A THREE-EDGED SWORD

– PART 3

"THE TRUTH"

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 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 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, nor did she question it. She decided to pursue a different course of reasoning when the red alert alarms blared into existence.

Terann knew immediately what the klaxons were signaling. She could feel them, their darkness probed at the station with uncanny preciseness. She quickly attempted to build a wall around herself, but they tore through it like paper. They entered her mind, ripping at the fabric of her being, causing an intense pain to shoot through every inch of her body. She fought back, desperate to retain control. Just as quickly as they had entered her mind, Terann felt them flee: They had found what they were looking for.

Delenn stepped toward Terann, placing a hand on the Warrior’s arm. "Terann? What is it?"

The young Minbari looked at her, her expression a mask of confusion. "The Shadows...I must find Aelora." She then hurried to the door.

"Terann, wait!" Delenn called out to her, stopping her short of the door. When the warrior turned back to her she continued. "You must stay here. Captain Sheridan has...."

"Sheridan has no idea what he is dealing with," Terann argued. She had grown tired of Sheridan’s belief that he was in control. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend what either the Shadows or the Vorlons were capable of.

"Captain Sheridan, " Delenn continued, her pleasant tone becoming more forced, "is doing what he feels is best for everyone on this station."

"And in his stumbling he will kill us all," Terann commented blandly.

Delenn sighed deeply. She didn’t have time to argue with the young warrior. If the Shadows were in fact attacking the station she wanted to be at John’s side. They were in this together and it was with him that she belonged.. Additionally, she couldn’t risk Terann becoming involved. She had seen the damage done to White Star 46 and had heard the reports from the many Rangers present. Though she doubted Terann having any evil intentions during the latest incident, they could not risk a repeat of it.

"Terann, I understand you wish to help, but right now it would be best if you stayed here. The Shadows tried to use Aelora to kill you before, what if they attempt to do the same thing?"

"They are here for Aelora, that is why I must go to her." The young woman paused briefly, taking a step towards Delenn. "Please understand. In the past two days everything I have ever believed in has been shattered. All I have left now is Aelora. I can not allow them to harm her again. Only together can she and I hope to win."

Delenn studied the woman before her for a moment, before nodding. "Very well, Terann, if you feel you must do this then there is little I can do to stop you. Though I do not agree with what you are doing, I do understand."

"Thank you, Entil'zah," Terann said, with an inclination of her head. "We will speak again later."

"May Valen go with you," Delenn said softly, as the young Minbari turned to leave, a wave of sadness sweeping over her as she realized she would never see Terann again.

Upon entering the corridor, Terann was immediately met with the rush of people heading for their quarters or the emergency shelters. With so many of them in such a panic their fear was difficult to block. Terann pushed through the throng, desperate to get away from them long enough to locate Aelora. Turning down an adjacent corridor, she was relieved to find it relatively barren. She leaned against the bulkhead, attempting to drive the surrounding madness from her mind. Taking a deep breath she calmed her mind, allowing a piece of herself to search out the familiar spark of her friend. She finally sensed her, and immediately knew that Aelora realized the Shadows had come for her. She felt the sharp pang of fear rushing through her friend’s mind; her desperate search for Terann.

I am here, my friend, the Minbari sent out the words telepathically, silently leading Aelora toward a meeting point outside the Zocalo. What was to come, Terann did not know, but she was pleased that she and Aelora would be facing it together.

"Aelora – "

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

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 hurried out into the corridor, barely missing a collision with G’Kar who was returning to her quarters.

"What is it?" She asked, glancing over his shoulder to see the inhabitants of the station hurrying to the shelter of their rooms.

"I am uncertain," the Narn replied. "But the alarms appear to have gone off all over the station. This is not an accident."

An uneasy feeling flowed through Aelora, a premonition of something going wrong. She grabbed hold of G’Kar’s arm out of impulse, pulling him with her as she began to move down the corridor. "We have to get to C&C. I think they might need me."

G’Kar followed her silently, unwilling to admit that he was thankful for the alert sirens even if they offered him only another hour with Aelora. Perhaps it would be enough time for him to convince her to stay; perhaps he could even convince her to go away with him, where he could protect her. G’Kar knew that he had somehow finally broken through that barrier that she had lived with for so many years which had kept her from him. Now he need only reduce it to rubble, to show her that it was all right for her to care for him, and then he will have won the battle.

The move through the station was a battle in itself, with all of its inhabitants rushing for shelter. Aelora finally gave up being tossed and bandied about and finally allowed G’Kar to take the lead. The big Narn pushed his way through the clamoring crowds, protecting Aelora safely behind him, and causing her to realize just how convenient it was to have someone like him around. For a moment, she opened up her senses and allowed his emotions to wash over her. She felt his fear for her, his need to protect her and, more than anything, his sorrow over the thought of her leaving. So unused to such caring directed toward her, Aelora allowed herself to open up just a little more, made herself accept the fact that this Narn, this creature she had been drilled to hate, was in love with her. And that fact was not as horrible as she had thought it would be. In fact, it was oddly comforting. She felt her hand tighten around his, and received a reassuring squeeze back. She smiled and found herself wishing, not for the first time, that things had been different.

When they reached C&C, it was in an uproar. Sheridan was shouting orders as Ivanova ran from one station to another, overseeing the crew. Aelora mentally cringed at the tense and fear laden emotions that were emitting from the crew before her. Her premonition slowly began to take form as the piercing wail of the Shadows slowly grew to a crescendo in her mind. Her hand clenched into a death grip around G’Kar’s, until he finally turned to her, the worry in his eyes evident.

"Aelora? What is wrong?"

Before she could answer, Sheridan’s voice thundered across the room:

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Aelora ignored the apparent rage in his voice and hurried forward, pulling her hand from G’Kar’s, her eyes focused out the window into the dark of space. "It’s them, isn’t it?" She whispered in an almost reverent voice. "They’re out there…somewhere."

"Damn right they are," Sheridan snarled, focusing a glare in her direction. "And I have no doubt it was you that brought them here."

It took a moment for his words to register but when they did, Aelora turned a disbelieving look in his direction.

"Surely you are not still hung up on the idea that I am some sort of secret agent of theirs, Captain?"

"And why not? It seems mighty convenient to me that they would appear before you were able to leave this station," Sheridan snapped. "Which, by the way, brings me to the question as to why you are not on a transport?"

Aelora blinked. "The alarms went off. There are no ships leaving, not with the Shadows sitting out there, waiting."

"Perhaps yours should."

It occurred to Aelora that perhaps the Captain had lost his mind. Before she could make any inquiry into that idea, G’Kar stepped forward, his countenance dark.

"Just what is it you are implying, Captain Sheridan?" He asked.

"Look G’Kar, I have no quarrel with you. Hell, I wouldn’t have a quarrel with her if it wasn’t for the fact that I have a station to protect, and ever since she and that damned Minbari/Vorlon hybrid arrived, my job has become a lot more difficult!"

"Maybe someone more capable should take your place," Aelora commented before she could stop herself.

Sheridan moved toward her but G’Kar quickly stepped between them. "I think what is of the utmost importance at this point," the Narn stated. "Is that the Shadows are out there right now and it is very possible this station is ill-equipped to win a battle against them."

"That’s if they are here for a battle," Sheridan commented, glancing out the window. "Ever since we detected them on the scanners they have just sat there, coming no closer nor retreating. It’s as if they are deciding what to do or waiting for the right time to strike."

"They aren’t here to wage a battle," Aelora replied, her gaze still focused on Sheridan.

"And what are they here for?" The Captain asked.

Aelora closed her eyes. "Me."

"Then perhaps we should give them what they want," Ivanova commented, moving up behind Sheridan. "I think it’s worth it. Sacrificing your life for the lives of thousands."

"Over my dead body," G’Kar growled.

Aelora laid a calming hand against his arm. "Not now, G’Kar. We have to work together in this." She turned her gaze to Sheridan and Ivanova. "I know neither of you trust me ---"

"That’s an understatement," Ivanova muttered.

"But at the moment, I don’t see that you have a choice. Against the Shadows, Terann and I are all you have. If you think your resident Vorlon will lift a finger to do anything, you are sorely mistaken. What you seem to have overlooked is that we are the pawns in this game of the giants. The Shadows and the Vorlons want us to fight amongst ourselves, want us to chew our own legs off when things become desperate. We can’t let that happen. Whether or not you want to believe it, I am one of you. I am willing to fight beside you if you will do the same."

"Do not be a fool, John," Delenn called out, entering through the doors. "Even you know we can not fight this war alone."

"Delenn you shouldn’t be up here," Sheridan admonished but it was easy to tell by the look in his eyes that he was pleased to see her.

"I have as much right as anyone." She turned to Aelora. "I don’t believe that you and Terann should be separated right now."

Aelora nodded. "You are correct, of course, Delenn. I will go to her now. I assure you, we will do everything we can to fight this."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Sheridan broke in, shaking his head. "I am not about to allow the two of them to run around my station unchaperoned."

"What do you propose to do, John?" Delenn demanded, rounding on him. "The Shadows will attack at any moment, we all know that. You can not afford to assign security to watch them when you need every hand you have to fight. Surely you can put your differences aside long enough to trust them this once?"

Sheridan looked undecided, prompting G’Kar to speak up. "I will remain with them throughout, Captain, and notify you the moment anything, er…unexpected, begins to occur."

Aelora flashed a grateful smile at G’Kar, knowing full well the danger he was putting himself in by remaining at her side. If, heaven forbid, the Shadows did take control of her again, and he was in the way, she feared what would happen to him. She also knew that if she and Terann were to join together to fight against the Shadows, G’Kar would still be placed in very real danger. She was surprised once more to realize just how brave his race was. They were not the sniveling cowards the Centauri had raised her to believe they were. It was something that she would have to ask her parents about when she saw them next.

"Very well," Sheridan sighed, knowing that he had no other choice. "But don’t take any risks, G’Kar. You got that? Don’t go letting that damned nobility of yours get you killed."

G’Kar chose to ignore Sheridan’s remark and followed Aelora out of C&C. He was surprised at himself, shocked that he had actually considered punching Sheridan. Yet he had been just as surprised that Sheridan had actually considered sacrificing the lives of Aelora and Terann. Such a decision was not up to him to make. The fact that these two women, with such incredible abilities, from such different worlds, were actually brought together in one place was a sign too big to ignore. Even G’Kar could see that. So why was Sheridan so blind to it? The Narn found himself wondering if it was not due to the Human race as a whole. They were a stubborn people, almost blindly arrogant in their superiority and ability to conquer the universe around them. When something that seemed "impossible" in their eyes suddenly confronted them, they panicked. It was the only thing that he could attribute to Sheridan’s reaction to Aelora and the Minbari female. They had abilities he could not understand, let alone believe in. And when something that you could not believe in suddenly reared itself before you, the only way to reconcile it was by saying that it had to be evil. How else did such a thing exist?

"Thank you back there," Aelora said softly, interrupting his thoughts.

G’Kar glanced down at her, struck by the fear that was evident in her eyes. He wanted to reach out and comfort her but knew that she would not accept it. There was not enough trust yet. Not yet.

"You are welcome, Aelora. I meant what I said. There is nothing I would not do for you."

"I…I know." There, she admitted to it. And by admitting to knowing that he cared for her, she was accepting it. Aelora heaved a heavy sigh. She had no idea where this was going, if anywhere, but found she did not fear the future so much as she had thought she would. It was readily apparent to her that things were not always as they seemed and, if her life dictated to her that she must turn away from the teachings of a childhood, then so be it.

G’Kar and Aelora reached the Zocalo when the telepath finally felt Terann’s presence. She motioned for G’Kar to follow her and picked up her pace, breaking into a run until she finally reached the Minbari’s side.

"They’re here," Aelora burst out.

Terann nodded calmly. "Yes, I know." She glanced up at G’Kar. "What is he doing here?"

Aelora flashed a teasing smile. "He’s my protector."

Terann raised a brow at this. "I see." She turned to regard Aelora once more. "And who will protect the protector?"

Aelora swallowed hard, unable to meet Terann’s eyes. She heard the Minbari’s question loudly in her mind, You willingly put him in danger? Is that not selfish, Human?

I know what I’m doing, Aelora replied, though an inner voice nagged at her unceasingly.

"I chose to be here," G’Kar commented, as if sensing the tension between the two females. "I know the danger."

"Do you, Narn?" Terann asked pointedly. "I wonder…"

G’Kar suddenly got the feeling they were no longer talking about the imminent attack by the Shadows. Was she sending him some kind of warning? Certainly she could not believe he was in any danger from Aelora. As much as the Human had professed her hatred of him in the past, she had never acted on it, had, in fact, saved his life. He believed that Aelora’s feelings toward him had taken a radical change for the better, so what was it that Terann saw that he did not? Perhaps, he would need to ask her someday.

"I think we should head to the observation dome," Aelora commented. "That way we can get a better view to…to make eye contact if needed." She did not need to add that she hoped such contact was not needed.

Terann glanced at the Human telepath, wondering if it were a very intelligent idea to have the Narn with them. She knew he would be a distraction for the Human, something more for her to worry about should he get in the way, should he at some point sustain injury. But at the same moment, she realized that the Narn’s presence seemed to calm Aelora and this fact brought a smile to Terann’s face. It was sad, really, that the Human was too proud to admit what she felt.

"What are they doing out there?" Aelora asked the question they were all contemplating as she stepped closer to the window, placing her hands against the glass. She glanced over her shoulder at the Minbari. "Do we wait? Or do we attack now?"

Terann was silent for a long moment, considering their options. It was impossible to guess what the Shadows meant to do, unless they were there to finish her off, to take Aelora back with them. But what chance did she and the Ranger have against the ships that hovered outside? What if they were to take control of Aelora once more? The idea came quickly and the decision to follow it was accepted without thought.

"Aelora, listen to me." Terann turned to face the telepath. "You are going to need all of the strength you can achieve, you are going to need to battle the Shadow ships – "

"What?"

"They will take control of you again if I do not keep a shield around you that they can not penetrate. It will take most of my strength to do this, therefore you must concentrate on destroying those ships."

"Terann, I can’t – "

The Minbari grabbed her shoulders, shaking her once. "Yes, you can! You almost destroyed me on the White Star; you can do this, Aelora! You are one of the most powerful telepaths I have ever encountered, Human. Do you understand me? I know of what you are capable; I have seen it firsthand. This is the only way. We have no other choice!"

Still uncertain, Aelora could only nod in reply. She had to admit she was afraid of those powers she still could not control. She was afraid of giving herself over to them, losing herself once more to the insanity that had overtaken her on the White Star. She did not want to be responsible for Terann’s death, did not want to be responsible for any more destruction. But the Shadows continued to hover outside the station, and Aelora knew that something must be done. Her eyes met those of the Minbari.

"Tell me what to do."

G’Kar listened without comment while the two women discussed their plan. Occasionally his gaze strayed out the viewport to the menacing spider-like ships that hung within striking distance of the station. He feared that none of them would survive this but refrained from saying so. The Minbari seemed positive that Aelora had the ability to rid them of the threat but G’Kar was not so certain. He knew that Aelora could do amazing things – he had witnessed them himself – but he did not see her so much as a destroyer as he did a creator. Certainly, the aftermath of their battle on the White Star had been shocking to behold, but that had not been Aelora, that had been the work of the Shadows. And as much as the Human claimed to be Centauri, as much as she played at being heartless and cruel and dangerous, G’Kar had already seen through enough of her barriers to know the truth.

The plan seemed simple enough. They were going to coordinate the destruction of the Shadow ships with C&C. Terann instructed G’Kar to find the nearest BabCom and inform them of the plan. He was to also contact Lyta and have her join Sheridan in C&C where she could help them destroy the Shadow ships with her telepathic abilities. While they kept the enemy busy, Aelora would concentrate on destroying as many as she could from within while Terann protected her. It was a risky plan at best, and the station was guaranteed to take damage but they had no other choice. The Narn hurried off to contact the necessary persons and inform Captain Sheridan while the two telepaths continued to stare out the viewport, watching their foe.

"I’m not sure about this," Aelora commented under her breath. She ran a hand through her curls, pushing them away from her face.

"The first lesson you must learn about your abilities is to have faith in them, Human. And faith in yourself," came the calm reply.

Aelora shook her head. "Easier said then done." Then, "What are they waiting for?"

The same question burned in Terann’s mind. There were currently around a dozen Shadow vessels surrounding the station, enough to cause some serious damage. But they had made no move to attack, nor had they bothered with the various ships that had hurried for the jump gate once the Shadows had appeared. They obviously had a specific reason for appearing, but what was it? And, like Aelora had asked, exactly what was it they were waiting for? An invitation?

"Sheridan wants to know what the sign will be to begin the attack?" G’Kar asked, moving to once more stand beside Aelora.

"Oh, he’ll know it when he sees it," the Human replied, glancing up to flash a secretive smile at him.

"We must begin," Terann stated, turning to focus her strength on Aelora.

The telepath felt the shift in the energy around her, as if somehow molecules had fused together to form some indestructible and invisible wall. She felt almost giddy form the effect, as if she were invincible.

"Concentrate," Terann instructed her, her voice sounding oddly strained. "Do it! Now!"

Aelora immediately turned her attention to the nearest Shadow vessel, burrowing within its depths, searching for the mind behind it, the power that would allow her to destroy it from the inside. It was the shrieking wail that alerted Aelora that she had discovered what she sought, the enraged signal that an intruder had entered it’s lair. Luckily, her strength had been reserved enough that the Human was able to begin tearing at the entity, stripping down it’s defenses and draining it of it’s power until the vessel collapsed into itself, imploding in a barely noticeable amount of seconds.

It was enough of a signal for C&C though. Terann allowed a small smile as she felt the station lurch into action beneath her, laser cannons firing brilliant shots around them, igniting the dark sky into a display of pyrotechnics. The Minbari’s smile faltered as she felt the shifting of the air around her, something so subtle as not to have been noticed – except by her. The Shadows were aware of Aelora’s presence and were now fighting for control of her. Terann focused more consciously on her strength, knowing that she would need all of it if she were to protect the Human until she had finished off the Shadow ships. Their enemy fought her fiercely, the darkness attempting to seep into her soul, unhinge her from within. But she fought them back, never once letting go of her concentration and hold on the Human.

Aelora stumbled for a moment, putting her hands out to steady herself. She glanced over at the Minbari, her eyes wide, a light sheen of perspiration covering her face. "They’re so strong…"

"Never mind that," Terann replied, her voice strong, monotone. "Focus. Draw on your own strengths."

The Human nodded, turning back to the ships surrounding the station, focusing in on another victim. Her body trembled from the power she exerted, from the forces that fought against her. Her green eyes narrowed in concentration as another Shadow vessel slowly crumbled into nothingness. Beside it, C&C succeeded in blowing another one in bits and pieces. Three down, but there were so many more out there!

G’Kar watched off to the side as the two telepaths fought against the deadly foe. He was able to watch their slight movements, their barely discernible changes in expression and poise. Whenever Aelora began to grow tired, Terann would slightly shift, as if handing some of her strength over to her and then Aelora would appear refreshed, competent enough to destroy yet another Shadow ship. He wished that there were some way that he could help, some way to offer encouragement and support. But he knew that would only distract the Human from her task, so he remained silent and watchful, prepared to jump in at any moment to protect her. To watch the two telepaths in action was nothing short of amazing. It hurt to know that his people had no one whom was capable of such feats. What damage could they have done against the Centauri had Aelora and Terann been on their side? His people would have won the war, would not have been subjugated to once more live under Centauri rule.

G’Kar’s gaze pulled away from Aelora when movement outside the window caught his eye. He was barely able to shout out a warning, causing Aelora and Terann to glance in the direction he was watching, before the attacking Shadow ship flew into view, firing at the observation dome as it passed overhead.

Aelora stumbled back from the force of the explosion, covering her face protectively as debris flew around them. She regained her footing quickly, moving to attack the ship that had fired at them when an intense pain suddenly knifed through her body, causing her breath to catch in her throat. The Human whirled around from the scene before her to stare in abject horror at G’Kar laying prone on the ground only a few yards from where she stood. Instantly, the danger posed by the Shadows was forgotten and Aelora hurried over to the Narn, dropping to her knees beside him.

"In Valen’s name!" Terann cursed behind her. "Aelora, you can not quit now!"

"He is injured!" Aelora returned without looking back, her hands moving over G’Kar’s broken body. She blanched at the deep gash across his head from which an unhealthy amount of blood flowed.

"Aelora!"

"He’s hurt bad!" The Human shouted back angrily. Aelora cursed under her breath, uncertain if she would be able to heal his extensive injuries. The panic slowly began to creep up, taking control and she fought back the tears that threatened to spill. "Please don’t die on me," she whispered, covering her hands over the head wound and focusing her energy and strength. Though her mind was still loathe to admit what her heart already knew, Aelora realized that destroying the Shadows would mean nothing if she lost G’Kar along with it.

