Chapter 3

THE chains we wear are of our own making.
Marcus was not sure who'd said that first of all. It had a very Dickensian feel to it. As he paced up and down the small room that had been made his impromptu cell, he had a vision of himself being loaded down with chains, just like a ghostly Marley, come back to warn Scrooge about his selfish ways.
If only Marcus had had a Marley, he might not have ended up here. He was not wearing any physical chains, but he had enough spiritual ones to load down an entire army. And most of them were of his own making.
Hatred of his brother Joseph, who had always been everything that Marcus wasn't. Hatred of Joseph's wife Katherine, the first and greatest love of Marcus' life. Hatred of himself for never telling Katherine how he felt. Hatred of himself for surviving the attack that left them both dead. Hatred of the drink which had nearly destroyed him, and hatred of himself for letting it do so. Hatred of the Shadows for attacking his colony. Hatred of the Narns for not stopping them. Hatred of the Minbari for causing his home to be run by Narns in the first place.
Hatred of Captain Sheridan, who had saved him. Hatred of Satai Delenn, who hadn't. Hatred of Councillor Na'Toth and Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar, who knew about the Shadows and did nothing, and hatred of them both for telling him about the Shadows and making him a part of their game.
Hatred of Lyta, for daring to care for him. Hatred of himself for letting himself care for her. Hatred of Susan, who had changed the situation so that she was the hunter and he was the hunted. Hatred of himself for letting her do so. Hatred of Captain Sheridan, who had sent him here. Hatred of himself for failing Captain Sheridan's trust in him.
So much hatred, each object another chain weighing him down. Each chain causing his greater hatred of himself.
Marcus did not know what Susan had planned that would necessitate locking him up in here. He certainly knew enough to be sure that he wasn't the primary focus of her plans. He was just in the way.
Fortunately he had not been unprepared for this eventuality. Susan had ripped the link from his hand before throwing him in here, but he had another, hidden in the folds of his jacket. He had drawn it out and tried to contact Captain Sheridan, but there had been no reply - no indication that the message had even reached him at all. He wondered if Sheridan had been the focus of Susan's plans. A similar attempt to contact Commander Corwin had failed. In fact, he could not reach anyone on the Babylon. There were a few possible explanations - the link was broken, there was no way to send linked messages from this room, communications on the Babylon were down.... or everybody on board the Babylon was dead.
None of them was exactly a pleasant option. He was not sure if he could contact anyone on the surface of Proxima, but then there was only one person on the surface that he trusted and to her.... to her he dared not speak, out of shame, and out of hatred.
Lyta Alexander was just one more link in his heavy chains of hatred, and he was mortally afraid of ever letting her find this out, knowing that if he did so he would expose his true self to her, and that she would turn from him, and he would lose the greatest - and only - light of his life.
And so he waited. Marcus hated waiting, but more than anything else, he hated himself for being in the this situation in the first place.
One more link on a very big chain.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"Welcome to the world, Satai Delenn. Out of the darkness and into the light."
Susan could feel Delenn's eyes on her - the eyes that could blaze with an intensity and a fury as passionate and as hot as the stars. Instead, all she saw now were the empty, haunted eyes of a child.
She had no knowledge of what the chrysalis had been doing to Delenn - a complete genetic alteration, or simply an outward transformation? Would it have changed her to a full human, a half-human, or something else? And what had been the result of Susan shattering the chrysalis sooner than it would naturally have opened?
She did not know, but then she did not care either. All she had to do was kill Delenn and her problems would be over. Sheridan would have no focus for his quest against the Shadows, and with the happiness of a renewed relationship with Anna he would have no need to continue. But as she raised her pike - the very one that Delenn had once wielded - she seemed to hesitate.
Delenn was lying out on the floor, completely naked, obviously racked by pain, as helpless as a child, and with a look in her eyes that said that, mentally, she might be nothing else.
Susan looked at her with a slow eye. Delenn's bone crest was still there, only a little smaller than before, but it was cracked down the middle, where there was a growth of hair, long and black. Her ears were still in the normal Minbari place - a little lower than human ears - but the bone crest above them was higher. Her head and body were slimmer, and more human-looking, but her eyes.... her eyes were those of a child.
And then Delenn blinked slowly, and she whispered one word, half as though it were a link to her past, and half as though it was a toy she had just found.
"Shadows."
The Shadows behind Susan had evidently decided that if their emissary would not act, then they would. They scuttled forward, approaching Delenn. Susan took a step back, and was content to watch.
Had Delenn felt like this as her fleets destroyed Earth? Had she been content simply to watch, as a child was killed by adults who knew best?
