizarre mechanical devices into the heads of their subjects. Only when her eyes fell upon the telltale metal bracelet of one of these unfortunate subjects did she realize they were all telepaths; either rogue or unstable, but telepaths nonetheless. Callously she pushed the feelings of dread from her mind, knowing what Kent said to be true; that everything done here had been for Earth, to keep it strong.

Strength unlike any she had sensed before surged through her and she felt her confidence begin to smother her. This was what being a telepath was meant to be, not one mind working for their own interest, but every telepath working for the common good of them all. She felt Kent pull her forward, thrusting himself against the Minbari’s defenses. She added her own newfound strength to his, pushing with every ounce of her being, channeling the images circling within her mind, using them as a surgeon would a scalpel to cleave away at the Minbari’s mind.

She stopped only when a blinding light blared forth, the hideous songs of the Vorlons rattling through her bones. She raised her hands to shield her eyes, yet the light still burned, coring its way into her consciousness. Desperately she untangled her mind from that of Kent’s, before furiously moving to pull herself from the Minbari’s thoughts. The light, however, morphed itself into a series of long arm-like appendages that wrapped themselves around her, pulling her from her feet. She clawed in desperation at the ground beneath her, relishing every inch she gained, turning only to unleash tendrils of her own psi to aid in her escape.

“Ashlen!”

The voice pulled her back to the dank cell and she glanced up, her eyes slowly focusing on the features of Doctor Kyle. She swallowed hard, trying to rid her mind of frightening sensations. After several minutes she found the strength to look about her, noticing Kent on the floor as well, appearing no better than she.

“I’m alright,” she managed to tell the doctor but allowed him to help to her feet. She then gestured towards Kent. “You okay?”

“I’ll survive,” the other telepath nodded, rising to his feet beside her. “I will however, be the first to say that was a bad idea.”

The traces of a smile crossed Ashlen’s lips and as it did her mind caught the faintest hint of relief from the other telepath. Maybe he isn’t as horrible as I thought, Ashlen’s mind formed. Then: “So now what do we do?”

“Something I had hoped we wouldn’t need to do,” Kent commented, then headed for the exit.

Ashlen watched as he left the cell, her mind eager to know what he had planned for his next move. The blocks in the Minbari’s mind now stood out as a challenge, something personal, a test of her abilities. She no longer felt that this was simply a test of her telepathic abilities; now it was something more.

Her eyes moved back to the Minbari, surprised to find the experience had pulled Terann from unconsciousness. Aside from the faint trail of blood from her left ear, the hybrid seemed no worse off than she had before, angrier, but physically alright. She stared silently at the Minbari, her anger at her continued failure almost overwhelming her until all that kept her from bashing the alien’s skull in was her trust in Nicholas Kent.

Her attention was diverted once again towards the doorway as Kent reentered, this time holding a large glass specimen jar in his hands. Though hard to discern, she could make some kind of dark mass floating within the clear liquid.

“What is it?” She asked curiosity over taking her.

Kent only smiled at the telepath, before stepping over to the Minbari. Kneeling before her, a cruel sneer forming on his face, he held the jar out towards her. “You know what this is, don’t you?”

To Ashlen’s surprise, and utter amusement, the Minbari cowered, her eyes widening in dread.

Kent chuckled lightly before rising back to his feet. Glancing over his shoulder he addressed Doctor Kyle. “You gave her the immuno-suppressors?”

The doctor nodded. “Y-yes.”

“Good, I will need you to continue with those, but no more of the sleepers.”

“What?!” Ashlen argued. “Are you insane?”

“Quite the contrary, Ms. Ladan. What I have here is all we need to control her abilities. Besides, I believe they may be hindering our progress.”

Ashlen sighed audibly but did not argue. She only silently hoped that Kent knew exactly what he was doing.

Kent motioned for the two soldiers to step forward and hold the Minbari still while he worked. They did as he instructed, forcing her head forward until her chin rested against her chest.

Terann struggled against them, knowing fully what the Human named Kent was planning to do. She fought against the hold the soldiers had against her head, kicking her feet out, hoping to cause even the most miniscule amount of pain on them. She tried to cry out, to call out for Doctor Kyle, to beg him to help her, but terror stole her voice.

Every muscle in her body tightened, her eyes clenching shut, as she felt a cold wetness at the base of her neck. She grasped the arms of the chair tightly, her knuckles going white as she braced herself against the pain that would come as the implant, designed by the Shadows, would begin burrowing its way through her skin.

Ashlen moved forward, taking up a position beside Kent, behind the Minbari telepath. Together they watched in rapt fascination as the creature, shaped oddly like an Earth insect, burrowed its four thin long legs into her skin. They could trace the outline of the appendages as they moved through the underlying muscle in search of bone to anchor to. Once they had done so, the long protrusion near the implant’s mouth bore its way upward until it too had found its destination, deep within the Minbari’s brain stem.

When the creature stilled once again, firmly attached to the Minbari, both telepaths stepped back. “We will need to give it a couple days before we can retrieve anything telepathically from her and after that I don’t know how long her mind will hold up.”

Ashlen nodded, her eyes still on the Minbari hybrid and the organism affixed to her. “So what exactly does it do?”

“Once embedded in her brain stem, it will continue to grow, forming a network of tubules throughout her brain. Her mind will eventually collapse, and she will become dependent on it.” He paused then added, “That is if she survives.”

“So it can’t be removed?”

Kent shook his head. “Not by any means we know of.”

Ashlen smiled broadly. She knew she and Kent were taking a huge risk, that if Terann were to die Clark would be after them for answers. But then what choice did they have? They had exhausted every avenue and if this technology was available to them should they not use it?

Ashlen knew that regardless of the outcome, she and Kent would have to assure Clark that what they did was for the good of Earth. Casting one last satisfied glance at the Minbari, she turned to the doctor, ordering him to watch over the Minbari and to advise them of any changes in her condition. She then fell into step beside Kent and exited the cell.

When certain he was once again alone, Doctor Kyle knelt before the Minbari. During the implantation, she had once again lost consciousness, though her body continued to tremble and her eyes darted back and forth behind closed lids. He remained like this for a long while, his head dropped forward atop her knee, his mind silently begging her for forgiveness.

Aelora laid on the pallet next to G’Kar, staring at the ceiling above her sightlessly, her mind a whir of jumbled thoughts and emotions. When she had returned that afternoon from her search for information on Terann’s whereabouts, G’Kar had been waiting for her, curious as to where she had been. She explained everything to him, how she had spoken with Delenn only to learn that Terann was not on a mission for the Rangers; the message from Neroon; and Neroon’s denial of having seen Terann recently. For reasons she could not explain, Aelora did not mention her proposed meeting with the Minbari, perhaps because she wanted to gauge G’Kar’s reaction to her information first. Unfortunately, his reaction had not gone as hoped.

First he had mentioned that she should send the Rangers for Terann. Aelora quickly explained that such a mission was not a responsibility of the Rangers. G’Kar replied that it was not her responsibility either. She had pointed out that this was her friend, and after all, Terann had come for her on Homeworld. The comment had been said carelessly and with rancor that Aelora had not meant to fuse it with.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” The Narn had demanded.

Aelora rolled her eyes with a sigh. “Nothing, G’Kar. I was simply saying that Terann would do the same for me.”

“And I would not.”

“I never said that G’Kar.”

“You implied it the moment you brought up your rescue from Homeworld. Schrock, Aelora! I did not even know you were there!”

Aelora shook her head, turning away from him. “I am not even going to discuss this with you, G’Kar. It is pointless. It’s not my fault you continue to beat yourself up over not being there to rescue me. The matter is over and done with.”

A long silence.

“You are not going off on some foolhardy rescue mission, Aelora.”

The Human turned to face him, an expression of hope in her eyes. “Go with me, G’Kar. You and I can find her together and bring her back safely. It wouldn’t take long and wouldn’t pull you away from your work here. Please?”

“No, Aelora. You will not –“

“In Valen’s name, G’Kar!” Aelora blew up, her eyes flashing angrily. “Just because you placed this ring on my finger does not make me your damned chattel! I will go where I want when I want and there is not a goddamned thing you can do about it!”

“I will not let you risk your life again!”

By that point, Aelora was not listening to his words; too busy feeding on her own anger. “Well I’m glad we are having this discussion now, before I made the lifelong mistake of marrying you and your arrogance!”

G’Kar sucked in a sharp breath and looked away, stung by her words and the feeling behind them. He knew how much Terann meant to her, knew that Aelora would always consider those she cared about before herself but in his heart, he knew she was not yet strong enough for such an undertaking. And too, he worried about the stability of the mindwipe, though he had not admitted as much to Doctor Franklin. What if she were to suffer another traumatic experience that brought it all back? Then again, arguing with her was no good. He was simply pushing her away, losing her in his attempt to hold on.

The fight drained out of him and he dropped heavily onto the couch, his head held in his hands. He mumbled something that Aelora strained to hear.

“What was that?” She snapped, her anger still bubbling on the surface.

“I cannot bear to lose you again.”

Aelora froze, whatever stinging retort she had prepared to reply with dying on her lips. She did not need to be telepathic to hear the pain and fear in his voice, to see the trembling of his hands. Great Maker! What had she just said to him? Remorse washed over her instantly and she hurried over to him, dropping to her knees before the Narn and gathering his hands into her own. When he looked up she was forced to hold back the cry she wanted to utter at the desperation in his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, reaching up to touch his face. “I didn’t mean what I said. I wasn’t thinking. I… you know that I want to marry you more than anything in life. Please forgive me.”

G’Kar shook his head, gripping her hands in a tight embrace. “I do not know if I could withstand losing you again, shon’Ur. The very thought terrifies me. I just… “ He paused, struggling for words. “I do not believe you are strong enough yet. No matter how invincible you feel. I… I do not know if I am strong enough yet to survive the anxiety.”

“Shhh.” Aelora bowed her head, kissing the strong, gentle hands that held hers. “I would never willingly cause you pain, G’Kar.”

“Promise me you will not go? Promise me you will find some other way to help Terann?”

“I promise.”

G’Kar pulled her into his arms, kissing her fiercely, communicating his need and desperation to her. She felt the fear emanating from him and silently wished she could take it all away. Instead, she focused her thoughts on giving him what he desired for at least a moment. While he kissed her, her hands explored his chest and then moved up to his shoulders where they lingered for a moment, exploring the muscles that trembled beneath her touch. She pushed the fabric of his tunic from his shoulders, moving away from his lips to kiss his skin, tracing his collarbone with her tongue while her fingers danced lightly across his ribs to his stomach where they lingered for a moment before she pulled him to his feet and divested him of his trousers.

The Human moved around him then, her hand never leaving his skin, touching his stomach, his hip, his thigh before trailing up to his back where she hesitated. The deep burn marks of the electro-whip which criss-crossed his back in motley form, broken in between by the occasional tiny scar where a dart had burrowed deep beneath his skin, never ceased to flood her with fury and pain. Aelora forced back the familiar tears that threatened, her fingertips caressing the scars, lightly following their paths across his skin. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to first one, then another, worshipping the very pain and torture that G’Kar had been forced to endure. Knowing that he would not wish for her to linger on the pain he had suffered, she finally moved away, returning to face him once more, her hand resting on a shoulder that trembled lightly under her touch.

She looked up at him, though he refused to meet her gaze. “G’Kar?” She asked softly. “Why are you trembling?”

“I am…afraid.”

Aelora blinked at hearing such words from the towering Narn. “Afraid of what?” She prompted gently.

“Of losing you again,” he replied honestly. “Of never again knowing the feel of your touch.”

She kissed him hard, determined to let him know through her love that such a thing would never occur. How could it, she thought to herself. G’Kar is the very air I breathe. To be apart from him would mean my death!

She continued to kiss him, before moving her mouth back down to his chest, her warm breath heating the spot until she licked it lightly with her tongue. She nipped at his skin playfully, and then continued upward until her mouth once more covered his. G’Kar clenched and unclenched his hands at his side, wanting to touch her but enjoying the dominant role she was taking. He allowed her to guide him in the kiss, sighing deeply when her tongue finally darted between his lips to entwine with his. She held his face in her hands, pulling him down to her, controlling him just as he knew she needed. Slowly, she pulled away from the kiss, her hands reaching down to take his and lead him into the other room where she instructed him to sit on the bed. She continued to touch him then, exploring his body, teasing him, anticipating his needs and desires before he himself understood them. Aelora was slowly beginning to learn how to use her psi for his pleasure as well as her own, taking the pleasure he felt and using her own to boost it tenfold.

Finally, Aelora pushed G’Kar back onto the bed and knelt over him. She ran her hands across his chest and shoulders, caressing his skin as she memorized every portion of his body, thinking she would never get enough of looking at him. Leaning over, she nipped at his shoulder, teasing with her tongue before finally moving to trace her tongue around his chest, up to his neck and finally his mouth. She kissed him long and hard, delving her tongue between his lips, tasting him, licking and nipping at his lips. The Narn moved beneath her, a groan issuing from low in his throat. Aelora could not help but smile at the power she held over him. Normally she allowed him to take the lead, to show the dominance that his species was so accustomed to. But tonight she needed to show him that she was powerful too; that no one person ruled in this relationship. She pulled her mouth away from his and moved down his body once more, her fingers lingering over the spots she had learned he liked the most, hesitating when she reached his stomach. She looked up at him, found him watching her and a tightness immediately formed in her throat. She loved him so very much and had spent so much time hurting him when she could have used that time to be here, in his arms, kneeling before him, giving him the love he so very much deserved. She sat up finally, slowly pulling her own clothes away until she knelt naked before him.

G’Kar watched her silently. She seemed to become more beautiful to him everyday, from her full, high breasts to her small waist and rounded hips. The pain she had suffered was apparent no longer and she sat proudly before him, her sensual gaze unmistakable. Not for the first time, G’Kar silently thanked G’Quan for giving him Aelora.

“You are the most beautiful creature I have ever glimpsed,” he told her softly.

He sat up then, and reached out and touched her face with his fingertips, gathering it behind his large hands, gazing into her enormous eyes.

“Kiss me, shon’Ur.”

She did and G’Kar continued to allow her control, as she guided him to do what she expected and what she wanted. She pushed him back into the sheets once more, her hands moving over him, a teasing smile ever-present on her face. She straddled him, taking his sex into her hands and stroking it until G’Kar was begging beneath her, arching up to meet her touch. Biting her lip to hold back from screaming out her own pleasure, she slowly slid herself down the length of him. She gasped as he filled her, the realization of how perfectly he fit inside of her once more sweeping through her – it was as if they had been molded specifically for one another.

Aelora rode him slowly at first, the intense pleasure and elation taking hold of her senses. She guided him, reaching out with her mind into his, grasping onto his ardor and infusing it into her own before feeding it back to him, watching as her magic weaved itself through the Narn, causing him to moan beneath her. She moved faster against him, reaching out to take his hand in hers and place it against her breast. The Narn leaned up at the invitation, placing one hand against her hip while the other stroked her breast gently, teasing the nipple into a tight bud between his thumb and index finger. When he took the nipple into his mouth, Aelora mirrored the feel of his touch back to him, so that he could understand what his touch did to her. She felt his small gasp against her breast before he began to suckle her nipple even more ravenously than before, causing her to laugh from sheer delight. She felt his hand reach between them, touching the core of her, his thumb moving against the swollen nub, teasing it until she felt the tightness surging inside her abdomen, the strange need and burning that awoke with an explosion deep within her. She strained against him, moving furiously, crying out his name as she gave in to the power that had built up inside. G’Kar held her tightly as she shuddered against him, finally giving in to his own much needed release.

He pulled her to him as they fell back against the pallet, his lips raining her face with kisses. He stroked her all over, touching her in the spots he knew would quickly arouse her passion once more. He whispered to her in the tongue of his people, telling her of his love for her, of his need, how she was a part of him he could no longer do with out. When they came together once more, it was as if in culmination of the pain they had suffered and the joy they had experienced. At the last possible moment before reaching the pinnacle, Aelora again pushed herself into G’Kar’s mind and opened herself to him, combining her emotions and desires and needs with his own so that in those brief moments they truly were one. And when the Narn finally moved away, pulling her to the side with him, Aelora knew he truly had not left her. A part him still remained within her, something she would have to cherish no matter what the future brought.

