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EPISODE THREE:

INTO THE TWILIGHT

Too much clarity darkens.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Captain John Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn waited patiently at the docking bay. They both knew that this was the only way to handle the already tense situation. "You are sure you know of no reason why the Vorlons would be involved in all of this." It was the fourth time he had asked the same question of her.

She smiled reassuringly. "No John, as I told you before. Look, quit worrying yourself with it."

"I can't help it Delenn, you know as well as I that the Vorlons are demanding she be allowed to return. With what has happened, I don't know if I am willing to take that chance."

She could see the anguish on his face and she knew it stemmed solely from his desire to protect the station and those aboard. "I understand John, but with the war intensifying we will need every telepath we can get. Besides, I have never seen her use her abilities until now, I am sure we can trust her to control them."

Sheridan only shook his head. "But she is warrior caste, and you always told me never to trust the warrior caste...."

"And any other time I would agree, but Terann was not raised by her caste. She is not like the others," Delenn offered looking deep into his eyes.

The captain studied the woman before him. He was always willing to trust her implicitly, but now he began to have doubts. Finally he conceded. "I hope you are right, because if we have another incident like the last one I don't think any of us will be able to save her from Mr. Garibaldi."

Delenn took his hand and giving it a squeeze she said, "Trust me."

They both turned to watch as security approached. Sheridan had to give the Chief credit; he certainly was not taking any chances. He counted six security officers, in addition to Garibaldi. Terann and Aelora were flanked, on either side and in front and back, by armed security personnel. Once at the entrance to the docking bay the security team parted to allow Delenn to pass. Aelora inclined her head slightly, out of respect, as did Terann. The Ambassador smiled warmly at them both. She could see the range of emotions on their faces from anger and hurt on Aelora to fear and excitement on Terann. "It is only for a short time," she told them hoping to ease some of the difficulty the two were having accepting this forced trip to Minbar.

They both nodded, but remained silent. Terann turned to Captain Sheridan. "I want to apologize for the pain and suffering I have caused. It was not my intention to be a burden to anyone here."

The human considered her words. They appeared genuine but he was not prepared to trust her. "Yes, well, I...." He trailed off as he brought his gaze up to look beyond her, back to where the security team was positioned.

Terann was confused, then she heard it. The familiar song echoed in her mind and she turned to look in the direction from which it had come. Security instantly reacted, shifting their weapons to point at the Minbari, preparing to use them if needed. Garibaldi glanced behind his team trying to discern what had caught the Captain and Terann's attention.

The Vorlon moved silently past the security staff to stand before Terann. She quickly dropped her gaze to the floor, trying to appear as subservient as possible. With the telepathy suppressing drugs still active, Terann was not prepared for him to enter her mind and when he did the shock almost overwhelmed her. She became unsteady on her feet as the scan continued and Aelora quickly grabbed her arm in order to prevent her from falling. The Ranger cocked her head to one side as images and words raced through her mind. She had little success comprehending any of it. Once the Vorlon had released her, Terann quickly composed herself but her voice was still weak and her breath raspy. "I understand," she muttered as the Ambassador left.

Terann smiled in thanks to Aelora and turned to head into the docking bay. Captain Sheridan stepped in front of the pair his face full of confusion of what had just transpired. "Would you care to explain what just happened?" he inquired of the Minbari.

She brought her eyes up to meet his and for a brief moment she heard the familiar song whisper across her mind. She mentally shook it off as merely after effects of the Ambassador's scan. "What point is there in my explaining something that you could never possibly understand," she told him, pushing past him to the shuttle bay.

Terann sat silently in her quarters on the war cruiser later that night. The room was dark except for a single candle that burned before her. She was trying desperately to ease her mind as the sleepers were slowly beginning to wear off. She had never truly realized the scope of her gift until now. For the past few days she had known what it was like to be "normal", to experience what life may have been like had things been different.

Her eyes snapped open, as she felt Aelora approach. For some strange reason the Ranger paused before finally opening the door and entering. Aelora did not speak but only considered the Minbari sitting on the floor, her legs crossed and her back to her. She felt bad for having interrupted Terann during her meditation. Their relationship was strained as it was, and she hated to upset the Minbari now by disturbing her.

Terann detected the apprehension in the Ranger and said, "It is okay, Aelora."

A wave of anger washed over Aelora. "I see the sleepers have worn off," she told her, her tone full of accusation.

Terann blew out the candle before her and commanded for the lights to come on. Once the room was no longer dark she gathered her skirts and stood to stare at the human. "You must learn not to broadcast every thought in your mind so clearly," Terann told her evenly.

Aelora hrmphed and stomped past her to the adjoining washroom. Terann mentally shook her head, and reassumed her position on the floor. Closing her eyes she began to consider what this forced trip to Minbar could mean to her. The Vorlon had made it quite clear that her being sent from the station angered him, but she found herself not caring. Her entire life she had spent in service to others and now finally she was going to be able to do something for herself. After several moments of silence, Terann began to hear muffled expletives from the washroom. She opened her eyes and looked in to try to discern what it was that had upset the human so much. Unable to see, she called to the Ranger. "Are you okay, Aelora?"

Aelora emerged from the washroom her red hair a tangled mass. "Yes!...No!...Do I look okay?"

The Minbari studied her curiously. "What exactly is the problem?"

"This!" She exclaimed, holding out a clump. "My hair is such a pain in the ass!"

A strange look passed over the Minbari's face. "Ass?" she asked. "I am sorry, but I am unfamiliar with that particular term."

Aelora thought for a minute trying to think of the simplest way of explaining herself. Finally, she did the only thing that appeared to adequately describe the word. She turned around and placing both hands on her bottom, she said, "This is an ass. And my hair is a pain in the ass."

Terann tried not to laugh at the Rangers display. "Oh I see. I am sorry I don't have that problem."

Aelora looked briefly at the Minbari's head and laughed. She was relieved when Terann joined her. It is a beginning, Terann thought to herself, grateful that the human was finally beginning to relax around her.

"Yes it is," Aelora said before she realized what she had done.

Terann's face immediately turned serious. "You are a telepath aren't you?"

"No," Aelora said harshly, quickly turning her back to Terann.

"You don't lie very well, human" Terann told her plainly.

Aelora spun around to face the Minbari, her face full of anger. "Look, I don't know what I am. That bitch, Ashlen, tried to scan me, and then I suddenly realize I am able to 'see' things I couldn't before."

Terann stood and took a step toward Aelora in an attempt to calm the agitated Ranger. She had not meant to upset her and she felt badly for having done so. "It is possible that her scan activated some latent ability. It is rare but not unheard of. Are there any telepaths in your family?"

Aelora dropped her gaze to the floor and in an almost inaudible voice said, "My mother was a telepath."

Terann could detect the hurt in her voice. "I am sorry, I did not mean to bring up a painful subject. In any case, you must be trained to use your gift properly. I can help, if you like."

Aelora only nodded, then brought her eyes up to meet the Minbari's. Perhaps there was something in her that the Ranger had not noticed before. She did not seem as cold and heartless as she attempted to portray herself. Aelora was eager to learn all she could about Terann, and she was beginning to hope that this time together, and their increasing ease with each other, would aid her in doing just that. She watched as the Minbari sat down in one of the chairs. "So, are you happy to be going home?" Aelora asked, trying to take the least offensive route possible.

Judging from the look that crossed Terann's face it became evident that she failed. "I have never been able to consider Minbar my home," she explained trying to keep the hurt from her voice.

"But you were born there?" Aelora continued to pry.

"No," Terann told her, shaking her head. "I was born in space and raised in space. In fact, you have probably spent more time on Minbar than I have."

"What of your family--your clan?"

Terann took a deep breath, and fidgeted with her hands. She had never really discussed her clan with anyone besides Dukhat. She knew their feelings for her and to some extent she could understand them. Still, she longed to return to them, to finally be a part of something. She finally said, "My clan has never been able to accept me as I am. The Moon Shields have a proud heritage and they seem to perceive me as a blemish on that."

Aelora turned away from the Minbari, and proceeded to straighten some of her belongings. "I am sorry. I have asked too many questions."

Terann raised to her feet and stepped toward the Ranger. "It is okay. I have denied it for too long. It is better that I begin to accept that which I can not change." She regarded the human for a brief moment then finally asked, "Why did you join the Anla'shok?"

"I guess mainly because of my father. I mean, I did not know him until I came to Minbar after the accident..." Aelora began to explain.

Terann quickly cut her off. "What kind of accident?"

This time it was Aelora who began to fidget. She crossed the room to take the seat Terann had vacated. Finally she said, "I was attacked by a Shadow vessel and barely survived. I was rescued by a war cruiser and brought here."

Terann's features appeared to darken as she considered what the Ranger just told her. "I find it odd that the Shadows did not kill you. Do you remember much of what happened during the attack?"

Aelora's eyes dropped to her lap and her voice lowered. "Only bits and pieces. It was only after I got to Minbar that I realized that there was a month that I could not account for."

"A month?" The Minbari asked in utter disbelief. "And you remember nothing of that time?" When Aelora shook her head Terann added, "Perhaps in time your mind will allow you to remember your experience."

"Yes, perhaps. Well it is getting late," Aelora said eager to shift the attention from herself. She did not believe Terann would pursue the issue farther but still she felt something nagging at her, telling her that she had told the warrior too much.

Terann could sense the anxiety in the Ranger, and she did not wish to push her to explain things further. She turned to enter the washroom to prepare for sleep. When she emerged, she found the room in darkness and Aelora sleeping soundly. Settling on her sleeping palette she turned softly to the sleeping human. "Goodnight, Aelora. Maybe someday we will truly understand one another." With that Terann closed her eyes, welcoming the sleep that quickly came.

Terann moved down the ramp of the shuttle, Aelora following closely behind her. When they reached the landing pad, both stood silently, staring at the city before them. The suns were slowly setting, and the light was reflecting off of the crystal formations casting beams of color across the landscape.

"Well," Aelora commented dryly. "This sure is a hell of a lot more appeasing to the eye than the last planet I was on."

Terann glanced over at the human. "You speak of your trip to Narn."

"The Martian landscape is more inviting."

"It is not the fault of the Narns," Terann remarked as they walked across the landing area toward the small delegation of Minbari who were awaiting them. "The Centauri – "

"Must we discuss galactic politics?" Aelora snapped. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the old Warrior caste demeanor quickly fall over Terann at her tone. She rushed to repair the rift her sharp words had caused. "Look, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just on edge, I guess. I mean, first I bend over backwards, ignoring every belief I was raised on, to smuggle G’Kar onto Narn and prove myself to Delenn, only to be shipped back here."

"You do not like Minbar?"

"I love Minbar," Aelora replied instantly to the question. "I just don’t like the distrust that Entil’zah Delenn obviously feels toward me. She…she won’t even answer my questions about my father."

Terann remained silent, fighting with her conscience over the desire to simply tell Aelora who Jeffrey Sinclair really was. But she made a promise to Delenn and she must abide by that promise. Still, if Delenn did not impart the truth to the human soon then Terann would not be able to remain silent any longer. Now that the effects of the sleepers had almost completely disappeared, the Minbari was able to feel Aelora’s apprehension and frustration wash over her in waves. Being untrained in her newfound talents, the human projected emotions and thoughts without reserve and it was almost overwhelming for Terann. With work, she was able to screen much of it out. Curiosity overrode the need for peace though, and Terann found herself allowing Aelora’s projected emotions in, learning them, slowly beginning to understand the Ranger in ways she was certain no one had attempted to do before. She did not question her wish to do so, she only understood that it was right. Somewhere, deep inside, the feeling pulled at her that she and the human must come to understand and accept one another or all would be lost.

Terann was snapped out of her reverie when she heard Aelora mutter "Great Maker!" followed by a heavy sigh. The Minbari glanced ahead to see that the leader of the delegation sent to greet them was none other than the great Warrior, Durhann.

"Why do my bones always begin to ache at the site of him?" Aelora groaned as Durhann stepped forward.

"Greetings to you, Aelora…Terann…" He inclined his head to both as they bowed before him, his gaze coming to rest on the human. By his mannerisms, he appeared to behave as if the Warrior was not even there. "Aelora Kyra, it has been a long while. You have been remiss in your communications."

"I ask your forgiveness," Aelora replied quietly, her eyes carefully downcast. "I have been…busy."

The old Warrior grunted at that. "Causing trouble is more like it." His eyes narrowed as he regarded her face, particularly her jawline. "Might I inquire as to where you acquired those bruises?"

Aelora nervously began chewing on her lower lip. "On Narn, master."

His brow furrowed. "I believe I spent quite a bit of time teaching you how to use that denn’bok of yours. Have you forgotten your lessons?"

The Ranger fidgeted uncomfortably under Durhann’s intent gaze. Finally she mumbled, "I…" The rest of the sentence was incoherent.

Durhann leaned forward. "What was that?"

She sighed, knowing she was trapped. "I…lost it."

Behind Durhann, a few of the trainees chuckled, ceasing immediately when he cast them a harsh glare. Finally, he returned his attention to the Ranger before him. "You will come to see me between classes, Aelora. And I will instruct you in the consequences of such foolishness."

In Valen’s name! "Yes, master," Aelora replied quietly, inclining her head in reticence.

"Your quarters are in the Ranger Training Facility," he informed them both, though he continued to speak only to Aelora. "I suggest you use your time wisely." At this he cast a pointed glance at Terann, then turned and walked off, the trainees moving with him.

When they were alone once more, Aelora turned to regard Terann. She found it curious that Durhann had behaved so rudely towards another Minbari. She swore she would never understand these people no matter how long she remained in their company.

Terann read the direction of Aelora’s thoughts and commented, "Do not speak of it to me."

Aelora was stunned for a moment, watching as the Minbari moved off. She felt a brief anger at Terann’s casual dismissal of her and reacted without thought, attempting to scan her. She just touched upon emotions of hurt and anger that the Minbari was feeling when she was forcefully pushed out.

Terann whirled around to face the Ranger, her fists balled at her sides. "Do not attempt to invade my mind again, human! I swear you will suffer the consequences!"

"What gives you the right?" Aelora shouted back. "Don’t think I don’t feel you, Terann. At first, I didn’t understand but now I do. I ‘hear’ you in there, probing my emotions, seeking to understand. In Valen’s name, Terann, if you have the right then so do I!"

"No human has ever dared –"

"Get over it, Terann!" Aelora replied, closing the distance between her and the Minbari. "We’re stuck here together, do you understand that? And like you, I am not too dumb to realize that there is some reason for all of this." She stopped a few feet away from Terann, the anger slowly dissipating. "I heard the Vorlon speak to you," Aelora admitted, watching as the surprise appeared on Terann’s face. "I didn’t understand it but I heard it."

"But how…?" Terann stared at the human in silent shock. It was impossible. Kosh’s message had only been for her, had been projected to her! How had Aelora, with her untrained mind, been able to detect that? Had Kosh meant her to hear it? And if so, why?

"Look, Terann." Aelora ran a hand through her curls. "The way I see it, we’re both misfits in a galaxy full of wanna-be’s. They all believe they’re something great and we’re…just trying to be something. My fear of abandonment and need to please everyone at once combined with your distrust of everyone but yourself and contradictory need for acceptance do little for our individual well-being. I figure if we are ever going to conquer these little…quirks of ours, we might as well begin with the one person most difficult to win over – each other."

A slow smile spread across Terann’s face. "Since when did you become an expert in Minbari psychology?"

"Since I was forced to teach one the meaning of the word ‘ass’," came the reply.

Laughter erupted between the two telepaths and the strain that was previously felt between them slowly melted away.

It was still dark when Terann awoke. She quickly dressed and after taking only a few short minutes to meditate, set about waking the human. "Aelora..." she said more harshly after her first two attempts had failed.

The Ranger turn onto her side and covered her head with her arm, trying to block out the Minbari. Unfortunately, Terann only became more insistent and Aelora eventually resigned herself to the fact that she was not going to be getting anymore sleep. Rolling off her palette onto her feet, she stood to face the Minbari. "Don't you people know how to sleep in?"

Terann ignored the remark and said, "Hurry and get dressed, I have something to show you."

"What is it?" Aelora asked, her curiosity taking over.

Terann sighed, emphasizing her growing frustration. "Just hurry, before it is too late."

Aelora hrmphed, but quickly gathered her things and disappeared in to the washroom. Ten minutes later she emerged, wearing her usual Ranger outfit with her hair neatly tied back leaving only a few stray pieces to frame her attractive face. Nodding toward Terann, they quietly entered the corridor. This way, Terann told her silently, heading to the right.

Once outside Aelora noticed with dismay that the streets were devoid of activity which she did not find surprising given it appeared to be the middle of the night. Finally giving into her burning curiosity she asked, "So, Terann, what is so important that it could not wait at least until the suns come up?"

Terann glanced briefly at the Human. "Trust me."

They walked silently toward the center of the city taking little notice of the few others they past. The wind was bitterly cold and Aelora crossed her arms across her chest attempting to warm herself. She noticed Terann pull her hood over her head, concealing her face. Aelora did not need to see her, however, to sense her uneasiness. She knew Terann was concerned about being seen with a human by any of her caste. She still found it difficult to believe that Terann was Warrior Caste. What little experience she had with the Warrior Caste was not positive. They had made it more than evident that they were unimpressed with humans being allowed to train with the Anla'shok. But Terann seemed different. Instead of being cold and unreceptive, she had been tolerant, almost friendly, with her. And now she was willing to help her learn to use her new abilities. Perhaps that was all there was to it. Maybe Terann was only helping her, as one Teep would help another, but something nagged at her, telling her there was more to it than that. She even felt herself daring to trust the Minbari.

They stopped at the edge of a cliff overlooking a horseshoe shaped waterfall. Far on the other side was a series of crystal formations, part of one of the many temples located in the city. "This is it?" Aelora asked, not attempting to hide her disappointment. "I have seen this before. Sure it is nice to look at, but..." She trailed off, sensing Terann's growing annoyance.

Terann cast a glance at the human. "Of course you have seen this before, but you have not truly seen it." The Minbari saw the confusion on the Rangers face and she turned to face her squarely. "Humans," she stated. "It is no wonder that you force your telepaths into the Psi Corp. You simply believe that your ability is limited to scanning someone's thoughts. You are more in-tune to the universe, you can touch and feel things that others can only dream of."

"I don't understand," Aelora said, trying to hide her apprehension at what her gift truly entailed.

"You will." With that Terann turned back to the scene before them. It was several moments before she spoke again. "When I was young, Dukhat had made me return here everyday for six days to 'see' this. I only hope you learn quicker than I did."

Aelora could easily detect the sadness that coursed through the warrior. "He meant a great deal to you. Did you know him well?"

Terann took a deep breath, not eager to allow the painful memories to resurface. Finally she began to explain, "My mother never wanted a child. She had me because she felt she had an obligation to our people. After I was born she returned to her duties as a soldier, neglecting to consider that I also needed her. Dukhat took over where she failed me."

"Oh, I am sorry," Aelora said simply, understanding the pain Terann felt at being abandoned. "What about your father? Wasn't he involved either?"

Terann looked down, fumbling nervously with her hands. "I never knew my father." The identity of her father had always been a point of contention amongst her caste and was one of the main reasons for her being outcast.

