EPISODE 7

A Path Less Followed

“Oh I know!” exclaimed Alice, who had not attended to this last remark. “It’s a vegetable. It doesn’t look like one, but it is.”

“I quite agree with you,” said the Duchess, “and the moral of that is – ‘Be what you would seem to be’; or, if you’d like it put more simply – ‘Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.’” -- Alice in Wonderland

Confess what you crave

A life without pain

You’d kill for the taste

But the hurt still remains

Still they don’t know who you are

Just be still my emerald

I’ll be waiting for you

Do exactly what you’re told

I’ll be waiting for you

Ashamed by the threats

You pierce the embrace

Afraid and alone

In a dark lonely place

Did you always want to be

Did they try to steal your soul

Did they hurt you with deceit

Can’t you come in from the cold

Be still my emerald

I’ll be waiting for you

Emerald – The Tea Party

The station shook violently under Aelora's feet as she fought her way through the mass of people rushing to their quarters or to the emergency shelters. For the briefest of moments she was grateful for the silence the sleepers had given her. The station’s occupants were in varying stages of panic and she had enough trouble dealing with them physically and the prospect of adding to that stress with her telepathic ability was nauseating. She knew who was attacking the station and knew that she should be in her quarters, but she did not want to be alone, did not want to be lost in the silence. She knew the importance of her taking the sleepers, knew of all that would be lost if she did not, yet a small part of her missed the abilities that she was just learning to use. Her thoughts distracted, she did not see the Drazi until he had slammed her into the bulkhead in his attempt to pass her. She suppressed the urge to tell him what she thought of his rudeness and opted instead to let it pass before venturing off into one of the lesser-used corridors. Leaning up against the wall she realized how alone she felt. Everyone she knew was busy defending the station against the Shadows, too busy to worry about her self-pity. She silently chastised herself. Here people she cared about, people like Terann and Marcus and Michael, were risking their lives, possibly sacrificing everything to ensure the safety of the quarter of a million people on Babylon 5 and all she could do was feel sorry for herself. She straightened herself and cast a look at the transport tube at the end of the hallway. Without a second thought she stepped toward it and punched the control panel.

Upon reaching Blue Sector Aelora raced to the Observation Dome where she knew Terann would be. It was not her intention to interfere with her friend, simply be there if she needed help. A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as she realized that with the Sleepers there was nothing that she could do to help her. She attempted to reassure herself by thinking that maybe her presence would be enough.

Stepping into the Observation Dome all hope was erased. Terann stood silently oblivious to everything around her, her thoughts focused solely on the destruction of her enemy. The Shadow attack had begun well over half an hour ago and from the look of her friend, Aelora concluded that she had been here since the beginning. She marveled at the strength of Terann's gift, at her determination and refusal to quit. At the sound of a soft gasp, Aelora rushed to the Minbari's side taking her limp hand in hers. To her surprise she felt Terann's fingers tighten around hers, though she made no other gesture to acknowledge Aelora's presence. The Human looked at her friend noting the fatigue in her bloodstained eyes, wishing for some way to add to her strength.

"Aelora, there you are."

The voice pulled Aelora's attention away from her friend but she did not let go of the cold hand she held. She turned to the doorway to see G'Kar, and to her surprise she did not feel the immediate wave of repulsion that she had become so accustomed to upon seeing one of his race. She concluded that she had merely grown use to his being near during her time spent in MedLab. "What are you doing here?" She demanded more harshly than she intended.

"I came looking for you," he said plainly.

She started at his admission wondering why. After her cruelty to him why did he still insist on being with her? But before she could ask him he spoke:

"Listen."

The Human furrowed her brow but did as he suggested. At first she heard nothing but then realized that was what he was referring to. The station no longer shook beneath them; everything had suddenly fallen silent. She let go of Terann's hand and stepped up to the large window. The space around them was littered with debris from the unfortunate victims of the Shadows and she caught sight of several ships, Starfuries, Whitestars but no Shadow ships. She could not understand it...Did we win?? She wondered. Looking back to G'Kar to garner some reassurance that it was in fact over she caught sight of Terann. The Minbari’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed to the floor. Aelora rushed to her side gently turning her head to face her. She did not like what she saw. Aside from the blood around her eyes and ears she appeared to be physically all right, but mentally...Damn, Aelora cursed inwardly. If only I hadn't taken the Sleepers...if only I could help you. She shook her head knowing that she could not think that way, if she had not taken the Sleepers Valen only knows what would have happened.

"We have to get her to MedLab," G'Kar said, kneeling beside her, breaking through the madness in her head with a voice of reason. Aelora only nodded and stood as she watched the Narn lift her friend carefully into his arms. She offered him a gracious smile then led the way to MedLab.

Upon entering MedLab, Aelora was shocked by the number of wounded. Those who were well enough to stand were forced to do so and lined the main wall of the large room patiently waiting medical attention. The others had been placed on stretchers and prioritized in order of urgency. The medical staff ran from patient to patient quickly assessing injuries, doing what they could to ease their suffering before moving onto the next.

"Dr. Franklin!" Aelora called out, catching sight of the handsome doctor as he raced past.

He stopped in front of her, quickly noticing the Minbari G'Kar was carrying. He rushed to her, doing a cursory examination. "What happened?" He asked not pulling his attention from Terann.

"She was fighting...They did this to her."

He waved his hand at a passing nurse. "Get a stretcher over here. I need her in Iso-lab Three." The nurse nodded and hurried to do his bidding. Franklin then placed a gentle hand on Aelora's arm. "Don't worry, we'll take care of her."

Aelora nodded sullenly then returned to the corridor. G'Kar followed, moving to fall silently into step beside her, respecting her reticence. He knew it frustrated the Human being unable to help her friend now that the Sleepers had taken effect and he was uncertain how to assure her of Terann’s recovery. It still confused him, how it was that Aelora had so easily capitulated to taking the telepathic inhibitors. She had remained noncommittal as to her reasons, saying no more than that it had been for the best. G’Kar knew that the effects of the Sleepers had disconcerted Aelora, and unlearning what she had learned was enormously difficult. It seemed to be the only explanation for the Human’s easy acceptance of his presence. She had not made one disparaging comment toward him nor had she had she argued with a single suggestion he made. He had considered teasing her about her change in behavior but did not want to supply her with a reason to revert from it.

Will I ever get used to this silence? Aelora wondered to herself, considering that perhaps schizophrenia occurred only in telepaths who needed to hear someone in their mind other than their own thoughts. When the Sleepers had first begun to take effect, the sounds had come on and off – one moment silent, one moment screaming through her mind. It was what had driven her to leave her quarters, to seek out solace in a friend. The only problem was there had been no one available to listen to her. So she had gone to Terann, who had been occupied with much more pressing matters at the time. But Aelora had stayed anyway, pretending that there might be some way that she could offer assistance to her friend. In the end, that was exactly how it had worked out. G’Kar had come looking for Aelora and been able to carry Terann to MedLab. The telepath shook her head. It was funny, but deep inside she had expected him to show up, she had known he would. It was as if the fates were working furiously against every teaching she had been brought up with. She was glad he had been there to help Terann though. If nothing else, she could at least thank him for that.

“Would you like me to walk you to your quarters?” G’Kar asked as they neared the living area.

Aelora considered the question for a moment. She knew she would not be able to sleep, not with everything going crazy around her, not with her whole universe so out of whack. Neither did she wish to be alone. The thought of being left with the silence, with the simple sound of her heartbeat was more than she could stand. Without thinking her next question through, she blurted, “Would you mind if I visited you for awhile?”

The question brought G’Kar to an abrupt halt. He turned to regard her carefully for a moment. “Are you certain?”

Aelora worried her lower lip, wondering exactly how honest she could be with him. In truth, though she hated to admit it, he had been as good a friend to her as Terann. The other side of her argued that there was simply no one else and she could certainly handle a Narn’s company for a short while.

“I don’t want to be alone…G’Kar. Not for awhile yet.”

G’Kar nodded and quietly led her to Green Sector where his quarters were located. He stepped aside to allow her through the door, noting her hesitation and providing her the time she needed with patience. Finally she stepped over the threshold, glancing at G’Kar expectantly.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” he instructed her, motioning toward the couch. “Can I get you something? Some hot jhala perhaps?”

The Human sat gingerly on the furniture, obviously uneasy within the surroundings. At his offer she forced a grateful smile. “Yes, please. That sounds good.”

G’Kar nodded and moved off to make the beverage, continually watching Aelora out of the corner of his eye to make certain she learned to relax. He was not quite certain what to say or do to help her. Perhaps it was something that she would have to do on her own but he hated seeing her so uncomfortable. He thought that maybe conversation was what she needed so he began rambling about how to make the perfect hot jhala, and that the Centauri had never learned the correct way to prepare it, just like they could not make a good spoo if they tried. By the time he returned to the couch to hand Aelora her beverage, she had relaxed back into the cushions, the color returning to her cheeks, a hint of a smile hovering on her lips.

“I didn’t know you were a gourmet,” Aelora teased as she took a sip from the mug, watching as G’Kar took a seat behind the enormous desk.

The Narn chuckled. “I am a master of many hidden talents.”

Aelora allowed a smile at that, enjoying the feel of the warm liquid moving through her limbs. If the fact that she was ensconced away in a Narn’s quarters was not so blazingly apparent, she could almost find herself relaxing enough to try and get some sleep. It had been well over twenty hours since she had last slept and the last was when she had been in MedLab. Her injuries still not fully healed, her body felt as if it had been a participant in the Mutai. What she really wanted to do was to stretch out on the couch, and close her eyes. But a nagging fear still interrupted the peace in her mind: what if somebody found her? Not that anyone on Babylon 5 would truly care but she never knew when the Kyra’s might decide to make a surprise visit. (This last she doubted whole-heartedly would ever occur. After all, the Earther’s Space Station was overrun with rabble, especially Narn, and the Kyra’s would not be caught dead here. But her mind had to provide her with some sort of reason.) Aelora contented herself with simply continuing to sip her hot jhala, watching G’Kar over the rim of the mug as he began scribbling onto the paper before him.

“Are you still working on that book of yours?”

It took G’Kar, who was obviously engrossed in what he was writing, a moment to answer. “Yes.” A pause. “I am surprised you remember.”

“Centauri children learn to hold their drink at a young age, G’Kar.”

At this quiet comment, the Narn glanced up at her sharply but Aelora was already looking away, observing her surroundings with the keen eye of a Ranger. G’Kar was certain that if asked, she could describe his entire quarters in detail down to the amount of papers he had on his desk. Her previous comment still had him curious. What had she meant by that? Had she truly known what she had said to him that night on the Centauri Transport ship?

Aelora leaned forward to set the empty mug on the table then stood and slowly began wandering around the room. Her body ached at the movement, and she would have much rather remained comfortable on the couch but her curiosity about G’Kar continued to grow. She knew he watched her as she moved around his quarters, examining the various artifacts he had on shelves, flipping through books, taking note of the somewhat haphazard housekeeping. She finally came upon a fairly large book, one that appeared worn from indiscriminate age. She ran her hand over the cover gently, almost reverently, knowing without being told that the book before her was very important to its owner.

“What is this?” She finally queried.

“The Book of G’Quan.”

“I’ve heard of him.” She racked her brain for a moment, searching for the information she knew she had heard spoken of a few times. “He was a prophet of your people.” She searched for more. “During the last Shadow war…”

“Yes,” G’Kar answered her oddly pleased that she was showing an interest in something that meant so much to him. “He is the one who wrote that telepaths can be used against the Shadows.”

“Unless of course they are used to their advantage,” Aelora snapped bitterly, her mood suddenly swinging from pensive to frustrated.

G’Kar sought to quickly rectify his mistake. “I am sorry.”

The Human ran a hand over her eyes, sighing. “You have no need to be, G’Kar. It’s not your fault.” She returned to the couch, tucking a leg under her as she sat. “So tell me about yourself. I find it ironic that we have been forced to spend so much time in one another’s company and I hardly know you.”

“I have not considered myself ‘forced’ to spend time with you, Lady Kyra.”

Aelora smiled. “There you go again. Please, it’s Aelora.”

He nodded. “Aelora, you have not appeared very interested in getting to know me.”

It was her turn to nod. “Indulge me this once, then. I could beg you but…well, I still have a little too much pride intact to resort to that.”

The Narn laughed. “As intriguing as the idea of telling you about myself is, I am afraid I have little to share. Nothing of interest, really.”

“Oh surely there must be something,” Aelora pressed. “How about your family? Do you have a wife? Children?”

G’Kar stilled at the question, his expression turning inward. He moved his gaze away from Aelora, returning his attention to the book before him. “My wife died in the bombing of my homeworld, as did many of my family.”

Aelora mentally gave herself a swift kick in the ass. Of course it was not as if she was sitting around having Bravari and cakes with the Empress. The tension within the room tripled at least and Aelora hated herself for the callousness that always seemed to emerge from her when G’Kar was around.

“I’m sorry, G’Kar,” she spoke softly, hoping to convey with her tone that she was honest in her apology. “I didn’t mean…that is – “

“It is alright, Aelora,” G’Kar replied without looking up. “As you said, it is not your fault.”

But it was not the same, and they both knew it. Aelora hunkered down into the cushions, wrapping her arms around herself as if seeking comfort. She recalled her cousin’s words to her about the bombing of the Narn Homeworld: “I saw first hand what we had done, what I was responsible for. I saw the charred remains of the children, I heard the cries of those who were unfortunate enough to live, who were left to see what remained of their home, left to carry on without those they loved by their sides. I saw it all, Aelora, and through every moment of my self-inflicted torture, I continued to ask myself: when is our day of reckoning? When will the Great Maker finally look down on Centauri Prime and say ‘It is time to pay for what you have done’. Because we will, Aelora. We will. We cannot escape from this path of destruction unscathed. One day, Centauri Prime will burn, and it will be our women and children who will pay the price of blinding hatred.” Aelora stilled the tremble that threatened as she heard Tiro’s words echo through her mind. Why had she not seen it before? Had hatred been buried in her so deeply that it had blinded her to simple mercy? The thought humbled her. Since she had first met him in the transport tube, G’Kar had done nothing but give of himself selflessly to her while she had done little more than treat him as a lower life form. Aelora would never be able to openly admit that she had been wrong, not to her family or her government, she could never allow G’Kar to become a significant part of her life, not without bringing hurt and shame upon the Kyra name. But she certainly could make it up to him.

“G’Kar?”

The Narn glanced up from his writing, fixing her with a frank gaze.

“I…” She was uncertain where to begin. Keeping it simple would make it easier. “I want to thank you for staying with me while I was in MedLab.” When G’Kar began to speak, she held up her hand. “No, please. Let me finish. Even when I was drifting in and out of consciousness, I knew you were there. I could…sense you. It meant a lot to me. A lot more than you’ll ever realize. I also want to thank you for saving my life on Narn, for coming after me today and taking care of Terann for me and…and letting me sit with you now. You…you have been here for me when no one else would and…I may not always appear grateful but…” She trailed off, uncertain of how else to explain herself, realizing that she had begun to ramble.

G’Kar watched her for a while longer, saying nothing, smiling when she yawned. “You are tired,” he stated at last. “You are still too weak to be asking so much of your body, Aelora.”

She tried to deny it but only ended up yawning again.

“You are a child,” G’Kar chuckled. “Lay back and go to sleep.”

Aelora appeared hesitant at first, her Centauri upbringing clashing fiercely with her simple need for rest. Finally, she gave in to her body’s demands and stretched out across the couch. “Only for a little while, now,” she informed G’Kar primly. “I really can’t stay long.”

G’Kar smiled, returning to the pages before him. “Stop your chattering and go to sleep, Aelora Kyra.”

The Human was sleeping before he spoke her name.

Neroon wandered around MedLab 1, his hands locked behind his back, his gaze examining his injured crewmembers and the care they received. It was still difficult for him to accept the beating his ship and crew had received at the hands of the Shadows, difficult to accept the fact that they had been caught off-guard. In reality, they should not have escaped alive. Thanks to a little ingenuity on his part, and a lot of luck, the Ingata had somehow escaped from its attacker and limped its way to the nearest safe port – Babylon 5. Not that the decision to come here had been in easy one. More than once Neroon had considered that dying seemed preferable to asking the Humans for help, but common sense had won out over pride in the end. He figured if he only asked for a place to dock his ship while repairs were made then he would not be asking much from the Humans. He could retain his pride – and still remain as far from contact with them as possible. But then there was the matter of his injured Warriors. The Ingata’s medical bay had been badly damaged in the attack so Neroon was forced to accept the Human’s assistance in the care of his crew.

Occasionally, his eyes would betray him and stray to IsoLab Three where he saw Terann lay, recovering from her injuries she gained when she had battled the Shadows. It was still difficult for him to believe the report from Commander Ivanova regarding the station’s own recent battle that it had been Terann alone who had defeated the dark enemy. She had been sketchy regarding the details, as if it had been a subject she would rather have avoided. Neroon knew that Terann was capable of feats that astounded him, feats that seemed impossible for even the strongest of telepaths to achieve. It was part of what made her different…unacceptable. And undeniably intriguing.

The intrigue was what Neroon blamed his continued interest on. Terann had been shunned by his caste, and he knew that he should have done the same, yet fate seemed to see to it that they were continually crossing paths. And Neroon could not help but seek to define that which made the telepath what she was. She was as strong as anyone he had ever met was and though her own people had turned their backs on her, she continued to remain loyal to the Minbari. She fought to remain what she was, a Warrior, though it was the Religious Caste who had opened their doors to her, provided her with a place among them. There were so many puzzles and facets regarding Terann, from the truth of her parentage to her status in the Grey Council, and Neroon was bound and determined to one-day find the key that unlocked the truth.

Once he completed his round of the MedLab, he found himself standing just outside the IsoLab doorway. He stared in at the Minbari telepath, noting the sickly pallor of her skin, the deep bruises and burns that covered her face and hands. Once more he wondered what she could have done to succeed in being the victor in the battle against the Shadows. Had she flown her flyer against them?

“I know that you are there, Neroon.”

The Warrior started from his reverie at the sound of her voice. He straightened, affecting a bland expression. “I see that you have no more sense than you had when last we parted, Terann.”

The telepath opened her eyes, fixing the handsome Warrior who stood near the end of the bed with an icy glare. “And you no more manners.”

Neroon chuckled at that. “I see that the Shadows did not succeed in curbing your tongue. This honesty of yours is a bad habit.”

Terann took a deep breath, not in the mood to argue. She still chafed at the memory of his kiss – a kiss that had ended so abruptly, without explanation or recourse. “What are you doing here, Neroon?”

“Like you, I too had an encounter with the Shadows.” At her glance, he raised a brow. “Yes. They attacked the Ingata, killing or injuring many of the crew and damaging the ship enough that we needed somewhere to dock while we made repairs.”

“It must have been bad for you to have made the decision to come here.”

“Yes, well I could not decide which would be worse – dealing with the Humans, or you.”

Terann could not refrain from making a face at his comment, though she knew he was only teasing. His current emotions were running from curiosity and impatience to concern and confusion. She could not tell which of the emotions were directed at her, and was not dishonest enough to dig deeper into his mind. She did not know how to deal with this jesting side of him. The angry, sullen Neroon was one that she could relate and react to. This friendly, almost jovial Neroon caught her completely off-guard. The worst of it was she could not decide if she wanted him to stay or leave her alone. The idea of having many Minbari Warriors on Babylon 5 left her less than happy. She knew that wherever a great number of Minbari gathered near her, so did the questions and accusations. After the past few days, Terann was not in the mood to deal with any more trials. She had already been forced to defend herself against the first person that had ever begun to accept her as a friend, and then almost killed her in the process. And yesterday, out of some ridiculous sense of duty, she had defended the Human’s space station against the Shadows, almost dying in the process. The last thing she wanted to do was have to defend her birthright as well.

She watched Neroon as he moved restlessly around the IsoLab room, examining the various medical instruments without actually seeing them. She touched briefly on his mind and realized there was much that he wanted to ask her, most of it involving her battle against the Shadows and her position on the Human’s space station. But there were answers that she could not supply him. Already, too many knew her secret, and though she doubted any of them would ever speak of it or share it or use it against her in any way, Neroon was one person whom she could never let know the truth. She could not imagine the derision with which he would react to her.

“Your pacing is annoying, Neroon,” Terann commented, seeking a way to end the silence that had descended. “Is there a reason you linger at my bedside?”

The Warrior appeared hesitant for a moment then finally fixed his dark eyes on the telepath. “I was wondering if, when you have recovered, you would be willing to offer a hand in the repairs to the Ingata? I do not plan on allowing the Humans access to the ship so, forgoing any extra help, I know that you would be a great asset. It is rumored that you are…capable…of some amazing feats.”

“I do not think that my presence would be welcomed.”

She was correct in that assumption but Neroon was not to be deterred. “The crew will have no choice. And most of your time would be spent among the Workers so no problems should arise.”

Terann considered the request. It would be a welcome activity, to be among her own people again, being of use, using both her mind and her hands. After the last few weeks, repairing a Warcruiser would be like a well-deserved vacation. She would be able to catch up on what was happening around Minbar, as well as escape the strain of being surrounded by so many alien minds. She could spend hours and hours on the Ingata and only return to her quarters on Babylon 5 when she needed to rest. As Neroon said, the crew would have no choice but to accept her. And she could face their derision as long as she had something else to occupy her mind.

“Very well, Neroon. I will give you the help that you need.”

If the Warrior was surprised by her reply, he did not give it away. In fact, the expression he offered seemed to say he knew what her answer would be. “You know how to contact me when you are ready,” he told her, moving as if to leave. He stopped then, turning back to her, his brow furrowed. “How did you manage it, Terann? Destroying the Shadows, I mean. Their power is…well, it is unlike any I have witnessed.”

“There are some things I can not share with you, Neroon,” she answered as truthfully as she could. At his scowl, she sought a way to pacify him. “Please, accept what I can not give. Someday, perhaps, I will be able to tell you or you will see, but now is not the time. Besides, you have more important worries on your mind, such as that of your crew and vessel.”

“Perhaps.” Neroon was thoughtful for a long moment. Then, “You are foolish, you know. To risk your life for the lives of these Humans. You mean nothing to them. A mere pawn for them to use in this war of theirs.”

“It is a war that involves all of us, Neroon.” At his scoff, she continued, “I make my decisions based on the good of the whole, and that includes the Minbari. As well as the Humans, the Centauri, the Drazi, the Narn – even the Pak’ma’ra. Yes, we are strong, but we cannot fight this alone. Someday, Neroon, someday you will see that we all link together in this chain called life. I only hope that you see it before it is too late.”

The Warrior sighed. “You are beginning to talk like Delenn.”

“No,” Terann replied quickly. “We both speak with the knowledge of Dukhat.”

“Not only a fool but a dead one.”

Terann sat up in bed, her damaged hands clenched into fists. “Do not dare ever sully the name of Dukhat in my presence again, Neroon! Or in Valen’s name I will make you suffer! Is that understood?”

Neroon regarded the enraged female for a long moment before offering her a slight nod. “Very well, Terann. If you feel so strongly about this…”

She fell back against the pillow, her head swimming. Why did he always succeed in angering her so? Why could he not simply understand? “Go away, Neroon.”

The Warrior hesitated for a moment then turned and exited the room, returning to the examination of the injured crew.

Terann forced herself to relax. First, there was Aelora. Though the Minbari appreciated her friendship and trust, the silence that the Sleepers caused Aelora to feel spilled over onto Terann and the effect was disconcerting to say the least. She had felt Aelora’s presence when she had joined her in the Observation Dome and it had almost caused her to lose her concentration. There was a void within the Human now that had threatened to pull Terann in as well and she did not know how the change would affect their friendship.

And now there was Neroon. Terann could only feel relief that he had escaped the Shadows attack on the Ingata unscathed. He was a valuable asset to the Minbari; they would feel the effects of his loss. And, she had to admit she enjoyed being near members of the Warrior Caste, if for no other reason than to remind her of who she was, who she fought to be, even if they refused to accept her. But she knew that with Neroon’s presence onboard Babylon 5, she would receive no rest of any kind. He constantly challenged her to prove herself, and, more often than not, she knew she succeeded in impressing him. The question now was what challenge would he throw out at her this time?

G’Kar watched the slumbering Human female, all thoughts of his book momentarily pushed aside. In silent repose there was an innocence and sweetness about Aelora that he longed to uncover. Over the past couple of days, he had seen a side of her that he had always suspected was there though it had been buried under years of Centauri influence. Beyond all previous belief, Aelora had begun to accept G’Kar as a friend, something he had feared not long ago would never occur. He still remembered the first time he saw her, standing there in the transport tube, wrapped in an arrogance that almost rivaled that of Londo Mollari. She had fascinated him instantly; a Human with a Centauri’s lack of sensibilities, a Ranger at odds with all that she fought for. And yet, still she continued to walk the narrow lines, attempting to be everything to everyone, never once considering what her own wants and needs might be. None of it had been done out of selfless self-sacrificing either. Her entire life seemed to be borne out of simple confusion. Brought into life as a Human, raised a Centauri, asked to be Human once more and follow Minbari beliefs only to then discover that she was an accessory of the Shadows. G’Kar shook his head. He wondered if Aelora even knew who she truly was.