She had fallen asleep there in his arms, knowing she was safe, knowing that the next morning she would go to Delenn and give her the information she had and request that the Rangers go to help Terann.

And then the nightmare had awoken her and Aelora knew the peace could last no longer. She had dreamed of doors, closing against those she cared most about, closing against the life she had found, and she knew she could not allow that to happen.

For the past hour Aelora lay there, listening to G’Kar’s steady breathing, his heartbeat, memorizing the rhythm as she memorized the feeling of him next to her. She had not lied when she had promised G’Kar she would not go to rescue Terann; she had meant it at the time. But then, she had been thinking of herself and of him and how she did not want the happiness to end. But that was selfish thinking and it took her subconscious to show her that she had to somehow balance her love for G’Kar and her love for Terann. G’Kar would be hurt; there was no way around it. But she would not be gone long and when she returned she would make it up to him. She would be a good wife and never leave his side and devote her life to making him happy. Well, at least she could convince herself for the moment that she would honor the promise.

Slipping quietly from the bed, Aelora moved stealthily through the room, dressing in a dark brown catsuit and boots. She then dug through G’Kar’s desk drawers, finding a dagger that she tucked into her belt and a PPG that she tossed into a pack along with some money, her identicard and Terann’s denn’bok. Once she was certain she had everything she needed, Aelora returned to the bedside and stared down at the sleeping Narn for a long moment. Gently, she reached out and touched his temple, quietly guiding herself into his mind. Sleep well, she commanded. Do not wake until late into the morning. She felt guilty putting the suggestion there but knew it was necessary. The moment his body realized she was not beside him, he would awaken and very possibly catch her before she made it off the station. Leaning over she kissed his mouth, tasting him, reveling in the love that even now she could feel stretching out to her, lingering for a minute before pulling away and whispering, “I love you.”

Twice after she left G’Kar’s quarters and moved through the station toward the docking bay, Aelora considered going back. It would be easy to simply slip back in bed beside G’Kar and close her eyes and will away any thought of Terann. She could wake the next morning and cry to G’Kar, allowing him to assuage the guilt she would feel. But then, Terann needed her, and she was not about to let her friend down. She did not know where the Minbari was or what Neroon had done to her but she was determined to find out. Surely, in the end, G’Kar would come to understand.

Upon reaching the embarking area, Aelora hurried over to the ticket counter to find out when the next shuttle for Dorado was departing. Unfortunately, it was not for another two days. Aelora frowned. Well hell that would not work at all. She began to worry her lower lip, wondering what to do next.

“M’am.”

She turned back to the ticket agent. “Yes?”

“There is a freighter leaving for Dorado in ten minutes. You might be able to convince the Captain to give you passage.”

Aelora could not begin to imagine the excessive amount of money the Captain would most likely charge her. She sighed. There was no help for it.

“What docking bay?”

“5.”

“Thanks.”

Aelora headed off in that direction, breaking into a quick jog when she realized she had only a few minutes before the freighter was scheduled to leave. When she finally arrived at Docking Bay 5, she discovered that the freighter was a Pak’ma’ra vessel and the Captain ended up demanding double the amount she had been expecting. Aelora balked at the idea of traveling with a shipload of Pak’ma’ra, let alone for such an outrageous price. The Captain made as if to leave without her and Aelora quickly made up her mind, vowing that she would never ever let Terann forget what she had to go through to help her out.

She transferred the credits into his account then followed him aboard the ship, immediately staggering backwards at the horrid smell that assaulted her. Great Maker! I’m not going to make it, she thought in a panic. The Pak’ma’ra grunted at her, indicating that she continue to follow and after covering her mouth and nose with a small cloth, Aelora did as he bid, quickly discovering that not only was she forced to travel with the worst sort of alien species for an exorbitant amount of money but they were forcing her to do so in their cargo hold! The telepath could do little more than accept the cold, cramped space with a smile, all the while cursing the Captain and his family including his descendents and ancestors under her breath.

As she settled down against the bulkhead for the long trip, Aelora found herself praying that she did not die of frostbite. She did not relish the idea of being food for her shipmates.

Even though he was awake, G’Kar was finding it difficult to open his eyes. Not that he was fully awake – there was a deep rooted grogginess that seemed to have settled itself over him that he was unable to shake off. So he knew he was awake but also knew he could not really wake up, and this was bothering him because he typically woke up quiet quickly. Only this morning his eyelids seemed extremely heavy, and the bed seemed particularly comfortable. He had a meeting with the Drazi Ambassador, that much he did know, but he was in no hurry to get to it.

Rolling over, he figured he could spend the next few minutes cuddling with Aelora, only he was greeted by empty and cold sheets. Opening one eye, G’Kar frowned at the realization that Aelora was not beside him. Her scent still lingered though and so he closed his eye again and drifted back into a restful slumber, hugging her pillow against him.

When next he awoke, it was to the insistent buzzing of the BabCom. Shaking his head of the cobwebs that seemed to gather around his mind, G’Kar sat up, muttering about the disturbance, as he shrugged into his robe and headed over to the ComUnit.

“Yes?” He barked, opening the call.

The Drazi Ambassador regarded him coolly from the other side of the conversation. “Ambassador G’Kar. Am I mistaken? I thought we had a meeting this morning.”

G’Kar frowned, glanced over at the clock, his gaze widening in horror. He was over two hours late! “Er… Sorry, Ambassador. It seems I overslept. Are you available to meet with me in, say, 20 minutes?”

The Drazi nodded. “Not a moment longer,” he added, then shut off the monitor.

G’Kar grumbled, moving away from the unit and glancing around the room. “Shon’Ur? Are you here?” He waited a moment for a reply, frowning again when there was none.

Normally, if Aelora had anywhere to be in the morning, she would wake him before she left, with soft kisses and whatever else her devious little mind could conjure. It was unlike her to simply leave. G’Kar thought she had said that she had taken the day off from work but perhaps he had been mistaken. Maybe she had been late and had to leave quickly. Still, there was no excuse for her not leaving him with a small goodbye. He often carried the memory of her kiss around with him all day through his meetings.

After a quick shower, and another glance around the apartment in the hope that Aelora had left a note, G’Kar hurried off to his meeting with the Drazi Ambassador which, unfortunately, lasted much longer than G’Kar would have preferred. There were treaties to be negotiated and ruffled relations to be smoothed over and after two hours of listening to the same outrageous propositions, G’Kar excused himself from the meeting, claiming that he had another appointment to keep. The truth was, he had made the decision to stop by the Hot Spot and see Aelora. He knew she would not be pleased that he was checking up on her but the fact of the matter was, something continued to haunt him in the furthest reaches of his mind. He just wanted to see for himself that she was safe, and perhaps guilt her a little for not waking him before she left.

Stopping by a flower vendor on the way to the shop, G’Kar purchased one lone Star Lace in the hopes of distracting the Human from the realization that he was checking up on her. A little bribery never hurt any, besides he enjoyed seeing her smile light up her face whenever he surprised her with a small gift. Entering the small shop, which was overrun with customers, G’Kar waited to the side patiently until he was able to get the attention of one of Aelora’s co-workers, a petite blonde Human named Christabel.

“Well hello there, G’Kar,” Christabel sauntered over to the Narn, flashing a warm smile up at him. She stood a little closer than was necessary, allowing him a perfect view of her ample cleavage down the v-necked blouse she wore. “I swear you get more handsome every time I see you.”

G’Kar chuckled, immune to the young woman’s continued attempts at seducing him. More than once Aelora had fumed at him for what she referred to as “encouraging the little slut”. “And you, Christabel, never seem to change a bit,” he replied, returning her smile.

She dimpled prettily, having no idea that he had meant his comment as an insult. She moved closer to him, pressing her breasts against his arm. “You know, I have always had a fascination with Narns. There are those that say Narn males are – “

“Is Aelora busy?” He asked quickly, cutting her off before she could finish that thought.

Christabel frowned. With G’Kar it was always “Aelora this” and “Aelora that”. Personally, she had no idea what he saw in the red-headed Amazon. And she was creepy, with the whole white streak in her hair and the rumors regarding her telepathic abilities. Affecting her best pout, and glancing up at the tall Narn under her lashes, Christabel answered, “Aelora ain’t here. But I’m free… “

G’Kar frowned. “Aelora isn’t… Has she gone to lunch?” He peered out into the Zocalo, searching the tables around the concourse.

Realizing she was having no luck in pulling the Narn’s attention to her, Christabel sighed haughtily and told him, “She wasn’t scheduled today. One would think if y’all were so close that she woulda told ya that. Maybe she’s off with another man, hmmm?”

Hardly crediting that comment, G’Kar left the store without another word, concern beginning to flood through him. Where had she gone? Why had she not said anything to him? Refusing to believe that anything would have happened to her, he held on to a small hope that she had been called into a meeting with either Delenn or Sheridan, perhaps over something regarding the Rangers. He knew her attitude regarding rejoining the Anla’shok had been softening lately and that if given time, Aelora would eventually capitulate and follow her calling. Then again, she could be with Da’Tan. Since rediscovering the Narn she had once regarded as a father, Aelora seemed determined to regain that closeness and replace the father she no longer had. Luckily, Da’Tan had seemed of the same mind and G’Kar watched with pleasure as Aelora built a new and loving family around her. Thinking that this must be where the Human was, G’Kar decided to seek out Da’Tan.

It took over an hour but G’Kar finally found Da’Tan on the Observation Deck, staring out into the stars. Unfortunately, he did not see the telepath anywhere nearby.

“Ah, G’Kar. Good afternoon,” Da’Tan greeted with a slight bow. “I was just contemplating the beauty of space. We so often seem to take it for granted, when it is around us daily. I try to imagine what it was like, before we could fly amongst the stars, when one could only look up at the heavens above and dream.”

G’Kar barely heard a word the Narn before him had said. “Has Aelora been with you?”

Da’Tan glanced at G’Kar, frowning because he did not seem interested in starting a conversation. “Not since yesterday, no.”

“Schrock!” G’Kar muttered, turning away, his mind searching for an explanation.

“Is something wrong?”

“Yes. She is missing.”

Da’Tan chuckled. “Oh, is that all?” At G’Kar’s angry glare, Da’Tan hastened to explain, “G’Kar, I would think that you would not be surprised by anything that little one does. Disappearing is a habit of hers, as is causing destruction, mayhem and catastrophe.”

G’Kar did not appear reassured. “You do not understand. She was gone when I awakened. She did not wake me, left no note. Nothing.”

“G’Kar – “

“Da’Tan, I know her. This is not like her. Not unless… “ G’Kar trailed off, his frown deepening.

“Unless?”

“Unless she purposely did not wish for me to know where she was.”

Da’Tan raised his brow at that. “Now that sounds more like the Aelora I know. What mischief could she be in this time, I wonder?”

“Probably negotiating a treaty with the Centauri on my behalf,” G’Kar muttered, his mind already creating dozens of otherwise terror-inspiring scenarios that she could have gotten herself into on the station. “Would you mind helping me to locate her? That way you can hold me back when I attempt to break her neck.”

Da’Tan chuckled. “Ah, G’Kar. It is a good thing our people do not grow hair.”

“Why is that?”

“Because after a year of marriage to the little one, you would have a head of gray.”

G’Kar made a face while the older Narn guffawed at his reaction.

They spent another two hours searching the station, going back to G’Kar’s quarters, stopping by the quarters Aelora shared with Terann, searching through the gardens and checking by MedLab. No one had seen her at all that day. Growling with frustration, G’Kar finally stopped at the Eclipse Café and ordered a drink. A strong one. Da’Tan did not say it, but he was beginning to worry as well. It was as if the Human had simply disappeared. And besides that, she never willingly stayed away from G’Kar for so long. It was as if she feared he could disappear on her at any moment if she stayed away for too long, therefore she made a point of always knowing where he was and letting him know the same of her. Until now.

Glancing around the restaurant, Da’Tan’s eyes widened when his gaze wandered by a particular table. “G’Kar, there is Captain Sheridan. Perhaps he knows where she is.”

The Narn seemed reenergized by the idea and quickly moved away from the bar, heading toward the station’s captain who was sitting with Security Chief Allan. “Excuse me for interrupting, Captain,” G’Kar said politely as he approached.

Sheridan smiled at the Ambassador. “Not at all, G’Kar. We were just discussing station matters over a quick bite. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I hope so. Have you seen Aelora?”

The Captain shook his head. “Can’t say I have. Not since last night.” Noting the darkening expression on the Narn’s face, Sheridan asked, “Is something wrong?”

“She is missing.”

“Missing?” The Human seemed to scoff at the idea. “This is a pretty large station, certainly she’s – “

“We have checked everywhere, Captain,” Da’Tan interrupted. “At first, like you, I thought G’Kar was simply overreacting but now I have to say that it seems very likely she has disappeared. Poof!” Da’Tan snapped his fingers.

“Have you checked with security?” Zack asked.

The Narns shook their heads.

“Let me check in with them real quick,” Zack offered, tapping his link to contact the main office.

Sheridan stood, not relishing the idea that someone had disappeared off of his station. After all, there was always the possibility that Psi Corps had finally come for Aelora. Even though he and the telepath had not gotten along in the past, Sheridan knew what she meant to G’Kar and the last thing he ever wanted was for Psi Corps to one up him. “Are you certain you have checked everywhere?”

G’Kar nodded. “Yes, including MedLab.” Everyone knew that Aelora had a special ability to injure herself.

“And she left you no indication of where she might be?”

The Narn shook his head.

“Okay, thanks.” Zack stood up, moving over to join the two Narns and his Captain, his brow furrowed. “Well, she’s definitely not on the station,” he told them.

G’Kar’s heart raced. “We must find out who took her! Psi Corps may have – “

Zack was shaking his head. “No, she left here of her own free will. On a Pak’ma’ra freighter.”

Blank expressions stared at him.

G’Kar shook himself from his confusion long enough to ask, “Any idea where she was headed?”

“Dorado, according to the ticket agent. Apparently she was looking for a shuttle there but nothing left soon enough for her. So she caught a ride with the Pak’ma’ra.”

“What in the Universe is at Dorado?” Da’Tan asked, glancing over at G’Kar, his eyes widening in alarm at the Narn’s expression. “G’Kar?”

“Schrock!” G’Kar growled, his fists clenched at his sides. “She promised me! That lying, deceitful, foolish little b—“

“Whoa!” Da’Tan interrupted. “You may hate yourself if you go any further with that thought. What did she promise?”

“That she would not go after Terann!”

“Terann?” Sheridan frowned. “I do remember her asking me and Delenn about Terann the other day. What’s wrong?”

“Apparently, Terann left to meet with that Warrior, Neroon,” G’Kar explained, though it was obvious from his angry eyes that he would rather be committing murder at that moment. “Aelora was suspicious of the meeting so she contacted Neroon, only to find out that her suspicions were correct. He made no mention of any such meeting and said he had not spoken to Terann in some time. Aelora wanted to go to him and find out what had happened to the Minbari.”

“And you told her she could not go,” Da’Tan added with a sigh.

“Of course. She is still too weak to take on such a dangerous mission. And last night she promised me she would not.”

The older Narn could only shake his head in wonder at G’Kar’s occasional stupidity when it came to handling Aelora.

“I am going to kill her!” G’Kar stated. “If she does not get herself killed first.”

“G’Kar,” Da’Tan started reasonably. “Aelora is a big girl. She can take of herself. If she felt it was necessary to go after her friend then – “

“She deliberately lied to me, Da’Tan! And she is putting herself in danger at the same time!”

“She would not have lied had you not forced her into the position to do so,” Da’Tan pointed out. “There is a thing such a trust.”

Sheridan, who was currently holding back a smile at the obvious possessiveness that G’Kar was exhibiting toward his new fiancée, offered, “Perhaps instead of arguing over this, you should go after her?”

“Yes!” G’Kar agreed. “And then I will kill her!”

“That wasn’t entirely what I meant,” Sheridan added with a grin.

“I will gather the entire Homeworld fleet… well, what is left of it anyway – “

Da’Tan rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. “Is that not overdoing it, G’Kar? You are only going after one mere girl.”

G’Kar blinked at the Narn beside him incredulously. “One mere girl? You yourself have said that were Aelora left traveling the galaxy on her own for too long, she would end up causing an intergalactic war.”

Da’Tan shrugged.