Aelora looked away from the warrior, not willing to add to her pain. The bond that had formed between the two women was still in its infancy, and she didn't want to do anything to harm it. She had spent a considerable amount of time trying to determine why she felt she needed Terann's friendship. Perhaps there was some greater reason, something that was bigger than both of them were.

The two women stood silently, motionless, both lost in thought. The sky gradually shifted from black to deep blue to pink as the suns began their ascent. Terann leaned her head back and studied the sky, then stepped up on the rock ledge that separated them from the edge of the cliff. "It is time." Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if anything more would ruin the moment.

Aelora paused briefly, then joined the Minbari. She looked down into the abyss, feeling her head begin to spin. Damn, she cursed to herself, not having realized how high it was until now.

Terann sensed Aelora's apprehension, It’s okay, just look straight ahead, she told the human trying to ease her mind. She remembered how she had felt the first time she had stood here, how she had been frightened and awed at the same time.

The suns rose slowly illuminating the crystal spires of the temple. Focus on the light, she instructed Aelora. Reach out with your mind. Don't just see the light--feel it, let it become a part of you.

Aelora was truly beginning to feel that Terann was completely nuts, but she did as she was told. At first she saw nothing, and the harder she pushed the more difficult it was to concentrate. Terann could sense her growing frustration and she reached out and took Aelora's hand. Here let me help you, gently she guided the humans mind, brought her thoughts into focus, she was unprepared for what happen. Almost instantly her mind was flooded with visions of colour and sound. Her mind was inundated with images, of the water, of the crystal. She began to see everything at the molecular level. Quickly, she put up a block, easing the strain on her mind, shocked at the strength of Aelora's gift. Thinking of the human, she then turned her attention back to the human. I can't breathe, Aelora screamed into Terann's mind.

Pull back! She shouted to her, mentally guiding her back. Terann watched as Aelora blinked and took a breath.

"What the hell happened?" Aelora cried, her voice trembling from the distress.

"You have to learn to control your ability. Until you are better trained you need to allow the images to trickle into your thoughts. Instead you opened a floodgate. Control them, don't let them control you."

Aelora looked at the Minbari, then nodded hesitantly. She took another deep breath then turned back to the temple. Terann continued to gently touch her mind to ensure that the human did not become overwhelmed once again. It took several moments before the Ranger was relaxed enough to free her mind. Gradually she released herself, allowed herself to see and feel and touch everything that was before her. Once certain that Aelora had control of her mind, Terann began to relax her hold on the human's hand until she let her go completely. She watched the Ranger intently, smiling as she remember the emotions that raged through her the first time she had experienced the same thing. Since that day, she had returned several times and yet none of those visits compared to the first time.

The suns continued their journey, and before long, their light no longer lit the spires. Aelora sat down, remaining silent, burying her face in her hands. Terann resisted the urge to reach out to the human, knowing that Aelora would come to her when she needed her. Aelora slowly lifted her head and Terann could see her eyes were welled up with tears that threatened to spill at any moment. Composing herself, she looked back at Terann. "I had no idea. Thank you, Terann, for showing this to me."

Terann smiled and shook her head. "I didn't show you anything, I simply helped to guide your mind."

Aelora smiled back at her then turned her head back. They remained there for over an hour, saying only what they thought was required. They discussed what they had seen, and, though mostly similar, there were slight differences that they could not explain. Aelora finally stood, eager to return to her quarters, in order to rest and perhaps meditate, in order to make sense of what had happened to her. Terann fell into step beside her pleased at the sense of contentment that seemed to radiate from Aelora.

"So what else can I do with this little gift of mine?" Aelora asked as they passed through the city. Now that she was beginning to realize that there was far more to her abilities than simply scanning someone, she was eager to learn. She found herself grateful that Terann was willing to help her explore her newfound talent. A shudder past over her at the thought of what would have happened had she been on Centauri Prime, or worse, on Earth when her abilities decided to manifest themselves. Though her memories were clouded with time, she still remembered hearing how those from the Psi Corp had been taught to abuse their abilities. Her mother had never had a kind word to say about the Corp. But somehow Terann was different. She appreciated her gift, realized it's potential, and respected the power they instilled upon her. Aelora found herself looking forward to Terann teaching her as she once had been.

Terann saw the eagerness in the human, her bewilderment at what she had seen and the prospect of what she could learn to do. "You must be patient. If you push yourself too hard you will be unable to control your abilities. Your talent will grow, in time, as you learn how to use it. From what I have seen you are very strong for a human. You may even possess telekinetic potential." Terann stopped then, touching the Rangers arm, forcing her to face her. Her tone had turned very serious. "If it is revealed that you are telekinetic it is important that you learn to control these abilities. You know what happened when I was under the influence of the alcohol, we don't want that to happen again...ever."

Aelora studied the Minbari before her, a sudden wave of fear passing over her. Terann had learned early on to use and control her ability, but here she was suddenly having these abilities thrust upon her. Now she found herself not wanting this gift, wishing she could go back to the way things had been. Her talent then had been easy to control and, more importantly, to hide. Great Maker how would she ever learn to use her new abilities? Terann could feel the apprehension that threatened to drown the human, the endless questions that she had about her very existence, and she was surprised to find they differed very little from the doubts she had experienced when she first learned of her own gift. It is okay my friend, she heard Terann whisper across her mind. I know what you are facing, but I will help you, you have my word that I will not leave you as so many others have. Aelora was shocked at Terann's reference to her as a friend, yet she found herself accepting Terann as such. The two women smiled briefly at one another, then turned to resume their journey back to the facility.

"You must learn to take more care as to whose company you keep."

Terann took a moment, hesitated, before turning to face the speaker. Pulling her hood back she said, "Hello, Neroon."

"It is unwise to be seen as warrior caste with a human Ranger. You invite trouble."

He eyed Aelora as if she were unworthy of sharing the same space with him, and Terann immediately picked up on this and instead of fighting, decided to play the opportunity he had handed her. "Is it because they are a constant reminder of your own shame, that you have such contempt for the humans of the anla’shok?"

Aelora stood back, carefully picking up on the emotions that swept over the two Minbari. She had not expected Terann to stand up to Neroon in this fashion, given the result of their last encounter. From what she could feel emanating from Neroon she would be surprised if Terann was still standing five minutes from now. What are you doing, Terann? She inquired silently only to end up being ignored. Her concentration was broken when Neroon, obviously unwilling to engage in another confrontation, turned his attention to her. "How is your friend?" His voice thick with his own arrogance as he spoke of Marcus, and she could sense he was baiting her.

Aelora refused to submit to his little game so she forced a smile and replied pleasantly, "He is fine, thank you for asking." She got more satisfaction from his increased anger than she would have from verbally attacking him.

Neroon seemed at a loss as to what to say next and finally he turned back to Terann. "When I heard of your return to Minbar, I was curious as to the reasoning behind your being sent from Earther's station. When I discovered why, I found myself unsurprised that Dukhat had protected you for so long. Your abilities would have served your caste well."

Terann stepped forward, staring him deeply in the eye. "And that is exactly why no one else must know."

Neroon considered the woman before him. He knew all too well that she could seriously injure, if not, kill him with little more than a single thought. "As you wish," he conceded. "Although, had you killed Sheridan the Starkiller, it would have gone along way to restore your position."

Terann could not believe her ears. Neroon honestly believed that her attack on Captain Sheridan had been a positive thing, something to be proud of. Suddenly, a thought swept over Terann, something she had not considered before. "You have been watching me?"

Neroon smiled, like a child caught with his hands caught in the cookie jar, then nodded slightly to Terann. "Yes. I have always enjoyed a challenge, and you are definitely a challenge."

"I must learn to watch my back better," she told him, making it very plain that she was not impressed with his newfound interest in her activities.

The two Minbari stood motionless, silent, unwilling to give the other any advantage. Stalemate. Finally, Neroon nodded to her and turn to move away. Immediately, Terann remembered. "You have something that belongs to me."

He seemed confused at first about her statement then he realized to what she was referring. Reaching under his cloak he removed her denn'bok, fumbling it in his hand as if teasing her. Unfortunately, Terann was not willing to play games with him and she simply held her hand out, her face clearly indicating that it was in his best interest to merely hand it to her. Neroon considered her for a moment then placed it in her hand. She tucked it under her cloak and then looked back at him, noticing that there was something else nagging at him. His eyes met hers and he found not the answers he sought, but an infinity of questions. What was she hiding? And more importantly how could he discover that which she kept buried within her. Her green eyes betrayed nothing of her soul and he began to conclude that in order to know the true Terann he would have to come to her, since he had precluded the idea of her coming to him. He quashed his curiosity, glancing at the human, he decided that this was neither the time nor the place to start asking her questions. He inclined his head slightly to Terann, and after seeing to look she bore on her face, he also inclined his head slightly to Aelora. He then turned and walked away.

"He hated to do that," Aelora commented after Neroon was no longer within earshot.

Terann cast a glance to Aelora knowing that the Ranger still did not have a complete grasp of Minbari custom and tradition. "The fact that he did it should be enough." A smile then crossed her face, and she turned to resume the journey back to the facility.

Aelora walked beside the Minbari, watching her intently as she took out her pike and lovingly held it in her hands. She cradled it gently in both hands then pressed it to her heart then moved to return it to its place under her cloak. "Can I see that?" Aelora said, stopping her.

Terann regarded her suspiciously, then reminded herself that this was Aelora, and that if there was anyone in the universe that she could trust it would be her. She passed the black weapon over to the Ranger who scrutinized it carefully, opening it, then collapsing it before she passed it back to Terann. Aelora considered her words carefully knowing that one poorly chosen word could cause Terann to seal herself in more than she already was. "It is very unique...I mean the colour...and the markings on the grip...I don't recognize them."

Terann stopped, knowing what she was facing. It was something she was unprepared to face at this time, though something inside her, and something she felt inside the Ranger, begged at her to trust her. For some reason she felt she would need Aelora as much as the Human needed her, and that some form of trust must develop between them before it was too late. Looking into the humans green eyes, she quickly gauged the woman before her. A child of Valen, she reminded herself, then spoke. "It is Vorlon," she said plainly, resuming her original course.

Aelora ran to catch up, perplexed by the knowledge given to her by the Minbari. She could sense that Terann was apprehensive about what she had just revealed to her, but her human curiosity got the best of her. "What does it mean?" Damn... she chided herself for having spoken before being able to stop herself. She often wondered if her mouth and her brain were completely unconnected.

Terann refused to look at the human. She had revealed far more than she should have. To her astonishment, she did not feel shame or remorse for her revelation; instead she felt relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "It is a reminder, nothing more."

"But..." Aelora began

"Please, Aelora. I implore you. Do not go searching for things you do not wish to find."

Aelora could feel the uneasiness in the Minbari and gently reached out to her. I am sorry, Terann. I did not mean to upset you.

You have not upset me, Aelora. If there were anyone I could trust with everything it would be you. It is just not time...yet.

As they continued through the city in silence, Aelora glanced briefly at Terann. She hoped that someday they would trust each other enough to share the secrets they both kept buried deep within them. After reaching the facility, both women were grateful that the daily training sessions were in progress, leaving the corridors effectively barren. They headed straight for their quarters, and once inside Aelora allowed herself to collapse on her palette. She had not realized how much "experiencing" the falls had taken out of her, though she was unsure whether it was the exertion itself or the emotional drain that was the cause of her fatigue. Closing her eyes she found herself not caring for the reason, she simply begged for sleep to take her.

Terann watched the human, taking care not to disturb her. When she felt it was safe she lit a single candle and placed it on the floor before her. Sitting cross-legged she gradually brought herself into a meditative state.

They were there. They were always there. Singing to her, enveloping her in their musical tones. She had always felt safe with them, as if it were the only place she truly belonged. This time was different. For some reason they felt distant, as if she were an intruder, unwelcome. They recoiled from her as she reached out to them. The harder she pushed the more violent their rejection became. Suddenly her mind was full of nightmarish images. Scenes of death, of fire and of blood. She could hear voices screaming out from all directions, calling out to her, as if blaming her. She could see darkness closing in on her and as she attempted to back away she found that she could not. It was there, in her mind, threatening to consume her. As it began to wrap itself around her she felt an intense cold begin to overcome her. She began losing all sense of reason as to what was happening, and she forced her mind to focus on getting away from the blackness. Summoning all her strength, she tore herself away from it.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked around relieved to see she was safely in her quarters. She looked at the candle before her, and was shocked to realize how far it had burned. How much time had past? And more importantly, what had happened? Glancing over to the sleeping human, she began to shiver violently as if the cold had somehow followed her, and imbedded itself in her very being. Silently she sat, trying to make sense of the occurrence the extreme cold making it difficult for her to concentrate. What in Valen's name is happening? Desperately she struggled to make sense of what her vision was telling her, but the more she focused her mind the more the iciness tightened its grip on her. She glanced at the candle before her seeing it as her only escape from the frigidity. Reaching out with her mind she felt the fire begin to engulf her with her it's warm. She pulled it over her as she would a blanket only to have the iciness lash out at her. Struggling to regain control she urged the fire to intensify, to beat back the cold that was eating at her. For a moment she felt respite from it, and a sense of solace washed over her. Unfortunately it was only short lived, and the cold returned even stronger. The battle continued for several minutes, and Terann began to panic, fearing that she would never escape it.

"How are you doing that?" Aelora asked, sitting down across from Terann. She looked at the flame, with confusion. It should have been merely inches high but was now burning with intensity beyond reason.

Terann snapped her head up to face Aelora, as if brought out of a daydream. It took several moments before she appeared coherent of her surroundings. It was then that she realized that the cold was gone, in fact, she felt as if nothing had happened. She even found herself questioning whether it actually had. "What?" was all she was able to mutter.

"That," Aelora said, gesturing to the candle, shocked that the flame had returned to its normal size. She regarded the Minbari as she stood, still staring off at nothing. Aelora stood before her, trying to get her attention. "What is it, Terann?" She asked forcefully, hoping to bring her friend out of her reverie.

Terann blinked and brought her eyes to meet Aelora's. When she spoke her voice was full of fear, "Something is wrong, Aelora. Something is very wrong."

The next morning it was Aelora’s turn to wake up early. Her night had been filled with dreams of her father, no doubt prompted by her return to Minbar, and she sought to somehow quiet them. Dressing quietly, she stole a quick glance at Terann to regard the silently sleeping Minbari. She had been extremely upset last night, though would not confide to Aelora what it was that had upset her. Only that something was very wrong. The Ranger could have told her she knew that all ready. In the past month she had slept in the same quarters as a Narn – without a knife under her pillow, befriended a Minbari and been discovered by Psi Corps. From what she could tell, a very lot was wrong. But she did not mean to make light of the Warrior’s fears. If something was worrying Terann, then Aelora figured she should worry as well.

She left their apartment quietly, moving like an invisible wraith through the city. It was one skill taught to Rangers that Aelora found herself most appreciating, especially when it came to visiting a world where she knew her kind was unwelcome by one-third of the population. Again, she wondered over Terann’s easy acceptance of her, when the rest of her caste would have much preferred to see humans, let alone human Rangers, gone from the galaxy. She did not believe it only had to do with their telepathic abilities, there were plenty of telepaths for the Minbari to befriend. Perhaps it was something she would never know the answer to, but should simply accept, without question.

The Ranger was relieved to find the vicinity around Jeffrey Sinclair’s abandoned quarters deserted. She hesitated a moment outside the entrance, finding it difficult to manage the courage to step inside. A part of her wished she could step through the door and there he would be standing, his arms open to her. And she would welcome that embrace, call him father and forget all her foolish fears of the past. For a second, she believed that was what would really happen but the hope died away and reality set in. She had no idea where her father had disappeared to or why he had felt it was so important to leave but she did know, deep inside, that she would never again be offered the chance to call him father. With a trembling breath, she stepped through the door, telling herself that what ‘was’ was no longer important. She had a future before her, somewhere, that she had to find. It was what Sinclair would have wanted for her.

She moved around Jeffrey Sinclair’s abandoned quarters for the next few hours, deep in thought. She had come there hoping to find some trace of him, some answer to where he had gone and why, some memory of him that she could keep as her own. But she found nothing, which was exactly as she had expected her venture to end. Jeffrey Sinclair was really and truly gone from her life.

"Aelora?"

The Ranger glanced at the door to find Terann standing just inside the threshold.

"I am sorry. If I am intruding, I can come back later," the Minbari apologized, watching Aelora closely.

"No, Terann. Really, it’s all right. There is nothing here," she replied, walking toward the door.

Terann moved aside as Aelora passed then, glancing once more into the empty quarters, she moved out and fell into step with the human. They walked along quietly through the city for a long while, moving into the City Square before Terann finally spoke.

"Did you know Jeffrey Sinclair well?"

Aelora shrugged. "That depends on what you consider ‘well’, I suppose. Did I know him as well as I know you or Michael? Sure. Yah. Did I know him as a daughter should know her father?…No." Aelora shook her head with a humorless laugh. "I didn’t even refer to him as my father. It was always Entil’zah, or Jeff."

Terann frowned at this. "I do not understand. Was this by choice?"

Aelora nodded, tucking a curl behind her ear. "I couldn’t bring myself to foster that kind of hope, allow that sort of attachment. So I refused to call him ‘father’ or ‘dad’. He didn’t push for it. Maybe he found my appearance just as strange, difficult to deal with. Maybe he just knew I needed time. Sometimes I wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Never mind." Aelora stopped near the fountains, staring up at the crystal formations of the buildings that towered over them. "We used to come here together a lot, to talk. In fact, this was the last place that I saw him…"…

"Aelora! I have been looking for you."

Aelora stood from her seat at the fountains as Jeffrey Sinclair approached. She inclined her head respectfully. "I am sorry, Entil’zah. If I had known – "

He waved his hand in dismissal. "No need for apologies, Aelora. Or formalities. There is no one but us."

She smiled and took her seat once more, watching her father as he sat next to her. "What was it you wished to see me about, Ent – Jeff?"

"Nothing important," he replied, smiling at her, thinking how very much she resembled Soria as the sun glinted off her fiery hair. "I only wanted to talk." He hesitated, wondering how to approach all that he wanted to say. He desperately wanted to tell her the truth, to be completely honest with her, to leave knowing that she understood. But it was a risk that he could not take. He understood how his daughter’s mind worked, how tightly she was clinging to him now that they were finally together. If she knew the truth, she would do everything to prevent him from going or force him to take her with him. That was something he could not allow. Her work was here, and he hoped that one day she would see that.

"It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?" She asked, staring up at the bright sky. "This place is so incredible. I often wonder if there is anywhere more splendorous."

"You have yet to go to Earth, Aelora. Certainly, it does not have crystal buildings but her oceans and forests and jungles and deserts are all things to be admired."

"Perhaps…someday."

"Aelora."

The fledgling Ranger turned to regard her father.

"I have been meaning to apologize, Aelora, for having not been there."

Aelora stood quickly and started to walk away. "I don’t want to hear this."

Sinclair went after her, caught her by the arm before she could escape. "You have to, Aelora. If you have listened to nothing else I have told you this past year, you will listen now."

She looked away from him, staring off into the distance, refusing to acknowledge his presence.