Delenn saw the things advancing on her, and her eyes widened in a gesture of childish curiosity, but then.... a legacy of something left in her mind woke up, and started.
She rolled away from the Shadows, back towards the broken husk of the chrysalis. She reached out and rested on it for support. Its touch seemed to revitalise her, although only a little.
Susan started and slumped, silently screaming as a burst of pain tore into her skull. "Oh no," she whispered. "Oh no, not again. Not.... again."
She recognised a telepath's presence when she felt one.
And so, it appeared, did Delenn. She raised her head slowly, curiously, hesitantly, out of hope - or pain?
"We don't have.... time...." Susan rasped, holding both hands against her skull. "Kill her.... now."
The Shadows were only too happy to comply.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

It had been three words which had alerted Lyta Alexander to the danger. Three words spoken - although she hadn't known so then - at the time when Susan Ivanova had taken the shuttle up to the Babylon. Three words spoken by the voice in her mind that was called Kosh.
She needs you.
Lyta needed no clarification as to who the 'she' was. For months now she had been feeling a connection to Satai Delenn - ever since she had first mind-scanned her. Something profound had passed between the two of them - two somethings in fact. The first was a sense of understanding and connection. The second was Kosh.
Lyta had been sensing a general fear of doom all day. She had not seen Marcus in five days, although her thoughts had rarely been away from him. She had dreamed dark dreams of Proxima being engulfed by a black cloud, and of Susan Ivanova standing watching as it happened. She had been irritated and afraid and cranky all day.
And now this.
Immediately, she had tried to link someone on board the Babylon - she had recoiled slightly at the thought of contacting Captain Sheridan, and so had tried Commander Corwin. He had listened politely, but had replied that Delenn was being guarded by two of the Babylon's best Security personnel with orders to let absolutely no one in until the Captain returned. It wasn't that he didn't take her seriously, just that he was very busy. Where Captain Sheridan was, she had no idea, and she didn't exactly care.
That left Chief Security Officer Allan, who had also listened politely and had told her he would look into the matter.
That should have satisfied her. The Babylon was, after all, their domain, not hers. She had only even been there once before, after all. But still.... Kosh's presence was still lingering at the forefront of her mind, and so she made for the shuttle bays.
As it had been for Susan, getting a shuttle up to the Babylon was simple. Lyta's rank might not have been as high as Susan's, but she was able to feign a request from Commander Corwin to arrive at the spaceship. She had been met by Mr. Allan at the docking bays. He had tried to tell her that everything was fine, and that he had checked out the area, and that no one had gone in or out of the room in a while.
She might have believed him, but then Kosh's voice screamed at her.
Touched!
Theoretically it was possible for a telepath literally to change someone's mind. Lyta had seen this done on a few occasions - during her internship with the Psi Cops. Altering a person's opinions, beliefs and even memories was a favourite trick of the Psi Cops, but it had never been something she had dared to do for herself. She had made small attempts in this field, but only rarely and usually to get something she wanted - such as past the security guards to go and see Marcus - but she knew this was important, and, acting on fear and concern, she had changed Zack's mind.
"Yes, of course," he said. "I'd be happy to."
And he had taken her towards Delenn's quarters. Lyta should not have been able to do this - Zack's normal psyche should have returned after a few minutes at most - but he had kept up with her, as her heart beat faster and faster with each moment. She could feel Delenn's fear, but there was something else in Delenn's mind. She was not exactly sure what was happening to Delenn, but she could feel her pain.
Her first sight upon arriving at Delenn's quarters was the two dead guards outside the door. Both were covered in blood - one had had his chest smashed open, and the other had been ripped apart. Zack had merely stared, but Lyta had started, losing her telepathic control over him. She didn't care. She saw the blood, and she saw the bodies and she could see the taint of Shadows.
She darted into the room, and saw the whole grim tableau in one scene. Delenn cowering, Susan standing, and.... two creatures from her worst nightmare. Susan started and staggered back, panic verging on terror in her expression. The.... things (the things that were causing Kosh's voice to scream in her mind) also turned and backed away. Delenn looked up slowly.
Susan sprang forward with her pike, lunging at Lyta, who ducked out of the way. Lyta, acting on instinct - or perhaps the Vorlon was doing all the acting for her - lashed out with a burst of telepathic pain. Susan screamed, far greater and far louder than would have been expected from such a short burst, and staggered out of the way, pushing past Lyta and scrambling from the room. Lyta looked round for the two creatures, but they had just vanished, as if they had never been. Reaching out tentatively with her mind, she recoiled as she felt the touch of something so.... ancient and alien and awesomely powerful that she felt sick and weak and she had to fall to her knees.
