11

Chapter 70

Minbari Orbit:

From the small shuttle that had docked onto the Sharlin parked in orbit four figures emerged to face the commander of the ship. Each of them moved slowly maintaining, a quiet dignity characteristic of the worker and religious castes. That there was one representative each of the two castes acting as aides spoke volume of the mission that had not been yet identified.

Shai Alyt Janshi commander of the Sharlin warship Star of Ehar’ni bowed deeply in the presence of the two Satais that now confronted him. They were hooded as tradition dictated, however tradition held little sway here, indeed there was no precedent here for what was about to happen. The Shai Alyt found it hard standing attentively at such a momentous occasion trying to remain outwardly impassive. Both Satais returned the bow slowly is function dictated. The two aides moved behind their leaders diminishing as their superiors flourished.

Satai Cadroni handed the Shai Alyt a small envelope as they headed for the cabins prepared for them. He opened it and read the small note tucked inside. As he read his heart shrank.

“You are aware of where this will place us?” he questioned. Neither one of them answered which was answer enough. “What you ask is impossible.”

“You were chosen specifically for this mission because of your capabilities Shai Alyt,” Cadroni told him. “This is the will of the council or are you saying that you will not obey the Grey Council?”

Janshi’s ears flushed red at the implied insult. He and his crew were fully aware of what was happening on Minbar with the Ashen. Personally he was shocked and angered by the Ashen’s takeover but he also believed them to be true brothers serving in the overall best interests of Minbari during these dark times. He was more shocked however by the Grey Council’s willingness to use weapons on their own people. “I obey the will of the Council even if it means my death and that’s what surely will happen.”

“Do you know why you were asked to perform this mission?” asked Coplann suddenly.

“Yes.” When he read where they are traveling to, he did understand perfectly. His Sharlin was a prototype designed to ride the hyperspace storms. It was designed with stronger sensors and a local map sensor director capable of navigating the surrounding star systems without the use of beacons. The prototype was primitive and in order for it to work it had to have detailed data of the area it was being tested in. Although functional it was still a prototype and was never meant to travel outside a specific area. “The Star of Ehar’ni can handle the storms as is its purpose. But I question your mission,” he said bluntly shocking both Satais.

No Shai Alyt had ever said such a thing to a member of the council to his face – ever. It was horrifying evidence as to how far things have deteriorated.

“Our forces surrounding Minbar cannot withstand a Federation attack. The Ashen support would only serve to delay the inevitable for a few hours! Minbar must survive.”

Janshi was inwardly shock although he showed nothing. “Should Minbar lie down and bare its neck to the Warlord and his barbarians?” he asked. “The only ones of our people who haven’t heard his ultimatum and understand its import are the simple. Unconditional surrender to such a race is untenable. Maybe it’s better to die fighting to our last breaths rather than surrender to such creatures. The Klingon animals are worse. They butchered the people of Iklath, or has that been forgotten? Every Minbari is outraged at such an atrocity and you wish to speak terms of surrender to such vermin?”

“Yes!” Coplann snapped before he could regain his composure. “A Minbar that lives can fight another day. The dead can do nothing but be remembered.”

“Then maybe that is enough.”

“Say that to our old, our women, and our children,” Coplann countered. “We want our people to survive to grow once more. Right now we are fractured, our own people being eaten by turn against one another. The Worker Caste is being scorned by the Warrior Caste because our ships weren’t strong enough and in turn the workers accuse the Warrior Caste of being incompetent with the materials and upgrades given them to prosecute the war.” He stopped, trying to regain control once more. “The Vorlons have made it clear that we have been left to our own devices.”

That shocked the Shai Alyt. Like the majority of the other Minbari he knew little about the Vorlons other than that they were extremely powerful and almost mystical allies of his people. During the war, he’d seen the majestic ships orbiting his home world and had felt a sense of security that he’d never experienced before. Now told that they had stopped supporting Minbar, he nearly went into a depression.

“They will not aid us in this time of need.”

“But they reunited us with the Ashen,” he protested.

