Moments of Infinite Clarity

by DsignG4

MI Danger! Love! PsiCorp baddies! Marcus and Susan on Mars...Who could ask for more! LONG. 12 parts. This was my FIRST piece of fic, so be nice, I was younger then. People still tell me this is the best thing they've read in a long time.

Moments of Infinite Clarity (12 parts)
by DsignG4

This is (guess what I am going to say next) my first piece of fiction, and actually my first piece of writing period.

Thanks to my Beta readers Lazarov and Avril, you guys are great to put up with a newbie like me.

Questions, comments gratefully welcomed, flames responded to by putting your name on several spam and porno lists. ;-)

Story: This takes place SOMETIME in Season 4, no spoilers
Story innards: Violence, action, adventure, kissing...
Characters: Marcus, Susan, almost every other main character in minor parts.

Enjoy, I hope.

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 1
----------------------------------------------------

His blue eyes strained in the blackness as he desperately spun around to spy
the almost pitch black docking bay. He quickly and silently squeezed sideways into a small deep hollow beside the docking bay entry doors. It was the only place to hide that he could find this fast.

He cursed himself, it was too obvious a place. He had no choice. It was barely as wide as he was, and his ribs rubbed uncomfortably against the walls. Better than being dead. His chest heaved against the cold steel walls and he tried to quiet his labored breathing. They were coming. He could hear them now, just two or three corridors away. He felt blood pouring down his cheek from the cut on his brow. It was running
into his eye and stinging like hell

Taking his free hand, he pushed back his long hair so he would be able to see clearly when the time came and backed in even tighter.

He thanked Valen that the Rangers wore dark colors, and not all those peacockish colors the religious caste adorned themselves with. They could've have spotted him in a black hole in all those pinks and blues. Then he'd be taunted, teased, and poked with sticks in rude places while they shot him to tiny pieces. Not a pleasant Monday to be sure.

Last time he'd looked there were at least ten EA officers, but they'd had more than enough time to call in more reinforcements and secure all directions and entrances. They had him he knew; it was just a question now of when. He had a rather vested interest that it was later than sooner.

They had chased him three decks and down a service corridor crawlway where he lost footing, slipped on the ladder down, and fell square on his shoulder into a line of storage containers at the bottom, hitting his head in the process. Ow. Your usual grace and finesse, Marcus. He cursed himself silently. At least you didn't break your leg like when you tripped over the family dog like when you were ten years old, now that was humiliation that remains world record holding.

He was ten decks from the ship and thirty minutes until they took off - without him. The Drazi were always punctual. He now hated that normally admirable trait.

Even he knew he couldn't take on ten EA security officers with a broken arm, which was now screaming in so much pain. He could feel it throbbing all the way up to his brain trying to push out all his other thoughts. He held it closer to his chest and squeezed in even tighter, if that was possible. He was now back about 5 feet
deep, and at the end of the cubbyhole. At least it made it harder for them to pull out his dead body, he pondered. Make them work for it, maybe even do the first bit of thinking they'd done in years.

He started a Minbari meditation exercise to calm his mind and free him from the pain. And to wait. Wasn't working. Still he tried.

You really needed two hands to handle the Minbari pike, with one arm you looked like a drunken fool flailing a marching baton about. Sure, they
taught you how to fight one-armed in Ranger training on Tuzanor, but you never expected to have to use it.

And regretfully never did very well at it. Durhan berated him incessantly as it was his only weakness in the pike class, it was inexcuseable. He still practiced it, but usually
only ended up whopping himself in the head when he miscalculated, then he'd walk around all day fairly dizzy with a nasty headache. He certainly didn't feel confident of his skills in this weakened condition now, but he was already dizzy so he thought he had nothing to lose by trying.

Just another tragic regret in your short life, Marcus cursed himself. You have too many already for someone your age, even too many for someone twice it. If he ever got out of here alive he might try to fix some of those. Who was he kidding this was hopeless And if there was one thing he had learned from the Minbari it was to acknowledge your situation. Do not deny what you know is true. The truth is obvious and unchangeable.

But yet, all he could think about was that might never see her again.