The feeling passed, and she crawled forward to Delenn, who was still lying on the floor, cowering. She tried to turn Delenn's head, and was met by the full force of her brilliant green eyes.
Eyes which seemed dulled and empty.
"Who... are you?" Delenn whispered. "Who.... am.... I?"
Lyta said nothing, unable to think of anything to say. She cradled Delenn's head in her lap and called for Zack. The Security Chief hobbled into the room, looking pale-faced and queasy.
"What...?" he tried to say. "What?"
"Find her," Lyta snapped, giving orders as naturally as if she'd been born to it. "Don't let her get away."
Zack snapped, almost unconsciously, to attention. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Er.... should I call for Dr. Kyle as well?"
A doctor? Lyta looked at Delenn. Yes, of course she would need a doctor. "Yes, and you'd better get Commander Corwin or.... Captain Sheridan down here as well."
"That won't be necessary," said a voice she recognised. Looking up, she saw Corwin enter, flanked by two security guards. "They were told to report in every half an hour. When they didn't, I came to investigate. What happened here?"
"She's dying," Lyta snapped. "Get a doctor."
Corwin looked at her and then down at Delenn. He activated his link. "Dr. Kyle, get a med-team to room ninety-nine, block beta, level thirty-five, ASAP. Mr. Allan, I believe you have some work to do."
Zack snapped to attention again. "Yes, sir." He glanced at Lyta and left, taking the other two security guards with him.
"Do you want to tell me what happened here?" Corwin asked Lyta. "Or should I just piece everything together myself?"
She looked up. "I.... I don't know exactly what happened."
"It appears your suspicions were right. Tell me, what exactly made you suspicious?"
"A.... feeling. It's hard to explain. I just knew."
"Trust me to expect simple answers from a telepath," he muttered. "What about.... her?" He looked at Delenn, and his eyes widened. Lyta discreetly moved to the bed - slanted as per Minbari style - and grabbed a blanket - as per human style - which she draped over Delenn. Delenn stirred a little, but still said nothing. "God's name, what happened to her?"
"I don't.... I can't explain it, because I don't really know myself."
"Funny. That's usually my job. I don't suppose your feelings tell you where the Captain is?"
"No, and I don't particularly care."
"Well, I do. I haven't seen him since yesterday. I don't like this. I really do not like this."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

The Captain was currently sleeping. A quiet, peaceful, dreamless sleep for the first time in years.
No staying up late drinking ersatz coffee staring into the darkness around him. No reliving the sight of Earth as he had last seen it. No endless nightmares about the Minbari coming for him and him being unable to stop them. No billions of voices screaming his name.
Nothing but the quiet, peaceful dreamless sleep of those who have finally found happiness.
Anna looked at the sleeping form of her husband and smiled slowly. She reached down to touch his hair. He muttered something in his sleep and rolled over. She rose from the bed and looked at him, still smiling.
She had been watching him for several hours now. She hadn't been able to sleep very well - years of drinking herself into a stupor every night had made it difficult for her to sleep without drinking and she was determined not to go back to that. Sometimes she found herself yearning for another drink, but now she didn't need one.
For over two years - since their daughter Elizabeth had been killed in the Minbari attack on Orion 7 - Anna and John Sheridan had both been living in a twilight, shadow world. She had crawled into a bottle, and he had crawled on to the bridge of the Babylon. Neither had left their chosen refuge in all that time, certainly not mentally, even on the rare occasions they had done so physically.
And last night, they had finally come together again.
Anna had been watching her husband sleep for some time. She had done this sometimes during their marriage when she couldn't sleep. They were frequently apart, but they always made up for it when they were together. She had always seen John's constant anger and worry and fears fade as he slept. When he did sleep, he was the same fresh-faced, enthusiastic man he had been when Liz had introduced the two of them over ten years ago.
She remembered all the times in his father's garden, when they had sat and looked around and just.... been together. The smell of orange blossom had been so beautiful then. She had taken to sprinkling it around this room - partly to hide the smell of her Narn liquor, but also in memory of that time. One of her greatest sorrows was that she would never be able to take Elizabeth to that garden. Both Elizabeth and the garden were gone now. Gone forever, except in memories.... and dreams.
Anna looked at John's link, lying on the side where he had placed it. All too often they had been interrupted by business before, but they would not be now.
She had deactivated it as he slept.
Whatever turmoils gripped the outside world would not touch their brief moment of happiness. For now at least, John and Anna Sheridan were together again, and that was what mattered.