He sighed, knowing this would be difficult but not understanding how angry his child still was over the events of her life. His hold on her gentled as he began to remember another young woman with the same explosive temper. "When I first met your mother, I was, at first, awestruck by her beauty and then I got to know her and fell deeply in love with the incredible person she was inside. Knowing that she was with Psi Corps, I knew there was no chance for us but then I discovered that she returned my love. I was desperate to do anything to keep us together, including leaving Earthforce to run away with her. She knew this and I believe that is why she left. When she knew that she was carrying you, she must have also known that if I found out, I would not hesitate to leave everything behind. She lied to protect me, telling me that she had been playing me for a fool all along and wanted nothing more to do with a mundane. Two days later, she disappeared. I never saw her again." He cupped his daughter’s chin with his hand, turning her to face him. "If I had known about you, Aelora, believe me, I would have been there! Nothing would have stopped me. But don’t you see? The universe works in very mysterious ways. Had I left Earthforce to be with you and Soria, I would never have been Commanding Officer on Babylon 5, never had the chance to be here, now, as Entil’zah. I had a destiny to fulfill, Aelora. We all do. Never, ever forget that…"

"…That was the last I saw of him," Aelora commented, staring at the flowing water. "He felt it necessary to make me understand…only, there was no need to by that point."

Terann sat down at the water’s edge, dipping her hand into the pool to draw designs in the water. "Why not?"

The Ranger sat next to her, watching their reflections in the water. So different in appearance, yet…"I had stopped believing in knights in shining armor long ago."

Terann glanced up at her, her brow furrowed. "What? I do not understand."

"Knights. From Earth’s ancient history. My mother used to tell me stories about them, these gallant men in suits of armor who rode around the countryside on powerful steeds, saving damsels in distress. Be it a dragon, or an invading army or even a wicked stepmother, a woman could be assured that her knight would come riding up to whisk her away to the safety of his castle." Aelora flashed a wistful smile, dipping her hand into the cool water next to Terann’s. She swirled out her reflection until nothing could be seen but waves of color.

"When I was little – when my mother was still alive – I would build myself towers out of anything I could find. Furniture, books, clothing. If there weren’t anything moveable around, I would climb the highest tree and sit there, waiting. Mother had said that our knight would come and save us someday, so I figured that if I had a tower to be saved from, like all the other princesses, then he would be more inclined to show. And every night, mother would come to me and say, ‘Don’t be sad, little Princess. Sir Jeffrey has only been detained, saving other little boys and girls from horrid dragons. He will be here soon.’… But he never came. And when my mother died, I stopped believing in knights in shining armor, or any of those other silly fairytales that never come true…"

Terann noticed the tears hovering on Aelora’s lashes. She wished the human would give in to her emotions but she understood that it was too soon for that, the feelings were too raw. She watched quietly as the Ranger gained control of herself, once more displaying an expression of indifference to the world around her.

I would help if I knew how, the Minbari thought.

I know, Aelora replied and offered a brave smile to her friend. But there is nothing you can do.

Terann stood, putting on a face of more animated good humor than she had ever done before. "Come. Let us go see if we can not locate Turval and – what was the word you had used? Pester? Yes that was it – see if we can not pester him for a bit."

Aelora laughed brightly, pushing aside all thoughts of her father to enjoy her time on Minbar and the unexpected friendship that had developed between her and Terann.

Aelora and Terann walked briskly back to the Ranger Training Facility, filling the time with small talk about anything and everything. There was so much unspoken between them. They both had the feeling that things were about to change irrevocably, but both were hesitant to mention it to the other. As they approached the chamber where Turval taught meditation to the Ranger trainees Aelora cast a glance at Terann. Shhh! She thought to her new friend. During her time at the facility she had, on many occasions, pulled numerous pranks on her master. He had originally seemed very stiff but she soon found his lighter side and took great pleasure in provoking him to show it. From their position in the doorway, they could see Turval, standing quite still, presiding over a group of recruits who appeared deep in meditation. The pair stood there motionless, completely silent, trying desperately not to let loose the laughter that threatened to explode from them.

"Why do I feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end?" Turval asked without turning.

"What hairs on your neck?" Aelora laughed, no longer able to control herself.

He turned to face the two women, smiling warmly at them. "Aelora...Terann...I was wondering when you would find time to visit me."

"We can come back if we are disturbing you?" Terann offered.

"No, that is all right." He smiled walking over to one of the Human recruits sitting atop one of the many benches scattered throughout the room. He proceeded to slap him firmly on the top of his head. When the young man failed to move, Turval continued. "You see, they are quite unaware of their surroundings."

"Really?" Terann inquired, an evil smile forming on her face.

Aelora looked at the Minbari, confused as to what she appeared to be planning. Suddenly she heard Terann in her mind, advising her to put up a mental block. She quickly did as was told. Still it was not strong enough to block out the horrifying scream that seem to emanate from all around them. Each of the Rangers present quickly broke out of their meditative state to cover their ears, trying to protect them self from the piercing wail that they had all come to recognize as the trademark scream of the Shadows. The noise continued for only a few seconds before Turval, who was also covering his ears, shouted, "Terann!"

The sound stopped as quickly as it had started and the Minbari straightened, trying desperately to stifle the laugh that threatened to escape. She cast a quick glance at Aelora who was also trying in vain not to giggle. Turval looked at them sternly for a moment before giving into his own laughter. He turned briefly to his pupils. "I think that warrants a recess for today. I will see you all tomorrow." They each inclined their heads out of respect and, after gathering their belongings began to file out the door. Several cast snide looks at Terann as they passed but she only let them add to the pleasure she felt.

Turval gestured for the women to sit on one of the benches recently vacated by the recruits. They both did as directed and Aelora thought, I swore I would never sit on one of these damned things again.

"Me too," Terann said under her breath, biting her lip to hold back a smile.

"What?" Turval appeared confused, and then grumbled. "Great, now you have her doing that too." He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest. "So who, in their infinite wisdom, saw fit to pair the two of you up?" he asked them.

"Entil'zah Delenn," Aelora told him.

He threw his arms up feigning surrender. "The universe hates me." He glanced back at them smiling, pleased when they returned it.

They spent the next two hours rehashing old times, reliving past experiences. When Aelora excused herself to go to her meeting with Durhann, Turval took the opportunity to probe the wall that he noticed Terann had tightly secured herself behind.

"Are you happy to be back?" He asked pointedly.

The Warrior looked away from him, pursing her lips. "Why do you ask? Of course I am happy to be back. It…is my home."

"You do not lie well, Terann," the old man admonished. "You have never been able to consider Minbar your home and now, I fear, you feel an even greater separation than before."

Terann stood, walking away from Turval to stare out the window at the crystal formed landscape. "I…had hoped that time…" She broke off, shook her head. "It is useless. They will never accept me. Even Durhann would not acknowledge me."

"Durhann is an old fool, Terann," Turval replied. "Many of us are. We do not see that the galaxy around us is changing. And those of us that do are loath to accept it. It is what comes of an old race. We have stagnated, grown set in our ways."

"But tradition –"

"Tradition is good if it does not overlook growth." Turval chuckled. "Listen to me. I am talking like a radical now." He sighed. "Yes, we are who we are today because of our traditions, our rules. But in being who we are, we do not see those who differ, we ostracize those we do not understand. You of all Minbari should understand this."

Terann continued to stare out the window, refusing to face him, refusing to let him see that pain she had spent years learning to hide. It was true that her caste would not accept her because she was different, would not acknowledge her because she refused to bury those differences, to hide in the background and pretend to be like any other.

"All it takes is one, you know," Turval commented, breaking into her thoughts.

"What?" She turned back to him.

"Only one, to step out into the light and change perceptions, beliefs. But one needs the courage not to back down, not to fear the loneliness and persecution they would most likely face. " Turval stood and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "If you do not believe in yourself, in your differences, then how can you expect others to? Show them who you are, Terann. Do not be afraid of your people! Guide them, if you must, but do not let them destroy that which is uniquely you." He reached up to brush the stray tear that had somehow escaped her. "You are not alone, Terann, no matter what you believe. None of us are truly alone."

Aelora landed with a hard ‘umph!’ to the ground, mentally cursing herself for not seeing that last move coming.

"You have grown weak," Durhann insulted her, glancing back to watch as she struggled to sit up.

The human glared up at him, and received a blow to her ribs in response.

"Dammit!" Aelora hissed in frustration and pain, wrapping a hand around her rib cage to feel the damage. Nothing broken. Yet.

"You will respect your betters," Durhann informed her as he circled around like a hunter who had cornered his prey. "Now, get on your feet and prove to me that you are worthy of being anla’shok."

"This…is unfair," Aelora muttered, climbing to her feet.

"I was not the one who lost my weapon," the Warrior replied, shifting his own denn’bok from one hand to the other. "If you are going to continue to be so foolish then you must learn how to adapt. You will not always have the advantage in life, Aelora. Nor will the odds always be equal."

Aelora could understand that. It was the principle of life: You were born screwed. She took a deep breath and concentrated more on focusing her attention on her teacher, on attempting to anticipate his next move. They circled one another silently for the next few moments, when Aelora caught Durhann making a movement to the left. It was nothing overtly visible, a slight shifting, and a changing of expression. She moved to jump the opposite direction only to discover he had purposely made the false movement and instead, attacked from the right, sweeping the human’s legs out from under her so that she dropped to the floor once more.

"Lesson number one: do not anticipate your enemies attack. To do so is to court your own death."

She cursed quite colorfully for the next few moments while her teacher listened with an unsympathetic ear. Finally, Durhann ordered her back on her feet, a command that she blithely ignored, remaining on the ground, staring sullenly ahead.

"Would you shame your father?" Durhann demanded.

"How? He isn’t here to see this," the Ranger snapped back.

The Minbari raised his brow. "Ah. I now begin to understand…You know, Aelora, there are some things in the universe greater than you. Believe it or not."

"Like what?"

Durhann crouched next to her, leaning forward on his pike. "I do not know the answer to that, young one. But your father must have found something, or he would not have left you alone."

Aelora wanted to believe that, more than anything. She wanted to believe that Jeffrey Sinclair truly had a great reason for disappearing on her, for not telling her where he was going or if he would ever return. She wanted to believe her father did not leave simply because he wished to escape her, that he wished he had never discovered her existence. For someone with so little belief in herself, it was a difficult thing to do.

"Aelora, you wished your identity not be known so that you could prove yourself anla’shok. Your father was very proud of you because of that. You still have that. If nothing else, you are anla’shok…but it appears that you must once more prove this to yourself." Durhann stood, still staring down at her. "You have a warrior’s spirit, Aelora Sinclair. Let it guide you through those trials which seem insurmountable."

The human looked up at him, the old spark he had been used to seeing once more flaring to life in her eyes. Durhann briefly remembered when she had just come to Minbar; first begun her training to become a Ranger. Never had he met anyone so driven to prove herself, so unwilling to give up. Perhaps some of it had derived from her feelings of inadequacy, perhaps part she inherited from her father, and the rest came from growing up in the Centauri Court. Wherever it came from, it proved to be both a strength and weakness for her. While it made her determined and enduring under any odds, it also made her foolish and reckless. When she had to fight in her first trial, she had unwisely challenged her own teacher, Durhann. She had not remained on her feet for very long but the most formidable point of the entire match had been that she continued to get back up, refusing to let him take victory, refusing to accept defeat. The Warrior had finally been forced to render her unconscious before she was damaged too severely or killed. Still, she had received a broken shoulder, knee, seven ribs and the added concussion for her foolhardiness. At the end, Ranger One had simply approached him and commented, "Thank you for letting her live. I’m not sure I would have done the same." Durhann had chuckled as Sinclair had moved off, and found he was looking forward to completing the training of the feisty female.

Now the Warrior watched as Aelora once more climbed to her feet, the arrogance of her race appearing in her stance. She took a deep breath, a quick flash of uncertainty flashing briefly in her eyes, then nodded to her teacher.

"All right. Let’s do this."

They began circling once more, and Durhann saw that she had calmed herself enough to focus on the here and now. He continued to make her wait, hoping to catch her off guard, make her nervous, before he finally lunged from the left. Aelora dropped into a somersault, rolling out of the way of his attack, then kicked out with her legs to bring the Minbari to the ground. They were both back on their feet within seconds, Durhann feinting to the left only to come back from the right in an attempt to crack Aelora across her back with the pike. The human flipped backwards over the weapon, landed smartly and reached out to wrench it from Durhann’s grip. In a lightning fast move that astonished the Warrior, she clipped him on the chin, snapping his head back, then brought the weapon around behind his knees to knock him to his back, bringing the end of the weapon quickly to his throat so that he could not move.

Durhann raised his brow. "Impressive."

The Ranger pulled the pike away, offering her hand to him. "I learned from the best. I am only ashamed that I did not keep your lessons close to me."

Durhann stood, placing a fatherly hand on her shoulder. "We all make mistakes, Aelora. What separates us is our individual abilities to learn from them. Come. Let us spar some more. I will show you how quickly I have learned from that beating you just gave me."

Thankfully for Aelora, during the next four hours of her refresher courses, she was allowed to borrow a denn’bok. This time she escaped with only a plethora of bruises.

Aelora lay back against the palette, stretching her arms up above her head as she yawned. She caught Terann regarding her with a strange expression, smiled sheepishly, and dropped her arms back to her side.

"’Night, Terann."

"Good night, Aelora."

Terann closed her eyes, stifling a yawn that threatened to break through. She was not going to let Aelora know that the day’s activities had left her just as exhausted. She would remain silent and peaceful, if for no other reason than her own pride. Sleep slowly began to overtake her.

"Terann?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you really want to participate in this war? I mean, do you really think we should?"

The Minbari glanced over at Aelora from her palette. "What a question! Of course, we should."

"But don’t you think it’s a little weird?" Aelora persisted. "I mean, here the Vorlons are, these supreme beings with incredibly advanced technology, who have been around for ages, and they’re asking for help from races who have barely begun to learn to stand on their own, let alone walk."

Terann was silent, contemplating what her human friend was saying. She had never quite considered it that way, always simply believing in the races banding together against a common enemy. Yet she knew the Vorlons, better than many, and Aelora was right. If the Shadows were so superior to the Vorlons, why had they not destroyed the Vorlons long ago?

"And then," Aelora continued, warming to her subject. If there was one thing Terann had learned about her newfound friend over the past few days, it was her ability to exhaust a subject. Normally quiet, once Aelora got started on something she was interested in, it was hard to stop her. "What about the Shadow’s tactics? I mean, they don’t appear to be out to conquer anyone. They haven’t taken any worlds to claim for their own. And if they really are such technological terrors, why haven’t they all ready wiped all of us underlings out? I mean, from the way the Vorlons talk, they could easily do so. But they haven’t."

By now, Terann was frowning. No matter how illogically Aelora’s mind often tended to work, this time she appeared to have a very good point. The Minbari did not want to admit just yet that she too was beginning to see the whole war as a bit suspicious. She certainly did not want Aelora believing that she had thought of something Terann had not. She would wait until they arrived at Babylon 5, then she would confront Kosh. It was time to stop running from her fear of him.

"Go to sleep, Aelora," Terann replied to the human, closing her eyes as if in example. "Dream of your crazy notions if you need to but allow my ears respite from it."

Aelora sighed loudly but remained quiet, much to Terann’s relief. She slowly felt herself drifting off into a relaxed, meditative state, silence permeating the room.

"Terann, you asleep?"

"…yes."

Aelora chuckled. "Very funny." She rolled over onto her side to regard the Minbari, her head propped up on her hand. "What are your thoughts on Neroon?"

Terann’s eyes flew open. She cast a sharp glance at Aelora. "I try not to have any."

"Oh…I see."

Silence.

"What is that supposed to mean, human?"

"What is what supposed to mean?" Aelora asked in an innocent tone.

"What do you mean by ‘Oh…I see’," Terann demanded in a high-pitched imitation of Aelora’s voice.

The human frowned. "I don’t sound like that!…Do I?"

Terann only continued to stare at her.

"Hmm. And here I was only teasing but now I see my suspicions have actual foundations in truth." Aelora wiggled her eyebrows at the Minbari.

Terann rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Aelora grinned. "You like Neroon."

Terann’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "You are mad."

"Heh. I don’t have to be a telepath to see it, Terann."

A look of worry flashed across the Warrior’s face. "You are making this up. Teasing me. It seems to be a favorite past time of yours." Terann turned away from the human, feigning sleep.

"Say what you want, Terann, but I saw how you looked at him. And how you talk about him. That is a dead giveaway."

The Minbari remained wisely silent.

Aelora rolled onto her back, lacing her hands behind her head. "Not that I blame you, of course. He is…oh, what’s the word I’m looking for? Dangerous, I guess. A female’s main attraction. It’s what gets us most in trouble – going after the dangerous ones. And those eyes! They are so easy to get lost in. Nice bone structure, too." When she thought she heard Terann’s teeth grinding together, Aelora grew silent for a moment. She continued when she felt it was safe. "There’s something about Minbari men, don’t you think? I mean, they’re so…passionate."

"How do you know?"

Silence.

Terann sat up to regard the human. "I refuse to believe he was Warrior caste."

Aelora glanced over at her. "No. Religious."

"Then you know nothing about Minbari men." Terann lay back down.

Aelora grinned. She loved how easy it was to get her friend so riled up.

"Shouldn’t your fantasies include Centauri men?" Terann muttered.

The Ranger made a face. "I’ve never gotten used to the hair. Even growing up there, they always appeared to me as if they had seen something terribly frightening. Maybe that’s why I find Minbari men so appealing. No hair to worry over."

"Aelora?"

"Yes, Terann?"

"Go to sleep."

Once more, blessed silence. Terann allowed her muscles to relax, preparing for a deep, enjoyable sleep.

"Of course, then there are human men."

"Aelora…" Terann’s voice was soft, menacing.

"What do you think of…oh, let’s say that security sergeant…what’s his name? Zack. That’s it. Kind of cute if you ask me…a little annoying, maybe. And none too bright."

"Aelora." Her tone was stronger, slightly louder.

"There’s always Marcus. I fell head over heels for that hair when I first met him. I guess because he actually wore it down." Aelora rolled back onto her side to gaze into the darkness at Terann. "Then there’s Captain Sheridan. Kind of arrogant and cocky…but he’s got a really nice ass."

"Aelora, go to sleep!"

Aelora’s eyes widened in surprise at the exasperated tone of the Minbari. She quickly settled herself back onto her palette, closing her eyes in an attempt to find sleep. She doubted it would be wise to push the Warrior any further.

Silence engulfed the room once more. Aelora discovered herself slowly drifting off to sleep when she heard Terann say:

"Besides, Garibaldi’s ass is much nicer."

Terann's eyes snapped open. The room was still dark but she immediately sensed someone there. She could hear the Ranger across the room still sleeping soundly. As she allowed her mind to focus in on the intruder, a shudder went down her spine. She sat straight up on her palette and faced him. Why are you here? She asked him silently not wanting to awaken the sleeping human. Aelora was already suspicious of her and she did not want to have to explain why Neroon was in their quarters at this late hour.

"Do not ask questions, just follow." His voice was barely above a whisper but his tone suggested that she not argue.