Terann was currently so angry at the Human before her that she could not think correctly. She dropped the shield almost immediately, believing that if the Shadows managed to take control of Aelora, she well deserved it. The Minbari then turned her attention back to the battle. She knew her strength was drained for the Shadows had fought her fiercely for control of Aelora’s mind. She attempted to call out for her friend once more, demanding that she leave G’Kar and come help in the battle but when she received no reply, Terann realized it would be left up to her. She watched dispassionately as C&C succeeded in destroying one of the vessels, then turned her gaze to focus all of her strength on the nearest foe. The Shadows understood her intent immediately and fought back, tearing into the Minbari’s mind with their terrible wail of outrage. She staggered at the force, her strength waning dangerously.

Aelora had no thoughts for the battle waging behind her, so fixed was her attention on healing G’Kar. She was able to coordinate the cells in his brain to begin their healing process, but the procedure had been tasking and she was uncertain if there was more that she could do. The station continued to rock beneath her with the blasts from the Shadow vessels but Aelora was oblivious, intent as she was on carefully maneuvering G’Kar so that he rested against her. She wiped the blood from his face, then localized on healing the wound to his chest. She feared that a piece of debris may have pierced a lung but her energy had become so thoroughly depleted that she was unable to see past the layers of muscle and had to force herself to relax and allow her health to rebuild itself. Gently she stroked his face, ignoring the voice that had recently become a whisper, the one that continued to taunt He is only a Narn. Remotely she knew that she should be disgusted to have him so near, that if any of her family were to see her now, they would surely disown her. But that did not matter. Nothing mattered at the moment except making certain that G’Kar lived.

He is only a Narn.

Go to Hell!

"In Valen’s name!"

Aelora began to glance back at Terann’s curse when her patient suddenly moved in her arms.

"G’Kar?" She asked softly, touching his face. "G’Kar, can you hear me?"

"What are you doing?" He questioned, his breath coming in gasps. She could feel the pain he was experiencing and attempted to soak some of it in for him, so that he would not need to continue to suffer.

"I am trying to heal you."

G’Kar closed his eyes for a moment. When they reopened, he fixed her with a fierce gaze. "And the battle? What about the Shadows?"

"Terann can – "

"Schrock, Aelora!" The Narn snarled, his adrenaline adding to his strength enough that he pulled away from her. As good as it had felt in her arms, as liberating as it was to know that this intriguing woman/child had come to care for him, he knew that there were more important concerns at the moment. The Minbari’s loud cursing and the continual shaking of the station proved that. "Don’t be so foolish!"

Aelora worried her lower lip for a moment, knowing that he was right. But deep down inside, she knew why she hesitated, knew why she allowed her concern for G’Kar to overtake her good sense – she was afraid. No, terrified. There had been a moment, maybe many, during her battle with the Shadows that she had actually found herself enjoying it. The power that she had felt within herself was intoxicating, and she had performed feats she never before considered herself capable. But she feared being able to control that power. It was too soon, she had not had enough to training to take on such an enormous duty. What if Terann’s shield had not held? What if destroying the Shadows had not been enough? Were not the feelings she was slowly admitting she felt for G’Kar more important than any amount of power she could possess?

"Aelora!"

The telepath turned at her name, watching in consternation as Terann stumbled, falling to her knees before the viewport. She jumped to her feet then, hurrying over to her friend. "Terann?"

The Minbari shook her head, her face abnormally pale, and the shadows under her eyes dark. "I’m too…tired. I can’t…my strength…"

Aelora attempted to help the Warrior to stand when she felt Terann suddenly tense in her arms. "Terann?"

"Aelora…"

It was the way that Terann spoke her name that caused Aelora to follow her gaze out to the stars. There, the five remaining Shadow ships gathered, heading on a vector that brought them straight into the view of the observation dome. A queasy feeling rushed through Aelora, as if the world around her had suddenly began to spin out of control. Images flashed before her eyes:

"So who, in their infinite wisdom, saw fit to pair the two of you up?"

It seemed like hours though in truth it took only moments for the Shadow vessels to swoop into view of the observation dome and open fire as one. The telepaths had a terrifying moment of nothingness to contemplate their failure as the flame’s of death licked at them, swallowing them greedily into it’s void and leaving nothing but darkness.

And silence.

A terrible, frightening silence…

… Aelora was the first to collapse from the thousands of images that flashed before her eyes within a matter of seconds. G’Kar was immediately at her side, lifting her into his arms. He cast an angry glance at the female Minbari.

"By G’Lan! What have you done to her?"

Terann though, was in no better shape. She staggered backwards against the bulkhead, her vision swimming, her head pounding from the wave after wave of information that had been forced on her. When the realization struck her that the Human must have seen the same visions that she had, her legs collapsed beneath her and she sank slowly to the floor.

"Alyt?" Neroon queried, watching her dispassionately. He had stood just about enough of her dramatics and found this recent display no more entertaining. "Is there a problem?"

The Warrior closed her eyes, fighting against the nausea that threatened. A problem? How was she supposed to answer that? She had no way of explaining what had just occurred, no point of reference to use through which Neroon would be able to understand. It had been as if she had accessed a lifetime of memories, yet she knew they had not belonged to the Human. And somehow, the Human had been there with her, sharing the same experiences, as if they had lived it, not just observed. But how could that have been possible? And they had been friends. Terann had known things about the Human that only close friends would share. Was this some sort of trick the Human had played on her? Was she truly a stronger telepath than Terann had at first believed? No, it did not make sense.

"Terann?" Neroon barked her name harshly, causing her to glance up at him. "Do you plan on laying there all day, or explaining what in Valeria’s name is going on here?"

At the moment, Terann did not want to think. All that she could do was shake her head, and even then she had no idea what it was she meant to say. She struggled to stand when a million voices suddenly rang through her head:

The music of the Vorlons was unmistakable. Terann froze where she was, waiting for them to speak to her again.

Together or apart. One must sleep for the other to survive.

Neroon looked on silently as his Alyt seemed to withdraw into herself once more. The rage inside him grew at her continued silence, at her perfidy.

Terann felt a tight grasp on her arm as the Vorlon's fled her mind. She blinked hard against the reality around her, not completely understanding her surroundings. When she opened her eyes again she was met by a harsh stare from Neroon, his hold on her arm tightening as he pulled her close to him. "It's them isn't it...the Vorlons??? They are doing this, are they not?"

"You do not understand." She managed weakly.

He leaned his face close to hers, so that she felt his breath on her cheek. "I don't want to understand." His voice was thick his obvious contempt for her and the Vorlons.

He held her close for a moment longer, cementing his point, before pushing her away from him as if her presence repulsed him. Turning to the other warriors present he commanded. "Take them back to their cells." He then looked back to Terann who still appeared disconnected "Terann!!" He barked at her signaling for her to follow him.

Silently she fell into step behind him, maintaining a slight distance between them. As they wound their way through the ship she attempted to reach out to the Vorlons, to try to make sense of their message. Blatantly they ignored her, and she quickly became angry. All of what she saw and felt with the human made little sense and to have her attempts at understanding thrown back at her unacknowledged only added to her mounting frustration. They spoke to her in riddles, always acting like a master watching over a pupil, awaiting the revelation of some truth that was just beyond her grasp.

Once at his quarters, Neroon waited for Terann to enter before sealing the door behind them. The air that surrounded them was thick with his anger and Terann felt herself wanting to step back from him, as if fearing being smothered by his intense emotions.

Without preamble he spun around to face Terann, his dark eyes flashing. "Remove this...what she did to me."

Hesitantly the telepath stepped toward him, dreading entering another mind after being so lost within the mind of the Human. Never had she lost so much control. She could not even begin to understand it. After years of being within the minds of so many Earthers she refused to believe that this one was so different. As she neared her commanding officer he violently grabbed hold of her arm again, pulling her to within inches of him, his tone thick with accusation and disbelief. "Why is it you did not see this? You were in there...at Ventaca...I felt you, I remember your alien mind, yet still you saw nothing."

Terann could not believe what she was hearing. He now doubted each and every one of her actions, believing she had betrayed him with every step. "I...I did not."

"No!" He cut her off, pushing her from him. "No more of your lies! I have grown tired of your deceit. Remove it!"

Quickly attempting to calm her thoughts she made her way into his mind. As she did so she felt him stiffen putting up a block to keep her out. Any other time she would have felt pride at how well he had learned from her, but now she only felt hurt that he had grown so mistrustful of her. She did not want to push to hard, did not want to hurt him, to add to his anger. Sighing deeply she pulled back and removed the glove from her left hand and reached out to place it on his cheek. Reflexively he caught her wrist before she touched him obviously not wanting her to do so. Her eyes met his and she opened her emotions up to him, showing him that she only wanted to help him. Reluctantly he released her allowing her to place her hand on him. Using the physical contact between them she easily brushed past his block and moved deeper into his thoughts. She moved quickly, uncertain of what she was looking for but determined to not invade him in any way. She grew frustrated when she found nothing, fearing that the Human had buried it somewhere she really did not want to go. As a last resort, she focused on his subconscious. At last she found what it was she sought, buried deep where no one would find it unless, like she was, they were looking for it. It called to her, as if teasing her, forcing Terann to be cautious. If there was anything she knew about Humans it was that they were conniving and Aelora seemed to be worse than most. Gingerly she reached out to work the implanted command from Neroon's mind careful not to disrupt anything else. As she neared completion something screamed out at her, and she recoiled in terror, cursing the Human telepath as she pulled violently from Neroon's mind. Catching a look at his features she could tell that she had hurt him but she was given no choice.

"Well?" He demanded.

She took a step away from him, fearing his reaction when she told him the truth. "I...I can not remove it."

He closed the distance between them quickly forcing her to cower before him. "You can not or you will not?"

She raised her eyes to meet his, her gaze full of disbelief at his accusation. "I can not." She managed. "There is some kind of buried command...If I remove it, it will kill you."

He moved away from her considering her words. Terann could feel his anger swelling, and she retreated toward the door, not wanting to be within striking distance when it finally boiled over. To her surprise he forced it down then turned back to her. On his face she saw something she had never expected, a look of desperation, of hopelessness. When he finally spoke his voice was calm, controlled. "You can do it Terann. You have the ability to remove it."

She hesitated before speaking knowing what he was asking of her. "I do not want to hurt you."

"That is not your choice." Came the simple reply.

In acquiescence she nodded, then moved past him to sit on the sofa. When he sat down beside her, she once again focused her thoughts. This time he did not recoil from her, instead he forced his mind to welcome her, and she moved swiftly. She gathered her strength, summoning parts of her she had always been forced to bury, centering those abilities on the damage done by the Human telepath.

As her Vorlon abilities took over her connection to them returned.

Why? she demanded. I do not understand.

I know, she barked back at them, You can not dictate to me any longer, I will not listen.

Once again the silence returned as they fled her mind. For a moment she allowed the silence to permeate them, she found solace in it not wanting to return to the harshness of the reality that surrounded her. Returning to the task at hand, she quickly took hold of all traces left by the Human telepath, crushing it with her gift then returned to her Minbari side before pulling out of Neroon's mind.

When her eyes fell upon him, she felt her breath catch in her throat. His skin was deathly pale and he shook slightly in the after effects of the scan. She suppressed the urge to ask him if he was all right, opting instead to stand and move toward the door.

"I heard them," he said stopping her short, his voice weak. "They spoke to you did they not?"

Terann only nodded, both shocked and surprised that the Vorlons had allowed Neroon to hear them. She wondered why only for a moment, coming to the realization that they had wanted him to hear, that he was in some way a part of what they had planned. But what was it they had planned? Mentally she shook her head, deciding there was only one way to end the enigma that had presented itself to her. She had to go to them, to demand that they reveal their secrets to her. And if they did not...well that was something she would be forced to deal with when the time came.

"Do you understand now?" She asked him hopefully.

"No, Terann," he replied plainly before turning his back to her. "The executions will be completed within the hour. Now leave my sight."

Terann moved to say something, to protest his decision, but she knew to do so would be futile. Instead she withdrew silently, offering him no gesture of respect, knowing it would go unnoticed. Once in the corridor, she leaned against the bulkhead recounting the message from the Vorlons, relating it to what had occurred between her and Aelora. Sadly she realized she had little choice, knowing that to do as she was now planning would only cement her future among her people, but she knew that no longer mattered. Only with the Vorlon's help and the Human at her side could she hope to make sense of things. Straightening she turned to make her way quietly through the corridors of the Ingata, trying to keep from encountering any of the crew. After word that she had been behind the peace initiative had spread throughout the ship, every ounce of respect and authority she once had, had been stripped from her. Everything she had struggled to gain had been lost and she knew that there were those aboard that were merely awaiting the time when her treachery and impurity were dealt with properly. Terann found herself caring little how they felt. What she was doing she did for the good of her people and if they were too blind to see that, then so be it. She did not need their respect. Their fear was enough to ensure their cooperation.

Approaching the door to the Human’s cell she was brought to a stop by the large guard assigned to oversee her.

Terann looked angrily at him. "I suggest you move aside, Tannier."

"I am sorry....Terann, " he told her through clenched teeth, "the Shai Alyt has ordered that no one be permitted to see her."

Terann considered the warrior before her, much as she would the most insignificant of beings, before taking a step toward him. "If you do not stand aside, you will know pain and humiliation beyond that which you have ever experienced."

Tannier paused defiantly before finally moving out of her way. Without a parting word Terann brushed past him and stepped into the darkness engulfing the Human’s cell.

The light from the corridor did little to illuminate the cold room and it took several moments before the Minbari’s eyes adjusted to the change. The room was devoid of furnishings and Terann was not surprised to see the human lying on the floor. Her hair was a tangled mass of sweat and blood, her once delicate features marked viciously with cuts and bruises.

"Get up!!" Terann commanded.

Aelora opened a defiant eye and a wave of intense anger washed over her. "Have you come to finish what you started?"

"I said ‘Get up!!’" The warrior then bore her pike, quickly opening it and moving to slam it into Aelora’s head.

Aelora moved quickly to avoid being hit, jumping to her feet and attempting to strike the Minbari. Her injuries, however, made it difficult for her to move fast enough and the Minbari sidestepped then backhanded Aelora across the face sending her back to the floor.

"You could not hope to defeat me at the best of times, Human, in your current condition you only serve to humiliate yourself." Collapsing her pike, she continued. "There are things we must discuss....Come." She then turned heading for the doorway.

Aelora crossed her arms across her chest defiantly refusing to move. She didn’t trust any Minbari least of all this one.

Terann stopped short of the door, turning back to the human as she sat obstinately. "You will follow or I will arrange to have you carried."

Unwillingly, Aelora rose to her feet and slowly walked toward the door, her body screaming out in agony with every step. Before being returned to her cell, Aelora had been oblivious to most of her injuries. Once back in her cell, her mind had calmed enough to allow the pain to surface. Despite the intense agony she had tried desperately to rest and to attempt to discover what had happened between her and the Minbari. The connection between her and Terann was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She had performed many deep scans during the war, some even involving Minbari telepaths, but this one was different. Now that she considered it, she realized that this Minbari telepath was unique from any other she had faced. Aside from the strength of her ability, there was something else: something familiar. It wasn’t anything that she could put her finger on, simply a nagging feeling that refused to subside.

Terann waited in the corridor for Aelora to join her. She wasn’t surprised to find Tannier absent. Most likely he had run off to inform Neroon of her actions. It didn’t matter. There was little even the Shai Alyt could do to prevent her from doing what she was now planning.

As the two women walked down the corridor silently, Terann noted the anger that was emanating from the Human. "Such anger over such a little thing," she commented blandly.

"Stay out of my head you demented bitch!" Aelora spat.

"You would do well to control your emotions better. For a P-12 you have little control of your ability. Then again, it is not surprising for a Human telepath to not truly understand their gift."

They continued on in silence for several minutes, before Aelora slumped against a bulkhead her face contorted in pain. Terann looked on unsympathetically. "You truly are a weak race."

"Fuck you!" Aelora shot back, her eyes full of venom. "If we are so weak why have you not been able to beat us? In fifteen years of war the best either of our races has been able to accomplish is a stalemate. Your problem is you are too goddamned arrogant to accept the truth."

Angered, Terann grabbed Aelora by the arm, forcing her to continue despite her obvious distress. She was annoyed by the pitiful display the Human was putting on. She had heard of many of her own race, that had continued to fight despite far more serious injuries than what the Human had endured.

"It is sad that you do not see the favor I did you," Terann commented after several moments.

Aelora spun around in disbelief. The creature before her had brutally and mercilessly ripped her unborn child from her body and now she made it sound as if she should be grateful for it. Her temper flaring she lashed out at the Minbari, punching her squarely in the jaw. The Minbari was stunned by the blow and swiftly retaliated, kicking the Human in her already battered abdomen. Aelora doubled over as an excruciating pain shot through her body. Seizing the opportunity, Terann balled her fists together and slammed them into the delicate area at the base of the Human’s neck. Her body no longer able to withstand the assault, Aelora crumpled to the floor. Taking a step toward the Human, Terann grabbed her by the front of her crusted uniform, dragging her to her feet then proceeded to slam her in to the bulkhead.

"What you do not see, Human, is that your child was a freak. A being deserving only contempt. Neither Human nor Narn. He would have fought everyday for acceptance and would have found none. In your arrogance you see what I did as a crime, but I assure you I am not the criminal in this." Terann then released the Human who, to the Minbari’s surprise, did not collapse back to the floor.

Aelora regarded her enemy for a moment, her anger having subsided enough to see something in the Minbari’s face, if only briefly. It was a look of understanding and of hurt. Aelora mentally shook her head. No, the being before her was a soulless monster, incapable of anything other than the ability to inflict pain and suffering.

Coming to a doorway, at the end of the corridor, Terann shoved the human through the entry. Aside from a single column of light in the center of it, the room was in complete darkness. Once again, the Minbari took hold of Aelora’s arm dragging her to the light.

To Aelora, the room she now stood in was almost indiscernible from the one she had just left. A bright light emanating from the ceiling was, as far as she could tell, the only difference. Her analysis proved to be inaccurate when, after the Minbari called out a command in Vik, the walls that surrounded her shimmered slightly before displaying an expanse of space. The scene around her brought about an immediate wave of vertigo and she was certain that she would have vomited had she been given anything to eat since being taken prisoner. The star field was devoid of any astronomical phenomena save for a fairly ordinary nebula. Still, she was not ignorant of the beauty that surrounded her.

After several minutes, she began to wonder why the Minbari had brought her here. Initially, she had feared she was being taken to witness G’Kar’s execution. Her own death, she had accepted, but she was uncertain she would be able to handle his death. She couldn’t deny that she felt intense guilt over his being taken prisoner with her and Sheridan. Had she not voiced her opinion on the continuation of the war, if she had not mentioned her unhappiness in the Psi Corps, perhaps he wouldn’t be stuck here with her, awaiting death. Her curiosity getting the better of her she turned to face Terann, but before she could say anything the Minbari spoke:

"Who are you?"

The Human let out an exasperated sigh. "Major Aelora Lane Sinclair, registered telepath, Psi Corps rating P-12. You already managed to squeezed that out of my brain."

Terann’s expression remained unchanged as she asked again, "Who are you?"

Aelora’s brow furrowed in anger. "Are you deaf? I already told you..."

"An arbitrary designation imposed upon you by others, meaning little in the grander scheme."

"Okay," Aelora said smugly. "Who are you?"

For a slight moment Terann reflected on her time with the Vorlons, remembering what they had shown her. Finally she said, "I am nothing. An appendage. A small part of something greater than you can possibly imagine."

"You are crazy," Aelora told her bluntly.

Terann folded her arms across her chest, then began circling around the Human. "You believe our conflict involves only our two races. You see it as Minbari against Human; Human against Minbari. What you fail to realize is that it involves far more. Beyond the Centauri and the Narn. Beyond the Vree and the Brakiri.

"Millions of years before either of our races learned to stand, there were races beyond your comprehension. They walked amongst the stars like giants taking little notice as our races began to develop. When the time came they left, to go beyond that which we call the rim. There was, however, one race determined to stay, to guide us and watch over us. They ensured order in an otherwise chaotic galaxy."

At this, Terann paused, then called out another command. This time the images shifted to a fleet of ships. "Do you recognize these, Human?"

"Should I?" Aelora asked obviously bored with what the Minbari was telling her.

"They are Vorlon ships."

At the Minbari’s last statement, Aelora turned from the images to flash a disbelieving look at her. "The Vorlons?" The Human laughed. "The Vorlons are a myth! You have been deluded by lies."

Terann only crossed her arms across her chest, sighing softly at the humans ignorance. "Do you not find it odd that each of our peoples’ many attempts at peace have been sabotaged? Each of our worlds quickly dismissed these as acts committed by the other. Have you stopped to consider if this is in fact the case?"