The outside world would just have to get by without them both for a while.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"This had better be important," Lord Refa was muttering to himself as he waited in the Conference Hall. The other members of the Resistance Government - except President Crane, who was still ill - were gathered there. Refa looked around at his companions in this unexpected late night soirée.
Vice President Clark was bleary-eyed, and looked as though he had just got out of bed. He yawned frequently and blinked a lot. He was also talking to anyone who would listen, which was no one.
General Takashima was engaging Clark's interest a little with an occasional remark. The two seemed to be discussing Lieutenant - or perhaps Ambassador - Ivanova, about whom Refa had heard a lot, but whom he had not yet met. She sounded interesting, and he wondered just how much Sinoval would want whatever information he picked up about her. Their conversation was quiet however, and he could not hear much, and so he switched his attentions elsewhere.
Mr. Welles did not look tired. He did not look, in fact, as if he had ever been asleep. He was watching, interested and perhaps even intrigued. Refa recognised the type of man he was from a number of his contemporaries, who all possessed the same outward calm and silence. Others underestimated such people. Refa did not. Welles would need watching.
General Hague was, however, easy to dismiss. He looked haunted, his face gaunt. He clearly had not been asleep either, but unlike Mr. Welles, his fatigue showed clearly. Hague was on the verge of falling, and whether he fell to his death or started flying was of no concern to Refa.
Being rousted out of bed at this hour of the night was, however. Refa had been on this wasteland for five days now, and he had picked up the barest word about Satai Delenn - the real reason he was here. Sinoval and the rest of the Grey Council wanted confirmation of her status here. Such information could be doctored fairly easily for Sinoval's - and Refa's own - benefit, but first of all he needed information to doctor, and all he had found so far was that there was a Minbari aboard Captain Sheridan's ship - the Babylon. That was not nearly enough.
And to top it all off, Vir had gone missing. Confounded moron! He was never around when he was needed. When Refa returned in glory to Centauri Prime and sat upon the Imperial Throne he would have much better servants than Vir Cotto - and that was a fact.
The door to the hall opened and he looked up as a human woman entered. She was dishevelled and limping slightly, but he could easily see the power and authority in her bearing. He supposed she would be considered quite beautiful, but his unfortunate experience with his own wife - who had many unpleasant characteristics, but her looks were not one of them - had biassed him against beautiful women. They couldn't be trusted. That applied to ugly women as well, for that matter.
"Ambassador Ivanova," said Clark. "What has happened? It was you who asked us all to gather here?"
"Yes, Vice President," she panted. "I'm sorry if this inconvenienced anyone, but this is important." She paused, breathing in harshly. "Satai Delenn has.... she has...." She was still breathing deeply, but she now had Refa's full attention. Satai Delenn? He caught more than one glance in his direction and he knew this was information the others did not want him to have.
"She's.... I don't know how to say it. Here. I took these pictures. Maybe these will prove it." She laid a small object down on the table and activated it. Refa recognised a primitive form of recording and playing holographic equipment. An essential part, of course, of any politician's arsenal.
Even he started at the image that appeared before them. Two humans lying dead. There was blood everywhere. Neither killing looked particularly clean. Refa, a master in the art of political assassination, was surprised at the unsubtlety of these deaths. Unless, perhaps, that was the point.
"Satai Delenn did this," Ivanova said. "These were the people who had to guard her."
"Where is Delenn now?" Clark asked.
"And how did you get hold of this?" Takashima added.
"I assume that Delenn is on board the Babylon. I don't think she did this to escape."
"Then why?" asked Clark.
"For this." Ivanova fiddled with the device again and changed the image. It was of a woman who appeared to be half Minbari and half human. Refa was fascinated. He didn't think the mix was possible, but then he realised something else.
What would Sinoval say about this?
"She took their DNA," Ivanova said. "She's been trying to turn herself into a human. Why, I don't know, but I think it's been harder than she thought. She killed the two guards, took their DNA and managed to adapt it to her own, or something."
"If Minbari could turn themselves into humans," Hague said. "think of what they could do. Do they have this level of technology?" He was appalled, and more than a little terrified.
"Obviously they do," Clark said. "And she is still on the Babylon?"
"I think so."
"May I ask how you uncovered this?" Welles said, speaking up suddenly.
"I.... went up to the Babylon to consult on a few matters with Captain Sheridan," she said. "He was not on the bridge, and so I thought he might be with Satai Delenn. He has been spending a lot of time with her recently. I went to her cell and found what I have just shown you."
"And did you find Captain Sheridan?"
"No."
"What about Commander Corwin?"
"Him neither."