Sheridan raised a brow at that thought. “I don’t know about intergalactic but if what you said was true about Terann meeting with Neroon, she could easily be looking at starting another Earth/Minbari war, for which I would have to help you to kill her G’Kar.”

The Narn nodded.

“I’ll have one of the White Stars put at your disposal,” the Captain offered. “It will get you there more quickly than any of your ships from Homeworld. The Minbari will also take less offense to it.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“Perhaps I should go with you,” Da’Tan commented quietly to G’Kar, hoping that he could be there to stop any damage he might do to Aelora.

“No, that will not be necessary,” G’Kar replied, flashing a humorless smile. “I will take care of this myself. You just have Dr. Franklin and MedLab ready for when I return.”

G’Kar stalked off toward his quarters to prepare for the trip, while Da’Tan, Sheridan and Zack looked on in interest.

“Do you think he’ll really hurt her?” Zack asked uncomfortably, not remembering the last time he had seen G’Kar so angry.

Da’Tan shook his head. “No. He is more worried than anything. He will seethe until he reaches her and if she is doing fine, he will scream a little bit and try to behave as if he is boss. And if he finds her injured… well, then all of the fight will go out of him and he will simply shower her with concern.”

Sheridan chuckled. “Ah, love.”

Aelora let out a sigh of relief as she moved down the shuttle ramp onto the Minbari Sharlin class warship. She still smelled like whatever horrid scent had been aboard the Pak’ma’ra freighter but at least she would have the chance to get clean. And warm up. She was still freezing right through to her bones.

Neroon’s second-in-command, Alyt Eitann, waited for her at the bottom of the ramp. Aelora could tell by the expression on his face that he was not pleased with her presence. As she drew closer to him he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“What is that awful smell?”

Aelora sighed. “Unfortunately, it is me and if you make one bleeding comment about it, I’ll kick you where it really hurts. Now, I need a shower, both to clean me off and warm me up. And something to eat. I think those Pak’ma’ra were truly attempting to kill me.”

Eitann stared at her as if she had horns sprouting from her head. How dare she order him about! “You will meet with the Shai Alyt now and then you will depart this vessel, taking your stink with you!”

Eitann turned and started off as if the matter was finished.

Aelora knew she was playing with fire where the Warrior caste was concerned; aside from Terann, she only had friends among the Religious caste. But after the way she had spent the past sixteen hours, she was in no mood to be treated as the scum on the bottom of one’s shoe. She was lucky she had spent as much time with Terann as she had.

“Excuse me?” She bellowed, brining the Warrior to a halt. He turned to regard her with a thunderous expression. “Do you think I enjoy spending time among creatures as arrogant and annoying as the Warrior caste? Well think again, spoo for brains! I prefer to have a little intelligence among those I confer with.” She folded her arms across her chest, sighing as she glanced heavenward. “But, I have gone out of my way to bring very important information to Shai Alyt Neroon, even enduring a trip with a shipload of Pak’ma’ra and you come off acting like the Emperor himself. Well isn’t that just typical? Now get me some goddamned quarters to rest in and shower along with some food – and none of that Flarn crap – or I swear I will turn your brain inside out!” Aelora screeched at him, then flashed a brilliant smile. “By the way, did I bother to mention that I am an incredibly strong telepath? No? Well, just consider that little matter taken care of.”

The Warrior stared in silence at the female before him, uncertain of how to respond. He did not for a minute doubt her claims regarding her telepathic abilities – there was a certain way about how she held herself as she said it that spoke the truth. She was either very brave or very stupid and Eitann was having trouble deciding which it was. Currently she was examining her nails as if she had all the time in the world while she waited for him to respond. Thinking it would be best to let Neroon deal with the Human, Eitann finally gave her a stiff bow.
“I apologize,” he ground out, though his tone said quite the opposite. “Allow me to direct you to your quarters. I will let Shai Alyt Neroon know that you have arrived.”

Aelora smiled sweetly. “Thank you.”

With her head held high, ignoring the curious glances and final expressions of horror at her odor as she passed by the crew members, Aelora followed Eitann through the ship to a small set of quarters where the Alyt left her, saying he would have food brought to her soon. As soon as he left, she collapsed against the wall, her brief bout of courage disappearing quickly.

What was I thinking? She wondered, placing her hand against her forehead only to then notice that she had been perspiring profusely. Maybe her subconscious had a secret death wish that it had forgotten to warn her about. Either way, she made no mistake about the fact that she had just gained herself an enemy. Maybe she was not so hungry after all. Or were the Minbari as particular about poison in food as the Centauri were?

The telepath quickly showered, tossing her clothing into the cleaner while she was at it. When she was finished, she reentered the main room to find a small meal set out for her, consisting of some greens, bread and tea. As simple as the food was, to her stomach it was a heavenly manna, and she devoured every bite quickly before gulping down the cup of tea. Her body sated, Aelora lay back against the cushions of the sofa, her thoughts briefly drifting to G’Kar. He would be awake by now and no doubt worrying about her. She could only hope that he would come to his senses quickly, knowing that she was a big girl and could take care of herself. She doubted that such a miracle would occur though. A soft smile touched her face. That Narn loved her so very much, and here she continually stretched his patience to the limit. She would not blame him in the least if he locked her in iron shackles when she returned.

“Just who in Valen’s name do you think you are?” Neroon demanded as he entered the quarters unannounced. “Coming on my ship and ordering my crew about!”

Aelora pulled herself calmly to her feet, straightening her catsuit, fussing with her hair, before fixing a level and unwavering gaze on the angered Warrior. “Who in Valen’s name do I think I am? Funny you should phrase it that way. But, I do believe I am Valen’s daughter!” She snapped back at him. “Now, shall we begin this again? Hello, Neroon. How are you?”

Neroon took an involuntary step back, as surprised by her words as he was her tone. His gaze narrowed. “What nonsense is this? Claiming to be Minbari? I should kill you know for such blasphemy.”

“Oh ye of little enlightenment,” Aelora replied sarcastically. “I thought that during your time spent with Terann that she would have informed you of this little matter. No? Well… “ She shrugged. “Unfortunately, that is not what I am here about so we will come to it later.” She moved toward him, her gaze locked on his. “Where is Terann?”

Neroon blinked for a moment, then masked his expression. “I told you. I have not seen her.”

“I have a message from you to her back at Babylon 5 that says otherwise. So I repeat, where is Terann?”

The briefest flicker of uncertainty blossomed in Neroon, which he quickly buried with indignation. “I knew you had no information to share regarding the Religious caste. It was a lie.”

“Don’t change the subject.” Aelora was now only a few feet away from him and she should have felt at least a modicum of fear but her adrenaline was running high. She was finally going to get the answers she sought, if she had to scan him to do it! “Where is she, Neroon? No more lies. I can get what I need without your cooperation… but it won’t feel very good.”

“Do not try to frighten me with that telepathic nonsense,” Neroon sputtered, his mind working furiously. “I would kill you first.”

“You were to meet her on Notsalrad over seventy-two hours ago. She didn’t trust you, so she left me a sign in case things went wrong. That sign is why I am here now. You deny having seen her and yet I know you two met. Therefore, we have an inconsistency. I don’t like inconsistencies, Neroon. Inconsistencies mean someone is lying to me, and I don’t like being lied to. Now, shall we try this again? Where is Terann?”

Before Aelora knew what was happening, Neroon raised his hand and backhanded her hard across the face, knocking her back over the couch. She rolled across the floor, springing to her feet quickly as she saw him coming at her once more though her head was spinning and lights danced before her eyes. She ducked another swing, moving beneath his arm to gain a position behind him then turned and gathering her senses about her, pushed quickly into his mind. She did not scan him, her teachings by Terann that the invasion of someone’s mind was forbidden remaining deep within her conscious, but she did mentally grab hold of the pain center located within his brain and twisted hard. He fell to his knees, screaming in agony. Only when she knew he was close to losing consciousness did she let go. By that point, there was pounding outside the door, his Alyt demanding to know what was going on.

“Tell him that everything is fine and to leave us alone,” Aelora told him coolly, watching him closely as he attempted to lift himself with his arms. “Tell him!”

“Ev – everything is fine, Eitann,” Neroon gasped, fighting the pain back, not willing to show the Human how much she had hurt him. “Please go and leave me alone. I will call for you when you are needed.”

Silence. Then Aelora felt the other Warrior’s presence slowly dissipate. She continued to regard Neroon as he stumbled to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall for support.

“Are you ready to cooperate?”

“This is none of your business!” He spat at her.

“Terann is my friend. It damn well is my business.” Aelora closed in on him quickly and Neroon shrank back, shame instantly filling him as he did so.

Would he now show weakness to a Human? He thought angrily. It had nothing to do with what she was; but whom she reminded him of. Only one other had ever had the nerve to abuse his mind and body the way this one did, and he had taken care of her all ready. He straightened, glaring at the female before him.

“What I did, I did for my people,” he told her proudly. “Terann was a blight against our purity. She was a danger to everyone – the entire Universe. The Vorlons would have done well to take her with them beyond the Rim but they did not. Creatures like her have no place among us.”

Aelora laughed without humor. “You arrogant son of a bitch. A blight against your purity? You truly have no clue, do you?” Aelora shook her head, wanting nothing more than to starch his brain matter until he was a drooling mass on the floor at her feet. It was people like him that made those like Terann draw away from others, that made herself fear ever getting close to another, that made it difficult for her and G’Kar to find true happiness. But before she made an example of him, she needed more information. “Where is she, Neroon?”

The Warrior raised his chin haughtily. “I gave her to your government. The Earth Government.”

The telepath frowned. What would they want with Terann? As much as Aelora did not trust Psi Corps, she could not see them ever having any reason for experimenting on Terann. She was an alien – even more alien than most. If there were anyone she knew Psi Corps would want their hands on, it would be herself. “Who?” She demanded. “I need a name.”

Neroon frowned, looking ready to deny such information to her but then the pain throbbed through his head once more and he told her, “Her name was Ashlen Ladan. She reminded me quite a bit of you, as a matter of fact.”

Ashlen! Then Psi Corps was behind it! But that still didn’t make sense. Aelora shook her head. “There were Psi Cops involved?”

At last Neroon appeared resigned to talking. After all, there was nothing she could do. The deed was done. “Her and four males.”

She frowned, worrying her lower lip. It still did not make much sense, but then she would have time to think on it as she began her search. She still needed more details. “Tell me what happened, Neroon. And leave nothing out, or I won’t hesitate about digging for it myself.”

The Warrior glared at her but complied, telling her everything from his first meeting with Ashlen on Babylon 5 when he was last there to meeting with Terann and the drug and sleeper mixture that had been placed in her food. He knew very little beyond that, having no idea where Ashlen and her cronies took Terann.

“I can’t believe you would lower yourself to cooperating with the Earth Government,” Aelora commented when he was done.

Neroon did not bother to point out that he was currently cooperating with her, albeit grudgingly. “Your Miss Ladan believes in the purity of the races as well. She said that Terann was a danger to the Universe at large.”

Aelora turned to stare at Neroon in disbelief. “I knew you were foolish but stupid as well I had not anticipated.”

The Warrior snarled but made no movement toward her.

Instead, Aelora moved over to him until they were mere inches from one another. A cruel light glinted in her eyes, causing Neroon to feel the slightest amount of discomfort.

“Remember when I told you I was Valen’s daughter?”

Her voice was very soft, so low that he was forced to strain to hear her. He frowned at her words but did not reply. To do so was futile. Her words were ridiculous.

“I said this because it is true. No, I am not Minbari, nor do I claim to be. But then, neither was Valen…”

“You are mad.”

“Minbari not born of Minbari.” Aelora allowed a small smile. “You understand the change that Delenn went through, do you not? The Vorlon device that allowed her to do so? If the Vorlons allowed one person to use it, why not others?”

“You make this up out of desperation,” Neroon told her.

“Do I?” She shrugged. “Only a complete fool would ignore the facts, Neroon. A Minbari, not born of Minbari, shows up a thousand years ago as the Minbari and Vorlons are struggling to stay alive during the war with the Shadows, and he brings with him a space station. A thousand years into the future, Babylon 4 mysteriously disappears. A thousand years in the future, my father, Jeffrey Sinclair, is made an Ambassador to Minbar, Entil’zah. And then? He mysteriously disappears, knowing all about the Minbari, the Grey Council, the Rangers, and the “coming darkness”. And still you question, Neroon? Still you scoff? The war between Earth and Minbar was not ended because you were murdering reborn Minbari souls. The war ended because you were killing your own people – Humans and Minbari, much more closely linked genetically than one would think. You almost killed yourselves by killing Jeffrey Sinclair – Valen – my father.”

“Lies! All of it!” Neroon denied heatedly, panic filling him.

“The truth, Neroon! And it’s about time you heard it!” Aelora smiled, enjoying herself, enjoying the glass house that the Warrior before her had built around himself. “Valen, my father, married. And do you know who he married, Neroon? He married Jeffrey Sinclair’s love, Catherine Sakai, who herself became a Minbari not born of Minbari. Two Humans, passing as Minbari. And they had children. And these children married pure Minbari. And they had children. And so on and so on for the next thousand years. How much of the population does that encompass, Neroon? How many Minbari are truly ‘pure’, Neroon?” She laughed suddenly. “Why, I daresay that you yourself…”

He pushed her from him, staggering away, unwilling to hear any more that she had to say. It was impossible! Such a secret could not be kept from the populace. She was making it up! All of it!

“And you condemn Terann? You who carry the blood of a Human? I do believe that makes you a hypocrite, Neroon.”

The Warrior whirled back around to face her. “You lie! You say this out of spite!”

Aelora shook her head. “You know it to be true, Neroon. Ask Delenn; she knows the truth. The records are there, if you look for them. Terann knew. Learned it from both the Vorlons and Dukhat. Obviously, this was something the Grey Council long ago decided could never be known by the public. It would change everything. Destroy your social structure. Chaos. Anarchy. Centauri and Narn living together – mass hysteria!”

“Shut up!” Neroon shouted at her. “I do not want to hear it!”

The telepath moved over to him, forcing him to face her. “You loved her, Neroon, then pushed her away because she wasn’t like you – because she wasn’t pure Minbari. But you aren’t pure Minbari, either. And yet, you sacrificed her. You believed her less than you, less deserving, when in truth she is more than any Minbari out there – and you gave her to Humans!”

The Minbari before her could do little more than shake his head in denial. She had no reason to lie to him, no reason to fabricate such a fantasy. She had provided him with sources to go to, only he could not do so. He would approach no other Minbari for such information – he had too much pride to do so. To let them know that he knew the secret – he knew the truth about his people.

And worst of all, he had believed himself better than Terann. He had wanted to prove his superiority, wanted to save his people. And he had loved her. He had admired and respected her. All along she had known, had known he was not as ‘pure’ as he had claimed to be; that he was not so righteous. Still, she had said nothing. She had done nothing to bring his world crashing down around him as the impudent Human before him just did. Terann had understood what it meant to him to be Minbari. Unfortunately, he had not taken the same consideration with her.

Aelora watched the play of emotions as they flitted across the Warrior’s face. She felt his acceptance, his understanding of the truth as it came to him, and his eventual capitulation into true guilt. She thought that the destruction of his perfect little world would please her, but it did not. Instead, she felt that she understood what he was going through, that she could empathize with the pain and humiliation he was experiencing. Sadly, they had very little time for him to wallow in remorse.

“You can still make up for it, Neroon,” she told him, moving away from him to dig through her satchel until she found Terann’s denn’bok.

“How?” He asked quietly, his tone for once devoid of the arrogance she was accustomed to.

She tossed the weapon to him, commenting as he caught it, “Help me find Terann, so that you can give that back to her…”

“This way.” Neroon gestured in the direction of the Sh’lsoy’kavo Tavern. They had arrived on Notsalrad just over an hour earlier and both had agreed that the tavern was the best place to start.

They crossed the dust-laden street, dodging ground transports and wayward pedestrians, before arriving at the steps of the establishment. They stopped momentarily, both to gather their wits as well as to give Aelora the chance to mentally prepare herself. Moving up the steps Neroon reached out to open the door only to have it swing open at the last moment, nearly catching him in the head as it did so. The filth covered Human who emerged from the tavern, swayed heavily after apparently having spent the afternoon drowning the days’ sorrows. He instantly caught sight of Aelora and snaked an arm out to capture her about the waist.