Oh, how he wanted to see her, just once more. He hated when he started thinking like a dead man, but it really didn't look like he'd manage this one. He could see her face, her long dark hair... he could hear her yelling at him. Oh, he was just dreaming think it would ever happen. She'd sooner break his neck, he thought, than talk to him. But it was too much fun to not at least try.

His arm was throbbing harder now. He thought it would explode, beating a rhythm through his entire being. He tried to focus on the task at hand. But the pain was almost too much.

He briefly flashed on clubbing the officers to death with his disembodied arm, but thought he'd pass out before he could even enjoy the looks on their faces. Then he'd be armless, under arrest and unconscious. What a time is was to suddenly dislike PPG's. He wished he'd brought it. He could even see where he'd left it back on the station. Right on top of the dresser. Go guess the one time he doesn't haul it along; he gets discovered as a "Resistance Infiltrater".

He heard the muffled voices come around the corner. The bay doors opened and the bay flooded with light from the corridor. Marcus tried to shrink back farther. This was it. He could hear the shuffling steps and voices of a handful of jack-booted officers enter and spread out within the room.

"This is the last place, Commander," announced another team, walking in. "We've secured the entire deck, no place else for the little rat to run. He's here. Somewhere." They were standing very near to him but he couldn't see where.

"Well get to work, Lieutenant. Bring him to my office when you have him. My ass is in a sling if we loose him. And so is yours."
His voice was gruff and sounded more like an Admiral than a mere Commander.

"Yessir." The Lieutenant snapped obediently.

Marcus heard the Commander walking out. The doors closed with a low rumbling hydraulic hiss. Shit. He was locked in here now. Locked in with at least two security officers. It was silent. Too silent. How many were there? He couldn't tell, over five from his guess.

Oh why did it have he have to go this way? At least when he'd almost died at Neroon's hands, he went fighting until the very end and would have died with honor. Butto die while hiding like a frightened animal without a hope for escape. It was just not fair.

He was growing angrier. No, he wouldn't go quietly or easily. He had nothing to lose anymore. But they had more to lose than he did. He'd lost
everything else, what was one more thing.

Marcus's heart started beating so hard he was sure they could hear it slamming into the tight walls of his little hideaway.

He placed is hand on his compacted pike. Like he had a choice; it was the pike, or gouge their eyes out with his Ranger pin. That would be just plain disrespectful to Valen. Did they call him "little"?

It sounded like they wanted him alive though. For some reason he didn't choose think about. That was at least hopeful. Maybe today was not his last day. Maybe. Although he doubted it.

Suddenly footsteps, three or four sets started up again. He could hear the soft whir of a scanner, and muffled voices muttering about readings. They were behind him a couple hundred feet back. Coming closer. Working from back to front. His mind raced. He hoped he was possibly in amongst enough metal to not be detected. Perhaps the mechanism for the bay door would throw the readings off.

Oh hell, who was he fooling? He had used Earthforce scanners in the war. He knew their capabilities - they were near flawless in performance- and they were probably even better now. He was done for. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as slowly and softy was he could. How did he let himself get into these damn situations?

End PART 1

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 2
----------------------------------------------------

Two weeks previously he stood in the hall ringing the buzzer by the door,
bouncing eagerly up on his heels, eyeing the ceiling. He pressed again and then examined the wall plate, very grey, lots of shiny little lights, red ones, green ones, yellow ones. I know you're in there, he said to himself, tapping the button a third time.

"What the hell do you want?" Her voice coming louder over the tiny
pinhole-sized speaker than you would have believed possible.

"I have a delivery," he chirped as happily as he could. He stood there watching the door waiting for it to open. It didn't. He waited. Three - four minutes he guessed, before he reached to hit the button once more.

"ALRIGHT ALREADY!" Sounding very much like he had trod on her last nerve.

His ears were still ringing when the door finally slid open.

It was nearly pitch black inside. And it was very, very still. Marcus
gulped. He was really afraid to walk in there after such a friendly greeting. He slowly crept in looking into all the dark places an angry Russian woman with a PPG could hide. Hell, she would probably use her bare hands to enjoy it more. To revel in the look on his when his last breath escaped him.

"Susan?" he asked hesitantly taking two small steps inside the door. Music was playing softly, but he couldn't tell what it was. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the light as the door closed behind him. Now no one can hear you scream. He shrugged off the thought with a shudder, and attempted to look charming.

