Every moment of those few weeks had been spent planning, preparing, readying. The commissioning of the shipyards at Krindar, constant liaisons with General Sheridan at Proxima, preparing for the induction of humanity in the Alliance, dealing with the Drazi growing more and more aggressive with every passing day, hunting down Shadow agents on the planet, trying to grasp some understanding of the Vorlons....
And above all, working with the Kha'Ri for the next phase of their war with the Centauri.
That was what burned G'Kar, that more than anything else. The war had been quiet for months, a bloody stalemate. The Kha'Ri now had evidence of a Centauri alliance with the Shadows, and had used that to force aid from the Alliance. The races were too evenly matched - the assistance of the Shadows gave the Centauri a clear advantage, but with the Alliance, with the Dark Stars, the Narns would regain prominence and would be able to push their war back to Centauri Prime, and this time they would not be driven back.
A jihad, a holy war, being fought in his name.
"Yes," he told Delenn. He was sure. This had to be avoided. The Shadows must be driven away, yes, must be destroyed, yes.... but at what cost? This was only doing their task for them. They only benefited from the Narns and the Centauri tearing each other apart.
"I have waited too long," he said again. "Afraid to confront my own errors. But now there is no time for fear, and no more time to wait." And there wasn't. The final stage of the plan for the renewed invasion of Centauri space had been sent to the Alliance Council from the Kha'Ri, passed through Ambassador G'Kael and his assistant Na'Toth. Both were loyal to G'Kar and had informed him early. They had also promised to delay presenting the plans as long as they could.
For long enough to enable him to do what he must.
G'Kar had seen the plans. Almost every ship the Narn people could spare, backed by a full squadron of Dark Stars and support from the Drazi and Brakiri. Ambassador Lethke had protested against his involvement with this - like G'Kar, he knew Londo too well to believe most of the stories - but he had been overruled. The Vorlon had overruled him.
"The war will soon be over," G'Kar whispered. Today, tomorrow, in a few months, it would soon be over. "But what will the peace bring?"
"It will bring what we make of it, surely," Delenn said.
"So there will still be no rest." G'Kar shook his head and rose from his chair. "I have missed you, Delenn, those long months you were gone." She had not explained what had happened to cause her to leave Kazomi 7 when she did, but there had been no need. Sinoval had explained to him and Londo. If Delenn did not give credence to his beliefs, then....
No, that was an issue for the peace, not the war.
And surely a peace bought with terror and lies was better than a war caused by anger and truth?
He had believed that once.
"I am glad you have returned to us, Delenn. I wish we had more time together."
"As do I, but we will see each other again, G'Kar."
"Will we? I wish I had your faith. Sometimes I think.... a dark cloud is putting out the lights across the galaxy. There are very few left shining now."
"The war will soon be over."
"That was not what I was referring to." He shivered.
He wished he could have had more time to talk, but as ever in his life, there was no time. His shuttle was leaving soon. He had a long journey to make.
"I doubt very much that I am welcome here, Majesty, or may I just use 'Londo'? That does not matter. I am here with a message and a warning.
"Yes, I vanished last time. Again. You really do not want to know why, nor do you need to. Suffice it to say I was fleeing from some enemies.
"These are the facts, Majesty. Someone in this Court is allied with the Shadows. Personally, I do not believe it is you, but what I believe matters very little. The Alliance is aware of this, and they are preparing a fleet, a massive hammer–blow to shatter and ruin what remains of your Republic. That will of course be a mercy if the Shadows achieve their wish for this planet first.
"The last time I was here I made you an offer. I came to you in a spirit of co–operation, of equality, in spite of the numerous favours you owed us. Or have you forgotten the help we offered you when you were just a wanderer?
"This time I am making no offers, no bargains, no alliances. I am here, and you know whom I represent. Do as we demand or we will leave you to the Alliance and to the Enemy. Give us the power to remove the Shadows from this world, and those who have invited them here. Give us what we want, and all will be well. Refuse....
"Majesty, I like this world. I really do not want to see it collapse into fire and shadow. That does not mean I won't."
Morden later realised he had never seen anyone so angry as Emperor Londo Mollari was at that precise moment. Nor had he seen anyone so adept at hiding it.
Lord–General Marrago knew many wise sayings, each one accumulated as part of the debris that encrusts a soldier's life. One of them, the one he bore in mind now, was always to solve your problems one at a time. He tried to remember that as he walked through the long corridors of the palace for a meeting with his Emperor.
The Shadows. The Enemy. He still owed them a favour. Just the one, but one was more than enough. The payment of the first had nearly killed his daughter - what would the second cost him? And with every day that passed the darkness over Centauri Prime grew.
But without the Shadows, what hope was there? The Narns would attack, backed up by the Alliance, and Centauri Prime would fall. The Shadows might be able to stop that. The Narns were a problem for today, the Shadows for tomorrow.
But what sort of tomorrow? What would he leave his daughter and her children yet to be?
He was ushered into Londo's private audience chamber, a room he was growing depressingly familiar with. Countless meetings over the last few months, each one aimed at preventing the inevitable firestorm, at preparing planetary defences, at seeking some peaceful solution, at anything and everything, with nothing the only result.
To his surprise there was no one else waiting for him. Just Londo. Marrago's keen dark eyes picked out the shadowy form of Londo's strange Minbari companion, but that was it. No Durano, no Cotto, no Lady Consort.
Marrago's hearts began to quicken. Had Londo found out? No, surely not. He had to remain ignorant. The blame had to remain diverted from the throne itself.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, old friend," Londo said, darkness in his tone. In fact there was much that seemed dark about the Emperor today.
"It is ever my duty to serve, Majesty," he replied.
"You are the only one, Marrago. The only one of all of them. The only one I can trust, the only one I can allow to become involved in this, the only one I can permit to know what.... You remember Mr. Morden, Ambassador Morden, I suppose now?"
"I remember him," Marrago said, with absolute tranquillity. He did remember Morden. He remembered being informed by his Shadow allies that Morden would have to be dealt with, and quickly. He was an agent of the Vorlons, a powerful and dangerous man. Marrago had arrested him, only for him to inexplicably escape and vanish soon afterwards.
"He has returned. No, do not ask how he got on to the planet, or even the capital. I hold no fault anywhere for that. He came to see me, in a private audience. He stood before me, and he threatened me. Me! On my own throne, in my own Court! He gave me two choices, in a way that was no choice at all.