Quietly he stood, going to his bed to grab a blanket and then moving over to stand by the couch. It seemed so right having her there, comfortable, as if she were meant to be a part of his life. He knew it was foolish to consider such a thought – no matter how kind her heart; her Centauri teachings would never break away so easily. But still, just for the moment, he could pretend. He spread the blanket over her then carefully sat on the edge of the couch, watching her as she slept. Though the soft peach hue had returned to her skin, her face still bore the marks of her recent battle on the White Star; bruises across her left cheek and forehead, cuts above her left eye, across her chin and upper lip. G’Kar reached out and gently traced the cut over her eye, pleased that the orb itself had remained untouched. Then, as if belonging to a will of its own, his hand followed a path to the soft red strands of her hair, his fingers burying themselves in the mass. He smiled as the curls wrapped around him possessively, as if attempting to bond him to her. He doubted that such an occurrence would please Aelora very much.

Over the next few moments, Aelora began to grow restless, a frown marring her brow. She cried out suddenly in her sleep, speaking words that were unintelligible.

G’Kar stroked his hand across her forehead, wiping the furrows away, caressing her cheek. “Shhh,” he whispered softly. “You are safe, shon’Ur.” She quieted under his ministrations, pushing against the warmth of his palm just as she had done on the Ilaws. The Narn found himself wondering what nightmares plagued her. Did she envision the Shadows gaining control of her again? Did the Sleepers have adverse effects on her dreams? He could imagine how she would respond if he asked her: Why I was dreaming I had fallen asleep in a Narn’s quarters and the idea terrified me! But he knew that now she would be teasing him, simply saying something shocking to protect herself.

As Aelora continued to sleep, G’Kar grew bolder in his need to touch her. He rubbed the strands of her hair between his fingers, leaning over to inhale the smell of it, realizing it was the fragrance of Star Laces. He did not immediately sit back up but closely examined her face, noting the long length of her lashes, which appeared as dark smudges against her skin. Leaning ever closer, he inhaled the scent of her skin that was fresh and floral, much like standing in a meadow after a light, cleansing rain. When he realized he was no more than an inch or two from her lips, G’Kar froze. The desire in him battled with common sense. He longed to know if her lips were as soft as the rest of her, if the taste of her was as intoxicating as the scent. But if she were to awaken, she would be horrified. Every inch of ground they had gained in their friendship would be eradicated and she would return to loathing and despising him. Yet he knew she was a heavy sleeper, saw that his recent exploration of her had gone unnoticed. Perhaps, just a quick, barely conspicuous kiss…

Before he could stop himself, G’Kar pressed his mouth gently to hers, instantly lost in the warmth of the lips beneath him. He had only meant a simple taste, a quick caress to vanquish the need. But the craving went beyond that and his pressure against her mouth increased.

Aelora was dreaming. That certainly had to be it. She was dreaming that she was wrapped securely in an enormous blanket and held by powerful arms and that a warm, gentle mouth was pressed against hers, wanting and needing her all at once. Something hovered just on the outer rim of her conscious, something that told her to be wary, that things were not always as they seemed. Where was she that someone would be kissing her? Where was she last? Where…

The Human bucked beneath G’Kar, a shriek escaping her as she jerked away from him. G’Kar pulled away from her quickly, putting enough distance between them so that she knew he was no threat. Aelora stared at him, her green eyes wide with shock and confusion, her fingers hovering over the lips that she had quickly, automatically wiped the back of her hand across, as if attempting to erase the feel of him. G’Kar’s heartbeat thundered in his chest, fear engulfing him that this was the end of it; Aelora would hate him forever now. Would she go to Mollari? He did not fear charges being pressed against him – he had spent time in a cell here before. What mattered to him was the thought that Aelora would consider him dangerous, untrustworthy. He had to rectify that if at all possible.

“Aelora…Lady Kyra, I am sorry,” he pleaded, his fear evident in his voice. “I did not mean – that is, I am no threat to you. I would never cause you harm. Please believe me. I only…” He was not certain what to say. To tell her how fierce his desire for her truly was would be disastrous. “I cannot explain why I kissed you. I…please believe me that I would never hurt you.”

Her continued silence tore at G’Kar. He backed away from her until he reached his desk then dropped into the chair, burying his face in his hands. He could not face her, not now.

A million thoughts were currently running through Aelora’s mind though none of them seemed to center around any belief that he had meant to harm her. She wondered why he would think that. Certainly, to awaken with his lips pressed against hers had been a shock, to say the least. But harm her? Oh no. No matter how savage and barbaric a race G’Kar may come from, Aelora knew instinctively that he would never hurt her. But the question remained, why had he done it?

It was then she remembered the tiny crystal she had hidden away in her quarters, the one she had briefly considered destroying before a part of her urged her to hold on to it, to remind herself. Now her own voice rang back to her, a voice spoken by someone who resembled her in every way except for the eyes. Eyes that seemed haunted, hateful, in despair. The voice had beseeched her: “Please, Aelora. Take the Sleepers, I beg of you. I can not tell you any more except that to trust yourself.” She had glanced away for a moment and when she looked back, her eyes were softer, sorrowful. “We have so precious little time in this life, Ae. If you are lucky enough to have found G’Kar as I did, do not waster a moment of your time together. He loves you so very much.” Aelora’s eyes widened as the words reverberated through her mind. He loves you so very much.

“You love me,” she voiced the statement before she could catch herself.

G’Kar’s head snapped up at her words, his eyes slowly filling with resignation. “Yes,” he admitted in a whisper. It was a relief to finally have it said but he worried over what Aelora would do with the information.

The Human sat back in surprise, not expecting him to admit it so readily. If the Kyra’s ever learned of this, they would most assuredly hunt him down and kill him. It would not matter if Aelora did not reciprocate those feelings. What would matter is that a Narn would have the nerve to think himself worthy of the House of Kyra. Of course, Aelora would never allow that to happen but still, the possibility existed. She wished she had use of her telepathic abilities, just for a moment. She wanted to know his thoughts, what he was feeling. He seemed so upset and she could not understand why. After all, it was not as if he had done anything wrong. All he had done was...

Kiss her! It occurred to Aelora at that moment what he must be thinking. For surely any proper Centauri lady would have screamed rape by now. She would have gone to the authorities and demanded that G’Kar be…gelded. The thought caused Aelora to blush to her roots. Great Maker! She certainly hoped that G’Kar did not believe her capable of – Great Maker! But she had to admit deep down inside that only a few weeks ago she would have been capable of reacting in such a manner. She would have been outraged, disgusted, infuriated. In Valen’s name, she would have been capable of murdering him herself!

G’Kar wished that Aelora would say something. Normally, her eyes were like mirrors to her thoughts but at the moment her expression was unreadable. Though he would never forget the feeling of her mouth against his, he very much regretted his actions. After all, what had he expected? That she would simply throw her arms around him and beg for more? Her continuing silence unnerved him. He could handle her shouting at him, cursing him; even an insult would be better than nothing.

“Lady Kyra, please say something,” he finally pleaded with her.

Aelora frowned at his use of her Centauri name as she untangled herself from the blanket. The realization that G’Kar had covered her with it, caring for her, only added to the rampant questions that were exploding through her mind. She did not want to admit that she was becoming increasingly terrified. Terrified of G’Kar’s feelings for her, of his kiss, of the message on the crystal, of her family on Centauri Prime – of the direction her life had suddenly taken.

“I need to check on Terann,” she told him, jumping to her feet, quickly closing the distance to the door. When she glanced back, she noticed that G’Kar was no longer looking at her, his gaze focused on the pages before him. Without the gift of telepathy, she knew what he was thinking, knew that he needed reassurance.

“Thanks for letting me sleep here, G’Kar,” she commented. At the Narn’s startled expression, she smiled. “And please try to remember, my name is Aelora.”

Making her way through the Zocalo, Aelora found herself wondering if things every quieted down on board Babylon 5. No matter the time of day it was always a hub of activity and this day was no different. It was relatively early and the venders were only just beginning to lie out their goods for the day’s trade. She walked at a leisurely pace; grateful for the relative peace the last few days had given her. She was surprised at how quickly things had returned to normal after the Shadow attack, she began to think that nothing could upset the station’s population for long. In this she was surprised to find reassurance, knowing that whatever the trial it could quickly be overcome. She briefly stopped to purchase several candles from an aged Human woman then tucking them in her bag she continued out of the marketplace.

Aelora did not know where she was going and she found that she did not really care. She was grateful for being allowed this small amount of freedom to roam the station on her own; to see and do things that before would not have been permitted because duty dictated. Her thoughts suddenly turned to Entil'zah Delenn. In the days after the Shadow's attack on the station, Aelora had heard reports that they had become more open and aggressive in their attacks, and she was surprised that she had not been approached to serve. Though she no longer had the use of her abilities she had been trained as a Ranger long before she even knew the extent of her gift. She found it impossible to believe that Delenn still did not trust her. She shrugged mentally deciding to believe that perhaps Dr. Franklin had mentioned to Delenn his orders to Aelora to rest for a while before returning to duty.

Since the attack on the station, she and G’Kar had enjoyed their blossoming friendship and though they had not exactly advertised it they had not kept it a secret either. Aelora smiled as she thought of G'Kar and this shocked her. She found it difficult to believe how quickly she had become accustomed to his presence and had even come to trust him. After all the preaching, throughout her childhood, to think that she now considered G'Kar--a Narn, a close friend was a thought that was almost laughable. Yet here she was, smiling at the thought of him, finding more often then not that her mind centered on him.

Entering the immense garden, at the heart of the station, Aelora took a deep breath. Here was the only place aboard the giant station that one could hope to get anything remotely resembling a breath of fresh air. She moved along the path enjoying the silence that surrounded her. She passed a small garden full of beautiful flowers. She recognized many of them as being from many different worlds yet they thrived together, blending in with each other as if that was how they were meant to exist. She began to realize that this was how the universe was supposed to be, that regardless of what world one was from that they could coexist peacefully. Bending down to smell a small red flower she knew to be indigenous to Earth her eyes fell on a delicate plant dwarfed by the others around it. Its leaves were pale and wilted; its stem barely able to hold up its swollen bud. Instinctively she reached out to it, wanting to add to its strength, to urge it to stand as the others around it did. A wave of sadness passed over her as she realized that with the Sleepers there was nothing she could do. Her newfound telepathic ability she had readily given up but her ability to heal was something that had been a special part of her since she was a child and to realize that it was gone left her feeling empty. She closed her eyes, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill from her, then once again moved to touch the delicate leaves. The Human summoned every ounce of her strength and focused on the task before her. In her mind she pictured the dry leaves and weak roots of the plant and silently urged it to grow.

Nothing.

All she saw in her mind was cold emptiness. A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as she realized everything she had been forced to sacrifice. Though in her heart she knew that everything she had done had been for the greater good she still felt that she would never regain all that she had lost. Mentally shaking her head she brushed the dirt from her hands then moved to stand. Turning to continue her walk through the garden she found herself face to face with G'Kar. Before she could stop herself she felt a smile spread across her face.

Seeing the grin that had formed on Aelora's face, G'Kar allowed himself to express his own happiness at seeing the young Human.

"Have you taken to following me?" Aelora asked with feigned accusation.

G'Kar stiffened, and then a look of panic spread over his face as he launched into an explanation. "Ae...Mis...Aelora...I...no --"

"G'Kar...I was kidding," she said, giggling at him.

Upon realizing that she was playing with him, he too found himself laughing along with her. He was pleasantly surprised at how easily her Centauri facade had crumbled; that she found herself so at ease around him that she could laugh and joke openly. "Mind if I join you?" He asked.

"I would be honored," she replied, affecting a humble posture before him before once again bursting into laughter.

Falling into step beside her he cast a sideways glance at her. When he had first spoken to her, he had noticed the sadness that played in her eyes, despite her joviality. He wondered where it came from, but refrained from asking, knowing if she wanted him to know she would tell him. He was pleased to see that the wounds she had received on the White Star had faded beyond notice and her color had returned. G’Kar knew that the effects of the Sleepers still bothered her, occasionally her gaze would become distant and she would become disoriented and morose. The Narn worried about her but knew he could not voice those concerns for fear of Aelora taking it as pity. She was a proud, sometimes stubborn child and G’Kar enjoyed watching her grow in depth of character before his eyes.

“G’Kar?”

“Hmmm?”

“Did you…” She paused for a moment, pushing a stray curl out of her eyes in a nervous gesture. “Did you love your wife very much?”

His gaze turned to her at the question, noting the telltale worrying of her lower lip. “Our marriage was based on status, Aelora. A marriage of convenience.”

She met his gaze then, the hint of a smile playing on her lips. “An arranged marriage, G’Kar? I fear the Narn and the Centauri are much more alike than they care to admit.”

G’Kar could only grunt in reply to that comment.

“Only the Earther’s seem obsessed with marrying for love.”

“You do not believe in love?” He queried the Human, surprised at the bitter tone of her voice.

Aelora merely shrugged in response. She did not know why she had asked him about his marriage, but she had been curious ever since he had first spoke of it. Maybe it was guilt over his loss, or perhaps it was just a bit of selfishness – hoping to believe that he pined for her and no other. It was a cruel thing to wish for but Aelora had never had anyone care for her the way that G’Kar did and she wanted to revel in it as long as she could. After all, she knew she could not allow it to last. But if only for a moment she could feel secure, know that someone cared for her, not because of her abilities, not because she was the daughter of Jeffrey Sinclair, not even because she was a Ranger, but simply because of whom she was. That was, after all, what she truly wanted.

G'Kar nodded sadly. "Perhaps someday you will surprise yourself."

Aelora snorted derisively then attempted to change the subject. "I'm starving. Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Fresh Air is not that far from here, and it is still early so it should not be too busy." The Narn offered.

Aelora nodded in agreement and the two headed in the direction of the cafe. They continued on in silence for several minutes and G'Kar took this time to mentally study the woman beside him. Though physically she seemed fine, there was still something in her eyes that bothered him. It was not anything he could put his finger on, just a suspicion that perhaps the Sleepers had more of an effect on her than she was willing to admit. When he had met her in the garden she had appeared so lost, so sad, and he hated to see her like that. If there was anything he could do for her he was determined to do it. He hoped that she would open up more once she had something to eat.

Coming around a corner, G'Kar caught sight of a haggard Narn female with two small children. The smaller of the two was apparently upset with his older sibling and was chasing after him in a vain attempt to retrieve a small toy. The older boy past them unscathed and ducked down the adjacent corridor. The younger one was not so lucky. In his attempt to pass them he slipped, skidding straight into Aelora. In his attempt to get away from her and continue his pursuit he managed to step on her foot. She cried out more in anger than in pain and grabbed the small boy by the arm. Within seconds his distraught mother reached them and promptly began offering her apologies.

Unfortunately Aelora would hear nothing of it. She roughly pushed the boy back to his mother, muttering a Centauri curse under her breath.

Once again the Narn female attempted to apologize but upon hearing Aelora speak in Centauri her words became muddled.

Her anger sparked, Aelora asked harshly, "Can you not speak?" With the Narn's silence Aelora continued. "Perhaps you should keep your little animals on a shorter leash." With that, the Human spun on her heel and stalked off.

G'Kar quickly offered an apology to the flustered woman then raced off to catch up with Aelora.

"Aelora!" The Narn called. When she refused to slow her pace, his tone became more demanding. "Aelora stop!"

The young woman came to a stop and turned to face him. Once he was again beside her, she could see the hurt and confusion in his face, and she immediately attempted to rectify things. "I'm sorry, G'Kar. I just...I just get so angry at times. It isn't anything personal. It's just sometimes they seem so...I don't know...dumb."

G’Kar was silent for a long while after, not believing what he had just witnessed and heard. Finally, unable to reconcile what had just occurred in his head, he met Aelora's eyes with his own and said, “I am a Narn.”

The Human glanced at him quizzically, half-laughing. “I know.”

“Do you?” He fixed her with a searching gaze. “I do not think you do, Aelora.”

She rolled her eyes. “How can I not know you are a Narn, G’Kar? I see you almost everyday.”

“But you only see what you wish to see,” he commented sadly. “You do not see that I am the same as those who just walked past.”

Aelora shook her head. “You are not the same. I know you. You are more…civilized.”

G’Kar’s immediate reaction was the wish to strike her but he quickly fought it back, reminding himself that she only said what she was programmed to say. If there was one major fault in Aelora’s character, it was her inability to be and speak for herself. But the comment still had its sting and G’Kar realized he did not want to be near her and listen to her impugn his race any further. “Forgive me, Lady Kyra,” he replied, the anger and hurt in his tone evident. “But I feel I should take leave before I further assault your delicate sensibilities.”

“G’Kar!” Aelora stood there, gape-mouthed, as the Narn walked away from her, not even pausing to glance back. What had prompted that? Certainly he understood that simply because she was friends with him did not mean she had to accept his entire race. He could not expect so much from her. He…

Aelora wrapped her arms around herself, staring off into the direction he had gone. She realized she had hurt him and she had not meant to. It was her worst habit – speaking before thinking, especially when it came to G’Kar. It would have been easier had the friendship never developed. She knew she should break it off before either of them became too dependent on the other. But she also knew it was not that easy. G’Kar was her friend, she enjoyed his company, as loathe as she was to admit it, and she was not willing to give him up.

She knew she had to apologize, to try to explain to him her feelings. She knew her behavior earlier had hurt and upset him and she desperately wanted to rectify things between them. She had spoken without thought, out of habit really, and she found herself marveling at how her mouth and her mind rarely cooperated with one another. Determination setting in, she spun around and headed for green sector.

No more than fifteen minutes later and she found herself standing outside G'Kar's quarters. With her Ranger uniform she had had little trouble gaining access to the ambassadorial wing of the station. For the briefest of moments she found herself bristling at the idea that Citizen G'Kar was still permitted residence in an area set aside for diplomatic staff. Silently she chided herself for thinking such a thing, then pressed the control panel signaling her presence. With a soft hiss the door slid open and she stepped across the threshold into the darkened room.

"G'Kar," she called out softly.

The Narn stuck his head out from the adjacent bedroom at the sound of the timid voice. He was surprised to find that Aelora was the speaker. Part of him became annoyed at the sight of her; still angry at her expression of hatred she had shown to a member of his race. Yet a greater, more private part of him, found himself glad to see her. Unfortunately he could not allow himself to forgive her that easily. "Lady Kyra, you should not be here."

Aelora shook her head. "I had to come here, I had to tell you that I am sorry. I wouldn't blame you if you hated me but sometimes I speak without thinking, I didn't mean to be so harsh, it's just...I...G'Kar, I was raised by Centauri, I can't just turn my back on twenty years of my life. This is what I am, and yes, sometimes I hate it, sometimes I wish I didn't think the way I do, but I am trying."

A slight smile formed on the Narn's face as he took a step toward her. "I doubt I could hate you if I tried. What you said hurt me, but not only for the obvious reasons. Please sit down." He gestured to the couch and once both were seated he continued. "In your upbringing I am certain that you were taught that my people are nothing more than dumb animals who's only purpose is to bring their Centauri masters hot jhala when told to. What you do not know is that ours is a culture with deep spiritual and artistic roots. That woman was the mate of one of my world’s greatest poets. She was forced to flee Narn with little more than her two young sons after the Centauri killed G'Than and her oldest son and only daughter. She has no home, little money and those two boys are all the family she has."

Aelora raised her chin defiantly. "Surely the Centauri had a reason for executing her mate and children."

G'Kar shook his head sadly. "He only attempted to keep our culture alive, is that a crime deserving death?"

Aelora remained silent, worrying her lip. She had felt bad enough when she first came here, now she felt positively wretched. She did not know what to say, or what to do. Until only recently her so-called enemy appeared to be nothing more than faceless animals. Now she was seeing them as a proud race, with a rich history, able to overcome unimaginable odds with no thoughts of desperation. She was quickly realizing that they were far stronger than she had ever been taught, and she doubted that the Centauri would ever be able to survive such oppression had the roles been reversed. A thought then occurred to her. Perhaps that was why the Centauri continued their reign of terror over the Narn. They themselves had lost so much, going from once a powerful Empire that controlled vast expanses of space, to little more than a stagnating republic consisting of only a handful of colonies controlled more by fear than anything else. Aelora quickly brushed such thoughts aside knowing fully how her family would react if they knew she was beginning to doubt the omnipotence of the great Centauri Republic.

At her continued silence G'Kar spoke. "I just want you to understand those that you were taught to call 'enemy'."

"I understand that, I do, it's just...."

"I know. It's difficult to forget all that you have been taught." He then paused. "I have a question for you, and I want you to be honest, no matter how hard it is."

"Okay, what is it?"

Taking a deep breath he asked. "You say I am different, that you see me differently than you do others of my kind. So I ask you this. If you were to see me, on Centauri Prime, would you acknowledge our friendship, would you acknowledge me?"

Aelora rose to her feet, fumbling nervously with her hands. It was not something she had considered before. Here on the station there was little risk of her friendship being discovered by the Kyras. But back on the homeworld, where rumors flowed as freely as bravari...As much as she hated to admit it she did not believe she could admit her feelings for G'Kar, in fact the very idea of doing so frightened her. She glanced back at G'Kar, not wanting to voice her answer but one look at him told her she did not need to. Immediately she set about trying to explain. "G'Kar you have to understand. I am where I am because the Kyra's were kind enough to take in an orphaned Human. They gave me a home, a place to belong and for that I could never betray them. They are my family and despite all their misgivings I still love them."

"But do they love you?"

The Ranger spun back around to face the Narn fully, obviously offended. "How can you suggest such a thing? Of course they love me."

"Do they? Or do they love the little Centauri girl they believe they raised? Did they ever teach you about Earth? Or about Human culture? Or did they simply teach you to be the child they could not have? Ask yourself this: do you see yourself as a Human or a Centauri? When you answer that you will know where you and I stand." He then stood and turned his back to her, moving to return to the bedroom, obviously saying all he had to.

A wave of dread washed over her at his apparent dismissal. She could not believe he was willing to toss aside his feelings for her so easily, to throw away her friendship over such an honest mistake. Surely he could not expect her to turn her back on her upbringing so easily, to simply throw away all that she had been taught to be fact. As much as she wanted to believe what he had told her about his race, it was hard for her to accept. In light of all this she could not believe that he still saw her as the same person she was when she first came on board the station. In the beginning she had dismissed him much as she would any other annoying creature, but since then she had opened herself to him, showed him her hopes and fears, come to trust him and even call him friend. Could he not see that perhaps in time she could come to see the rest of his kind the same way?

All these thoughts raced through her in a torrent of emotions piled upon everything else that had built up within her for the last two weeks. She blinked hard against the tears that threatened to spill but to no avail. Once the floodgate was opened there was no holding back as she sank back to the couch burying her face in her hands.

At her almost silent sob, G'Kar turned back to her and considered her briefly. His initial reaction was to rush to her side and take her in his arms and attempt to comfort her, but then he remembered the cold hatred she had displayed earlier and he stopped himself short. It appeared to him as if two distinct people resided in one body. One, a proper Centauri child raised to know who she was and what her place was. The other, a confused Human screaming to be released from the confines of her suffocating past. At times it would appear that the Human Aelora would win the battle only to be silenced by the harshness of the Centauri Aelora. He doubted the war would continue forever. Eventually one side would win and, if by helping her, teaching her some of what he knew, he could free her from her prison then he was determined to try.

He moved back to the couch, taking the seat beside her and wrapping his strong arms around her much as a father would a frightened child. She did not stiffen at his embrace as he thought she would, instead she seemed grateful for this small act of kindness from him. From the way she fit in his arms to the soft smell of her hair he found himself almost screaming out in anger at the Centauri for taking the beautiful person Aelora could have been and locking her so tightly away.

After several minutes, he pulled away from her slightly and placing his fingers under her chin he brought her eyes up to meet his. Gently he wiped the tears from her stained cheeks. "I could not imagine my life without you, Aelora," he admitted softly.

She only smiled in response still confused about her true feelings for the Narn. She was grateful for his continued friendship, despite her ill feelings towards his people. Yet she was frightened that he would want more from her, more that she was unable to give him. Unwrapping herself from him, she rose to her feet. "I really should be going. G'Kar...thank you...for believing in me...not many ever have."

The Narn came to his feet. "Perhaps you should first believe in yourself."

She offered him a quick smile then made her exit. Once in the corridor she quickly made her way back to her quarters. She was happy that G'Kar had been able to forgive her but part of her feared that they were fooling themselves. That perhaps they were only delaying the inevitable.

Terann clenched her fists, wincing slightly at the feel of her gloves as they tightened against her burned skin. She wondered not for the first time if she should have heeded Dr. Franklin's advice and stayed in MedLab another day. Physically, aside from the various burns and bruises that covered her body, she felt fine. Mentally was another thing. Her mind had never felt so weak, yet Dr. Franklin was unable to detect any permanent injury and assured her that, as far as he could tell, fighting the Shadows had had no affect on her telepathic ability. She, however, was not convinced. Even during her time on the Vorlon homeworld, training to fight the Shadows, her mind had never felt so spongy, making it difficult to block out the thoughts of those around her. Fortunately the shuttle trip over had been relatively uneventful. The shuttle was being used to ferry parts from the station and was crewed by only a handful of workers, most of which remained in the cargo bay making it easy to keep their thoughts at bay.