Cadroni’s head suddenly jerked upwards. “The Ashen are too aggressive, to wrapped around the Vorlon’s to think properly. They would have Minbar burn before they would think of the people. I will not have them make our world in their image. I begin to think of it as a mistake having them involved in the first place.

“They’re our brothers.”

“Are they really?” countered Cadroni. “The Grey Council wants Minbar to survive. The Ashen are willing to destroy everything to win against the darkness.”

“The Federation ‘is’ the darkness,” countered Janshi. “We’ve seen them talking in the open to Shadows. They proclaimed their association across the galaxy.”

“No, they didn’t. There was no proclamation of association with the Shadows,” Cadroni said. “We saw what we wanted to see, and our senses lied to us. The Shadows ‘publicly’ announced that they would not interfere and would not start a war we have been dreading for a thousand years.”

“Janshi,” Coplann began, “we need to speak with our enemy face-to-face to avoid the bloodshed that is sure to happen to our people if we do nothing.”

“Why would they even consider ceasing hostilities? We wouldn’t. Our promise was to kill all of the Earthers because of what they did to Dukhat. Now has that been forgotten? If we decided that, then why would the UFOPers not do the same? And what of the Earthers, wouldn’t they feel the same?”

“Maybe they will extend mercy to us because they are not us.”

The rest of the journey was made in silence. As they stopped at the door, Janshi turned once more. “I have no wish to see my world burned therefore I will take you there because I choose to do so. But be warned that if I see betrayal by either the Federation, or you,” and he left those words hanging, “I will destroy this ship killing the enemies of my people. Every Minbari will die digging their teeth into the neck of their enemies.”

“Agreed.” And for a moment, Cadroni’s and Coplann’s eyes matched the Shai Alyts in ferocity. “But we will talk first and let the universe decide our fates.”

***

Two hours later, the Sharlin slipped from orbit and slowly moved out of the star system. In another six hours it would make the jump into hyperspace with a minimum of prying eyes. The sensors would pick up the disturbance but it would turn out to be one of many. There were dozens of ships many of them Ashen jumping into the system heedless of the dangers of hyperspace travel. What was disturbing was that several of them jumped in using a form of FTL not unlike the Federationists. They had not shared that with the Minbari.

The Star of Ehar’ni was engulfed in a flash of hyperspace distortion.

Sharlin warship Tracker

‘She called me the betrayer,’ reflected Anla’shok Nardronni.

He, Grynal, and Lysia had only spoken to her once after the journey had started, she, refusing to speak despite the entities and attempted explanations. She simply glared at them with those accusing eyes and had shut the door. That had been answer enough these past three weeks and the Anla’shok had honored her unspoken wishes. Nadronni understood her reasoning. She had been kidnapped, taken on a journey against her will during the time of their people’s greatest need; to be taken on a journey to a place that no one knew of on the command of a legend. There had to be a time of mourning and he most of all understood the price they were paying to their souls.

The three of them stood united now in front of the door and the incoming storm they knew would face them in moments.

***

Delenn despaired. The longer she had sequestered herself in the room the more she felt betrayed, the more she felt ‘the betrayer’. Where the Anla’shok planned to take her didn’t matter any more. The damage had already been done and the wounds so deep there could never be any healing.

She was the one who started the war with the Humans. In her grief at her mentor’s death at that time, two years ago – had it really been that long? – it was her decision that began the great crusade that had lead her people to disaster. She was responsible. Everyone had said so and it mattered not that she was the junior of all of the Satais. Her word carried weight and with it tens of thousands of Humans had died because of her anger. But never in her wildest imagination had she thought that her people would end up being the victims of a killing field that might well lead to the extermination of her people. The Federation was too strong and the losses of her own people too great. They had difficulties producing offspring. Each life was precious and the greatest of the Minbari have been left floating in space. How many children would never be born on Minbar now? How many had been mothers and fathers would mourn the loss of children that never where?

She was the one who tried to stop the war against the Federation. But Admiral Kirk didn’t listen to her entreaties. He didn’t understand the sacrifice that she offered, didn’t understand the ravages to her soul in offering such an agreement. He didn’t understand that no accepting the offer would lead to the extermination of his people wherever they were.