Aelora’s face lost it’s smugness as she contemplated the Minbari’s words, and a chill ran down her spine as she remembered her conversation with General Hague, back on Earth. "There is someone else."

Terann only nodded slightly, then called out another command. This time the images shifted to a barren lifeless world, the world the Vorlons had shown her replete with evil.

"Do you know this world?" The Minbari asked. When Aelora shook her head she continued. "My people call it ‘Z’ha’dum’"

"’Z’ha’dum has awakened’" Aelora muttered beneath her breath. "That is what Lenonn said."

"That is what I instructed him to tell you."

"But you....??"

Terann began circling around the Human, analyzing her carefully, questioning what her mind was proposing. "I answer to those greater than myself."

"Who?" Aelora asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Taking one more look at her enemy, Terann spoke. "Come." She then moved toward the doorway.

Aelora stood firm. "No!" She shouted, bringing the Minbari to a stop. "I am not going to have you drag me around without telling me what the hell is going on. I demand..."

"You demand?" Terann shouted, turning back to the Human. "You are in no position to demand anything. Something is wrong. You know that as well as I do. What happened between us earlier is something far beyond your capabilities, leaving me to conclude that there is far more than we can see here."

Aelora still doubted what the Minbari was saying. She did not trust any Minbari, least of all this one. After all Terann had done to her and her unborn child she could not bring herself to listen to her now.

Sensing the mistrust in the Human, Terann stepped toward her. "Put away your suspicion, Human. I have spared your life and sacrificed far more than you can possibly imagine. I have turned my back on everyone and everything I have ever cared about. What have you to lose? Stay here and Neroon will eventually see you dead. Come with me and save billions."

Aelora stared at the Minbari, weighing her words carefully. She doubted everything Terann had told her. Still, she had to admit that her chances of escaping would be far greater with only the female warrior to contend with as opposed to an entire ship full of Minbari. A thought then came to her mind accompanied by a wave of dread. "What about G’kar? If I go with you your Shai Alyt will kill him without hesitation."

"I can assure you the Narn will be kept safe."

The Human snorted derisively. "As if your word means anything to me."

The Minbari nodded imperceptibly then raised her eyes to the Human’s. "What choice do you have?"

Aelora’s mind debated with her heart. Part of her hated to leave G’Kar, begging at her to stay with him and face death with him. The logical part of her told her to go with the Minbari telepath, to follow along with her plan, and to look for an opportunity to bargain for G’Kar’s freedom. Hesitantly, Aelora made her decision and moved toward the doorway, with Terann close behind.

As the pair moved silently toward the docking bay, Terann’s heart screamed. She longed to stay here, to reclaim her place among her people and to tell the Vorlons once and for all where they could put there demands. Deep down, however, she knew that it was impossible for her to do so. If she stayed and continued on in the Minbari’s quest to eradicate the Humans from the galaxy, the Vorlons would intercede and the loss of Minbari life would be unfathomable. No, this was the only way ,she reminded herself: Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved.

Rounding the corner that would lead them to the docking bay the Minbari and Human came to an abrupt stop. At the end of the hall, blocking the entryway, stood over a dozen armed warriors. The sound of phased plasma weapons powering up echoed throughout the corridor as another dozen warriors closed in behind them ensuring they could not escape.

"You’re betrayal deepens, Terann," Neroon commented blandly from where he stood amidst his soldiers. Without moving his eyes from Terann, he instructed Dakkor, who stood arrogantly at his side. "Return the Human to her cell."

Dakkor inclined his head slightly before obediently stepping toward Aelora.

"Dakkor," Terann said, her tone threatening. "Do not."

He stopped short of the Human, knowing fully what Terann was capable of and not doubting her eagerness to use her abilities. The Wind Sword glanced back to his commanding officer for reassurance.

Neroon cast a concerned look at Terann noting the distance in her eyes, as if she were nothing more than a shadow of what had been. He knew he could no longer trust her and not wanting to risk the safety of any of his crew he shook his head at Dakkor, advising him to not make a move toward either of the two women. He then turned back to Terann. "Where, exactly, are you going?"

"No where that you would understand, I assure you," she told him calmly.

"Really?" He commented, crossing his arms across his broad chest glancing at the warriors that surrounded them. Their weapons were trained on either Terann or the Human she was protecting. "It would appear to me that you are going nowhere."

An evil grin played at the corners of Terann’s mouth as she reached out to those that surrounded her. Confused looks crossed the faces of the Minbari Warriors as their weapons were gently pulled from their previous targets to be aimed at their Shai Alyt. Aelora sensed the wave of confusion as it washed over Neroon. She could see the warriors around her struggle to pull their weapons away from their commanding officer but they were powerless against the hold on them. She cast a glance at the telepath beside her noting the calm in her facade. She displayed no sign of strain from controlling so many but the Human could easily sense that Terann had no intention of killing her Shai Alyt. She’s bluffing, Aelora realized and began to wonder how unlike their two races truly were.

Neroon considered the woman before him. He had never thought her capable of harming him and in fact had always believed she would sacrifice herself for him. That was until everything had changed irrevocably. He began to wonder what exactly the Vorlons had done to her during her absence. He understood that they had always had some influence over her but it had never been so apparent. Before he could anticipate her actions, almost read her as well as she could read him. But now, she barely resembled the woman he had once known and cared for. Admitting defeat he ordered his warriors to stand down and before they could protest he dismissed them. Once gone he step toward Terann, bringing his eyes to meet hers. He shuddered at the almost lifeless darkness they harbored as they appeared to burn into his soul with an intense anger, not direct at him, but at the universe in general.

Pulling her eyes from her Shai Alyt’s, Terann turned back to Aelora. "Come," she said through gritted teeth as she pushed her way past Neroon.

She saw the Human hesitate and realized why. She looked back at her commanding officer and told him. "You will not harm the Narn." Neroon scoffed and Terann took a step toward him, her tone dangerously low. "Any harm comes to him and I will see that five hundred of your crew suffer unimaginably. You will bear the blame and will endure the shame of our entire caste for their deaths." Certain her threat was clear she turned and headed into the docking bay, the Human close behind her.

She was standing in the midst of a mountain range, on some forsaken planet that appeared to have been long dead, long alone in the universe. The wind whipped the strands of her hair around her, but she did not feel the chill or discomfort that was expected. Instead, it appeared as if she were in the center of a void, where neither sound nor touch could find her, while around her dust stirred in the breeze and clouded the skies above in a murky darkness.

Aelora…

She glanced around for the voice, a tone that she did not recognize. She found herself wondering if it were a trick of the Minbari female, Terann. Quickly, her mind began to register what had occurred. After entering the Minbari flyer, the Warrior had secured her into a seat and told her to remain silent. For the next three hours, Aelora had done as she had been ordered. She had spent the time considering her options, thinking of ways to escape, worrying about G’Kar’s safety, and replaying in her mind the visions that she had witnessed while linked to the Minbari. Aelora found herself hoping that the Vorlons had answers to the questions that she knew plagued Terann as well as herself.

She was starting to wonder if the Minbari, during some fit of insanity, had made up this entire Vorlon thing when a jump point formed before them, a bright light descending over the ship. Aelora had attempted to place her hand before her eyes, blocking the blinding light when her mind quickly succumbed to darkness.

She started, turning to find the vessel of the voice standing directly behind her. He was Minbari, or at least he appeared so at first. The longer she regarded him though, the more Aelora began to realize that there were subtle nuances about him that were not entirely Minbari. She could not explain it had she been forced to. Were any other Human to look at him, they would not see it. They would proclaim him Minbari and move on. But Aelora had stared into enough Minbari faces, enough Minbari eyes to know the difference. The eyes were what spoke to her, eyes that seemed familiar somehow…

"You are not Minbari", she told him.

Minbari, came the reply. But not born of Minbari.

Aelora frowned. The voice seemed to come from all around her, with a musical quality as if millions of voices had joined in chorus, filling the air with a beauty that was chilling.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

I love this place as you do, Aelora. You must not overlook that.

"This place? I do not even know this place. How could I love it?"

The Human glared at him for a moment longer before finally turning and examining the world around her. The closer she looked, the more certain points would appear familiar to her. Color would briefly appear, trees, snow covered mountains, green valleys, blues seas. Slowly dawning horror began to sweep over her. Earth.

"But how? When?"

She turned back to the stranger only to find that her father, Jeffrey Sinclair, had replaced him. Only he was wearing the clothing of a Minbari.

"Father? What are you doing here? Did the Minbari do this?"

No, Aelora. You did this.

Panic seized her. "Me? That is impossible! I love Earth! I would protect it at any cost!"

Yes, you would. You loyalty is unquestionable. And that is why you fail.

The telepath backed up slightly from the figure of herself. "How can I trust you?"

Aelora shook her head in confusion. Nothing was making sense. "Father said I was responsible for this – for the destruction of Earth!"

He was correct. We are responsible, Aelora. We are at fault for our loyalty to those we care about, and our perfidy to ourselves.

"I am sorry. I don’t understand."

The image flickered, wavered and disappeared before her, leaving Aelora alone once more. She roared her outrage at the puzzle, at the senselessness of everything she was experiencing, at the terrifying thought of bringing destruction to her world, whether real or imagined.

Anger is useless in times like these.

Aelora whirled around but found no one standing near here. The voices surrounded her, coming out of every possible molecule that filled the air. They echoed through her mind, and resounded in her heart.

"What do you know of anger?" She demanded to the faceless voices.

We know that anger has killed millions on each side. We know that anger will kill billions more. And We know that the anger over those billion will lead to more billions until all of the lights in the universe are extinguished forever.

"Anger has nothing to do with it! We have tried peace and it has failed time and again! Only the strongest will survive."

The voices grew silent. Aelora felt desperation clawing at her. She hated this feeling of misunderstanding, of having a light shined in her eyes that kept her from seeing what was before her. Who were the voices speaking to her? Why were they the designated messengers?

We are one, the voices sang softly. Blow out one flame and the breeze carries…

Slowly, an image morphed before her eyes back into the Minbari male who had first come to her. Only now, she saw what she could not understand before. The reason his eyes had appeared so familiar to her was because they were the eyes of her father, eyes that loved her, that spoke of an understanding her mind could not fathom. He nodded once to her, a sad smile appearing on his handsome face.

The voices of authority and resistance are winning, Aelora. For the flames to continue, one must sleep, for the other to survive…

Again, Aelora could only shake her head. "Father, I don’t understand – "

That is why you have failed…

Aelora slowly opened her eyes, only to close them again quickly, shutting off the bright light that threatened to blind her.

"Wake up, Human."

The telepath frowned at the harsh voice, wishing for a moment that she could be rid of the Minbari who seemed bound and determined to make the last remaining days of her life a living hell.

"Wake up!"

Aelora sat up at that, casting a glare at Terann while blinking against the light. Quickly she placed her hands over her abdomen, noting that it no longer hurt, and that somehow her uniform no longer showed the stains of blood that they had. Physically she was tired but nothing more, she did not understand it, how her severe injuries had somehow been healed. She took a moment to examine her surroundings, finding that there was little to really distinguish where they were. The room appeared round – maybe – she could not completely delineate where the walls and ceiling were. She could find no light source, for everything around her was white and everything appeared to give off and reflect the light. It was much like staring into a star through a muted lens. The surface that she sat on was just as nondescript. A plain white block made out of a material she could not name. She noticed the Minbari sat on a similar object, seeming much more at home in the surroundings than Aelora felt.

"Where are we?" The Human asked.

The Minbari ignored the question. "What did you dream, Human?"

Aelora sighed. She knew that the Minbari would never answer her question until she replied. "I don’t know really. My father was there, once dressed like a Minbari and once as a Minbari. He said…he said I was responsible for the destruction of Earth…"

"And?" The Warrior pressed.

"And…something about one sleeping for the other to survive. There were voices, strange singsong voices that spoke to me…"

"The Vorlons."

The Human blinked. "The Vorlons? You were serious about that?"

Terann only looked at her.

"No, this is impossible!" Aelora stood and began wandering around the room, searching for a way out. "You are doing this! It’s another sick fucking game of yours!"

The Minbari was on her feet in a flash, moving to intercept the Human, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her once, hard. "Listen to me, Human! Listen!"

Aelora glared at her captor but remained silent.

"They will not let us out of here until we understand what they are trying to tell us." Terann released her hold on Aelora, stepping back, her gaze still holding that of the Human’s. "I too dreamed. It was a dream I had earlier, before we captured you. I did not understand it, but in it you appeared to me, only I did not know who you were at the time. I did not link the dream with you when we brought you to our ship. But now…now I know the Vorlons sent that dream to me for a reason. That is why they have forced us both to see it – to witness those visions that we had back on the Ingata."

Aelora shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I woke before you, Human, and the Vorlons came to me. They showed me what has happened, what we must do – "

"None of this is making any sense!"

"No, it doesn’t," the Minbari agreed, showing her anger for being cut off. "But still, you must listen. We both must listen. This – the world we know – should not exist. The Vorlons said it must not exist. That other world – the one that we saw together – that is the correct world. What we saw -- that battle -- that was when everything went wrong. The outcome of that battle changed history, as well as the future."

"You’re insane," Aelora snapped, turning away from the warrior. It did not matter that her heart screamed out to listen to the Minbari, that what she was telling her was true. Remember your own mind, her thoughts called out to her. Remember when you realized that everything was wrong.

"I wish I were," Terann replied. "Unfortunately, I have seen the truth and the truth is that we should not exist. Not as this. Not as…enemies."

Aelora turned back to her, regarding the Minbari thoughtfully. "Is that what you want? Our existence as friends?"

"No," she answered quickly, truthfully. "But it is what they want, what they say needs to be."

"You believe in them that much? These Vorlons."

The Minbari nodded.

Aelora ran a hand over her eyes, still unable to believe any of this was happening. If she were dreaming certainly she would awaken soon. That or it would manifest itself into a nightmare. No, wait. It was already at that point.

"Fine. Okay. So say I go along with this and believe you and your Vorlons – who by the way I have yet to see. How the fuck are we supposed to make things right? Snap our fingers? Click the heels of our ruby slippers and chant there’s no place like home? Personally, Minbari, the moment I get a chance, I am going to kill you. You and that ass of a Captain of yours. And don’t try to tell me that you don’t want to do the same to me and G’Kar."

Terann nodded. "Yes, Human. In this point, you are correct. The blood in me sings with the need to crush you beneath my boots but there is one thing I have been made to understand that you must see as well."

"And that is?"

"There are things greater than us."

We are one. The words rang through Aelora’s mind and she closed her eyes against it. Though it made sense, though everything seemed to come together and explain to her why she had felt as if the very molecules around her seemed out of place, the stubborn side of her still fought against it. How were she and a Minbari so integrally important to the structure of the galaxy?

Finally, throwing her hands up in the air as a sign of capitulation, Aelora returned her gaze to Terann. "Very well. The universe somehow hinges on our cooperation. Now what? What do we need to do to satisfy the Vorlons?"

"You said your father was in the dream as a Minbari."

"Yah. So?"

Terann closed her eyes for a moment, dreading what needed to be said. She herself had fought against what the Vorlons had forced her to see, but they had been relentless in making her understand, in gaining her acceptance. It seemed at once impossible and plausible and something she would have rather died than had the knowledge of. She opened her eyes to regard the Human once more. "Your father is meant to be a great leader of my people."

"What?" Laughter bubbled up inside Aelora before she could stop herself. "Now I am certain you have lost your mind. My father would never even consider such a ludicrous idea. Besides, how would the Minbari ever accept a Human as their leader?"

Terann was forced to come to the realization that she would never be able to convince the Human to accept the truth. At least not with words. She stepped forward, halting when Aelora backed away from her quickly. "I will not harm you," she ground out, her patience waning. "I must make you see, the way the Vorlons showed me."

Before Aelora could side-step her, Terann grabbed the Human’s hand, holding her steady and catching her gaze in a mesmerizing stare. "See the truth," she commanded of her enemy.

Aelora froze, her eyes becoming unfocused, as the images and voices began to flash before her:

It was a Babylon 4, the space station her father commanded, only it was not filled with EA soldiers to whom she was accustomed, but Minbari Warriors. Before them stood her father, as he had appeared to her in her dream: as a Minbari with the eyes and soul of a Human. On either side of him hovered beings she had never seen before but instinctively knew they were Vorlons. Tears filled her eyes as her father’s voice spoke to the Warriors, calmly, as if he were at one with his surroundings:

"I welcome you, and present this place to you as a gift. I am called Valen and we have much work ahead of us…"

It had been five days since Terann had left the Ingata with the Human telepath, and things had quickly returned to normal. Neroon stood on the bridge, taking note of the varied emotions displayed by the crew. They had had no encounters with an Earth ship, save for a small transport vessel, and he could tell they were quickly becoming eager to engage their enemy. He had not informed them that plans were being made to attack the Earther's homeworld for fear that it would pull their minds away from their current duties. He glanced beside him at Dakkor as he barked orders at the crew. He was pleased with how well Dakkor had served him and had found no reason to complain about the Wind Sword's performance, yet he found himself longing for Terann's presence. Never had he fully understood how well she could anticipate him, how she seemed to be almost an extension of him, until now.

"Shai Alyt," Tabari called out from the scanners. "We have a jump point forming."

"Battle stations!" Dakkor shouted, sending the crew hurrying to their stations.

Neroon was calmer, secure in the knowledge that his ship and crew could handle anything that could be coming out of hyperspace. "Visual."

Less than a second later the viewscreen was filled with an expanse of space. In a bright burst the jump point opened and two large ships hurtled forth.

He glanced at Tabari as the young warrior tried to make sense of the sensor readings. "Report," he finally prompted.

She shook her head. "Ships are of unknown origin..." She paused for a moment. "Shai Alyt, they are opening gun ports."

"Shai Alyt...." Dakkor started

"Patience Dakkor." He stepped toward the viewscreen, watching the two alien ships as they drew closer. "Are their targeting systems active?"

"No Shai Alyt."

Dakkor stepped beside Neroon silently urging him to assume a defensive position. But Neroon was not as rash as the young Wind Sword. His eyes moved along the lines of the strange alien ships. They were unlike anything he had seen before, terrifyingly beautiful, the skin, of their hulls, shimmering ever so slightly every few seconds. They came to a stop several kilometers off the bow of the Ingata, taking no hostile action toward them. But why would they open their gun ports, he wondered, the realization hitting him as soon as the thought formed. Approaching with gun ports open was a tradition of his people, a sign of respect. "Terann," he said under his breath.

"What?" Dakkor demanded, quickly becoming frustrated with the unknowns of the situation.

Before the Shai Alyt could offer a response, Tabari called out. "Shai Alyt, there's...I do not understand."

"What is it?" He urged, his mounting frustration showing.

"A flyer has just been launched by one of the alien ships...it's....It's the Arani."

"Terann," Dakkor sneered. "Should we open fire?"

"No!" Neroon replied, surprising even himself with the urgency in his voice.

The large warrior turned to face his commanding officer his dark eyes filled with anger. "I must protest. You can not possibly..."

"Do not question my authority," Neroon advised meeting Dakkor's glare, before turning to Morwenn. "Allow the ship to dock."

Before anyone else could question his order, Neroon rushed from the bridge, knowing his crew's loyalty to him would keep them from doing anything rash. He raced to the docking bay, all the while a debate raging through his mind. Terann had betrayed him by leaving with the Earther, and for that he doubted he could ever forgive her. But a small part of him begged at him to listen, to find a reason in her logic, and perhaps show her her error, convincing her that this was where she truly belonged. Mentally he shook his head. He knew Terann too well, knew how stubborn she could be, that when she got an idea in her head she would see it through to the bitter end regardless of the cost. He feared that now, with the Vorlons influence, this was the case even more.

Entering the docking bay he glanced around at the various crew members stationed there as they hurried about their duties.

"Out!!" He shouted at them, his voice echoing about the immense chamber.

Without question they dropped what it was they were doing and headed for the exits. Neroon watched as the Arani entered the docking bay and gently came to a stop. He approached the base of the ramp as it lowered to the deck, crossing his arms across his broad chest. Terann was the first to step from the ramp, followed closely by the Human female. Instantly, Neroon noted the difference in each of them. The Human’s clothes no longer showed the stains of blood and filth that they had before their departure, yet even more amazing than that, her injuries, for the most part, appeared to have been healed. Only a slight scar remained on her face, which held a sullen appearance. His gaze moved from the Earther to his Alyt and almost as soon as his eyes met hers he felt his breath catch in his throat. He did not like what he saw in her. Her green eyes were almost black, an infinity of reflections, as if they held within them all the horror of the universe. Her skin was the color of death, a stark contrast to her haunting eyes.

"I must speak with you," she said simply, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sarcastically he smiled. "Really Terann..."

"Now!!" She barked at him pushing past to head for the exit.