The pilot brought the ship gently to a rest in the crowded docking bay aboard the Warcruiser and without a parting word left the cockpit, hurrying to help his crew unload the much-needed supplies. Terann took a deep breath and rose to her feet following the shuttle's pilot.

Stepping from the ramp, Terann found herself fighting against the onslaught from the dozens of minds around her. Knowing she must quickly gain control, she forced the noise to the back of her mind.

A young Warrior glanced at the telepath and uttered an instruction to the Worker he was speaking to then moved over to her. "Alyt, they are waiting for you in the engine room. Do you think you can find it?"

She was startled by the use of her rank and assumed Neroon had told the others to make her time aboard the ship that much easier. She had grown accustomed to not using it since leaving for the Vorlon Homeworld over two years earlier. Though he used her rank, his refusal to salute her and his obvious contempt did not go unnoticed. She affected a pleasant appearance, not willing to allow him to add to her discomfort at being on the Ingata. "Thank you, I will be fine."

She then turned and headed from the docking bay. As she made her way through the ship she found herself horrified by the extent of the damage done by the Shadows. Workers lined the corridors, working diligently mending power relays and computer interfaces. They paid little attention to her as she expected they would and privately she hoped that the rest of her time was as uneventful as these first few minutes.

She entered the enormous chamber and was immediately met by a deep bellowing voice, the owner of which was a large, older Worker who, despite his harsh tone, possessed gentle features. He stood near a large conduit shouting orders in Lennau sending his subordinates scurrying to do his bidding. She waited patiently for him to finish, watching intently at how he and those that worked with him responded to one another. He stood silently for a moment taking note of the goings on around him before moving over to Terann.

He appeared to be analyzing her; his expression remaining unchanged not giving any hint to his feelings at what he saw. When his eyes met hers there was a harshness she had not seen earlier. "Are you lost?" He demanded.

"No," she replied respectfully in the dialect of the Worker Caste, her voice strong and confident. "I was asked to come here, to help with the repairs."

At this he scoffed. "And what do you know of engineering?"

She smiled. "Compared to you, probably nothing."

A warm smile spread across his face. "That is perhaps the best response I have heard. Most are set in the belief that they know all there is to know. How quickly they learn otherwise. I am Caelem, the chief engineer. " He gestured with his hand and she fell into step beside him. "So tell me young Terann, under who did you study?"

"Sa....Eirani of the family Cria."

He cast her a look of shock, but did not break his step. "Really? Eirani was probably the greatest propulsion expert in our history and one of the best of the Worker Caste. To study under him was both an honor and a privilege. Strange that he would see fit to teach one of the Warrior Caste."

Terann remained silent unsure of how to answer. She doubted Caelem knew much about her and she really did not wish to start explaining her past to him. He lead her to the heart of the immense engine room which was amassed with several dozen workers, some alone, some working in groups, hurrying to repair the ship. Standing to one side, overseeing the repairs was a large Warrior. Though he was well out of the way his simple presence was enough to remind those around him that he was there. Terann assumed he was Neroon's executive officer and she quickly moved her eyes from him not wishing to draw attention to herself.

"This way." Caelem directed, guiding her around the other side of the central conduit leading to the quantum singularity reactor.

Terann quickly surveyed the damage to the massive core that served as the heart of the ship. From floor to ceiling it showed access ports that had apparently been blown from their housings. Bundles of burnt wiring waiting to be replaced hung in melted masses. She shook her head wondering how the ship had managed to stay together. Moving over to Caelem's side she glanced at the computer console as he called up damage reports. From all appearances it seemed that no major and only a handful of minor systems had been left untouched.

"The jump engines are gone, so our attention now is on secondary propulsion. Everything beyond that we worry about later," Caelem explained.

"What about weapons?" Terann asked.

"Not good either," he said calling up another report. As she studied the screen he said softly, "You do not have to use my language, Terann. I understand you are doing it out of respect, and I appreciate it, but if..."

"If what?" She interrupted. "If one of them hears me? They can barely stand the sight of me as it is. Your caste, on the other hand, has never been anything but compassionate toward me."

He laughed at her openness. "My father told me about a young girl he once knew, she was arrogant, stubborn and vocal. She questioned everything and everyone, never afraid to speak what was on her mind. It was because of this that he taught her what he knew. I am glad to see little has changed."

"Your father?" She asked, casting him a sideways glance.

The elder Minbari nodded. "Yes, Satai Eirani was my father. You meant a great deal to him, Terann. He hated to see how the others treated you."

"It was something I quickly became accustomed to," Terann told him sadly.

Caelem brought his eyes to meet hers. "You should not have had to. My father never doubted your loyalty to our people, nor your willingness to serve. He trusted you, and because of that I trust you. None of my crew will give you any grief. If they do, I will deal with them."

Terann nodded gratefully. "So, what do you want me to do?"

Caelem pointed to a spot halfway up the conduit to an access panel. The housing around it was badly burnt and the cables that hung from it were melted beyond recognition. "See that power relay? Fix it."

Terann inclined her head respectfully then gathered up the appropriate equipment, hooking it on her belt. She then removed her gloves and grabbed a hold of the small ladder leading up the side of the conduit.

"What happened?" Caelem asked noting the burns on her skin and reaching to touch her injured hands.

Terann pulled her hand back reflexively and upon seeing the look of confusion that crossed the engineer's face she immediately apologized. "I am sorry. Telepathic ability is enhanced by direct contact."

Caelem stepped back slightly. "No, I am sorry, I did not know."

Terann smiled softly. "Not many do. I was injured during the Shadows’ attack on the station." She then turn back to the ladder and began climbing coming to the narrow ledge to the right of the open access panel. Clinging to the side of the opening she set about repairing the relay, grateful that the work kept her mind off everyone around her. The task was not difficult and Terann got the distinct feeling that Caelem was testing her. Not refusing his challenge she labored steadily, making sure she made no mistakes yet finished quickly.

Rechecking her work, her mind became distracted by a sudden change in the feel of the engine room. It was as if the relaxed atmosphere had been sucked out and immediately replaced by a more stagnant formality. She glanced towards the doorway, where Neroon stood quietly discussing something with his first officer. When they were done speaking, the younger of the two fell into step beside his superior as they made their rounds, checking on the progress of the repairs. Terann quickly closed the panel she had been working on and descended to the floor. Caelem spotted her and moved to stand beside her, and she sensed his desire to protect her and she cast a warm smile at him. He turned to the computer console behind them checking the relay she had just repaired, and then began to explain what else needed to be done.

Terann felt Neroon approach before she saw him and she silently cursed herself for being so alert to his presence. He always succeeded in putting her on edge, as if it were a constant battle of wills between them. She remained silent as Caelem proceeded to report on the repairs, giving an estimate of how long each system would take to be operational. As the engineer spoke Terann weakened the block in her mind allowing the emotions of Neroon and his executive officer to wash over her. She didn't go so far as to scan them as they might detect it, just merely allowed herself to know what she was to expect from them.

Neroon, as usual, wore his arrogance and pride like a mantle, making it difficult to detect much more from him. She touched on his concern for his ship and its crew and his anger at loss of life but little more. She then turned her efforts to his first officer who she now knew was named Eitann. His emotions were closer to the surface making it easier for her to pick up on them. Once again she did not push merely allowed herself to open up to him. Though he too carried concern and outrage at recent events his thoughts, like his gaze, were centered on her. She could tell that he questioned her presence on the Ingata to the point that he found himself doubting Neroon's wisdom. She was surprised to find a small amount of curiosity as he wondered about Neroon's apparent interest in her but mostly she felt the customary disdain she had come to expect from her caste.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Caelem incline his head respectfully and reflexively she followed suit. The two warriors then turned and headed from the engine room. She clenched her fists in anger this time relishing the pain it caused her raw skin. Neroon had found it relatively easy to come to her for help and though she required no recognition for doing as he asked she was still angered that he had blatantly ignored her. She had come to expect this kind of behavior from others, others who would be kind to her in private then turn and act as though she did not exist when doing otherwise proved to be a risk. She had thought Neroon was different, that a mutual respect had formed between them. She suddenly realized how wrong she had been. It was not a mistake she intended to repeat.

"Try it again."

Terann did as the muffled voice commanded, pressing the appropriate controls in an attempt to power up the weapon systems. She and Caelem had been working over nine hours in one vain attempt after another to bring the weapons back on line. Several hours earlier the engineer had disappeared into the cramped housing around the main weapons array with little success. She waited patiently as the systems cycled through the start up sequence but like countless times before something somewhere caused the systems to fail. Terann looked at the reports again in frustration. From what they were telling her, the weapons should be at full power but the systems themselves contradicted this.

"Well?" Caelem demanded, poking his head out from around the side of the array.

Terann merely shook her head, still attempting to make sense of what the computer was telling her.

The elder Minbari cursed loudly then pulled himself free from the housing. He moved over to her edging her out of the way to allow him access to the computer console. He began scrolling through system reports his scowl increasing with each passing moment.

"And you are sure these reports are right?" He questioned.

"Yes." She reassured him. "It has to be something in the power relay, but the computer is not picking it up."

"Is it a problem with the computer?"

She shook her head. "I have run several diagnostics, there is nothing wrong at this end."

He sighed in defeat then gathered up his equipment moving to return to the weapons array.

Terann reached out to take a hold of his arm. "My turn." When he opened his mouth in protest she stopped him. "You have been in there over four hours, it is time you took a break." Before he could argue she grabbed his gear and disappeared within the housing.

The space was small to say the least, giving her little room to maneuver. She wondered how the large worker had been able breathe in here let alone stay as long as he had. She marveled at the sacrifices that the ship's designers had apparently made sacrificing accessibility for aesthetics. She quickly surveyed her surroundings beginning to doubt her ability to succeed where Caelem had failed. She removed a portable scanner from the pouch she had on her belt and activated it. The readings told her little more than what she already knew from the main computer. Carefully she recheck each of the power relays individually then tested each connection between the primary and secondary systems. Still she was unable to find anything that help solve their dilemma. Neroon had been adamant about leaving before the end of the week. That left them only two days, and though the engines and the weapons had been the most pressing concerns there were still several less important systems that required repairs.

Terann sighed in frustration beginning to believe the systems were damaged beyond repair as had first been suspected. The telepath mentally chided herself for thinking such a thing. She and Caelem had spent too much time and come too far to simply give up now. Besides she was not going to send her own people on the trip back to Minbar with no way of defending herself.

Carefully replacing the tools in her pouch she calmed her mind, first blocking out the ambient noise from the ship itself then the thoughts of the hundreds on board. Laying her hand on the central core, she allowed a small piece of herself to flow freely through the heart of the ship. She focused on the power relays concluding that it was there that the problem lay. More than half an hour past before she finally found the root of the problem. Several meters above her, deep within the primary power relay was a simple loose coupling meant to connect the main computer to the weapon systems. It was relatively simple to fix but easily missed given its remoteness.

She gathered up her equipment satchel, rummaging through it until she found the appropriate tool. “Caelem!” She shouted out to the engineer. “Shut down the power to the primary relay.”

“Why? I already checked it.” Came the puzzled response.

“Because I would rather not burn my arm off,” Terann called back, tucking the tool in her belt, then hearing the whine of the power as it was being shut down, she started her ascent. Since workers only saw this part of the ship, it did not possess a ladder like the engine core had, making her climb that much more difficult. Arriving at the correct place she set about tightening the coupling. The coupling itself was buried behind several bundles of wiring and numerous small conduits forcing her to overextend her reach.

Finishing quickly, she slowly descended to the floor amazed, not for the first time, at the skills the workers must possess to be able to perform such acrobatics on a regular basis. She quickly gathered up her gear, then pulled herself from the housing.

“Try it now.” She instructed Caelem.

The engineer pressed the controls, first to power up the primary power relays then to start up the weapons. He then called up reports from the computer console his appearance remaining unchanged.

“Well?” Terann asked her impatience mounting.

A grin played at the corners of his mouth. “Weapons are at seventy-eight percent. But how? I checked everything.”

She moved to stand beside him to read the reports for herself. She allowed herself a small grin before facing the engineer. “Let’s just say my hands are smaller than yours.”

At her response he only shook his head. “I had heard you were capable of amazing things. Regardless of how you did it, I am grateful.”

She inclined her head respectfully to him. “Now will you please get out of here, if only to get something to eat.”

He took a step back from her. “How can I leave now? We have to get the weapons up to full power, not to mention the million of other things that need to be done.”

“All of which your engineering staff can take care of.” She assured him. “You have been here over fifteen hours today, you are no good to anyone in this state.”

Caelem looked at her suspiciously. “How...?”

“I still have command level access. It was not difficult to look it up in the logs.” When he appeared ready to argue again, she continued. “What if I offered to take you on a tour of the Earther’s station and then perhaps for something to eat?”

He considered her invitation. Since arriving at Babylon 5 he had had a strong desire to explore the Human’s creation and though he tried he could find no true reason for turning down the telepath’s offer. Finally he nodded graciously.

“Good.” Terann smiled. “I will meet you in the shuttle bay in half an hour.”

He inclined his head, and Terann turned to leave. Upon doing so Caelem touched her arm drawing her attention to the doorway as Neroon entered.

She felt herself bristle at the sight of him, his ignorance of her the previous day still fresh in her mind. Instead of circumnavigating the room as usual he strode straight toward them. The telepath and the engineer both inclined their heads to him respectfully before he asked Caelem for a report.

The elder Minbari proceeded to report on the progression of repairs about the ship. When he came to tell him that the weapons were back on line and that it was Terann he had to thank for this, Neroon's expression did not change, he merely thanked Caelem then left to continue his rounds.

Terann considered, if only for a moment, using her gift to shove Neroon into a bulkhead. He had blatantly ignored her since her stay in Med Lab, treating her no better than any of the others of her caste. She longed to know where she stood with him. One side of her accepted that he harbored the usual disdain, yet another, more silent part of her wondered if he was trying desperately to hide something else. Her thoughts returned to the night in Tuzanor, when he had kissed her. Perhaps I was wrong about you, he had told her. The young female clenched her fists at her side, cursing her own morals against scanning him. At least then she would know the truth.

Caelem could easily see the anger in the young Warrior’s eyes and he attempted to remove it. "You say you have command level access," he whispered. "Maybe we should break into his quarters and adjust the environmental controls."

Terann stifled a laugh. "Perhaps we can thaw him out."

At her comment both erupted into laughter, attracting the attention of many of the others in the large room including Neroon. The Warrior fixed a fierce glare in Terann’s direction, causing her to quickly swallow her laughter, her eyes meeting his look with one of her own. Caelem watched them both silently, amazed at how easily the young female seemed to stand up to someone as powerful as Neroon. Did nothing frighten her?

Terann briefly considered causing one of the casements over Neroon’s head to become loose and slam into him but pushed the idea quickly from her mind. There were better ways to show him that she was not going to meekly stand by and allow him to bully her. She crossed her arms over her chest, affecting a challenging stance. At this, Neroon raised his brow, his glare changing to incredulity. Finally he pursed his lips, his eyes burrowing into hers once more before turning and exiting the room.

The Engineer turned to regard the female beside him thoughtfully before finally commenting, “I never, in all my days, thought I would see that.”

Terann glanced up at him. “And that is?”

“Neroon being stared down by a female.”

Terann smiled in triumph. “I doubt very much that he expected it, either.”

Aelora had spent most of the day reading through Earth history books that she had borrowed from the Station’s library. She quickly began to realize that she was developing a lingering respect for the heritage she inherited from her biological parents. It was astonishing to her that the Earther’s, who always seemed to preach about peace and acceptance wherever they traveled throughout the galaxy, were in reality one of the most war-like races she had ever read about. Most of their history revolved around their great battles among their own kind. Why, they even murdered one another over religion! The Ranger shook her head. She really could not imagine how anyone could think the Humans to be any better than the Centauri.

“Incoming message.”

Aelora started at the voice of the Babcom, casting it a quick glare before setting the current book she was reviewing aside and moving over to the comm unit. “Receive.”

To say that she was surprised to see G’Kar’s face on the screen was an understatement. It took her a moment to gather her wits before she greeted, “Hello, G’Kar. Is there something I can do for you?”

The Narn shook his head. “No. Actually, I was calling to see if you would like to go out?”

Aelora began choking in reaction. “Out? Like on a date?”

G’Kar blinked, as if thinking it over. “No. I would not presume –“ He hesitated, then continued. “I felt that perhaps, after the few arguments we have encountered with one another, it would be good if we talked, spent some time getting to know one another.”

“A date.”

“You need not call it as such if you do not wish.”

Aelora chuckled, shaking her head. “Very well, G’Kar. Now that I think of it, I haven’t eaten at all today.”

“An hour then? At the Lake View?”

“Sure. Sounds good.”

A date? With a Narn? As ridiculous as it sounded, Aelora found herself undeniably delighted over the idea. It had been forever since she had truly gone out for an evening and the chance to do so was not one that she was about to pass up, Narn or no Narn.

Deciding that if she were going to do this, she would do it right, she spent the next twenty minutes tearing through her wardrobe, searching for something suitable to wear. Realizing that most of her clothing consisted of Centauri Court garb and Ranger uniforms, and knowing she had no time to go shopping, Aelora grabbed one of the gowns Lady Kyra had given her and proceeded to begin tearing off the lace, ribbons and jewels that adorned it. She then tore off the overskirt and quickly fastened the underskirt up in the back with a pin. Standing back to review her work, she figured it would have to do then found herself wondering how she would get into it. That feat took her a full twenty minutes more, for the pin kept falling out of the skirt until finally she had to fasten it after she put it on. Standing back to see herself in the mirror, Aelora was pleased that the gown worked well. It was completely black, in shimmering satin, the bodice snug and held up by tiny straps, the skirt pulled up into a bustle in the back, fitting it tightly around her legs and hips. She glanced over at the clock, realizing she would be late if she did not hurry, then gathered her curls up behind her head and pinned them in place.

Realizing that there was little more she could do without a complete overhaul, Aelora hurried out the door to make her way to Lake View. It was the newest restaurant to open on the station. Situated on the bank one of the artificial lakes in the Garden, it was encased completely in glass so that one may enjoy the view while not hearing the constant noise of the station around them. They served special delicacies from all over the galaxy and had live music two times daily. While Aelora felt brief misgivings at attending such a quiet and romantic restaurant with G’Kar, she also knew it was one of the most secluded. The chances of the two of them being seen together by anyone who might care was remote to say the least.

She was fifteen minutes late by the time she got off the Core Shuttle and half ran to Lake View. G’Kar was standing outside waiting for her, his expression ever patient. He turned at her approach, his eyes widening at her appearance and Aelora realized she had chosen her gown appropriately. It was not so much his specific reaction as it was a reaction that a female could see in all the males around the galaxy when she dressed appropriately. Aelora allowed a soft smile and twirled around before him.

“Well?”

“You are meeting someone here I take it?” G’Kar could not help but tease.

Aelora laughed. “You are incorrigible! I am wearing this specifically for you.”

G’Kar’s bland expression told her how much he believed that remark. “Perhaps you are hoping to impress some wealthy Centauri male, hmm?”

The Human affected an arrogant stance. “My darling, G’Kar,” she drawled. “It would be the wealthy Centauri male who would need to impress me!”

G’Kar chuckled, taking her arm and leading her into the restaurant. “Come, my Lady, before they give our table away to those less…crazy.” He smiled at Aelora’s bright laughter, wondering to himself if the evening would continue to go so well. He cast a sidelong glance at the woman beside him, noting her slim, graceful neck, the heightened color to her cheeks that seemed to be missing the past few days, the sensual lines of her collarbone, the subtle rising and falling of her breasts in the snug bodice. Sometimes his longing for the unreachable Human was so strong G’Kar wondered if it were not drug induced.

Their time spent waiting for their meals was quiet, reflective. They exchanged polite conversation, flashed the occasional smile at one another but the obvious anxiety was felt by both. That all ended very quickly when their meals were served though. G’Kar had coerced Aelora into trying a Narn dish known as ghfara’sa. Having never seen or heard of the food before, Aelora spent her first few moments with the meal before her poking at it, lifting it here and there as if searching for something hidden beneath it. She was so intent on her meal that she did not notice G’Kar’s mirth at her dubiety and was equally unprepared when she attempted to cut into the meat before her only to have it squeal in pain.

Aelora screeched, tossing her utensils in the air and scooting back from the table in horror only to hear G’Kar’s raucous laughter and realize he had made the sound. She threw her napkin across the table at him, attempting to hold onto her initial anger only to finally lose the fight to laughter as she realized couples at other tables around them were laughing as well.

“You brute!” She tossed out at him, laughing until it hurt. “That was beyond cruel!”

G’Kar could barely suppress his hilarity enough to speak. “You…you should have seen…seen your face!”

The Narn’s obvious amusement caused Aelora to laugh more. “Paybacks, G’Kar,” she finally choked out between giggles. “I will so get you back for that.”

The next few minutes were spent with the occasional chuckle heard between bites. Aelora was surprised to find that the Narn dish was actually quite tasty, though she was loath to admit it to G’Kar after the recent stunt he pulled. Her mouth ached from laughter and the constant smile that was playing across her lips. She could not remember the last time she had enjoyed herself so very much and said so to G’Kar.

The Narn smiled at her. “That was my intention, Aelora.”

Aelora played with the rim of her wineglass while she observed the being across from her. How would she explain this one to the Kyra’s, she wondered. A date with a Narn out in public – and she was enjoying it. G’Kar was so unlike anyone she had ever met before and it was difficult to overlook that fact. He seemed so good at heart, completely devoid of selfishness. Whenever she was down, he spent his time trying to make her laugh. When she was angry and cruel, he exhibited patience beyond her understanding. Sometimes he was so gentle and caring with her that she hated it – she wanted to hate him but he would never allow her to do so. So here she was, spending an evening out with him.

“You never cease to confuse me,” she remarked finally, taking a sip of her wine.

G’Kar wondered what had prompted that statement. He regarded her silently over the table, watching the candlelight flicker in the green of her eyes. Finally, he asked, “Why do you say that?”

Aelora shook her head uncertainly. “I don’t know. You’re just…well, you’re never what I expect you to be. I mean, you’ve been through so much – your people have been through so much. You were born into slavery, you’ve been helpless as your world was destroyed and enslaved once more, and yet…there’s no anger in you. No hatred. Nothing as what I would imagine.”

G’Kar took a moment to set his utensils down, his expression thoughtful. “Do not believe I do not hate the Centauri. I do. The hatred burns quite deeply, as a matter of fact.” He smiled at her perplexed gaze. “Fortunately, you have had the distinct pleasure of not knowing the past me. See the present me is the product of some fairly deep soul searching. For all of my life I have let my hatred for the Centauri race blind me to the universe around me. In my desperation to see the end of their race, I would use anyone, make any deal, betray the closest friend to get what I wanted.

“Oh, you and I would have had a grand time had you arrived here a few years back. I doubt either of us would even be alive at this point.” He sighed, pausing for a moment. “Unfortunately, your father knew me when I was at my worst. We had little respect for one another and I find myself saddened by the thought that I did not have the insight at the time to see what a great man Jeffrey Sinclair was…

“Anyway, I learned that there were things in this universe much greater than hatred. I learned to bury it away, to find more pity for the Centauri, pity that they do not realize they are on the brink of their own destruction.” At Aelora’s frown G’Kar paused. He leaned over the table, fixing her with a steady gaze. “Do you know the most important thing I learned, Aelora? I learned that we all matter, every single one of us. Narn, Centauri, Human, Minbari, Pak’ma’ra – we all are simply a part of the whole and if you snuff out one piece, the others cannot hold together. And that, Aelora, is how I will help my people to regain their dignity. Not by the destruction of the Centauri, not by revenge or any sort of reckoning, but by helping my people to understand that we must all learn to live together. That some must be sacrificed for the whole to survive.”

Aelora silently digested his words, sipping at her drink thoughtfully. Leave it to G’Kar to throw her off-balance once more. She found herself trying to picture the angry G’Kar, the one who thirsted for revenge, who fed his life off of his hatred. Unbelievably, it helped her to understand him just a little better and, much to her surprise, to respect him. To have been through so much and, instead of destroying yourself you build yourself up into something better – it was quite a feat. Of course, Aelora was not about to tell G’Kar her thoughts. It could possibly build up his hopes for something that could simply never happen, and she could not allow herself to do that to him.

Slowly she stood to her feet, setting her glass beside her plate. She knew the danger of remaining G’Kar’s friend was growing, her instincts seemed to shout at her to step back. But she figured that just this one time she could provide him a little of what he wanted.

“Dance with me.”

G’Kar started at the proposition. He glanced out at the dance floor where couples moved in rhythm to a slow Earth song. He instantly shook his head. “I do not know how to dance to that.”

“It’s easy. Mother taught me when I was little, and I have danced with both my father and Marcus.” When he still appeared uncertain, she pressed further. “You put your arms around me, hold me close and we sway to the music.”

The Narn did not know how to reply. While the idea of being given leeway to hold her close to him was tempting, it also frightened him. He knew he would want more and that she would not be able to give it. He realized fleetingly that he never should have allowed this to begin in the first place. But here they were and she was extending her hand to him in friendship, and it was an offer that he could not turn away. Slowly, he reached out and grabbed the offered hand, rising to his feet. He allowed her to lead him out to the dimly lit dance floor where she then wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, guiding his arms likewise around her waist. He was instantly conscious of the length of her body against his, how perfectly she seemed to fit to him. He found himself wishing that he could hate her, ignore her, walk away. But one glance from bright green eyes that sparkled with a teasing glint and he knew that it was much too late.