"What the hell do you want?" she lashed out from the couch.

Marcus, out of shock mainly, drew in a large breath.

"Oh, Hello Darling!" he said standing there with the biggest grin he could manage, remembering the Earth saying 'Do Not Show Fear in the Face of Predators'. She must have just gotten off duty, she was still in her uniform.

"First off, I like to preface this by saying I had nothing to do with it,
allright? Please remember that when you're strangling the life out of me like a limp rag doll."

He bent down and slid the datapad on the table towards her, being sure keep out of her grasp, ensuring survival.

"Marcus, what is it?" she huffed throwing her head back. "I am really not in the mood for your - ."

"It's from our fearless leader, not me." He backed up to trigger the door to open. Turned quickly and walked out in the corridor, "See you at 1400 hours, dear!" he waved from the hall as the door closed.

He took a deep breath, whew. He smiled, what fun this was! He spun around and headed back to the war room, whistling.

"5, 4, 3, 2, one" said Sheridan looking at his time window and without turning to look at the door said "Welcome, Commander!" as Ivanova flew into the war room and threw the datapad on the table in front of Sheridan.

"You can't be serious!" she skidded to a halt behind Delenn's chair. She gave Marcus a killing stare. He just crossed his arms and nodded his head in greeting giving his biggest sweetest smile he could muster. Oooh, she's not taking this well at all.

Sheridan turned slowly. "Yes I am. Have a problem Commander?" He face was as dead serious as it got. He didn't joke much anymore since Zahadum.

"But, me... him... HIM... can't I just go alone? This is outrageous John! I can't. I WON'T!" She looked like she was about ready to fall to the floor and throw a full out temper tantrum. Marcus giggled silently to himself. He did think the lady doth protest too much about his presence.

Sheridan shook his head "Yes, you will. Those are your orders Commander." His tone softened "They'd be expecting a single member operating secretly. But a team right out in the open behaving normally like tourists, they wouldn't have clue in their heads about. I already said that in the mission notes..." H

He then smiled flashed a billion watt smile that nearly blinded Marcus. "Don't you read my memos?"

It only made her madder, she was starting to tap her foot. She was so strong yet so utterly helpless when it came to issues like this, Marcus thought. Such a front an army would strive for and never achieve in a thousand years.

"It's not like we're asking you to jump out an airlock. I've assigned Marcus because he's the best we've got, Earthforce, Minbari or otherwise. I've assigned you because you haven't done any recon work yet and are less likely to be noticed. We need a voice of authority from the station to meet with your target, Marcus is not station personnel. He's there as your protection and to ensure you succeed. You are going to have to act like team here. I know you can do it, Susan, I am demanding you do. I'm countin' on ya'."

She was shaking violently. She pointed at him angrily waving her hand unable to speak.

Marcus smiled, he was only going to make it worse and he'd hear about this later. But it was to much to resist.

"Stephen's hurt naturally. But he understands how these things happen... you home-wrecker you." he said playing up a comic tone in his voice.

"You shut up!" She roared.

"Of course, darling." he purred.

"I mean it!"

"Whatever you want, precious." He was trying hard not to laugh.

"OOOH!" she roared, spun about face on her heels and stamped out of the
room like a child being sent bed with out supper.

"Marcus..." John dropped his head chuckling softly "You're playing with fire there. I hope you know what you're in for."

"And to think, I left my husband for her!" Marcus exclaimed incredulously throwing his arms up in the air.

"Marcus," Delenn warned calmly in her quiet Minbari way. "Be nice to her, she's had a hard day." She smiled with her eyes twinkling knowingly.

He nodded bowing his head in respect. "Of course, Delenn. But who's going to protect ME?"

Ivanova sat on the tiny transport ship they'd acquired from resistance
forces tapping her foot impatiently for the last three hours.

She would mumble under her breath various nasty things about him and occasionally throw little bits of cabin debris like empty food tins at Marcus.

"Ironically, this is exactly how I thought marriage would be..." he quipped after ducking the latest volley. "A dream come true for me."

Ivanova shoot him a look of pure ice.