"This raises some very disturbing questions," Clark muttered. "How much do Captain Sheridan and his second know about this, and where are they? Mr. Welles, bring them both here so that we can discuss this with them. And send some men up to the Babylon. Liaise with their Head of Security and find out as much as you can about this. A breach of security of this magnitude at such a critical time is very bad. If this were due to simple incompetence it would be bad enough. I dare not contemplate the other possible reason. Are you clear on this, Welles?"
"Absolutely, Vice President."
"Sir?" spoke up Takashima. "Shall we tell the President?"
"That will not be necessary, General. She is too ill to be bothered with matters such as this."
Refa looked at those gathered around him. He supposed it must be Lieutenant Ivanova who had sent him the message asking him to attend this meeting, but why? As he looked at her, she noticed his gaze and looked back. He smiled slightly.
There was no doubt about it. She was good. Very good. Not as good as a Centauri, but then she was only human, after all.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"So, doctor, what can you tell me?"
Dr. Kyle looked back at the slumbering form on the bed in Medlab. "I don't know what I can tell you, Commander," he said slowly. "Her DNA is like nothing I've ever seen before. A mixture of human and Minbari. It isn't co-existing very well."
"She wasn't finished," Lyta whispered from her place at Delenn's side.
"What?" Corwin asked. "What do you know about it?"
"I don't know. I just keep picking up stray thoughts from her. The word chrysalis, and a sense of.... incompletion. Whatever she was doing, she wasn't finished doing it."
"Yes, what did you get from that piece of the.... chrysalis thing we brought you?"
"Nothing, I am afraid, Commander."
"Nothing?"
"It disintegrated before I had a chance to study it. It just melted away."
"Oh great! Why did I get up this morning? For that matter why didn't I become a dustman like my mother wanted?"
"Commander," Kyle said, and Corwin fell silent. There was something about Dr. Kyle that made him resemble a primary school teacher. Corwin felt the urge to mutter 'Sorry, sir,' and do a hundred lines. "Back to Delenn, I can offer no explanation as to what is happening to her. Her DNA seems stable at the moment, but her body chemistry is still very out of synch. She could collapse into a coma, or respiratory failure, or heart failure at any moment."
"Oh, wonderful. And her.... mental state?"
"A child," Kyle said. "At the moment, anyway. She's said nothing since she was brought here. Her brain readings are.... well, strange, to say the least. I don't know if this is permanent, temporary, natural or what. She defies analysis, Commander."
"Can you scan her?" Corwin asked Lyta. "Try and find out.... something."
"No," she said. "Scanning without permission is against the law."
"That's never stopped you before." Lyta had several cautions for inappropriate use of her telepathic powers. "We have to know what happened to her."
"Chrysalis. That's all I can tell you. I won't scan her, Commander, and you can't make me."
Corwin rubbed at his eyes. He was tired, he was stressed and he wasn't cut out to be running a starship. Where the hell was Captain Sheridan?
His link beeped. "Corwin here. Is that you, Captain?"
"'Fraid not, sir," said Zack. "There's still no sign of him. There is another matter, though."
"You've found Susan?"
"Not that either. Mr. Welles is here with a group of his own Security people, sir. The Resistance Government has heard about what happened. They want to take Satai Delenn into custody on the planet and they want you and the Captain to meet them to discuss the, ah, situation."
Corwin closed his eyes. And he'd thought things couldn't get worse.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Ironically, Londo's thoughts were on Refa as he was waiting for the Emperor - may the Great Maker enable us all to actually remember his name - to rise and deign to meet him.
The assassination attempt of the night before had been greeted with another this morning - poisoned brivare. Fortunately Londo had spent considerable time memorising the taste and smell of every type of popular poison used amongst the Centauri, and he had faintly recognised the tang of lemons. Having the drink tested confirmed that it had been poisoned. Now he was definitely not happy. A second assassination attempt in two days was one thing, but having to tip out a whole vat of warm, steaming, fine brivare really annoyed him. Someone was going to pay for this.
And Londo wasn't the only one, either. His fine network of overpaid and underworked sources had reported that Lady Drusella had eaten some very bad marnago the night before and had been afflicted with a terminal stomach ache. Since her husband had died during the War, her daughter Lyndisty now inherited the vast family fortune, at least until someone found her a husband. (Londo silently wished any husband of hers good fortune. He had known fish less wet than she was.)
This whole affair was getting serious. Centauri Prime was returning to the old ways, and this was not good. With the Narns biting at Centauri heels, and G'Kar's Ancient Enemy growing stronger all the time - not to mention the humans and the Minbari shortly to be ripping each other apart - Centauri Prime had to be stable and orderly, and that meant having a stable and orderly ruler. Londo had tried contacting Urza, but he was on a state mission to Gorash 7 - they still called him 'The Hero of Gorash' and he knew how to use that hero worship. So, it was a matter to bring to the attention of the Emperor himself.
