The ship was shot down eventually, but not before Tryfan had done enough. His last sight was of the Vorlons coming into view and the Shadows leaving. His last thought was that he had bought his people enough time after all.
And thus the Battle of the Second Line ended… the Shadows, having done what they came for, fled before the arrival of the Vorlon armada. What compelled the Vorlons to meet their enemies like this, no one was quite sure, but it had been enough to save the remnants of the Minbari fleet.
The Vorlons left a few moments after the Shadows did. They said nothing, gave no reason, left no footprints.
Sinoval, Holy One of the Minbari, stood alone in the Hall of the Grey Council. Delenn and the Starkiller were gone, having taken a flyer back to their ship. Sinoval had barely noticed their presence. Kalain had arrived with Starkiller, but then he left, horrified at the dead mounted around him.
Sinoval was alone, as he always would be, surrounded only by the dead and the memories of the living.
He closed his eyes.
Ex-Minister Londo Mollari considered himself lucky to be alive. If it hadn’t been for Na’Kal’s sacrifice and the arrival of the Vorlons, he might not be. As it was, he made his way to the bridge of the Valerius, where his nephew Carn was in command.
“Uncle Londo,” Carn said. “You are well?”
“Hungover,” Londo complained. “But I have been coping with that for years. Put me through to Captain Ben Zayn.” Carn obliged and Ben Zayn’s harsh, scarred face appeared on the viewscreen.
“Minister Mollari. Come with us to Sanctuary. I’ll transmit the relevant co-ordinates. Well done.”
The conversation, such as it was, ended there.
“Well, short and to the point,” Londo noted.
“Uncle, would you mind telling me why we are doing this?”
“I told you, Carn. A bet!”
“No, uncle. Really why.”
Londo bowed his head. “To win back our people. We are a dying people, Carn, consumed by our own petty interests. If we are to save the Centauri, then we must work with G’Kar and his associates. We must risk our lives… or give our lives, as Na’Kal did… for the sake of the Centauri.”
Carn looked at him for a moment, pensive. “Do you really believe that, uncle?”
“Of course not!” Londo joked.
Carn smiled. “Well, Sanctuary is as good a place as any, I suppose. Wherever it is.”
Sheridan and Delenn walked on to the Parmenion arm in arm. It seemed as if they had never been apart since their reunion in the Hall of the Grey Council. Sheridan had been startled by the number of bodies in the Hall, but he had focussed his gaze on the two living people there – Delenn and Sinoval. The Holy One could not meet his gaze, but Delenn could not lose it. Not a word spoken, the two had left, returning to the Parmenion, leaving Sinoval alone to the death he had lived with all his life.
“Captain!” Corwin said as the two of them arrived. “I… it’s good to see you, sir. Just in time too. Ko’Dath was on the verge of killing half her squad as punishment for letting the two of you get captured.”
Delenn shot Sheridan a nervous gaze, which he reciprocated. “Well, we’d… better not let that happen, I suppose. I trust you’ve been taking good care of my ship, Commander.”
“Of course! It’s still in fine order. Well… almost.”
“Have you heard from Ben Zayn?”
“Yes. He’s on his way back to Sanctuary. The Minbari got away, the Shadows are gone, and we thought it was a good idea to follow suit before the Resistance Government starts wondering just who we are and what we’re doing.”
Sheridan nodded. “That might be wise. What about the Babylon?”
“Staying here.”
“What? Clark’s bound to find out they were fighting against the Shadows and when he does…”
“I said the same, but Ben Zayn said something like it wasn’t my concern and who am I to question Bester’s decisions and so on. I don’t know why and I’m not up to arguing with Bester. I do not like Psi Cops.”
“They’re not meant to be liked,” Sheridan muttered. “But yes, I definitely want a word with Mr. Bester when we get back.”
“I wonder if I did something dreadful as a child,” Corwin muttered. “My mother warned me never to get involved with telepaths. Oh… speaking of telepaths, we’ve got someone in Medlab you’ll want to visit. Lyta Alexander.”
“What’s she doing here? I thought she was on Proxima trying to find Mar…” Sheridan paled. “Is Marcus here too?”
Corwin solemnly and sadly shook his head. “There’s a Narn here as well… Ta’Lon. He has something he says he has to tell you, Satai.”
“Satai no longer,” Delenn said softly, still looking at Sheridan. “I am Zha’valen now. Outcast.”
Corwin looked at Sheridan and met his gaze. He noticed Sheridan hold Delenn just a little bit tighter, and he wondered what had happened to the two of them on that Minbari ship…
The battle’s over, but I feel like it’s still going on. And it is. The Minbari are practically broken now. It’ll take them a long time to recover from this, and the Resistance Government won’t give them a long time. I predict a few months at most before we start taking the war to them… with the Shadows to help. I don’t know… I’m not sure I believe what Delenn’s been telling us, but then I really don’t like where humanity is going.
I hear there are celebrations down on Proxima at the moment. Under different circumstances, I might be down there celebrating as well, but I can’t… All I can think is how much this cost us. Alisa… what it’s done to the Captain… and then there’s Marcus, of course. It’s funny… I don’t like telepaths, never have, and I barely said three words to Miss Alexander before this started, but it’s her I feel most sorry for.
I can’t help but have the feeling that she’s been affected by this more than anyone else…
“Lyta Alexander,” she rasped. “Telepath rating P five, complete with Vorlon accessories, reporting for duty… Captain.”
She was resting back on one of the beds in the small Medlab facility on the Parmenion. Sheridan was surprised at the amount of bruising that covered her, particularly her neck. Her eyes almost seemed… unfocussed… almost vacant.
“You’ll have to excuse her,” said the doctor on duty. “We’ve given her a few drugs to relieve her pain. They make her a little light-headed. She’s been through a lot. Broken ribs, near strangulation, head trauma, concussion… and I don’t know what she did with her telepathic powers but her brain readings are like nothing I’ve seen before. I’ll have to get a better reading when we get back to Sanctuary.”
“Marcus?” Sheridan asked. He had a feeling he knew the answer.
“Dead,” Lyta whispered. “He’s… he’s…”
“I’m sorry, Captain,” the doctor said. “You’ll have to come back later. She needs to rest.”
Sheridan nodded slowly and left. As he left he thought he heard a musical voice in his mind.
It begins.
Speaking of telepaths, there’s Bester as well. Now him, I really don’t trust. He and Ben Zayn set us up, and the thing is… I still don’t know what he’s doing or why he’s doing it. Most people are content to have one private agenda. He has a lot more than one…
I’m not sure about the people he’s got working for him either. I mean, I like Michael Garibaldi… he seems like a good person. I wish I knew why he’s working for Bester. As for Ben Zayn… now there’s a face I’d quite happily never see again. I don’t know. Whenever I see him I just think of the Captain… and how he might turn out like that. Not a pleasant thought…