“There now, this isn’t so bad is it?” She smiled. “To think I dragged you out here to put you through this torture.”

G’Kar laughed, enjoying her teasing. “This must be paybacks for the meal.”

“Oh no!” Aelora denied quickly. “You’ll know when that happens. Trust me!”

“Oh will I?” G’Kar asked with a growl, twirling her around suddenly so that Aelora emitted a squeal. He finished by dropping her in a low dip that caused her to squeak again.

They were both laughing, even as she slapped at his shoulders and begged him to let her up. He did as she requested, suffering through another punch to the arm.

“I thought you said you didn’t know how to dance?” Aelora accused when they had settled back into a comfortable sway.

G’Kar flashed a grin. “Mr. Garibaldi has forced me to watch many of those old Earth films as well.”

Aelora sobered at the mention of Michael’s name. He had been missing for a few days now, with no trace as to where he could have gone. She could not understand what the Shadows could have possibly wanted with him – he was not a telepath, nor was he in the position of leader such as Sheridan. So why had they targeted him?

At the Human’s sudden silence G’Kar instantly realized what he had done. “Aelora, I am sorry. I had not meant to make you sad.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s all right. I just…I just wish Michael had not been so distrustful of me when he disappeared. I wish I could have spoken to him about my telepathic abilities. Made him understand.”

“We will find him,” G’Kar assured her. “And you will have the chance.”

Aelora only nodded in reply, laying her head against the Narn’s chest and allowing herself to become absorbed in the music. She inhaled the scent of him, the tangy smell of leather mixed with a sweet musk; marveled at the gentleness with which someone who was so strong was holding her. How had she allowed it to get this far? She wondered. Had she lost her mind? She tried to blame it on the wine she had with dinner but it had been only one glass and she knew she was more adept at holding her alcohol than that.

She moved her head to ask G’Kar if there were a particular Narn dessert she should try when she caught sight of a Centauri couple entering the restaurant. Panic immediately seized her. She did not recognize either of them but that did not matter. Fate had a way of working against her in the most extreme circumstances and she knew that somehow one of them would recognize her and the word would get back to Centauri Prime that she was seen dancing in the arms of a Narn!

G’Kar felt Aelora stiffen in his embrace and followed her troubled gaze to see what had changed her mood so quickly. One glance told him all that he needed to know. Though it hurt him to know that she would ruin so perfect an evening by her prejudice, he would never intentionally cause her to feel uncomfortable or frightened.

“Would you like to go?” He whispered into her ear, maneuvering his body so that she was completely hidden from the Centauri couple as they moved to their table.

She nodded mutely, allowing G’Kar to lead her safely from the restaurant.

Once they were safely away from Lake View, Aelora began to relax once more, suggesting that they take a walk through the gardens. G’Kar only nodded in reply, still recovering from the sting of pain he felt at her not wishing to be seen with him. He knew it was foolish. He had accepted Aelora’s loyalty to the Centauri long ago but there were still those few moments that it seemed to rear its ugly head before him once more. He found himself smiling as she moved away, kneeling down to sniff at the fragrance of an Earth rose. The action was so very feminine and child-like. He stopped to watch her, his smile fading when he realized that there were tears in her eyes.

He took a step toward her. “Shon’Ur…” He whispered. “Why are you crying?”

She was silent at first, stroking her fingertips over the petals of the partially bloomed bud. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, as if angry that she had given in to her emotion.

G’Kar knelt down beside her. “The other day, when I found you in the garden, you were sad then as well. Please tell me what it is.”

The Human turned her eyes to him, bright with lingering tears. She attempted to smile. “I can’t recall crying this much. It must be the Sleepers.” She rose to her feet then, continuing down the path.

G’Kar caught up to her, stepping in front of her and bringing her to a halt. “Aelora, you are hurting. Please, let me help you.”

“You can’t, G’Kar.” She shook her head, looking up at him. “Like I said, it’s the Sleepers.” She paused, silently weighing the cost of telling him everything, realizing that he was most likely the safest person in the galaxy with which to share her secrets. “Remember how I helped you after your stabbing on Narn?”

He nodded, remaining silent in the hopes that she would continue.

Aelora looked away from his steady gaze, worrying her lower lip, realizing that G’Kar was the only person beyond her father she had ever spoken of this to. “That was only part of it. A significant part of it but not my strongest. Oh, I’m making no sense, am I?” She wandered away from him, taking a seat on a nearby bench, waiting until he settled himself beside her. “My mother was a very strong Teek in Psi Corps. When she realized she was pregnant, she ran away, knowing that she did not want to hand her child over to them. When I was born, she was at first relieved because it seemed I possessed no telepathic ability. As the months began to pass though, she began to notice strange occurrences around me. The first real indication she had was when she set me down to play while she spoke with a transport captain. It was this soft mound of dirt that I instantly began to play with. When she turned around to pick me up…the dirt beneath and around me was covered with tiny buds of sprouting grass.

“It was not to be the last occurrence either. From then on my mother began to test me, giving me seeds, dead plants, whatever, and I could make them grow, flourish. Be it fertile or unfertile ground, everything I touched seemed to bloom. Mother panicked, of course, realizing that if Psi Corps learned of my strange abilities they would not stop in their pursuit. We began traveling more often after that, never staying anywhere for more than a few weeks. Mother instructed me time and again to ignore the power, to hide it away, to never let anyone know that I could do it.” Aelora paused, closing her eyes. “But she could not understand how wonderful it felt. To have these creatures come alive beneath my hands, to feel them need me, thirst for the strength only I could give them. I understood that there was danger in letting others know what I could do, even if I did not understand the danger itself. But still, I did as my mother instructed, pretending I did not have this gift, looking the other way when I saw a plant or tree or flower that cried out for my help.”

Aelora opened her eyes, meeting G’Kar’s concerned gaze. “I’ve had this gift all of my life, G’Kar – ever since I can remember! And now…now I can’t feel it! It’s gone. I touch a flower and I feel…nothing. No, worse than nothing. It is like this void that is trying to pull me into it and I hate it!” She slammed her fists into the bench in both anger and pain and jumped to her feet, moving away. She did not want him to see her tears again; she did not want to have to give in to his kindness.

But she realized it was too late the moment she felt his strong arms pull her against him. She did not fight as he turned her around, gently forcing her head against his chest, holding her as she wept. He caressed her back, whispering against her forehead that she was not alone, calling her by the strange word “shon’Ur”. Aelora felt herself calming under his ministrations, her tears subsiding.

“Perhaps you should not take another injection,” G’Kar commented after a few minutes of silence.

“I’m too afraid.” She shook her head. “I can’t control this yet. And as long as the Shadows…” She trailed off, stepping back in his embrace. “It seems I am forever thanking you after some crying fit.”

G’Kar smiled at that, reaching out to brush the remaining tears from her cheeks. He stilled when Aelora moved against his palm, much as she had done in her sleep. Their gazes locked and held. As if of its own volition, G’Kar’s hand moved behind her head and began gently pulling out the pins that held her curls in place, letting it fall about her shoulders.

“You should wear your hair down,” he whispered, his hand tangling in the curls then his fingers moving to caress her neck.

Aelora felt herself relaxing under his touch, her head leaning back into his hand. “Great Maker,” she whispered without thought. “What I would not give for you to not be a Narn.”

The stilling of his touch made Aelora realize that she had spoken the thought aloud. She brought her head back in time to catch the hurt in G’Kar’s eyes at her thoughtless remark.

G’Kar backed away from her, turning so that he did not need to look at her any longer. Why was it that every time he thought the real Aelora had finally surfaced, he only ended up getting slapped in the face by her alter ego, Lady Kyra? It was comments like this that made him long to hate her, to never be humiliated and scorned by her again.

“G’Kar, I’m sorry,” her voice called out softly behind him. Was that enough? He asked himself. Was it? “It seems every time we see one another lately, I end up hurting you, saying something that I don’t mean…”

The Narn turned back to her, his expression one of resignation. “No, Aelora. You do mean it. And that is what hurts.”

Aelora looked away from him, wondering how she could be counted on so easily to ruin such a perfect evening. Yes, she did wish time and again that he was not a Narn, but she certainly did not need to voice that to him. But then, what did he expect from her? She was Centauri!

“Look, G’Kar.” Her eyes met his. “When you agreed to accept my friendship, knowing that I could never give you more, you also did so knowing that I was raised by the Centauri. Centauri beliefs, customs – everything about them – is ingrained into me. I owe it to the Kyra’s, who have given me so much for so long, to remain loyal to them.”

When he turned away from her at that, Aelora stepped up to him, laying her hand against his arm. “You are my friend, G’Kar. A very dear friend. And if I could take back what I just said, I would. But I can’t. There is much between us that can never be ignored, and much more between us that has to be. Do you understand?”

G’Kar turned his gaze to her. “Meaning that I must ignore what I feel for you.”

Aelora took a deep breath, nodded. “Yes. Especially that. G’Kar, I can never give you what you want. Ever.”

“I think you have made that perfectly clear,” he replied, trying to force the hurt in his voice to apathy.

Aelora closed her eyes, realizing that everything had gone wrong from the beginning. If this continued, they would only end up hurting each other more. “I’d better go. I…I hope I haven’t ruined the tenuous friendship we have?”

The Narn sighed. “Unfortunately, Aelora, I made you a promise once.”

“Oh.” It was better to leave that entire night untouched, she knew. “Goodnight, G’Kar. And thank you very much for tonight. It really was…special.”

She started down the path toward the shuttle bay, when she turned back, saying what she needed to say before she grew cowardly once more. “We can’t do this again. You know that, don’t you?”

“Do not worry, Aelora. I will not force you into the precarious position of agreeing to going out with me again,” he replied before disappearing down the path.

Moving towards the docking bay on Babylon 5, Terann cast a sideways glance at the Minbari beside her and smiled slightly. She remembered her own feelings upon her arrival at the Earther’s space station, but never did they come close to the awe she sensed from Caelem. Though they had been on the station for over three hours his wonderment had not waned.

Upon arriving on the station, Caelem had instructed her that he wished to see all that Babylon 5 had to offer, and she had laughed telling him that in the weeks since her own arrival she had still not seen it all. At that he launched himself into an inquisition, wanting to know everything about everything. She found herself envious of his curiosity. She had not had a chance to really enjoy the station and was always been pulled away for some reason or another. At that moment she decided that she too would enjoy this time away from obligation. If only for a few hours, she wanted to know what it was like to be away from the Minbari, the Vorlons, the war, all of it.

Initially she had suggested they eat at the Fresh Air, believing it to be quieter from most of the other establishments on the station. Caelem, however, did not want quiet. He insisted that they eat at one of the smaller cafes in the Zocalo, preferring to be in the midst of everything. Dinner had been surprisingly peaceful, and despite being surrounded by near chaos, Terann found herself relaxing.

After dinner she guided him on a brief tour of the station, showing him everything from the Observation Dome to Grey Sector. Caelem, as she expected, took a great interest in the technology of the Earther’s station. The awesome beauty of Minbari technology had always surrounded him, having spent his entire life engulfed by it in one way or another. Yet he continually pointed out things that interested and amazed him about the station. He even managed to, on more than one occasion, show her some way in which the human way was superior to their own.

Arriving at the docking bay, Caelem turned to face the young woman. “Thank you, Terann. You have given me a great gift tonight, though I fear it was at great cost.”

Terann followed his gaze to where Neroon’s first officer Eitann stood speaking to a young warrior beside him. Both he, and the young woman, had their eyes fixed on her in a harsh stare. Not wanting to allow them affect her, she quickly turned back to Caelem. “Do not worry about them. You have shown me much tonight, things that I failed to see even after several weeks aboard this station. Perhaps we should pity them, for they will never see things the way we have.”

He smiled at her, pleased at how she did not let others spark her ire. “Goodnight my friend.”

“And goodnight to you,” she replied. Terann then reached out and placed her hand on his chest and inclined her head slightly to him.

Caelem, surprised by her displaying such a Religious Caste gesture, did as she had, before heading to the docking bay.

Terann watched until he disappeared within the bay, then quickly flashed a slightly arrogant grin at Eitann before heading off in the opposite direction. It was still relatively early but the day’s events were beginning to weigh heavily and Terann was eager to return to her quarters. After fighting with the weapon systems all day she was looking forward to a night's rest, before heading back to the Ingata the following morning. With only minor repairs left to be completed Caelem was convinced the ship would be ready to leave in a couple days. She knew Neroon would be only too happy to return to Minbar after being forced to rely on the charity of Humans for almost a week. Still, with the jump engines being damaged beyond repair, the Ingata would be dependent on local jump gates, making the trip home that much longer. She smiled thinking that perhaps the attack on his ship and the repercussions of it would teach Neroon some humility. Privately, however, she was grateful for the opportunity to serve her people, even if it meant having to tolerate their antipathy.

The journey to her quarters took her to through the Zocalo that, as usual, was quite crowded. Terann quickly scanned the marketplace looking for the easiest way through the throng, hating to be this close to people. In a quiet corner she caught sight of G'Kar as he sat at a table alone. She had wanted to speak to him, about his apparent interest in Aelora, but had been so busy lately that she had been unable to find the time. Deciding now was a good a time as any she made her way over to him.

"G'Kar," she said softly pulling his attention from the issue of Universe Today he had spread before him.

"Terann." He smiled broadly, folding the paper and placing it to the side of the table. "Please sit."

"If I am disturbing you...."

"Of course not, I had wanted to speak to you.'

"About Aelora?" She asked, taking the seat he offered to her.

He cocked his brow. "Yes, how did you...?"

"I wanted to speak to you about her as well. I have been very busy and haven't seen much of her in the past few days. How has she been?"

"It is difficult to say with her." He laughed. "One minute she is carefree and the next she appears as if she carries the weight of the world."

Terann nodded. "I know. She appears to be a creature of extremes. I know the two of you have grown very close. Has she said anything about the Sleepers?"

The Narn shook his head. "Only that she believes you are avoiding her because of it."

"I guess I have been," Terann replied. "She does not understand. I have never trusted anyone like I do Aelora and I find myself caring for her more than I thought I could. We spent so much time together before the Shadows attacked, I got used to the feel of her, and now with the Sleepers it is like she is not the same person. I guess it is hard for a non-telepath to understand. No offense of course."

G'Kar smiled. "None taken. "

"When they put me on the Sleepers it was as if my ability had been simply shut off, everything was quiet, nothing more. But with Aelora it is different. Her mind feels numb, almost dead. I know she had her reasons for having the injection and I respect that, but it still bothers me. Anyway I am glad she has you to talk to."

"I have been glad to have this time with her, though sometimes it appears as if she would gladly take my head off."

Terann laughed. "All that Centauri conditioning I suppose."

"Perhaps," he said. "Though I figured that with her time spent on Minbar and now on Babylon 5 that she would have overcome all that."

"Actually I am surprised she has come as far as she has. You have to remember that before the Kyras found her she had nothing, her mother was dead, she was alone. They took her in, gave her a home and unfortunately taught her to hate your people."

G'Kar considered the Minbari's words for a moment, understanding what she was saying. Yet a part of him wanted to believe that Aelora could overcome her hatred of his people, and though she had warmed to him, he could still see the slight repulsion toward him in her from time to time. He then thought about what Terann had said about her own feelings towards Aelora and he realized that she had been able to overcome her distrust of the Human race. Taking a silent breath he spoke. "Tell me Terann, what did you do during the war with the Humans?"

Terann was taken aback by his question. "That is a...difficult question."

G'Kar could see the discomfort in the Minbari at his question and he set out to rectify things. "What I meant is did you hate the Earthers?"

"For a long time I did, more than I thought possible."

"Yet you overcame that hatred."

Terann shook her head. "Yes, but I do not believe it is the same with Aelora. I had not been raised to hate the Earthers as Aelora was taught to hate your people. Do not get me wrong, I honestly believe that given time she will come to accept your people, but you will have to be patient with her, teach her, show her that you, and your people, are more than she has been led to believe."

"Then I will continue to do as I have been," G'Kar said more to himself than to Terann.

The Minbari regarded the Narn before her, wondering not for the first time what exactly his intentions were toward Aelora. If he simply wanted her friendship then she saw nothing-harmful coming from it. If however he had deeper feelings for her, Terann did not want to encourage something that she doubted could ever come to fruition. Gently she reached out with her mind and cast an image of Aelora into the Narn's thoughts, nothing that he would suspect of being more than his mind wandering. The reaction her efforts created was almost instantaneous. Without having to invade his thoughts she could easily sense G'Kar's feelings of longing and passion, his hurt at being unable to show her how he felt and the new found sense of hope that perhaps someday he would. A wave of sympathy washed over her. It was obvious that G'Kar's feelings for her friend had clouded his judgment. He never considered the consequences a relationship with her could lead to. Unsure of how to voice her concerns she simply blurted out:

"You love her, do you not?" G'Kar eyed the telepath suspiciously for a moment, and Terann reassured him. "Strong emotions are harder to block out." It was not exactly a lie. She had not scanned him, simply fed his mind what it needed to produce the emotions she sought.

"Yes, I do love her, unfortunately this has done little to change her feelings towards my people."

"Have you considered what will happen if she ever returns your feelings?" When G'Kar shook his head she continued. "Perhaps you should. She will lose her family...."

"But there is nothing they can give her that I can not."

"It would seem that way, and though I agree that being ostracized by the Kyras would be a blessing, I doubt it would be that way for her.

"Consider this. My caste refuses to acknowledge my existence and I have never met any of my clan and despite all of this I would do anything I can for them. I have been considered an outcast my entire life yet a damaged warcruiser comes to the station and I am there to help."

"I understand what you are saying," G'Kar conceded.

"I do not mean to dissuade you, I just want you to consider her feelings, and all that she has to lose." At the Narn's continued silence she concluded he had said all that he had wanted to and she rose to her feet. She had not intended to hurt him, only show him a perspective he might not have seen. "If you want to talk...." She offered in parting.

He thanked her quietly and allowed her to leave. He watched for several minutes as she disappeared in the crowd. He understood what she was saying, and knew that it would be difficult for Aelora to break ties with her adopted family, yet he still could not understand her continued loyalty to them. After all that they had done to her, to break the strong woman that hid inside her, screaming for release, she still maintained her feelings for them. He began to think himself crazy for caring for her as he did; yet he could not bring himself to turn his back on his feelings. Every ounce of his being longed to be with her. To protect her, to love her and be loved by her.

Marcus was moving toward the docking area when he noticed Aelora talking with one of the other Rangers in the corridor. It had been a long time since he had seen her and he could not pass up the chance to see how she was adjusting to life on Babylon 5. He stopped just a few feet from her, allowing the conversation to continue without interrupting. The woman she was speaking to was new to the Rangers, recently arrived on the station. Aelora was pointing out keep points of interest to her on a map and explaining the daily ritual. Marcus smiled at his friend’s description of life on Babylon 5 – from chaotic to downright loony. It made sense that she would consider it as such from the reports of her activities since her arrival that he had received from Delenn. Looking at her now, Aelora appeared paler than she should have been as if she might be ill. He worried that all of the action she had seen recently may have affected her health. The moment the new Ranger thanked Aelora and bid her goodbye, Marcus approached his friend.

“Long time no see.”

Aelora looked up at him, her gaze appearing momentarily distracted before a smile suddenly crossed her face. “Marcus! Hello!” She gave him a tight hug then stepped back and eyed him thoughtfully. “It has been awhile since we have spoken. You’ve been busy I take it? Or just avoiding me?”

Marcus found himself uncertain how to answer. He had been busy, but a part of him had also dreaded seeing his Aelora. He found himself uncomfortable in her presence, especially when it came to her views on the Narn. Refusing to meet her eyes, he replied, “There has been a lot going on with the Shadows war.”

Aelora allowed the lie, knowing why Marcus had chosen not to renew their old friendship. “I want to help more. Dr. Franklin has insisted I be fully recovered though. So here I am, wandering the Station, wondering how to keep myself out of trouble.” She smiled.

Marcus laughed. There was something about Aelora that seemed more relaxed than the last time he had seen her, more ready to smile. He found his curiosity mounting. “I am on my way to the docking bay. I have a short flight to go out on in the White Star. Care to join me?”

“Nothing risky I hope?” Aelora teased, knowing full well if he had told her that they were going to attack Z’ha’dum she would still take him up on his offer. “Dr. Franklin would be unpleased.”

The Ranger shook his head, his dark hair falling over his eyes in the process. “It’s very simple, I promise. We don’t even have to leave the ship.”

“Damn!”

Marcus chuckled, turning to lead the way down the hall. “So tell me,” he spoke after a few moments of silence. “Just what have you been up to?”

She shrugged. “Not much really. There has been little for me to do since I was forced to take…” She trailed off, not wanting to condemn him as being one of those who asked so much of her. “I have been recuperating…thinking. Little more.”

Marcus cast a sidelong glance at her. He wanted to apologize for her need to take the Sleepers but in his heart, he was as worried about the damage she was capable of as Sheridan or Delenn. The biggest part of it was that he wanted Aelora to remain safe and he did not see how that was possible with the Shadows having control over her. It made her a threat, one that could not be ignored. Certainly, the Minbari telepath had caused a great deal of damage as well, but she was not an ally of the enemy.

“You have spent a lot of time with Terann,” he commented.

“Not much lately. I think she is avoiding me. G’Kar – “ Aelora stopped herself, uncertain of how to proceed. She caught Marcus’ searching look and knew she had already said too much. She offered an ironic smile. “G’Kar has been my most constant companion lately.”

This comment brought Marcus to an abrupt halt. He stared at Aelora with a mixture of disbelief and surprise. “G’Kar? The Narn?”

Aelora could not help but laugh at his response. “Yes, Marcus. That G’Kar.” She continued walking, shaking her head. “As if there were any other…”

“Aelora wait!” Marcus hurried to catch up with her, grabbing her arm and pulling her to a stop beside him. He could not help but wonder at her motivations for proceeding with such a friendship and found himself asking her what her intentions truly were.

It was not a full out accusation but it was close enough. Aelora’s eyes narrowed, in both anger and hurt. “Exactly what are you implying, Marcus?”

He ran a hand through his long hair, trying to figure out how best to phrase his words. The outrage in Aelora’s eyes already signaled that he had gone too far but the Ranger found himself worrying for G’Kar’s welfare. Aelora was not a cruel or mean spirited person but her loyalties to the Centauri ran deep. He blurted, “Are you using his friendship to spy for the Centauri government?”

“What?!” Aelora’s gaze was incredulous. “I can not believe you would even have the gall to ask me such a thing! I thought you knew me better than that. I see that I was wrong.”

She started back in the opposite direction but Marcus quickly stopped her once more. “Ae, wait. I’m sorry. I just…well, you have to know this is hard to accept. Especially after the things I have heard you say regarding the Narn.” He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to look at him. “This is nothing against you. I just…I don’t understand.”

Aelora looked away, uncertain of how to explain the change in her feelings. She was more confused than anyone as to why she had accepted Citizen G’Kar into her life. How could she explain how good she felt when he was around, how happy he made her? She felt safe in his presence, protected. Perhaps her acceptance of his friendship was completely selfish. She knew she had reached a point in her life where she craved security and love. G’Kar’s willingness to supply her with that, gaining nothing in return, came at just the right moment.

She looked up at Marcus to answer and he found himself stunned by the tranquillity that was evident in her eyes. When she began to speak, he heard the difference in her voice, a certain softness that he had not heard her speak with in years. In fact, he had only seen her this happy when she spoke of her father.

“I can’t tell you what I am sure you want to hear, Marcus. I can’t say I have made some drastic change and that I now fight for the Narn cause. It isn’t like that.” She shook her head, framing the right words for how to proceed. “One day I woke up and…and I didn’t mind having G’Kar by my side, being my champion. In fact, I found myself wanting it.

“It makes little sense to me, little sense that we can talk for hours about nothing or that I am comfortable curled up on the couch in his quarters drinking hot jhala. We even went out the other night. You know, dinner, dancing. I wouldn’t call it a date, mind you. I can never reach that point. But it was nice.” She took a deep breath, wondering how deep a hole she was truly digging herself into, realizing that Marcus was the first person she had to talk to about G’Kar ever since Terann had began avoiding her. It felt good to get it out, to attempt to put her feelings into words. “He loves me, Marcus. Did you know that? Yes, he admitted it. And for no reason in the world would I ever, ever do anything to purposely hurt someone who was willing to offer me so much for so little. I know I can never offer him what he wants – I have the Kyra’s to think about and beyond that, I don’t know how much I can accept. I don’t know if there could ever be a time when I ever look upon one of his race without revulsion. But G’Kar…” She paused, a trace of a smile forming on her lips. “G’Kar is my friend. I accept that. I accept that I want to be his friend, that I need him to be mine because…well, he is all I really have right now, Marcus. He has been there for me when everyone else has turned away and…well, Narn or not, that means something, doesn’t it?”

Marcus was at a loss for words. He wondered how long it would take for Aelora to realize that she was lying to herself, lying to him. Aelora had always been easy to read, her eyes always displaying every emotion she felt.