"Oh really, Susan, arranged marriages are customary in almost all cultures, in time we'll-"

"You'll be screaming out in mortal pain wishing out loud to die," she said without a single inflection.

He gulped nervously, too far, take a hint you sod. She's not in a playing mood today. Nothing you are going to say for the rest of this flight is going to make her crack a smile. This trip is going to be fun. Just kill yourself now. That would be the only thing she'd enjoy seeing.

"Ah well, let me go check those long range scanners..." He spun his chair and tapped a couple controls. "I mean they're on auto-run. Damn modern technology, always needs adjusting for no apparent reason," he babbled. He always babbled, he hated when he did that, but at least someone was talking. He wasn't alone that way.
Sometimes he was quite amusing, sometimes others thought so as well. Why she didn't was quite beyond him.

As often as it happened you'd think he didn't mind it anymore, but he hated to be alone. He hated quiet. The quiet got him thinking, got him brooding about the past. Made him think things he didn't like to. Like tuna sandwiches, or Velcro. Velcro gave him the creeps for some reason.

Susan closed her eyes and sat back in the chair, trying to ignore him he could tell.

After a few minutes Marcus broke the calm again.

"I don't know about you..." Ivanova's eyes shot open suddenly and glared at him irritated. "But this is going to be a breeze of a mission, compared to some of my others. A simple pick up and run, it's going to be like a vacation. I haven't had a vacation in years. So, there's something new in this for all of us! See?"

He was trying yet again to at least draw her into a proper conversation, one not centered on work, or war or her general distaste for him. Someone to talk to damn it. That's all he was asking for. He'd drag her kicking and screaming into humanity if he had to. Somehow.

She turned her head and just stared at him and then exploded in fiery blast that the likes of which had never been seen before.

"Why are you like this? You are so damned annoying! You have the mental discipline of a three year old and have been a pain in my ass since day one! When I first met you, you said you didn't talk unless you needed to say sometyhing, what a load of crap! You never stop talking, you never even stop to even take a breath. You're unobedient, ill mannered and just a goddamned pest! Why can't you ever be serious. Just once!" She towered over him angrily, her nostrils flaring, lovely blue eyes raging.

He caught himself from staring into them to deeply.

She had a well developed habit of ripping his heart and putting it gleefully on a platter before him with a knife standing in it with just a glance. She had gotten good at recently without knowing she had that power. God help him if she ever did.

He leaned back in his chair "Takes the fun out of things." he snapped back truthfully. "I was serious for a long time. It was boring quite honestly." His voice came out a little bitter, more than he thought he had left in him. He made a conscious effort to bring it back to normal.

"Alright! Life of Marcus Cole in a nut shell!" She didn't
sit, she still she still just stood towering over him. He continued anyway.

"I was born and raised on mining colonies my whole life. I was drafted into EA at the start of the Minari war, did their naughty business for awhile and got the hell out as soon as the Minbari called it quits. Father got sick and died, mother died and I ended up taking over the family business. Wanted to keep the family name afloat and all. Ran it five-six years I guess," he said quickly.

"But the damn thing was, I hated mining, I hated everything about it. I hated the desk, I hated the work, I even hated the workers. I was trapped and I knew I did it to myself, so I guess I hated myself too. Until the Shadows came. My little brother up out of the blue, after being gone for years just spewing wild Minbari rethoric, telling me of something called the 'Shadows' coming our way, but I didn't listen. I thought he'd gotten in some sort of Minbari cult or something.

Then, they came like the wind and destroyed everything. And everyone with it. I got to watch my brother die. My life to that point, and everything I knew was all gone in one blast."

He closed his eyes and deeply inhaled trying to stay focused and keep it together and not fall into one his usual stagnant moods when he thought
about the past and drank whisky until the wee hours till he forgot again.
Luckily, or perhaps rather unluckily, he hadn't brought any with him this trip. And, hadn't the money to buy more. He never imbibed while on mission. Duty came first. It helped him forget.
Funny, he hadn't listened to William back then, now listening was his job.
All he did was listen to reports about the Shadows and thier converts.

Susan looked stunned, he could tell she had no idea what to say. What could she? She wasn't expecting to get his life story, or such a emotional explaination to why he was the way he was. She just sat there trying to find the words. He felt awful to throw it all at her one short barrage like that. It was just that once he started he felt the need to get it all out of his system again, a purging of sorts. She just happened to be in the same space at the time it happened.