“Hey gorgeous,” he slurred. “How’s about I buy you a drink?”

Absently Aelora turned away, covering her nose with her hand if only to rid her senses of the man’s stench.

“She is with me,” Neroon snarled, emerging from behind the door to roughly pull Aelora from the Human’s grasp.

Reflexively Aelora fought against him, but the big Warrior held her tight while taking a threatening step toward the other Human.

The man glanced first at Neroon then at Aelora. “I don’t think she’s your type,” he said, once again reaching out to pull the telepath from the Minbari’s hold.

“I think she is,” Neroon warned. Then added: “You can have her when I am done.”

Aelora glanced incredulously at the Minbari at her side, fighting back the urge to bash him upside the head. Neroon squeezed her side, telling her to play along. Clearing her throat she added: “Yah. Only twenty-credits.”

The Human harrumphed emphatically before stumbling into the night. Neroon glanced down at the Human female beside him before releasing her from his grasp. “You flatter yourself.”

Before she could offer up a fitting response, Neroon caught hold of the door and stalked through it. Slipping through behind him, Aelora once again found herself wondering what had possessed her to bring him with her.

The pair stopped just inside the entry, giving their eyes time to adjust to the smoke-filled darkness. Being still relatively early, the tavern had few patrons, and those that were there sat slumped over wooden tables clearly having been there for quite some time.

“Maybe we should sit down,” Aelora suggested, knowing that if they stood as they were much longer they would attract even more unwanted attention. They chose a table in the back of the room, close to where the private rooms were located. Once seated Aelora continued, “So tell me again what happened with Ashlen?”

Taking a deep breath Neroon explained how shortly before his departure from Babylon 5, a Human dressed as a security officer approached him telling him she could help him deal with Terann. Though he had been reluctant to believe her, Ashlen had assured him that Earth had a vested interest in disposing of the telepath. He had then agreed to a meeting, here at Notsalrad. Ashlen had told him that she would take care of all the arrangements all he needed to do was ensure that Terann would be here and to keep her occupied long enough for the drugs to work.

“So you know nothing of their contact? Or what they gave her?”

Neroon shook his head. “All I was told is that they would see to it that her food was laced with some kind of telepathic inhibitor, but that it would take time to work.”

“And you never saw Ashlen until after Terann had been given the Sleepers?”

“No,” the Minbari confirmed. “The only other person I had any contact with was the Gaim server.”

“Well then I suggest we start with her.” Aelora then glanced about the room, looking for any signs of the girl. When her search turned up empty, her eyes fell upon a slight, scantily clad Centauri, standing behind the bar half obscured by shadow. Seeing the Centauri as their only option Aelora raised her hand in a bid to gain her attention.

“Was there something I can get for you?” The girl asked less than enthusiastically.

“We are in need of information,” Aelora told her.

“I don’t know anything.” Then turned to hurry away.

Aelora, however, moved quickly grapping a hold of the Centauri’s wrist and turning her back to them. “I think you can help us,” Aelora flashed a warning smile at her. “My… friend and I are looking for a Gaim who works here.”

“Why?”

“We have some business with her. Perhaps you can tell us where she is.”

“She doesn’t work here anymore.”

Aelora felt the girl’s fear as something almost palpable. “I’m certain you know where we might find her.”

The Centauri glanced nervously from the Minbari then back to the Human. “I’m sorry. I can’t—“

“Oh I think you can – by choice, or we can make you.”

The girl paused thoughtfully for a moment, before withdrawing a pad and pen from her apron. She scribbled down an address quickly then passed it to Aelora. The Human thanked her with another smile before rising to her feet to exit the tavern.

Once back in the street, she turned to Neroon. “Now all we have to do is find this place.”

“You could have at least asked for directions,” Neroon commented wryly.

“I didn’t see you offering too much help back there.”

Both regarded each other for a moment before resigning themselves to continuing their search. They moved through the streets in relative silence, stopping only occasionally to ask for assistance in finding the address the Centauri had given them. After several attempts proved fruitless, Aelora decided to venture into one of the local shops, believing that one of the merchants may be more amicable.

She emerged triumphant only a few minutes later informing Neroon that he now owed her five credits to cover the bribe to the Drazi proprietor. They headed off in the direction the Drazi had instructed, both becoming suspicious when their route led them further away from the heart of town.

“Looks like you were had,” Neroon commented. “So much for your famed telepathic abilities.”

“Oh bite me,” Aelora muttered, ignoring the bewildered look on the Minbari’s face. “Are you sure we didn’t take a wrong turn?”

“How should I know?”

“You’re just loads of help aren’t you,” the telepath commented under her breath. She then came to a stop, glancing around at their surroundings. Nothing in the area could even be considered a place of residence. Instead all she saw were small industrial shops and storage facilities. Mentally she retraced their steps, knowing they had followed the Drazi’s instructions correctly. Then why isn’t it here? She glanced around once more, her eyes peering between the closely spaced buildings. “Wait a minute,” she muttered, her eyes falling upon something that seemed vaguely out of place.

Neroon watched as the Human moved up to a fence encompassing a small warehouse. “What is it?” He asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

“That writing up there,” she pointed to a sign halfway up the building. “That’s Drazi, isn’t it?”

“If you say so.”

“Then why is there an Earth shuttle on the landing pad?”

Neroon did his best to ignore the triumphant smile that spread across the Human’s face, but Aelora could sense his annoyance.

“That ship does not prove anything,” Neroon tried to deflate her spirits.

“Call it a hunch, Neroon.” She told him, bounding off towards an opening in the fence.

“A what?” Neroon called after her.

“Never mind,” Aelora sigh. “Are you coming?”

Neroon shook his head, before starting off after the Human.

Stealthily the Human and Minbari moved around the building, locating a door on the Northwest side. “Wait,” Aelora instructed, reaching out with her psi to scan just beyond the threshold. It would not do to be discovered now. “It’s okay.” She nodded, then followed Neroon through the door.

They entered into a brightly lit corridor that ran along the outside wall of the building. They followed it for several meters before spying a doorway on their right. The door was open, and from the sounds emanating from within, it was clear the room was occupied. Neroon glanced down at the female beside him noting that she too had withdrawn her weapon. The Human nodded her readiness and they stormed through the doorway.

Within the room, five Humans sat seated at the table, sheets of paper spread out between them. Four of them scrambled quickly to their feet racing towards the Human and the Minbari.

Aelora swung Terann’s pike in a high arch, bringing it up to catch her first attacker in the side of the head. He slammed down hard against the edge of the table before crumpling in a heap to the floor. The second Human jumped over his counterpart lunging at the telepath. His fist connected with the side of her face, sending her back into the wall behind her. She stumbled forward, pulling back on the denn’bok as the Human tried to wrench it from her hands. She kicked out with her feet, catching him neatly in the shins then using the momentary lapse in his focus she used Terann’s weapon to send him to the floor with his companion.

Raising her eyes in time, Aelora caught sight of two Humans that Neroon had made short work of and the fifth as he moved to bear a PPG. She found herself calling out to the Minbari in warning and then watched as the Warrior brought his own weapon down to shatter several of the bones in the Human’s hand.

Collapsing the weapon in her hands, Aelora strode over to still-conscious Human where he sat, cradling his crippled hand. Once there her eyes caught sight of a Gaim encounter suit slung over a chair in the far corner of the room. Picking up the helmet, she tossed it to Neroon. “Look familiar?”

She then turned her attention back to the Human. “We have a few questions we’d like to ask you—“

“Fuck off!” the Human spat.

Aelora’s fist moved quicker than Neroon thought possible, catching the Human in the side of the head with an audible thud. “My friend,” she commented. “Doesn’t like that kind of language. Now as I said, we have a few questions we would like to ask you, and I suggest you cooperate.”

“And if I don’t?” He snarled through gritted teeth.

Aelora leaned to within inches of him. “I suggest you do.”

At this the Human scoffed, causing Aelora to shake her head dejectedly.

“Don’t say you weren’t warned.” She flashed him a terrible smile before tearing into his mind. She sifted through his most recent of memories, finding that it had been in fact him who had posed as the Gaim waitress. He had long been associated with the fabled Bureau 13 and his helping them with Terann had been only the last of many tasks he had performed for them. Through his work with them he had also been in charge of supply runs, ensuring that any documentation was faked so as not to be traced back to the source. Only a handful of people employed here knew where the supplies were headed, being told only that it involved some kind of secret Earth project. But he was one of them.

Aelora pulled the last of the needed information from the Human’s mind before breaking the connection between them. She watched dispassionately as his head slumped, his nose making an audible crunch upon slamming into the table.

“Well?”

“Vega 8.” Aelora smiled once again. “Still doubt my famed telepathic abilities?”

Neroon merely rolled his eyes at this.

Aelora’s smile only widened. “Come on, Neroon. We’ll miss our ship.”

“What ship?”

“That one.” She nodded out the window towards the shuttle on the landing pad.

Neroon glanced hesitantly at the Human, once again questioning the wisdom of what they were doing, before following her out the door.

Surprisingly, Neroon found himself almost grateful for the wind that howled about his ears. Yes, it was bitterly cold, and the snow and ice it kicked up burned horribly at his exposed skin, but at least it muted out much of the Human’s nattering. He glanced over his shoulder to the young female trudging along behind him wondering, not for the first time, if she ever stopped talking. If it was not to complain about the terribly cold climate of Vega 8, it was her continued talk of her Narn lover G’Kar, and, currently her favorite topic, hurling blame at him for her being here in the first place. It had been during one her more colorful dissertations that Neroon found himself wondering what it was about the Human that Terann saw so appealing. Granted she had been helpful in divulging the location of the Earther’s secret facility but aside from that Neroon was certain he would have been successful in finding Terann with or without her help.

“I heard that!” Aelora shouted, picking up her pace to once again be beside him.

“Heard what? With all the blathering you have been doing I’d be lucky to get a word in edgewise.”

“Do you seriously believe you would have found this place without my help?”

“Oh, that is it, is it?” The Minbari came to a halt. “You storm aboard my ship, accost my second, make our entire search as miserable as possible and now you see fit to poke around inside my head.”

“Perhaps you should keep your thoughts to yourself!” Aelora countered. “It’s a wonder Terann could stand being in the same room as you, what with the headache you’ve given me.”

Neroon fixed the Human with a stony glare before resuming their journey. As much as the Human annoyed him, begrudgingly he began to feel a growing fondness for her. That is, he reminded himself, when he was not prepared to rip her head from her body. Never before could he remember encountering a creature of such extremes; one minute focused and devoted to their goal, the next flippant. He never knew from one second to the next how she was going to react to him and he found himself wondering how the Narn coped.

“So how much further do you think it is?” Aelora asked looking into the distance towards a mountainous region.

“Another half a kilometer or so, at least from what I understood from the shuttle readings.”

Aelora sighed loudly clearly unimpressed with the progress they were making.

Neroon cast her a sideways glance. “At least you do not have to carry this.” He gestured to the large satchel he had slung across his shoulder. “And what exactly are we going to do with all of this?”

“You’re parents swam in the shallow end of the gene pool didn’t they Neroon?” Aelora shook her head and smiled at the lack of understanding in his face. “Neroon, it isn’t enough that we simply rescue Terann. She’s already been in the facility for almost a week which is plenty of time for Bureau 13 to have performed umpteen different experiments on her. All that work and any samples they may have must be destroyed.”

“Oh,” he said simply. He appeared thoughtful for a moment, then turned to resume his pace.

But Aelora had heard his unasked question: What if we are too late? And she knew he was no longer thinking of their need to destroy the base, but rather what was next for him. She had felt his feelings for the hybrid slowly reemerging from the moment they left Dorado and knew of the guilt he now carried with him.

And so he should! Part of her screamed, while the other half understood his abhorrence at the idea of the Vorlons toying with the purity of his people. It was not something she could ever admit to aloud, but had she not treated G’Kar the same only months earlier? She had been raised, just as Neroon had, to believe that certain things were sacred and were not to be altered under any circumstances. Yet here they both stood, she on the verge of marrying a Narn, the most hated enemy of her adopted family and Neroon contemplating a future with a Minbari half-breed. She knew she should be angry at him for having turned Terann over to the Humans yet had she not once threatened to treat G’Kar the same?

She followed the Minbari up a rock-strewn ridge that turned once again downward before rising again at the foothills of the mountains. They surveyed the landscape, both noticing a opening in the base of the mountain. It was slightly obscured by a stand of tall trees and several well placed boulders, but from their vantage point both could make out the oddity of its shape and placement.

“That doesn’t look natural,” Aelora commented.

Neroon shook his head, then pulled out a small portable scanner. He pressed several of the controls, taking several readings of the surrounding area. “I am not detecting any kind of defense perimeter, or any kind of sentry.”

“I wouldn’t expect there to be,” Aelora added. “It’s not like this planet has a thriving tourist industry.”

“Still,” Neroon advised. “We should be cautious.”

Aelora flashed him a mischievous grin. “Always.”

Neroon found himself once again rolling his eyes at the Human before falling into step behind her.

With their goal clearly in sight, they kept their pace quick allowing them to cover the distance easily. They paused only briefly outside the chasm, before entering into the darkness.

“Anything?” The Minbari asked casting a glance at the telepath beside him.

“It’s warmer,” Aelora told him stifling a smile. Ignoring the irritation in the Minbari’s face she opened her mind to their surroundings. As Terann had taught her, she used her mind to search out signs of life, not only to give them an idea of what to expect but also to aid them in their search. From the readings she glimpsed off of Neroon’s scanner, the cave branched off in several directions forming a labyrinth of tunnels that would make conducting their search almost impossible.

Neroon paced around in his cell like a caged animal, which in fact was exactly what his captors considered him. He cursed Aelora’s name – not for the first time – and decided that when he got out of there, his first duty would be to rip the Human in two. Then he would go back to his search for Terann. Currently though, vengeance needed to be satisfied, and Aelora had it coming to her.

That she had disappeared, leaving him to his fate, was appalling. Certainly, in her head she might have felt he deserved it – after all, she had not yet forgiven him for his role in Terann’s capture – but he had thought, mistakenly, that they were a team. Instead, she had feigned ignorance as to his identity and darted away from the scene of his capture. For all he knew, she had reached Terann by now and they were already on their way back to Babylon 5.

He cursed again, glancing out the bars that stood between him and freedom. Once his jailors had divested him of his weapon and placed him in his cell, they had disappeared back into the main corridor of the ice tunnel that led into the mines. He imagined they were contacting EarthGov, wondering what to do with an alleged Minbari spy. Well, he would not go down without a fight that was for certain! He could only hope that no one thought to contact Minbar. No one in his government knew where he had gone or what he was up to. It could lead to some very embarrassing and uncomfortable questions that he was not prepared, at the present to answer. And being that he was a Warrior, and his attitude regarding the Humans in the past, even those on Minbar would believe the allegations regarding espionage. While he knew his Caste would go as far as war to ensure his freedom, he doubted the Religious Caste would see it in the same vein. Knowing Delenn, she would be his first accuser.

The Minbari froze suddenly, a sound above his head drawing his attention. Enormous conduits and vents wound their way across the ceiling of the tunnel, funneling heat to designated areas, and air throughout the facility. There was one, slightly octagonal in shape, which ran directly through his cell, burrowed deeply through the ice covered rock, and back out into the main corridor. That was the one from which a strange scraping sound emitted, as if something were being dragged along the bottom of the vent. He followed the sound to the center of his cell where it stopped quite abruptly and silence ensued. Neroon glanced around, wondering what in Valen’s name was going on when there was suddenly a large CRACK! And the vent fell open and out tumbled Aelora, who landed quite gracefully in a roll to her feet.

She made a very feminine gesture, wiping the dust she had collected from her clothes, before throwing a grin at Neroon. “Miss me?”

He folded his arms across his chest and glared at her.

“What?”

“You left me there in the company of those… Humans,” he sneered.

Aelora sighed, thinking she should have left him here as well and continued on her way. She wondered if he and Terann were to have an arrogance contest, who would win? It amazed her that one could still locate arrogance among the other races, considering the Vorlons and Minbari seemed to have claimed it all to themselves.