Aelora was in love with G’Kar.

The realization was remarkable. She had some so far in such a short time. Marcus wondered what it would take to get her to understand. He knew that if he pointed it out to her now, she would most likely be repelled and do her best to avoid G’Kar. No, she had to figure it out on her own, or she would never accept it. He only hoped she learned the truth before it was too late. Marcus wondered if G’Kar knew. Was that why the Narn would not let her alone? No matter how much pain she caused him?

“Marcus, your silence is grating,” Aelora commented, mentally kicking herself for sharing so much. But it had been someone willing to listen, about things she could not discuss with G’Kar.

“Sorry, Ae. I just…I am just staggered by everything you have told me. And pleased.” He smiled. “And no matter what you say, Ae, I think you still have a chance to change your way of thinking completely.”

The red head punched him in the arm playfully. “Bite your tongue!”

Marcus laughed. “Come on. If we don’t get to the White Star soon, they will leave without us.”

Aelora fell in step beside him; her thoughts still focused on their conversation. Or rather her conversation. She found herself wondering if others thought she was only using G’Kar to spy on him or hurt him. Was that truly how everyone saw her? The thought hurt. How was she to convince everyone that she could never purposely hurt G’Kar? The thought had never even crossed her mind. To betray someone that way that had only ever been good and kind to you…She shook her head. Was that how people viewed all Centauri or just her? Surely Terann knew the truth…didn’t she? Suddenly, the Ranger felt very cold and very alone and she realized that there was only one person in the galaxy who could make her feel better.

Terann was fighting with the Ingata’s power coupling, silently recounting every Centauri curse word that Aelora had taught her. There were so few repairs left to be made to the warcruiser yet with each one finished, the next became more time consuming and frustrating. Caelem had been fighting all afternoon with weapons simulations to make certain that the Ingata would be able to properly defend herself on the journey back to Minbar. The way things were looking, the jump engines would take much longer to repair and Neroon was eager to leave the vicinity of the Earther’s station. So the journey would be longer and the route they would be forced to take would potentially be fraught with danger what with the Shadows lurking.

There were moments that Terann found herself wanting to return to Minbar with them, to take another chance at attempting to regain her birthright and rejoin her caste. During the time she had spent with Aelora, the Minbari had begun to realize how important it was to belong, to be a part of your own people. She had seen firsthand what separation from the Human’s had done to Aelora, how the true spirit deep within her had been buried, almost crushed, beneath Centauri teaching. Terann did not want the same thing happening to her, already beginning to question if her true Warrior spirit remained or if it had been repressed by Religious caste edicts. She knew the only way to learn for certain would be to return amongst her people but she was not ready to commit herself to such an undertaking. As much as she hated to admit it, Terann was becoming attached to Babylon 5 and its inhabitants. She also did not feel comfortable leaving Aelora alone just yet. She knew the Human was near making a great breakthrough in discovering who she was and the Minbari knew Aelora would need those who cared about her most to be near when it happened.

A piece of the coupling broke off when Terann pushed against it a final time and at the snap she cursed loudly in Vik.

“Impressive.”

Terann started at the voice, then silently cursed herself for not paying more attention to her surroundings before turning to face Neroon. She looked up at him, noting the self-satisfied smirk on his handsome face and found herself wanting very much to shove the power coupling up his arrogant ---.

In Valen’s name! She was spending too much time with Aelora.

“Neroon,” she greeted with a nod. “Caelem is not here. He is working on the weapons systems simulations.”

“I know where Caelem is,” Neroon snapped back at her. “I am not here to see Caelem. Follow me.”

He turned, starting out of the room, not bothering to see whether or not she followed. Terann bristled at his high-handed treatment and called out:

“I am busy!” Before turning back to the work at hand.

Neroon halted abruptly, uncertain that he had heard her correctly. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the Workers glancing surreptitiously at their commander and his ire snapped. He whirled around and stalked back to the female, roughly pulling her away from her work and slapping her hard across the face.

“You will follow me. NOW!”

Terann rubbed absently at the cheek which stung from his hard blow. She had expected it, knowing that he could not allow such a slight against his power to go unpunished. She also knew that she had pushed him on purpose but found herself wondering why. To gain his attention? To make him realize that she was there? She suddenly felt like a foolish child. Neroon would never respect someone who played such games. She affected the proper amount of humility for her actions and fell in step behind him.

The walk from the Engineering section was long and silent. It did not take Terann long to realize that Neroon was leading her to his quarters and she found herself wondering what it was he wanted to speak with her about. Furtively she touched his mind, but found nothing more than heavy emotions of frustration and incertitude. She wondered at these feelings and what they had to do with her. Had she not been completing her work satisfactorily?

Neroon stepped aside to allow the young female to pass through the door once they reached his quarters. He admired the pride which she wrapped around herself even though just moments before he had berated her in front of so many. It was obvious that she had accepted her punishment for what it was and let it go without another thought. It was a part of her Warrior heritage to not allow weakness or doubt to show. More than once he found himself wishing that no question surrounded her parentage. She would make a fine and loyal wife, one any Warrior would be proud to have at his side.

Terann marched to the center of the room before finally turning and meeting Neroon’s gaze. “Well?” She questioned haughtily. “I have quite a bit of work to do before the Ingata will be able to leave, Neroon. Pulling me away from those duties is not getting them finished any more quickly.”

Sometimes, Neroon thought, she does not know when too much is enough. “Do not push me, Terann.”

Too late for that, she thought to herself, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. “Seriously, Neroon, if this has to do with my work – “

“The work you have done is without fault,” Neroon commented, moving around behind his desk when he began perusing reports on the Ingata’s status. He allowed a moment for his compliment to sink in before continuing:

“It is your behavior that I question.”

“Behavior?” Terann blinked. “That was one little incident…which, quite frankly, I think you deserved.”

The Warrior’s head shot up and he fixed her with a piercing gaze. “Do not play the fool with me, Terann.”

“Really, Neroon.” She stepped forward, her arms akimbo. “Perhaps you should stop speaking in riddles and tell me what this is all about?”

Neroon placed his hands flat on the desk and leaned forward. “You are Warrior caste, Terann…perhaps you should start acting like one!”

Terann shook her head, certain that the big Warrior had been cracked in the head one too many times by an opponent. “I do not see – “

“Your relationship” he snarled the word ”with the Worker Caelem is inappropriate.”

“Ah. I see.” Terann clasped her hands behind her back and began wandering around the room. “I suspect you are referring to the incident the other day when Caelem and I were – dare I say it?? – laughing.”

Neroon ignored the sarcasm. “It has come to my attention that the two of you were seen on the Earther’s station dining together!”

“In Valen’s name, Neroon!” She exclaimed in mock exasperation. “Even a Worker has to eat occasionally.”

The Warrior’s fist slammed hard into the desk. “That is not what I speak of as well you know! You are Warrior caste, Terann, and as such I expect you to behave appropriately! Warrior caste does not associate with Worker caste no matter the circumstances. By lowering yourself to such behavior you are further excluding yourself from your own people!”

Terann’s anger was sparked. She found herself wondering by what right that he felt that he could dictate to her proper behavior and decorum. Not once had he given her reason to believe that she would ever be accepted by the Warrior caste yet here he was expecting her to behave as if she were, that her actions were still regarded by the Warrior caste as being right or wrong. As if it mattered in some way. If that were true, then why was it he seemed to be the only one who cared enough to say anything? It was obvious that the rest of the Warrior caste did not consider her to be a part of them and therefore did not care what she did or whom she spoke to. Yet here Neroon stood before her, berating her for somehow embarrassing the Warrior caste.

She wanted to rail at him. She wanted to shout until every member of the crew heard her. But she knew that was not that way to win with him. She had to show him what a fool he was being and a shouting match was not the way to do so. Taking a calming breath and fixing a serene expression on her face, Terann replied, “Neroon, think rationally. I am not, nor have I ever been, considered a part of the Warrior caste. It appears to me that you are the only one who worries so very much about what I do and where I go and who I am with.”

“Someone needs to!” He snapped, his dark eyes glowering. “It is obvious that you are somehow misguided in how to be accepted by your own caste.”

Terann’s eyes flashed. “No one said I wish to be accepted.”

Neroon tapped his fingers against the desk for a moment then moved out from around it, approaching Terann. He reached out, placing a finger under her chin and lifting her head to meet his gaze. He regarded her silently for a long moment before stepping back. “You lie to yourself often I see.” With that he turned and walked away.

Terann clenched her fists at her sides, disgusted by his condescending treatment of her. “I do not understand you, Neroon.” She began her voice soft. “You were once my greatest antagonist, never once allowing me to forget that I was an outcast, not wanted by those who were supposed to be family. You enjoyed your taunting of me, telling me that I was beneath you and those like you. And now…now you behave as if I am a member of your crew, as if my actions somehow reflect upon you, as if…as if you cared whether or not I was accepted by our people.” She felt Neroon’s shock at her last comment and realized she had hit on something she had never imagined possible. Terann’s eye narrowed. “You want to see me accepted? Why?”

The Warrior remained silent with his back to her for a long while. Finally he turned to face her though he would not meet her gaze. “You are strong, Terann. You are strong and quick and intelligent. We lost many of our greatest in the war with the Earthers. We need others like yourself to begin filling our ranks.”

“You are lying.” Terann felt it. Though part of what he was saying he meant, she could feel that he was evading the truth. When he remained stubbornly silent, Terann felt the conversation had come to an end. Perhaps there would never be a time when they could truly be honest with one another.

“Let me tell you this, Neroon. Even if I were accepted by our people, that does not mean I would blindly follow either their dictates or yours. Understood? I will be friends with who I want, when I want and neither you nor anyone else will ever tell me otherwise.”

Neroon frowned. “You make a fool of yourself, Terann.”

She raised her chin defiantly. “That is a choice that is mine alone to make.” She paused, knowing there was little more that she could say to change his mind. “Is there anything else? Or may I return to my work?”

The Warrior shook his head, waving his hand in dismissal. After the door slid shut behind Terann, Neroon allowed a small smile to appear. She backed away from nothing and would never end any fight until she came out the victor. No matter how hard she unconsciously fought against it, Terann was a true warrior. The problem was, finding a way to get both her and the rest of the caste to accept it.

Aelora was dreaming. She was back on Minbar and her father was with her and they were laughing over some private joke. Terann was there as well, watching from the side, her face peaceful and serene. Everything was perfect and yet, Aelora knew that something was missing. There was something that she very much wanted, very much needed but she had no idea what that was. Her father touched her hand, telling her that he was proud and that he loved her and she smiled, and hugged him and –

The ringing of the door chime pulled Aelora from her deep sleep. The Ranger mission she had attended with Marcus had lasted longer than expected and she had barely dropped into bed an hour before. She groaned at the interruption, burying her head under the pillow but the ringing continued. She sat up, tossed the pillow against the wall in frustration and rubbed a hand over her eyes, clearing the sleep from them.

“Time?” She called out, her voice groggy from sleep.

“The time is 0400.”

“Ahh…Great Maker.” She stumbled out of the bed, calling for the lights on their dimmest setting and moved toward the door. “Who in Valen’s name is it?” She snapped.

“It is G’Kar.”

Aelora dropped her forehead against the wall, pounding it lightly. “I should have left him on Narn,” she muttered. “Open.”

As the door slid open, the light from the corridor momentarily blinded Aelora and she cussed in Centauri for the next minute, causing G’Kar to hesitate at the threshold. When she realized he was not entering, which meant the light would continue, she reached out, grabbed hold of him by his tunic and pulled him into her quarters. The door slid shut behind him and he heard the Human sigh in relief. G’Kar glanced at the room around him, noting how feminine it appeared, not at all like he had imagined. There were vases of flowers, Centauri dolls and Minbari candles. The few trinkets that signaled her Human heritage included a stuffed bear and a strange looking globe with a miniature castle in it. G’Kar picked up this last item, staring at it quizzically.

“Turn it upside down,” Aelora told him, watching him from a few feet away.

The Narn did as he was instructed, surprised when tiny flakes of snow drifted around the castle, until they settled once more to the bottom. “What is it?” He queried, continually shaking the globe around to cause the snow to fall again.

“My father gave it to me,” she replied. “Shortly before he left. I had told him this silly story about when I was a little girl I would pretend to be a princess hidden away in a castle tower, waiting for my prince to rescue me. So my father gave me that, saying it was some castle in Europe on Earth. It’s just some silly child’s toy.”

G’Kar set the globe down, turning to Aelora to tell her he saw nothing silly about it but all thoughts escaped him. The Human was wearing her nightclothes, or what there was of them. The tiny gown was made of black satin and comprised of thin straps, a plunging neckline and only fell to just below her hips. Her long legs were crossed at the ankles, her arms crossed over her chest, her green eyes regarding him thoughtfully.

“I…” G’Kar hesitated, turning to regroup his thoughts. “Have I disturbed you?”

Aelora laughed at that. “Do you realize what time it is, G’Kar?’

The Narn glanced over at her, shook his head. “I was up writing, not really paying attention. I can leave and come back…”

“Don’t bother,” Aelora replied, waving a hand in the air in dismissal. “I’m up already. Can I get you something?” She asked, wandering off toward the small kitchenette. “Some hot jhala, tea…a watch…”

“Some hot jhala if it is no bother,” G’Kar replied, taking a seat on the sofa. He continued to watch her as she moved around the room, fighting against the manner in which his body reacted to her so swiftly. Sometimes it seemed she teased him on purpose, testing the boundaries of his strength of will. There were times like now when she seemed so at ease with him, as if she had not once considered the ramifications of allowing a Narn into her quarters.

“Here.” Aelora handed him a cup full of the hot beverage then took a seat beside him on the couch, tucking a leg beneath her. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company at this early hour, hmm?”

G’Kar took a drink before replying. He was still uncertain how he would broach the subject he wanted to discuss with her. He was taking an enormous risk but was that not what friendship was for? And had she not said they were friends? He glanced at her surreptitiously, thinking she looked more beautiful to him at the moment than ever before, her hair tousled from sleep, her eyes slightly drowsy. She seemed vulnerable, young. “I have a question to ask you. A favor.”

“Uh oh.” She smiled. “I hate it when a friend comes asking for a favor. More often than not it means trouble. Oh don’t look at me like that, G’Kar. I am teasing you, you know.”

The Narn smiled at that, setting his cup on the table to the side of the couch. “Very well. While I was in my quarters tonight, writing – “

“Something pleasant about me, I hope,” Aelora teased.

“My fantasies are always pleasant.”

Aelora gave a light-hearted laugh causing G’Kar’s smile to broaden. “Anyway, as I was saying, I was alone in my quarters when I received a message. No, I can not say who, I must keep that private but it was a message that I have been anxiously awaiting.”

“Well what was it, G’Kar? I swear you are as bad as one of those old Earth suspense films Michael makes me watch.”

“It turns out that I have found someone willing to help me smuggle medical supplies and other much needed necessities onto Narn.”

It was not what Aelora was expecting to hear and she did little to hide her frown. Unfolding her leg from beneath her, she stood, grabbing G’Kar’s empty cup and moving back toward the kitchenette. “Much needed necessities. There wouldn’t be any weapons included in that, would there?”

G’Kar could never lie to her. “Yes. There are a few.”

Aelora slammed down the cup with a resounding bang. She gripped the edge of the counter for a moment, not feeling anger so much as frustration. Why must she always be in the middle?

“My people must be able to protect themselves, Aelora. To have hope,” G’Kar explained, noting the rising agitation in Aelora’s manner. “This is the first time in awhile that someone has been willing to offer help.”

The Human turned back to him, her eyes dark. “Why are you telling me this, G’Kar? Why?”

He sighed for a moment, looking away. “I…I came to ask for your help.”

“What?”

He stood, moving toward her. “You were so successful in sneaking onto Narn before when you brought me there that I knew you would be perfect to help again. And you are a Ranger! These are the missions you were trained for!”

“In Valen’s name, G’Kar! I am also a Centauri!” she snapped angrily. “How dare you ask me to go against my people like this!”

“I am not asking you to hurt anyone, Aelora,” he reasoned softly. “Just get us in there safely so that I can get the supplies to those who need them – “

“So that you can hand out guns to take Centauri lives!” she accused.

“Aelora – “

She held up a hand, stilling him. “No. No more. I don’t want to hear it. Excuse me while I go to change…and calm down before I do something we’ll both regret.” She turned from him then, stalking into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

G’Kar sighed. It was not going a bit the way that he had wanted but very much the way he had suspected. He listened quietly as she slammed things around, obviously taking her aggravation out on helpless toiletries. She cussed a few words in Minbari, Centauri and Basic, bringing a smile to the Narn’s face. She was such an emotional and easily infuriated creature. It was one of the many features he loved about her.

When the door opened, Aelora emerged somewhat subdued. She wore a simple black jumpsuit and slip-on shoes, her hair still a mass of tangles around her head. She sat down before a compact vanity, tugging a brush through the curly strands. Finally, she spoke:

“Look, G’Kar. I don’t mean to jump all over you. It’s just…well, it seems you took quite a risk in telling me all of this. I could so easily go to the Centauri government and – “

“But you wouldn’t,” he interjected softly.

Aelora sighed. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“I trust you, Aelora. That is why I told you.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering not for the first time when this strange friendship had begun. When she opened them again, she found G’Kar standing just behind her shoulder, watching her quietly in the mirror. “Please understand, I can’t help you, G’Kar. It would mean betraying the Centauri government, my government, aiding and abetting the enemy. I can’t, in any good conscience, do that. I want to make you happy, G’Kar. I really do. But, the things you ask of me…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “It’s too much.”

The Narn remained silent, worrying Aelora that perhaps she had hurt him more than she wanted. To her surprise though, he reached out a hand toward the brush. “May I?” he asked gently.

Aelora was uncertain how to respond, quietly handing him the brush, turning to face forward when he motioned her to do so. Delicately, with more care than Aelora had ever felt from another being, G’Kar began stroking the brush through her hair. He brushed it curl by curl, removing each and every tangle with painstaking ministrations. Aelora found herself become intoxicated by the feeling of his hands in her hair, lightly massaging her scalp, never once pulling the strands or exerting any kind of pressure. She closed her eyes, allowing her defenses to fall, relaxing completely under his hands. She felt so safe suddenly, so protected…so loved. Unbidden, she found herself asking a question that had plagued her for the past week:

“G’Kar, what does…shon’Ur mean?”

His hands stilled for a moment, causing Aelora’s eyes to open, her gaze focusing on him in the mirror. “G’Kar?”

The Narn returned his attention to the tangles, answering after a moment. “Roughly translated it would mean…treasured…beloved.”

Aelora swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat. No one had ever referred to her in such a manner before and she was instantly humbled by the emotions his admission caused in her. She did not wish to cause him discomfort though, so she simply nodded at his definition of the word and relaxed under his touch once more. She watched him quietly as he continued brushing her hair, until it was tangle-free, the strands snapping with electricity and reflecting the subtle lights of the room. After a moment, he let the hand that held the brush fall to his side while the other reached up to gingerly insert itself into the mass of curls, running his fingers through it languidly. The Human felt herself reclining back against him, her heartbeat thudding loudly in her chest. She realized she wanted to feel his mouth against hers again, she wanted to fall asleep and have him press his lips to hers. Only this time she would not awaken, she would allow herself to become lost in the feeling, never succumbing to reality. Her thoughts terrified her. How could her mind betray her so?

She jumped up from her seat, almost upsetting the vanity in her movement, causing G’Kar to jump back, eyeing her curiously.

“Shon – Aelora, are you alright?”

“I…” Aelora shook away the sudden urge to run and gathered her wits back around her. “Yes. It’s just…Food! I’m hungry, how about you? Why don’t we go grab an early breakfast, hmmm?”

G’Kar regarded the Human for a long moment, wondering if he would ever understand her and her rapidly changing moods. He shrugged. “If that is what you wish.”

Aelora nodded. Being in public, around a crowd, was safe. She would not be forced to think then, would not be forced to face the changing emotions and thoughts within her. She would be able to bury the rising voice; the one that was calling out incessantly with a need that frightened her beyond the capacity to reason. The voice that seemed to remind her, over and over again, how very much she wanted to forget that G’Kar was a Narn.

Aelora was returning to her quarters from the station library where she had checked out a few more books on Earth’s history. She found herself particularly fascinated by the twentieth century history as well as that of the creation of Psi Corps. So wrapped up in her thoughts, Aelora was not paying attention to her surroundings, slamming face first into what she considered to be a less-than-soft roadblock. Strong arms pushed her back forcefully and she was about to tell her roadblock of his rudeness when she looked up and realized who it was. Aelora pursed her lips.

“I knew you had arrived when the dark cloud settled over the station,” she greeted in a dry tone.

Neroon raised his brow at the young Human before him. “You mean Terann has not wised up and killed you yet?”

Aelora smiled at that. “Pleasure to see you as well, Neroon. Are you here on vacation or an assassination attempt?”

The Warrior leaned back on his heels, looking down at the Human telepath with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. “I find myself wondering which of you taught the other to speak with such a smart mouth – you or Terann.”

“Oh I taught her,” came the bright reply. “She was simply a timid little Minbari until she met me.”

Neroon’s expression told her without words what he thought of that comment.

Aelora found herself wondering what Terann saw in this rude, overbearing excuse for a male. G’Kar was much more pleasing to be around. Whenever Aelora encountered the Warrior, she always found herself wanting to knock him down a few pegs. He just wore that mantle of self-absorbed arrogance around him that rubbed her the wrong way. Then again, maybe Terann knew something about him that she did not. Maybe somewhere, under the frowning and boorish attitude, there was a pleasant, friendly Minbari.

Then again, Aelora believed more in flying spoo.

“So I see you are still pretending to be a Ranger,” Neroon commented snidely, his eyes roaming over her uniform in distaste. When last he had spoken with Durhann, the Warrior had actually praised this particular Human’s abilities, calling her a credit to her race. The only thing Neroon could attribute such a comment to was that the older Warrior had gone soft in the head, or he had spent too much time among those in the Religious caste.

“You don’t like the Ranger’s, do you?”

Neroon grunted at the question. “The Anla’shok are meant to be Warriors, to be led and taught by the Warrior caste. To see a Religious caste as Entil’zah is…insulting. To see Human’s where only Minbari should be is nauseating. You only corrupt our sacred laws and make a mockery of what it means to be a Ranger.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” Aelora retorted, a wave of recklessness washing over her. It seemed like a lifetime since her last hand-to-hand combat and that had been only a minor tussle back on Narn – without her denn’bok. The corridor was empty at the moment and it seemed the perfect time to make the arrogant Minbari eat his words.

Neroon regarded the Human thoughtfully for a long moment, beginning to understand what it was that drew Terann to her. Such foolhardiness was absurd but also showed a prodigious amount of spirit. It promised a lack of boredom within any friendship. The Warrior nodded to her slightly, indicating that he was more than prepared to submit the challenge, and quickly pulled his denn’bok into his hand.

The slight movement was more than Aelora needed. Knowing that the Minbari before her was much stronger than she was, and that his strength did not inhibit his mobility in the least, she knew she had to move quickly if she were to have any chance of defeating him in combat. So it was with lightning speed that she grabbed her weapon, opened it and moved in a downward sweeping arc, slamming the pike hard into the Warrior’s shins. Neroon stumbled at the contact, his ire building at the Human’s first strike and he whipped around behind her, hitting her square in the back, forcing her face first into the bulkhead. He moved to swing at her again but she dropped below his weapon, rolling out of the way only to sweep her feet under his, succeeding in bringing him to the ground with her. Aelora was back onto her feet in a flash, driving the tip of her pike into his shoulder forcefully. Neroon grunted at the impact then kicked out with his feet, catching her in her stomach and pushing her back from him, giving him time to once more regain his stance. They came at one another head on then, the impact of their denn’boks ringing throughout the corridor. The next few moments the two weapons repeatedly struck one another, neither gaining ground. Aelora found herself beginning to tire under the onslaught, and knew she had to do something quickly to end the fight before he had the chance to wear her down completely. Neroon’s spreading smile signaled that he knew of her rising exhaustion.

The blast of PPG fire caused the combatants to jump away from one another, only to find Zack Allen and two Narn security personnel watching them in displeasure.

“Just what in the hell is going on here?” Zack demanded, his gaze roaming over Neroon only to settle on Aelora. “Did he attack you?”

Aelora closed her weapon, shaking her head. “No.”

Zack frowned, looked at Neroon. “Did she attack you?”

The Minbari likewise closed his pike, slipping it away into his uniform. “No.”

“Then what the hell were you two doing?” Zack barked, prepared to drag them both to holding cells just on principal.

“It was…an experiment,” Aelora replied, reaching around to rub her hand against her back, which still ached, from the hard blow she took.

Zack appeared confused. “You were beating one another up for an experiment?”

Aelora glanced over at Neroon, who met her gaze briefly then turned to regard the security officer. “After a fashion,” the Warrior commented.

Zack shook his head, wondering not for the first time why Garibaldi had seen fit to disappear and leave him in charge of all of the crazies who inhabited the station. He turned to the two Narn guards. “Make sure he gets back to his ship – without causing trouble.” He then turned back to Aelora. “And you. Come with me.”