For a moment he watched the two women disappear around the corner and for a moment he contemplated ending whatever game it was she was playing. But his mind returned to the ships positioned just off the Ingata's bow and decided it best to play along...for now.

Catching up with Aelora and Terann, Neroon followed in silence, noting that the route they took would take them directly to the Narn's cell. A small smile formed on his face as a thought took shape in his mind. Perhaps Terann had seen the error in her ways and finally intended to end all of this.

"Don't count your chickens, Minbari," Aelora said, her head turning slightly, casting an angered look at Neroon.

Terann, realizing what had just transpired, moved quickly backhanding the Human across the face, a red welt forming quickly on her cheek. Before Aelora could recover the Minbari telepath grabbed the front of her uniform and slammed her into the wall of the corridor, holding her there, her face within inches of hers. "Stay out of his head, Earther or I will see to it that you never invade another mind again."

For a moment, Aelora winced at the pressure being exerted on her chest by the Minbari, then taking a deep breath:

"You...you need me."

"Do not remind me," Terann said hatefully then released her hold on Aelora.

For a moment the two women stared at one another before resuming their silent journey to the Narn's cell.

Upon arriving at the darkened chamber, Aelora felt her heart scream in anguish. He lay deathly still in the corner of the room, yet even in the darkness Aelora could easily see the extreme injuries that had been inflicted upon him. Without thought of the consequences, she ran to his side, kneeling beside him, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder.

He woke with a start coming quickly to a sitting position. It was clear from his expression that he was expecting more torture at the hands of the Minbari, but at the sight of Aelora his features softened. His eyes moved over her quickly noticing how she no longer looked as if she had been dragged through hell. Instead he saw the beautiful red headed woman that he had fallen in love with back on Earth. Sadly though, when he looked in her eyes, he saw traces of the battered human she had so quickly become at the hands of the Minbari. Ever so gently he raised his hand to brush a stray wisp of hair from her cheek summoning the smile he did not think he would ever see again.

"G'Kar," Aelora said softly holding out her hand to help him to his feet. "There are things we need to discuss."

He cast a questioning look at Aelora before moving his eyes to the two Minbari that stood half hidden in shadows. His mind moved at a sickening pace as he began to fear that Aelora had been brought to him so that he could witness her death. He no longer dreaded his own death, there was nothing they could do to harm him further, but the idea of Aelora dying at their hands was one he could never face.

"If I had wanted her dead, Narn, she would be dead," Terann told him picking up on his concern for the Human telepath.

Aelora, realizing that the Minbari had scanned G'Kar, leapt to her feet and lunged at her punching her hard across the face. Terann reacted swiftly sweeping the Earther's feet out from under her sending her to the floor. Once there, Terann proceeded to kick her twice in the ribs, too distracted to notice G'Kar as he closed in on her.

The Narn could no longer stand idly by as the Minbari hurt Aelora again. Already she had been forced to endure much and suffer beyond comprehension and he would rather die than watch her continued pain. He hurtled at Terann, wrapping his immense hands around her slender neck. Together they fell to the floor and before the Minbari had a chance to respond, G'Kar slammed her head into the deck twice with a sickening sound, cursing at her in his native language.

Terann's head was swimming from the repeated blows to her head, making it difficult to center her thoughts on the Narn as he continued his assault on her. He pulled his hands from her neck and began punching her repeatedly in the face causing Terann to attempt to cover her face with her arms. She closed her eyes attempting to block out the pain the Narn was inflicting on her, gathering her strength to fight against him. It became clear to her, from the way he focused his attack on her head, that he had learned a few things about telepathic ability from Major Sinclair. When she felt him pull her head from the deckplate once again she braced herself for the imminent impact between it and the back of her head. Instead she heard a dull thud and felt the Narn roll off her. Opening her eyes she saw Neroon standing over G'Kar, his pike opened, a bloody gash over the Narn's eye. She watched dispassionately as Neroon alternated kicking and slamming his denn'bok into G'Kar's ribs. Terann wiped the blood that had formed on her brow and gathering her strength she rose unsteadily to her feet.

"Enough," she said weakly, her words going ignored. "I said 'Enough'!!" She shouted stepping between the two men. Grabbing the weapon from her commanding officer's hands she closed it then tossed several meters away. Once certain she had their attention she continued. "We don't have time for this. Unfortunately the powers-that-be dictate that we can no longer proceed in our desire to annihilate one another."

G'Kar came to his feet, casting a hate filled look at the two Minbari before moving to stand beside Aelora. "What is she talking about?" He asked, his voice barely holding back his rage.

"Yes Terann, please do continue," Neroon, who until that moment had remained silent, now mocked.

Terann ignored his attempt to spark her ire then proceeded to explain. "A week ago, during your failed escape attempt I entered her mind. What happened I could barely begin to understand, let alone explain. Because of this we left this ship in the hope of finding the answers we sought."

"Where did you go?" G'Kar once again directed his question at the Human beside him.

Aelora opened her mouth to speak, but Terann answered for her. "To the Vorlons." At the ensuing silence she continued, explaining all that had transpired during their time with the Vorlons, still finding it hard to speak the words that she still doubted. She told them of a universe outside of their own, a universe that knew none of the pain and anger that theirs did, a universe that they were now being forced to bring back into existence. When she finished telling them what the Vorlons had planned and expected of them Neroon launched into a tirade.

He lunged at his Alyt, grabbing her by the front of her uniform, pulling her close to him so that she had to force her eyes away in fear that his anger would overwhelm her. "What in Valeria's name have they done to you? Have you any idea what you are saying? I should kill you where you stand!!"

Bringing her eyes back up to meet his an urge crossed over her, something that she had never experienced before, but the urgency of the situation and the demands of the Vorlons had brought her mind to the brink of snapping. She could not allow failure, after coming so far and sacrificing so much. A guttural sound emerged from somewhere deep inside her and she brought her arms up then down hard on Neroon's forearms breaking his hold on her. For a moment he was shocked that she had dared strike him, but quickly he retaliated, striking her across the face sending her to the deck. She jumped back to her feet, logic returning with the blow. Never had she dared to strike him and she immediately regretted doing so, but in Neroon's anger she knew she had no hope of restoring the gulf that had formed between them. She felt his anger as it seared through her and she believed he would kill her for her insubordination. In another time and place she would have conceded to her fate accepting what she deserved for her disobedience. But now, with what the Vorlons had told her still fresh in her mind, she had no option but to fight, to survive at any cost. She allowed him to come at her again, she would defend herself but she refused to attack him openly.

Neroon lashed out at her with his fist and as she raised her arm to block his blow he grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm behind her back, bringing it to the point of breaking. His other arm he snaked around her, a knife having materialized in his hand he pressed it against the pale skin of her neck the sharp blade quickly drawing blood. He brought his face close to her ear and when he spoke his voice was dangerously low. "Simply because I would not allow an alien to kill you, but do not doubt that I would gladly do it myself. Your continued lies and unwavering deceit have grown intolerable."

"You forget, Shai Alyt," Terann told him through gritted teeth. "There are two Vorlon cruisers parked off your bow. Any harm comes to me and they will tear this ship apart."

He considered her words, her overconfidence adding to his already burning rage. Weighing his options carefully he pushed her violently from him.

Terann cast a quick glance at the Earther and her Narn lover as they stood silently watching her and Neroon intently. She knew that convincing the Narn would not be difficult, as he seemed eager to welcome any opportunity to leave the Ingata. As she could see it, Neroon was the only obstacle, and in his current state of mind convincing him would be almost impossible.

"Neroon," she said softly, her eyes clearing showing her desperation. "Please, you must understand."

"Understand?? I haven't understood anything you have said or done since this all started. What has happened to you?"

"I told you, I don't understand this anymore than you do, but I have seen things, things that have forced me to believe that this....all of this....is wrong. We have an opportunity to do something for our people."

"We??" He asked incredulously. "You expect me to go with you? On the brink of our victory over the Earthers?"

"I had hoped......" She broke off, choking back the pain that threatened to spill from her. She could see his mistrust of her, could see that he believed that she was somehow under the influence of the Vorlons. What he couldn't see was how she longed to have him at her side, as it was meant to be. That together they could set things right. Giving up on that hope she turning away from him, she faced Aelora and G'Kar. "It is time."

They both nodded imperceptibly and moved toward the door. For a moment Neroon watched them silently noting the sudden change in Terann. Her arrogance had quickly been replaced with desperation and frustration and for a moment he found himself daring to believe in her. It was clear from her mannerisms that everything she was now setting out to do went against how she truly felt, yet she still insisted on leaving with the human and the Narn. He hated the idea of her going alone, thinking of the torture and degradation she would be forced to endure if the Earther's were to capture her. She knew the risks as well as he did, yet she accepted this readily. Coming to his decision he moved to fall into step beside her before logic was able to take over. At one time they had sworn to stand together, no matter the cost, and he refused to abandon her now.

It could be attributed to nothing short of a miracle that had led to the trip on the Mak'Aroon cruiser going as smoothly as it had. After being sneaked aboard, Neroon and Terann had been isolated, within sealed quarters, to prevent detection as there were many on board that would gladly attempt to gain the favor of the humans by turning over two high ranking Minbari. G'Kar and Aelora had also spent most of the journey in the quarters they shared, enjoying the company of one another one final time. The Narn had lingering doubts about what they were doing but conceded to believing in the Human he had so quickly fallen in love with. It was his firm belief that the powers in the universe worked in mysterious ways but never without purpose.

After being cleared for docking, the Narn shuttle came to rest in the Earth Battle Station, Babylon 4. Aelora was the first to stand and an annoyed look from Neroon told the others exactly how he felt about her apparent attempt to lead them. Aelora gave him an arrogant grin before speaking. "So we all know what we are doing here? I will go ahead and speak to my father and arrange things with him. You will all stay here until I return." At this she looked pointedly at the two Minbari. "Either of you try anything funny and I know a few thousand EA soldiers on this station that would be only too happy to deal with you."

Neroon jumped to his feet, taking a threatening step toward the Human telepath. "Is that a threat?" He sneered.

G'Kar also rose to his feet and assumed a position beside Aelora. "I don't make threats," she told him meeting his challenge head on.

Terann calmly stepped between them, placing a hand on her commanding officer's chest. "We do not have time for this. We can not succeed if all we wish to do is kill one another." She turned to regard the Human. "Yes, we hate you as much as you do us, but let's move past that and do what we came here to do."

Neroon cast his second in command an angered look then turned to retake his seat. Aelora turned to G'Kar and gave him a parting kiss before heading toward the ramp.

As she had requested, there was no one to meet her. With her most likely being on the Psi Corps' most wanted list she felt it best if as few people knew about her presence on the station as possible. Throughout the war she had spent a considerable amount of time on the station and knew the quickest and most inconspicuous routes to her father's office. It was located just down the hall from the War Room that served as the command center for the war effort in this part of the galaxy. Usually a bustle of activity, Aelora was relieved to find it all but deserted no doubt a result of her father's doing. He must have sensed the urgency and desperation in her message and arranged for everyone to be elsewhere.

Aelora could not suppress a smile as she poked her head in the doorway of his office. He sat buried behind stacks of reports apparently trying to make sense of everything that lay before him. Aelora could not believe how much the war had changed him. In the beginning he had been a hotshot fighter pilot, always in the thick of things. It was not until a brilliant maneuver, several years later, which had resulted in the destruction of a Sharlin Class Warcruiser and had saved the lives of his entire squadron that he was promoted to captain. After being bounced from outpost to outpost he was finally offered command of Babylon 4. Having served on the front lines most of his career he was grateful for the relative quiet that the station offered. It was more than a simple desk job but not as bloody as being in a battlefield. Aelora felt better with him here. Though the station was a prime target for a Minbari attack she felt he was safer here than aboard a warship.

Aelora cleared her throat to draw his attention toward her. A wide smile formed on Sinclair's face as he caught sight of his daughter. Almost immediately he closed the distance between them and took her in his arms in a tight hug. The telepath wrapped her arms around him as if holding on for dear life, taking comfort in this brief moment with him.

Untangling himself from her grasp, he guided her to a sofa on the far side of the room. Once both were seated he spoke. "I have been so worried, Ae. I spoke to General Hague, he told me about the meeting...I feared..."

She put a calming hand on his cheek. "I am fine. Things did not go exactly as planned but I am okay."

Sinclair noted how her eyes betrayed her true feelings. He could see the pain and anger she tried so desperately to hide. "Ae...remember who you are talking to."

She closed her eyes swallowing hard against the anguish in her. In the next moment, she collapsed against his chest, her tears soaking the front of his uniform. Everything that she had kept bottled up since the Minbari had taken her prisoner, spilled from her. Never had she felt so empty, so helpless, and so utterly alone. Fighting back against her raging emotions she pulled back from her father, quickly wiping her face with her gloved hands.

Sinclair studied his daughter a look of horror passing over his face. "Dear god Aelora, what did they do to you?"

The young woman pulled her eyes from his shaking her head. "It doesn't matter."

The Captain jumped to his feet, the idea of the Minbari hurting his daughter angering him too much for him to sit in one place. "Aelora, if they hurt you..."

"No! Father, we can't worry about that right now. Matters are far grimmer than that. You have to listen to me, as hard as it will be for you to accept, you must believe me."

Taking a step toward her, Sinclair knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. "I have always believed in you."

"You might not after you hear what I have to say. Even I am doubting what I am about to tell you."

"Aelora, please just tell me."

Sighing deeply, Aelora rose to her feet and began pacing. As she passed by the entryway she pressed the control panel and waited until the door hissed shut. Finally she spoke:

"Something is wrong. I can't explain it, even if I tried. Everything is mixed up...out of place..."

The handsome man moved over to her, taking her gently by the shoulders. "Aelora, what are you talking about? Please just calm down and tell me."

She closed her eyes again focusing on her words. Opening them again she began to explain. "While I was held by the Minbari, one of their telepaths scanned me...I can't explain it. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was like peering through a looking glass at a universe the same as this only different. There was no war, in fact the Minbari were our allies, most of us were there yet we were different. Anyway after I was taken back to my cell the telepath came to me and told me to come with her. I had no idea what she wanted of me but I went hoping to find a way to escape."

"Is that when you came here?" Her father asked.

Aelora shook her head. "No. This is where it gets difficult to explain. This Minbari, she isn't like the others. I mean she is and yet she isn't. She took me to the Vorlons...."

"The Vorlons?" Sinclair stared at her in disbelief.

"I know, father, I thought they were only a myth too, but nonetheless there we were. What I was shown me I could hardly put into words. But it only served to confirm whatever happened between the Minbari telepath and me. Somewhere back in the past, something happened to set things on this path...the wrong path."

The Human captain looked at his daughter a moment longer before shaking his head. "Aelora, you said this telepath scanned you. She must have planted a memory in your mind, to...."

"No, it isn't like that. I was there; I saw what they wanted me to see. They told me that we have to set things right or everything will be lost."

Jeffrey Sinclair desperately wanted to believe his daughter, but the idea of her being taken to the Vorlons, by a Minbari no less, was beyond laughable. In light of this he still wanted to understand all that had happened to his daughter in her absence. "Okay Ae, tell me what they said."

The telepath retook her place on the sofa then continued. "Somewhere in the past something failed to happen, something so important that it affected everything in the galaxy. In the beginning there were several races, greater than anything you can imagine. They walked amongst the stars like giants and when the time came they went beyond the rim. One race stayed, to guide us in our development to teach us to be as great as they are."

"The Vorlons," he said simply.

She nodded then continued. "They helped different races, guiding and watching over them. A thousand years ago an enemy arose, beyond anything ever imagined, a race bent on the destruction of millions. The Shadows, as they became to be known, pitted one race against another, disrupting the natural order of everything. The Minbari and several other races, with the guidance of the Vorlons, took up the fight against them. The forces of light were outnumbered and suffered heavy losses, the greatest of which was their base of operations. Without this the war would continue resulting in irreparable damage." She paused, summoning the courage to continue. "That is when everything went wrong. You see, without their base of operations, a place to lead the war, the Minbari were beaten back hundreds of years in development. Though they did eventually win the war, it wasn't without the loss of millions of lives. They blamed much of the galaxy for their losses, believing they bore the brunt of the damage inflicted upon everyone during the war and because of this they isolated themselves. Carrying this grudge and having no real outlet for their anger the Warrior Caste turned their eye toward their own world destroying much of the Religious Caste and enslaving the Workers. When the Prometheus destroyed the Solaris, the Minbari poured every ounce of their being into seeing the end of the human race. Without the wisdom of the Religious Caste, the Warrior Caste continued the war relentlessly and in our own arrogance we played along with them. In fifteen years both our races have suffered unimaginably. None of which was supposed to happen.

"You see, the Vorlons showed me another existence, a one in which the Minbari didn't lose so much in the Shadow War, where they didn't resort to infighting and where the Earth Minbari War ended only two years after it started. All it took was one man."

As a look of revelation fell over her father’s face she nodded. "Yes father, you. You are the key, the key to everything."

"Aelora...!"

"You have to listen. A single man took a space station back a thousand years and ensured that the Minbari were victorious against the Shadows, by giving them a place to coordinate the war effort. He restrained the Warrior Caste, built something called the Grey Council, something to ensure the balance of power between the three castes."

Sinclair collapsed back behind his desk, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to garner some clarity from the situation. "So what you are telling me, is that I take Babylon 4 back in time a thousand years and convince the Minbari to listen to me...and they do?"

"It isn't that easy."

"Of course it isn't," he exclaimed sarcastically.

"It wouldn't be enough for you to just tell them how things should be, you have to convince them, and the only way is to...become one of them."

"What?" He set off once again jumping to his feet. "And how do you propose I become one of them?"

"The Vorlons gave us a device. I don't know how it works but apparently you step into this chrysalis thing and you come out a Minbari." Aelora came to her feet moving over to her father. "I know it sounds difficult to believe. I am having a hard enough time understanding it."

He could not believe any of what she was telling him. He found himself believing that the Minbari had somehow programmed her mind but if so why with such a cockamamie story? "So what was done in this alternate timeline that altered the past so horribly?"

Taking a calming breath, Aelora began to explain the part she herself had not even begun to understand. "From what I was told, in this other time, the Shadows had just begun to return when you, with the help of others, took Babylon 4 back in time a thousand years. Unfortunately almost a year later I am aboard the Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5 in order to fight against the Shadows. For some reason it is demanded that I take Sleepers to suppress my ability but I refuse. Somehow, my refusal was to the Shadows advantage and they all but destroyed the station and seized control of its computer. Through it they discover that you...err...the alternate you...had taken Babylon 4 back to help defeat them in the past.

"Determined to change the tides of the war they go back four years and simply kill you. Because you couldn't take the B4 in that universe back in time they altered the course of the war a thousand years ago resulting in this timeline."

For several minutes silence permeated the room as each tried to come to terms with what had been said. It was Captain Sinclair that spoke first. "So what you are telling me is that this...this station...this war...you...me...all of this is wrong?" Aelora nodded, receiving a look of utter disbelief in return. "So between you and me, the Vorlons expect us to evacuate the station, turn me into a Minbari, take Babylon 4 back in time a thousand years and then somehow convince this alternate future you to take sleepers?"

The young woman worried her bottom lip and her father, immediately recognizing one of her many habits, knew that there was yet more that she was expecting of him, and he told her as much.

"It isn't just you and me," she said softly, anticipating her father's response when she told him about the two Minbari on the Narn shuttle. She decided it was best if she just blurted it out.

"You have what!"

"Father, please understand...."

"I understand that you have two potentially dangerous high ranking Minbari on board this station. What the hell is wrong with you, Ae?" At her silence he strode over to his paper-laden desk. Rummaging through several files he found what he was looking for. Casting her an angered look he began reading names. "Maynard...Garibaldi...Keffer...Cole...and now Sheridan...that is just the last week Ae." He threw the file back on the desk and took a step toward her. "These were people we knew and they are dead...dead Ae...because of the goddamn Minbari. And now you are here telling me that 'Hey things are wrong, so let's lay out the welcome mat and let these very same Minbari aboard the station to do god only knows what'. Well you know what Ae? I'm not doing it. What I am going to do is this. I am going to take my best security team to that shuttle and give those two exactly what they have coming to them!"

"Father..." she pleaded.

"Don't bother Ae," he said stalking toward the door.

She ran in front of him blocking his way. "Dammit Jeff, listen to me! I have lost just as many in this war, but what if...what if we didn't have to...what if we can do something here, now, to prevent all of this, can we afford not to try?" She took a deep breath making one last attempt to get through to him. "Dad...please...have I ever before given you reason not to trust me?"

He hesitated considering her question. He knew instantly what his answer was but he had not given up on the prospect that the Minbari had in fact brainwashed her in some way.