Susan started to speak, but he cut her off. As much as a mechanism to keep him from hearing hearing pity in her voice. He didn't want her or anyone else's pity, not anymore.

"Oh yes, and I had a puppy named Harvey when I was ten." He smiled as best he could trying to crack any expression on that stone face and make himself feel bette by seeing her sweet smile. He saw it so rarely that when he actually could coax it out of her it was like rare present. Especially recently. Nowadays, he was surprised she faltered enough in her duties to breathe.

"Always with the jokes," she muttered shaking her head. This was like a spike to his heart. She hadn't heard a single thing he had told her. Was she even in the same ship? It was like he was talking to wall most times.

"I hope you never see me serious, Susan. I was all dead inside. I'd die first rather than have anyone see me like that again." He looked at her pleading to see anything she might find familiar there.

"You know about that, don't you? Shutting out everyone, I mean." He just sat there glaring at her defiantly as her jaw dropped. There he'd finally said it. He'd finally let her know he knew her.

He knew some of her past. Having done his research on her when she'd first sparked his interest. He had wanted to know what he was up against, and sadly discovered she had as many demons as he did. The discovery about her mother's death because of the sleeper drugs and desperation had ripped his heart out and he wept for her. It certainly explained her distrust of the PsiCorp, and he hated them now beacause they had hurt her so.

But ignoring demons didn't make them go away, it made them stronger. They'd devour you if you didn't control them first. He had learned this all too well, although he'd never totally tamed his. They still had the the keys to the garden gate, but they were at least civilized to the point to be a first name basis. They certainly didn't live with him
like hers did. He just no longer feared them, just accepted them for what
they were finally. It had taken a few years to get used to them being there, but now he and the demons often went out for drinks to talk about old times.

She snapped her mouth shut and pulled her glance away from his. He searched her face for a glimpse of understanding. She'd not learned demons fight dirty yet. Hers controlled her, even seemed like she invited them to dinner.

Over their partnership on the Whitestar the last year he had studied her every action. He had to to know her mind in the comabt situtaion, but later found out he'd found out much more about her.

He could tell when she enjoyed his company, his little attempts to humour her, and puppy doggish compliments - and when she didn't. When she just wanted to be rid of him, and when she wanted him there just to have someone around. He knew every inflection of her voice, every telltale flicker of her smoky blue eyes, and the distinct meaning of every silence. He knew everything she thought without knowing how or why. She left it all in the open but behind an iron fence with angry guard dogs. And no amount of rich, red meat appeased those dogs.

He knew she was sorry she had hurt him just then. And knowing that was all he needed. He didn't need a formal apology. It still twinged though.

"FINE!" he spat angrily "You want serious? You damn well got it Commander!" He spun his chair around and hit a couple buttons rather angrily.

"We've got about a dozen more hours until we get to Mars. Go sleep. I'll wake you on approach. You'll be alone just like you've always wanted, so don't worry I won't bother you again. Good night." he said his voice all business. He made sure he had stressed the word 'Commander', he always called her Susan. She had always bristled at his informality, maybe she'd like the other treatment.

It was silent a long time. She was just standing there behind him. What was she doing? He wanted to turn to look at her and tell her he hadn't meant to snap at her. And certainly not make assumptions about her. He couldn't. If he did, he lost a battle for her respect. Her respect was all he really wanted anymore. If she was making personal hits, he'd have to make a few of his own to make himself heard and seen.

He had to win this one battle on his terms in her little war against him. If he didn't at least win one, she would never consider him a friend. He had hit hard for her to notice he was even there though, and it hurt him immensely to have to resort to do it.

He sensed she about to speak, but instead she snatched her sleeping pad from the storage bin and headed to the back of the ship like her butt was on fire.

Marcus dropped his head as she closed the cabin door. "Susan, Susan..." he whispered silently. "I wish you could see what I do about you."

He sighed deeply, it quickly turned into a yawn. He scooted back into his seat and kicked his booted feet up on the control panels edge to settle in for the night.

Maybe he'd dream tonight. It was a far fetched hope he knew, but while he was making wishes for hopeless causes he might as well throw in one that was attainable. He didn't dream. He wished he did.