“Look,” she began, moving around the cell, examining corners, checking the strength of the bars and listening for any approaching sounds. “Did you expect me to take on that whole group of miners? I mean, really? These guys are huge! Which you would figure they would have to be to work in these conditions. And they sure as hell won’t listen to reason – you can tell that none of them come from the smartest section of the gene pool.” She stopped before him finally, mocking his stance and gaze. “I mean, like you, they probably think the Earth-Minbari War is still going on.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Aelora rolled her eyes. “If you didn’t get the context, then you don’t deserve an explanation.”

Neroon grunted; said nothing.

“Now, have you figured out how to get out of here?”

The Minbari frowned. “Yes, the way you came in.”

Aelora chuckled.

“What is so funny?”

“Even if you weren’t wearing that overly enormous uniform, you wouldn’t make it.”

He looked up at the vent, noting that the width barely spanned that of the Humans shoulders. He raised his brow as he returned his gaze to her. “You came in here to tell me that? That you could make it out but I could not?”

“No. I only wish I had been so ingenious.” Aelora moved back over to the bars, staring out at the door that led to the main corridor.

“And when they come back in here and find you here, then we are both – how do you Humans say in that barbaric way of speech? Oh yes. Screwed.”

“That would be about the gist of it.” She tugged on the bars for a moment then stood back, contemplating the situation.

Truth was, she could easily climb back up through the vent, locate Terann and get the hell off the forbidden wasteland she and Neroon had traveled to. Neroon would deserve as much -- to become a Minbari Popsicle. Unfortunately, Aelora was developing a soft spot for the arrogant Warrior. As much as she often wanted to split him from navel to stern, she realized he most likely felt the same way about her. She had a tendency to do that to people lately, she knew. In fact, Aelora would not be a bit surprised if the next time she saw G’Kar, he would wish to do the same to her. She winced inwardly at the thought of her return to Babylon 5. He would be angry with her that much was for certain. To what extent, she did not know. It was the first time she had purposely pushed him to his limits.

“She will never forgive me, will she?”

Aelora turned at Neroon’s voice, surprised at the utter disparity she heard in his tone. He was looking away from her, as if unable to meet her gaze, staring off at nothing but obviously seeing far more. Aelora actually felt a pang of sympathy at his plight – she knew how it felt to be in the position he currently was, knowing you had injured the person you cared far more for than you would ever let on.

“I can’t answer that for you, Neroon,” Aelora told him. “I can tell you this though – I have learned when it comes to forgiveness, things are not always as you would expect.”

He frowned, turned to meet her gaze. “What do you mean?”

They were wasting time that was needed to get out of there but Aelora could tell the subject was eating away at him. She needed him alert and ready for anything, not dwelling on the consequence of his actions.

“I have told you about G’Kar and me,” Aelora began, continuing as Neroon nodded. “Well, before things became as they are now, I did some fairly horrible things to him… Did my best to make him hate me actually. And he did, for a time. Of course, I hated myself even more for not facing up to my feelings.

“But the point is, he did forgive me, Neroon. Though he had no cause or reason to, he forgave me. And in the end, I think it came down to how much he loved me. That was all that mattered.”

“And now?” Neroon asked, watching her. “When you return to him, after having promised that you would not leave, after having snuck out on him in the dead of night?”

Aelora shrugged. “It may sound foolish on his part, but I know he will forgive me. When you love someone, it’s really all you can do.”

“There is no proof that Terann carries any love for me,” Neroon told her gruffly.

“You’re a bigger fool than I thought if you believe that, Neroon.” Aelora smiled. “She’s loved you for a long time, though she hasn’t truly faced it herself. Sometimes it is hard to accept the fact that you might need someone, when you have spent your entire life keeping others at a safe distance.” She shook her head ruefully. “I can attest to that as well as anyone.”

Neroon gave a stiff nod. “I understand, as well, Aelora.”

It was the first time he had called her by her name, as opposed to Human or some derogatory slang in Vik. She offered him an encouraging smile, and then hastily changed the subject before either of them became too sentimental.

“Now that we understand each other on that point, what’d ya say we try to get out of here?”

“Excellent idea. You have a plan?”

It was simple, really. And something she would not have been foolish enough to think of if Michael had not made her watch so many of those Twentieth Century films from Earth. Many plots involved impossible escapes from imprisonment by those less skilled than her and Neroon. She was certain the plan would work.

“It seems silly,” Neroon commented with a frown, though he had already agreed to go along with it. “And dishonorable. Very Human, though.”

Aelora rolled her eyes heavenward thinking that karma had truly come back to smack her by pairing her up with Shai Alyt Neroon. “Look, do you want honorable or to get the hell out of here?”

“To get the hell out of here,” Neroon replied with a nod. “But,” he added. “Perhaps next time we can come up with a more honorable plan.”

“I would prefer there not be a next time, Neroon.”

The Minbari considered this for a moment and then nodded. “As would I.”

Tim Rawlins had been a miner all his life, as had his father before him, and so on way back to the Nineteenth century. He had been the first in his family to extend the profession off of Earth and out into space.

And had regretted it ever since.

Like the other men in his family, he was built large and stocky for heavy labor, and cared little for garnering a fancy education, learning about things he would never need to know. He preferred that life remain simple, that he carry on with his work, provide for his family and never have any contact with any alien species.

So when it was that Tim and his friends came upon a Minbari spy skulking about in their mines, his entire world had crashed down around him. Tim had never seen a Minbari in person before, though he had viewed plenty of them on the broadcasts during the War. To see one up close made his stomach churn. He had gladly taken the post outside the main cellblock doors to ensure that the alien did not get loose. Not that he believed such a possibility would ever occur. After all, aliens were not as bright as Humans were, so there would be little chance of the Minbari getting it into his head to escape.

Then he had heard the cry from inside the cell – a voice that belonged to that of a woman. Tim did not question what a woman would be doing inside a cell that had only recently held no one other than the Minbari he and the others had placed in there. He charged through the door, coming to a halt just beyond the threshold to see the alien holding a pretty Human female in his grasp. She struggled against him and screamed for help and again Tim did not ask himself how she had gotten there or why. All that mattered was that the filthy Minbari’s hands were all over a Human female!

“I’m comin’, little lady!” He shouted to her, digging through the keys in his pocket, desperately looking for the correct one. “Goddammit, you alien scum! You get your hands off of her!”

Finally locating the key to the cell, Tim plunged it into the lock then dove in to the rescue, grabbing the Minbari by the shoulders and pulling him to the side, where they began to grapple.

As strong as Minbari are, Neroon quickly realized he was no match for the almost seven foot giant who attacked him. As the man’s beefy hands closed around his neck, slamming Neroon’s crest back into the ice wall, he wondered what was taking Aelora so long to attack. Lights began to dance before his eyes when he heard the reassuring whsssk of an opening denn’bok.

Aelora pulled Terann’s pike from her pocket, clicked it open, then charged forward, slamming it hard upside the miner’s head. She jumped back, waiting for him to fall when her eyes suddenly began to widen in bafflement. The miner did pull away from Neroon, but not to pass out. He turned to Aelora, rubbing the back of his head which should have been split open like a melon, and gave her a look of confusion.

“Now what’s that all about?” He asked her angrily.

“Oh hell,” Aelora muttered. She would have to pick a fight with Goliath.

Neroon flew at him from behind, grabbing him around the shoulders in an attempt to knock him to the ground but the miner did not seem to notice the Minbari that was currently attached to his back. He continued to advance on Aelora.

“You one of those traitor sorts?” He demanded, lifting an enormous paw in preparation to backhand her across the face. “Where I come from, women know their place!”

Aelora ducked quickly as his hand swung by her, knowing that had he connected she would have been down for the count. She rolled past him, springing lightly to her feet while Neroon wrapped one arm around his neck in an attempt to strangle the man. The miner roared at the attempt, stumbling back and pounding the Minbari into the bars of the cells, causing Aelora to wince at the resounding Oomph! that Neroon emitted at the impact. Lowering the pike, Aelora charged the man once more, this time swinging the weapon in an upwards arch between his legs. The miner let out a high-pitched shriek, falling forward enough that Neroon was able to add his weight and push, bringing the big man to his knees. Aelora kicked him hard in the groin once more, and then smashed the pike into his face, catching his jaw and knocking him backwards. Neroon jumped to the side, kicking the miner in the head as he fell for good measure. He collapsed at their feet, unmoving.

They were both out of breath, staring in disbelief at the behemoth that took both of them to bring down. Aelora seemed to snap out of her reverie first, tugging on Neroon’s hand and directing him through the open cell door. His denn’bok lay to the side and the Minbari quickly scooped it up before following her to the outside door where she hovered, glancing both ways down the corridor.

“Is it safe?” He asked.

She was quiet, sensing the halls around her. There were a few men far down the left of the corridor, toward the entrance to the surface. But if they went to the right, further into the mines, they might be able to make it to the third underground level without any problems. She nodded finally. “Follow me.”

Neroon grunted. “Remind me never to piss you off,” he commented, remembering the shriek from the miner as the pike had smashed into his groin.

“Too late for that. C’mon.”

They darted out the cellblock and down the hall, where Aelora paused briefly, gathering two uniforms from hooks that hung near the miners’ lockers. She tossed one to Neroon while slipping into the other. The Minbari stood staring at the offending garment for a long while, refusing to dress up in it until Aelora threatened him with bodily harm. She tucked her hair into a cap, pulling the flaps low over her ears, more for warmth than any wish to disguise her gender, then dug through the lockers until she found a rather large hard hat complete with attached oxygen mask.

“Put this on.”

“Are you out of your mind, Aelora?”

“At times, yes. Now put this on.”

“It will not fit over my crest.”

The telepath sighed. “Either you put it on, or I will. And if it doesn’t fit, I will saw down that bone of yours until it does!”

Neroon snatched the hat from her, muttering to himself about her high-handed attitude, shoving it down onto his head. Luckily, it appeared that she must have located the hat worn by the large miner they had just knocked out because though it fit snugly, the point was it did fit and covered his obviously alien appearance.

They hurried on their way once more, Aelora taking the lead, scanning the area ahead of them for any workers. She held her hand out behind her in warning once as they approached a group of miners working over a burnt out electrical unit. She and Neroon slowed to a calm walk, nodding to the miners as they passed by, behaving as if they knew where they were headed. Aelora’s senses remained on the group until they had moved far beyond them; making certain that any suspicion was not apparent. Once she felt they were safely away, she nodded and they broke into a swift jog once more.

“The elevators are just ahead.”

“How do you know?” The Minbari asked through the breather unit.

Aelora reached into her pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. She shook it open, showing Neroon a small map of the facility. “Found this during my search for the central ventilation area. According to this, the elevators can take us down to the third level. There are more levels below that, but they can only be accessed by Security Clearance Level stairwells.”

“Thank you, by the way.”

Aelora said nothing and the Minbari relaxed. She would not make him face his own guilt regarding his confidence that she would leave him there. He returned his attention to the map. “And you propose to get through to these stairwells how?”

She shrugged. “I’ll worry about that when we get to it. I’m beginning to understand that this whole place was really set up as a cover – to hide the facilities beneath it.”

“Seems like quite a bit of trouble to go through for simple camouflage,” Neroon commented as they neared the elevators that were blessedly unoccupied.

“True. But then we don’t know exactly what sort of facility they are attempting to hide or who is behind it.” They entered the lift and Aelora pushed the button to the lowest level. “There is nothing I would put past Psi Corps, but if this were their doing, I’d think Bester would have been more involved than Ashlen. From what I have been learning, he seems to enjoy taking a hand’s on approach to things.”

Aelora shook her head. “From your comments regarding the EarthForce soldiers, I would almost pin this one on President Clark, from everything I have heard spoken of back on Babylon 5. I’m not to up on my Earth politics yet, but I’ve heard enough from Sheridan, and learned enough of the history of the past two years from G’Kar, that I could be fairly certain Clark is involved in more than simple trade disputes.”

“But why Terann?” It was not the first time Neroon had asked this question; though it was the first time he had voiced it aloud.

The Human shrugged. “Power. The ability to say that Earth has something no one else does. Curiosity of the unknown. They are most likely hopeful that they can learn from her how to transmit Vorlon genes into Humans. Create a whole army of Vorlon/Human hybrids to rule the galaxy. Something ridiculous like that.”

Neroon shook his head. “I do not understand Humans. Why any race would wish to pollute their bloodlines – “ He stopped himself quickly, remaining silent.

Aelora gave a little smile. “As much as you pride purity, Neroon, there is a point when the blood becomes weak. Centuries ago, the Centauri began the practice of marrying only within their own families. That practice has stopped but look at their race now. Petty, squabbling, unimaginative -- bent only on one purpose and that is how they appear to the rest of the galaxy, how powerful they may be. Were the Minbari not bent on self-destruction only a millennia ago? Fighting amongst you, killing yourselves from the inside out? Then Human blood entered the mix –“

“Must you remind me?” Neroon groaned.

A small smile. “Either way, the Human race, from the history books I have read, has always been out to improve itself. Though they may act high and mighty, they have never been happy with who they are.”

“You speak as if you are not one of them.”

“I don’t claim a specific people anymore,” she replied with a wry smile. “It got too confusing. I plan on marrying a Narn. His people will be mine. That is all that matters now.”

The elevator came to a stop, the doors opening to reveal an intricate network of girders and walkways spun over a 1,000-foot ice covered chasm. They could see the other levels, the doors that led to them, but had no idea where to begin or how to get to them. They stared at the maze before them, and then glanced at one another in mutual resignation.

And here they had thought the most difficult part of their journey was behind them.

It took two different run-ins with security personnel before Aelora and Neroon were able to locate the appropriate keys needed to gain access onto the lower levels. They had taken careful precautions to hide the bodies of the EarthForce security officers that they had dealt with, but Aelora still felt slight trepidation that they were in the clear. Even as they entered another lift, sliding the security key into the slot that took them further into the chasm, a voice deep inside whispered caution. Something very wrong was going to occur, of that she was almost certain.

Noting the increasing anxiety of the Human beside him, Neroon reached out a hand and laid it gently on her shoulder. “We are almost there,” he told her confidently.

She nodded but otherwise remained silent. It was eating at her; this nagging suspicion that something was going to happen that would irrevocably change her life. A great fear was building inside her to turn around and run, to leave this rescue to Neroon. But she knew she could not do that. They would both be needed to safely get Terann out of there. And she would be needed should the Minbari be in bad shape, which Aelora figured was highly likely. For a brief moment, Aelora’s thoughts turned to G’Kar. She missed him terribly and would have felt so much safer had he been at her side. Please don’t be angry with me, she thought silently, fighting the tightness in her throat at the thought of losing his trust. Once she got Terann safely back to the station, she vowed that she would never leave his side again. She would obey him in all things… Well, at least those things which I agree with him on, she thought ruefully.

The lift came to a gentle stop and Human and Minbari simultaneously lifted their weapons into readiness as the door hissed open. The corridor was empty but opened into two directions. Stepping into the hall, Aelora glanced around cautiously before casting her gaze to Neroon who appeared as uneasy as she felt.

The Minbari, who lifted the mask from his head and tossed it into the corner with a look of disdain, caught her gaze, commenting, “Is it just me or has this all been much too easy?”

Aelora nodded, reaching out with her psi to scan the area around them. Everything seemed quiet; too quiet. Looking at both ends of the corridor, she furthered her scan, pushing deeper through the walls, searching for Terann’s trace signature that had become so familiar to her from the healing she had done on the Minbari in the past. There! Aelora almost leapt for joy, sobering once she realized the signature was very faint.

“We have to hurry,” she mumbled, moving past Neroon into the right corridor, her expression troubled.

Neroon took one last glanced down the left corridor before following her. Learning not to question her judgment he stayed close behind, his eyes scanning the shadows for any detectable movement. If the young woman in front of him was following her sense of Terann that she claimed she could feel, then he knew her attention was not focused on any possible dangers. As he had already said, their entrance had been entirely too easy, as if someone had allowed them to get that far. If these people were as dangerous as Aelora believed them to be, then Neroon doubted they would get to Terann without some sort of fight.

His assumption became fact as they rounded another corner, only to find two telepaths and two security officers blocking their way. A noise resembling that of a hiss escaped between Aelora’s teeth when she recognized the female telepath.

“Ashlen.”

Neroon clutched his denn’bok, carefully watching their opponents. The one named Ashlen offered a terrible smile to Aelora.