Unfortunately, it was not the Emperor who greeted him.
"Why, dear Londo," said the voice, and he grit his teeth very firmly together. "It is so good to see you again. I was just talking with Daggair the other day, and we were complaining that we see so little of you these days."
"My Lady Elrisia," he said, smiling. "A pleasure, as always," he lied.
"I hear there was an attempt on your life last night. I am so glad it failed."
"A seasonal occurrence, my lady. I am.... always alert to these things. After all, no one has killed me yet."
"But they only have to be lucky once, Londo. You have to be lucky all the time."
Londo looked at his companion and silently thanked all the Gods in the Centauri pantheon that he had not been the one to marry her. Lady Elrisia was beautiful, unscrupulous, intelligent, ambitious and devious. Most Centauri ladies possessed at least two of those characteristics. The more dangerous ones possessed three or four. Lady Elrisia had all five. She was almost as bad as - if not worse than - her husband, the absent and mercifully forgotten Lord Refa.
"I.... came here to meet the Emperor. I thought that with First Minister Jaddo away...."
"The Emperor is sleeping now. He is.... quite tired."
"I see. You will tell him I was here."
"Of course. He appreciates your concern for his health, dear Londo. He told me so last night."
"I am gratified that his Majesty thinks so highly of me."
"You may go, Londo."
"My lady."
"Oh, there is one thing. I understand that there was a Minbari poet with you last night. He is well, I trust."
"Very well, my lady. Shaal Lennier is currently enjoying my hospitality."
"I would be most interested in hearing his work. Could you possibly arrange a private meeting at all?"
"I shall.... broach the subject with him, my lady. Good day."
"Good day, Londo. It was a pleasure as always. We should meet more often."
Londo waited until he was outside the palace before he started swearing. This was not good. This was definitely not good. Nothing these days ever did seem to be good. Time for a meeting with Mr. Lennier, it seemed. Perhaps G'Kar might have some handy advice in store.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"What?"
"You heard me, Commander Corwin. The Resistance Government wishes to see you, Captain Sheridan and your prisoner. And they wish to do so now."
"And if the Minbari happen to turn up while we're.... seeing the Resistance Government, Mr. Welles? Or aren't they worried about the Minbari?"
"I am only relaying their instructions, Commander Corwin. I understand that Mr. Allan is investigating this incident up here?"
"Yes, and he is doing so well enough for me. We do not need...."
"What you need is irrelevant. I and my men will meet with Mr. Allan to co-ordinate this matter."
"You can't do that."
"Commander Corwin. The actions of the senior staff on this ship have been, at best, incompetent, and at worst, treasonous. And not just in this incident, but for some time."
"We run this ship as we see best...."
"Then you may explain that to the Resistance Government. I am sure that if what you say is the case, then you will have nothing to worry about, Commander."
"And who do you expect to run the ship while I'm on the planet?"
"The people here are capable of running the ship for a few hours."
"But...."
"Those are the direct instructions of the Resistance Government, Commander. You, Captain Sheridan and the Minbari are to attend the Resistance Government at once."
"Delenn can hardly move. Her health is...."
"Irrelevant. You will do as you have been ordered by your direct superiors in the chain of command. Is that clear, Commander?"
"Perfectly clear."
"Good. There was no need for all that hostility then, was there? I do have one question, though. Where is Captain Sheridan?"

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Captain Sheridan was waking slowly. He stirred, and opened his eyes gradually. For a brief moment, he was surprised. This was definitely not his room on the Babylon. These were his quarters in the Main Dome. Well, he supposed they were Anna's quarters. She lived here. He could not recall spending more than fifteen minutes at a time here before.
Anna was sitting beside him on the bed. She was smiling. "Good morning," she said.
"Anna," he mumbled, surprised. She was.... she looked beautiful. She looked happy. "Anna...."
"If you said any other name, I'd be very angry," she said, her eyes dancing. "I love you, John."
The fog of sleep left him, and he remembered last night. She had come to him after his meeting with the Resistance Government and Lord Refa. She had.... been like the Anna she had always been before. She had cooked him something - it wasn't much, food on Proxima never was, but his cooking could make anything taste awful - and they had talked for a long time, about the past, about their future, about Elizabeth. Sheridan had not felt guilty about doing so. His link was on and if there were an emergency David could call him. He had been astounded throughout the meal, as if this were all a dream. He had resigned himself years ago to the fact that he and Anna could never be as they had been. The war, Elizabeth's death, the destruction of Earth.... it had all just become too much for them. John had watched Anna sinking deeper and deeper into her own private world and had been unable - or unwilling - to prevent her, knowing that he was doing precisely the same thing. He never stopped loving her, but he had stopped believing that they could be happy again.