He used to. When he was younger. They were frivilous, happy dreams of green places he'd never been with people he'd never met. But considering he lived on a rocky barren mining colony with only very few freinds, he figured they were just his mind trying to overcompensate, make him feel better.

But after his brother's death and jloining the Rangers, the dreams
turned dark and frightening. The kind of dreams to make you wake up screaming, frightening the neighbours. Dreams about the Shadows. Hearing the screams of millions upon millions from thousands of races unified in fear, only to be drowned out by the eerie
scream of the ships themselves. Reliving his brother's death over and over, night after long dreadful night. Each night more detailed than the last.

He would go weeks not getting more than just a few hours a night, and when he woke his heart was pounding so fiercely it would take several more hours just to calm down. He began studing the Minbari language then. It seemed to help in dulling the screams of the Shadow ships, and his own. And, it helped him learn Minbari at an astounding rate as it happened.

The Minbari doctors tried their best to help. Prescribing prayer, medicines, incenses and herbs to help him "walk the path of now", whatever that meant. They all did nothing but make him feel foolish. Especially the incense, it made all his clothes smell like Minbari meadows for months. He appreciated their concern though. It'd really meant a lot to him to have them at least trying to help.

For them, dreams were a soul's journey, something to be examined and pondered. The fact that humans could have dreams that meant nothing and, even be humourous, seemed unfathomable and almost blasphemous to them. They spent a lot of time trying to deduce all sorts of meanings and finally concluded, he was upset at his
brother's death. He could have told them that with far less fasting and praying. They found the whole thing quite disconcerting actually.

About a year ago he just stopped dreaming altogether. Just went to lay down, went to sleep and woke up. In certain ways it was bliss, he at least got some uninterrupted rest. But sometimes, when he'd been travelling weeks on end staring into only the blackness of space for the umpteenth night in row he thought he'd take ten bad ones just to get one good one, or just to have one at all. He missed dreaming, good, bad or otherwise.

He drifted slowly into off in the black. No, there would be no dreaming tonight. Maybe tommorrow.

He changed into a dark green shirt and black slacks on the ship as they were awaiting docking clearance. The shoes were going to take a while to get used to from he boots he'd worn so long. They didn't have hieght the boots had and he felt downright short.

Ivanova was staring at him when he emerged from the tiny back room.

"What?" He said nervously patting his sides making sure he had the shirt tucked in. "What's wrong?" he asked spinning around checking his fly.

She laughed."I've never seen you out of your Ranger uniform, that's all, you look... well, I don't know, different." Her voice was friendly , more so than he was used to from her.

"Like the new togs?" He held out his arms and did a little turn. In his mind calulated all the possible meanings of what she might have meant by 'different' and decided it was best to leave it alone.

"Can't exactly go planetside in the uniform, can I?"

He opened a side storage bin and placed this folded uniform inside it, removing the Ranger pin and slipping it in his pocket. He might need it, and it wastoo valuable to leave on board anyway.

"Right!" he declared reaching in the compartment and tossing her a velvet box.

"Lydia, will you marry me?" He made sure to put just enough of a funny voice on it to convince her he was back to his old self again after last night. No harm done, no grudges or bad feelings. Nothing remaining from their, well, fight. He'd just been hitten a bit hard by her attack.

She grumbled opening it and quickly slipped the ring on her finger. When she finally looked at it, her eyes bulged satisfactorily enough for him to know he had made the correct choice in style.

"What a rock!" she gasped unable to stop it. It was a thin gold band holding tiny seed pearls and small diamonds around a nice compact center emerald, not big but very sparkly and simple It had looked like her when he saw it in the case. He didn't know why, just did somehow.

"Where'd you get this?" she asked eyeing it clearly amazed.

"Oh, you like it? Really?" He couldn't keep himself from smiling smugly. At last, finally being able to crack the shell she was in. There was a woman in there after all he thought to himself amazed.

"How did you afford this?" she asked incredulously "Ranger's don't get paid anything..."