“Aelora Campbell. Somehow I thought you smarter than this.”

Aelora took a calming breath, assessing the situation before her. Her gaze flickered over to the man beside Ashlen, who she could only guess was also a P12. Two P12’s against a… What was she? She had no idea but she had been trained by Terann, not only a telepath but half Vorlon, and she had often been pleased by Aelora’s ability. But then there was Neroon. She would need to protect him as well, for he would most likely be their first prey. Quietly, she went to work on placing a telepathic shield around him, while continuing to hold her block so that they could not see what she was doing. It was as if an invisible wall had been placed between the two parties, neither knowing what the other was doing or thinking beyond what they could see with their eyes. Even then, Aelora knew one could never be too certain. For all she knew, Ashlen and her partner were only making it appear as if they were there, when they were really sneaking up behind them. Instead of having two security guards perhaps there were thirty with them. Was Ashlen that strong? What about the man beside her? Not knowing how many different directions her psi would allow her to go in, Aelora took the chance of ‘casting to Neroon without breaking the shield or the block.

Take the two security officers. I will deal with the teeps.

She sensed Neroon shifting behind her, grasping a better hold of his weapon.

“Where is Terann?” Aelora demanded, breaking the tense silence.

Ashlen laughed. “Do you think it’s that easy? Besides, what good is she to you now? She is a drooling, quivering mass meant for little else but specimen jars.”

Neroon growled behind Aelora, taking a step forward but the Human put a hand out, holding him back. “Step aside, Ashlen, and I’ll let you live,” Aelora told her calmly.

Again, the telepath before her laughed. “I’m not frightened of you, Campbell. I’ve seen what you can do and am not all that impressed. While Bester may think highly of your abilities, I consider you as little more than a sideshow freak.”

Aelora cocked an eyebrow at that, though her attention was focused on the male who was currently attempting to push through her block and enter her mind. It tickled and Aelora was hard pressed not to laugh. This was a P12? When Terann would tear down her blocks during their practice sessions, it typically felt more like a hammer slamming into her temple. And that hammer had taken longer and longer over the past few sessions to make much of a difference. This was like a feather brushing softly against her mind, then being pushed back by a strong wind. Not wanting to appear overly arrogant but at the same time proud of the fact that she was obviously much stronger than a P12, Aelora decided to toy with the man awhile longer, allowing him to think he was making progress.

Hurry! Ashlen ‘cast to Kent.

I can’t seem to get through, he replied, somewhat indignantly. His brow furrowed as his concentration deepened.

It was a thought from one of the security personnel that sent everything into action. Just a passing whisper through his mind of impatience that Aelora felt before ‘casting to Neroon to duck and they both dove in opposite directions as PPG fire shot past them.

“Dammit!” Ashlen roared, immediately turning her mind to joining the attack on Aelora. She had already made the attempt to enter the Minbari’s mind but the redhead had erected a fairly strong shield around him and he had already darted past her and Kent to join in combat with the security guards. It did not matter. They were dispensable. What was important was to incapacitate Aelora Campbell, then they could deal with the Minbari.

As Aelora struggled to keep her block up against the two telepaths who were attacking her, she scrambled across the floor for her PPG which had dropped when she dove out of harm’s way. She turned to fire at Kent, but he realized her intentions just in time and took cover behind a nearby bench. Her attention focused on her target, Aelora did not realize Ashlen was upon her until the telepath kicked the weapon from her hands. Somersaulting out of the way before Ashlen could kick at her again, Aelora ignored Kent for the time being, allowing just enough to focus to keep her block up, before turning her strength toward Ashlen. Using the tricks that Terann had taught her, she set a trap for the telepath, taunting and teasing one side of her mind while sneaking in through the other. Once inside, knowing that she could not hold up her concentration for long, Aelora set about quickly, sending out a message to the point of Ashlen’s brain that controlled her nervous system. She hoped to weave her way into the nervous system and do some internal damage to it but just as she began to work, a blast of fire from a PPG shot past her hip, barely burning her but causing enough pain that some of her control slipped. Unable to gather the strength she needed at that moment, Aelora did the simplest thing – she sent a message to the central nervous system.

Ashlen cried out as her legs gave out beneath her, her body losing all control. Her attention snapped away from her prey to her own body and mind, working frantically to fix whatever damage had been done to her.

With Ashlen temporarily incapacitated, Aelora turned her attentions to the male telepath, whose eyes widened imperceptibly as she approached. He gave one last futile attempt at pushing past the barriers she erected, never once realizing that as he focused his attention on doing so, she had already worked past his. Without having to fight both him and Ashlen in the same breath, Aelora was able to gather her strength around her and work well past the walls he had constructed. They were clever, she had to give him that, and he continued to fight her, darting around corners of his mind and leaping out when she least expected. It took everything within her to keep up the game, following him through his mind until he led her to the information she wanted, all of the while keeping him blissfully unaware of the fact that she was breaking down his cellular structure, destroying him from the inside out.

Further down the hall, Neroon brought his denn’bok around for one last hard strike against the face of guard number one, watching with a barely concealed glee as the man’s head snapped around, brutally snapping the spine and falling to a lifeless heap onto the floor. The other guard had begun to approach him, his gun having been smashed by the end of Neroon’s pike, when he suddenly seemed to change his mind and dash down the hall. Neroon took a step after him, hesitated, glancing back at Aelora, wondering if he should offer help. Knowing, somehow instinctively that she was still in his mind, Neroon thought to her:

The guard is getting away. Do you need me?

Her voice in his mind seemed strained, almost painful in it’s tone: No. Follow him. He will kill Terann.

Neroon needed no further encouragement. Closing his denn’bok, he hurried down the corridor, following the echoing footsteps of the guard.

What do you know? Aelora demanded into Kent’s mind. What have you done to her?

Go to Hell! He roared back at her, his strength under her onslaught diminishing. Who was she? He found himself wondering in some distant area of his mind. What was she? The deeper she followed him, the more he felt as if darkness were consuming him, surrounding his mind in a terrible, endless void. He feared that if he gave into it, he would be lost forever in the darkness, screaming his mind into insanity. So still he fought, using every trick he ever learned under the tutelage of Psi Corps, as well as a few of his own that he had picked up along the way. And slowly, ever so slowly, he could feel her growing tired, her mind obviously untried and untrained to such a steady barrage. For the briefest of moments, Kent felt certain that he would win this battle, that he would be the one to push past her defenses. But he would not kill her; he had already made that decision. She would be a excellent addition to their research.

With that thought, Kent realized something was happening to his body. While his mind fought against the untrained mind of a telepath obviously much stronger than him, his body gave way to… what? He did not understand what was happening but the pain was great and increasing by the moment. He felt as if he were collapsing in on himself, as if his blood were drying up beneath his skin. Pulling his mind away from the war it fought, he screamed out helplessly in terror as his body failed him, his mind giving in to the enemy that entered it, tearing at his deepest secrets, discovering all that he had learned through life. As the pain echoed through him and his life drained away, he no longer cared what she took from his memory. Life was over, he did not need it. Anything, he would give her anything, to stop the pain…

Aelora continued her journey through his mind as his life slipped away, barely able to pull herself out before his heart ceased to beat. She collapsed to the floor, her body sapped of its strength, her mind consumed in a pain and confusion she had never before experienced. She was cold, so very cold. She knew she should not have held onto him for so long but she had briefly become lost, unable to work her way out of the hold she had secured. Taking a few deep breaths, she forced herself to calm, her heartbeat to slow, asking those same molecules within her that worked such miracles on others to do the same for her.

“What have you done to him!”

Aelora glanced over to see Ashlen scrambling to her feet, apparently having finally ordered her central nervous system to cooperate once more. Ashlen’s expression of horror was focused on the lifeless body of Nicholas Kent, who now appeared as little more than an empty husk, his skin a deep purple.

“I really am not certain,” Aelora answered truthfully.

Ashlen was backing away from her, a look of true fear entering her eyes. She still limped a little, obviously not completely in control of her body just yet. Aelora could do little but watch her, too tired to consider moving. It was a stalemate, neither one having much strength to momentarily attack the other. When the Psi Cop began backpedaling a little more quickly then suddenly turned and broke into a run down the corridor, Aelora realized she was about to sound the alarm. That realization forced a renewed strength and the redhead pushed to a standing position, intent on chasing after her prey when she heard Neroon call out from down the corridor:

“Aelora, come quickly! I have found Terann!”

Aelora did not want to see Ashlen get away but she could tell from Neroon’s ragged cry that things were not well with the Minbari. With a curse she turned and headed in his direction, moving as quickly as her trembling limbs would allow her. She fought to regain her strength, knowing she was going to need it if they were to make it out of there.

Neroon was cradling Terann gently in his arms when Aelora entered the cell. Her wide green eyes were open but staring blankly ahead. The Warrior held her as if she were a delicate object, his fingers lightly tracing across her cheek. He looked up as the Human entered, and his gaze was pleading.

“I – I had not meant… I did not want this!”

Aelora knelt beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She could not allow him to wallow in guilt – not now. “Neroon, I need you. Ashlen got away which means we will have company very soon. I need you to watch the door and begin setting the charges. Neroon, did you hear me?”

“I cannot lose her, Ae.” His grip on Terann tightened imperceptibly.

“You won’t,” Aelora promised, gently pulling her friend from his embrace so that the Minbari’s head rested against her shoulder. “I’ll take care of Terann. But without you, we aren’t going to make it out of here.”

Neroon seemed to sober at that thought, nodding in reply. He reached out his hand once more to touch Terann’s cheek, caressing the bruised skin before he quickly jumped to his feet and, pulling the knapsack from his shoulder, exited the door to begin setting the charges.

Aelora let out a breath she did not know she had been holding. The truth was, from the moment she had entered the cell and reached out to Terann, she was not certain there was anything she could do. Not only did her mind appear to be locked firmly away from Aelora’s reach, her cellular structure was in chaos. Her body seemed to truly not understand its function or reason. The Human was surprised that she was still alive. As she shifted the Minbari against her, something near her arm caused the hackles on the back of her neck to rise. Leaning Terann forward over her arm, Aelora’s eyes widened at the sight of the insect-like body that rose out of her back. Tendrils, which were obviously the creature’s legs, ran through the Minbari’s pale skin, along her spine, up her neck into her brain stem. Reaching out with a tentative hand, Aelora shuddered as her fingers touched the device. A feeling of familiarity coursed through her. The creature itself seemed to react to her, welcoming her, warming under her touch. Goosebumps broke out along the Human’s skin and she had the overwhelming urge to run from there and never look back. But she could not leave Terann; not to this.

Knowing it would be pure folly to attempt to remove the creature externally, Aelora shifted Terann back against her arm and, gathering her strength about her like a cloak, calling upon whatever reserve of her psi was left, entered the Minbari’s mind…

Entering the void, Aelora immediately stumbled back, almost losing her hold. The dark presence of the Shadow’s was there, hovering around her, blocking her from anything that might have resembled Terann. Aelora instinctively knew that Terann’s Vorlon self would have hidden from it, burying itself deep into relative safety and it would be difficult to locate her. Shifting her attention instead to the darkness around her, Aelora called out to it, beckoning it forward, like an old friend. She felt its claw like structure embrace her and she fought the overriding sense of revulsion at its touch. While it felt around in her mind, Aelora went to work on its structure, learning its secrets, how it worked and what she would need to do to incapacitate it. Eventually she realized that though mechanically it worked like a machine, structurally it was built of cells and molecules that though alien to her, were no different organically from any other living creature. In the end, she simply told the creature to shut itself down, to “sleep” and as it did so, Aelora worked to detach its hold on Terann internally. Once the tentacles released themselves, she turned inward, seeking to heal the damage done by the chemicals so prevalent in the Minbari’s body before beginning her search for Terann’s conscious mind.

The damage was so overwhelming that for moments Aelora was uncertain of where to begin and what to order the body to do. Luckily, she had healed Terann before so her mind understood the genetic construct of the Minbari-Vorlon hybrid but it did not make her task any easier. Starting with her white and red blood cells, Aelora used them to attack the chemicals while restoring their base to the appropriate levels. From there she moved on to Terann’s DNA strands, instructing them to rebuild themselves, regenerate their damage done to the individual cell structure. On a molecular level, Aelora attacked the foreign chemicals, turning them instead into nutrients that Terann’s body needed to heal itself. While the process began, the Human moved onto a wider scope, repairing the organs that had been cut up, rebuilding the bones of the missing ribs, generating a new kidney in place of the old and healing all other aspects of Terann’s torn and battered insides. In the farthest reaches of Aelora’s mind, she realized she had never before done anything quite so intricate or complicated. She could only attribute the ability to replace organs with the Minbari’s unique cellular construct. Without the Vorlon constitution, Aelora doubted that she could have saved her friend. As she stepped back further, watching the body before her as it worked to save itself, the telepath once more focused her energies deeper into her mind and surged back into the dark void of Terann’s subconscious.

At first, Aelora found herself engulfed in confusion. She was tired, drained, unable to focus as she knew she should have been. It was one thing to heal wounds, it was one thing to block another telepath, it was one thing to use her abilities to kill another. But when it came to putting them altogether, and having the strength to continue on into an alien mind, Aelora was not certain she could accomplish what was needed of her. She continued on because she had no choice. Even if she somehow lost herself into Terann’s insanity, she had at least tried to release her friend, tried to help as only she could with the healing process.

Moving about in the darkness, Aelora reached out for Terann, called for her, but received no answer to her cry. She wended her way around in the darkness, searching for the walls that remained in her way. With the creature “sleeping”, pulling Terann from her hiding spot should have been much easier. But apparently, the Vorlons were very careful about how to protect themselves from intrusion by the Shadows. The search could go on interminably and Aelora knew she did not have so much time left to her.

Finally finding the immobile structure she was searching for, Aelora pushed against it, straining to find a way past it. It would do no good to allow Terann’s mind to suspect her as a Shadow ally, so she had to come at her as a friend. Forcing the memories of every wonderful moment she and the Minbari had spent together in friendship to the forefront of her mind, Aelora pushed forward with her strength, echoing those memories off the walls around her, imagining them as they pushed through the fabric of Terann’s mind, searching for her subconscious.

Instantly, Aelora was thrust into a new environment, blinking against the blinding rays of sun above her. The roar of falling water greeted her from the distance and the skyline filled with crystal shaped spires signaled to Aelora that she was on Minbar. Glancing across the grassy meadow on which she stood, she saw Terann and Neroon ahead of her, sparring with their denn’boks. They were laughing and taunting one another, equally matched in their techniques and moves yet playing with one another, ignoring any true challenge that could have occurred. Then suddenly Neroon swooped his weapon under Terann’s feet, knocking her to the ground, and he followed her down, capturing her mouth with his in a passionate kiss. Aelora blinked, took a step forward…

And found herself in an empty white room. At least she thought it was a room, but she could delineate no walls around her. The light within should have been blinding but her eyes adjusted quickly and she saw Terann standing across from her, watching her silently.

“Terann,” Aelora spoke, glancing around. “Where are we?”

The Minbari did not reply, watching her for a moment longer before moving past without a word. Aelora hurried after her, wondering where she was going to lead her when the environment changed again, and Aelora found herself standing on Babylon 5. They were in the Zocalo alone, and Terann was sitting at a table for two, once more silently watching Aelora.

“Terann, you have to stop this. That creature… that thing is gone. You have to come back now,” Aelora urged.

“Why?”

One single word and yet Aelora could summon no immediate response. Why indeed. All of the usual answers – you’re still young! You have a full life ahead of you! You have loved ones waiting for you! – seemed trite and artificial. But then, what reason could Aelora give her? What would Terann wish to hear? A hundred answers came to the Human but she pushed all of them aside as insignificant.

“Because you have to.”

Terann blinked at that. It had been a demand. “I do not have to do anything.”

“Yes,” Aelora told her. “You do. You have an obligation to continue to teach me what I do not know. You have an obligation to the galaxy to never let them forget the Vorlons. You have an obligation to the Minbari to expand their minds, move them forward before they whither and die where they are.”

“Obligations?” Terann scoffed at the word, standing from her position at the table. “No one bothered to take an obligation to me…”

The environment switched once more. They were back on Minbar, standing before the waterfall. Aelora found she was once more dressed in her Ranger uniform. Terann was standing beside her, staring at the beautiful spectacle before them.

