"G'Kar told me his plans and his itinerary," came the reply. Londo was surprised. Actual information. He was very impressed. "He wanted someone to know, so that if anything untoward happened to him we would know where to begin back-tracking."
"Ah. Very.... efficient." He wondered if G'Kar had noticed that Lennier was no longer wearing his Ranger badge.
There was a slight jolt, and Londo started, spilling his drink on the front of his tunic. He looked up, and saw hyperspace folding slightly. Somewhere towards the front of the ship, then, a jump point would be forming.
He declined to look at this wonder of light and colour and technology, and, turning away from the observation windows, he began fumbling for a cloth to wipe the stain from his tunic.
"They will insist on my wearing white, won't they? Ceremonial and traditional. Bah! Impossible to get stains out of as well. And I am sure they will all be having multiple heart attacks at the thought of the Emperor making first contact with the United Alliance in a brivare-stained tunic! Nothing gets brivare out of silk. Not a single thing. Why couldn't it be black, or at least a deep, rich purple. I always look good in purple. I...."
He suddenly became aware of a soft gasp from wherever it was in the shadows Lennier was hiding. He looked up and saw the Minbari come into view, walking towards the window. He turned, and noticed two things.
First, that they had completed the jump to normal space. Kazomi 7 was clearly in sight.
Secondly, that there was one other ship present in orbit. Well, actually there were a great many ships, but they were little things. Drazi Sunhawks, Brakiri merchant vessels. Little shuttles.
This was bigger than that. Considerably so. It was bigger than the Imperial Barge. It was bigger than the Valerius. It was bigger than both of them put together. It would be bigger than five heavy cruisers all put together. It was bigger than....
Londo stopped that train of thought, and mentally classified the thing as 'huge'. It wasn't an entirely accurate description, but it would have to do.
It was like no ship he had ever seen before, and resembled not so much a ship as a flying castle. There were turrets and towers. There was something which looked like a giant gateway. There were brief pinpricks of a luminous, golden light coming from various points on the thing.
Londo had never seen anything like it, but he had heard things.
"Valen's Name," Lennier breathed.
"Let me guess," said the Emperor, feeling thoroughly awed. "That would be Cathedral, yes?"
Four, five, six....
Delenn had not been expecting luxurious accommodation, and so she was not overly disappointed. She had been expecting a room that was more of a prison cell than a hotel suite, and so she was not surprised there either. These two unpleasant non-surprises did not in any way match up to the shock of Neroon's presence here.
Did the Vorlons know that? Had they sent her here specifically because they knew Neroon was here? How could they know that? She shook her head and walked around, trying to ease her tension. She was counting, and wishing she could remember Vejar's exact words when he had given her the device.
She had gone to him before leaving Kazomi 7, and had told him what she had to do. The others — Lyta, Lethke and John — she had left messages for. They would try to stop her if they knew, but Vejar.... He knew of the greater destiny, and he had the power to create the type of device she was looking for.
He had done so within minutes, and had handed it to her. A small globe, easily concealed within her clothing. To activate it, all she had to do was whisper a small incantation, and then, on the count of one hundred, it would explode, destroying everything in this room, this building, and most of the city.
She did not know if this was what the Vorlons had had in mind when they had ordered her to come here. All she knew was that they wanted her to die. And so, if she must die, she would at least make sure her death would achieve something. Then.... her soul would ascend to the next life, and she would wait for John to join her. She prayed for that more than anything else.
She hoped he had got her message. If he had, then he would understand.
She had told him of the sacrifice she had made for him, that he was better suited to lead in these times than she was, that she hoped they would meet again in the place where no shadows fall, and ultimately that she would always love him. It had been the hardest thing she had ever had to do.
The message to Lyta had been a little easier, the one to Lethke easier still, and Sinoval.... He would understand better than any of them. He did not love her. He did not love anyone. She doubted that he could.
But he was a perfect product of this age, of this time. He would be needed. He would pursue the war, he would help to win it, and then, if he survived and there was peace, he would fall back into the shadows, to walk only in nightmares and dreams, and die alone. People such as him were designed for war, and not peace.
She looked at the globe. It was on the table before her. It seemed to be glowing.
Thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four....
One hundred. And then it would be done. The casual power of the technomages appalled her, that Vejar could create this in such a short time. It was perhaps just as well that most of them had gone away to hide. She shuddered to think of anyone wielding such power.
Had Vejar done this so quickly? A sudden thought came to her. What if he had prepared this beforehand? Had he known? How could he? She remembered something, and a chill crept up her spine. She almost lost count, and hastily resumed
Vejar had been conspicuous by his absence ever since Ulkesh had arrived at Kazomi 7. He had been avoiding the Vorlon completely.
Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight....
Delenn tried to clear her mind of these worries. Whatever the technomage's plans, she could do nothing about it here. She trusted Vejar. He had every reason to want the Shadows destroyed. She had seen him blaze with anger at the sight of what their Keepers were doing to innocent people. Vejar was young and idealistic. He cared.
Seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two....
She brought her thoughts back to John. She hoped he had understood. It was a sacrifice she had made partly out of necessity, but also out of love. Her life for his. It was one she had made willingly, although with anger at having been forced into it.
Still, they had been together for one night. She clung to the memory of his touch, his kisses, his love. His wonder at being able to touch her again, to kiss her again.
She had looked down at him sleeping, and committed that image to her memory. They had never had a formal Minbari courtship. They had gone through one of the rituals, but no more. They had never truly had the sleep-watching, although they had watched each other sleep, he watching her often.
Eighty-eight, eighty-nine, ninety....
"It will not be long, my love," she whispered. "I will wait for you. If the universe wills it.... we will meet again."
Ninety-one, ninety-two, ninety-three....
"I love you."
Ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six....
"Remember me."
Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine....
"Forgive me."
A single tear trickled down her cheek as she said the last number aloud.
"One hundred."
Nothing.
She looked up, startled, wondering if her count had been wrong. One hundred, that was what Vejar had said. She remembered that clearly.
One hundred.
Still nothing.
She looked at the globe. It was still glowing. She reached out to touch it, puzzled and confused, and just before she did so it split open, revealing a small image she recognised as Vejar.