Aelora tried very hard to suppress her smile at Zack’s frustration, glancing back briefly to find Neroon watching her. She raised her hand in a mock salute, receiving a nod in reply before the Warrior turned and moved off toward his ship. The Ranger then fell in step beside Zack who was currently muttering something about freaks and full moons.

“That was stupid,” Zack commented after a bit to the young woman beside him.

“What was?”

“Picking a fight with that Minbari. If I hadn’t have shown up when I did, we would have ended up scraping you off the floor.”

Aelora shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. I can take care of myself.”

“Yah. Right back into MedLab.”

Aelora pursed her lips at the last comment and decided to let it drop. She glanced around surreptitiously for a moment before asking, “So where is your buddy?”

Zack seemed confused for a moment before he realized whom she was talking about. “Oh, you mean Ashlen.”

“Yah. That’s her.” Aelora tried to affect a nonchalant tone. “I haven’t seen her around lately.”

“She had some family emergency,” Zack offered candidly. “She left to return to Mars shortly after you and Terann went to Minbar.”

“For good?” Aelora asked hopefully.

Zack cast her a sidelong glance. “I don’t believe so.” Then, “You two friends?”

“I don’t know if I would use that term to describe our relationship,” she answered. A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over and Aelora stumbled, almost coming to her knees before Zack reached out to grab and steady her.

“Are you all right?”

Aelora nodded, wincing at the pain that was suddenly shooting through her head. She knew it could be attributed to the affects of the Sleepers and though she was tempted to go back to MedLab, she refrained from doing so. “Yah. I’m just coming down with something I think. If you don’t mind, I am just going to go back to my quarters and get some rest.” She paused and looked at Zack who was regarding her with a frown. “That is unless I am under arrest?”

“Why?…Oh no! Of course not,” he insisted with a shake of his head. “Do you want me to contact MedLab?”

“No. I am fine. Really. Just…tired.” It was hard for Aelora to admit to herself that perhaps Stephen had been right. She fervently hoped that the queasiness and pain would evaporate quickly and her body would adjust to the effects of the Sleepers. She could not imagine ever getting used to the feelings that were sweeping over her. Even worse was wondering how it would affect her performance as a Ranger. What if this spell had hit her during the spar with Neroon? She offered a ragged smile to Zack. “Don’t look at me like that. Go back to work. Police the station. Make certain the Narns haven’t destroyed anything in their attempt to learn how to plug a cord into a socket.”

Any concern Zack may have felt for the young Ranger quickly vanished. He had heard rumors of her hatred toward the Narn race, but he had also seen her around the station with G’Kar so it had been difficult for him to believe. But her current comment shattered all doubt in his mind. He suddenly found himself wondering what her motives behind her relationship with G’Kar really were. Had anyone considered that she could be spying for the Centauri? Zack flashed a frown at her and walked off without a word.

Aelora raised a brow at his behavior. Now what could that have been about? She shook her head, fighting back another bout of dizziness, forcing back the need to simply curl into a tiny ball there in the corridor and go to sleep. She turned toward the direction of her quarters, moving slowly, wondering if she would ever understand the behavior patterns of some of the inhabitants of Babylon 5.

The chime of the door pulled Aelora from her reading, and she briefly wondered if she would ever finish her study on Earth’s history with the continued interruptions.
“Hang on,” she called out, stuffing the book in a nearby drawer, quickly tossing clothes that were draped over the couch and chairs into the closet, then hurrying over to the door and punching in her personal code to deactivate the lock.

The door hissed open to reveal the last person in the galaxy she expected to see. With dark hair elegantly coifed and dressed in his world’s latest fashion, the man before her bowed dramatically, flashing a fallacious smile at her.

“Rane…what an unexpected surprise,” Aelora stammered, moving forward to greet her cousin.

The Centauri grabbed her in a tighter than necessary hug and kissed her cheek. “What a dear you are.” He pulled back, playing with a lock of her hair, a frown forming briefly on his face before he forced the smile back once more. “I hope you do not mind that we have dropped in unannounced. By the way, these here are my traveling companions, Marki and Lan.”

The two men nodded to Aelora politely but she could do no more than stare at her cousin in consternation. “What are you doing here?” She demanded.

Rane moved away from her, roaming about her quarters until he found the decanter of bravari, helping himself and his friends to a glass of it. Finally he turned back to Aelora to answer her question. “Actually, I am here to deliver some very distressing news.”

“Mother and father are alright aren’t they?” Aelora asked, immediately concerned for her foster parents.

Rane waved a hand in dismissal. “Lord and Lady Kyra are fine.”

She blew a breath of relief. “Then what is so important that you could not have simply called?”

Her cousin moved leisurely over to the couch where he spent the next few moments attempting to get comfortable. Marki and Lan hovered in the background, silent, watchful, their gazes missing nothing. Aelora had a sneaking suspicion that they were palace guards from their behavior. Their simple presence made her uncomfortable and she found herself spending most of her energy attempting to pretend that they were not there.

“I came to tell you about my dear brother, Tiro.”

Aelora forgot his hovering friends. “What is wrong with Tiro?”

Rane shrugged. “He’s dead.”

“Dead?” Aelora slowly lowered herself into a chair, her gaze fixed on Rane. “How?”

Rane took a drink form his bravari. “Emperor Cartagia had him executed.”

“Great Maker! Whatever for?”

“Treason.”

“Treason?” Aelora scoffed at the idea. “Why Tiro would never have –“

“He was helping the Narns, cousin,” Rane explained, cutting her off. “Oh yes. Loyal, brave Tiro, the hero of the House of Kyra, was a traitor. A traitor to his Emperor, a traitor to his people, a traitor to his family…”

Aelora allowed the information a moment to digest. She remembered how different he had seemed when she had last seen him, how he had spoken of regretting his actions in the bombing of the Narn homeworld, how he had turned the other cheek at his knowledge of her using his ship to sneak G’Kar onto Narn. It all made sense now.

“What…What was he doing?”

Rane swirled his drink around in his glass as he spoke, his right leg casually draped and bouncing over the left. He appeared to be speaking of nothing so important as the latest shipment of spoo. “Oh various crimes such as smuggling refugees off of Narn, smuggling supplies and weapons back onto Narn. It is rumored he is even responsible for smuggling two spies onto Narn which ended in the deaths of Lord Refa and three guards.”

Aelora was proud of how well she hid her reaction to that bit of information. She noticed how all three were watching her closely, gauging her reactions to everything her cousin spoke of. It was as if she was on trial and she could not understand why. Had someone spoken of seeing her on the Ilaws? She had no other communication with Tiro in the past three years other than the trip to Narn. Certainly they did not suspect her of being connected to him and his activities?

Rane continued after a few moments of the silence. “Needless to say, dear cousin, the House of Kyra is in disfavor in court. Many are whispering of the family’s loyalty to the Emperor and to Centauri Prime. As you can well imagine, every member of this family must be very careful and cautious in their dealings. We must mind what we say, how we say it and who we say it to or…well, we could all wind up suffering the same fate as my dear brother.”

“What does this have to so with me?” Aelora questioned her suspicions mounting. “I am not in the Centauri Court. I have not been a part of the Centauri Court for almost a decade.”

Her cousin glanced back at his companions who only continued to watch her silently. He leaned forward then, placing his empty glass on the nearby table. He fixed a blue-eyed gaze on her, pinning her to her seat. “There have been rumors, Aelora…Rumors of a certain association of yours. Unfortunately these…rumors…have reached the ears of the Emperor.”

The strength of her composure impressed even Aelora. But then, there was a lot at stake here, not the least of which were the lives of both her and G’Kar. A mask she had not worn in over ten years quickly fell over her face, one that was capable of any lie, any exaggeration to get what she wanted or needed. It was a face that said she cared about very little except prestige and excitement and herself and to hell with everyone and everything else. It was a mask that had taken her years to rid herself of.

“And just what association would that be, dear cousin,” she drawled back at him, her expression coy.

It was obvious that Rane did not trust her. The feeling was mutual.

“It is said that you are seen often in the company of a certain Narn, Citizen G’Kar, to be exact. The last of the Kha’Ri.”

Aelora took a moment to decide how best to reply. Finally, she affected a flirtatious smile. “And if I am, what of it? You know what they say about the Narn anatomy…”

Rane jumped to his feet, his expression fierce. “Great Maker, Aelora! Do not play these games with me!” He moved over to her quickly, grabbing her by her arms and lifting her from the chair before she could react. He shook her hard. “Are these rumors true?” He shook her again. “Are they?!”

“Yes!” Aelora ground out quickly, realizing she had only one chance to protect G’Kar. She underestimated Rane’s reaction though. His hand came around before she could move and he slapped her hard across the cheek, the force of the strike pushing her back against the wall. He was coming at her again when she called out, “But it’s not how it seems!”

The Centauri hesitated, eyeing her suspiciously. “And how does it seem, cousin?”

Aelora felt her ire rising. How dare he come into her life and turn everything upside down within the space of minutes! She had finally discovered a place to belong, a place where she felt safe, a place where she might finally discover who her real self was. But the Kyra’s would not allow that to happen. Somehow, someway, they would force themselves back into her life.

“I…I befriended G’Kar to spy on him.”

Rane stilled, his expression saying he wanted to believe her but was as of yet unwilling. “Spy on him? You?”

“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

“No, none that is glaringly apparent.” He paused, eyeing her critically. Then, “Except, of course, that you are Human. And Humans are known to sympathize with those beneath them.”

Aelora felt a growing need to gouge his eyes out. It had never occurred to her how petty some of the Centauri could be. Was it simply Rane’s generation? Did it stem from the fact that they had missed out on Centauri Prime’s glory days and now, with nothing better to do, they built themselves up by tearing others down?

“Besides which,” her cousin continued with a sneer. “You are a Ranger. Which means you are a do-gooder.”

The Ranger jumped on that slim thread. “Exactly. Which means I have been trained to spy, to weed out information from others. And, because I am a Ranger and – as you so appropriately put it, a sympathetic Human – G’Kar has come to trust me. To believe that I would never bring him to harm, never betray him. It has been the perfect ruse. He thinks I am his friend.”

Rane raised a brow at this, casting a glance at Marki and Lan. When he looked back at Aelora she could tell he was considering the information carefully. “If I were to believe you, cousin, I would need proof.”

Proof? How was she to supply him with any proof? It was not as if she carried a card around with her that established her as a first class snitch. So what did he expect? References? She looked at him quizzically for a moment before he told her:

“Information, Aelora. If you are such a wonderful spy, surely you have something of note to report?” Rane folded his arms across his chest, watching her closely.

Aelora fought back the panic that threatened to rise. She knew of only one thing she could tell him and to do so would betray G’Kar beyond belief. She could not do that to him, under any circumstances. He was her friend and as unwilling as she was to admit to it, she cared about what happened to him.

“I will remind you, Aelora,” Rane commented, examining his fingernails as if he had all the time in the world to remain in her quarters and chat. “With the Kyra House being so unstable in the Court, the family will do anything to protect its standing. Do you understand, cousin? Anything. Citizen G’Kar may be under Earth’s protection here on the station but, should we discover that you are lying to us, that you have indeed developed a friendship with the Narn…Well, accidents will happen, my dear. They can and they will.”

His threat was clear. Aelora quickly realized she had no choice but to tell him about the medical and arms shipment to Narn that G’Kar had coordinated. It was her only recourse; else his life would be forfeit. Could she truly live with that on her conscience? She did not even need to answer that one in her mind. And she could make it up to him. She would use the Rangers to get more supplies to Narn, somehow…

“There’s a shipment going in tonight.”

Rane instantly became business-like. “Details.”

Aelora gave him a hard look. “I want certain assurances first.”

“Do you really think you are in the position to demand –“

She realized it was time to dispose of the fragile shell she had somehow developed during her time away from Centauri Prime. Her eyes narrowing, Aelora stepped up to her cousin, her voice cold when she spoke. “You listen to me, Rane. I am sick and tired of your threats. How dare you come here and attempt to push me around! I am not some little court-raised Centauri girl who withers under a harsh voice. If you want to play tough, I’m game. There is plenty that I know about you that I am certain Emperor Cartagia would love to hear about.” She caught the widening of his eyes before he could stop it and knew she had called her bluff perfectly. “If I decide you are worthy of handing this information to – which you know will further your standing in the court should you succeed in ambushing it – you will follow my instructions carefully.

“No one is to be harmed, Rane. Is that understood? No! No questions, no buts! I have seen enough death in the past few weeks to last me a lifetime. I think the Shadows are busy enough running around the galaxy murdering people that they don’t need help from the Centauri. You go in, you stop the shipment and you take prisoners. Are we in agreement?”

Rane considered the young woman before him. Whatever might be said about Humans, they certainly were resilient, and this one was no exception. She had also learned well from her time on Centauri Prime. While he did not completely believe her story about spying on the Narn, he was intrigued by the desperation with which she was attempting to protect him. There was something there, something he could not quite pinpoint. He would have to warn the Emperor and, in the mean time, he meant to keep an eye on his little cousin.

“Very well, Aelora. I agree. No one will be harmed. Now, details, if you please.”

The Human sighed. For a moment she was desperately wishing she had not taken the Sleepers – she wanted to know what Rane was thinking. She wanted to scan all of them. Without those abilities though, she realized she would have to rely on instinct, and instinct told her that Rane still did not fully trust her. She was left with little ground to stand on but to tell them the information she had been given, in good faith, by G’Kar. She began telling them everything she knew, watching in frustration as Marki entered all of it into his datapad. She gave him the name of the Captain, a Human who had often worked with the Rangers, as well as that of the Narn ship that would rendezvous with them. She knew the exact location but only an approximate time. During her breakfast with G’Kar, he had simply been too pleased of his success in securing the shipment for her to reprimand him further. So she had allowed him to talk, and he had told her just about everything. Rane told Marki to contact homeworld immediately to get a ship in place and his two silent companions hurried out the door to put things in motion.

Rane turned back to Aelora, flashing an unfriendly smile. “We should know by morning whether or not you are lying, Aelora.”

“I told you the truth,” she snapped, feeling suddenly nauseous. She just wanted him to leave, so that she no longer had to look at his face.

“We will see.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek he had recently hit. He whispered in her ear, “Because if you are not, I will enjoy a new pair of Narn skin boots.” Shoving past her, he disappeared out the door.

Aelora dropped into the nearby chair, shaking. She had never felt so sickened in her entire life. Was there something she had forgotten? Were all of the Kyra’s this way? It could not be possible. She remembered being spoiled by her parents, wanting for nothing, and having them boast of her intelligence and beauty. Lady Kyra used to sing her to sleep at night and Lord Kyra would set her on his shoulders and carry her about the gardens. Her childhood had been one of love and beauty, right? Not all of this hatred and killing. She rubbed a hand across her eyes, mentally worn from the standoff with her cousin and physically tired. For the past week, she found her body growing tired and weak much more quickly than ever before. Aelora could only attribute it to her body attempting to heal itself from the wounds she received during her battle with Terann.

But that had been over two weeks ago…

She shook her head, standing to her feet, her mind still focused on her worry for G’Kar. Certainly her cousin would find that she had not lied about the shipment and the Narn would be safe. For now. But what about later? Rane and the Emperor would expect her to continue her work, bringing them information G’Kar had trusted her enough to tell her. She would not consciously betray him. She could never do that. But she would have little choice. Aelora spread out across her bed, hugging her pillow tightly to herself. It was useless to worry about it. If they did demand that she continue to spy on G’Kar, she could simply supply them will false information. Hopefully, they would eventually grow tired of the misinformation and no longer bother her.

The Human closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax. Nothing would go wrong, she told herself, willing her body to relax. Surely it would take days for G’Kar to learn of the ambush and by then, maybe she will have been able to discuss the situation with Terann, formulating a new plan. If all else failed, Aelora knew she would willingly go off the Sleepers if it were needed to scare off the Emperor.

She had successfully protected G’Kar and for now that was all that mattered.

Terann knelt in silent repose before the burning candles, her head bent in meditation. The past week had gone by like a blur for her and she was using these precious few moments to herself to put everything in order. The time spent among her own, along with the time spent in the presence of Neroon, had reminded her of one very important thing: how lonely and alone she truly was. She missed being among the Minbari, wished that she had the chance to be accepted by them, to return to the place that should have been her home. Like Aelora though, she remained an orphan, homeless, displaced, unaccepted. The difference was she knew it and she wanted to change it. Aelora on the other hand had no idea that something was missing from her life and perhaps she was lucky. For then she did not know the sorrow that accompanied it.

Then there was the problem of Neroon. Once, on Minbar, Aelora had accused her of having feelings for the Warrior. Terann had scoffed at the idea but the past week in such close proximity with him had caused her to question both her mind and her heart. She knew that when she was near him she felt more alive, as if every molecule within her were burning like fire. When they were apart, it was as if something were missing. Even his attitude toward her had changed, as if he finally accepted her as one of his own, his trust and belief in her were real.

And this terrified Terann. For what if he ever learned the truth? What if he had truly come to care for her only to then learn that everything about her life was a lie, that she herself was a travesty to the Minbari race? He would hate her, and she would not be able to accept that. She had dealt with humiliations and ignorance all of her life but from him, from someone who’s respect and understanding truly meant something, she could not handle such pain. Of course the odds of Neroon ever learning the truth of her origins were miniscule at best, but the chance still lingered and it was something that haunted her. A few weeks ago, Terann would have sworn she had come to terms with who and what she was, that she was comfortable with her place in the universe and the things she was meant to do. Now she found herself questioning her very existence, questioning the reason behind the Vorlons’ creation, questioning her role in the lives of those around her. What would her life had been had she simply been born Minbari? Born and raised among the Warrior caste, serving her people, marrying, having someone with which to share her innermost secrets, of which there would have been very few. For a brief moment she allowed herself to consider what life, as Neroon’s mate, would be like. The thought brought a soft smile to her face, but it was as filled with sorrow as it was with joy.

The chiming of her door pulled Terann from her reverie. Automatically she reached out with her mind, touching on that of the being outside her door. She tensed upon realization that it was Neroon. It was a foolish reaction and she immediately chided herself for feeling it. A friendship had grown between herself and the Warrior and she knew she had nothing to fear from. Leaning forward, she gently blew out the flames of the candles then gathered her skirts about her and gracefully stood.

“Enter,” she called out.

The door swooshed open and Neroon walked in, the usual air of electricity that seemed to surround him when he entered a room present. He glanced at the still smoking candle then raised his brow at Terann but refrained from commenting. During the past week he had learned that her teachings among the Religious caste still clung to her but did not distract from the true Warrior that lived in Terann’s heart. If he had learned one thing about the beautiful female that stood before him, it was that she was more Minbari then even the staunchest among them. She was not Religious nor Warrior nor Worker but seemed to be a mixture of all the castes. A true Minbari, if there ever were such a thing.

“Neroon,” she spoke his name quietly, with just the right amount of respect and yet still that simple tone that inferred she was no less than he was. “I am surprised to see you. I thought the Ingata was scheduled to leave?”

“It is,” he replied as he moved about her room, glancing at the various objects that hinted at her displacement in the galaxy. “I came to say goodbye…and thank you.”

Terann thought she succeeded fairly well at masking her surprise. She could do little more than nod her head, replying, “I need no thanks. It was my pleasure to help my people, to be among them for a time.”

Neroon nodded, though he appeared slightly distracted. He was staring at a silver bracelet, a gift he knew that was from the Human telepath Aelora. “Why do you stay here?” He asked of her suddenly.

Terann was taken aback by the question. She regarded Neroon for a long moment, mentally figuring in her mind how best to reply. Finally, she answered, “That is not a simple question, Neroon. Nor is it fair. I have garnered friends in my time here, friends that I would not abandon. I have promised to help in the fight against the darkness. I cannot go back on my word. It was –“ She was about to say it was what she was created to do but quickly stopped herself. “It is my calling,” she finished simply.

The Warrior frowned, his dark eyes probing her green ones. “What about you, Terann? Is this what you want? To remain here? I have yet to hear you say that you are here because you have chosen to be."

Terann broke away from his gaze, reaching down to pick up the candles, spending the next few moments replacing them to their respective shelves. When she turned back to Neroon her expression appeared poignant, reflective.

“Where would you have me go, Neroon? To Minbar? You know as well as I that I do not belong there, that I am unwelcome. I do not agree with the Religious caste, so I am a dissident among them. I am unaccepted by the Warrior caste, so I am an outcast. I have no ties with the Worker caste and can only covet the closeness they share. What would you have me do, Neroon?”

He turned, moving around the room restlessly, his brow furrowed. “You are strong, Terann. I have seen that these past few days. You made my crew accept you, you won their respect –“

“Those of the Worker caste.”

“All of them!” He snapped, his tone indicating that he would not argue. “If you came back to Minbar…I would stand by you.”

Terann forced back the gratification she felt at his simple offer. It was an enormous step for him, for Neroon was as proud a Warrior as she had ever met. He was loyal to his people, to their customs, beliefs. For him to promise something so against everything he stood for as a Minbari meant more to her than she could possibly convey.

“Thank you for your kindness, Neroon.” She forced a smile. “But I know how dangerous an offer would be to your career. If I were to return, I would certainly not need such a sacrifice. I am strong.”

Neroon flashed a rare smile. “Of that I am aware, Terann.” There was a brief silence then the Warrior straightened, and Terann knew that he was about to take his leave. “Well, perhaps you will change your mind. Until then, I thank you again, Terann. Your assistance has been most…appreciated.”

The telepath smiled as he moved toward the door when a sudden thought occurred to her. “Neroon?”

“Yes?” He stopped just before the door, turning to regard her.

“I had meant to ask – but so much has happened – was your telepath killed in the attack? If so, have you been able to replace them?”
Terann did not need to feel the confusion emanating from Neroon at the question. It was blatantly visible on his face. “What telepath? What are you talking about? There are no telepaths on the Ingata.”

The female frowned. “No telepaths? That is foolish, Neroon. You put your entire crew in jeopardy by ignoring such a needed defense.”

“Needed defense?” Neroon shook his head. “You are making no sense, Terann. What defense could a telepath possibly provide?”

“Against the Shadows!”

The Warrior’s disbelief washed over her in waves and Terann came to the sickening realization that he did not know. And if Neroon did not know, it was possible none of the Warrior caste knew. Thousands of Minbari lives were at risk because Delenn had never seen fit to tell them, to warn them, her own people!

“What good could a telepath be against the Shadows?” Neroon asked.

Terann shook, her anger mounting, clenching and unclenching her hands into fists at her sides. “Telepaths can repel the Shadows. The Shadows grow weak near them, can not fight with their normal ability. Everyone has been alerted to the precaution of carrying a telepath with them on their ships.”

The muscle in Neroon’s jaw twitched. “Everyone but myself and the rest of the Warrior caste.”

Terann only nodded in reply.

“And who saw fit to leave this important piece of information away from the ears of the Warrior caste?”

The telepath took a deep breath, knowing she could not mention Delenn’s name to Neroon for fear of him tearing the station apart searching for her. Then what he did to her once he found her she could not allow to happen, not when his life would then be at risk.

“I will take care of this,” she told him, casting him an angry glare when he began to argue. “Get to the Ingata and get your crew ready to leave but wait for me.”

“Wait for you?” Neroon grabbed her arm as she attempted to pass him on the way out of her quarters. “Wait for you? Why?”

She fixed him with a level stare. “Because, I am going with you.”

Aelora watched the handsome young doctor as he ran a scanner over her, his brow furrowing as he watched the screen. It was her first check up since she had taken the Sleepers and she was there to receive her now weekly injection, and so far, Dr. Franklin had not seemed very pleased. That was her impression anyhow by the frequent frowns and uncharacteristic silence. He had taken a blood sample twice, and poked and prodded her so much she was beginning to feel like a pincushion. Unable to remain silent any longer she asked:

“Well?”

Stephen glanced over at her, his gaze searching. “How have you been feeling the past week, Aelora? Have you slept well? Been eating?”

She shrugged. “Fine, I guess. I mean, I’ve been a little more tired than usual, though I have slept quite a bit. More than normal in fact. And yes I have been eating exactly as you instructed, Stephen. Three meals a day, plenty of fruits and vegetables, little fat. Why?”

The frown reappeared. “I’m not sure but…” He paused, regarding the scanner once more. “Has anyone spoken with you about going off the Sleepers yet?”

Aelora tensed at that, her eyes narrowed. “No. Sheridan decided to run off and save the galaxy before telling me anything more. Will you please tell me why you keep frowning and asking me irrelevant questions?”

“I would prefer not to give you another injection, Aelora.”

“I see.” Aelora folded her arms over her chest and fixed the doctor with a hard expression. “I don’t believe you have a choice in the matter. Commander Ivanova –“

“Susan is much too concerned about the Captain’s disappearance to worry about what you’re doing.”

Aelora ran a hand through her curls, pausing a moment to think. Certainly the idea of regaining her telepathic abilities was tempting – too tempting. The fear of losing control still hovered at the back of her mind, reminding her now and again of the horrible things of which she was capable. She knew she had caused her friends enough pain already, G’Kar especially so, and she could not imagine harming them physically as well. Besides, the message had never told her for exactly how long she was to take the Sleepers – perhaps she were to remain on them the rest of her life. No, she was not about to take any chances, not when she had come so far, accomplished so much.