The telepath saw the doubt that remained in her father's eyes and she knew she had to erase it. Her hopelessness and frustration reaching unimaginable levels she pulled her gloves from her hands, deciding the only way to prove to him what the Vorlons had told her was to show him.

"Give me your hand," she commanded.

His brow furrowed slightly but he conceded to her, placing his hand in hers. For a moment he enjoyed the soft warm feel of her skin against his before his mind linked with hers. Images flashed past him at a sickening rate, and had he not been holding his daughter so tightly he believed he would become lost in the jumble.

She opened herself to him in a way she had never before, showing him images of himself, his other self, in a world both thought only existed in dreams.

He saw himself aboard a Minbari Cruiser standing amidst a circle of nine cloaked figures. One moved toward him holding a strange device that glowed when placed before him. His thoughts raced forward to where he saw himself standing on the bridge of a space station much like Babylon 4, around him were the faces of friends long gone. Gone was their battle hardened seriousness, instead they seemed happy. He then saw himself standing with a Minbari female and for moment he realized that he called her 'friend'. Flashing forward once again he came to a time where both Humans and Minbari surrounded him, and what he saw was not hatred but reverence toward him as if he held some value to them and they to him. In the last moments before Aelora broke the connection with him he caught a glimpse of a male Minbari dressed in brown robes wearing a beautifully strange pin composed of two figures; one Human and one Minbari, and with a start he realized that he was looking at himself. Coming back to the reality that surrounded him a voice echoed through his head.

Blinking hard against the lights of the room, Sinclair made his way over to the sofa where he collapsed. It did not make sense. These were more than just images cast upon him by a telepath. Every sight, sound and smell was intimately familiar. There was an unmistakable depth to what he had been shown and he quickly came to a startled realization.

"It's true isn't it...all of it?"

"Yes father." Came the almost inaudible reply.

He took a last glance at the glimmer of hope on his beautiful daughter’s face, a face that had known far too much pain and suffering, a fact that he now planned to rectify. "Then let's do it."

Aelora smiled widely, the almost forgotten sense of hope washing over her as she hugged her father tightly. Together they would set things right.

It had been three days since Ashlen Ladan and Alfred Bester arrived on Babylon 4 and already Ashlen was sick of being there. Never before had she been surrounded by so many mundanes. Sure she had done her time in the field, and in fact found that she enjoyed being away from the bureaucracy of Psi Corps. But this was not the field. This was a way point, where soldiers were sent to recover from battle injuries or to await new assignment. The atmosphere was so much more relaxed than what she was accustomed to. During a deployment, those that she worked with looked upon her with respect, if not for her directly at least for her rank. They knew their place and would not dare cross the line. Here even a low ranking corporal did not hesitate to treat her harshly, to make his dislike for telepaths apparent. She couldn’t believe the ignorance often shown to telepaths by the rest of the military. The role the Psi Corps. played had ensured many of the victories Earth had gained against the Minbari. As she saw it, mundanes should be eternally grateful to the telepaths.

Making their way back to The Waypoint, Bester and Ashlen were welcomed by the usual rowdiness associated for the main gathering place on the station. This was where many of the station’s personnel and transients met to get away from the harshness of the war. It was a ‘no holds barred’ area, where soldiers were basically allowed free reign, to do as they felt. It was believed that they deserved the respite that the place offered before being called upon to serve and possibly die. Ashlen and Bester both agreed that it was a nauseating place, where mundane thoughts flowed as freely as the alcohol that was served here. They took the shortest route possible hoping to bypass some of the grief experienced by other unwitting telepaths that had ended up here. Both telepaths were grateful to see that most they encountered quickly moved out of their way. They attributed it to the fact that they wore the unmistakable uniforms of Psi Cops. There were not many soldiers, even the intoxicated ones that frequented The Waypoint, who were foolish enough to harass two P12s.

"Well that was highly unpleasant," Ashlen commented to Bester as they entered the lift.

"Mundanes tend to be very unpleasant, Major. Unfortunately it isn’t something you get used to either."

"Great," she replied with a derisive snort. After a few moments of silence she decided to broach another topic. "Did you hear the recent poll stats on ISN?"

A smile formed on the man’s face. "Yes I did Ladan. We gained another 3 points."

Ashlen noted his use of the word ‘we’ and understood what he meant. A telepathic president would be advantageous to all telepaths. Finally they would be given the respect they deserved and perhaps it would grant them the opportunity to put the mundanes in their place. "Do you believe we can hold on to our lead until the election?"

"I doubt Clark or Lefcourt can garner enough support in time. Everyone’s attention is on the war, and we, my dear, are the key to our winning the war."

The two exchanged a knowing grin before stepping from the lift. Winding their way to the Captain’s office they remained silent, their thoughts focused on the task at hand. One of their own had gone missing after a failed peace initiative and both were determined to discover what had happened to her. Her being killed was something they could accept; but if she had gone rogue and fled with her Narn lover that was something they would be forced to deal with accordingly. Ashlen knew that Bester blamed himself for the failure with Aelora and regretted allowing her to go in the first place. It was known that Captain Sheridan had gone with them to the meeting and had the Minbari gotten their hands on him they most likely would have broadcast it from one end of the galaxy to the other. No, Bester mentally shook his head, there was more to this then that and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Without announcement the two telepaths strode into the Captain’s office. Sinclair’s annoyance was apparent in the way he turned to face them. He quickly pasted a pleasant smile on his face. "I am so sorry Mr. Bester, I was just about to go tend to something. Perhaps we can speak later." It had been the fourth time he had attempted to forgo meeting with Bester in the three days since he and Major Ladan had arrived on the station. He knew he would inevitably be forced to meet with them but he hoped by then that all of this would be irrelevant.

Sinclair attempted to push past the Psi Cops, only to have them stand firm in front of him. Sighing in frustration he said, "Or we can talk now."

"Captain Sinclair. We have become very concerned about your daughter Aelora."

The Captain laughed. "Really Mr. Bester, and when did you learn to care about anyone?"

"Captain Sinclair!" His tone was harsher than he expected, and he paused briefly trying to calm his growing anger over the entire situation. "Granted we haven’t always been friends, and as hard as it is for you to understand I do have your daughter’s best interests in mind. It is because of me that she even has contact with you. I have been far more generous than I should have been. Now all I am asking is if you have seen or heard from her."

"No," he said plainly. "Now if you would please excuse me."

Bester grabbed the other man’s arm as he once again tried to pass them. He knew something, which was obvious to the telepath. He could not believe how naive even the father of a strong telepath could be about their gift. If only he realized how transparent he truly was to them. Deciding to change his tactic Bester tried again. "Surely you must be concerned. You know she was sent to meet with some Minbari? God only knows what they might have done to her. You of all people must be aware of what those monsters are capable of. You have to at least be a little worried."

"Of course I am concerned, but I will worry when I have something to worry about. Now if you please, I have a station to run."

This time they did not prevent his departure. Their gazes followed him as he disappeared around the corner, smiles spreading across each smug facade. "Did you get that?" Bester finally said, much like a teacher would to a pupil.

"He’s seen her," Ashlen said with a smile.

"Actually Major, to be more accurate, she is here and she isn’t alone." Heading toward the door he summoned for her to follow. "We must move quickly and quietly. Now that Sinclair knows why we are here he might warn her. If she disappears with that Narn she will be impossible to retrieve. Now is our only chance."

Ashlen nodded her understanding and the two raced off to track down their rogue telepath.

The initial meeting between Captain Sinclair and the Minbari was tense, to say the least. Though they were bound by a determination to make certain the course of things were set correctly, it did not necessarily mean they appreciated the necessity of having to work together. Sinclair was still wary regarding the entire ordeal. Even though Aelora had shown him the truth of what he had been told, it was still difficult to imagine working with the Minbari let alone trusting them. Especially the male, Shai Alyt Neroon. In truth, Sinclair did not trust that one any further than he could have thrown him which, considering his immense size and added weight of his uniform was not very far. The female, even though no more trustworthy than her male counterpart, at least seemed dedicated to what needed to be done. She appeared resigned to working with the Humans if it meant completing the mission. But there was something about her that worried him. Aelora had not said anything to him but he knew there was something unresolved between his daughter and the female Minbari, something that went beyond mere mistrust and hatred. The same could be said about the Narn – there was a barely suppressed rage there, as if it any moment he would gladly tear the head off the one named Terann. Sinclair had questioned his daughter regarding her captivity by the Minbari but she had said little, leaving him to believe there was quite a bit she had failed to mention.

"Very well, just so that we all know what needs to be done," Sinclair began, attempting to turn his attention back to the situation at hand. "Aelora and G’Kar," he had trouble saying the Narn’s name, stemming from the fact that he had never once considered the possibility of his daughter falling in love with one of his race. He did not consider himself necessarily prejudice but neither did he ever believe he would have to grow accustomed to such a situation. Still, it was obvious that the Narn Ambassador loved Aelora a great deal and that in itself seemed to be enough. "You will go to C&C and remain in charge of communications should we receive any unexpected visitors. Remember to keep a look out for Bester. I am sure he scanned me, and though I would love to have his hide for it, I know there isn’t time. But he and that other Psi Cop with him – they’re bound and determined to find you, honey. So watch your back."

Aelora nodded in reply.

"The Minba – er, Shai Alyt Neroon and Alyt Terann will handle security, should we have any difficulty with getting the troops off the station or any stragglers. I will take care of sounding the evacuation. Once we have cleared the troop’s ships through the jump gate, we will begin the necessary preparations for the…er, time travel."

It was difficult to say, let alone believe. Sinclair still had trouble believing that Aelora had not simply been brainwashed into believing all of this nonsense. What could he possibly do in the past that would change the future so significantly? And how would he ever convince the Minbari to believe him?

"You must also prepare yourself," Terann commented, nodding toward the device that he still could not believe performed the feat Aelora had assured him of.

Sinclair only nodded, turning to glance at his daughter who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the meeting. "Aelora? Is there a problem?"

"No." She forced a bright smile, though her eyes remained clouded. "I am fine." She felt G’Kar take her hand under the table and give it a reassuring squeeze.

"Right." Sinclair nodded. "Well then, I guess we should get started."

Terann was the first to stand. "I will go to the area you refer to as Grey sector and devise a fake bomb which can lead to the evacuation of the station. In case anyone questions your orders, Captain, you may say that a Minbari infiltrated your defenses and planted it."

The Human Captain could not hide his frown at this and the Minbari sighed. "I am not truly going to destroy the station, Captain Sinclair. If I had meant to do that, it would have already occurred."

"Is that so?" Sinclair snarled, standing as if to challenge the Minbari.

Aelora jumped to her feet, placing her hand on her father’s arm. "We can’t do this," she told them, addressing the group. "As unlikely as it may seem, we have to work together. The Vorlons have chosen us for a reason – we can’t simply ignore that. Please, forget your differences. With any luck, in another few hours, they won’t matter anyway."

"I highly doubt that," Neroon grumbled, focusing his scowl on Aelora. "I don’t see how the Minbari would ever allow the Human race to survive."

For her part, Aelora had just about enough of Neroon’s anger and bitterness. She replied without thinking, "Perhaps it’s idiots like yourself that they won’t allow to survive."

It took only a matter of seconds for Neroon to launch himself across the table at the Human, growling in his anger. Aelora stepped aside at the last moment but found that her dodge was unnecessary as G’Kar met Neroon’s lunge, slamming his fist square into the Minbari’s face. Neroon hit the ground momentarily, but regained his feet quickly, swinging back at the Narn. Sinclair attempted to put an end to the fight immediately but only received a blow to the head for his troubles, knocking him back into the bulkhead. Aelora’s demands that they cease their foolishness went unheeded and when she turned to see if Terann would offer any help, she found that the warrior only stood silently off to the side, watching the brawl with great interest.

Neroon pulled out his denn'bok, simultaneously activating it as he whirled around to slam it into G’Kar’s head. The Narn staggered back a moment from the blow before coming back and charging head on into his attacker, slamming his head hard into the Minbari’s stomach, pushing him back into the bulkhead where he began pummeling him with his fists. The Minbari brought his pike down hard on the Narn’s shoulder, then back around with full force into his shins. G’Kar fell back against the table with a grunt.

"I should have given you to the Centauri when I had the chance," Neroon snarled, swinging his weapon over his head and bringing it down toward G’Kar’s face.

The Narn grabbed hold of the weapon before it made contact, kicking Neroon hard in the face. "Being a captive of the Centauri would be nothing compared to what has been done to us, Minbari!"

"Stop it!" Aelora shouted but her plea went unheard as the two enemies charged at one another again.

Sinclair staggered to his feet beside his daughter, watching the proceedings with a frown. "So this is your attempt at saving the galaxy, Ae?"

She ignored her father, reaching instead to grab his PPG then turning and firing it just over the heads of the combatants. They halted their battle abruptly, both turning angry faces toward the telepath.

"Are you quite finished?" She snapped the color in her cheeks bright from her anger and frustration.

Terann stepped over to Neroon, pulling his denn'bok from his hands and closing it. "Yes, as brilliant as that little display of masculinity was, we do have some more important matters at hand, Shai Alyt."

Neroon glared at his second in command for a moment before shoving the Narn forcefully from him. G’Kar started back toward him but Aelora laid a quieting hand on his arm, shaking her head. Let it go, she sent to him. Not much longer now. The Narn nodded, conceding to her wishes though the warrior side of him wanted very much to rip the snide expression off of the Minbari’s face.

"Besides," she told him, casting a glance at Terann. "Our fight is not with him."

Terann flashed a cool smile at both of them then turned and moved from the room with Neroon following close behind her.

Sinclair shook his head. "Would you like to explain just what the hell is going on here, Ae?"

"Not really, father, no. It would only make things more difficult."

"Ae, if they hurt you – "

"Father, please!" Aelora shouted, finally collapsing under the stress of the past few days. "Now is not the time – there will never be a time! It is over! What’s done is done and dammit I hope to the gods, whoever they may be, that none of us need go through this again. Yes, I want to kill that Minbari bitch. I want to rip her brain out through her mouth, use her bone as a boomerang and stomp on her guts. I would enjoy every moment of it and wish that I could do more afterwards – but I can’t! None of us can. We have to work together or it will be the end of everything. And I have to keep reminding myself of this, every single moment or so help me I will lose any piece of sanity I am still clinging to!"

Sinclair was silent as he watched G’Kar pull Aelora into his arms in attempt to calm and quiet her. The Narn regarded him warily over the top of her head, as if he blamed Sinclair for the pain she was currently going through. The Captain only returned his stare, letting the Narn know that lover or not, he was still her father and cared more for her welfare than G’Kar could ever come close to.

After a moment Aelora pulled away from G’Kar’s protective embrace and turned to her father. "I think we should get prepared now."

Sinclair took a step toward her. "Princess – "

She stopped him with a sad smile. "Not now, father. We’ll have plenty of time for good-bye later."

Neroon and Terann stealthily moved through the station, certain to stick to the dark, empty areas, hiding in the shadows whenever anyone came near. Luckily, Terann was able to use her telepathic powers to send those who came too close scurrying off in other directions, suddenly remembering they had to be somewhere that they really did not. Neroon found himself observing his Alyt closely, noting the various changes about her and the immense amount of power he never would have guessed that she possessed. He imagined how easily they could win the war if the Minbari allowed her to lead their battles and the thought quickly sobered him. If were up to Terann and the Human telepath, there would be no more battles to be won.

"I do not trust this, Terann," Neroon commented blandly as they stepped into one of the engineering access halls that Captain Sinclair had pointed out.

"It is beyond your worries, Shai Alyt. It is done."

"There is still time to stop this foolishness." Neroon came to a halt, reaching out to stop Terann from continuing on. He suppressed a wince at the cold gaze she focused on him. "Do you not see that the Vorlons have done all of this? That they are simply leading you about in their insane game?"

Terann raised her chin defiantly. "I do not see it that way."

"Then you are a fool among fools, Terann."

"You are afraid."

Neroon instantly became enraged at the remark. He raised his hand to strike her but the emptiness of her eyes haunted him, causing him to rethink his strategy. Terann eyed him a moment longer, silently challenging him, then she turned and continued on down the small access way. Neroon battled against the emotions that raged inside of him, uncertain of how to proceed. If he were to admit the truth, if he were to tell Terann what he was really feeling, then she would see a side of him that he had carefully kept hidden. He was not certain if he were prepared to show so much of himself. He was a warrior, after all. Then again, if everything Terann had told was true, they would not be in this life much longer. If he made a mistake, it would simply become erased.

"Terann."

She did not stop.

"Terann, yes, I am afraid." Neroon paused for a moment. "But not for myself."

Terann stopped but did not turn around. She simply stood there, silent and waiting.

Neroon’s temper sparked. "In Valeria’s name, Terann! You’re the mind reader! Certainly you know that I care for you." His frustration was evident.

Terann remained unperturbed on the outside, though inside she felt a sparkle, a glimmer of hope, something she never expected to experience again. The only change to her expression was a cocked brow. "I would never intrude upon your thoughts, Shai Alyt. You know this."

The Warrior slammed a fist into the wall in response, then stalked toward his second-in-command, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders and taking her mouth in a brutal kiss. Terann started at the unexpected embrace but Neroon did not allow her quarter, using his tongue to force her mouth open and push past her lips. His demands increased, his arms moving around her back to pull her closer so that her body fit against the length of his, his tongue attacking hers in an almost barbaric manner. He told her without words that while she may be the stronger in mind, she yet had a lot to learn from him, a lot he longed to teach her.

Slowly, as her inhibitions fled, Terann relaxed against him. She learned quickly from the lessons he taught her, tracing his mouth with her tongue, gently teasing him, pulling back when he became to greedy, pressing her hips against him with a need that was slowly consuming her. Neroon marveled at her response, at first surprised that she had accepted so easily then chiding himself for not having seen it long before. It was obvious they were made for each other, from the way her tiny form fit so perfectly within his arms to the manner in which their minds and hearts understood and complemented one another. So much time was wasted, so much time that they could have been working together instead of against each other. Neroon pulled his mouth away from hers, trailing across her cheek to her ear which he lavished with his tongue, tracing the outline of it, teasing it until he heard Terann moan low in her throat, thrusting her hips roughly against him. He nipped at the base of her neck, a soft, sensitive area that caused her to tremble in his arms. Neroon smiled to himself, surprised to find anything soft in a female who spent her life showing only a tough, unyielding exterior. He returned his attention to her mouth, nipping at her lower lip and then sucking on it greedily.

Terann immersed herself in the emotions that were running rampant through her body. Though her mind screamed that this must stop, that it was futile to continue, her heart was overjoyed at being allowed to express feelings she had suppressed for so very long.

When Neroon broke off the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, holding her face between his hands, the pads of his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. "This is how it was meant to be, Terann," he whispered, his voice thick with barely suppressed passion. "Just us. No Vorlons, no Humans, nothing to get in our way and separate us. We're a team, Terann. Think of what we can accomplish together."

Terann searched his eyes for a long moment. She did not like what she saw there. "Neroon, I do not believe that you understand…"

"I understand enough, Terann!" He said angrily, his hold on her face tightening painfully. "I understand that we do not need to be here! We are wasting our time setting fake bombs when we could be setting real ones! Terann, this is our chance, do you not see that? If we cripple them now, we can swoop in and release our bioweapon! We can end this war in a matter of days."

It was as she feared. Terann reached up and with a steady grip pried Neroon’s hands from her face. She stepped away from him then, her face once more expressionless, and her eyes devoid of emotion. "You do not understand. Perhaps, you are incapable of understanding. What we are doing here is for the future of the galaxy. It is bigger than the Minbari, bigger than the Humans -- bigger than this war. We are insignificant in the scheme of things, Neroon, can you not see that?"

"Sadly, what I see is a beautiful, courageous warrior who has been brain-washed by the Vorlons and their nonsense," he sneered. He closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself to find some way to get through to her. When he reopened them, he approached her once more, this time taking hold of her hands. "Everything I have ever admired about you is fading before my eyes, Terann. You used to outshine the most battle-hardened warrior in your bloodlust for the Humans. Now you seem more inclined to hold hands with those barbarians and sing lullabies than to kill them."

Terann’s eyes narrowed dangerously. When she spoke her voice was low, controlled. "You grossly misjudge me, Shai Alyt. I would like nothing more than to turn that female Human’s brains to mush and crush the bone’s of her Narn lover’s body before her eyes but I can not do that! Can you not see that the Vorlons would rather destroy us all and allow the galaxy to begin again than to let allow us all to systematically destroy one another? What we are about to do will make a difference, Neroon. A difference for us all! What you want to do -- this annihilation of everyone and everything – where would that leave us? What would that leave us?"

Neroon dropped her hands. "You truly believe in this then? You truly believe that this Human is going to go back and convince our ancestors that he is one of us and change the future?"

"The Vorlons will make it so," came the confidant reply.