After he had left the room, she sighed deeply and quickly dressed. She poked her head out into the corridor, ensuring that no one was around. Quietly shutting the door behind her, she quickly headed in the direction that she sensed Neroon had taken. After walking for several minutes she began to think he was playing games with her again. Approaching one of the Ranger training rooms, she looked in to see Neroon standing proudly, his back to her. She entered the room and waited silently for him to acknowledge her presence. He turned slowly to face the young woman, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Walking toward her he gave no indication of his intentions. As he continued to study her, he circled around behind her. Terann was tempted to touch his mind to try to determine what it was that he was doing. Once appearing satisfied he stepped in front of her meeting her eyes with his. "I have heard rumors of your fight with the ancient enemy. They say the war is not going well, that the Vorlons were hesitant to involve themselves, that many on our side have died trying to protect the smaller alien worlds, and that the Shadows are now planning a major offensive that will see the total annihilation of our forces. With that in mind it is only reasonable to assume that you will never return once you are gone."

"Your concern is touching, but misplaced. I accepted my fate long ago," she told him, not allowing her voice to betray her apprehension of what was to come. There were far too many things to suggest that her death would be a simple release.

"You misunderstand me. I am not concerned for you, as a warrior does not fear death. I simply brought you here to determine where your heart truly lies. Are you truly the warrior you claim to be, or has your mind been clouded by the delusions of the religious caste."

She took a step toward him, not as a threat but to simply emphasize her point. "My heart has always been with my caste. Even when you saw fit to shun me, I still remain loyal to our people."

A smile full of danger crossed the warrior's face. "Perhaps. We shall see." He stepped back and drew his denn'bok.

Terann studied Neroon briefly, finding it difficult to believe that he would trust her not to use her talent. Surely he was aware that she could injure him severely with nothing more than a thought. "You hesitate," he said pulling her from her reverie. "Maybe you are more presumptuous than I thought."

Terann did not respond, instead she removed her pike from under her cloak and opened it. She held the black weapon in front of her anticipating his actions. He stepped back and flicked his pike aiming clearly for her head. She quickly sidestepped, and brought her weapon around to have it connect with his side. He spun on his heel to face her again, this time more wary of her. He made several attempts to strike her with it again, but each time she was able to block him with her own pike. "You have been trained well, now show me that you are one of us."

She absorbed his words and quickly reacted to them. She feigned attacking from the right and as he began to respond she brought her pike around from the left and struck the side of his head. He appeared shocked and she seized the opportunity to bring her denn'bok in from underneath, and hit him twice with it, in the ribs. With the second blow she heard a satisfying crunch. She felt a rush of adrenaline pass over her, but she would not allow it to overwhelm her. Neroon recovered quickly, his anger storming through him. She could feel it sweep over her threatening to drown her. She stepped back trying to ease her mind but he followed her movements, lunging at her again. She attempted to block him but he quickly pulled back to bring his weapon violently behind her knees. She fell to the floor and before she could react he began shouting at her. "Get up!" He commanded. "Prove to me that you are Warrior Caste."

She quickly scrambled to her feet barely avoiding being struck again. She quickly touched his mind trying to determine what his next course of action would be. She was unsuccessful, as his thoughts were erratic, everything was shadowed by his rage. He took advantage of her momentary lapse and proceeded to land two well placed blows, one to her left temple the other squarely to her stomach. She felt a small trickle of blood form on her brow, but she chose to ignore it. Her stomach screamed in pain, but she only allowed it to feed her will. When he threatened to strike her again, she swiftly brought her weapon in to block him. She spun around using her momentum to slam her pike into his jaw. Before he was able to recover she knocked his denn'bok from his hand and violently kicked him in the abdomen. He stumbled backward trying unsuccessfully to gain his footing. He landed hard on his back and before he could get back on his feet Terann brought her foot down forcefully on his chest. She pointed the end of her pike squarely at his smug face. "De farhurst?" she asked him a smile forming on her face.

He nodded, conceding to her. As he felt her begin to release him, he brought his arm up, grabbing her weapon and throwing her to the ground. Her pike slipped from her grip and landed several meters away. Neroon quickly rolled over to her, pinning her arms above her head. She could sense his anger had vanished, and the smile that began to show on his face confirmed this.

"You have spirit," he said finally, his voice softer than she had ever known it to be. "Perhaps we were wrong about you. Perhaps I was wrong about you."

Terann could feel her heart pounding in her chest. He towered over her, his face close enough that she could feel his breath. For a brief moment she found herself entranced by his dark eyes. A wave of confusion washed over her as he brought his face closer to her, and when his lips gently touched hers she found herself responding to him in kind. She quickly regained her senses and summoning her strength she violently pushed him off of her. Without looking back to him, she stormed toward the doorway. The young woman paused only briefly to look back to her weapon where it lay across the room. She summoned it to her with her mind, and once it was in her hand she turned and raced out the door. She ran back to her quarters, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. Terann opened the door quietly, so as not to awaken Aelora. After having closed it, she leaned against it allowing herself to find solace in the darkness that permeated the room. She mentally chided herself for having allowed herself to succumb to such feelings, especially for Neroon. At the thought of him, she felt her stomach tighten. How could she have permitted him to kiss her? She blamed the loss of her senses on the exhilaration of the fight. She sat for a long time, huddled at the door her knees brought up to her chest. When her heart gradually began to slow, she found her way back to her palette. Before lying back, Terann cast a quick glance at the Ranger. She could have sworn she saw Aelora move. She shook her head, dismissing it as paranoia. Lying back, she eagerly welcomed the sleep that rapidly fell over her.

Terann’s eyes opened quickly, her gaze scanning the darkness around her. She reached out with her mind, felt Aelora sleeping peacefully across the room (the Minbari could swear a cataclysmic explosion would not wake the Ranger) and touched on the presence of two others just outside the door. Relieved to discover that it was not Neroon again, yet not sensing danger, Terann still reached for her denn’bok, tucking it securely in the palm of her hand before slipping off her palette and going to the door.

"Who is there?" She whispered.

"It is Turval." Silence, followed by muffled voices. "And Durhann." The voice was slightly exasperated.

Terann’s brow furrowed in surprise. What were they doing visiting at such a late hour? For that matter, what were Turval and Durhann visiting them for at all?

"Hurry up and open the door girl!" Durhann shouted from outside.

Terann jumped back, quickly giving the command for the door to open. Durhann stomped in followed by a slightly more sedate Turval. Terann inclined her head to both in silent greeting, reflexively flinching when Durhann hollered:

"Lights!" The lighting blared to life in the room, causing Terann to squint for the next few moments. "I do not enjoy sneaking about the dark like thieves," Durhann grumbled, directing his comment toward Turval.

"No," Turval replied to him, shaking his head. "The Warrior caste would much prefer to come thundering in and wake the entire planet."

Terann did her best to hide her smile at their antics. The Warrior caste paired with the Religious caste was such an unlikely occurrence that the thought itself was amusing. The fact that these two great teachers appeared to consider each other as a friend was highly surprising. Terann found herself thinking of her friendship with Aelora and realized that there were those who would consider it in the same light.

"Where in Valen’s name is Aelora?!" Durhann bellowed.

"Sleeping, master," Terann replied quietly.

The Warrior threw up his hands as if beseeching the heaven’s, then pushed past Terann to head over to the slumbering Ranger. He stared down at her peaceful form for a moment, shaking his head. Then he pulled out his denn’bok, activating it near Aelora so that one end slammed into her ribs, knocking her off the other side of the palette.

"Ouch!" She screeched, jumping to her feet, holding her hands over her now twice bruised rib cage. "What in the galaxy was that for?"

Durhann closed his weapon. "That was for sleeping through an attack by the enemy."

Aelora glanced around the room quizzically. "I don’t see any enemies."

Turval chuckled, receiving a warning glare from Durhann. "Do not encourage her."

"Oh, come now." Turval walked over to Terann, taking her arm in his and leading her to where the Warrior and Ranger stood facing one another. "We did not come here to teach, old friend. We came to inform."

Terann looked over at Turval in question. "Inform us of what, master?"

"We have received a communication from Delenn," he answered, his eyes focusing on her. "She has requested that you return immediately."

"But we just got here," Terann replied in confusion.

"Yes, I know. But it appears that the Shadows are moving openly now, increasing their attacks. A great battle is forming, and you are needed to offer your assistance."

Terann cast a quick glance at Aelora, who stood frowning at the floor. She knew the Ranger did not agree with Terann’s decision to help with the war, knew that Aelora felt as if they were simply using Terann and cast her aside when it was over. But what Aelora did not understand was that Terann’s destiny had been decided long ago. She truly did not have a choice in the matter. Whether she stood by Delenn’s side or not, she still had an obligation to help defeat the Shadows.

"Very well. When are we to leave?"

"They have all ready designated a White Star to pick you up. They should arrive sometime tomorrow."

Terann nodded. "Then I shall prepare."

Durhann grunted, muttering something about the Shadow war that was incomprehensible to the others but they could tell by his tone that he was displeased.

"Well." Aelora laced her hands together, rocking back on her heels. "This is lucky for you, Durhann. I was going to repay you for the receipt of my many bruises but…" She shrugged. "I guess this time I’ll have to let you off."

The Warrior’s expression clearly said all it needed to in regards to her remark. Still, he reached into his tunic and withdrew a denn’bok. "To follow through on such threats, you need one of these, young one," he said, tossing the weapon to her.

Aelora caught it swiftly, turning it over in her hand in confusion. It was a dark forest green, with tiny embedded crystals of a lighter sea-green.

"It was your fathers," Durhann told her softly. "I think he would have wanted you to have it."

Aelora gripped it tightly in her hand for a moment, allowing the memory of Jeffrey Sinclair to wash over her. I had a destiny to fulfill, Aelora. We all do. Never, ever forget that…

"Well, perhaps we should leave these two alone to get some rest before their journey," Turval suggested, steering Durhann toward the door.

The Warrior turned once to glance back at the human. "Oh, and Aelora?"

"Yes, master?"

"Don’t lose that one."

Aelora paced back and forth on the landing pad, casting furtive glances every now and again toward Terann, who stood silently at the edge of the site. For her part, Terann appeared completely unperturbed by the recent changing of events. Aelora found herself hating the quiet calm the Minbari exuded. She wished, just once, that she could see Terann pace around like some caged animal. That was how Aelora felt at the moment; trapped. Terann was returning to Babylon 5, to remain true to her word and help in the fight against the Shadows. But Aelora knew that she could not let her do it alone. Once they returned, Aelora would have to admit that she was telepathic as well and that meant…

Psi Corps.

"You do not have to go back, you know," Terann spoke softly, reading the trepidation and questions that flooded the human’s mind. "You could stay here, return to Centauri Prime – the galaxy has unlimited possibilities for you."

"I’m sorry. I don’t quite see it that way," Aelora replied, coming to a halt in the center of the pad, her arms folded over her chest. "And how the hell are you so calm about all of this?"

"I made my choice long ago, Aelora. I am simply following through with my destiny."

"But don’t you feel like a lap dog?"

Terann allowed a small frown. "Though I do not know this term you speak, I do understand the context you use it in. And I am not allowing my feelings to interfere with choices all ready made."

Aelora smiled. "Then you are upset."

"Enough to snap the Starkiller in two," she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that."

The Minbari forced a pleasant smile. "But I will not allow my emotions to take control of me," she commented pointedly.

Aelora flashed her a disbelieving look.

"You had best make your decision quickly," Terann informed her. "And move out of the way."

Aelora glanced up to see a shuttle fast approaching the exact spot where she stood. She sprinted out of the way, coming to a halt beside Terann. Both stood silently as they watched the flyer come to a landing in front of them. A few moments later, the boarding ramp slowly opened and a human Ranger emerged.

Aelora nudged Terann with her elbow, pushing her a few inches forward. "Go on. There’s your destiny."

Terann turned to cast a frown at Aelora, discovering that her friend was having difficulty not bursting into laughter. She shook her head in amazement at the human’s antics then turned to proceed forward to meet the Ranger, Aelora close on her heels.

"Greetings, Terann, Aelora." The Ranger bowed before both, offering a friendly smile. "I am Tyler. I was sent by Entil’zah Delenn to escort you back to Babylon 5."

"Thank you, Tyler," Terann replied. "Have you heard much regarding the Shadows movements?"

"Only that they are attacking more frequently and more openly, Terann. The races are gathering now at Babylon 5 to plan our retaliation."

Terann nodded, glancing once more at Aelora. Now is your choice, Aelora. You do not have to go. I will understand.

What? And let you have all of the fun? I think not, my friend.

The Minbari smiled and turned back to Tyler who was looking from one to the other in confusion. He could tell that something had just occurred between them, as if they had spoken to one another without speaking. But he had been told that only the Minbari was a telepath. Aelora was simply a Ranger who had been assigned to escort the Minbari to her homeworld…wasn’t she?

"I believe we should be going if we are to arrive at the scheduled time," Terann suggested, watching as the human male flew through various degrees of confusion.

"Yah," Aelora snorted. "Great Maker forbid they finish the war without us."

She received a warning look from the Minbari in response to her remark.

"Huh? Oh…yes, of course." Tyler stepped back to allow Terann and Aelora to enter the shuttle.

The shuttle trip to the ship was uneventful. Once they reached the vessel, Tyler took the time to introduce them to the other Rangers who were assigned to the White Star 4, all of whom appeared somewhat subdued around the Warrior. Aelora found this curious, and somewhat amusing. She continued to taunt Terann throughout their tour of the ship, silently in her mind, so that Tyler could not hear. Finally, the Minbari came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the corridor, focusing her gaze for a brief second on the male Ranger.

"If you will excuse me, I need to teach my friend here a brief lesson," she said with a slight inclination of her head then turned to Aelora who was regarding her with a cocked brow.

I could make you utter sighs like spoo for the rest of the trip.

You could not.

Do not tempt me, human. You have obviously not dealt with the anger of an all ready frustrated Minbari.

Aelora rolled her eyes, causing Terann to purse her lips.

Very well. Terann focused her thoughts, slowly pushing her way into Aelora’s mind and then, before the human could force her out, she sent a very detailed picture to her: of a very obese, very naked, Centauri male. Aelora screeched in disgust, shoving Terann out of her mind with every ounce of force she possessed, flashing a glare at the Minbari who was doubled over in laughter. Tyler continued to glance from one to the other in confusion, having no idea what was going on but coming to the conclusion that Captain Sheridan and Entil’zah Delenn had been wrong in their information regarding the Ranger Aelora.

"Come, my friend," Terann spoke, attempting to still her laughter as she reached a hand out to touch Aelora’s arm. "You can not say you did not deserve that after all your teasing."

"No crime was worth that," Aelora muttered, though a smile was forming.

Terann turned to Tyler. "I think Aelora and I could use some rest now. We received very little sleep once we learned we were returning to Babylon 5."

"Of course." Tyler nodded. "I must return to the bridge anyway. Should either of you need anything, you know where to find us."

Aelora and Terann watched as the Ranger moved off and then glanced at one another and fell to laughing once more. They knew that they had given Tyler something to talk about on his return to the bridge and looked forward to the rumors that would surely follow. Terann had been right about their needing rest though, for once they reached the crew quarters, they both collapsed into fitful sleep.

Where am I?

Aelora found herself standing in a small, darkened room. There was no adornment, no furniture, no carpeting. Nothing but four blank walls and a door.

I must be dreaming. I should be on the White Star.

The door opened and in walked a man of medium height and build, with thick, dark hair and a smile that seemed a cross between innocence and malevolence. She discovered herself backing away from his very presence.

"Hello, Aelora Kyra. I trust you are well?"

"How do you know my name? Who are you?"

He continued to smile at her, his expression one of unwavering patience. "If you must call me by name, it is Mr. Morden…We have been waiting for you for a very long time. Now that you are finally here, we can make your every wish come true."

Wake up! Wake up, Aelora!

"Where am I?" She heard herself persisting. "Who is ‘we’? How did I get here?"

"What do you want?"

The words were spoken plainly, in a concise, firm manner. Still, Aelora found herself puzzling over the question. "What?"

"What do you want?"

Open your eyes, Aelora! Wake up before you answer him!

"What do I want? How about some answers to my questions?"

Morden smiled. Shook his head. "No, Aelora. What do you want?"

Aelora felt the question to the very core of her being. It was the first time anyone had asked her what she wanted and did not insist on what they wanted for her. The question was so fundamentally simple and yet held implications beyond belief. His words echoed throughout the room.

"What do you want, Aelora Kyra?"

Wake up now!

"What do I want? How about a little respect? How about a sense that I can make a difference with this ridiculous ‘gift’ of mine? I want people to notice me, to listen to me, maybe…maybe even fear me a little. I want…a purpose, a reason…a family."

Morden’s smile expanded slightly. "We will be your family, Aelora Kyra. And we will grant you what you want."

You are lost! Great Maker forgive you! Why did you not awaken?

Aelora heard herself ask the question she should have been most frightened of. "When?"

"When we need you, you will know."

The door slammed shut behind him though Aelora had never seen him move from the room. A sound, like claws scratching against metal, began to permeate from all corners of the room and Aelora found herself feeling trapped, hunted. She covered her ears to block out the noise but it only grew louder until it shook the walls around her. She dropped to her knees as the room crumbled, the feeling that the world was closing in around her growing stronger, more insistent. Then, she saw them. Crawling out of the darkness, appearing to be darkness themselves, they were nightmares with legs. Spider-like in nature yet appearing more sinister and evil than any horror imagined, they closed in on her, their legs clicking and scraping against the metal. They whispered her name though they spoke no words and when she denied their existence to herself, they sent their siren call.

"Stay away from me!" She screamed.

Yet they continued to come, closing around her, reaching out to her…

…You are lost…

Aelora awoke screaming.

She sat up quickly, only beginning to realize where she was when she almost fell off the sleeping palette.

"Lights," she called out in barely a whisper, unable to catch her breath from the racing beat of her heart. She clenched her hands around the edges of the palette, attempting to calm the shaking of her limbs. It was only a nightmare, she told herself. But a voice in the back of her mind said differently. Like a distant memory that appeared too impossible to exist in reality, the events of the nightmare remained fresh in her mind. Perhaps in not quite the way they had been portrayed by her subconscious but close enough.

One month was missing from her life. One month. One month that the Minbari refused to speak of, that her father had forbidden her to ever, ever think of. One month! What had happened to her? What ---

…Aelora…

Her name whispered across her mind. It was not spoken exactly but more of a feeling; it called to her.

…Aelora…

She stood, her eyes focusing inward on the mental image of her name. Invisible hands pulled at her, drew her forward, touching her, holding her. A whispered thought echoed through her mind over and over again. It spoke only one word:

Now…

Terann paced before the viewscreen, her mind a myriad of thoughts and questions. For the past several days, she had been awakened from sleep by strange dreams of which she could remember no more than an echo of later. They were not necessarily terrifying, that much she did know, but they had been disturbing. The most recent one though, had qualified as frightening, at least enough so that she could not get back to sleep. For the past hour she had paced before the viewscreen, wishing that she could sleep as peacefully as the human had been when she had left.

It just did not make sense, Terann told herself for what seemed the hundredth time. She remembered this particular nightmare with unbelievable clarity but still could not understand it. Dreams were important for telepaths because they often hinted at the future, or reminded one of the past. Either way, she was certain the dream was meant to tell her something, to warn her of something to come.