“Stephen –“

“Aelora, look,” the doctor began, pulling up a chair to sit in front of her. “I’m worried that the drug may be having some adverse effects on you. Your blood count is down, brain wave activity is fluctuating well below the norm – your body was one of the strongest I have seen just a few weeks ago and now…” He shook his head. “I’m worried. I can’t say what will happen if this continues but you could get sick, Aelora. Very, very sick.”

“And you’re certain that this can be attributed to the Sleepers?” She demanded.

He seemed taken aback by the question, glancing at his data once more then back at her. “Well, no. It’s not a certainty. But from my best possible analysis ---“

“Best possible analysis?” She laughed without humor. “Really, Stephen. I am not putting this station in danger because of a hunch. Please, just give me the injection. You know where to find me and I will be here regularly so you can keep an eye on me.” At his silence, she quipped, “Would you rather I find someone in Down Below willing to provide me with the drug?”

“That isn’t fair,” Stephen sighed in resignation, knowing he would give into her wishes before allowing her to risk her life on the word of some creep in Down Below out to make a quick buck.

“No, it isn’t.” She rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm. “Well?”

The doctor turned from her, silently cursing Psi Corps creation of the Sleepers in the first place. He had no definite proof but he was certain that the drug was adversely affecting Aelora much worse than it would a normal telepath. He wondered if it could be attributed to something that the Shadows had done to her but knew that she would not agree to any further tests. In some ways he could understand her thinking but he still worried and made a promise to himself to keep a close eye on her health.

When he turned back he was silent as he administered the injection to her, ignoring her wince of pain as it hissed into her. “I want you to return in two days, Aelora, for a full work up – no objections, is that clear?”

The red head forced a smile. “Sure, doc. Whatever you say. I really don’t mean to be difficult. I just…” She shrugged. “I have no where else to go.”

Stephen shook his head. “Sometimes it may seem that way, but it is very rarely true.”

Aelora left the MedLab with those words on her mind. She seriously doubted that Stephen could truly understand what she had meant by that. She had no desire to return to Centauri Prime, to be forced to end her newfound friendship with G’Kar by doing so. There was no point to returning to Minbar – the Entilzah was here, on Babylon 5, and the simple fact of being Human meant she was not very welcome back on the home planet of the Minbari. Too, it would mean a great deal of memories that she would rather not face, not until she understood where her father had disappeared to and why he had left. And Earth…well, she had never once been there anyway, so she certainly could not return. So that left Babylon 5, her new home, a place where she was unwelcome because she was considered dangerous, a threat. Sometimes she considered simply disappearing in a transport and traveling the galaxy but that seemed too cowardly an option. If she did not learn to stay in one place, she would never find a place to call home.

Aelora found her way amongst the vendors in the Zocalo, asking herself not for the first time when she would finally get to back to her missions for the Rangers. Dr. Franklin had insisted that she was not ready to return to her work, so she had to force herself with being content wandering around the Zocalo and spending hours talking to G’Kar. Surprisingly, it had been the last activity from which she had derived the most pleasure. He had told her about much of his life: being born into slavery, the first Centauri he killed, his position as Ambassador and how he had attempted to offer help in the Earth/Minbari war, the recent war with the Centauri, his attack on Londo under the influence of dust and subsequent jail term. He had been exceptionally frank with her, answering the questions she had asked without hesitation. After their argument regarding her remaining prejudice against his race, Aelora worried that he would never be truly at ease around her again. But obviously, like her, G’Kar had realized that there were certain differences between them that could never be bridged. It hurt Aelora to know that she had disappointed him but there was little help for it. They were simply too different.

Now the only cloud that still hung over her life was that of her visiting cousin. His threat the day before had not been made lightly. Aelora knew that her continued friendship with G’Kar was dangerous to the Narn but was reluctant to end it. She had locked his love for her away in a secret part of her heart that she would never allow anyone to know or see. No one had ever cared for her as he did and she could not let go so easily. Narn or not, G’Kar had come to mean more to her than she could ever admit.

The Zocalo was even busier than usual, recent refugees from the Shadow attacks mingling with the station’s regular inhabitants had caused an enormous press of beings throughout the area. Aelora kept her eyes open, knowing that a thief could easily have their choice of merchandise in such a throng. She stopped by a jeweler’s stall, her eyes wandering over the various necklaces when she felt a hand at her elbow. She turned to find G’Kar beside her, his expression grim. A flood of unease assailed her as she realized, though it was early, he appeared to have learned about the ambushed arms shipment.

“May I speak with you, Aelora?”

She glanced at the vendor. “I’ll be back.” She then nodded to G’Kar, following him toward the edge of the aisle.

Once they were out of earshot, G’Kar spoke, “A few days ago I mentioned an arms shipment to you. Do you remember?”

Aelora worried her lower lip for a moment before replying, “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“You did not, by any chance, let that information slip to anyone, did you?” He asked anxiously. “I mean, I’m certain you would not on purpose but perhaps by accident, without thinking…”

Aelora glanced away from G’Kar, wondering how best to reply. She knew that she could simply tell him no, she had never mentioned it to anyone, and he would take her at her word. The subject would be dropped and he would never suspect her again. That was how much faith G’Kar seemed to have in her, how much he loved her. Never had she known such concern or caring from anyone before. It had frightened and confused her. The Centauri had taught her that Narns were incapable of such emotions, that like all lower life forms they did everything from instinct, and their only instinct was savagery. Now Aelora understood that this belief was simply untrue. Not only were G’Kar’s feelings for her a revelation but also the fact that he still felt them after all she had done and said to him. For this first time since the death of her mother, Aelora was beginning to understand what it felt to be offered unconditional love. And this from a Narn.

“Shon’Ur?” G’Kar questioned her again.

His use of the endearment tugged at her. She was about to deny having even thought of the shipment since he had first mentioned it when she noticed her cousin, Rane, standing off to the right with Lan and Marki. At their watchful gazes, a horrible realization set in. If she lied to G’Kar now, if she denied any involvement in the ambush on the arm’s shipment, G’Kar would continue to care for her, continue to want to be near her. And that, in turn, meant that she would have to continue to spy on him because her cousins would expect it – or G’Kar’s life would be forfeit. Aelora could not allow that. For as much as she refused to face her reasons or explore her own feelings, she could never allow harm to come to G’Kar, not when she had the power to stop it. Nor would she pay back his love for her by using him.

Aelora turned back to the Narn, her friend no matter how much she denied it, hesitating for one last moment. I’m sorry it has to be this way, G’Kar, she thought sadly. Perhaps, years from now, you will find it in your heart to forgive me. If only…

“As a matter of fact,” Aelora began the old mask of casual indifference she had learned in the Centauri Court quickly falling across her face. “I told my government.”

G’Kar frowned for a moment, not quite understanding what she meant by that. Certainly the Humans would not have gotten involved. “But Earth – “

Aelora’s laughter cut him off. “The Centauri government, spoo for brains! The only government I am loyal to.”

G’Kar was uncertain he had heard her correctly. It could only be a cruel joke she was playing. Certainly, the Aelora he had come to know would never purposely do anything that would result in the harm of others. She had laughed with him, danced with him, saved his life. They had grown close.

“Aelora,” he said softly. “You are my friend – “

“Friend?” She stated loudly, laughing so that those around them heard. Attention slowly shifted to them, people pointed and whispered. “You really are as stupid as I thought,” Aelora continued cruelly, though inside pain shot through her with every word. “I would never lower myself to becoming friends with a Narn,” she spoke the word as if it were a deadly virus. “I was simply playing you for the fool that you are. And you actually fell for it.”

“Aelora, you do not know what you are saying,” G’Kar spoke softly, as if trying to convince himself more than her.

“I’m just glad this little charade is over,” she announced. “Do you know how much it has disgusted me to be near you?” He must hate me completely, or this will have been for nothing! “The sight of you, the smell of you! The fact that you had the nerve to kiss me revolted me beyond reason. I doubt I will ever rid myself of the nightmares it caused! I should have you gelded for your imprudence! Now that this is over I can be free of you. I don’t want you near me again, creature, is that understood? Don’t talk to me, don’t look at me, and don’t even breathe around me!”

She saw the pain of her words flash across his face before he could suppress it and she quickly forced her sorrow at the sight into anger. She blamed G’Kar for forcing her to do this, for having sought a relationship where none could exist. If only he had known his place, if only he had kept his distance, if only…

G’Kar still found himself refusing to believe that everything he had seen of Aelora had been a lie. In an attempt to prove it, he decided to tell her what had happened during the ambush, to prove to both herself and him that she was not as influenced by her Centauri upbringing as she attempted to be.

“Three Narns were killed in the ambush,” he bit out, forcing back his rising pain and anger, telling himself that he did know the real Aelora, that he had not truly lost her.

Aelora felt a stabbing pain tear at her. Rane had promised no one would be harmed! Why had they killed them? She stifled the urge to beg G’Kar’s forgiveness, to give in to the tears that threatened and admit she would never have told them had she known the outcome. But Rane was still watching her and she had gone too far all ready. Three nameless Narn had unknowingly sacrificed their lives for G’Kar. It was not what he would want, but it was done.

She smiled happily at him. “Three less animals to stink up the galaxy, I say.”

Rane and his friends burst into laughter, and others around them chuckled as well. Slowly, before her eyes, the G’Kar that Aelora had come to know disappeared. In his place, a stranger appeared. His eyes narrowed in rage and he lunged at Aelora, locking his hands over her upper arms roughly, his nails biting into her skin.

“How dare you!” He hissed. “I could kill you for this!”

The pain of his words shot through her. She had not realized what it would truly mean to lose his love, to gain his hatred. What more would she be forced to sacrifice? She knew the strength of his grip was bruising her and she did not care. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. The floor seemed to drop out from beneath her and she had nothing left on which to stand. What I would not give for him to look at me, just once more, with love and tenderness…

“Is my life worth the death of five hundred animals?” Aelora whispered, glancing over G’Kar’s shoulder to see Rane and the others making their way over to lend assistance.

G’Kar stared down into her face a moment longer. “No. You are not worth one drop of Narn blood.” He released her then, pushing her forcefully from him. “You are right. I was a fool. A fool to believe a heart existed anywhere within that cold shell you inhabit.” With that, G’Kar turned and disappeared into the crowd.

The Centauri present were hooting and hollering, applauding her display. They surrounded her, patting her on the back, congratulating her for a job well done. But Aelora felt and heard none of it. Inside, she was cold, numb. Everything appeared in a haze, as if the last few minutes had never occurred.

“I was wrong about you, cousin,” Rane whispered into her ear. “You truly are Centauri.”

Three dead! All my fault!

Aelora pushed her way through the throng of Centauri – her people – the need to be alone growing increasingly urgent. One thought continued to echo inside her head: Tiro, your death was nobler than one moment of my life.

In her anger, Terann covered the distance between her own quarters and the quarters of Ambassador Delenn quickly. Initially she had tried to fathom why Delenn had remained silent about the use of telepaths to the Warrior Caste, but in her pondering she only succeeded in fueling her own rage. It made little sense to her. Dukhat had great faith in Delenn and Terann had never questioned that--until now. Standing outside the Ambassador's door she forced herself to calm, fearful of what she might do if she didn't.

The door slid open with a hiss and Terann moved to step across the threshold only to find herself face to face with Delenn's aide, Lennier.

"Ambassador Delenn is indisposed. Perhaps if you came back later...."

"No, Lennier," she said with barely suppressed anger. "I must speak with her--Now."

As she attempted to push past him, he stepped in front of her. "Perhaps I did not make myself clear," the young man warned her, his tone harsher than before.

"I am not leaving until I speak to Delenn."

"It is okay, Lennier," Delenn said softly from the doorway leading to the bedroom. Her appearance was haggard to say the least an obvious side effect to her mourning the loss of Captain Sheridan. Her eyes were swollen and her body frail looking and the telepath concluded she was fasting in accordance with custom.

But Terann did not care. Once again she attempted to push past Lennier, this time succeeding and moved to stand in the middle of the room staring harshly at the Minbari Ambassador. "What in Valen's name is wrong with you?" She demanded.

Lennier crossed the room to stand with Delenn, obviously fearing that the enraged telepath would harm her. "I tried to explain that you were indisposed."

Delenn placed her hand on her aide's arm reassuringly. "It is okay, Lennier." She then looked at angered Warrior not liking what she saw. She knew Terann had been helping with repairs to the Ingata and knew how desperately she wanted to fit in with her Caste and she worried that they were the reason behind her current state. If this were the case she doubted the wisdom of having Lennier present. "Perhaps you should go." She directed to her aide.

Lennier opened his mouth to protest but Terann spoke before him. "Yes Lennier, perhaps you should leave. I do not think Delenn would wish for you to hear what I have to say."

Delenn narrowed her eyes at the young warrior before once again instructing Lennier to leave. Once he was gone she turned her attention back to Terann. "Would you care to explain what the problem is?" Her tone was more authoritative than harsh. She could sense the burning anger in the young woman before her and she did not want to further it.

"Why did you not tell the Warrior Caste about the use of telepaths against the Shadows?" The young warrior asked.

Delenn took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. She knew her reasons for withholding the information and none of it stemmed from any animosity she harbored toward the Warrior Caste, yet she was not sure she could convince Terann of that fact. Carefully she gathered her skirts and sat down on the sofa waiting for Terann to sit as well. When the telepath only crossed her arms across her chest Delenn spoke. "I considered telling Shakiri but with the Council gone the lines of communication between our castes have been effectively destroyed as well. And even if he would have listened I doubt he would have believed me."

"So instead of even making an attempt you remained silent." Terann concluded.

"Terann, please, you have to understand. The Warrior Caste is arrogant, convinced of their own superiority, do you honestly think they would believe that something as simple as having a telepath on board a warcruiser would aid them against the Shadows?"

Terann shook her head in disbelief. "And tell me what harm would have come from your telling them? At least then the blame would have been with Shakiri. But in your own arrogance you said nothing.

"It has been almost a thousand years since Valen came to us and still the Religious Caste is not above dismissing us as mindless barbarians nor is my caste above dismissing yours as deluded zealots. It is no wonder that I sometimes see the Workers as the wisest of us all. "

"Terann, I understand that you are angry, and that perhaps I was wrong..."

"Perhaps? Perhaps you were wrong?" Terann retorted. "Have you been to MedLab? There are over two hundred dead from the Ingata because you were wrong. Or does that matter little to you because they were not Religious Caste?"

Delenn rose to her feet, attempting to contain her anger at Terann's accusation. "That is not fair."

"Is it not? You were the chosen of Dukhat, and in your arrogance you see yourself as his equal. You are wrong. Dukhat knew our people, cared for our people, but you, you care little unless it suits your purposes."

Delenn shook her head. "How little you understand, Terann. You were raised to see things differently than the rest of us. You spent much of your life surrounded by the best of us, those of us that were able to see past much of the old hatred."

"No Delenn, I saw the hatred, the imagined slights. You forget whom you are speaking to. I saw far more than you can imagine I understood things that the Council could never hope to and I knew each of you in ways I doubt anyone else did. Despite this I never expected any of this from you. I had trusted you, believed in you, despite our differences, there was a time when I called you friend. Now I see now how wrong I was, how wrong so many others are."

Delenn narrowed her eyes dangerously. "What is it you are saying?"

"Sinclair was deserving of being Entil'zah, not because of who he was but because he saw us not as priests, or soldiers, or as engineers but as Minbari. Equal; an integral part of the whole, neither more nor less than the others. Yet you, you believe my caste to be beneath your contempt...."

"And they are not?" Delenn asked. "Their refusal to stand with their people, to fight as they were trained to against the Shadows. It is their arrogance that has led them to this."

Terann only shook her head deciding that to continue would be pointless. "Tell me Delenn, when our world is in ruins and our people lie dead at your feet because of civil war, will you accept your share of the blame?"

Delenn watched as the Warrior turned to leave, noting the sense of finality in her voice. "Terann…?"

"There is nothing more for me here, Delenn," Terann said not turning only casting a backward glance at the other woman. "There is blood between us, and I will not swear my loyalty to you any further. If you wish to fight this war I will not stand with you."

Not waiting for a response, Terann stalked from the ambassador's quarters. Her anger was gone, yet in its place was sadness unlike anything she had ever felt. Her world was spinning out of control and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

When Aelora reached her quarters, she found little comfort within. The room around her seemed colder somehow, larger. Knowing as she did that the sacrifice she had just made had saved G’Kar’s life did little to alleviate the guilt that flowed freely through her. The cold anger she viewed in G’Kar’s eyes was a vision that would remain with her infinitely. How would she ever atone for the deaths of those three faceless Narn? Was her change of heart toward G’Kar somehow enough? A tiny voice inside her said it was not and she found herself doubting the possibility of ever being forgiven. Good intentions were often not good enough and at the moment, hers seemed anything but.

Wrapping her arms tightly around her waist in an attempt to console herself and calm her roiling nerves, Aelora forced her mind to quiet, hoping to put her thoughts in order. Deep in her heart she found herself hoping that once Rane left the station she could go to G’Kar and beg for his forgiveness, tell him everything that had occurred and perhaps come to a solution with him. But her inner voice quietly warned her that perhaps the situation had gone too far. That thought terrified her more than any other. So many things had changed in the past few weeks and now, with a few simple words, she may have destroyed her entire future. The realization was a daunting one and Aelora felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Uncertain as to whether at had to do with what had just happened in the Zocalo or another side effect of the Sleepers, Aelora took a deep breath to steady herself.

“There’s no reason to get yourself so worked up,” she spoke aloud softly, though her voice seemed unconvinced, even to her own ears. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, noting in passing the subtle shaking of her hand. She stared down at the appendage for a moment and suddenly a vision swept over her:

She was standing in a tiny, dank cell and in front of her, at her feet, lay G’Kar staring up at her, his eyes cold and hate filled. She glanced down at her hands to find that they were covered in blood, as was the front of her gown. Mocking laughter flowed over her from behind and she found herself wanting to scream but her lungs would not cooperate…

Aelora stumbled back, catching herself just before tripping over the end table. The scene she had just witnessed had been as real as if she had just been standing there this instant. It had been no flight of fancy, no overactive imagination. In her heart, she knew she had just glimpsed the future and the fear that overcame her at that moment was palpable. Lifting her head, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and found herself wondering who the terrified and pale woman was who was looking back at her. Was that what she had become? A shell of her former self? Once, she had believed herself unbreakable, able to take on the entire galaxy, Vorlons and all. Now she found herself coming to the realization that she was nothing and no one. She was simply a pawn for others to bend at their will and the only time she had ever found her true self was in the presence of someone who was supposed to be less than her, someone she was meant to look down on. And yet, the truth of the matter was she could never aspire to be as noble and kind and deserving as G’Kar and it was that thought which fed the embers of anger that burned deep within her. She had no one to blame but herself for the situation she was currently in, but her need for self-preservation did not back away from trying.

After all, none of this would have been necessary if G’Kar had understood and remained in his proper place. If he had kept his distance, not had the nerve to befriend her, to continually be kind to her no matter what she had done in return, then their relationship could have remained as it was meant to be: master and slave. But G’Kar had no master, and it was a lesson Aelora had quickly learned. Had she for one moment kept her wits about her, she would have forced that trait out of him. But no, she had given in to it, became enamored of it and, very quickly, respected him because of it.

What a fine Centauri she made.

The chime of her door pulled Aelora from her reverie and for the briefest of moments her heart sped up in the hopes that it was G’Kar. Her hopes were quickly squelched as Delenn entered at her call.

“Entil’zah.” Aelora missed the expression on Delenn’s face or she would have been on alert. Instead, she was completely unprepared when the mild mannered Minbari walked up to her and ripped her Ranger pin neatly from her uniform.

“Delenn –“ Aelora started but was instantly cut off by Delenn’s enraged tone.

“You no longer have the right to call yourself a Ranger!”

Immediately, Aelora knew that Delenn had heard of the incident in the Zocalo and panic swept through her. “Delenn, please, let me explain –“

“Explain? Explain? How can you begin to explain such cruel and unjust treatment of one of the kindest beings you are likely to ever in your life come across? How can you begin to explain your gross stupidity for not seeing this? And how can you ever begin to explain your need to humiliate and hurt someone so blatantly and callously?” Delenn’s eyes flashed in her anger, causing Aelora to take a step back, out of the diminutive woman’s wrath. “Just who in the galaxy do you think you are? Where does this belief that you are so much better than those around you come from? Do not blame it on your Centauri upbringing for I would trust Emperor Cartagia himself before I would find myself turning my back on you!”

Aelora felt her words like a slap across her face. She knew she had to make the woman before her understand and listen or everything she had fought to achieve would be lost. “It’s not that way, Entil’zah. Please –“

“Do not call me that! You do not have the right! What do you know of the way of the Anla’shok? You know nothing of honor, of justice, of working with others toward a common goal. You think only of yourself and care little for those around you. You are not a Ranger, could never be a Ranger. I should have listened to Lennier in the beginning. You were not to be trusted.” Her anger seemed to be waning, replaced only with bitterness and disgust. “I gave you a chance because of who your father was. But now…Now I see you are not worthy of being the daughter of Jeffrey Sinclair –“

At those words, Aelora’s frustration kicked in. “Worthy? Worthy of what? A man so great as to disappear on the daughter he only briefly knew he had without rhyme or reason? Is that the kind of image I am supposed to be living up to?”

“You know nothing of Jeffrey Sinclair and the sacrifices he was forced to make – the greatness and tragedy that was his alone to bear! A man who –“

“A man who ran out on his daughter – twice!” Aelora shouted angrily.

“The greatest Minbari to have ever lived!” Delenn spat back without thinking.

Delenn instantly realized her mistake but it was too late to cover it for Aelora’s eyes showed the first dawning of comprehension as to the truth of her identity. An almost awe-filled expression formed over her face followed by brief glimpses of disbelief, resignation and, finally, pain.

“You never told me the truth,” Aelora whispered, the pain of the betrayal evident in her voice. “You could have given me that much.”

“I was waiting to see if you were worthy of it,” Delenn replied, turning away from yet another of what she considered to be Aelora’s brilliant acts of innocence. “Today you have shown me you are not. Not worthy of being a Ranger, not worthy of being Jeffrey Sinclair’s daughter – and not worthy of knowing the truth of Valen.” Delenn turned back briefly to look once more at Aelora, her gaze filled with contempt. “I am only glad your father is not here to witness the hateful child his daughter has become.”

The first tear fell as the door whispered shut behind Delenn. The second came shortly after. Aelora tried in vain to wipe them away but it was no use – they simply continued to fall. It was part self-pity and part self-hatred and part the saddening realization that everything was coming to an end. It was the latter that Aelora found herself grasping at – the knowledge that perhaps it had not had to end this way if Delenn had not forced its conclusion. Now there was nothing left for Aelora to hold onto. Without the Rangers, what was she left with? Her hopes that she could right things with G’Kar quickly faded and she could not decide if she should vent her anger at Delenn for having tipped the scales or vent her tears at opportunities lost? She felt an explosion building within her, as if a tightly coiled spring were about to be let loose. She knew she could not be alone any longer and hurried out of her quarters, with no destination in mind except to become lost in the crowds of the station.

Inside Aelora a war raged. Part of her wanted to lash out at the first being she passed, the other, more restrained part, wanted nothing more than to allow the tears that had welled up inside her to flow. She knew she could not give into either side for fear that there would be no return. For two years she had sworn herself to service to the Anla'shok, to her father, and now to Delenn, and for what? To have every one of her actions scrutinized, to have her loyalty constantly questioned, and now, to be betrayed beyond fathom. All she had wanted, from the moment she had stepped foot on Babylon 5, was to know the truth, to know why her father had disappeared. And now, as if for spite, Delenn had thrown the truth at her, wrapped up neatly in a vast amount of contempt.

Aelora swallowed hard against the pain that struggled for release. She wondered why it was that she stayed here, why she endured the suspicion that Delenn and Sheridan and all the others obviously held toward her, why she continued to allow them to pull her strings as they did. She glanced at her now barren robe, to the place where her Ranger brooch had once been, the sudden realization of what she had sacrificed hitting her with the force of a fist. Once again the forces of the universe had dictated that she give up a special part of herself for the greater good with no recognition of all that she had done. If only she could explain to Entil'zah Delenn why she had betrayed G'Kar, to make her understand that what she did was because of her true feelings for him, not because of her assumed hatred of him and his kind. If only she could make them see how far she had truly come. She felt like she was trapped, her air running out and no way to escape.

But there was a way to escape, she reminded herself. Almost as quickly as the thought formed, she shook it from her mind. To go back to Centauri Prime, to rejoin her family, and play the part of the good little Centauri girl was unthinkable. No there would be a way, to salvage all that she had here, there had to be. If not she may as well curl up and die now.

Aelora did not know why, but some how her journey through the station brought her to Terann's quarters. She paused before pressing the door chime. Since the meeting with Sheridan and the others, she had only spoken to Terann briefly. She knew Terann was uncomfortable being with Aelora, with the Sleepers still active, and she really could not blame her. Even Aelora had noticed how two-dimensional everything felt, it was as if there was no depth, no substance in anything. She found it odd how quickly she had become accustomed to her telepathic abilities and even odder still how hard it was to give them up. Many times since taking the injection she had considered not remaining on the Sleepers, but the thought of having to deal with the extremeness of her gift frightened her.