"Oh, I made a few deals in down below, pulled some favors... I - just take it and don't ask where it came from, allright?" he laughed. He leaned closer over and pointed to the ring "The emerald is real. I'm, uhmn... not too sure about the rest though. You tend not ask those questions down there." It was more like, hand the cash, run away looking in both directions and taking a zig zag course home.

Talking very rarely entered a buisness deal of this sort in down below. If it did, something else was up.

Ivanova smiled back. This was genuine, not because he had given her a gift, or because she felt she should, but because she appreciated it truly and maybe him, just a bit more. Point one for me he thought. Only two hundred more to go.

"Well, yeah, it's... ah....pretty nice. Thanks," she said struggling
maintain her usual stern composure.

Then out of the tense silence the words they'd been waiting for.
"Permission for docking granted, please proceed to Bay 27A. Please have passports and transit visas available upon disembarking. Welcome to Mars." The dry male voice from Mars Command came over the control panel.

"Well, there we are then!" he said plopping in to the pilot chair to
initiate the approach.

Susan just stood there, looking at him with an odd smile just at the corners of her mouth. What was she doing? He glanced up and smiled "Come on, Buckle up, here we go."

She smiled and looked away blushing just a bit as she settled in to her chair. Did he see that really? He stifled a smile and led the ship into the dock
while she buckled herself in for the landing.

End PART 2

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 3
----------------------------------------------------

PART THREE

They handed their identicards to the officer at the Mars Planteary Customs line. The security officer ran them through them the scanner and looked them over "Lydia Crossin, and James Temple?"

"Yes!" Marcus said cheerfully pulling up Ivanova's hand across his chest holding it firmly. She smiled and nodded while digging the heel of her shoe into the toe of his boot. He subtly yanked his foot away.

He looked at his terminal "Reason for Entering Mars?

"Getting married!" Marcus said giving Ivanova a kiss on her forehead and looked at her adoringly. Ivanova played along, smiling a bit. This was bad, she'd make her displeasure at that it painful he could tell.

"On Mars? Are you nuts? Don't you guys watch ISN? It's not exactly a idyllic haven here right now." The guard asked eyeing them up and down made Marcus ready to run, feeling as if 'the jig were up' as the old saying went.

"Yes, we know. She has a sick aunt on the colony here, may not be around much longer. We'll be off this blasted rock as soon as the ceremony's over to honeymoon on Earth though."

The guard hit a few keys and grunted in acknowledgement.

Marcus leaned towards him trying to see the screen secretly "I hear since the Martial law the planet is the safest it's been in eons. You guys have done a great job it sounds like." He worried that he may have taken it too far, it so naturally he almost believed it himself. He was a great liar, his mum had always said so. He hated doing it, but he always found a need for his skill in it while on Ranger duty.

The guard glanced at their cards again and smiling, handed them back. "You two have a great life."

"Oh we will, thanks." Marcus said taking them back and led Susan down the hall arm on arm.

Once out of eyeshot, she firmly elbowed him firmly in the ribs "That's for kissing me." She whispered gritting her teeth.

"OOF!" he grunted still walking. He grappled for her arm and squeezed it tightly enough to make it hurt, just a little, to make sure he had her attention.

"If you didn't notice LYDIA, he was seeing if he wanted to investigate the fact that our cards did not go through. Luckily he believed me, and didn't feel it was worth the effort so close to his break time to bother with us. For once, please, just give me the benefit of the doubt, eh? You might just happen to find I know what I am doing!"

"Didn't go through?" she asked trying to look straight faced while yanking her arm away. And also ignored any further conversation about her confidence in his abilites, he noticed.

"Don't worry, I'll call and have the Rangers fix the problem as soon as we get to room." He took her hand and led her to the walkway to the Hotel.

They finally reached their room about 5am Earth Standard Time. It was later
than they thought.They were exhausted. Marcus said the call to B5 could wait until morning, he wasn't in the mood to sit through all that hacking into illegal connection channels to reach them in his exhausted condition.

Susan was standing there staring at the bed when Marcus entered with the few bags they had brought.

He came up from behind and dropped them on the floor with a purposeful thud to stir her brain out of it's apparent shock. She jumped.

"Problem, Dear?" he asked standing behind her.

His calling her 'Dear' made her shoulders tense visibly.

"There's only one bed." she said not even turning to look at him.