However, now she understood that it was she that hadn’t understood a thing. She believed in the Minbari and their power. She believed in the Vorlons as Allies and she had hoped that the Ashen would turn the tide. But those beliefs were shattered in a million pieces that could never be put back together again. Once she suspected the true dangers, she felt that only she could stop the slaughter. The others would always place those decisions on her and when things failed, Delenn would take the blame since it was she that started the war in the first place. It was of no importance that the Vorlons wanted the war as much as her people had. It was unimportant that the warriors had longed for such a short and easy war. It wasn’t important that the workers longed to test their designs in real life situations. It was ignored that the religious longed to pray for a victory against barbarians so that they might practice for the real thing when the Shadows came. The truth didn’t matter; it was the only perception of truth that counted now.

Her longing to stop the war was derailed by the presence of the Ashen who were more aggressive than even the more rabid warrior cults, but she had continued on planning to speak to the Warlord once more in order to try to halt the slaughter that she knew was coming. She could have tried to redeem herself but she was taken away, stolen from her family, friends, her responsibility, her people and the chance to make things right. The responsibility she was willing to burden was stolen from her just as she was ready to sacrifice herself if need be.

She felt tired. She felt ashamed. She felt guilty. Duty and loyalty were the backbones of the Minbari and now she would be denounced as lacking both. All they could see was that she had left her people in their greatest time of need. She had become the face for the people and now she was gone. People would call her traitor for generations. It wasn’t her fault alone for all of this but no one would care. Therefore, it would be all her fault and she would die knowing that the people she abandoned would curse her name for generations never knowing the truth.

But then what was truth?

***

Nardronni ringed the chimes a second time, not intending to take ‘no’ for an answer. The appointed time was close. If necessary, as distasteful as it was, the door would be forced. There was still no answer. Having no choice, he used the keypad overriding the locking mechanism. Surprisingly, the door wasn’t locked.

“Delenn?” asked Lysia. “It is time.”

“Time for what?” she asked in the darkness. “What is there time for?”

“It’s time to join the living,” answered Lysia.

With a quiet dignity, she stood up from her couch. “You have taken my life from me,” she said as she walked out the door for the first time.

“No!” countered Nardronni. “You are here because a remnant must be saved.”

Impossibly fast, she turned around, glaring at the Anla’shok. “You took me away! I could have stopped this. I could have stopped all of this!”

“No, Satai,” Nardronni answered slowly. “You could not have.”

“How do you know this?” she screamed.

“Because it was the Vorlons who told us to leave,” he quietly responded. “This journey we have begun is because they told us to go.” He turned away. “I believe that they feel that our world is lost.”

“No.”

“Yes,” Nadronni whispered. “The Vorlon gave me this,” and he held up a crystal. “We were told to come here to these coordinates and wait. We’re here.” Despite herself, Delenn slowly took the crystal from his hands. “You are the chosen of Dukhat, the youngest perhaps, but the chosen one nevertheless. We will need your leadership during the times to come.”

She struggled not to laugh in his face.

The trip to the bridge was made in silence. Everywhere the Fourth Caste, the misplaced caste that walked where others would not, bowed in respect and reverence. She forced herself not to acknowledge them and Nardronni’s heart fell a bit more.

“Do you believe that you’re the only one suffering?” he hissed and then he was silent. His words had stung, that he could tell by her sudden tensing.

The bridge door opened and everyone instantly bowed. And again she ignored them but the overt hostility that existed just moments earlier wasn’t present, much to the Anla’shok’s relief.

“Why are we here?”

“We are here because these are the coordinates that the Vorlon instructed us to come to. We’ve been here for the last ten hours. Our entire clan is here, six Sharlins, eighteen Tinashis, thirty long-ranged transports filled with our families and supplies. There are some of the workers here and a few of the religious castes whom agreed to our passing. Delenn, we have sacrificed our homes on the word of the Vorlons.”

“We sacrificed so much,” she echoed. “But when we needed them why they did not come to our aid?”

There was such bitterness in her words that Nardronni had no real answer to her question.