Finally she pressed the control panel and after a brief moment the door slid open. Terann's quarters were immersed in darkness save for a handful of candles placed throughout the small room. The Minbari was dressed in a simple black robe exhaustion clearly evident on her face.

"I can come back if now isn't a good time." Aelora offered, as the door slid shut behind her.

Terann shook her head. "No Ae, now is fine. Would you like some tea?"

The Human shook her head no longer able to hold back the tears that had welled up in her. The Minbari stepped over to her friend and took her hand, forcing herself to ignore the numbness she sensed from Aelora's mind. Terann guided her over to the couch and both sat down before Terann asked her what was bothering her.

Aelora uttered a Centauri curse under her breath, obviously chastising herself, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Terann. I know you have so much going on. You really don't need my problems added to your own."

"Aelora," Terann said softly yet firmly. "I am your friend. I am here for you, now please just tell me."

Aelora took a deep breath and began to recount the events leading up to her confrontation with Delenn. She explained how her cousin had become suspicious of her relationship with G'Kar, how she had been forced to betray him and how in doing so she had been responsible for the deaths of three Narns.

"Why did you not tell Delenn the truth? Surely after hearing that you acted solely to save the life of G'Kar she would understand."

Shaking her head Aelora said, "It isn't that easy. If I tell Entil'zah Delenn the truth...if my family were to find out... Terann, I am only telling you because I trust you. You have to understand how Centauri society works. Everything is based on appearances, those that don't 'fit'...well, let's just say accidents are known to happen. Unfortunately no one asks any questions so long as the family's position is unharmed."

Terann's eyes widened in shock. "You think they would do something to you? To make sure that your friendship with G'Kar remains hidden?"

Aelora nodded solemnly. "I just don't know what to do. There is nothing for me here now, aside from you, and if I stay I am eventually going to have to face my feelings for G'Kar."

"You can not seriously be considering going back to them." When Aelora began worrying her bottom lip, Terann jumped to her feet. "Aelora, how can you even consider such a thing? Do you have any idea how far you have come? How much being a Ranger, being here, has changed you? And now you are willing to throw it all away?? For them?!?!"

"Terann, you don't understand. I have feelings for G'Kar and I can't have them. He is a Narn, I am Centauri..."

"You are Human," Terann barked at her. "No matter what you do, or who you try to be, you will never be Centauri."

"I was raised to be Centauri, to act like a Centauri and think like a Centauri. I have no choice in abiding by the wishes of the Kyras."

The ensuing silence allowed Aelora to come to terms with all she had said, all that she had admitted. Only a few weeks ago she would have been horrified to call a Narn a friend and now she found that she was willing to give up everything she held dear to save the life of one. She considered briefly going back to Delenn and trying to explain to her why she had informed her cousin about the supply shipment, to try to make amends. She shook her head, banishing the thought. Delenn would never believe her, and even if she did accept that Aelora had acted only to save the life of G'Kar there would be no way to convince her that her feelings towards G'Kar's race had changed. She even doubted to herself that they had. Sure she considered G'Kar a friend, and her feelings toward him both scared and confused her, but she still had difficulty accepting what he was. From the time she had been adopted by the Kyras she had been taught that Narns were inferior to the Centauri, that they were little more than dumb animals content in doing the bidding of their superiors. Even though she no longer considered G'Kar in such a manner she still could not find it within herself to believe the same of his entire race.

Terann moved to retake her seat, knowing that she would only drive Aelora further away if she continued to show anger toward her. "Aelora, please consider what you are saying. You worked so hard to get to where you are and now you are going to just turn your back on that, and on everyone you care about?"

"Delenn expelled me from the Rangers. What's done is done. Besides, I am not sure I would want to go back."

"What?" Terann asked in disbelief.

Aelora began to fumble with her hands; not sure she was ready to voice the knowledge she had regarding her father's true identity. Perhaps it would feel different had the information not been imparted on her for spite; maybe then she would feel pride instead of the shame she now felt. Delenn had made her feel unworthy of her father's legacy, like she was in some way a stain on his very existence. Finally she spoke. "You know as well as I that being a part of the Rangers means you have to swear your undying loyalty to the Entil'zah, not just the position but the person. I don't know if I could ever trust Delenn again."

"But if you explain things...."

"No," Aelora broke in. "There is more than I have told you. She told me the truth about my father."

"Oh," Terann said simply, her eyes avoiding her friend's.

Aelora watched her friend, watched as she moved her eyes away from hers and down to her hands she held clenched in her lap. Even with the Sleepers still active she could easily see the unease in Terann. She puzzled over it only for a moment. Child of Valen -- that was what Terann had called her. The words echoed through her mind, her anger swelling once again.

"You knew didn't you?" She accused, her eyes flashing.

"Aelora..." Terann began to explain.

"Don't bother, Terann." The Human spat, jumping to her feet, stomping toward the door. Stopping herself short she spun around to face Terann once again. "You know, I thought you were different, I thought I could trust you. Obviously I was wrong."

"Aelora just listen to me," Terann pleaded. "You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you the truth, every time I saw you my heart screamed to tell you, if only to reassure you that what you were doing was right. But it was not my choice. Personally I feel she was wrong not to tell you, you might have benefited from the knowledge."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" The Human demanded.

"Consider this. Your father served during the war with my people, he hated us, but eventually he saw past that hatred, commanded this station and finally took the position of Entil'zah. I thought if you could see that all he had accomplished, gotten past then perhaps you could have ---“

“Gone against everything I was taught to believe?” Aelora raged, her last shred of hope that there was someone left for her to believe in falling away. “This all has to do with the Narn, doesn’t it? You think me cold and hateful and cruel, unable to see the simple truth – “

“Aelora, I did not – “

“Tell me, Terann. If I had not told you the truth of what had happened in the Zocalo, what would you have believed? Would you have believed me capable of spying on G’Kar, of intentionally hurting him, meaning the disgusting things that I said to him? Would you?”

Terann closed her eyes for a moment. “You must understand – “

“Understand?”

Aelora felt the pain of the truth stab through her and in anger she lashed out, slapping the Minbari hard across the face, cursing at her in Centauri. Terann stumbled back from the unexpected blow and forced herself to remain calm. She knew the Human was hurting and there was no one else for her to lash out at. The only problem was, she was not certain what she could do to help Aelora. Currently, anything she attempted to tell her the Human would turn away from, because Terann had kept such an important secret from her. There was an enormous chasm between them and, if Terann could not discover a way to step across it, it would only continue to widen.

“I understand that I thought you were my friend, Terann,” Aelora continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “I understand that I trusted you. I understand that I thought you trusted me. Now I see that I was foolish and blind. You, Delenn, my f…father,” she choked on the word, fighting back the tears that threatened. “I understand that none of you believed in me enough to tell me the truth! The only one willing to give me that chance –“ She stopped herself before speaking his name. Aelora shook her head, backing away from the Minbari. “You should come to Centauri Prime sometime, Terann,” she whispered, the desolation she felt evident in her voice. “You could give lessons on stabbing friends in the back.”

Terann took a step toward the Human but she quickly ducked out the door and disappeared, leaving the Minbari to wonder in silence if Aelora’s assessment did not have a ring of truth to it.

Vir Cotto stood outside the Ranger’s quarters, pushing the chime for the third time. The message he had received said that Aelora had wanted to see him as soon as possible but she did not appear to be in her quarters. He pushed the button one final time, figuring he would simply call her later when the doors quietly slid open. He peered inside, uncertain of whether or not to enter. It was dimly lit, as if no one were present, and an eerie silence permeated the room.

“Lady Kyra?” Vir called out cautiously, taking a step over the threshold. “It’s me, Vir Cotto.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Vir caught movement near the couch. With his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, he turned to find Aelora sluggishly climbing to her feet. He took a step forward, watching her closely, wondering why the normally boisterous female was so quiet.

“Lady Kyra, are you alright?” He thought he heard a rueful laugh in reply but reasoned he was simply hearing things.

“That all depends on what you consider alright,” Aelora commented, her voice unusually harsh. She moved closer to him and Vir was shocked by her appearance: her eyes rimmed red from obvious tears, her cheeks stained and her face pale. She appeared smaller to him somehow, extremely fragile, as if he touched her she would shatter into a million pieces.

“Lady Kyra,” he spoke softly, hoping to somehow soothe whatever was upsetting her. “I got the message that you wanted to speak to me. Is there something I can do for you?”

Aelora closed her eyes for a moment, hating the finality of what she had to say, hating the fact that she had no other recourse. She opened her eyes once she was certain that no tears threatened. She was so weary of crying. “Yes, Vir. I know…I know that you have been called back to Centauri Prime and…and I would like to go with you.” She blanched against the pain those words caused. She had never thought she would go back there, never thought she would be forced to return.

“Of course, my Lady!” Vir smiled, pleased that he would have some companionship on the flight. “I will make the arrangements immediately.” Vir turned to leave when he heard Aelora call out to him. He turned around, his expression questioning. “Is there something else I can do?”

Aelora hesitated momentarily, then finally gave a forced nod. “Yes. I need…I need you to find someone in Down Below willing to sell me some Sleepers. Do you know what Sleepers are, Vir?”

The Aide nodded, though his face was pulled into a frown. “They are what the Psi Corps developed for telepaths who do not wish to join. I had heard that you were forced to take them by Sheridan in order to remain here…But you are leaving now, Lady Kyra. Why should you wish to take them?”

The Human looked away from him, unwilling to share everything with him. “I…it’s just something I need to do. Please, Vir. Don’t ask me anymore questions. Just get me what I ask – at least a few weeks worth. I will find more through the black market.” She paused, realizing she was being harsh with him when she did not mean to be. Her tone softened. “When…when will we be leaving?”

“About an hour,” he answered. His expression filled with concern. He was certain he had never glimpsed such sorrow in someone before. “Lady Kyra, are you certain there is nothing more I can do to help you? You seem…sad.”

Aelora forced a smile. “You are so kind, Vir. So unlike…” She trailed off, shaking the image of her cousin, Rane, from her mind. “I just…I just want to go home,“ her voice cracked on the word, so difficult was it to speak of it. “I want to leave here.”

But I don’t! Her mind screamed back at her. I want to stay! I want to make things right.

Vir began to take a step toward him then stopped himself. If she would not discuss what was upsetting her so, then he would not press. He had heard of the incident in the Zocalo on his way over and now found himself questioning its validity. Certainly this was not the manner of someone who would so easily humiliate another. This did not seem to him to be the type of person who would only befriend someone in order to spy on him or her. No, there was something else going on, that much was obvious. Perhaps Londo would be able to get her to speak of it.

“I will get what you have asked for and return to pick you up in an hour. Is that alright, my Lady?”

Aelora only nodded, her mind already dismissing him. She said nothing as he disappeared out the door, her thoughts consumed with her recent actions and the future (what future?) that lay ahead. She did not believe that the Centauri would accept her so readily back into their world. She had left with the intention of never going back, of striking out on her own and becoming something, someone. And she was beginning to believe she had that chance, here on Babylon 5, but fate had somehow conspired once more against her. Was she really such a bad person?

She shivered, not so much from the temperature as from the chill that seemed to permeate her soul. She wrapped her arms around herself, and stared around the room. Everything seemed out of place somehow, lost. Something Minbari here, something Centauri there, a little bit of Human mixed throughout. And yet, where was she? What of these items defined her? Aelora’s gaze fixed on the globe given to her by her father. It was still now, motionless, much like her. She could still see G’Kar playing with it, so fascinated by the drifting snow. She found herself longing for his presence, to hear his comforting voice. She wanted to hear him call her “Shon’Ur”, his beloved…she wanted so very much to pretend that everything that had gone wrong was simply the product of an overwhelming nightmare.

Child of Valen…

Why hadn’t her father told her? Had he mistrusted her so very much? Aelora could not decide if she should laugh or cry over the news. Delenn had caused her to feel shame for being Valen’s daughter, for not being worthy of such a distinction. At first, Aelora had felt nothing but anger over Delenn’s dismissal of her worth as Jeffrey Sinclair’s child but the more she considered it, she found herself wondering if perhaps Delenn were not correct. She had done little but cause others pain for most of her life. Truthfully, she had never worked very hard at being Centauri. She could have done so much more for the family that had raised her, given her so much but instead she had attempted to disgrace them by befriending a Narn. And what of Terann? Her supposed best friend. She had tried to kill her, hadn’t she? Her treatment of G’Kar she could not even allow herself to consider. By her actions she had not only hurt one of the kindest beings she had ever met but had also degraded the Rangers and disappointed the Entilzah.

What did any of it matter? She would never see these people again, right? She was going back to Centauri Prime, back to the family that had raised her, sheltered her, loved her. To hell with Delenn and the Rangers! To hell with the father who had not even cared enough to say goodbye! The tears burned Aelora’s eyes as she reached out for the globe, grasping it firmly, the glass cold against her hand. An entire life without having known him and this is what she had received in return, a trinket. This is what she had meant to him, a child’s toy one could purchase at any run-down market. Anger and remorse swept through her and she threw the globe hard across the room, flinching as it hit the wall, shattering instantly into tiny pieces, the water streaming onto the carpet. Realizing the significance of its destruction, Aelora’s legs collapsed beneath her and she wept hysterically, rocking back and forth as if she could somehow comfort herself. All she had ever wanted was to belong, to not be alone! The force of her tears was so strong that she began to gag from the pain.

Aelora was doubled over and shaking when Vir returned. He hurried over to her, saying little, helping her to the couch and then handing her a glass of cool water. Mechanically she drank what was offered to her but said nothing. Vir quietly moved into the restroom where he found a small cloth that he dampened then returned to Aelora, sat beside her on the couch and proceeded to gently wipe the stains from her cheeks. Looking into her eyes, Vir was frightened by what he saw. It was as if she had turned into herself, away from everything around her. He knew that it was up to him to return her to her family safely and get her the help she needed.

“You have not packed yet,” he spoke softly, not wishing to upset her. “I will do it for you if you wish.” When she did not reply Vir took it as a yes and began emptying her closet and drawers, depositing all of her belongings into a trunk. He then returned to her, with one gown that he had put aside. “Lady Kyra, I thought you would wish to wear this, to return to Centauri Prime.”

It took a moment but Aelora finally turned to him. Her gaze rested on the traveling gown for a long while before finally raising to meet his. “Yes,” she whispered. “You are right, Vir. I should…prepare.”

Vir watched silently as she stood, pulling the dress from him, her eyes vacant. “I will arrange for your things to be collected and then I will return to escort you to the transport.”

Aelora nodded, unmoving, staring at the gown in her hands. She would conform again, she knew. She had to. There was little choice.

“Lady Kyra?”

“I…I will be ready.”

Vir nodded, watching her for a moment longer, before finally disappearing from the apartment.

Terann stared at the empty room around her. It seemed as if she was forever packing to leave this place. The irony of it was, she continued coming back. Now the question remained, would she be coming back again? The journey ahead – standing beside Neroon on the Ingata – would be an interesting one. Once they reached Minbar though, where would her place be then? Would she finally have a chance to be welcomed? Would Neroon stand with her as he had offered? And would she allow him to do so?

The telepath bent to reach for her bag.

Her life had been so much easier before she had she had journeyed to Babylon 5. The galaxy had been her home and she felt bound to no one. She cared little for what others thought of her and less still about rejoining her Caste. Now, being welcomed into the ranks of the Warrior Caste, being acknowledged by her Clan, was Terann’s greatest wish. But she had begun to build a life here on Babylon 5, a home of her own, where she was surrounded by those who willingly called her friend, not caring what Caste she belonged to. Could she simply turn her back on them? Walk away as if they had come to mean nothing to her? She shook her head. No. She could not completely walk away. She would be back, sometime. She had to come back; she had to see what would happen, to this place, to these lives. The Universe was a strange and mysterious place and she knew it had placed her here on Babylon 5 for a purpose, a purpose she had not yet fulfilled.

Terann wound her way through the Zocalo as she moved towards the docking bays. She wanted one last chance to look around, to memorize the faces and sounds and smells, just in case the war with the Shadows was lost. She felt a slight tremor at the thought. In her heart, she doubted that the Vorlons would allow such a thing to happen. She was beginning to agree with what Aelora had said – why would the Vorlons need the younger races to fight their fight when they were so powerful themselves? There was something that no one was seeing, something that the Vorlons were not telling them. Terann figured if she and Aelora could spend some more time together, away from the Earther’s station, away from the Sleepers Aelora was forcing herself to take, then they could somehow figure it out. But she knew such a wish was impossible. Her friendship with Aelora was as good as dead unless she could think of some way to win Aelora’s trust back.

As that thought passed through Terann’s mind, she spied G’Kar standing alone at the end of the corridor. Her heart immediately went out to him. She remembered the conversation they had a few days before regarding Aelora and G’Kar’s love for her and she knew she had to say something to him in consolation. As she approached G’Kar, she realized he appeared deep in thought, and she considered for a moment simply passing without a word. She then remembered that it was G’Kar that had defended her when so many simply wished her gone, had trusted and confided in her about his feelings for Aelora and she could not imagine leaving without saying good-bye.

Upon gaining his side she reached out and gently placed her hand on his arm, startling him when she spoke.

“G’Kar.”

The Narn blinked, once again becoming cognizant of his surroundings. “Terann,” he glanced at the satchel she carried with her. “Are you leaving?”

The telepath nodded. “The Ingata is leaving for Minbar and is in need of a telepath, so I volunteered.”

G’Kar only nodded. It was not his intention to be rude to Terann it was simply that he did not feel like being sociable. The events of the past few days still weighed heavily on his mind and he found it difficult to focus on anything else. He still could not fathom how he had been so wrong about Aelora, how she had managed to fool him so easily. He had believed that he had accomplished so much with her, had brought her so far, when really she had just been toying with him. A wave of anger washed over him at the memory of her cruelty and he found himself clenching his fists at his sides.

Terann felt the Narn’s emotions drift from confusion and hurt to anger and even hatred, surprised by the intensity of them. She could sense that he blamed himself for all that had happened, or appeared to happen, between him and Aelora, and she hated to see him do so. Her heart begged at her to seek out Aelora and drag her here to explain to G’Kar all that she had done and her reasons for doing so. If she could make him see that Aelora truly had feelings for him, despite her upbringing, maybe then...

Mentally she shook her head, once again silenced by forces beyond her control. She knew that it was up to Aelora to make that decision and hopefully tell G’Kar the truth. Accepting this she spoke again. “I just wanted to say ‘good-bye’ and ‘thank you’ for defending Aelora and me.”

She offered G’Kar a parting smile before turning to walk away. Almost as soon as she did she turned back to him and blurted out. “Things are not always as they seem, G’Kar.”

The Narn looked at her, stunned for a moment, before realizing whom she was referring to. “You can not possibly be defending her, after all the lies, all the deceit.”

Terann stepped back from his accusation, feeling his anger mount. “I am defending no one. I am simply asking you to consider if there was not a greater reason behind all this.”

G’Kar’s hands formed fists at his side as he swallowed the Minbari’s words. He could not believe what she was suggesting. Three of his people were dead because of Aelora’s duplicity, three people whose only crime was attempting to protect their own and he told Terann as much.

Terann kept her tone calm; knowing it would do little good to become upset. “I understand your anger G’Kar, but I also know that you cared for her. You cannot simply believe that all of it was merely an act, surely you saw a piece of the real Aelora.”

G’Kar shook his head. “All I saw was a conniving, malicious Centauri who deserves only my hatred and my pity.”

“Are you sure?” She asked. “The other day, in the Zocalo when we spoke of her, I could see how you felt about her. Even now I can feel that you are still trying to convince yourself that there was no greater reason for her actions, as I suggested.”

“I warn you to stay out of my head.” He spoke through gritted teeth, his features contorted in his anger.

“Strong emotions.” She reminded him. “And that is all I have felt from you in regards to Aelora. I have seen how you look at her, heard how you speak of her. Yes, you are angry with her, so angry that you fear what you would do to her if you were to see her right now. In time your anger will wane, but your caring for her will not. You may try to hide it, try to bury it, try to deny all that you feel, and someday she will come to you, not as the Centauri you have come to hate, but as the Human you have come to love. I only hope that you are not too blind to realize it.”

Not interested in any response that he might offer, she spun on her heel and left, resuming her course for the docking area. As she moved through the station she focused on forcing the anger and pain she felt from G’Kar away. The circumstances surrounding the Narn and her friend were tragic and unfortunate and Terann wished that there were something she could do to help. But she knew that nothing would change if Aelora did not force that change herself. She needed to realize whom she was and what it was she wanted before she would ever find true happiness. Until that time came, anyone who got too close would end up being hurt by her.

A familiar and disturbing chill swept over the telepath and she turned quickly to see Aelora enter the embarkation area. She swallowed against the empty void she felt from the other telepaths use of the Sleepers. She could not understand it but somehow the drug affected Aelora differently than it did others. Terann could only attribute it to whatever the Shadows had done to her. She found herself glad that Aelora was leaving Babylon 5 if for no other reason than that she would any longer be forced to take the debilitating drug. She caught the Human’s gaze and for a long moment they simply stared at one another. Terann did not want to remember her this way, dressed in her Centauri gown; her red hair hidden under a demure headdress, her makeup garishly exaggerated. She seemed so pale and fragile, no more the headstrong and reckless young woman that the Minbari had come to know and trust. Terann wanted to scream at her, slap her until she came back to her senses, until she stopped allowing others to dictate to her how to live her life and simply live it as she dreamed. But who was she to judge? For the first time in her life, she was beginning to take her own destiny into her hands. For so long, she had allowed everyone else to tell her who she was and what she should do. She understood how difficult it was to take that first step, to trust your own heart. She wanted to tell the Human that no matter the choices she made in the future, should she ever need Terann’s help, she need only call for her. But the Human had already turned away, following Vir Cotto off toward the awaiting shuttle.

Terann felt a heavy sorrow grow within her. She did not know if she would ever see Aelora again. She did not know if she would ever return to this station. The future seemed completely open before her, with so many roads from which to chose to travel down. Terann did not know if she should be pleased by the sudden change in her life, or terrified. Only one thing was for certain: the moment she stepped foot off of this station, nothing would ever be the same again.

Standing in the embarkation area, Aelora found her body felt as cold and numb as her mind. She barely remembered how she got to where she was or why she was there. She glanced at the trunk and baggage on the floor beside her, a grim reminder of where she was going and, more importantly, why she was going.

Vir had disappeared moments before, to confirm the travel arrangements he had arranged for them. Without him she felt even more alone, vulnerable. Surprising herself, she found she smiled at the idea that Vir, of all people, made her feel more secure in her decision to return to Centauri Prime. She glanced around sadly watching the other travelers as they came and went feeling somewhat disjointed from them. Would she ever find her place in the universe? She wondered to herself, afraid of the answer. Her eyes fell on a Narn security officer and instead of feeling revulsion as she usually did, she felt an intense wave of guilt and sorrow as her thoughts returned to G’Kar. How she longed to go to him and tell him the truth, that everything she had done she had done for him. Her heart longed to know he could forgive her, her body begged to have him near.

Aelora started at this realization. Surely she knew she cared for the Narn, but she had never considered how much. She worried her bottom lip, forcing back the tears that desperately wanted to flow, burying her anguish deep within herself. Silently she chastised herself. She was stronger than this, prouder than this. Focusing on the memories of the recent days she reassured herself of what she was now doing. The telepath knew she had nothing left to tie her to Babylon 5. Her life lay in ruins around her and only by returning to her home and family could she hope to reclaim a piece of all she had lost. At least she would belong there....

Or would she? The sadness returned as she caught herself reflected in a nearby panel. It was like looking at a stranger, a person from her past that she had tried in vain to forget. You are human! She heard Terann’s words echo through her mind and she began to wonder who she was fooling with her extravagant appearance. But what choice did she have? She could not stay on the station as Delenn had made that perfectly clear and with the Psi Corps most likely knowing about her newfound abilities she could not return to Earth. So what did that leave her? Once again she was the five-year-old left orphaned with nothing but the generosity of the Centauri to sustain her.

Aelora was pulled from her reverie as she caught sight of Terann as she entered the embarkation area. To others, Terann would appear confident but Aelora knew the Minbari too well. Despite her attempts to appear sure of herself, the Human could see her self-doubt. It surprised Aelora, that even with the Sleepers still active she could still pick up on the subtle nuances surrounding Terann, those that showed she was far less certain than she was trying to appear. For the briefest of moments, Terann’s eyes met hers and instantly Aelora could see the repulsion on the Minbari’s face. Despite Aelora’s explanation for why she had taken the sleepers, Terann was still nauseated by her.

“Are you ready Lady Kyra?” Vir asked, touching Aelora’s arm gently.

“Yes Vir,” she replied softly, pulling her eyes from Terann’s, grateful that the Centauri had returned when he had. She did not wish another confrontation with anyone, least of all Terann, and she feared if she stayed that was exactly what would happen.

She watched dispassionately as two Centauri stewards came to gather up her belongings before following Vir to the shuttle. She did not look back, did not take one final look around the station that had been her home, if only for a short while. She did not want to remember it this way, did not wish to remember the pain and anger that she had come to associate with this place. Instead she wanted to remember that for a short time she was accepted, not for who others wished her to be but for who she truly was. Stepping on to the shuttle she feared it was something she would never feel again.