“Why are you here?”

Aelora started at the question, glanced at Terann quizzically, only to discover that her normally dark green eyes were glowing white. The Minbari turned to her, asking again:

“Why are you here?”

It was a test. One to which Aelora finally knew the answer. “Because I have a unique gift. One which is needed by you now.”

Terann seemed to consider this. Then, “Who are you?”

“There is no answer for me. I am many, trying to be one. My quest is to discover who that one is.”

Again, Terann seemed to consider her words. Her last question was soft, hesitant. “Do you have anything worth living for?”

Aelora smiled. “Yes. Love. Eternal and all-encompassing.”

The Minbari looked away from her briefly. Then she asked, “Do I?”

Aelora was about to answer when her surroundings again changed shape. They were on the field once again where Terann and Neroon were sparring. Only now they sat and talked, their heads leaned close to one another, their voices low. The Terann that Aelora had been speaking to was beside her still, watching the scene before them. She shook her head, began to walk away, when Aelora grabbed her arm, spun her around.

“I don’t understand why you are taking me to all of these places. And the questions – am I supposed to find you purpose? I can barely make my own way in the galaxy!” She snapped.

The Minbari shook her head. “You see them there? How happy they are? That was when I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That it could not last. That he would hate me for who I was.” Terann sighed, shaking her head. “But I let it continue. I hoped beyond hope that he… that he would understand. That he would simply love… But I guess that is not in us anymore, is it? Sentient beings, I mean. To simply love without rules or conditions or choices. Perhaps that is why the Vorlons are so evolved. They no longer have need of love, when we – “

“I can’t imagine how empty a being without the feeling of love would be,” Aelora interrupted, frustrated that they seemed to be getting no where. She was not here to discuss philosophy. She needed Terann to come back to her senses so that they could get out of there. Chasing the Minbari all over her mind was exhausting her. “Terann, you must come back with me. Please? If only to let Neroon explain – “

“Neroon?” Terann looked at her, really looked at her this time. “Does he know, do you think? For that matter, do you know?”

Aelora frowned. “Know what?”

Terann laughed suddenly, insanely. “None of you understand, and how could you! Even I can not begin to comprehend and they tried – I will give them that. They tried! And they let it out – all of it! It is all there for you to see but I warn you, you may not like it, not half of it. There is so much, so very, very much and it screams at me and pulls at me and taunts me and laughs at me because even I do not understand and do not want to see. But it is there and I cannot make it go away now no matter what I do or where I hide. You won’t make any sense of it at all and it may trap you there forever! Forever and forever and forever – “

“Terann!”

The Minbari looked at her for a moment then…

Aelora was back in the void, the darkness all around her. Angry, she cursed mentally, her strength waning. Terann had been there but yet it had not been Terann. Only a piece of her. A piece that was desperately trying to stay away from the reality she had fought so hard against. It left Aelora with no alternative but to destroy the barrier that stood before her. Instead of going around it, she would have to go through it. And she had no idea what that would do to either of them.

Grasping on to what was left of her strength, Aelora pushed forward through the barrier in front of her, breaking against the solidity of it until it began to crack and crumble beneath her force. Reflexively, she shielded her face with her hands as the wall shattered, throwing debris her direction, even though technically it was not really there. The moment the walls fell, a hard wind began blowing around her, pushing against the Human until she could no longer hold herself in place and she was lifted into the sudden maelstrom and carried deep into Terann’s psyche, where she became assailed by thousands – millions of memories all at once.

Screaming, Aelora fought against the confusion that was surrounding her. Images flowed past her, of beings and places she could not comprehend, while her ears were assaulted with the songs of the Vorlons. She followed it, floating among the fragments like a helpless leave carried about by an autumn wind. Aelora was lost, and feared ever being able to find her way out again. What had happened? What barriers had been destroyed in Terann’s mind by the experiments done to her? Never had Aelora experienced such disorder, such chaos within the mind of another. It tore at her, frightened her, caused her to fear that perhaps she too was losing her mind. Realizing something had to be done as she glimpsed what appeared to be the Big Bang, the creation of all things in the galaxy, the Human forced herself to focus, to search for an image that was familiar to her, that would signal to her that it was Terann’s memories she had found and not those programmed into her by the Vorlons.

Narrowing her mind, funneling her energies into one goal, Aelora finally discovered what she was searching for – a memory that existed totally for Terann. Focusing her mind onto it, the telepath steered toward that image, locking herself within it and following it through to where she thought Terann might be hiding within herself.

The memory was one set during the Earth-Minbari War, when Terann had been summoned by the Grey Council. Aelora knew that Terann had done some work during that time, most likely scanning hostages before they were killed but she was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted her – that of G’Kar being dragged before the Minbari! No wonder Terann had known of Tuchanq. Aelora’s eyes narrowed as she watched the proceedings, as the Minbari tore through each and every one of the Narn’s memories, searching for any information that would help them to annihilate the Human race, before she erased his recollection of her scan and sent him on his way. Not wishing to see anymore, Aelora pushed forward, hesitating when she saw the exact same scenario occur but with Jeffrey Sinclair in place of G’Kar. She watched as the Grey Council gathered around her father, in hushed disbelief as the Triluminary was held before him, glowing in confirmation of who and what he was. So Terann knew his secrets as well, and would therefore have known of Soria and the love he had felt for Aelora’s mother. But Terann had never seen fit to mention this to her, none of it. What kind of friendship had existed between them? One built on lies and omissions from the beginning?

Hurt and slightly angry, Aelora moved forward through Terann’s life once more, searching for the point before the Minbari had slipped deep into her own mind. She passed their initial meeting on Babylon 5, their attack on one another aboard the White Star, and even shared some of the moments of happiness that Terann experienced while on Minbar, when she had believed in the love shared by her and Neroon. Aelora’s smile slowly began to fade though as she continued on, her purpose suddenly faltering as she watched Terann perform the same mindwipe on her that she had in the past on G’Kar and her father. Curiously, Aelora stopped herself at that moment, moving forward toward the image, searching her memory for any hint as to what might have occurred. Finding nothing within herself, she probed deeper into Terann’s memories…

…And found herself back on Narn.

Screaming, Aelora tore herself out of the memory, colliding once more with the images of Terann’s past, losing herself among them as her own erased memories began clouding her mind. She lost all conscious thought as she wept, pain and anger sweeping through her over the betrayal that had occurred. Her strength was gone; she could continue on no further.

“Why?” She shouted, as her mind and that of the Minbari’s came together.

“Because you were in pain,” came Terann’s voice, ragged, desperate, alone. “We thought it best. We both love you so – “

“Lies! That’s all it has ever been between us, Terann! All lies!”

“There has been more than that – “

“Never!”

“I can explain – “

Aelora brought herself around, gathering her strength once more beneath her and focusing on the voice, on the conscious beneath it. “Prove it, then. Come with me, and explain that which cannot be explained,” she challenged.

<<Aelora…>>

“I cannot. It is too dark…”

“The darkness is gone. There are those few things I can do which you cannot.”

<<Aelora!>>

She felt Terann smile. “Yes. Things for which your purpose was clouded. Much like my own.”

<<Aelora!! We have to get out of here!>>

“I am leaving. Are you coming with me?”

Sorrow. “Have I a choice?”

Aelora staggered to her feet as she pulled out of Terann’s mind, stumbling back as Neroon caught her, steadied her.

“Aelora?” He shook her lightly, forcing her to open her eyes. His tone was edged with steel. “We have to go. Now!”

Dimly, Aelora heard sirens echoing throughout the corridors. She leaned back against the cell wall, regulating her breathing, controlling the emotions that were roiling through her. It was all there, every bit of it, every single horrible memory of her time spent on Narn. Of her punishment at the hands of her captors, the pain and degradation that she was forced to endure. And at the end of it all, the ultimate betrayal by the two people she trusted most in her life.

Once satisfied that the Human was not going to fall on her face, Neroon knelt beside Terann who was miraculously, slowing attempting to sit up. Fighting against the sudden tightness in his chest at seeing such a magnificent creature brought so low before him, Neroon reached out and took her shoulders in his hands, attempting to help her. For a moment, the telepath turned her gaze to him then instantly stiffened, struggling to pull away.

Neroon sighed, gentling the contact but gathering her into his embrace anyway. “I am sorry, love,” he whispered. “I know you would rather not feel my touch at this moment, but we have to get out of here. And you are not strong enough to do so on your own.”

Terann wanted to argue, she wanted to find the nearest weapon and kill the man who dared to speak so sweetly to her after what he had done. But she was too tired and in pain to offer the slightest amount of resistance. Besides, it could only be another trap. He was seeking to further humiliate her, she was certain. Perhaps she would be dead before he could do so. That would be the ultimate revenge, she thought with a slight spark of happiness. Her body was so ravaged, dying with each breath, that she –

Wait! Aelora. Aelora had been inside of her, repairing the damage that had been done. And she had gone further, much further, seeking answers she should never have questioned and learning things for which Terann knew she would be forever defending. Terann whimpered and Neroon quietly apologized for any pain he was causing her, not understanding that hers was an emotional pain that she could not expunge.

Lifting Terann gently into his arms, Neroon turned to Aelora. “We must go.”

But Aelora shook her head. “Get Terann out of here. I’ll follow – “

“We are all leaving together,” Neroon told her adamantly.

“Someone needs to make certain the charges go off, to hold the guards back until they do,” Aelora argued. “As you leave I will use my psi to make the guards believe you have gone in the opposite direction. I don’t have much strength left, but I should have enough to do it quickly. But you must leave now!”

“I am not leaving you here,” Neroon whispered angrily, not wishing for Terann to hear their conversation. “I did not come here to save Terann only to lose you in the process. That Narn of yours would have my bone mounted!”

“Neroon,” Aelora began. “I appreciate the sentiment but arguing about it is making our chances for getting out of here worse. Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

The Warrior seemed to struggle with the decision before finally leaning forward and kissing the Human’s cheek softly. “You would make your father proud,” he told her, then turned and hurried out into the corridor, carrying Terann safely in his embrace.

Aelora watched them go, her clouded emotions flitting briefly across her face.

Unsure exactly which route to take, Neroon relied heavily on his senses and a hefty dose of luck in order to reach the upper levels of the subterranean complex. The journey had taken longer than he had expected – having had to on several occasions seek shelter down adjoining corridors and behind machinery and equipment. Ever aware of the blaring alarms and the risk of being discovered, Neroon made his way back to the cavern where he and Aelora had divest themselves of the heavy outerwear.

Once there, he gently laid Terann back against the cavern wall, deciding to rest and give Aelora a chance to catch up. Given the length of time they had spent searching the underground facility he was certain it was now close to nightfall and with the planet’s harsh environment he was not fond of the idea of Aelora stumbling around in the dark alone.

Settling to the ground, he lifted Terann once again into his arms, resting her head gently against him. Shortly after leaving Aelora, the telepath had once again slipped into unconsciousness, her body obviously too exhausted from her ordeal and Aelora’s ministrations to remain awake. She was however regaining a healthier color and her breath was no longer coming in short quick gasps all of which was a relief to Neroon. He found himself wondering about the full extent of the Human’s abilities.

How was it that a being could harness the power of life itself?

When he had first discovered Terann, he was convinced she was destined to die from her injuries. So certain of this was he that he had decided to stay with her and be there for her until…

No! He mentally chastised himself while tightening his hold on Terann. He had not fought so hard and come so far to save her only to continue to have such fatalistic thoughts. She was strong, that much he knew, her body possessing a power he could not even begin to understand. He found himself marveling at the strength of both Terann and Aelora, suddenly finding himself to be very small and insignificant. It was a thought he knew would please Terann immensely.

Gently he shifted her weight as he heard her emit a pained moan. Softly he soothed her, caressing her cheek with his hand, silently telling her that he would not allow any more harm to befall her. It pained him to know that were Terann to awaken she would most assuredly pull herself from his hold, threatening to kill him with any means she possessed. An ache unlike any Neroon had ever experienced formed deep in the pit of his stomach as he thought of all he had to atone for.

It was the first rumble of the ground that echoed through the chamber that signaled to Neroon that Aelora had successfully set off the first of the charges. Around him, the walls gently shook at their foundations, growing in intensity as more explosions began to rent themselves through the corridors. As their strength increased, Neroon rose once more to his feet, lifting Terann with him as he stood. He glanced around the corner, waiting for the Human to appear, thinking to himself for the first time how helpful it would be if he were a telepath. Then he could call out to her, without alerting anyone of his presence. He would be able to sense Aelora, know if she were near. Terann whimpered in his arms, distracting Neroon for a moment, as he shifted her once more, trying his best to comfort and calm her.

Where was Aelora?

The explosions began to pick up in timing and strength, causing the Minbari to frown, his brow becoming furrowed with worry. What if she did not make it out? What if the Human had sacrificed her life for her friend? Neroon could not contain his grimace at the thought. He could imagine Terann, waking to find him beside her and news that Aelora was dead. It would be his fault, from beginning to end. And he was not certain he could live with that amount of guilt. Like it or not, admit it or no, he had become friends with the Human, had come to respect her bravery and determination. To be the cause of her death was something Neroon did not want to consider. Had it not been for Aelora, he would have been the cause of Terann’s death. He owed her for that, if nothing else.

But as the rumbling grew steadier and stronger, Neroon found that hope was becoming more and more difficult to hold on to. Knowing that he needed to get out of there or he and Terann would soon be victims of the detonations as well, Neroon took one last look down the corridor from which he had come and charged ahead toward the cavern entrance, trying not to think about who was being left behind.

The temperature dropped the closer he moved toward the surface of the structure. Stopping, Neroon gently set Terann on the ground then hurriedly removed the miner coveralls he had been wearing. He then took care to wrap them around Terann’s battered form, tying the garment taut with the sleeves. When he once more lifted her into his arms, he also wrapped the ends of his uniform around her as well to add further warmth. How they would make it back to the shuttle in the severe weather that awaited them, he had no idea.

The cold wind beat at them the moment Neroon cleared the cavern entrance, while behind him he heard the unmistakable sounds of walls and earth collapsing. Sirens rang across the barren landscape until they too were overtaken by the explosions until there was nothing but the howling wind and rumble of the collapsing structure behind them. Ducking his head into the wind, Neroon pressed forward, silently hoping that the Earth Force personnel would be too busy cleaning up the mess to come after them.

“Shai Alyt Neroon?”

The Warrior halted at the sound of his name, bracing himself for an attack. Raising his head, he could see five figures standing ahead of him in the drifting snow. Gritting his teeth against the idea of coming this far only to be waylaid, Neroon called out, “Who wants to know?”

The center figure moved forward. “I am Ambassador G’Kar. I have come looking for --- “

“Aelora,” Neroon spoke her name before the Narn could finish. He pulled Terann closer against him, almost as if for his own security. “She said you might follow her.”

G’Kar moved closer, glancing at the bundle in the Minbari’s arms. “Is that -- ?”

“Terann,” Neroon replied, watching as four Rangers, three Minbari, one Human, moved up on either side of the Narn. “She is unconscious. Aelora helped heal her a bit but we need to get her some help. Back to Babylon 5, if I remember correctly. I believe the doctor there – Franklin? Is that his name? – He should know what to do for her.”

“Where is Aelora?” G’Kar looked past the Warrior to the caverns beyond where smaller explosions continued to rock the structure. His eyes scanned the distance before returning to Neroon. “Why is she not with you?”

Not wishing to have this conversation, not here, not now, Neroon pushed past the Narn, saying as he did so, “You came in a White Star, yes? We must get Terann on board immediately.”

Tightness gripped G’Kar’s chest and he whipped around, grabbing the Minbari’s shoulder. “Where is Aelora?!” He demanded.

The movement almost caused Neroon to lose his grip on Terann and anger surged through him. Moving to one of the Minbari Rangers, the Warrior gently deposited the unconscious telepath into his arms. “Take her to the shuttle,” he instructed. “Make her comfortable. We will get her to the Healer once we arrive at the White Star. But be careful! Do not harm or hurt her or so help me I will visit the same pain upon you tenfold!”

The Ranger nodded, holding Terann tightly against him and hurrying off in the direction of the shuttle while Neroon turned back to the Narn. “You fool!” He spat at G’Kar. “She has been injured enough! You could have done more damage!”