She and Aelora had been standing in a giant arena that was crowded with beings of every race in the stands. At one end of the arena Kosh stood, silent and unmoving. At the other end was a Shadow creature, almost completely swallowed up by the darkness, only discernible by its many glowing eyes. The roar of the crowd was deafening but Terann could not make out what was being shouted at them. Suddenly, a line of people formed between Aelora and her, the group consisting of Delenn, Captain Sheridan, Garibaldi, Lennier, the Ranger Marcus, Neroon and others. Kosh’s musical voice had called out, "And so it begins…" and Terann found herself focusing her gaze on Delenn’s aide, Lennier. With a single thought, she sent him up in a ball of flames. She looked up to see Aelora focusing on Garibaldi. In seconds the security chief had imploded into a puddle of blood, organs and bones. This continued on through the line. First Terann would pick her victim and then Aelora, and they continued to use new and inventive techniques of doing so. Soon, only Delenn and Sheridan were left. Delenn reached her arms out to Terann, as if imploring her not to continue but Terann heard herself laughing at the Minbari Ambassador as she began to shred her skin from her body, piece by piece. Aelora attacked Sheridan with equal vengeance until the only ones left alive inside the arena were the two telepaths. The crowd’s roar grew in pitch until Terann thought her head would burst from the intensity of it. It seemed as if every soul in the universe were screaming out at them. Then, she felt the human focus her attention on attacking the Minbari, she felt the invisible hands reaching inside her head and scraping at her brain as if attempting to pull it right out of her skull. "Destroy her!" Kosh commanded from the sidelines and Terann found herself setting out to do just that. Only, each time they attempted to attack one another, their aim was redirected and would kill handfuls of spectators instead. On and on it went until the arena itself ran like a river with the blood that flowed from their slaughter. Eventually, only four beings remained alive: Kosh, the Shadow creature, Terann and Aelora. "Together or apart," Kosh spoke, his voice rising above the din of the bloody river. "One must sleep for the other to survive." The two females looked at one another and Terann had the strong feeling that neither of them was going to survive the next few moments. That was when she woke up, before she was given any answers to what had occurred and why.

"We will be arriving at Babylon 5 in one hour," the Minbari Ranger, Eisonn, spoke to her from the navigation console.

Terann snapped out of her reverie, nodded to him. "Have you informed them of our arrival?"

"Yes, Terann."

She nodded once more, turned back to look out at the starfield. Ever since Delenn had sent her and Aelora to Minbar, Terann had the strange suspicion that something was going to change. Aelora had even admitted to having the same premonition. Certainly, they had grown closer during their forced time together. Terann believed that she could honestly say she had a human friend now but she did not believe that the coming change stemmed from something so simple and inconsequential. No. There was more to it than that.

That was when she heard them.

Terann, the time has come.

She knew the musical toned voices well but did not understand why they were speaking to her now. Sometimes, late at night, she could hear them singing to her in her sleep. But here, now, made little sense. What were they telling her?

She is dying with them. The galaxy stands alone. Understanding is irrelevant.

Terann’s eyes widened as the wail of the Shadows pierced through her mind.

"Terann!" The human Ranger, Tyler, called from near the scanners. "We are detecting two…no, three Shadow vessels approaching fast!"

Terann paid little attention to what was being said though, for her attention was focused on the doorway, where Aelora silently stood, her eyes the color of Shadows.

"Terann! They are gaining on us!"

Terann pulled her gaze away from Aelora to glance at Tyler. "Evasive maneuvers! Get us out of here!"

Hurried to do her bidding and for a moment, they felt the ship leap to life beneath them – then come to a shuddering halt. They all looked over at Eisonn, who glanced up at Terann with a look of helpless confusion.

"Report!"

"I…I do not understand", Eisonn replied, shaking his head. "All engines have shut down – "

"Well, start them back up!"

He looked up at Terann, shaking his head. "I can’t."

The Warrior forced back the fear that threatened to surface and turned calmly toward Aelora. "You have done this," she accused.

"You will not survive, Minbari," Aelora spoke but it was not her voice. It was a mixture of voices, gravelly, dark. "The wait is over. Our time has come, and you, can not stop us."

Terann’s brow furrowed in confusion. She was about to ask what was going on when she felt a strange invasion of her mind. It was similar to how it felt whenever Kosh entered into her mind only more powerful. She staggered against the force of it, pain shooting through her head at the pressure then, a feeling as if someone were shoving her back, pushing her into a dark corner of herself. She suddenly could not move, could not see what was going on around her, silence reigned. She struggled to scream but discovered that she had no voice. What is happening? She thought frantically.

Silence! The commanding echo of the Vorlons reverberated through her. You have failed in your mission. It is time for us to end this. You will watch, and learn.

NO! Terann shouted, clawing at the walls of her mind for escape. Do not do this!

Her cries went unheard.

"The Shadows are locking on!" Tyler shouted, the panic evident in his voice.

Suddenly, the ship lurched beneath them, its engines coming back to life in enough time for them to barely dodge being struck by the enemy’s weapons. The Rangers all looked up at the two females, who now faced one another with hateful expressions, the human whose eyes were as dark as death, and the Minbari whose eyes glowed with light. Tyler was uncertain of what he should worry about the most; the Shadow vessels that were gaining on them, or the drama being played out before their eyes. He was about to turn to ask Eisonn if he had any clue as to what was going on when a piercing pain shot through his head. He clutched at his temples, glancing around to see that everyone but the two telepaths were doing the same, then a blessed darkness claimed him.

"This fight is between us," the musical voice of the Vorlons intoned. "You will leave them out of it."

"Their lives are worthless," came the Shadows reply and Aelora turned to the nearest Ranger, preparing to prove her point when her body was thrown backwards out of the bridge, slamming hard into the opposite wall. The door was then sealed shut tightly behind her, and Terann turned to destroy the approaching Shadow vessels.

Focusing on one, she saw it crumble in her mind’s eye, withering into a deformed hunk of indescribable nothingness. Slowly, the vessel collapsed into itself, finally imploding into a blaring ball of fire. Terann quickly focused her attention on the next closest ship, once more envisioning the destruction she wanted to create. Before she had projected her image onto the Shadow ship itself, she was flung hard to the ground with a bone crunching impact from the door that was blasted into her back. The Minbari felt the White Star once more come to a lurching halt and pushed herself up from the floor with a screeching wail.

"You can not win this!" The Vorlon’s warned their ancient enemy. "We have been preparing for this for ages. You are no match against us."

The ship attempted to pull from its hold once more, the sounds of it’s structural frame collapsing at the immense force being exerted against echoing throughout the bridge. It leaped to life once more, dodging away from harm as if the vessel itself were alive and running to protect itself. Terann turned in time to see the Captain’s chair rip the bolts from the floor and hurl itself toward her. She reacted quickly, deflecting it with an invisible shield so that it bounced off the navigation console. Aelora moved fast, focusing her gaze on the instrument panels, frying the circuits with a thought, the entire bridge around them flaring to life in flames. For a moment, the White Star almost slowed to a halt once more and Terann took the opportunity to rip a piece of metal sheeting from the bulkhead and slam it into Aelora’s stomach. The human uttered a Shadow-like wail, flinging back once more into the corridor, affording Terann the chance to return her attention to the second Shadow vessel and destroy it. When she was about to apply the same fate to the last enemy ship it quickly turned and disappeared into hyperspace.

It is over! Terann shouted from the prison of her mind. Let me out!

It is not over, the voices of the Vorlons returned. There is still one left.

Terann felt them scanning the ship, using their abilities combined with her own to seek out Aelora, to follow her. The Minbari continued to scratch at her mind, continued to demand answers to questions she had never before considered asking. Terann suddenly heard Aelora’s voice echo in her mind from the night before: "Here the Vorlons are, these supreme beings with incredibly advanced technology, who have been around for ages, and they’re asking for help from races who have barely begun to learn to stand on their own, let alone walk."

The telepath shouted to her captors, "You have used us all along, have you not? We are nothing but pawns, toys, things to be played with, then put back away until you need us again! Why do you not finish this yourselves? Why are we made to suffer?

SILENCE!

Terann screamed inside her head at the echoing voice that sounded throughout her body, causing her bones to feel as if they would snap at the reverberation. They had located Aelora, she knew, and they were right now on their way to find her, to destroy her. Can you hear me, my friend? You must get away! You must leave!

A haunting silence was her only reply.

"Commander." Lieutenant Corwin looked up from his console.

Commander Susan Ivanova finished her instructions to the incoming Drazi freighter then turned to regard the Lieutenant.

"We’re receiving a distress signal from the White Star."

Ivanova frowned. "What’s the message?"

"That’s the problem. It’s just a standard distress signal. Nothing verbal." Corwin shook his head, frowning. "I’ve been trying to raise someone for a few minutes but haven’t heard anything in response."

"What’s their ETA?" Ivanova asked, glancing out the window at the jumpgate.

"Five minutes."

Ivanova activated her comlink. "Ivanova to Sheridan."

"Sheridan. Go."

"Captain, I think we have a problem with the White Star." She explained the situation to him quickly, adding that the ship would be arriving at any moment.

"Have Zeta Squadron on stand-by and keep me posted. I’ll finish here and be on my way."

Ivanova put the Squadron on alert then turned to stare at the jumpgate, waiting for it to activate. Something gnawed at her but she could not seem to make sense of it. Instinct told her that trouble was coming and she wanted to be ready for it, no matter what it was.

"Commander." Corwin looked up. "Jumpgate activating."

There was a long moment of tense silence as the gate flared to life and the White Star appeared. Ivanova felt a brief pang of disappointment after having built up the anticipation of something spectacular happening. The sight of the lone ship was almost anti-climatic.

"Report."

Corwin looked over his monitor readings. "Life support is minimal, weapons systems are off line, power fluctuations throughout the ship…basically she’s just sitting there, dead in space."

The commander drummed her fingers against the console. "Have you been able to raise anyone yet?"

"No, ma’am."

Ivanova activated her link once more. "Captain, the White Star just came through the gate and –"

"Commander!"

"What is it?" Ivanova caught the slight panic in Corwin’s tone and turned to regard him.

"It’s the White Star, ma’am. Her engines just powered up – she’s on a collision course with the station."

Damn! I hate it when I am right. "Captain – "

"I heard," Sheridan replied. "Launch the Squadron but tell them not to do anything until I give the go ahead. Get a shuttle ready and have Garibaldi and Franklin meet me there. Put the station’s defense grid on stand-by. Sheridan out."

Ivanova set about to carrying out Sheridan’s orders calmly and efficiently even though she continued to glance out the window, watching as the ship drew ever closer. She noted that Corwin could not seem to take his gaze off the approaching ship and that everyone in C&C had grown uncharacteristically silent. Zeta Squadron took position around the ship, the shuttle carrying Sheridan, Garibaldi and Franklin hanging back.

"ETA to collision, two minutes, thirteen seconds."

"Any luck raising anyone?" Ivanova asked.

Corwin shook his head.

She sighed. "Ivanova to Zeta Squadron. Move into firing position of the engines. One shot only to stop that thing, understood?" Then she added under her breath, "We screw this up and we’re in big trouble."

Collectively, everyone in C&C seemed to hold their breath, watching as the White Star drew ever nearer. "ETA to collision, one minute thirty-two seconds" Lieutenant Corwin’s voice called out into the silence. Just when Ivanova began to wonder if the Squadron would be able to fire their tow cables in time to catch the ship, confused voices called out over the channel.

"What the --?"

"All systems have malfunctioned! Repeat all systems have malfunctioned!"

"Roger that! Mine are down as well!"

Ivanova felt a brief moment of panic that she quickly fought to restrain as the entire Squadron suddenly ceased to function. The Furys hung back, dead in space, useless to stop the threat to Babylon 5 that was growing increasingly dire.

"Commander!" Sheridan’s voice sounded over the channel. "Fire defense grid!"

Ivanova was about to bark the order when the White Star suddenly banked sharply to the left, barely missing the station as it passed by, causing more than a few of the crew a slight degree of fear. Just as it roared past, the Starfury’s systems came back on-line and they headed off in pursuit of the ship that was slowly coming to a halt. Ivanova was not about to take any more chances, watching with a keen eye as the shuttle moved to dock with the White Star, Zeta Squadron once more taking up position around it.

"Captain," she commented through the stellarcom. "I don’t think this is such a good idea."

"Concern noted, Commander," Sheridan returned. "We’re going in. I’ll check back once we have stabilized the situation. Sheridan out."

Ivanova rolled her eyes. Sheridan had a gift for understatement.

"Well now. Is everyone awake?" She asked with a cheery smile.

Lieutenant Corwin adjusted the controls on his console. "Just another day in C&C," he replied blandly.

Guiding Aelora’s body down to the hold where the navigation arrays were housed, the Shadows took their last stab at ending the war with one final stroke. The White Star was about to come out of hyperspace near the Earther’s space station and the dark enemy saw it as their opportunity to strike a deadly blow. Aelora’s hands pushed their way into the midst of the wiring, taking control of the ship through her fingers. When she felt the White Star drop out of hyperspace and gently begin to slow, she located Babylon 5 with her mind and set the vessel on a collision course with it.

Suddenly, small pieces of metal began tearing away from the walls and shooting into the human from every direction, knocking her away from the equipment. Wires came loose, dancing over her skin like deadly snakes, leaving burns wherever they touched. Aelora scrambled to her feet, turning to see Terann approaching, her gaze intent and deadly. The human grabbed at the very weapons being used against her and threw them back at the Minbari, watching in triumph as she flinched backwards from the pain. The Minbari fought back, using her thoughts to break Aelora’s ribs inward, rupturing her spleen. The human screamed out though it was the wail of the Shadows that erupted and the anger and pain only seemed to spur them on.

Deep in the recesses of her mind, Terann fought to somehow reach Aelora. She dimly understood that they were both somehow trapped by the warring races, being used as weapons against one another. Her nightmare had only been a foreshadowing of what was to come; if something were not done, they would destroy the galaxy in their attempt to destroy one another. She mentally called out Aelora’s name, beseeching her to hear, to fight against the darkness. She used very last bit of strength she possessed to hold the Vorlons at bay while she desperately searched for some sign of her friend. Despair began to take hold of the Minbari as each time she mentally pushed herself out to locate the human; she found nothing but emptiness, cold. Slowly, Terann began to believe that Aelora was no longer there. That perhaps the Shadows had destroyed her mind in order to take over her body. If that was truly the case then the battle was done. Terann would personally destroy the Shadows herself if need be, and then she would return to settle her score with the Vorlons.

Both telepaths were bloodied and bruised, exhausted beyond reason, yet they continued to struggle for control of the vessel. Sounds of the bulkhead tearing away from it’s frames were heard throughout the ship, wires cracked and sizzled where they were snapped in two and still Aelora and Terann battled to destroy one another. Aelora used her mind to slam a beam hard into Terann’s abdomen, knocking her backward out of the hold. She then returned to her attempt to control the White Star when her throat suddenly began to constrict. Invisible fingers tightened around her neck, slowly preventing any air to exchange in or out. The human clawed at her throat to relieve the pressure but there was nothing to claw at. The hold was too tight to throw off and the telepath’s power was quickly weakening. As Aelora collapsed to the floor, in one last burst of strength, she rolled over to face the Minbari.

"It…ends…here," the Shadows informed their enemy. Aelora lurched forward to grab onto the Minbari’s ankle, using every last ounce of energy to see into her cell structure and cause her body to destroy itself from the inside out. She communicated instructions to DNA strands, dormant viruses, anything that would help in bringing about the end of the Minbari’s life.

Terann watched silently as Aelora slowly drifted into unconsciousness from the lack of oxygen. With a strength and power that she had quietly been reserving, she forced the Vorlon hold against her back, pulling their deadly grip on Aelora’s throat away, before the human’s heart had ceased to beat. She felt the Vorlons flee from her mind and her body quickly collapsed beneath her, her legs no longer having the strength to hold her up.

What is happening? Terann found herself asking the approaching darkness.

We are sorry it had to be this way, she heard the Vorlons reply. But your work here is done.

No, Terann argued as the darkness swept over her. No…

Garibaldi was the first to step off the shuttle into the docking bay. His PPG at the ready, he glanced around the empty room, frowning at the silence. That was the main problem. Everything was too silent. He hated silence. Noise at least gave someone a clue as to what was occurring; by listening to the sounds, one could formulate the appropriate precautions and actions to take. But this…He looked back to see Sheridan walking out of the shuttle, coming to a halt in the middle of the ramp. Garibaldi did not believe he could be any more reckless if he stood in the middle of the ship screaming, "Here I am! I’m weaponless! Come and get me!" One of these days, the security chief thought, he’s going to do something really foolish and I am not going to be there to bail him out of it. Franklin stepped out a bit more cautiously but immediately began scanning the area for any possible patients.

"Looks like they forgot to roll out the red carpet," Garibaldi commented dryly.

Sheridan walked past him, ignoring the remark. "I think we should check the bridge. That’s where most of the crew should be."

"Operative word, that ‘should’," Garibaldi mumbled to the doctor as he walked by.

Franklin nodded his agreement and followed the Captain out of the bay.

As they headed toward the control bridge, they quickly discovered that the rest of the White Star was as the docking bay; empty. And it appeared to be for a good reason.

"Looks like a battle took place in here," Garibaldi remarked, as he stepped near the bulkhead to have a closer look at the burnt scoring. He grimaced at the fallen steel girders that blocked their path through the corridor, causing them to climb over them.

"Think someone boarded?" Franklin asked, careful to step around a detached piece of metal that still glowed red from heat.

The security chief shook his head, frowning. "Nope." His frown deepened and he glanced over at Sheridan. "This damage looks awfully familiar."

Before the Captain could question him as to why, they reached the bridge and fell into shocked silence. Franklin darted over to the nearest Ranger, a Minbari, though he had an entire crew of them to choose from. Sheridan quickly knelt next to him while Garibaldi surveyed the damage. The area itself appeared as if it had some electrical fire, every instrument was charred to a crisp. The command chair lay five feet from where it should have been and enormous structural cracks could be seen in the walls. Garibaldi doubted it was safe to even be there.

"They’re all unconscious," Franklin reported, after having checked the last Ranger. "Other than that, there appears to be nothing wrong with them."

Sheridan frowned. "Can you wake one of them? We need to know what has happened. Where Terann is."

"And Aelora," Garibaldi added, the safety of his best friend’s daughter his chief concern. The way he figured it, if something had happened to the Minbari Warrior that was one less Teep to worry about.

Franklin injected a stimulant into one of the human Rangers, holding him while he awoke.

"Wha --? Where -- ?"

"Easy," Franklin instructed him. "You’re okay. Can you tell us what happened?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, then glanced around the bridge. "It…everything was fine then…then some Shadow vessels appeared. We tried…tried to evade them but then our engines went off-line. That’s when we saw Aelora…She was standing in the doorway and seemed…different. Terann…Terann and her, they started saying things to one another, none of it made sense. But I could tell they were angry. Hateful even. The White Star, she started to move again, and then the instruments began to fry. That…that is the last thing I remember."

Sheridan watched the Ranger intently, a feeling of unease rising with each word said. He glanced back at Garibaldi, noting that the chief’s expression displayed an impressive degree of confusion. The Captain turned back. "Is there anything else that may be helpful to us? Did Terann appear to be using her telepathic abilities?"