The warrior sighed. "Terann – "

"Neroon." She stepped forward, her dark green gaze searching his intently. She allowed him to see her emotions, her anger, her frustration, her desperation. She reached up and placed her palm against his cheek. "I need you with me on this. If I have to, I will do it alone. I will make certain it happens. But I wanted you to be a part of it. I wanted you to be there with me when…when it all – everything – changes."

The Shai Alyt was not certain how to respond. He found himself wanting to believe in her, to believe in everything she was fighting for. Maybe, just this once, they could work together to build rather than destroy. And maybe, just maybe, they could have the strength to admit that they wanted to be together rather than allow their pride to dictate their actions.

"Very well, Alyt Terann," he replied with a teasing smile. "I will help you because you believe in it and I must believe in you. But should I see anything that seems out of place – "

"Neroon, time itself is out of place."

He laughed at her ironic smile and pulled her into a fierce embrace, kissing her once more hard on the mouth. "Let us change the course of time together."

"Together, then." Terann agreed. "For the future."

"Your father cares very much for you."

Aelora glanced over at G’Kar when he spoke. She shrugged looking ahead once more. "He’s my father."

"You do not feel the same?" The Narn questioned.

"I was raised by Psi Corps, G’Kar," she replied. "I didn’t have the same family as other little boys and girls did. It was only through Bester’s good graces that I was allowed as much contact with my parents as I had. Most Teep’s are raised barely knowing their family if at all. I love him because he is my father and I know that had I not been a telepath that we most likely would have been very close. But I was not allowed that gift so I do not dwell on it."

"Ah." G’Kar decided to let the subject drop as he noted Aelora’s growing agitation.

Aelora was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she did not notice G’Kar’s silence. It was difficult to believe that a simple fact such as her – the other her – not taking sleepers could lead to an entire change in time. Would there not be some other way that the Shadows could stumble across the station records of the Babylon 4 incident? The telepath shook her head. She was currently walking through Babylon 4 and yet she was thinking about it as if it were not supposed to be there. The entire situation was simply to confusing and unbelievable to contemplate. Terann had told her to leave it up to the Vorlons and though Aelora hated and mistrusted the Minbari, she had to agree with her on that. To reason the situation out in her own head was just too much.

"Well, well, well. If it isn’t our little runaway rogue."

Aelora’s head snapped up at the voice and she mentally cursed herself for not keeping her telepathic senses alert.

Major Ashlen Ladan stepped out into the corridor, halting their progress. She glanced over at G’Kar with an ugly sneer. "Still keeping undesirable company I see?"

"Actually I find Aelora’s company most enjoyable," G’Kar quipped.

Ashlen glared at him. "I was talking to Sinclair."

"I know who you were talking to," the Narn replied.

"Get out of our way, Ashlen," Aelora demanded, her ire ignited. "We don’t have time to fool with you."

The Psi Cop moved forward, stopping just a few inches from Aelora. Her eyes narrowed. "I’m afraid you have no choice, Aelora dear. Bester is looking for you. He wants to speak to you. You’re in an awfully lot of trouble, you know."

"Bester can go to Hell."

Ashlen smiled. "I’m sure he’ll be pleased to know that." She cast a sidelong glance at G’Kar again, her expression letting him know what she thought of his presence. "Really, Major, you have truly attempted to sully the good name of the Psi Corps this time around. I mean, did you really have to run off with that?"

Aelora’s reaction was instantaneous. She had Ashlen by the throat and slammed up against the bulkhead before the Psi Cop could defend herself. "I’m sorry." Aelora smiled sweetly, her hold on Ashlen’s throat tightening. "I do believe you owe Ambassador G’Kar an apology."

"It’ll be a cold day in Hggllrrrr – "

Aelora clenched Ashlen’s throat until the Psi Cop’s air was effectively cut off. But Ashlen had been prepared for resistance and pulled out a PPG, firing it just off it’s mark of hitting her attacker but it was enough to cause Aelora to let go of her strangle hold. Ashlen prepared to fire again but G’Kar was at her side in an instant, tearing the weapon from her hand.

"I mean it, Ashlen," Aelora warned. "I am not going to tolerate any interference from either you or Bester."

Ashlen quietly considered her options. She would have attacked Aelora mentally if she thought she could have won but, without ever admitting it to any living soul, she knew that Aelora was stronger than she was telepathically and to attack her so would have been futile. Had Bester been there, it would have been no problem for the both of them to overtake her. So that was it. She would have to alert Bester to Aelora’s presence as well as make it known that she had the Narn with her. She frowned over at the alien, angry that he had taken her weapon, angrier still that Aelora had the nerve to choose being with such a creature over the Psi Corps. Ashlen had warned Bester long ago not to trust Aelora Sinclair and now she had been proven correct in that assumption. She had always known that Aelora would turn against Psi Corps, that her loyalty was questionable. Ashlen only hoped that Bester would allow her the honor of doing away with the Narn.

"What is it you are so excited over anyway?" Ashlen questioned, fixing G’Kar with a steady gaze. "Why come out of hiding to the most likely place that you would be found?"

Ashlen’s probing of G’Kar’s mind was effectively blocked by Aelora and she mentally cursed the rogue.

"I’m not as stupid as you, Ashlen," Aelora mocked. "You’re going to have to try harder than that."

Ashlen backed away from them both then, her gaze on Aelora wary. "You were stupid to come back, Sinclair. On that I have you. One way or another, you are coming back to Psi Corps, and that creature of yours will be fodder for the Pak’ma’ra."

Ashlen darted away before Aelora could reach her and when she would have followed, G’Kar put out a restraining hand, holding her back. "Shon’Ur, we haven’t the time. Let her go."

Aelora struggled with her anger. What she really wanted to do was rip off a steel beam and shove it up Major Ladan’s ass. How dare she threaten G’Kar’s life! How dare she speak of him the way that she did!

G’Kar watched the emotions as they played across the Human’s face. He understood her anger, and appreciated how much she wished to protect him from reality. The truth of it was though their relationship would always be difficult. There would always be those who would not accept them, and not simply because he was a mundane. Secretly, without ever breathing a word of it to Aelora, G’Kar was relieved that their child had been murdered by the Minbari before being born into such a universe. The Humans nor the Narn let alone the rest of the galaxy would never have accepted the child. He would have been forced to suffer a lonely existence and G’Kar could not imagine exiling someone to such a life.

"I will not let them take you back," G’Kar promised quietly when he noticed the fear creeping across her face.

Aelora remained silent for a long while before moving toward the Narn, putting her arms around his waist and leaning her head against his chest. As his arms closed around her in a tight embrace, she allowed herself a moment – just a moment – to pretend that everything was fine and they were hidden somewhere away on Narn where no one would ever find them. She knew she was safe in his arms, that he would never allow harm to come to her. She inhaled the sharp tang off the leather of his uniform, briefly imagining the feel of it against her bare skin. Gods, if I could just have one more day with him, she thought.

As if reading her thoughts, G’Kar reached up with his hand to lift her chin so that their eyes met. Their gazes held for a moment then G’Kar leaned down to capture her mouth with his in a fierce and frighteningly final kiss. He showed her with his tongue what he wanted to do to her at that moment, and she responded in kind, moaning low in her throat as she pressed her body to his. Every emotion, every bit of passion they felt for one another passed between them in those few moments, each realizing they would never be closer.

It was Aelora who finally pulled away, knowing that were they to continue she would say to hell with saving the galaxy and simply enjoy the next few hours of bliss. She touched G’Kar’s face gently, marveling at his strength, at his courage to stay by her side no matter the dangers.

"Why me?" He asked suddenly. "Why me and not one of your own?"

The Human smiled up at him. "They were never strong enough. Never what I needed."

G’Kar lightly kissed the top of her head. "I never thought…"

"I know," Aelora replied, understanding his unspoken words. "Me neither."

The rest of the way to C&C was quiet. No unexpected intrusions from certain Psi Cops, no moments of forced conversation. C&C itself was relatively silent, with only a skeleton crew on duty. At their entrance, an officer immediately stepped forward to stop them.

"May I help you?" He asked.

Aelora affected her best Psi Cop attitude. "And you are?"

"Commander Corwin," came the reply.

"Well, Commander Corwin, certainly the Captain must have already informed you of my arrival and I am ready to begin the interrogation process."

The Commander could not hide his expression of confusion. "Er, interrogation? I’m sorry but no, the Captain hasn’t mentioned anything. You are…?"

She tapped her insignia impatiently. "Psi Corps. We’re here regarding the possible," and the next words she whispered, "Minbari spy."

"Spy?!" Corwin jumped at the word, receiving a sharp look from Aelora.

"Shhh!" She reprimanded, pulling him away from the crew whom watched with curious expressions. "We don’t want to cause a panic," she continued to whisper. "But there may very well be a bomb on board this station set to go off."

It was not difficult to believe. Two of the previous battle stations had been destroyed due to subterfuge, the third in battle. Commander Corwin was set to believe wholeheartedly that it was possible the same could happen to Babylon 4. Still, he could not help but cast a curious glance at the Narn. Since when had Psi Corps began working with Narn?

"The Narn government has supplied us with this information," Aelora commented, easily reading his thoughts. "Ambassador G’Kar here is accompanying me to help locate our saboteur."

"Ah." The Commander readily accepted the explanation. "What do you need from us?"

It was so easy Aelora was hard pressed not to smile. "Your Captain is awaiting you in the debriefing room. If you would just take your crew there, one of our operatives will be joining you momentarily to question each and every one of you. Meanwhile, G’Kar and I will go over your systems in an attempt to locate the bomb."

Commander Corwin frowned. "Excuse me for saying so, but isn’t this procedure a little odd? I mean, can’t you just scan us or something and determine whether or not any of us is the spy?"

"Delicately," Aelora replied. "These things must be handled delicately Commander, as I am certain you understand. The EA forces and Psi Corps have enough trouble getting along as it is. Would you feel comfortable if I simply began scanning your thoughts?"

"Well no, I – "

"Exactly!"

Corwin cocked his head, casting the Psi Cop a sly look. "How do I know you aren’t scanning me now?"

Aelora smiled at him sweetly. "You don’t."

After leaving Neroon with Captain Sinclair, Terann had used a combination of skill and luck to help her steal into an isolated portion of what the humans called Grey Sector. Now crouched behind a large power conduit she contemplated the task ahead of her. They had all agreed that in order to force the evacuation of the stations entire personnel they would have to make it look like the station was in imminent danger. The only way to do that was to make it appear that a Minbari saboteur had infiltrated the station and was trying to destroy it. The Human Captain, Sinclair, had provided her with enough to manufacture some crude explosives that would appear to be detonated by remote. She was surprised to find the Earthers in possession of enough of her people’s technology to make the devices appear Minbari in origin. She had already planted three of the makeshift bombs throughout the bowels of the station in increasingly inconspicuous places. The first three had been planted to serve as a warning, the fourth would ensure that the station was evacuated. Placed so that it wouldn’t be immediately detected but easy enough to find to make certain that the station was empty in time to take it to its final destination. Terann began to wonder about the logistics of what they were doing. She began to wonder if she was right in listening to the Vorlons. As she figure it, if time had in fact changed how was it that the Vorlons seemed so aware of the effects. How was it that they seemed to know so much about two completely independent histories.

As the thoughts passed through her mind she began to wonder what life was like in the proper timeline. Who was she? For that matter who were any of them? How different were they and conversely how much of an affect had fifteen years of unrelenting warfare had on all of them? The part she found most annoying was that if things went as planned none of them would be aware of anything. It would be as if their lives as they knew them had never taken place, as if someone had taken a brush and wiped clean the slate upon which their very existence had been etched.

She forced herself back to the task set before her. The conduit she was squeezed behind led into the main fusion reactor. A bomb planted here would most assuredly cause a fatal explosion to cascade through the core, destroying the station in the process. She worked quickly, trying to keep her mind and body busy. She had never considered the strain of so many human minds surrounding her and she felt lost in their barbaric, filthy thoughts.

The sound of approaching footsteps forced her back further into the dark corner in which she worked. Gently she reached out to probe at the minds of the humans as they approached. There were two of them, maintenance workers, and a wave of dread washed over her at the prospect of being discovered. Quickly building a mental shield around herself she set about casting a mental glyph to them. Their untrained minds accepted the projected images and they passed her without incident. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly finished what she was doing. Casting a quick glance down the dark corridors she left the security of her hiding spot and turned to head back to the others. Having to keep from being discovered forced her to take every access way and abandoned corridor possible. Several times she was forced into hiding by approaching humans but after half an hour she had made it back to Blue Sector undetected.

Her relief was short-lived. Rounding a corner she found herself face to face with two Humans. She was as shocked by their presence as they were by hers and the three immediately became locked in a battle of wills. Terann quickly gauged the Humans before her, noting the Psi Corps badges and black uniforms each wore. The Minbari immediately recognized their clothing as belonging to high-powered telepaths known as Psi Cops. These P12s were trained to apprehend rogue telepaths and knew how to over power even other P12s. She remembered the one she had once been ordered to interrogate and the bitterness of that failure quickly returned to her with a vengeance. If the telepaths were able to combine their efforts, to somehow put their minds in synch she doubted she would be able to defend herself against them.

In their search to relocate Aelora Sinclair, Major Ladan and General Bester had originally split up to cover more ground. But unfortunately, Ashlen had been the one to find her and had not been strong enough to incapacitate her. She had reiterated her encounter to Bester who became even more determined to retrieve the rogue telepath, even if it meant eliminating her Narn lover. They had been to one end of the station to another, keeping to the more heavily populated areas. When those attempts failed they decided to search the more industrialized areas and areas used for storage. The last thing they had expected to find was a Minbari. Yet here she was, staring at them, her gaze filled with the hatred both had become used to seeing in her race. Bester was immediately able to sense something about her, something that set her apart from the others of her race. Physically she was no larger than any other female Minbari, but something in her eyes signaled to Bester that they should be wary.

"Ashlen..." He shouted in warning, but it was too late. He saw her visage change and felt her energies focus as she reached out to subdue her enemy.

The response from the Minbari was instant. At the intrusion into her mind by the Human, Terann reacted by using her gift to slam the female telepath into a nearby bulkhead. She reserved only enough energy to keep the other telepath at bay, the rest she focused on the insolent being that would dare to intrude upon her thoughts. All the Vorlons demands went ignored as she sought revenge on the Human. Blood vessels exploded and bones were crushed as Terann ripped the life from her.

Ashlen fought desperately against the Minbari telepath trying to end the onslaught of pain that was being inflicted upon her. Never had she felt a mind so strong and so destructive. Each of her efforts was rebuffed and thrown back at her intensified tenfold. An attempt to cry out was met by an invisible hand around her neck which tightened to the point that Ashlen found she was gasping desperately for breath. In a moment of relief she felt the grip loosen and she thought perhaps that Bester had come to her rescue, that together they could beat the Minbari. It was then that she felt that hold on her neck pull her from the bulkhead only to have her slammed back into it. For a brief moment she felt the back of her head shatter and an immediate wave of darkness washed over her.

Terann released her hold on the lifeless form of the female telepath and watched impassively as she crumpled in a heap at her companion’s feet. Bester gaped in both awe and fear as his eyes moved from the blood splattered bulkhead to the body of Ashlen and back to the Minbari telepath. He had felt Terann's strength during her attack on Ashlen and even with his carefully honed abilities he doubted his being able to defend himself against her. His only option was to withdraw and return later with help. Quickly he pulled out his PPG and before the Minbari could react he fired. Without looking back he turned and raced away.

Terann felt the searing pain from the Earther’s weapon as it tore through her left shoulder. The force of the blast had thrown her back against the bulkhead giving the Human telepath the opportunity to make his escape. She quickly turned to chase after him but the sound of the red alert klaxons deterred her. She cursed under her breath realizing the Earthers had uncovered her devices and were most assuredly alert to her presence. She quickly analyzed the wound to her arm noticing the vast amount of blood that had begun to pour from it. Unfortunately she had no time to worry about that, security would be tightened with the belief that a possible saboteur was on board and she would have to move quickly and quietly. Not wanting to leave any traces she gathered up the female telepath’s remains and disposed of them in a nearby airlock. She watched impassively as the Earther’s body was blown out into space, thinking to herself; What’s one more?

Only one thought ran through Alfred Bester’s mind as he ran through Blue Sector; locate Aelora Sinclair. Upon hearing the red alert klaxons he slowed his pace. An approaching security detail offered him the opportunity to find out what was happening. From the mind of the section leader he discovered that the station was on an evacuation alert apparently after an explosive device was found near a coolant tank in Grey Sector. His mind shifted back to the Minbari telepath and he became certain of her responsibility in the attempted bombing. He now knew he was in a race against the station’s personnel in apprehending the Minbari and it was one he was determined to win.

Holding nothing back he aggressively searched for Aelora, seeing fit to scan anyone he encountered in the hopes of finding her. There were other telepaths on board but none as strong or as well trained as Sinclair was. Most of them were field telepaths, low ranking P5s or P6s, and all unequipped to handle the power of the mind that he and Ashlen had just encountered.

Spotting an approaching Lieutenant he pasted on his most pleasant face and stepped into his path. "Excuse me, Commander...."

"Corwin." The young man finished.

"Commander Corwin. I was wondering if you could tell me what exactly is going on. You see if there is a problem on board that I should be aware of..."

Corwin shook his head. "No Sir, it is nothing to be concerned about. Captain Sinclair has the situation well in hand."

"Of course." Bester nodded as he picked at the other man’s thoughts. "And where would I find Sinclair?"

The thought formed before David Corwin could stop it, a clear image of the young Psi Cop in Command and Control with the Narn Ambassador. "Errr...Captain Sinclair should be in his office. Yah, try there...now if you will excuse me."

Bester allowed the man to pass him before allowing a wide grin to cross his face. He quickly turned to head toward C&C his plan for Aelora Sinclair forming in his head.

Things were moving too slowly, Aelora thought to herself. Her father had begun notifying troops of the evacuation giving only their immediate superiors the reason for their need to abandon the station. If word spread too quickly about there being a possible Minbari on the station, she knew that few would willingly leave and that most would opt to stay, to tear the station apart until the saboteur was found. They didn't need a panic. No they would tell only enough to ensure that her father's order was not questioned. There was little for Aelora to do aside from monitoring all outgoing and incoming communications and keeping an eye on the sensors. G'Kar had gone off over twenty minutes ago to check on her father's progress in preparing the station and the longer she sat there in silence the more she began to worry. If Ashlen, or worse, Bester had found him.... No, she would not allow herself to begin worrying now. After all they had been through she had begun to think her and the Narn to be invincible.

Her eyes moved to the doorway in time to see it open. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation of G'Kar's entry only to feel it sink in her chest at the sight of Bester. She jumped to her feet, immediately assuming a defensive stance both physically and mentally, informing him in no uncertain terms that she was not going to play any of his usual games.

"Major," he began with a smug grin. "I have been looking for you."

"I am not going back!" Aelora said emphatically.

"As I see it you have little choice."

"And how do you figure that?" She asked, not really interested in carrying this conversation further. G'Kar could return at any minute and she didn't wish to involve him in her problems anymore than she already had.

"Let's consider the facts shall we?" He crossed his arms across his chest, his features clearly showing his belief that he was securely in control of the situation. "You, go off on a 'peace initiative', against the wishes of your government, you are believed captured and presumed dead, miraculously you return with your Narn lover and fail to report to your superiors. That makes you not only a blip but also a traitor."

"Bes..." Aelora protested, but the other telepath’s raised hand stopped her short.

"Now, as I always have, I am going to offer you a way out. You will come back, turn your back on your father and the Narn and retake your position within the Corps. I will see that all record of your recent activities mysteriously disappears and you can return home. To your true home."

"And if I refuse?"

"You and your father will be tried for treason, and executed." Prompted by Aelora's gasp he continued. "Oh and before you die I will ensure that G'Kar meets with unfortunate circumstances. So you see Aelora, as I said, you have little choice."

Aelora considered the situation carefully. She sensed the urgency in Bester's voice and she began to wonder what it stemmed from. Taking a risk she decided to try to call his bluff. "What is really going on here, Bester?"

He smiled knowingly, pleased with how well the Corps had taught Aelora to cut to the heart of things. Finally he nodded in acquiescence. "There is a Minbari here, on board the station. She isn't like anything I have ever encountered. What she did to Ashlen..."

"Ashlen is dead?" Aelora asked barely suppressing her laughter.

"Yes." Bester confirmed, ignoring Aelora's joviality, knowing how her and Ashlen had felt about one another. "What she did was beyond anything I have ever heard of. I believe that the Minbari have somehow found a way to increase telepathic ability. You know as well as I that that is something the Psi Corps has been attempting for years with little success. If the Minbari have found a way...perhaps with this Minbari as a guide...a point of reference, something we can base our own research off of we can do the same to our own telepaths. This could be the way of offering P5s the chance to be P10s and P10s the chance to be P12s and P12s to be...God only knows what. The point is, we have an opportunity here, to grab a hold of something that will benefit all our people."