The small fleet was in the middle of nowhere, far from any star system, more than two hundred light years from Minbar. It had been told to wait and that is what they did. At the appointed time, there was a flash of distortion and sensors picked u a small Vorlon transport transitioned into normal space.

Nardronni sagged in relief, but then tensed as something else phased in just outside weapon’s range. It was a shadow vessel almost two kilometers wide. It’s black glistening hull didn’t so much reflect light as much as seem to generate it on its own. Genetically enhanced instincts and instinctual fear took over him every other Minbari as they readied weapons.

There was one word transmitted over the communications that froze everyone in place.

“Stop.”

The crews of the Anla’shok looked on in stunned surprise as from behind the Shadow vessel appeared another thirty ships, all of them apparently Minbari. Suddenly there was another shock as a Vorlon appeared behind Delenn and Nardronni.

“How did you get here?” Delenn asked after she took a moment to calm her nerves.

There was a soft tingling of chimes just before the Vorlon spoke. “I have always been here.”

Delenn didn’t understand. She didn’t understand the Shadow vessel being so close and not attacking either. “Why have you done this?” she demanded to know.

“The two shall become one flesh,” the Vorlon stated. “The dark and the light join to become the grey. Completion is perfection and survival.”

Nardronni’s mouth fell open. He knew these Minbari for what they were. “They are servants of darkness! The dark Minbari, those who follow Shadow!”

“Yes,” said another voice.

To their horror there was a Shadow entity, huge and frightening, on the bridge. Some panicked while others were rooted at their stations, trying to fight out what to do in the face of their enemy.

“Our conflict is over,” the Shadow announced, “the decision made. You shall re-discover yourselves anew. You have proven yourselves strong, but not strong enough. You have been given the opportunity to try once more. Live and be strong.”

Delenn was the first to understand. “They’re coming with us,” and was rewarded with a slight bow from the Vorlon. “And you agree to this?”

The Vorlon cocked his head a bit. “Kosh agrees. Nithiumint agrees”

With that he handed Delenn a small data crystal. “Follow and begin again.”

“Where will this take us?” she asked. Nardronni noticed the small shake in her outstretched hand.

The chimes sounded again. “Home. A remnant should be saved.”

The Shadow was gone and the Vorlon known as Kosh began to back away into the shadows.

Delenn had to catch her breath. “Why didn’t you come to our aid?” she demanded to know.

The small iris on the Vorlon’s faceplate opened widely, and then narrowed dangerously small. After what seemed like an eternity, the iris opened wide. There were chimes in the air as the Vorlon prepared to speak. No words were heard. Instead there was a sense of profound sadness mixed with anger.

Nardronni thought that Delenn looked as though she was about to faint and was prepared to go to her aid when she asked the dreaded question. “How will the war end?”

It moved deeper into the shadows before he finally spoke. “In fire,” Kosh whispered. Then he was gone.

“In fire,” Delenn whispered.

There were so many connotations in that answer. Minbar was doomed. But the way he said it many have indicated that the enemy was doomed as well. The more she thought about it the more certain she was. Something had prevented the Vorlons from acting on the Minbari’s behalf. The Federation was strong but the Vorlons were power and could have easily overwhelmed them so that couldn’t have been the reason. She would perhaps never know the truth however she knew the Vorlons would not forget. They never forgot.

Nardronni took the crystal and placed it into the computer matrix. There were a series of coordinates, star systems probably for resupply towards their final destination some four thousand light years away from where they were now.

An hour later, the Vorlon and Shadow ships both transitioned into hyperspace each in their own way followed by the Minbari fleet. In ten years, the convoy would reach their new home.

***

Anla’shok Grynal cautiously activated the viewer and stood face-to-face with Minbari whom he never really believed existed. That Minbari looked as uncomfortable as he suspected he did trying to think of something that would not cause them to start shooting at one another. With some relief, he was gently moved out of the way by the Satai.

Delenn looked at the other Minbari as though she was trying to see into his soul and she saw her own reflection. She sighed accepting her fate although she would forever rail against it. Both First Ones had put aside their differences to join together then perhaps she would do the same.

“Hello,” she said.

There was a pause.

“Hello.”