"They both were."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Garibaldi shook his head. "What do you mean they both were? Ae is not telepathic."

The Ranger nodded. "Yes, she is. Aelora and Terann were speaking to one another without speaking from the moment they arrived onboard. And Aelora…I believe that she is the one who fried our instruments."

Sheridan ran his hand over his face. "This doesn’t sound good," he commented, with what Franklin thought was an uncanny amount of understatement. "We had best split up so that we can find them."

"I don’t think splitting up is wise, Captain."

"Your concern is duly noted, Chief," Sheridan replied, wondering for a moment why all of his officers insisted on treating him like a young child. "Doc, you stay with the crew, contact Ivanova and have her get some Med teams and extra security over here stat. Chief, let’s go find our Teeps."

Locating Aelora and Terann did not take long. Garibaldi followed the path of greatest destruction until he came to the section of the vessel where the navigation arrays were housed. All around him, the ship appeared ready to simply crumble apart. The bulkhead was cracked and burned, live wires hung in every direction, girders lay scattered about and, in the midst of it all, laying silent and unmoving, were the Ranger and the Warrior. Garibaldi hurried over to Aelora’s side, quick to search for signs of a pulse. It was faint but it was still there.

"Garibaldi to Franklin and Sheridan. I found them. We’re at the navigation arrays…or what’s left of them."

"Be right there," Sheridan replied.

"What are their conditions?" Franklin asked.

The chief glanced over his shoulder at the Minbari then looked down once more at Aelora. "Not good, doc. Not good at all."

While he waited for the others to arrive, Garibaldi spent the time examining what he could see of Aelora’s wounds.. He had seen the effects of the Minbari’s rampage once before and it angered him to see that Jeff’s daughter had suffered it. She did not respond to his attentions and by the time Sheridan and Franklin arrived, Garibaldi’s anger at the Minbari had grown.

Franklin was closest to Aelora, so he stopped to examine her first while Sheridan moved over to the Minbari. Like the Ranger, she too suffered the marks of cuts, burns and bruises but otherwise there was little about her physically that appeared damaged. Except for her skin, which seemed a sickly yellow, Sheridan did not believe she was otherwise harmed in any way.

"How is she?" Garibaldi inquired of Franklin as he checked the readings on her vital signs.

"Not good," Franklin replied grimly. "There’s internal bleeding, broken ribs, looks like her spleen+ is ruptured. Much more and she would not be alive right now. Whatever the Minbari was attempting to do to her, she stopped just short of actually killing her. Had it taken ten more minutes for us to find her, she wouldn’t have a chance. We need to get her back to Med Lab stat."

The security chief clenched his fists, whirling around with the intent of causing some harm to the Minbari when he found himself halted by Sheridan’s hand against his chest. He looked at the Captain questioningly only to find Sheridan nodding toward Terann. He followed his gaze to discover the Minbari looking back at them, her eyes slightly glazed, tired.

"Terann," Sheridan said gently. "What happened?"

"I…" Her voice was weak, ragged, her breaths coming in short gasps. "I had…to do it. I had to…stop her. Could…could not let her…kill us…you…"

"Aelora wouldn’t kill – "

Sheridan held up his hand to stop Garibaldi. Franklin moved next to them, running his scanner over Terann’s body. His forehead continued to crease the longer he checked the readings.

"I – I don’t understand…"

"What is it, doc?" The Captain inquired.

"Her cell structure appears to be breaking down." He glanced at the readings more closely, confused as to what his readings were telling him, then dismissing it as a mistake. He continued to check the screen, watching in fascination as the readings continued to fluctuate. "It is as if her body is eating itself from the inside out. I have never seen anything like it." He looked at the Minbari, worried that he might upset her by saying too much.

Terann offered him a weak smile. "She is strong…I did not realize how very…" Her eyes closed then and she drifted back into unconsciousness.

"We need to get both of them back to Med Lab," Franklin informed them. "In all honesty, I don’t know what I can do for the Minbari but I need to get Aelora’s bleeding stopped as soon as possible. And make them both as comfortable as we can."

"Right." Sheridan nodded. "Michael, you get some team’s in here and try to piece together what the hell went on. If any of those Rangers wake up I want to talk to them ASAP."

"Wait a minute," Garibaldi argued. "I want those two watched at all times. We need to have some security on them. Do you see the same amount of damage around here that I do?"

The Captain sighed. "Very well. But first, let’s get these two out of here and let the doctor take care of them." He shook his head. "I don’t know how I am going to explain this to Delenn."

Garibaldi and Franklin sympathized. Explaining this to anyone was going to be a real treat.

You are lost…

Aelora ran down the dark corridor, hearing their pursuit behind her, gaining ever closer. They whispered her name, beckoned her back into their dark hell, and promised her safety. But she refused to listen to their promises, refused to fall further into their trap. Her search for salvation was ahead of her, and she continued on toward it. She saw the end of the tunnel, but the faster she ran, the further it seemed to pull away from her, as if mocking her attempt to escape. Aelora was tired; both her mind and body ready to surrender but her heart refused to listen.

A light appeared before her and she sped up, wondering if at last she had reached the corridor’s end. When she approached though, she found that the corridor had widened into a large circular room. In the middle lay a raised palette, and on that palette, lay Terann, silent and unmoving. Aelora hurried over to her, clasping onto her arm and shaking her.

"Terann! You have to help me! They are after me!…Terann?…Terann?" Aelora shook her once more, only then realizing that the Minbari was very cold, like ice. She touched her skin and found that Terann was indeed nothing but a block of ice, unanimated, frozen.

Aelora backed away from her, hearing her pursuers in the distance, growing ever closer. "Terann," she pleaded once more, as if in hope of her friend awakening from her crystalline prison. "Help me, please."

She was greeted only by silence.

The Ranger sidestepped her way around the palette until she reached the continuation of the corridor. She flashed one final glance behind her, not surprised to find that the room had disappeared, replaced by the tunnel she had been traveling through.

…You are lost…

Aelora felt them drawing near, the chill of their presence sweeping over her skin. She turned and continued down the corridor, once more running fast though her legs threatened to give out beneath her. The voices of her pursuers soon grew into high-pitched laughter, the sounds echoing through the tunnel, reverberating through her ears. She stumbled once and fell, felt them scratch at her ankles, but quickly picked herself up and hurried ahead. She came to a skidding halt when Jeffrey Sinclair suddenly appeared before her. He was dressed in full EarthForce uniform, his hair shorter than she remembered, darker.

"Father, help me, please!" She begged. "They are after me!"

Sinclair regarded her steadily. "I’m sorry, but I do not know you."

"It’s me, father! Aelora! Your daughter!"

"I’m sorry but I do not have a daughter, " he answered calmly.

"Yes, you do! Don’t you remember? You trained me to be a Ranger, like you!"

The image of Sinclair slowly began to fade away. "But you are not like me. You are not my daughter."

"Father!" She reached out to grab him but he was gone.

…You are lost…

"No!" Aelora plunged ahead into the darkness, refusing to give in to the terror behind her, refusing to give in to the fear that clenched at her heart. You are stronger than this Aelora, she said to herself. Fight it. You always have before.

"Aelora…"

The voice came from ahead, a beloved voice she never thought to hear again.

"Mother?"

"Aelora…"

"I am coming, mother!" She shouted, forcing her legs to move faster.

"Aelora…" The voice of Soria Campbell called out to her. "You are alone…"

"No!" Aelora faltered in her steps, her legs refusing to move any faster, her heart giving up the battle to continue. "I’m not alone! Don’t leave me!"

Suddenly, she lurched forward, as if her feet were swept out behind her. She fell face first to the floor, momentarily stunned. As she slowly gathered her wits about her, she began to realize that the floor was changing beneath her. The reason she had been thrown forward was because her feet had become stuck in black, quicksand-like ooze that was sucking her into it. She began clawing desperately at the floor in front of her, reaching for anything that she might be able to grab hold of.

"Help me!" She screamed, hoping that someone was left to hear her pleas. "Help me, please!"

It continued to suck her in, the blackness now engulfing her up to her knees. Their whispers floated up to her, beckoning her to join them, to free herself. She struggled against them but found no leverage, slipping deeper into the ooze. By now, she had sank to her hips, her cries fast becoming hysterical.

"Please! Someone! Help me!" She screamed, her fingers scraping along the metal floor as the ooze pulled at her. "I don’t want to die," she whimpered. "Please, don’t let me die."

She sank further, until it reached to her shoulder. She was fast expending her energy trying to escape the imprisoning blackness, the high-pitched laughter that rang through her ears. Her cries grew more frantic, almost incoherent as her hysteria mounted. Just when she was certain she would succumb to the madness that threatened to consume her, a gloved hand reached out to her.

"Aelora…"

She reached toward the offered lifeline, both fearing and welcoming it. Not knowing who or what it was offering her salvation, she hesitated.

"Aelora, I am here…"

Aelora knew the voice but could not place it. She trusted it though, and stretched to grab the hand. A feeling of safety coursed through her as she was gently pulled upward…

"Aelora, can you hear me?"

…I am not lost…

"Open your eyes…"

…salvation…

She blinked against the harsh glare of the Med Lab lights as her eyes slowly opened. She was immediately conscious of an aching pain throughout her body, a difficulty in swallowing.

"Can you hear me, Aelora?"

The Ranger was incredibly thirsty. She licked her lips in an attempt to dispel the cottony feel of her mouth. "G’Kar?"

The Narn leaned over into her line of vision. "How do you feel?"

"Of all the people to wake up to," she muttered her voice whisper-soft.

"You must be feeling better," G’Kar replied with a frown. "The insults come quickly."

"Great Maker!" Aelora struggled to sit up, accepting defeat after only lifting an inch off the bed. "I feel like the station just rolled over the top of me…what happened?"

"We were going to ask you the same thing," a voice called out from the doorway.

Aelora glanced over to see a doctor she did not recognize standing in the doorway. He was very handsome, tall with light brown skin and beautiful, intelligent eyes, and a commanding presence of one who was not easily pushed around. He approached the bed, watching her with a wary expression.

"You remember none of it?"

"Who are you?" She asked, mistrustful of speaking to a stranger.

"I’m Doctor Stephen Franklin. I have been in charge of treating your very strange, very mysterious injuries." He folded his arms over his chest. "Now, would you like to answer my question?"

Aelora closed her eyes for a moment.

"You were returning from Minbar," G’Kar prompted.

The memories came flooding back to her, though she saw them as if she were outside, looking in. How could I have done those things? She wondered in horrified fascination. This ‘gift’ is unreturnable. Will I forever be damned? Terann, you were going to kill me! Terann…

"Terann. Where is she?"

The Narn and the doctor looked at one another. Franklin dropped his arms, glancing at the chart he held as he did so. "The…Minbari…is in a coma. We can’t figure out what is wrong with her or how to help. There are things…" Franklin cut himself off, shook his head. Aelora knew what he was about to say, remembered all that she had dreamed, and began to fear for the secret her friend had harbored for so long. "I am afraid she is dying."

…your fault…

"I must help her." Aelora struggled to sit up, collapsing from exhaustion after only a minor exertion.

"I don’t see how there is anything you can do," Doctor Franklin commented, still regarding her with an expression comprised of fear, mistrust and a little awe. When he had seen the damage that had been caused by the two telepaths, to both the ship and each other, he had been full of disbelieving shock. "I don’t recall having heard that you are a doctor as well as a Ranger."

Aelora looked away from him to catch G’Kar’s gaze. "I’ve done this to her." She swallowed hard against the pain in her throat. "You know I can help. Please, G’Kar?"

It was the first time that she had ever requested anything of him and G’Kar knew he could not say no to her. He understood that those on the station feared both Aelora and the Minbari for the powers that they had exhibited but he believed he knew the human fairly well, even for all that she hid herself from him. He did not believe she would purposely harm anyone, no matter how tough she attempted to appear.

"I can’t agree to this," Franklin warned them as G’Kar helped her to sit up.

"I will take full responsibility," the Narn replied, slipping his arm around Aelora’s waist.

"I am under orders," the doctor barked.

G’Kar looked over at him sharply. "Would you let a patient die to follow those orders, Doctor Franklin?"

"I don’t understand – "

"You will."

G’Kar returned his attention to Aelora as she attempted to stand. Her legs buckled beneath her but G’Kar caught her before she fell, swinging her up into his arms.

"You are safe," he whispered against her hair, smiling as he felt her relax in his embrace. "You have changed, I think."

"I am simply too tired to argue with you, Narn," Aelora replied, but G’Kar caught the teasing tone in her voice.

Aelora glanced questioningly at the security guards posted at her door as G’Kar carried her toward the room where Terann lay. Like Aelora, she too had guards posted just outside her door. She wanted to ask G’Kar why they felt it necessary to guard two unconscious, seriously injured females but her attention quickly focused on Terann’s unmoving form.

"Bring me closer to her, G’Kar," she instructed. "I need to touch her."

G’Kar did as she bid him, bringing her close to the bed. Aelora reached out and took the Minbari’s hand in her own, wincing for a moment at the cold, lifeless feel of her. She briefly remembered her dream but pushed it aside, knowing that Terann was not lost to her yet. During the past five days, Aelora had become accustomed to hearing Terann in her thoughts, had grown used to the simple feel of her ‘being’, of feeling the life-force that made the Minbari who she was. But it was closed off to her now, locked away in some terrible place that the Vorlon’s, with Aelora’s help, had created for her. I am sorry, my friend, Aelora thought sadly, cursing the very abilities that had enabled her to become so close to the Minbari. She clenched the still hand in her own for a moment, then closed her eyes and withdrew into a part of herself that separated her from the human that she was. Briefly, she acknowledged the life in the room around her: G’Kar, whose very being she now understood on a molecular level; Doctor Franklin, from whom she felt intense curiosity and apprehension; Terann, whose recently unencountered genetic structure now made perfect sense to her. Aelora scanned through her, quieting the cells that the Shadows had caused her to reformat, breaking down the destruction they were creating and forcing them to rebuild. After that was done, she probed deeper, searching for the essence that was her friend.

Terann? Terann, it is me, Aelora. It is over, my friend. We are free of them. We have won. Come back. I need you.

Aelora felt the hand she held squeeze her own in reply. She opened her eyes to watch as Terann slowly awakened. She heard Franklin gasp beside her, and curse under his breath. She felt G’Kar’s smile over her head.

I thought I killed you, human.

Aelora smiled at her friend. You wouldn’t be that lucky, Minbari.

"I don’t like it," Garibaldi muttered as he paced around Captain Sheridan’s office. "This now makes two separate incidents. Two, Captain. And now we have the added complication of Aelora who, up until now, none of us knew harbored these little abilities. There are currently two undeniably strong telepaths who are out to kill each other for reasons unknown to us residing on this station. I don’t like it, Captain. I don’t like it one bit."

Sheridan nodded, leaning over his desk, his hands folded in front of him. "We have reports from two of the Rangers on the bridge, Tyler and Eisonn. According to them, Aelora appeared and began her attack just as three Shadow vessels approached. She attempted to disable the ship, apparently to give the Shadows an advantage. Details are sketchy after that. Everyone on the bridge, aside from our two teeps, were knocked unconscious, either by Aelora, Terann or both."

"We must look at the fact that no one other than Terann and Aelora were seriously injured," Delenn pointed out, searching for a way to protect the two women. "They were obviously only targeting one another. But after speaking with Turval, one of the instructors from the Ranger Training Facility, I am confused as to why. While on Minbar, the two appeared to have become very close, as the case seemed to be when they boarded the White Star."

"I’m getting a lot of questions here," the security chief commented, dropping into the chair next to Delenn. "But no answers. That’s what I’m looking for. I need to know how to handle these two."

Sheridan glanced over at Delenn. He knew what he wanted to reply to his security chief, how he wanted to deal with Babylon 5’s recent newcomers. But he doubted Delenn would much appreciate it if he said he wanted Terann shipped back to the Vorlon Homeworld, since they appeared so protective of her, and Aelora to Psi Corps.

"I did some checking up on Aelora," Garibaldi offered with a frown. "She’s been pretty sketchy with me ever since her arrival. I mean, she’d talk about growing up on Centauri Prime and her time on Minbar but nothing about her mother."

"And?" Sheridan prompted.

"Well, it turns out that Soria Campbell used to be with Psi Corps, then ended up on their ‘Most Wanted’ list after she split. I couldn’t get much, most of the file was confidential, but from what I gathered, they suspected her child of strong abilities too, but were never able to prove it."

"Then we – " The Captain was cut off when his link beeped at him. "Sheridan. Go."

"Yah, this is Franklin," the doctor’s voice spoke clearly over the link. "Captain, I’ve finished my tests and…well, there’s something I think you need to see."

"All right. Transfer the data to my office."

"Right."

Sheridan turned to his monitor, pulling up the information as it was received. The further he read, the deeper his scowl became until Delenn and Garibaldi began casting looks of dismay toward one another. He finally slammed the monitor down with a resounding ‘smack’ and turned to face them.

"Delenn, remember when you told me how the Vorlons have been appearing to other races for centuries, in order to ‘guide’ them?"

"Yes."

"Well, it appears they’ve taken it a step further." Sheridan ran a hand through his hair. "You mentioned to me a few days back that a mystery surrounded who Terann’s father was…well, it seems we now have the answer to that."

Delenn furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, John?"

"It appears Terann is only half Minbari…The rest of her is genetically constructed Vorlon."

Silence filled the room. A silence so heavy it could have been scooped out with a spoon. Garibaldi promptly broke it when he began to curse colorfully, calling the Vorlons by any name he could think of. When he ran out of those, he began making them up.

Delenn sat silent, her mind racing. Poor Terann. If word of this ever got out among her people, Terann would be ostracized for the rest of her life. The purity of the Minbari race was sacred above all else. Delenn realized with a start that Dukhat had known; that was why he had protected Terann, kept her close to him. Delenn understood why it had been kept from her but she still wished she could have been forewarned. She did not know how to respond to this news herself, let alone help the humans to understand.

Garibaldi rubbed a frustrated hand over his face. "Okay, so that explains a lot when it comes to what Terann can do. But what about Jeff’s daughter? We know who her father is. You can’t tell me she’s half Vorlon, too."

Suddenly, a frightening thought occurred to Delenn. She found herself hesitant to voice it but knew that she must. "No, I do not believe she is Vorlon. That would not make sense. Why would they attempt to destroy one another?" She stood quickly, moving about the room in an attempt to release the restless energy that had swept through her. "Suppose the Shadows somehow learned of the Vorlon’s creation of Terann. I mean, it is obvious they created her as a weapon for this war. What if the Shadows have done the same? Except they created a weapon to destroy the Vorlon’s weapon."

"Nothing in Franklin’s tests said anything about Aelora being half Shadow creature – not that we’d know what to look for if she was," Sheridan pointed out.

Delenn shook her head. "No. That is not what I am saying. Marcus told me that before Aelora came to Minbar, her ship was discovered dead in space, with her unconscious inside. It was located just outside Shadow territory. When Aelora awakened, she could not recall anything of the previous month."

"So you think that was when they did something to her?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Garibaldi interrupted, a stubborn set to his jaw. "You’re telling me that the Shadows just plucked someone out of space and said ‘Hey! Let’s make this lucky sonofabitch into a weapon to take over the galaxy!’"