“Where is -- ?”

“Aelora is dead. She remained behind to set off the explosives.”

G’Kar growled and leapt forward, grabbing Neroon by his uniform and lifting him up. “You lie! What have you done to her?”

“Listen to the explosions if you do not believe me! Do you see her here? She sacrificed herself for Terann!”

“I will kill you!” G’Kar roared, shaking Neroon in his grip, panic and pain raging through him. He threw the Minbari to the ground, preparing to go after him, to rip him into pieces for leading his beautiful Aelora to her death, when the three Rangers intervened, grabbing him from behind and holding him back. “Let me go! He has done this – it is his fault!”

Neroon climbed back to his feet, watching the Narn struggle against the hands that held him. In moments, the Narn would be free and nothing would come between him and his vengeance. Would Neroon not feel the same had the situation been reversed?

“I am sorry, Ambassador,” Neroon told him solemnly. “Do not think I bring you this news with anything other than great sorrow. Aelora was both very brave and very smart… for a Human. She… she saved my life, and my heart, and has taught me quite a bit about myself over the last few days. If I had known that she planned to stay behind… “ He trailed off, shaking his head. “She knew what she was doing, G’Kar. There was nothing I could have done.”

G’Kar shook his head, refusing to believe what was being said, refusing to accept that his world was coming to a very abrupt end. Aelora, dead? It was impossible. She was still out there. He could feel it, could sense it, as much as he could hear and feel his own heart beating. Love such as theirs did not simply end like that. Without warning, without goodbye.

“Come. We must get back to Babylon 5,” Neroon said.

Why? G’Kar wondered. What was he to go back to?

“Ambassador,” the Human Ranger called out, glancing over his shoulder. “Look there.”

It took a moment for G’Kar to acknowledge the voice, turning slowly to follow the Ranger’s gaze toward the Earth Force Facilities. A dark figure was stumbling across the snow, moving toward them at a sluggish pace. Relief flew through G’Kar before he even acknowledged what it was he was seeing before him and he broke into a run, hurrying to catch Aelora as she stumbled once more, almost falling.

“Shon’Ur!” He cried out to her over the howling winds. “By G’Quan, that Minbari said you were dead!” He pulled her against him, holding her shaking form as if he would never let her go.

Aelora’s mind was foggy at first. Her ears still rang from the explosions she had become lost among and her skin burned where it was singed from flying debris. Slowly, it came to her that she was in G’Kar’s arms, that he was mumbling something about her being dead, and telling her how much he loved her and how angry he was with her for running off, for lying to him… Lying to him? If she were not so cold, Aelora would have laughed. Or slapped him. Or maybe both. How dare he condemn her for anything! How dare he act indignant and righteous after all that he and Terann had done. After all the lies, the deceit.

“Shon’Ur?” G’Kar cupped her face, kissed her lips softly. “You are safe now, my heart. You are safe and will be back on Babylon 5 soon.”

Aelora fell in step with him silently, allowing him to lead her forward through the snow, leaning on him more than she would have preferred. But she was not a fool. She doubted that she could walk very far without the help. Between the initial battle with the Psi Cops and then her entry into Terann’s mind, Aelora was surprised she was still sane, let alone standing up. After Neroon had left with Terann and Aelora had waited until they were safely out of proximity to the explosives, she had made certain they went off. Only a small contingent of Earth Force soldiers had appeared out of nowhere and she was forced back further into the facility. Luckily, once the chain reaction of explosives had began to thunder through the structure, Aelora had been able to climb her way into an air vent that went under the compound and led her back up toward the front entrance. Of course, it had collapsed by that point and she had to find an alternative exit which led her to another pair of Earth Force officers. She had dealt with them quickly then used their access key to escape through a maintenance entrance.

“Ae! You are alive!” Neroon smiled at her as G’Kar led her past. “I did not want to think this had all been for nothing – losing one to regain another.”

Aelora stopped, causing G’Kar to frown down at her but she ignored the Narn, casting a slight smile to her newfound friend. “Any sacrifice is worth it for love, Neroon. Remember that.”

“Come, shon’Ur. We must get you inside,” G’Kar said softly.

Neroon stood silently as the group around him started toward the shuttle. For love. That was what it was between him and Terann. Through the hatred and the pain and the betrayal, it had always been love, be it born of jealousy or fear or anger. But how was he to prove that to Terann? How was he to make her understand what he felt inside, what drove him, what made him who he was? There was little left now for him besides faith. He had to have faith that somewhere inside Terann’s heart, beyond the hurt that she would feel, there still lingered the slightest flicker of love for him. Of forgiveness. And if he had to spend eternity proving to her his own sorrow and pain for his betrayal of her heart, of her trust, then he would do so.

After all, any sacrifice was worth it for love.

Aelora sat silently on the examination table in MedLab One as Doctor Franklin moved around her, running his scanner over her occasionally, drawing a blood sample, asking her how she felt, then shaking his head and beginning again. The telepath said very little as he worked, her mind too consumed with mounting questions and a growing rage she fought hard to keep at bay. She had been through too much the past few months for the memories of her captivity on Narn – the true memories – to do much but provide a dull ache, the briefest niggling of humiliation and a basic need for vengeance against her captors. What caused the most pain, what continued to fuel the fire of anger burning within her was the memory of the mindwipe, was the realization that those closest to her had been lying, had been keeping the truth at bay, pretending that the world around her was perfect.

“Were you party to it as well, Stephen?” Aelora asked finally, in a quiet and yet surprisingly strong voice.

Stephen looked up at the question, following her gaze out the window before her where G’Kar continued to hover, waiting for her diagnosis. When he and Neroon had escorted Terann and Aelora into the facility, G’Kar had quickly informed the doctor that during the return trip to Babylon 5, Aelora had admitted to G’Kar that she had broken through the mindwipe during an apparent entrance into Terann’s mind. Stephen had not bothered to say “I told you so”, worrying more about caring for his two patients. After spending time with Terann, making certain that she was stabilized and resting comfortably, he had joined Aelora in the exam room, curious as to her state of mind. She had been silent, almost condemning throughout the exam, and Stephen was not surprised that when she finally spoke, it was in regard to the mindwipe.

“I did know about it, yes.” Stephen set the scanner down and leaned against the desk, watching the redhead before him. Her reactions and manner during this conversation would be important to gauge her state of mind. “Aelora, I want you to understand that there was really very little choice. You were unstable, willing to take your own life to escape the pain and fear you were feeling. I suggested sending you to Earth, to facilities designed to help you but both Terann and G’Kar feared you would be claimed by Psi Corps. So, they decided that erasing those memories most damaging to you would be the best solution.”

“She didn’t erase them all.”

“No. Only what she felt you could not handle at the time. You needed to have an explanation for the damage done to your body, for the burns, for the white in your hair.”

Aelora laughed though the sound held little humor. “All of this time I believed I was some sort of weakling, unable to handle simple rape from a Narn that it actually traumatized me to such a degree.” She held out the lock of white hair for inspection. “Do you know, I actually felt guilty? I thought a secret part of me suffered the trauma due to being raised Centauri; due to believing I was defiled by Na’Kar. Every time I looked at G’Kar, I thought he must surely wonder why I was so clearly unhinged by the idea of being raped by a Narn.”

“Aelora –“

She waved him away. “No, Stephen. I’m fine. I am not going to suddenly go on some maddened rampage or try to kill myself or anything. And I am sure that I will forgive G’Kar his little part in all of this and marry him. You needn’t worry. My mind isn’t a time bomb waiting to go off. I simply… have a few things to sort through.”

Stephen nodded, pleased that she sounded stable enough. “I am glad to hear it, Aelora. Although, and this is just the doctor in me asking this, I would feel more comfortable if you set an appointment to meet with the resident psychiatrist. Just to talk.”

“Thanks. But no thanks. I’ve had enough people crawling about in my head, Stephen.”

“She’s not a telepath –“

“You know what I mean.”

Stephen shrugged, knowing it was useless to argue with her. He would speak with G’Kar and hopefully the Narn would convince her to go.

“How is Terann?”

The doctor glanced through the window at the IsoLab. “She’s stabilized. I am still running tests on half the chemicals we discovered in her blood system. They were obviously using her like a guinea pig, pumping her full of whatever they had at hand to see its effects. The Sleepers are beginning to wear off at least. I believe she will pull out of it just fine.”

“Good.”

Stephen could tell from the tone of his patient’s voice that she had not asked out of true caring. Some bad blood was obviously about to erupt between the two telepaths because of the mindwipe. He only hoped that neither of them would allow the matter to become out of hand. Sheridan would have them both off of the station in a heartbeat.

“Doctor, here are the test results you asked for.”

Stephen took the datapad from the nurse, thanked her and began studying the data before him. As he read, his brow began to furrow until he was frowning darkly. Aelora could feel confusion and disbelief emanating him. The idea flitted through her mind to scan him to find out what he was thinking; after all, it was obviously quite all right to go prying about in other people’s minds without an invitation. But she quickly checked herself. Stephen was her friend, had always done everything for her out of kindness; she would not repay him with such betrayal.

“Is something wrong?” She asked finally, her curiosity getting the best of her. “Am I dying?”

The doctor looked up, staring at her for a moment as if she were not even there. He saw his patient raise her eyebrows in question then quickly returned his attention to the data he held in his hand. It was impossible! And yet, all of the proof he needed was in front of him. Still, he could not just accept it at face value.

Saying nothing to Aelora he turned and walked from the room, locating the nurse who had brought him the datapad. He questioned her about the results, asked if there were any problems with the computer, told her to rerun the data herself then started to return to the exam room when G’Kar stopped him.

“Doctor, how is Aelora? Is she all right?”

“She’s fine, G’Kar.” He placed his hand on the Narn’s arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Just a few cuts and bruises and minor burns.”

“What about… “ G’Kar shifted uncomfortably, glancing back at the telepath who was watching them both with a scowl.

“She seems stable enough to me, G’Kar,” Stephen told him. “She’s not happy, I’ll tell you that. But then, you can’t expect her to be. I think you’d better begin preparing your argument for her now. My only advice is, don’t back off of her. Don’t think that she is suddenly a fragile, delicate flower now. I think she has faced her demons and is now stronger for it and ready for a fight. I doubt you’ll see any cowering from her this time around.”

“Oh that is reassuring,” G’Kar smiled with a touch of humor.

Stephen chuckled and walked away, returning to his patient, who instantly asked, “What did G’Kar say?”

Stephen sighed. “He only wanted to know how you were doing.” He pulled a chair over and sat down in front of her, wondering how best to broach the subject he needed to discuss with her. As impossible as the results were, this was Aelora and there were mysteries regarding her cells and genes and what went on within her body that he could spend a lifetime attempting to research without ever truly understanding. It was like believing he could actually understand the process of creating a Minbari/Vorlon hybrid. Some mysteries were meant to remain that way.

“Aelora, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way but… well, is G’Kar the only person you have had sexual relations with lately?”

The telepath opened her mouth to speak then promptly closed it. She stared at the doctor for a long moment before finally commenting, “I sure as hell hope that was an attempt at being funny.”

Stephen ran a hand over his face in frustration and shook his head. “No, Aelora. I was being serious. I need to know. I am not trying to offend you.”

Aelora touched his mind lightly, realized he meant no harm by his question and replied, “In that case, no. You know I love G’Kar. I would never be unfaithful to him.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

“Excuse me, Stephen, but do you need to lay down? You’re not making sense.”

“When was the last time you and G’Kar were together?”

“Now you’re getting personal.”

“Aelora. Humor me.”

“Okay, doc. If this is what gets you off.” Aelora made a face. “I would suggest you go out and find a nice girl to start your own relationship with.” She paused when Stephen glared at her then replied, “That would have been the night I left for Minbar. So, what? Two weeks?”

“Doctor? Here are those second test results.” The nurse stepped in, handed the datapad back to him. “They are the same as before. I checked myself.”

“Stephen – “ Aelora began as the nurse left the room.

“Aelora, I am just double checking,” he stopped her, glancing at the data pad then looking back up to meet her gaze. “No, don’t panic. There is nothing wrong. It’s just very, very odd.”

“Odd?”

“Aelora, you’re pregnant.”

Silence.

“The strangest part about it all – besides the fact that Humans and Narns can’t reproduce except with extensive genetic manipulation – is that even though you should be no more than two weeks along – that is the date of conception according to the computer, the fetuses are actually about six weeks along – “

“Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute! Fetuses? As in plural?”

Stephen nodded. “Twins. Aelora, I do believe that due to whatever enhancements the Shadows made to your body, they are affecting the birth process, speeding it up – “

“Pregnant?”

“Aelora, are you listening to me?”

“Listening to you?” The telepath jumped down from the examination table, turning on him. “Hell, no! I don’t want to listen to you anymore. Don’t you think I have had enough dropped on me for one day, Stephen? Can’t this wait?”

“Actually, no it can’t,” he replied, standing to face her eye to eye. “This is serious, Aelora. We don’t know how your body is going to react to interspecies conception. We don’t know if the process will speed up even more quickly, how it will affect you, your unborn children – “

“Well according to you so far my body is just peachy fine with it, dammit! But it sure as hell didn’t bother to ask me!”

Stephen smiled. “It rarely does in this case, Aelora.”

“Is something wrong?” G’Kar hovered in the doorway, uncertain whether to enter the small room or not.

Aelora whirled to face him, her eyes wide. “You bet your ass there is!”

“Aelora,” Stephen sighed, placing a restraining hand on her arm. “This isn’t the end of the world.”

“Isn’t it?” She queried, still staring at G’Kar.

The Narn again shifted uncomfortably. “What is going on?”

Aelora was silent. Stephen figured it was as good a time as any to get some communication going between them.

“You are going to be a father, G’Kar.”

G’Kar stared for a moment in disbelief at the doctor, and then returned his gaze to Aelora. “Is this true, shon’Ur?”

She shrugged, determined not to let the joy that was slowly beginning to emanate in waves from the Narn before her to break down her defenses. “So it would seem,” she said casually.

He smiled; it was difficult to contain it. “But how is this possible?” He looked back toward Stephen. “I thought – “

“The genetic enhancements by the Shadows.” Stephen shrugged, scratching his chin in thought. “I couldn’t begin to explain it, G’Kar, but it is true. You are going to be a father – of twins, as a matter of fact.”

“Twins?” The Narn laughed suddenly, happily. “But this is wonderful!”

Aelora felt as if she would suffocate from his smile, his pleasure. G’Kar was directing such warmth and love at her that it actually hurt to feel it, especially when she still felt such anger and disappointment. She did not want to think about this now; she did not want to face it. Yes, under any other circumstances she would be thrilled to be having G’Kar’s children, but now? Now when she knew she could not trust him, when it was so easy for him to lie to her? No, she could not – would not – think about it. Tomorrow maybe, when everything around her had more clarity, then she would allow the happiness to envelope her. But not now. Not yet.

“Shon’ Ur.” G’Kar spoke her name softly, almost reverently. He took a step toward her, his arms outstretched.

“No, G’Kar.” Aelora told him sternly, holding her hand up to stop him. “Don’t come near me. Don’t… don’t touch me. I’m not… “ She paused, shook her head, then moved toward the door, pushing past him. “Don’t expect this of me yet,” she told him, and then hurried out of MedLab.

“Give her time, G’Kar,” Stephen told him, moving beside the Narn who at the moment appeared devastated. “A day or two. It wasn’t exactly smart of me to drop this on her at this time, but I was shocked myself and wasn’t thinking clearly. She believes you and Terann betrayed her. Hell, I think she holds me to blame, too. Not only is she dealing with this believed betrayal but she also has to face those memories once more, though I think she is stronger now and facing them bravely. On top of all of that, I told her she is going to have your children. That’s a few too many shocks, even for me.”

G’Kar nodded, understanding what the doctor was telling him, still feeling pain at Aelora’s rejection and yet an overwhelming sense of joy at the news of his impending fatherhood. He knew Aelora would make a wonderful mother to his children, but had never once allowed himself to hope that such a dream would ever come true. Once, late at night as they lay together in bed, they had discussed adoption. So many children on Narn were left homeless after the Centauri occupation. But now… Now he would truly have children of Aelora’s to coddle and spoil and love without reservation, without fear of rejection.

Surely the truth about the mindwipe would not stand in the way of the happiness that was theirs for the taking.