Aelora sat back allowing all that Bester had said to sink in, a plan of her own forming. If she played along, pretended to side with him and aid in his search for Terann she knew when the time came that she could stand back and allow the Minbari to do to Bester what she had longed for so many years to do herself. With Ashlen out of the way, the only obstacle in sight was the Psi Cop before her. She assumed a pleasant smile and nodded. "Very well, General. It would appear that I do not have another choice. I will do everything I can to help you and the Corps. The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father."

Bester returned her smile and gestured in the direction of the doorway, falling into step beside her as they left C&C.

Arriving in the lower levels of Blue Sector where he had left the injured Minbari, Bester once more went over his plan. Aelora had long since grown tired of his belief that she was an incompetent idiot but allowed him to ramble on, tuning out much of what he said.

"Aelora, do you understand?" He demanded after his first two attempts at an answer went unnoticed.

"Of course I do, General," she replied with a smile.

"You must be ready. Only through our combined abilities can we hope to subdue her. We want her taken alive. If we must kill her we will but only if necessary. Is that understood?"

"Yes Bester, for the last time."

"You seem to think this is a game. You have no idea what we are about to face."

Had the situation not been so grim Aelora would have laughed outright. If anyone knew what they were about to face it was her. It was Bester that was a fool. Once again he believed himself to be untouchable, that because he wore the symbol of the Corps he could not be harmed. If only he knew.

"Shon'Ur?"

The soft confusion of the voice drew her attention away from Bester and back into a darkened corridor adjacent to the one in which they had been walking.

"G'Kar." The name choked from her throat, a wave of panic quickly crashing over her.

The Narn cast a sideways glance at the second Psi Cop, his features not masking any of his growing anger. "What are you doing?" He questioned harshly.

"G'Kar...I can explain..." Aelora began.

"Yes, Major." Bester prompted. "Please explain to him. Tell him how you have returned to your rightful place amongst your own kind. How you now realize that a telepath could never be with a mundane, least of all a...Narn."

"Bester not now." Turning back to G'Kar she attempted to explain but it was of little use.

"I do not want anymore lies Aelora. I have grown tired of it."

"G'Kar," the young Human pleaded. "Please, I am not lying. I love you. I want to be with you, away from the Corps, away from the war, away from all of this. I am so tired of being questioned about everything I believe, tired of being forced to do things because others tell me I have no choice."

"Aelora..." The Narn took a step toward her. "Shon'Ur...soon this will be all over, this life as you know it will cease to exist. You will be free, I promise you."

Aelora reached out to take his hand squeezing it tightly as his fingers intertwined with hers. In that moment she found a security she had long forgotten. For a mere instant she felt safe, as if no matter what he would be there to protect her.

It was not to be.

"The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father."

Bester's words cut through her like a knife as she turned in time to see the flash of his PPG. The hand she held tightened briefly before relaxing completely and she spun in horror to watch as G'Kar collapsed to the floor. His hands clenched the front of his uniform, covering the wound that had been burned in his chest, his gloves quickly becoming soaked with the blood that poured from the opening.

For a mere second, Aelora stared at him in shock. The color was quickly draining from his cheeks and his breath was shallow as he choked hungrily for air. Tears began to stain her cheeks as she sensed his agony. She clenched her fists together, her anger swelling within her. She wanted to scream but she held it in, allowing it to fuel her rage. It was an almost intoxicating sensation, to bottle up so much anger and hatred, to contain it until the precise moment.

Bester stepped back from the enraged presence before him as Aelora stood and turned slowly to face him. He quickly raised his weapon, holding it before him defensively.

Aelora looked at the drawn PPG, an almost insane smile forming on her face. She took a step towards the other telepath, as if daring him to shoot her. When she caught his hand fluttering lightly on the trigger she brought her own hand violently against the back of his knuckles knocking his weapon from his hand and sending it skidding out of reach. Another step toward him sent him rushing after it but Aelora anticipated his action and grabbed his right forearm, spinning him around and slamming him face first into the bulkhead. Still holding his arm she twisted it up behind him, listening intently for the sound of breaking bones. Bester cried out in pain, and set out immediately to mend the rift between them. He had never meant to harm her and had acted rashly when he had shot the Narn. He found that he cared for Aelora much like a father would and he had always treated her differently from most of the others he had taken into his charge.

"Aelora...please...I didn't..."

"Didn't what, Mr. Bester?" She asked her face still contorted in a sick grin.

"Aelora...I only wanted to have you back where you belong. Please believe me...please."

The female telepath listened dispassionately as she felt his desperation mount. He was afraid of her, afraid of what she might do to him and the idea of such a notion coursed over her, filling her with an almost obscene sense of pleasure. The last strings of her sanity were pulled taut to the point of breaking; a simple nudge could send her over the edge. "You want me back where I belong?" She asked, her voice thick with sarcasm. "And where would that be? None of us is where we belong. Can't you see that? Everything is fucked!!"

Fighting against the pain that tore through his arm, Bester turned on her, his fist flying toward her face. The force of the blow sent her careening back into the bulkhead. Her hand flew up to her lip, briefly touching the faint trickle of blood that quickly formed there. Her rage met the boiling point and she lunged at Bester forcing him back against the wall, wrapping her slender fingers around his neck, slowly tightening her grip.

Bester's hands flew to his neck in a vain attempt to pull Aelora's hands from him. He used his ability to reach out to her, to attempt to overpower her telepathically. He fought against the growing weakness in his body to center his attentions on pulling the frenzied woman from him, but in her rage Aelora had built an impenetrable shield around her mind. Bester cringed at the strength of her block, and wondered where it had come from. Psi Cops were trained to be able to withstand other telepaths but this went far beyond that. He could detect no weakness in her mind, no way to bridge the gulf that had formed between them. He began to believe that she fully intended to kill him, that all hope of getting her back was now gone and that she had become no better than any other rogue. He mentally shook his head refusing to believe that he had in fact truly lost her. Aelora had always been difficult, even as a child. He remembered how there had been a time when they had almost given up on her being a telepath beyond a P1. She had been barely four years old and had until that time shown none of her mother's talents. It had been Bester that was determined to prove that the daughter of Soria Campbell could be one of them. After a series of deep scans her talent was forced to manifest itself and Aelora did not disappoint. Immediately after, she tested as a high P12 and though she did not possess any of her mother's telekinetic abilities she had a strong will and a keen intellect. Bester felt a certain kinship toward the young girl and took her under his wing teaching her to be what she rightfully should. Looking at her now, though, he saw no sign of the girl he had known and cared deeply for.

Gasping for a breath he used the last of his strength to try to coax her out of her madness. "Aelora...please...you...don't understand. You...don't want...t...to do this!"

She relaxed her grip slightly to keep him from losing consciousness. She had felt him attempt to enter her mind but she was determined to keep him out. For too long she had allowed him to dictate to her how things should be, had allowed him to intimidate her. She cast a quick sideways glance to G'Kar who valiantly clung to life. A moan from him tore through her very being, sending a powerful pain searing through her heart. Finally she had been a part of something of her own choosing and Bester had once again impeded on her. It was an action that she refused to let go unpunished. "I don't want to do what?" She asked her voice almost a laugh. "I don't want to kill you? I don't want to splatter your brains on the floor? I don't want to stomp on your chest and crush your insides? Why not? None of this matters. Don't you see? All of this...you...me…G'Kar...the Minbari...NOTHING MATTERS!!"

She pulled his head from the wall only to smash it backward with a sickening thud. He collapsed on the floor at her feet, begging her to stop, to end her assault. She could not hear him, did not want to hear him. All that she had left was her pain and her anger and her frustration at the galaxy, every ounce of which she thrust upon him. She kicked him and punched him, all the while ignoring his pleas for mercy. Even after his body stilled her assault continued until her uniform and the floor around him was slick with his blood.

Her anger waning she stepped back in horror at the sight before her. Bester's body had been reduced to a broken, lifeless mass. Her stomach heaved and she swallowed hard trying to prevent herself from vomiting. Never before had she felt so empty. She had always believed that she would feel an immense relief at Bester's death, but now, looking down at his blank expression she felt hollow. The universe was spinning out of control and she was now convinced that it would claim her in its wake.

Her mind returned to the reality that was around her and she rushed to G'Kar's side. Kneeling down she gingerly took his head and placed it in her lap.

"Sh...Shon'Ur," he attempted to speak.

"No, G'Kar don't. Don't try to talk. I will get you out of here."

"No…. Aelora, it's too late." His voice was ragged with his breathing and a trickle of blood had formed at the corner of his mouth. "Please...Aelora...promise me you will end this."

A sob escaped her as tears spilled from her eyes. "G'Kar, I can't...I...I'm so scared...I can't do this alone."

He closed his eyes summoning his remaining strength. Opening them again he spoke, "You aren't alone...you will never be alone. Aelora...I love you."

He then closed his eyes one last time and his final breath escaped him. "G'Kar...." She sobbed clutching his still form in her arms. She pulled him close, pressing her face to his, the cold of his skin chilling her. "No…. G’Kar."

She sat there for several minutes still holding him, not wanting to let him go, not wanting to admit that he was gone and she was alone.

An approaching presence brought Aelora's senses back into focus, and for the briefest of moments she was relieved to see it was the female Minbari. She did not feel like explaining her current situation to anyone.

Terann stepped over to the dead Psi Cop, nudging him dispassionately with the toe of her boot. "Quite interesting," she commented, an almost pleased smile playing at the corners of her mouth. When Aelora met her gaze in disbelief the Minbari continued. "Perhaps we are more alike than I thought."

Gently laying G'Kar's head back to the deck, Aelora stood taking a confident step toward Terann, her voice barely audible. "We are nothing alike. I treasure life. Survival is what drives me. But you...you are nothing but a soulless, murdering bitch. You have no idea what true joy is. All you know is how to inflict pain and suffering."

Terann stepped over the Psi Cop at her feet to stand before the Human, meeting her apparent threat. "Do not fool yourself, Earther. I can feel the rage in you, the burning desire to tear my head from my body. Do not believe yourself immune to the power of your hatred. It angers you beyond fathom that you have no outlet for your rage. You need me. To kill me would cement your fate in this hell. Ironic isn't it? How your nemesis has become your only hope for salvation."

For a moment longer, Terann kept her eyes locked on the Human's before turning away from her. "Help me," she said bending down to grab Bester's arms by his wrists. "We have to dispose of the bodies."

Aelora nodded imperceptibly and moved to take a hold of G'Kar. When her eyes fell upon his lifeless form her heart once again screamed out. She clenched her eyes shut, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill from her. She knew they could not risk leaving him here like this, knew that the Minbari would not accept the station with an alien presence on board. But looking at him now, Aelora balked at the thought of simply tossing his body out an airlock. How could she do this to him, after all they had been through together?

Terann saw the reluctance in the Human and, angered, she pushed her way past Aelora to attempt to take a hold of the Narn.

"Don't touch him!" Aelora screamed spinning on her, using both her hands to thrust the Minbari against the wall, placing an unnecessary amount of pressure on Terann’s injured shoulder. A small smile formed when she saw the Minbari wince slightly against the pain she was inflicting on her.

Terann brought her arms up, breaking the Human’s hold of her. Her green eyes focused on the Human's with barely held in check anger. "Then you do it, but hurry, we have little time left."

Aelora watched as the Warrior turned back to gather up what remained of Bester before taking hold of G'Kar's uniform. Though the Narn was heavy she managed to make it to the nearby airlock without asking the Minbari for help. She knew the Minbari enjoyed watching her struggle against G'Kar's immense size, but she would rather kiss a Pak'ma'ra then accept help from her.

Once there, Aelora pressed the controls to open the inner door of the airlock, taking note of the blood on the floor in disgust. "I see you have already been here," she commented dryly to the Minbari who only grinned evilly before dropping Bester's lifeless form inside.

Terann moved out of the way to allow Aelora to place the Narn beside the body of the Human telepath. To her own surprise, she waited patiently while her Human counterpart placed her hand on the Narn's chest in a silent good-bye. Then before standing Aelora placed a kiss atop his forehead.

Standing outside the airlock, Terann moved her hand to activate the outer door that would allow the bodies to be safely blown out of the station. Aelora grabbed her hand stopping it short. Terann nodded her understanding and stepped back. Aelora took one last look out the small window in the inner door before pressing the command.

"So it would seem," Neroon replied noncommittally.

Sinclair frowned. "You don’t believe in this, do you?"

"I don’t believe that a Human would be capable of leading the Minbari people, no."

The Captain accepted that with a nod. He himself had doubts regarding his role in all of it as well but Aelora had been so convincing in her pleas. He knew his daughter believed that everything was not as it should be and had he not always believed in her? It was a nice thought to consider a galaxy without 15 years of war, two powerful civilizations no longer on the brink of annihilation. Sinclair did have his worries though, fears that he found himself not wanting to admit to. According to what the Vorlons had explained to Aelora, everything had proceeded just as they knew in this timeline up to the point of the Earth/Minbari war. But that was where it ended. In what the Vorlons considered to be the true timeline, the war had ended because he had been captured by the Minbari and discovered to harbor a Minbari soul. Years later, he was somehow sent back in time over 1,000 years to become this Valen, a Minbari, who helps defeat some enemy known as the Shadows and show his people (his people??) the way to peace. But none of that happened in the time that they were currently experiencing. According to the Vorlons, the Shadows had attacked Babylon 5 and Aelora had somehow been the cause of them winning the battle because she had not taken sleepers to inhibit her abilities. They had then scanned the stations records, learned of Babylon 4 and Valen and jumped back four years in time to kill Sinclair before he had the chance to go back 1,000 years and become Valen. At that point, the timeline immediately changed. Though during the first war the Minbari had eventually defeated the Shadows, it had taken many years and the loss of many resources and lives. Their entire civilization was set back. They never learned how to live in peace and became a war-like race. When they had encountered the Humans, there was no forgiveness on either side, nor were the Minbari as powerful as the Vorlons said they were to be in the true timeline. So the war became a stalemate, neither side winning nor losing yet both too stubborn to end it. And here they were.

"There is a problem?" The Warrior asked as he noticed the frown on the Human’s face.

"No. I was just…well, attempting to make sense out of a puzzle that obviously has no answer."

"Ah." Neroon nodded. "I too wonder as to the validity of our quest. But, my Alyt believes that it is so. In fact, I have never seen her so passionate about her convictions. Certainly, she has been one of my greatest warriors but this…it seems as if she will allow nothing to stand in her way to change the course of things."

Sinclair nodded. "I worry that perhaps the Vorlons have done something to them…"

"I thought that as well at first," Neroon agreed. "But Terann…she is too strong willed, I think. Even for the Vorlons."

Sinclair allowed a small smile at this. He could tell that Terann meant much to the gruff warrior and it was an astonishing revelation that this race – people he had sworn to destroy for the past fifteen years – harbored the same emotions as Humans. They really were not that different from one another when it came right down to it and it was a sobering thought. After all, both of their governments were on the verge of total annihilation. If that did not prove that they were a like-minded people, he did not know what did.

"Here," the Minbari said. "I am to give you this."

The Human studied the crystal that was placed into his hand. It was unlike any he had seen before, beautiful and fascinating in its construction. Looking at it was like looking through the windows of time. He raised his gaze to Neroon. "What is this?"

"Terann instructed me to give it to you," Neroon replied with a shrug. "It is from the Vorlons. It is supposed to hold all of the information you shall need for what it is you are to achieve – religion, culture, etc. Personally, I do not see how a crystal could teach you so much about my people but…As Terann likes to say, the Vorlons will make it so."

Sinclair palmed the crystal for a moment longer, still pondering its beauty, then tucked it safely away in his uniform pocket. "Well, I guess it is about that time, isn’t it?"

The Minbari nodded. "Yes, I would – "

Whatever he was about to say was cut off suddenly as the station rocked violently beneath them. Without another word, Sinclair hurried over to the nearest com panel attempting to contact Aelora and G’Kar in Command and Control, only he was unable to raise anyone.

"Damn!" He cursed worried that General Bester may have discovered them. He keyed in his security codes quickly, calling up a view from one of the satellites situated outside the station. What he saw sent an immediate chill coursing down his spine. They were not ships so much as nightmares turned to reality. Shimmering, black spiders, hovering menacingly amidst the stars, their hulls so black they were like giant voids of hell in space.

"The Shadows," Neroon whispered, his tone a mixture of reverence and fear.

"They’re the ones?" Sinclair asked. "They’re the reason for all of this?"

"After a fashion," Neroon muttered, still unable to pull his gaze away from the screen.

Sinclair finally succeeded in forcing his attention from the horrors that were currently attacking the station. He turned to the Minbari, his mind whirling. "I hope the hull can withstand it," he muttered. "We need to do this – now!’

Neroon nodded, facing the Human. "I will find the others. If I know my Alyt, she will do what she can to oppose the Shadows. I must be there to help her."

The Captain was tempted to inform Neroon of how utterly pointless such an action was but he refrained from doing so. "Be – " He stopped himself short of telling the Minbari to "be careful". It was ironic – enemies working together for a common goal.

The Warrior turned to move off but was stopped by Sinclair’s words:

"I hope that we meet again, Neroon. In that other time, I mean. You seem…well, I would like to have known you as someone other than my enemy."

Neroon turned back around to fix a steady gaze on the Human. Finally he replied, "Perhaps, Sinclair, just perhaps you may understand my people after all." With that, the Minbari disappeared down the corridor.

Human and Minbari walked silently through the evacuated corridors of Babylon 4, each absorbed in her own thoughts. Terann was surprised to discover that she was worried about the Human beside her, worried that the death of her Narn lover had snapped the thin line of sanity she had clung to. It had always been a goal of the warrior to destroy the fragile minds of the Human telepaths she encountered, and she had almost succeeded with Sinclair until she had discovered that they needed one another. Now, she feared that she had gone too far, that torture combined with G’Kar’s death had pushed the Human over that edge. She continued to watch Aelora warily, noting the wild, frenzied expression in her eyes, the repeated pounding of her fist against her thigh.

"You must focus, Human," Terann warned quietly. "You are no good to me unhinged."

"Fuck off," Aelora replied quietly without a trace of emotion.

The Minbari raised a brow. "It is a wonder your race survived to make it to the stars. You are weaker than the Centauri, and unbelievably less cunning."

Terann grudgingly admitted that she had not expected the sudden fist to her face that slammed her back against the bulkhead. The Human had moved, quickly, stealthily, surprisingly so. She wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand, watching the Human who regarded her angrily from only a few feet away.

"You lash out at me because you know I need you and therefore am unable to kill you," Terann commented matter-of-factly.

Aelora blinked at her for a moment, then replied, "I wish you would finish it. Now."

Terann shook her head. "You are pathetic, Human."

Aelora came after her again but this time Terann anticipated the move and stepped out of the way, grasping Aelora by the arm and twisting it painfully behind her, bringing her to her knees. The Human refused to cry out from the pain though, stubbornly struggling against the hold. The Minbari knew what she was attempting to do and refused to give quarter. She did not strengthen the hold, but kept it stationary, making certain that it caused pain but did not break the bone.

"He is dead, Sinclair! Dead! And there is nothing that you can do that will bring him back – "

"Shut up!"

"And your foolish pouting is only worsening the situation." Terann pushed Aelora away from her, using enough force to hurl her face into the floor. She stepped back then watching silently as Aelora struggled to a sitting position, wiping at the blood that streamed from her nose.

"What do you know?" Aelora demanded, her green eyes flashing with a mixture of pain and hatred. "You haven’t a heart within you to feel the pain that I have!"

The Minbari stepped toward her threateningly. "Take care, Human. My anger can only remain at bay for so long."

Aelora was beyond thinking, beyond reason. She refused to consider their reason for being there, the reason for the sacrifices that were being made. She could only consider G’Kar as he laid before her, his life torn from him needlessly just as their child’s life had been destroyed. She wanted to lash out, wanted to make others feel the pain that she had, the hopelessness and utter hatred but more than that; she simply wanted to forget. Aelora wanted to lay down and go to sleep and never again wake from the nightmare her life had become.

Terann’s patience reached its end. She turned to continue down the hall. "Come, Human. We must finish this."

"No." Aelora remained stubbornly where she was, refusing to move.

The Minbari turned back to her. "Do not be a fool."

Aelora only flashed her with a cold green gaze.

Terann nodded then walked back over to the Human and slapped her hard once across the face. When Aelora only returned to her glare, she slapped her again. The force of the slap was hard enough that Terann’s hand burnt from the impact but she did not give up. She slapped the Human a total of five times before Aelora finally stumbled away from her and looked up at her with eyes that were once more registering with sanity, registering more pain and less hopelessness. The Minbari wanted to rail at her, wanted to call her weak and foolish and simply have done with her but one thought stopped her cold: What if it had been Neroon? By putting herself in the Human’s place, she was able to understand what she was feeling, the reason for the insanity that threatened.