"No," Delenn replied, turning to face the chief. "Aelora had telepathic abilities before her venture into Shadow space, you said so yourself. And they were quite strong before, from what she has told Marcus. I’m certain the Shadows were set on destroying her but then, realizing what she was, decided that they could, instead, use her to suit their needs."

"Wonderful," Garibaldi groaned. "My best friend’s daughter is a Shadow agent."

Sheridan and Delenn looked helplessly at one another. The question was evident in both of their expression: what to do? Currently, the situation did not look good. Who was to say that Aelora’s and Terann’s presence on Babylon 5 would not bring the war straight to the station? Were the Shadows and the Vorlons even now on their way to reclaim their creations?

"Damn!" Garibaldi jumped up and headed toward the door. "I’m on my way to Med Lab to see how things are going."

Sheridan nodded, standing. "We’ll be down in a bit. Right now, I think Delenn and I need to request a meeting with our resident Vorlon."

Delenn agreed. It was time to confront the Vorlon Ambassador and learn to what extent this war against the Shadows was to affect the rest of the galaxy for the years to come.

Security Chief Michael Garibaldi strode into Med Lab with the air of certainty that everyone had become accustomed to seeing in Babylon 5's head of security. Today, however, his demeanor drastically contradicted his thoughts. Currently he found himself far from certain about anything. It seemed every time he got a grasp of the situation, someone threw him another curve. The most shocking yet, was the revelation made by the Ranger Tyler, on board the White Star. He always knew that Aelora was hiding something from him but he was both shocked and dismayed to find that she was in fact a very strong telepath. It was no secret that Michael felt a level of apprehension when it came to telepaths and the thought of his best friends daughter being one of them disturbed him. Though he barely knew the young Ranger, he was willing to protect her at any cost. But now, he was uncertain as to what he should feel towards her.

Coming to a stop, he glanced over at the two security officers that stood at the entrance to the Iso-lab where Terann lay sleeping. He nodded slightly toward them and they returned the gesture yet remained silent. His eyes moved to take in the Minbari and a wave of disgust washed over him. He had been told that Aelora was as responsible for the destruction of the White Star as Terann had been, but still, after the prior incident involving the Minbari, he found it far easier to forgive Aelora for what had happened.

"Mr. Garibaldi." Doctor Stephen Franklin said, in his usual friendly tone.

"Ah, Doctor, and how are things down here?" Garibaldi replied turning to face the handsome medical officer.

"Quiet for now," he said with a smile, "but from what I have seen today, just about anything could happen."

"Tell me about it. So how is Aelora?" he asked glancing over the doctors shoulder to see where Aelora lay resting peacefully.

"Better, the damage was quite severe but we managed to control the hemorrhaging and she should be fine."

"Good." Garibaldi said, with a sense of relief. He reminded himself that she was still Jeff's daughter and despite her being a telepath, he would still hate for anything to happen to her. "How long has G'Kar been here?"

Franklin glanced back at the Narn who still stood beside Aelora, vigilantly watching over her. "Ever since she got here. He obviously cares for her quite deeply. Are they friends?"

Garibaldi stuffed his hands in his pockets. "No, they are definitely not friends."

"But I don't understand..." Franklin said his voice full of confusion.

"Aelora was raised by a Centauri family and despite her feelings towards G'Kar's race, she helped to smuggle him on to the Narn homeworld. I think he must feel an obligation to her. I don't know how she will react to finding him standing there when she wakes up."

"Well, I don't think we have to worry too much about G'Kar, he can take care of himself," Franklin said, deciding it best not to mention how Aelora had accepted G'Kar's help over to Terann's bedside. She had been so eager to help the Minbari, that perhaps she would have accepted help from anyone. Still, he could not dismiss the way Aelora had looked at G'Kar, like she trusted him to help her.

"No, I don't think we do, but I have heard Aelora's feelings toward Narns and I just hope she is not too cruel to him."

Franklin nodded his agreement, then glanced back at the chart he held in the crook of his arm. He found himself still astounded by the two women and their abilities. He only hoped that they would be willing to share some information about their unique origins.

"Anyway, how is the..." He paused, damn he didn't even know what to call her, "that doing?" he asked, gesturing over to Terann.

The young doctor looked at Garibaldi not hiding his displeasure at Garibaldi's reference to the Minbari. "Terann," he emphasized, "is doing far better than I expected. She, too, is expected to make a full recovery."

Garibaldi looked puzzled. "But you said there was nothing you could do for her."

"I didn't think there was," Franklin said.

"Then how?"

Franklin hesitated. "Let's just say, I found a new course of treatment, and leave it at that." He hated being so obscure, but he had little choice. He still did not understand what he had seen the Ranger do, and the idea of trying to explain it to someone seemed impossible.

"Well, let me know if either of them wakes up and decides to cooperate," Garibaldi said turning to head towards the exit.

"Will do," Franklin called after him turning back to the chart, trying to make sense of what his records said.

Garibaldi decided to head back to the security office, feeling that he may be able to relax there and, that if he was needed, they could find him easily. Turning a corner, he saw Captain Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn approach, heading toward Med Lab. From their expressions, Garibaldi could tell their meeting with the Vorlon ambassador had not gone well.

"How are things in Med Lab, Chief?" Sheridan asked coming to a halt in front of the security chief.

"Pretty quiet right now, but, you know how things are, that could change at anytime."

"I agree. We were just going to see if we could get any answers out of our two guests," Sheridan told him.

"I suggest you try talking to Aelora first, she seems a little more receptive," he offered. "How did your meeting with Ambassador Kosh go?"

Sheridan glanced at Delenn and their eyes met briefly, confirming what the security chief had suspected. "We are still trying to translate it."

Garibaldi allowed a slight smile. "That well, eh?"

"That well." Sheridan confirmed. "He of course would neither deny nor confirm anything regarding Terann."

"And I guess we can't hope to get anything out of her about it either." As Sheridan nodded he continued, "So where does that leave us?"

Sheridan and Delenn looked at each other, both of them not knowing how to respond.

"Just as I thought," Garibaldi replied. He was fed up with dancing around the Vorlons when it came to the situation with Terann. He had become fed up with them simply doing as they saw fit, and when things went wrong, they simply dismissed it and left the younger races to clean up the mess.

"Look Michael," Sheridan said, his tone noticeably softer, trying desperately to reassure his security chief. "Delenn and I are going to try to talk to Aelora and Terann. Alone. And see if we can make sense out of any of this."

"Well when you do, let me know. 'Cuz I would love to know what the hell is going on." Michael turned and stalked away in the direction of the security office.

Captain Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn stood silently watching as the Security Chief disappeared around a corner. Once he was gone they turned and resumed walking toward Med Lab. They had not spoken much since this all began. Delenn had been adamant that Aelora and Terann be protected, and were in fact the victims in all of this. Sheridan, on the other hand, had a station with a quarter of a million beings onboard that he was sworn to protect and he would be damned if he would allow the two telepaths to jeopardize their safety. If they chose to cooperate then he saw no problem with allowing them to stay. Under certain conditions, of course. However, if they proved to be uncooperative then he saw no recourse then to send them away, regardless of what Delenn said about their importance in the Shadow war. If protecting the station and the lives of those aboard meant he was forced to counter Delenn’s wishes, then so be it.

G’Kar silently stood by Aelora’s bedside and watched as she slept. After Terann had awakened, the two had spoken quietly to one another for a few moments before Doctor Franklin ordered them both to get some rest. Neither one seemed willing to argue so G’Kar had carried Aelora back to her bed after she promised Terann that she would come back later. Before she had fallen asleep, Aelora had beckoned him closer.

"You are a part of the secret now," she whispered into his ear. "I am trusting you to tell no one else. Tell Doctor Franklin that no one must know. Please?"

She appeared terribly frightened to him, something that he had never expected out of the Ranger. For this one moment, the arrogance that was drilled into her by the Centauri disappeared and G’Kar glimpsed a lonely, vulnerable child who desperately wanted to believe in someone. He smiled softly at her, wanting very much to hold her again but reminded himself not to push too quickly. What he had received so far was much more than he had hoped for.

"I promise," he replied, watching as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Franklin had hovered around the Med Lab for the past half-hour, glancing furtively at each of the telepaths, as if undecided as to which he wanted to approach first, or even debating as to whether or not he should. G’Kar understood his wariness regarding Aelora; what he had seen her do was remarkable. He did not understand the doctor’s apparent apprehension regarding the Minbari, though. After all, there was nothing overly remarkable about her, was there?

"G’Kar?"

The Narn turned to see Doctor Franklin move up behind him.

"Can I speak with you a moment?"

He nodded, followed the doctor to a secluded corner.

Franklin folded his arms, debated how to approach the subject for a moment, then let out a breath. "Look, I heard Miss Kyra say to you that you knew she could help the...Terann. What did she mean by that? What have you known that the rest of us were ignorant of?"

"Before she accompanied Terann to Minbar, Aelora was assigned to help sneak me on to Narn," G’Kar explained, finding relief that he finally was able to share this remarkable tale with someone. "Things went fine until we were leaving and were ambushed by some Centauri guards. I was injured during the foray but did not tell her how badly. One of the guard’s daggers had made its way deep into my stomach and I knew that my chances of survival were minimal. When we finally made it back to the ship, I collapsed in our quarters from the loss of blood. I awoke briefly, to find that the pain had lessened and I no longer felt as weak, only incredibly tired. I glanced down and saw that Aelora’s hand was pressed over the wound and warmth seemed to radiate from it. The bleeding had stopped; the skin around the cut appeared to be healing. I attempted to ask her how she was doing it but she panicked and jumped away and I fell unconscious once more.

"When I awoke the next morning, I felt fine. A bit tired perhaps but physically strong. When I peered at my wound, this is what I found." G’Kar parted his shirt to reveal a neat, barely noticeable scar. "It looked then exactly as it does now."

Franklin flashed a smile of disbelief. "But that’s impossible."

G’Kar shrugged. "I would’ve said the same if I had not witnessed it myself, just as you witnessed it with the Minbari."

"But…how?"

"That I do not know," G’Kar replied, shaking his head. "When I tried to question her the next morning, she behaved as if it had never occurred. Denied the possibility."

"This – this is a miracle!" Franklin exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the breakthroughs that studying such a phenomenon could create. "I’ll have to set up a study with – "

"Doctor Franklin, I am afraid that that is impossible."

The doctor frowned at the Narn. "And why is that?"

"Because the information that you and I possess must remain a secret, for her sake," G’Kar instructed him, nodding toward the room where Aelora rested. "She has asked that we keep this to ourselves, and I do not see how we can refuse such a request. After all, we are both wise enough to the universe to know that once word of such abilities got out, her life would be forfeit."

Franklin knew that G’Kar was right. His first duty was to the safety of his patient but he was in such shock from both what he had witnessed and what G’Kar had told him that he was lost as to what to do. He truly believed that there was nothing left in the universe that could really surprise or fascinate him. That ignorant belief had been destroyed twice so far that day. Firstly, by his findings while attempting to administer care to the Minbari. He had been confused as to why all of the data kept returning incorrect or unknown, when he knew their knowledge of Minbari anatomy was extensive. Franklin had then run a full work up on her, pretending that he had never seen her species before – and discovered that he was correct. When the results came back, Franklin did not believe it. He ran the tests again. And again. And once more just to prove to himself that it was not a computer error. But it was no error. Terann’s genetic makeup was a strange cross between Minbari and Vorlon. It was the biggest shock that Stephen Franklin had ever experienced. The second had just been imparted to him by G’Kar. If the day got any stranger, he would have to start taking stims again just to keep up.

"Very well, G’Kar," Franklin agreed. "I will keep her secret but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to want to ask some questions."

G’Kar shrugged. "It will be up to her whether or not to answer. She can be very…difficult at times," G’Kar commented on this with a furrowed brow, bringing a smile to Franklin's face.

"Funny how women can do that to you," Franklin laughed and walked away before G’Kar could ask for an explanation to his comment.

The Narn started to follow him but glimpsed the entrance to the Med Lab in time to see Captain Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn enter, determination written all over their expressions. He hurried back to Aelora’s side, planning to provide support if it turned out that she needed it. He knew how brutal both Sheridan and Delenn could be if there was something they wished to know, if there were events going on around them that they had no control over. Both Aelora and Terann were about to find out what it meant to be in their firing range.

Aelora woke to find G’Kar still by her side. She was about to ask him if he had nothing better to do than annoy her but found herself refraining from doing so. An unfamiliar feeling of gratitude toward the Narn prevented her from exhibiting any rudeness. Even after her previous behavior toward him, G’Kar still offered her only kindness and caring, more than any other.

You are a Narn, she thought to herself. What I would not give for you to be something else.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

Aelora nodded. "Stronger. How is Terann?"

"Improving as well."

"Aelora?"

The Ranger looked away from G’Kar to see Delenn and Captain Sheridan enter the room. She forced back the groan that threatened to spill at their presence. She really was not in the mood to answer their questions, especially when she had no answers to supply.

"Hello, Aelora. How are you feeling?" Delenn moved over to her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I am better, Entil’zah." Aelora glanced warily at Captain Sheridan. It was not that she disliked the man – he was handsome and charming and obviously very dedicated to Babylon 5. There was simply something about him that raised her ire, which made her uncomfortable in his presence. Perhaps it stemmed from his instilled belief that he was meant to protect and save everyone in the galaxy. He reminded her of an overprotective parent, who expected love and gratitude for placing you on restriction for the rest of your life.

"We’re glad to hear that," Delenn replied, glancing back at Sheridan. "We all feared the worst at first. You can imagine our confusion."

Aelora struggled to sit up. "And you can imagine mine." She sighed. "Entil’zah, Captain, I know you are here for answers but I am afraid I don’t have any. I’m not really certain what happened or why. I barely remember any of it, save for little flashes here and there. I wish I could help you but…" She shrugged. "I’m just as confused as you are."

Delenn frowned at this. She was hoping to get some bit of information from the Ranger to keep Sheridan mollified. Garibaldi was breathing down both their necks to get something done quickly yet they continued to come up short on any actions to take. After the information they had learned regarding Terann’s origins, they were more nervous than ever as to what was happening around them. She knew that John liked to feel in control and currently, they had as little control as possible without being completely in the dark as to what was happening around them.

Delenn decided to try a different approach. "What do you remember about the time you were found and brought to Minbar? Do you recall any of the events that took place before you were found?"

The last thing Aelora was going to admit was that thanks to her recent nightmare, she currently remembered quite a bit of that time period. Not that it was all clear to her but now she did understand why her telepathic abilities had peaked shortly after arriving on Minbar. What would they do to her if she admitted that the Shadows had somehow changed her, created her in a way to suit their own purposes? The Shadows had taken control of her once all ready, what if they did it again?

At her silence, Sheridan found his ire rising. He moved past Delenn to hover over the Ranger. "Look, Miss Kyra. I want to get to the bottom of this and I will do that in any way necessary. If I need to call my own telepath in to scan you, I’ll do it. I want some answers from you – "

"Leave her alone."

They all looked toward the door to see Terann walk unsteadily into the room. G’Kar was quick to grab a chair and place it near Aelora’s bed so that the Minbari could sit down. She offered her thanks though her gaze never left that of Sheridan’s.

"Terann, you should not be out of bed," Aelora cautioned her. "You are still weak. Besides, I can fight my battles on my own," she finished, stating the real reason she knew that the Minbari was there.

Terann regarded her for a moment then nodded. "Yes, you are capable of doing so. But in this instance we must fight together or lose the battle completely."

Sheridan ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He had a thousand other things to do besides argue with two telepaths. The Shadows were currently increasing their campaign and he had plans to formulate and strategies to build. If he thought simply putting Terann and Aelora in a holding cell until things calmed down would work, then he would have done so. But he had witnessed the destruction they had created on the White Star. He knew no cell would hold them. He decided to stop dancing around the real subject and get the facts out into the open.

"Okay, let’s all stop being polite to one another and get to the bottom of this," he began, centering his gaze on both Terann and Aelora. "We know what you are, Terann, and we believe we know what has happened to you as well, Aelora. Now, we are not condemning you for matters that were obviously out of your control but we need to come up with some answers and solutions if we are going to take care of this in a reasonable manner. Now Terann, how long have you known about what you are?"

The Warrior remained silent, glaring at Sheridan harshly.

Delenn laid a quieting hand on his arm before he could say anything. John glanced down at the Ambassador, took hold of his anger, and turned his attention to Aelora. She appeared somewhat more cooperative than the Minbari.

"Very well. Aelora, can you tell us anything of what happened to you when you were at Zha’dum? Do you remember being there at all? Are we correct in our assumptions that the Shadows…modified you…to fight the Vorlons?"

"Tell them nothing," Terann said, before Aelora could speak. "They deserve little else from us."

"Now just a goddamned minute!" Sheridan shouted, reaching the end of his patience. "One of our White Stars is now totaled thanks to the two of you, many Rangers are out of commission suffering from injuries they sustained from your handiwork and we almost had a collision with the station which would have resulted in the deaths of over a quarter million beings and you say we deserve nothing from you?!"

"John – "

"No, Delenn. I have had it with her damned superiority complex!" Sheridan raged, pointing a finger toward Terann. "We are in a war here, if no one has taken the time to notice, and we sure as hell don’t need these two running around complicating matters! Now if they are willing to cooperate then so am I. But if we are to receive nothing in return from them but silence then they are no better than those we are fighting against are. If they mean to be our enemies then goddammit so be it!"

There was a tense silence following his outburst, during which Aelora and Terann cast furtive glances at one another. Both were tired and worn, neither in the mood for dealing with any type of interrogation. They had their own questions as to what had occurred, questions that would only be answered by their quiet meditation together. Even then, both Aelora and Terann doubted that all of the answers would be given to them. Their existence had become the greatest mystery in the galaxy to them, and they both feared and eagerly awaited the futures that lay before them.

"Perhaps, Captain Sheridan, a meeting should be called of the War Council," G’Kar, who had up until then been watching the proceedings in silence, suggested. He noticed that Aelora had grown increasingly pale and knew that she needed her rest. "Both Aelora and Terann have been through quite a bit in the past twenty-four hours, as we have as well. Give it a few hours and then have the Council convene. We can all discuss this then, with everyone present, including these two, and decisions as to where to go from here can be made."

Sheridan frowned for a moment, not wanting to put this off any longer but knowing that G’Kar was right. Perhaps if both women were a little more rested then they would be more cooperative. Then again, more rest could also make them more stubborn.

"Very well." He fixed his gaze on both telepaths. "You have four hours. If you are still unwilling to cooperate by then, we will make the decision as to what to do without your input." With that he turned and stalked out of Med Lab, Delenn hurrying after him in the hopes of calming his temper.

Doctor Franklin raised his brow. "Well, that was highly unpleasant." He regarded his patients. "I suggest you both use this time to gather your strength. I get the feeling the next few days could be fairly uncomfortable around here." He held out his hand. "Terann, can I help you back to bed?"

She shook her head. "No. I will return to my quarters to meditate. No, do not argue with me, Doctor Franklin. You are right when you say we must gather strength and in solitude is where I can do that best." She stood, moving over to her friend. "It is possible that we could offer one another apologies until the universe came to an end," Terann said softly to Aelora. "But I do not think that they matter now, or would make any more sense than what we attempted to do to one another. I can only say that there would never be a time when I would consciously raise my hand against you."