Last night had surprised him. For a few hours at least, he had actually been happy. Both of them had.
"I love you," he whispered, and he watched her smile, the smile lighting up her face. She looked so beautiful.
And then he blinked. "What time is it?"
"O-six hundred or so," she said. "You always did get up early."
"But.... oh my God, the ship, De...." He nearly said Delenn's name, but then he stopped himself. So much had changed in one day, but he did not want to jeopardise it. He looked around for his link and saw it lying by his side.
"John, they can get by without you for one night."
"But the Minbari, the...." chrysalis. "Anything could have happened." He picked the link up, and saw to his horror that it had been deactivated. He looked at Anna.
"I just wanted us to be alone," she whispered. "I.... I didn't want to lose you again." Her smile was gone, and his heart went out to her. He clambered across the bed and held her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder. He felt her hair brush his cheek. He loved her. He always had.
Slowly, he re-activated his link, and patched a message through to Corwin. "Anything to report, David?" he asked.
"Captain, where the hell have you been?" A belated, "Sir."
"In bed," Sheridan replied slowly, and Anna chuckled. "I'm sorry. Things are okay up there, aren't they? Nothing.... unusual?"
"The only usual thing that's happened up here is that everything's fallen apart. The Resistance Government wants to see us both. This is serious. They want to see Satai Delenn as well."
"Delenn? But...." She's still in the chrysalis, isn't she? She wasn't meant to come out this early. I told her I'd be there for her. I promised her I'd be there for her.
"Oh my God, David. What's happened?"
"Oh boy. Look, Captain, the Resistance Government wants to see all three of us sharp-ish. They'll explain everything. You really won't like this."
"I.... all right. I'll be at the Conference Hall. Sheridan out."
Sheridan pulled back to look at Anna. "I heard," she sighed. "There's always something, isn't there?"
"Aw, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's your duty.... I'll have to find something to do now, I suppose. Just.... make sure you come back to me, John. We've spent too long apart."
"Always." He kissed her, and held her tightly, as if he were afraid he would lose her if he ever let her go. He remembered his vision from aboard Babylon 4. Much of what happened there was still a blur to him, but that vision he would never forget. The sight of Anna's body slumping and falling as he shot her.
It would never happen, he told himself. Never.
But he had always suspected it might. Now, he knew for certain that it never would.
"I love you," he said, pulling back.
"I love you, too," she replied. "Just come back to me.... Oh, and make sure you get dressed first. It might help."
He smiled.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"Well, Commander," Clark said. "Can you explain this?"
"I would appreciate it, Vice President, if you would tell me what I am accused of before you ask me to plead guilty."
Corwin stared at the four people looking at him, and he tried to avoid swallowing hard. Beside him was Delenn. She was standing as straight as he was, but she had not answered any of the questions put to her, and her very presence, with her tinges of human appearance, was enough to damn her, Corwin and the Captain.
"Dammit, man!" Hague exploded. "Two of your security guards are dead, and you bring that.... that freak here! How can you live with yourself? Why did you go through with this? You must have known something! How could you have let her do this?"
"Satai Delenn's change has nothing to do with the deaths of the two Security officers," Corwin said firmly. "I have reason to believe that they were killed by...." He did swallow, unable to even speak her name without feeling as though his heart were about to burst. "By Lieutenant Ivanova."
"What?" snapped Clark. "Young man, this...."
"This is absurd!" snapped Hague.
"Excuse me, Commander," said Takashima. "Are you telling me that Ambassador Ivanova killed two security guards aboard the Babylon?"
"Yes, General." As much as it hurt to say it, Susan wasn't the same woman as the one he had known - the one he had fallen in love with.
"And do you have a motive for her to do this or are you making this up as you go along?"
"Miss Alexander and I saw her attempting to kill Satai Delenn. The security guards were under orders to let no one but myself and Captain Sheridan past. She must have killed them so that she could get to Satai Delenn."
"Then I just have one more question, Commander. What has happened to Satai Delenn?"
"She has.... changed, General."
"We can see that," snapped Clark. "Are you telling us you knew this was happening?"
Deep breath. "Yes, Vice President."
"Then why did you permit her to do such a thing? And how did she do it for that matter?"
"It was a piece of Minbari technology. I do not know the specifics. I believe the transformation was broken off early - probably by.... Ambassador Ivanova. As to why.... apparently the Minbari have some form of prophecy which seems to state this transformation would take place. She believes she may serve as a means of ending this war."