"Human…Aelora," Terann began. "I know it is difficult to believe, but I understand the pain you are feeling. I would like to be able to say I am sorry for being the cause of much of it, but I can not. Unfortunately, we are at war, and we both would like nothing more than to kill one another where we stand. We must now work together, Aelora Sinclair, though we are loath to do so. I know that it pains you to let go of your love. But do not sacrifice that love for nothing! We have the power to change what we know, to see another life beyond this. Does that mean so little to you that you would eschew it?"

"It hurts," Aelora whispered weakly.

"It has to," the Minbari replied. "Else you would not know that you are alive."

Aelora understood what the Minbari was saying and reluctantly agreed with her. She knew what she had to do, knew what needed to be done, but that did not make it any easier. She could not simply force the past few days from her mind but she could not allow all the pain to have been for nothing either. That which does not kill us makes us stronger, she reminded herself, wincing once more as the vision of G’Kar’s death flashed through her mind. She struggled to stand, stilling when a pale hand appeared before her. Tentatively she reached out, Human hand linking with that of Minbari, and Terann helped her to her feet.

The sudden shaking of the floor beneath them almost knocked Aelora off her feet once more.

"What the --?" Aelora glanced up at Terann whose expression had become inanimate.

"The Shadows," the Minbari whispered with reverence. "They are here."

"What?!"

Aelora’s mind whirled. If they did not get the station off soon, the Shadows would destroy it, the current timeline would continue and all of it would have been for nothing.

"Yes," Terann commented. "I am glad you understand this."

Aelora was about to tell her what she thought of her mind reading capabilities but refrained from doing so. She had to find her father, had to make certain everything went as planned, had to – but what about the Shadows?

"I will take care of them," Terann replied to the unvoiced question. "You go now to your father, make certain that he is prepared. I will hold them at bay as long as I can but let him know that this must happen now!"

The Human nodded and for the briefest of moments wanted to thank the Minbari. She shook the thought away quickly, instead voicing the words she truly wanted to say:

"I hope that your death is painful, Minbari. Very painful and very nasty."

The Minbari smiled. "You would not be so lucky, Human."

Aelora backed away from her, her eyes regarding the Minbari thoughtfully for a long moment before she finally turned and hurried down the corridor in search of her father. Terann shook her head, wondering how it was possible that the two of them could possibly become friends in the true timeline. It seemed beyond absurd.

"There you are." Terann glanced up to see Neroon approach from the direction that the Human had just exited.

"What are you doing here? You are to be helping Jeffrey Sinclair."

"He is fine," Neroon replied, stopping inches away from his second in command. "I figured you might need my help."

Terann instantly shook her head. "There is nothing that you can do, Neroon. This will be a war of the minds."

"Well then, I shall be here in case you need me, Terann."

Terann accepted the offer silently, turning to head toward the lift that she knew would take her to best the best vantage point for the battle. Neroon followed her without question, wondering how this moment had come to pass. Here they were, about to sacrifice their lives so that a Human may go back in time to lead the Minbari people, to teach them and guide them. He wondered who was more off-balance – himself or his Alyt? Certainly neither of them could be thinking clearly to actually go along with this idea. He glanced down at the tiny female next to him and felt a wave of awe sweep through him. For one so diminutive, she was the bravest warrior Neroon had ever encountered. Her courage knew no bounds and the sacrifices she made for her people went beyond compare. How could he have ever accused her of not being Minbari? Her true parentage no longer mattered to him. She was Minbari inside and out. And he would gladly murder the first being that chanced to say she was not.

The station continued to rock violently beneath them as Terann led Neroon toward the tiny observation dome. Though it had become more of a storage facility than an area of quiet reflection for EA soldiers, the Minbari were still able to effectively maneuver around the crates to the enormous window. There, the frightening black ships of the Shadows blocked the vista of stars before them only occasionally. Terann watched the scene before her thoughtfully for a long moment. She recalled the vision that she and the Human had experienced only days before, the battle with the Shadows and its ending. The fact that she would not live through this did not bother her – she knew another life awaited her. No, death was not something to fear. But loneliness…Ah, that was something she had never been forced to face, even though she had spent countless years looked down upon and shunned by her own kind, she had never truly been without someone. And there was Neroon, who even now stood stoically beside her, though what they were doing went against everything in which he believed. It was that fear of the unknown, the secret belief that the Terann in that other timeline had no one, that caused her to pause.

"Terann, are you – "

"I am fine, Neroon," she lied smoothly. "This will all be over soon."

Neroon nodded, stepping back to allow her the strength of solitude. There was little he could do but wait and watch, protect her if there was such a thing against the creatures that hovered around the Human’s battle station.

Terann focused her mind, her energy, on the vessels outside the window. Their power was amazing and, at first, the resistance they offered staggered her. She felt them immediately begin to tear at her mind, ripping at the brittle threads, snapping what they could of her life into shards. She fought against it, summoning all of her strength and striking back at the nearest ship, cleaving at it from within, seizing the fragile consciousness inside (was that Human??) and destroying the vessel much as one would squash an insect. She did not relish her victory but quickly moved onto the next target, knowing that her strength was failing her and that she must work quickly to keep the Shadows at bay.

Twice Neroon started forward toward her but held himself back, knowing that she was not near finished, that she would not appreciate his interruption. Though she became paler by the moment and the veins in her body were bursting through skin that smoked as if on fire, she continued battling the forces outside the station. Once, when she fell to her knees, Neroon did hurry forward, helping her to her feet, holding her against him while she destroyed yet another enemy.

Help me! Terann’s mind cried out to the Vorlons. This is your battle! Why can you not offer help?!

The sun is setting in this world. It is time to rise in another.

No! Not yet!

Your work here is done.

Terann screamed then, as she felt the Vorlons pull what little support they had given her from her mind and the Shadows invaded full force. She felt them grab at her heart, twisting it within their cold grasp, she heard them smashing at her brain, snapping her bones and wailing their hideous voices throughout her mind. She collapsed into Neroon’s embrace, barely hanging on to that last thread of life within her, hearing Neroon’s voice calling to her, begging her not to leave him. She forced open her eyes, peering through the blood that lined them and saw something in Neroon that she had never expected to see: Fear.

"I…too…am afraid," she whispered softly, wanting very much to lift one of her broken hands up to touch his face but knew that she no longer harnessed the ability to do so.

Neroon cradled her damaged body gently in his arms. "What could you possibly be afraid of?"

This isn’t happening, he thought to himself. It is some trick by the Vorlons! Never once had he ever considered his Alyt dying before him. No, it was always the other way. He would die and she would take his place. She would lead their people on to victory, on to glory for generations to come. Terann was too strong to die, she was something he could never understand, never aspire to be. How could something like that be so carelessly snuffed from the universe?

"I…do not…wish t...to be alone…Neroon…" Her eyes closed for a moment and when she reopened them, the tears came unbidden. "Please…do not…do not let me be…cold."

"I promise," he replied instantly.

But Terann did not hear him. His Alyt was still and silent in his arms.

Neroon continued to sit there for a long moment, fighting the urge to go back to Sinclair, kill him before he had a chance to escape and take his place in the timeline 1,000 years before. He could not have broached the idea to Terann because she would have heatedly refused, argued with him incessantly and not allow him to accompany her. But now…

He glanced down at the broken body in his arms and knew he could do little more than keep his promise to her. She did not want to be alone; she did not want to be cold. He would make certain she was neither. Gently he lifted her into his arms, standing. The sudden silence outside the station going unnoticed, he moved from the observation deck, retracing his steps back to the last known airlock that he had seen. Once there, he carefully shifted Terann’s body in his arms so as to reach the controls, setting it on automatic timer. When he had the door open, he laid Terann’s body inside, then climbed in beside her, activating the door behind him and lifting her once more into his embrace. He held her against him, wiping the blood from her mouth, kissing her brow, whispering to her that he was there and it would soon be over. And then…

I love you now and forever, my Alyt, he thought, hearing the airlock activate. Remember that…

Aelora stumbled down the corridor, the floor shaking beneath her from the Shadows violent attack. Only moments before she had felt Terann’s death, and though she found herself feeling pleased that the Minbari bitch had finally gotten hers, she was fearful that the station would be destroyed before they succeeded in sending it back. Failure was not an option at this point. Aelora was not willing to have sacrificed G’Kar’s life for so little.

She wiped a hand over her eyes, realizing that she must look a mess, covered in both Bester and G’Kar’s blood. She laughed suddenly, the giddiness she had felt during her destruction of the General once more washing over her. Knowing it had been her hands, which had ended his life, had left her with the feeling of more power than she had ever imagined. Power and freedom. Not that freedom mattered much any longer. Without G’Kar there was no future.

What am I doing?

The telepath stopped abruptly, leaning back against the bulkhead, her gaze wandering aimlessly over the corridor. Where was I going? The idea briefly flashed through her mind that reality was no longer a consideration. After all, what was real truly wasn’t if the Vorlons had anything to say about it. She laughed uproariously at the thought, hysteria finally taking its hold. All around her the station shook but Aelora was oblivious. She found herself wondering what her and G’Kar’s child would have looked like. A Narn with hair? The image made her laugh harder. She collapsed onto the floor, laughing until the laughter turned to deep, racking sobs. She did not want to continue on any longer. She did not care if history never changed. What would it matter to her? Or G’Kar? Bester or Ashlen or even the Minbari? They would not know the difference. The entire galaxy could go to shit and none of them would give a damn because they weren’t alive anyway! Aelora slammed her fist into the floor, frustrated with the impotency she felt to change anything, to turn the clock back just a few weeks, to simply leave with G’Kar as he had suggested and to hell with the Human race!

"It doesn’t matter!" She cried, slamming her fist down again and again. "It doesn’t fucking matter!"

Aelora looked up at the singsong voice to find a Vorlon standing over her. How he got there and where he came from did not occur to her as rage swept through her and she jumped to her feet. "You! You lying, bastards! We are no more than your slaves to play with and do as you please!"

The Vorlon seemed unmoved by her tirade. Instead, an opening formed on the front of his mask, a brilliant light shining through. See… The singsong voice commanded. See the truth…

Immediately Aelora was immersed in a world she did not recognize though the feelings were familiar. Images flashed before her eyes: Her and Terann together laughing; G’Kar on the ground before her, blood pouring from a wound in his stomach; a Centauri she recognized as Ambassador Mollari laughing and hugging her; a woman standing before her who appeared both Human and Minbari with Human hair and a Minbari bone.

The images ended abruptly and Aelora stumbled back from the force, catching herself just before falling.

Aelora blinked at the Vorlon for a moment. "Nothing." She trembled.

As quickly as he had appeared, the Vorlon vanished. He did not exactly disappear, nor did he simply walk away. One moment he was there and the next he was not. It was as simple as that.

The telepath remained rooted to the ground for the next few moments, not noticing that the explosions from outside the station had quieted. She clenched her fists at her side, attempting to quell the rising fear that was steadily building inside. The realization that a race such as the Vorlons so completely controlled the goings-on of the universe terrified her beyond imagination. But the proof had been handed to her yet again. This latest were not merely machinations by the Minbari, as they were dead, their lives carelessly snuffed out as easily as G’Kar’s. No, this was real. Something had gone wrong in the fabric of time and it was up to her father to change it. Aelora shook herself from her stupor, attempting to clear her head of the insanity that was threatening. If she did no more in this timeline, she would see that this station made it safely to where it was needed. Pushing away from the bulkhead, she hurried off toward the docking bay to find Jeffrey Sinclair.

"Daddy!"

Sinclair turned at his daughter’s voice in time to catch her as she buried herself in his embrace.

"I’m frightened," she confessed, her voice muffled against his chest.

He touched her hair softly, noting that it was matted with what appeared to be blood. The lack of G’Kar’s presence said all that Sinclair needed to know. He held her just a little tighter, letting her know how sorry he was. "It will all be over soon, Princess."

"That’s what I’m afraid of," she admitted, leaning her head back to look up at him, her green eyes bright with tears. "We don’t know what this other reality holds. What if I have no place in it? What if we are still not allowed to be a family? What if I become like Bester? What if…" Her voice cracked for a moment and she took a deep, steadying breath. "Daddy, something inside me says that G’Kar and I are not together there. He always said he didn’t believe it, that he had more faith in our love but…" She shook her head. "It doesn’t feel right."

"But we never know what the future holds," Sinclair replied quietly, smoothing her curls from her face. "And certainly nothing can be as bad as the present we currently live in, or the Vorlons would not be insisting that we go through with this."

"I want to go with you."

"Ae, no," her father answered emphatically. "You know very well that is not part of the plan. The Vorlons did not instruct you to do so."

"I don’t care about the Vorlons! I don’t want to be alone!"

Sinclair shook his head, amazed that he had never seen how very young his daughter truly was. She had always seemed so very mature, even at five, parading around in her neat little suits, hair always perfect, proudly proclaiming she was in the Psi Corps. The woman who stood before him now was little more than a child who did not want to be without her father. It was a painful sight to witness and Sinclair knew that if he did not help her find her strength quickly, he would not be able to resist the temptation of staying.

"Aelora, you listen to me and listen to me well. What we are doing here is far greater than any other task that has been asked of humanity. Do you realize the billions of lives that will be saved by the eradication of this war? Doesn’t that mean anything to you?" At his daughter’s silence, he pressed further. "G’Kar believed in you, Princess. He believed in your strength. Even I could see that. Would he want you to run away, to hide from a possible future that is yours to make?

"Can you truly say you have been happy with this existence? No, we don’t know what that other reality holds for you, but that is the beauty of it. It is your life, your future, yours to make of it what you will. Perhaps you can erase the mistakes you made in this life; perhaps you will make new ones. But I believe that whatever happens, you have a chance to make a difference. You have a purpose in this galaxy, Ae. Be it as a Psi Cop, on the run from the Psi Corps, whatever. You may feel as if these Vorlons are dictating your fate but they are only guiding us. In the end, it is our choice to make."

Aelora knew he was right. And she was not so frightened of her other life anymore, either. But she was worried for him and what his role in the past might be, how the Minbari might react to him and the fact that, even in the other timeline, they obviously were not afforded the chance to remain father and daughter. But there was no other choice, and her father seemed certain of what needed to be done. If he could be strong about this, when it was his life that would so irrevocably change while she would never even notice, then she had to accept that. She forced a brave smile and looked up at him.

"I can’t help but worry that the Shadows may try again once they realize that this attempt at changing things has failed. And what if I – I mean, the other me – still refuses to take the sleepers?"

Sinclair shook his head. "I don’t see the Vorlons allowing that to happen." He chuckled then, hugging Aelora to him tightly. "And I don’t see the Shadows being stupid enough to try to take you and that Minbari on again either."

Aelora laughed at that, pulling away from her father, watching as he made the final preparations for the travel and his sleep in the Chrysalis. She wished that there were a way for her to memorize this moment, to make her other self realize how special her father was and how truly important the life of one person could mean to the entire galaxy. She looked at Jeffrey Sinclair then, really looked at him, seeing beyond the dark hair peppered with silver, the kind blue eyes that could turn hard at a moment’s notice and she saw the leader that he would be. A strong, fair man who would not faltered when something frightening knocked at his door.

"You had best go now," Sinclair said, turning back to his daughter, wishing not for the first time that he had kept her away from Psi Corps.

"Yes, it’s almost time." She smiled then, taking a deep, calming breath. "No good-bye's, okay? After all, this really isn’t, is it?"

"No, it isn’t." He stepped forward and kissed Aelora on the forehead, then looked down to catch her gaze. "Good luck with that Narn of yours."

Aelora laughed then turned and walked away before she changed her mind. She hurried out of the docking bay toward the escape pod she had programmed to launch at the appropriate time. On her way to her destination, she paused near a com panel, an idea forming.

Just as Sinclair was about to enter the Chrysalis, he glanced up, the sound of approaching footsteps catching his attention and he found Aelora running back to him.

"Princess, you – "

"Here." She shoved a communication crystal into his hand. "You need to get this to me – the other me. Trust me. It explains what needs to be done and nothing else."

He closed his hand over the tiny messenger, nodding. "You’re gonna scare yourself, you know."

"Nah." The telepath grinned. "I’m made of tougher stuff than that."

Sinclair chuckled as he watched his daughter hurry back toward the escape pod. I’m proud of you, Ae, he thought quietly. And I always will be.

Aelora climbed into the pod just as she felt the air around her beginning to shift. She quickly locked the hatch, activated the controls and sucked in a sharp breath as it launched. As the pod shot away from the station, Aelora was able to discover the reason for the lessening of the Shadow’s attack. Two Vorlon ships hung over the planet of Epsilon III; systematically taking out the enemy ships one by one. Aelora was pleased to know she truly had not lost her mind when that Vorlon had appeared to her in the corridor. She returned her gaze to Babylon 4, watching in awe, as the station seemed to shimmer and glow like a star and then become completely translucent before her eyes. It’s working, she thought. It’s truly working! At that moment, a Shadow vessel appeared in her vision, firing its lasers at her pod. Aelora had a brief moment of clarity, of knowing her life was about to end and begin all in the same instant…

…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."

"It’s too late, Terann. I already took the sleepers."

"In Valen’s name!" Terann cursed, her eyes darkening. "Aelora, how could you allow them to dictate – "

"It wasn’t like that!" Aelora insisted, interrupting her friend’s tirade. "Trust me, if it were just Sheridan’s demands, I would be leaving with you. But there was more…"

"What more could possibly convince you to become their plaything?" Terann’s tone indicated her anger and disbelief. She was so furious at the moment she was tempted to go back into the War Room and let Sheridan see what a Minbari/Vorlon hybrid was truly capable of.

Aelora took a deep breath, met the warrior’s angry gaze. "While I was in MedLab, a Ranger came in to see me. He said little; simply that he had a package for me. He handed me this small silver case, instructing me that it was very old and left. When I opened it, I discovered a communication crystal and nothing else. I played it in a nearby com panel and I must say, I was very glad that no one else was there for I spent the next few moments contemplating my sanity."

Terann let out a frustrated sigh. "Aelora…"

"Terann, it was a message from me."

The Minbari frowned. "Explain."

Aelora laughed at that. "I can’t. For the life of me I can’t! But there I was, in a Psi Cop uniform no less looking like I had just been to Hell and back and I am telling myself to be certain and take the sleepers!"

Terann’s eyes widened at the information. "You are certain that this was not a trick?"

"I considered that. I went over every explanation in my mind, Terann. Trust me. But something inside me said to believe it. A voice kept telling me over and over again that the consequences of my actions would determine our fate."

A chill coursed down Terann’s spine. Where had this information come from? Was it a sign from the future? The past? Or was it truly a trick? If a Ranger had delivered it, then someone on Minbar must have the answers. But that made no sense. Who on Minbar would care about what happened to Babylon 5? Delenn was the Entil'zah and she was here so it could not have been her. Who then?

"Terann?"

The Minbari met her friend’s gaze and suddenly realized the only person who could have performed such a feat would have been Valen. It still did not make much sense, for how had this ‘other’ Aelora known about their current situation and why was it so important for the Human to take the sleepers? But it was the only explanation available. Terann very much wanted to tell Aelora about her father then, very much wanted to supply Aelora with some clue as to her importance but she had promised Delenn and, for now, she would continue to keep that promise. Aelora had enough to deal with at the moment anyway; to place anymore on her shoulders would be a gross unfairness to her.

"Very well, Aelora. This is obviously something beyond our understanding, beyond our need to understand. Did this ‘other’ you say anything else?"

Aelora hesitated for a moment then decided what other information she had been given had been meant for her ears alone. "No. Nothing."

Terann allowed her the lie. "Well there is nothing to be done now. I only hope that you do not allow them," she cast a quick glance toward the War Room, " to use this against you. Do not allow them to control you, Aelora. If you do so, you might as well give yourself over to your Psi Corps."

Terann turned to go when Aelora reached out and touched her arm. "You’re still leaving then?"

"I have to."

The red head nodded though Terann could see the disappointment on her face. Disappointment, and maybe even a little bit of fear?

"You’ll be fine," Terann assured her, touching her friend’s arm. "You have friend’s here, Aelora, whether you know it or not. There are those who care for you very much…as well as there are those who would cause you harm if given the chance. Do not allow your pride to be your downfall."

Aelora smiled. "Just because you are part Vorlon doesn’t mean you have to talk like one, Terann."

The Minbari returned the smile. "Take care of yourself, Aelora Sinclair."

This time, the use of her father’s name did not bother her.

After Terann left Aelora in the corridor, the Minbari hurried back to her quarters to gather her 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 her 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 to change my mind."

"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. 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 nor did she question it. She decided to pursue a different course of reasoning when the red alert klaxons blared into existence.

AFTERMATH - By The Tea Party