The human smiled. "Thank the Maker for that. I barely survived this experience." She sobered then, reaching her hand out to Teranns. "We must not let them control us, Terann. Darkness does not exist only in shadows."

"I know, my friend," Terann smiled back. "I know."

Garibaldi led Aelora and Terann into the War Room where Sheridan and the others waited. Both telepaths were surprised to see so many present; they had expected only Garibaldi, Sheridan, Delenn and themselves. Instead, Doctor Franklin, Commander Ivanova, Marcus and G’Kar were also seated around the circular table.

The Captain stood as they approached. "Thank you both for coming."

Terann regarded him for a moment. "I did not know that we had an option."

Sheridan frowned, glancing over at Aelora to see if she was as on the offensive as Terann. The Ranger appeared somewhat more subdued, maybe even slightly distracted. He was quickly getting the feeling that this meeting would not go well and he struggled to gain control.

"Please, sit down." He waited until the two telepaths took seats next to one another and then continued, circling the table as he spoke:

"All of us here are a part of a War Council, our Army of Light, to fight against the coming darkness." At this, he glanced pointedly at Aelora but once more the Ranger appeared distracted from the events around her. "Now, seeing as how the occurrence which took place aboard the White Star between the both of you appears to involve two of the main players in this war, I felt everyone should be a part of the decision-making process."

"How very efficient of you," Terann commented blandly, receiving a look from Aelora which clearly read What in the hell are you doing?

"Terann," Delenn spoke softly but in a sharp tone. "There is no need for anger. We are trying to help."

"No need?" Terann slammed her fist onto the table. "Help us, you say? Form all I have witnessed, we have been treated as no more than criminals, creatures of suspicion and danger. You look at us as if we are beneath your contempt, as if you would rather we simply disappear."

Terann stood and marched up to Sheridan. "Do you think we asked for this to happen to us? Do you seriously believe Aelora or I received any joy or excitement out of trying to destroy one another? In Valen’s name! We are the victims here. How would you like to discover that you were simply some sick experimental weapon? That these abilities you thought were a special part of you really weren’t yours at all?

"I see the fear in your eyes, Sheridan. I feel it throughout this room. You’re afraid of us, of what we are capable of. But did you ever stop to think that we just might be as frightened as you are? I did not know, up until a week ago, of what all I am capable of. I could fry every synapse in your brain this instant, Starkiller. Do you think that knowledge provides me with some perverse pleasure?"

Terann.

The Minbari looked away from Sheridan to Aelora, her anger clearly evident in her green eyes.

You are upset my friend, Aelora spoke with her mind, softly, calmly. Come away before you do or say something you’ll regret.

Terann regarded her human friend for a long moment before nodding imperceptibly and taking her seat once more. There was a long silence in the room as the others contemplated what they had just witnessed. Clearly the two telepaths were communicating with one another and even appeared to have some influence with each other. The question was, was this a good thing or bad?

"Captain," Commander Ivanova spoke up, eyeing Aelora warily. "What if Psi Corps hears of this and comes looking for her? I mean, we know she is in their records. Her being here could cause trouble for us."

At this, Aelora laughed outright. Even Terann allowed herself a smile. Trouble, indeed.

Do not say anything, Terann warned Aelora. I am in a most uncooperative mood at the moment. They deserve nothing from us.

"May I ask what is so funny about Psi Corps?" Ivanova asked, her eyes narrowing.

Aelora swallowed her laughter. "They don’t frighten me. I’ve been outrunning them all my life."

"My point is, Captain," Ivanova continued, ignoring Aelora to focus her attention on Sheridan. "We’ve had enough trouble when it comes to Bester. We don’t need any more."

Sheridan nodded. "Good point, Commander – "

"We’ve always been able to handle Bester, though," Franklin interjected, unable to get the stunning information he had recently learned out of his mind. He was eager to study both telepaths, to learn whatever he could from both of them. What kind of medical advances could such information create? "I don’t see how we should consider him a factor."

"Look," Garibaldi jumped in quickly, stating his opinion once more. "My only concern is the safety of this station and everyone in it. We’ve all ready had three deaths, several injuries and this last episode almost ended in the destruction of the entire station! Frankly, I don’t think it’s safe to have either of them around."

"You can not count the time that Terann was under the influence of alcohol," Delenn argued, concerned that the facts would become distorted due to hot tempers. She had been watching the two telepaths closely as they bristled under the surrounding conversation, as everyone spoke as if they were not even in the room. Both were headstrong and independent, strong and capable, yet here their lives and upcoming futures were being bandied about by others. Delenn believed that there was a reason Terann and Aelora were brought to them, and she did not believe it was simply to destroy one another. She continued, determined to convince the others of the best course of action. "Terann had no control over her actions then, and neither she nor Aelora had control yesterday. That is very obvious to me. Neither one can completely recall the events that transpired nor they certainly are not out to murder one another now. Yes, the Vorlons and the Shadows each basically created them as weapons. But obviously, Aelora and Terann are too strong individually to be controlled in such a way. Had they truly meant to destroy one another, I am certain they would have done so long before coming out of hyperspace."

"I agree with Delenn." All eyes turned toward G’Kar as he spoke. Even Aelora found herself curious as to what he would say. "We learned from the Book of G’Quon that telepaths are a weapon against the Darkness. We have proven that this is correct. And here sit two of the strongest telepaths that I am certain any of us have seen. Yet we are attempting to toss them aside when we should be extending the invitation for them to join us."

Garibaldi let out a grunt, clearly expressing what he thought of that idea while Delenn, Franklin and Marcus nodded. Aelora glanced over at Terann, whose expression was as unreadable and remote as ever.

What are you thinking, Aelora?

That this is the most ridiculous load of spoiled spoo I have ever heard.

Terann flashed a small smile.

Sheridan was watching the two women closely, gauging their reactions to the comments made. Finally, he asked, "Do either of you have anything you would like to add?"

Terann remained stonily silent.

Aelora worried her lower lip, looking at those sitting around her. It was taking most of her concentration to keep their thoughts blocked out, and the hum from the other quarter million minds on the station, both alien and human, was growing worse. Terann had warned her that her abilities would likely grow stronger as she learned to use them but she had no idea they would increase so quickly. Her friend has answered her that blocking would become easier the more she got used to it. Currently, Aelora had difficulty believing it.

At the telepaths’ silence, Sheridan continued, "Very well. This is my proposal if everyone agrees. Aelora and Terann will stay with us" at this, Garibaldi slammed his palm on the table, stood and stomped away "in order to offer us assistance with the war. But the condition for them to remain is that they must each be administered sleepers until such time that we are certain there will be no more episodes such that occurred yesterday. Is this agreeable?"

Everyone at the table nodded their agreement, turning to see Aelora and Terann’s reactions. While Aelora’s expression had turned to a subtle frown, the Minbari’s remained implacably neutral.

Finally, Terann stood, nodding slightly. "Very well. Come on, Aelora. We are leaving this station."

Aelora stared after her friend for a moment as she walked off then jumped up, hurrying up the stairs and out the door after her.

"Terann! Terann, wait!"

The Minbari slowed her pace.

"There is no choice in the matter," Terann snapped. "I will not let those…those barbarians inhibit me, again."

Aelora was silent for a long while as they continued down the corridor. Terann cast a casual glance at her friend and found that she did not like what she saw.

"You are…undecided."

Aelora began worrying her lower lip and Terann knew, without using telepathy that she was right. It was a curious habit this human had, chewing on her lip when she was nervous or thinking. The human had a deplorable habit of giving herself away so blatantly that one not need be telepathic to read her.

"I’m tired of running, Terann," Aelora ran a hand through her red curls, coming to a halt just before the transport tube. "All my life it seems, I’ve never been able to just settle down and relax somewhere."

Terann stopped beside her. "You can not do that here. Do not forget about Ashlen. And they" she pointed towards the war room "will not leave you in peace."

"I have to try, Terann. Don’t you see? I’m drawn to this place for some reason. I feel…at home here. I’ve never felt that way about any other place."

"Is belonging somewhere worth the effects of the sleepers? You are just beginning to understand the full capabilities of what you can do, Aelora. Would you inhibit that now?" Terann argued.

"I almost killed you, Terann," Aelora argued back. "I am not going to take the chance of doing that to anyone ever again. If I have to spend my life on sleepers then so be it."

Terann’s eyes narrowed. "You are foolish, human. I had expected more out of you. You preach to me about how you are tired of running away, well what are you doing now? Yes, what happened between us was frightening, and it left me questioning my own existence, everything that I have been taught to believe. But I fought it, Aelora. We both did. We won. If we had not, neither of us would be standing here right now." Terann stepped closer to Aelora, holding her gaze intently. "We were meant for something, human. Do you not see that? We are special. No matter how much you wish to fight it, no matter how much it frightens you, you have the power to make a difference, to help others. We both do. We can not simply throw that away. You said yourself, we must not let them control us."

Aelora worried her lower lip. She knew that Terann was right, knew that she could not continue to run away from everything anymore. She had a responsibility to live up to the sacrifice her mother had made for her to keep her safe, to keep her out of Psi Corps’ hands, to give her freedom. If she and Terann joined together against the Shadows, and maybe taught the Vorlons that they had no business in dictating how other races lived and grew, then maybe they could make a difference. Apart, she knew that they would be at the mercy of others, always running, always trying to stay one step ahead.

Finally, the Ranger nodded. "Very well, Terann. You are correct. We must not let them divide us. We must fight this together, or not at all."

Terann smiled, reaching out to squeeze Aelora’s hand. "Together then. For the future."

"For the future," Aelora repeated, though a nagging voice whispered All wrong, all wrong!

Aelora wandered about her quarters, gathering up what few belongings she had. She arrived at Babylon 5 with very little but during her stay, possessions had accumulated. She had a pile of stuffed animals and other silly knickknacks from Michael, jewelry, vases and perfume bottles from Londo and Vir that she could not imagine any use for, and a pile of books from Marcus and Sheridan, whom Michael had enlisted to help him make her more human. A wave of guilt rushed over her when she realized she was running out on the very people who seemed to care about her, who had offered her a home and friendship. She knew that Terann was right, though. If they truly cared about her, truly considered her a friend, then they would not ask her to give up one of the most vital aspects of what she was. Still, she was finding it difficult to let go. When her door chimed, she considered ignoring it, worrying that it might be Michael to spread some more guilt over her, or even Sheridan prepared to yell and bully some more. She reached out with her mind, seeking to know who it was wishing to see her and was surprised to find that it was G’Kar. She did not know why this surprised her, he had rarely left her side during her time in Med Lab, and even as she was unconscious she had known he was there. Aelora thought though, that he might be disappointed and angry in her for refusing to stay and help against the Shadows. She did not know why it worried her that a Narn might be disappointed in her actions, but she did all the same.

"Come in," she called, turning to face the door.

When it opened, G’Kar hesitated for a moment, as if afraid to enter her quarters. He finally stepped in, moving no further than a few feet beyond the threshold. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before he gathered the courage to speak.

"I have come to…say goodbye."

Aelora cocked her head to one side, caught off-guard by the Narn once more. "I…I have to admit I am surprised, G’Kar. I would expect you to be here attempting to convince me to stay." She allowed a smile. "Or is it that you are pleased to have one less Centauri around?"

He frowned. "You are not Centauri."

"Let’s not start that again." Aelora gathered up a handful of books, dropping them into her satchel. "So, you have said goodbye. Is there anything else you wanted?"

G’Kar was silent, watching the human intently. In truth, he had hoped to be able to convince her to stay, to join with them in the fight against the Darkness. He realized though, that many of his reasons stemmed from pure selfishness. He simply did not want to let her go. In their recent adventure to Narn together, he believed that something had happened, a barrier had broken between them and an opening had appeared that, with a little work, could lead to a promising future. The past twenty-four hours, she had been receptive to him, the Centauri mannerisms had seemed to melt away and G’Kar had glimpsed what ‘could be’. He wanted to hold on to that, to see if it could lead to anywhere but he knew that was not reason enough to guilt someone into making a choice that could possibly be the wrong one. If Aelora felt it was right to leave, then who was he to say otherwise?

"I just…wanted to say thank you, again, for what you did for me on Narn."

The Ranger smiled. "There is no need, G’Kar. You have offered me your thanks all ready. It is my turn to thank you, I suppose, for the kindness you have shown me during my time in Med Lab. Your presence has been…very comforting."

G’Kar knew how much pride she must have swallowed to say that. It made her words mean that much more to him. "I…I did no more than any other would have."

They both knew that was a lie. As disturbing as it was, since her newfound abilities, Aelora was able to read G’Kar’s strong emotions toward her. When she had first sensed them in Med Lab, she had expected to feel disgust and anger, but those reactions had not surfaced. Instead, she accepted them, as if she had always known them to be there. Aelora did not understand the change in her feelings toward the Narn, nor did she spend long in attempting to do so, the fear of what she would find overruling her curiosity. She was leaving now, would probably never see G’Kar again, so it no longer mattered. So why the nagging feeling that she was making a mistake?

"I have a lot to get done before I leave, G’Kar," she told him, though it was not necessarily the truth. But she knew that the longer he remained, the more confused her thoughts would become. And confusion was the one thing she needed no more of at the moment. "Thank you for coming by. I…wish you well in the future and…and hope that you have…happiness."

G’Kar watched her a moment longer until she looked away from him then found himself asking the question he never believed he would have the courage to voice. "Do you think…" He trailed off, taking a step nearer to her. "Would things have been different, had you not been raised by the Centauri family?"

Aelora worried her lower lip, wishing he had not asked such a thing. For her to answer truthfully meant betraying all that she had been raised to believe, would mean giving into her nagging conscious and admitting that which she kept hidden, buried deep within her. To lie would mean to betray her own conscience, as well as mislead the one person who, of any, deserved complete honesty from her.

Aelora nodded. "Perhaps…yes. It is very possible that things would have been different, G’Kar. But…the Kyra’s raised me, and I must never do anything that would hurt or shame them. My association with you would do both. Please, G’Kar, try to understand. I don’t truly mean to hurt you but…" She shrugged, turning away from him.

The Narn felt the pain of her words stab through him. To know that deep inside, hidden from any place that she might have to face it, Aelora did care for him. But for the Centauri, for honor, she would never accept it. Why had he asked? Why had he opened himself up to such hurt? He reached out to touch her arm, to turn her back to him.

"Aelora – "

"Go away, G’Kar," she snapped harshly, without turning around. "We have said all there is to one another. There is nothing left. Goodbye."

Aelora remained still until she heard the door open and close then turned back to the spot where G’Kar had been. Forcing the raging emotions back deep within her, she found herself feeling surprisingly numb. She did not even know whom to blame anymore.

She was about to return to her packing when the red alert klaxons came to life throughout the station. Aelora started toward her door when she found herself feeling slightly dizzy, and reached out to the wall to steady herself.

After Terann left Aelora at her quarters so that she could gather her possessions together, the Minbari hurried back to her quarters to gather her own things. It was ironic that shortly after she had arrived at Babylon 5, Terann had to pack up her things to go back to Minbar, then pack up her things to go back to Babylon 5, and was now preparing to pack again. Like Aelora, she too felt a certain kinship to the station but it certainly was not strong enough to merit the elective inhibition of either of their abilities.

Upon reaching her quarters, the Minbari sat silently in the center of the room, reflecting on the events of the past few days. She had given herself little time to consider all that she had learned, the knowledge that everything she had come to know as fact and believed in had shattered. Everything had suddenly, and inexplicably, changed. In a way, she found herself understanding how Aelora felt. Both of them had been created as weapons of destruction and it did not matter any longer which side was right. The Shadows and the Vorlons were equally guilty in his instance. Terann felt the rage begin to consume her. What was the human saying? Puppets on strings…Her fists clenched in her lap. If she could, she would ---

She stopped the thought as soon as it began. Realization washed over her. Now she understood what had frightened Aelora. By not understanding how to control her abilities, she could easily kill anyone in her proximity over something as simple as tripping. Surely the human knew that Terann would continue to teach her how not to let such things happen. Terann briefly recalled how unsettled Aelora had first been when she had showed her the falls on Minbar. Terann had spent much of her life developing her telepathic abilities, they had become a part of her just as breathing was. Her recent discoveries only added wonder and awe, not trepidation. Hopefully, once Aelora grew accustomed to her newfound strengths, the fear would dissipate. Terann hoped it would be so. For as much as she had difficulty understanding the human at times, Terann had not felt as close to anyone as she did Aelora since the death of Dukhat.

The door chimed, pulling Terann from her reverie and she gathered her skirts as she stood, calling out, "Enter."

Ambassador Delenn entered her quarters, smiling softly at Terann as she did so.

"Entil’zah." Terann nodded her greeting.

"Terann. May we talk for a bit?"

Terann turned from her and set about gathering up her few belongings. "It is futile to do so, Delenn. You will not convince me or Aelora to change our minds."

"I had no illusions about doing so, Terann," Delenn replied quietly, folding her hands in front of her. "I have only come to ask you if you truly believe that you are doing the right thing?"

Terann turned around to regard her guest. "You ask me such things in the hope that I will see some error in my judgment and choose a different course. I warn you, Delenn. I am never wrong."

Delenn shook her head. "Warrior caste arrogance. I never thought I would have to accuse you of such a thing, Terann."

The Warrior glared at her for a moment then turned her back to her, saying nothing.

"You can not simply walk away from this war, Terann. We need you. Both of you. What would Dukhat say?"

Terann’s fists clenched tightly at her sides as she whirled back to face Delenn angrily. "Dukhat would not have forced me to take drugs because of his own fears! Do not bring Dukhat into this! To compare him with those humans is an insult beyond forgiveness, Delenn."

"I was comparing no one, Terann," Delenn replied calmly, refusing to allow the young Warrior to spark her own ire. "I simply want you to look at this clearly. I understand how you feel about the mandates John has placed before you, but you must understand, he is a soldier. There are some things he does not immediately understand, not when the safety of the people he is sworn to protect is in question. Give him a few days. I am certain he will change his mind."

"He does not deserve a few days," Terann spat. "If he wants to play god then he can fight this war all by himself."

"Terann, you are not thinking clearly. You are angry – "

"Yes, Delenn," Terann replied in a suspiciously calm voice. "Warn Sheridan not to get in my way as I am leaving."

Delenn frowned, upset that this visit was not going as she had planned. Instinctively she knew that both Terann and Aelora would be needed in their Army of Light. She did not understand where that belief came from, or did she question it. She decided to pursue a different course of reasoning when the red alert alarms blared into existence.

Terann frowned as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She reached a hand up to rub her temples, when she heard a voice ask behind her:

"Alyt Terann, are you unwell?"

The Minbari nodded. "Yes, Tabari. I am fine. What is our status?"

"We will be coming out of hyperspace shortly. As of yet, the Earther’s do not appear to be aware of our arrival."

"Excellent. Inform Shai Alyt Neroon that we are about to enter into battle." Terann stepped over to the console, making certain that all stations were at the ready. The last confrontation with the humans had not gone well. This time, they would show the arrogant Earthers what it felt to be targeted by Minbari vengeance.

"Coming out of hyperspace."

A slow smile spread across the Warrior’s face. "Begin the attack…"