"Then why does she not tell us this herself?"
"The.... premature ending of the transformation has affected her in a way we have not been able to determine just yet. Her mental abilities may have been damaged."
"Did you know anything about her change at all, Commander?"
"A little, sir."
"Then why did you permit her to make this change without asking for our permission, and without knowing the full outcome?"
"With respect, sir," spoke up Takashima. Corwin turned to face her. He did not like her expression. "You are being too hard on him. Commander Corwin is, after all, the second in command of the Babylon. Perhaps the one to blame is the one who is in command of the Babylon."
"Ah, yes. And what part does Captain Sheridan play in all this, hmm?"
As if on cue, the door opened and Captain Sheridan walked in, accompanied by Mr. Welles. The Captain did not look even remotely happy. Mr. Welles did not either, but then he never did.
"What has been happening?" Sheridan asked. "I.... Delenn!"
She turned to face him, and Corwin caught a glimpse of his expression as he saw her. Shock, wonderment, terror, concern.... all at once. He stepped forward slowly towards her. She turned her head slightly.
"John," she whispered. "John." She stepped forward and fell into his arms. He held her tightly, while looking at both Corwin and Clark. His face was.... stunned.
"What has happened?" he asked.
"We will deal with you later, Captain," Clark said. "What news, Mr. Welles?"
"The one security guard was killed by a single blow to the chest. It broke a number of ribs and crushed his heart. The second guard was disembowelled. The two weapons involved are very different. My guess is the killings weren't committed by the same person."
"Hmm." Clark seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Anything else?"
"A strange machine of a type we have not yet been able to identify. It does not seem to be a weapon, but I cannot tell its exact use either. It does look Minbari in origin."
"Could she have used that to kill the guards?"
"It is possible, Vice President."
"Keep your men on the matter, Mr. Welles. Well, Captain, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"What exactly am I being accused of, sir?"
"Incompetence and negligence at least, Captain. Treason at most. Did you know of Satai Delenn's change?"
"Yes, I did."
"Did you authorise her.... change?"
"Yes I did."
"Why?"
"She believed it could end this war. Prevent an attack here."
"The Minbari are more than welcome to attack here, Captain Sheridan. With our new allies, we will destroy them utterly. I have every confidence in them. You, on the other hand.... for well over a year, you have been insubordinate, reckless and dismissive of orders. You failed to secure the technological deposits at Epsilon Three for us. You prevented Mr. Welles from completing his interrogation of Satai Delenn. You have frequently put personal motivations above the good of humanity.
"Now, whether you are a traitor or merely misguided remains to be seen, but for the moment, I think it would be safer for you to be relieved of command. Yes, Captain Sheridan, you are hereby stripped of your command pending allegations of treason. You will be incarcerated here until such time as these allegations may be confirmed or denied."
Corwin could see Sheridan straightening, almost unconsciously. Delenn was still next to him, but the expression on his face was carefully neutral.
"I think General Takashima will be the best person to command the Babylon in your absence. Do you have anything to say before you are taken to a cell?"
"Just this," he said slowly. "I fight the Minbari not because I hate them, but to defend humanity. I wear this uniform because I believe in what it stands for. I serve humanity because I feel it is the right place for me to be.
"I am afraid that we have become the very thing we set out to fight. The Minbari acted out of madness and grief, the same reasons we are acting now. Unless this war is stopped, then we will become them. And then, Vice President, we will be truly beyond hope."
"We shall see, Mr. Sheridan. We shall see. Mr. Welles. Leave the investigation on the Babylon to the Head of Security there. Your immediate task is to interrogate Satai Delenn. Find out as much as you can from her. Use Miss Alexander's talents, and every resource at your disposal. Do to Satai Delenn whatever you have to do to gain the information we need. Former Captain Sheridan and former Commander Corwin are to be incarcerated until you can verify from Satai Delenn the influence they played in this affair. Leave no stone unturned, Mr. Welles."
"I never do," he said icily.
"So this is what is happening here," spoke up a sardonic voice. Lord Refa. He had clearly been hiding in the shadows, listening and learning. "Perhaps an alliance with your people is a misguided effort after all."
"That is still hasty, Lord Refa," Clark said quickly. "You must not let this.... unfortunate incident.... colour your view of our people."
"We shall see," he said. "We shall see."
"Mr. Welles, take the three of them away."
Corwin met Clark's gaze firmly and then turned, walking solemnly from the room. He caught Sheridan's gaze as he gently released Delenn and the two officers shared a meaning more important than any words could convey.
Humanity had just been damned.