"What were you expecting in a honeymoon suite? Twin Beds? A roll out?" he said laughing placing his hand on her shoulder and leaned in, his face next to hers, almost touching her cheek "Don't worry, I'll sleep on the couch." He patted her on the shoulder encouragingly and walked to the closet and began to pull out a blanket.

"No," she said as Marcus snapped his head up in shocked dismay.
"We don't want a maid telling someone you're on the couch on your 'honeymoon'." The word came out strained, she hated even saying it. It made him laugh to himself.

"It'll look suspicious. You take the right side. We can over come this, we're both adults right? Touch me and die."

Marcus slid the bag under the bed and took off his coat.

"You sure take the fun out of sleepovers, you know." he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm changing." She croaked irritatedly entering the bathroom with her bag.

Marcus changed himself while she was gone. He had expected to have to share a room. He hadn't owned a pair of pajamas for years up till now, he always slept in his uniform when on assignment. And in his knickers or nothing at all in his own bed, all seemed equally unsuitable considering his fate if he did eiether here. He had thought enough ahead of the problem to buy a set on the station before leaving. He disregarded the shirt of the
set and pulled on a sleeveless t-shirt instead. He thought the whole ensemble was a bit much. All those stripes were enough to trigger a siezure if you were'nt careful

He crawled into bed, lying on his back as he had become so accustomed to from sleeping on Minbari beds. Being extremely careful to not take up any more room than he absolutly needed. He was almost asleep within minutes when she finally climbed in next to him.

" 'Night Susan." He said stirring just slightly digging himself deeper
under the covers with a deep sigh

"Goodnight Marcus."

The beds on the station were pretty big, but not soft. Certainly never warm
like this. He hadn't been able to sleep since she put her arm over him. It happened at 3:35 am exactly. It was now about 8am, and he had been in excruciating agony for over 4 hours. She was warm and soft and smelled fantastic, and was cuddled up tightly, her head on his shoulder. He just lay there flat on his back with her arm draped over his chest.

He was afraid to even breathe as it might wake her and have it over in a painful second. It wasn't much. He would have prefered she was aware of it at the time, but what the hell, but he'd take whatever time with her he could get.

He had tried in vain to sleep, but it was just too much. He watched her sleep instead, the way her hair curled on the pillow, the way her lower lip
twitched, the soft roundness of her face, her lips. He bravely fingered a curl near her face, rolling the silken strands around in his fingers.

After a while he just closed his eyes and laid there inhaleing her, feeling her against his bare arm. It stirred things with in him he'd managed to bury long ago. It was a hand to hand knife fight with his male urges to just lie there and not react even slightly. He wasn't winning, but he was giving a hell of a good show of it.

He thought of otherthings, death, mulitation, the cold vacuum of space, limbs pulled out one by one while hot knives where driven into his skull - of all things that awaited him if he did anything. So he lay there like a bump on a log and was a good little eunuch.

Suddenly like a bomb had exploded in the room, she shot out of bed like a rocket.

Marcus instincts activated immediatly and he landed in a fighting stance
holding the open Minbari pike. He always slept with in one hand out of habit. His heart beating frantically as he scanned the area quickly.

All he saw was an empty room and a mortally startled Susan backed up against the wall.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked straightening up, deciding to act like nothing occurred. Knowing instantly it would easier on her if she thought he had no clue.

"A - A - Awhile now... I- I...I was just about to wake you." she lied quickly looking very relieved. "I didn't mean to startle you."

He rolled back onto the floor grabbed his heart to recover from the terminal shock she had given him. He tossed the pike on the bed, it collapsed in midair before it landed perfectly on the pillow. He rubbed his eyes yawning. "I suddenly felt like I was in mortal danger, odd... I usually sleep like the dead." He scrubbed his scalp vigorously forcing his raven locks into all sorts of odd configurations and rolled instantaneously into a standing position, and stretched again.

"Sorry, if I scared you, didn't mean to." he said honestly, it looked liked they'd given each other the fright of a lifetime.

She nodded still stunned

"Y'know, I had forgotten what flat beds were like, been so long, but you're right they are much better. I think I'll get one installed on Whitestar." He said it blabbering again God, she made him sound so stupid.

She weakly nodded "Yes, those Minbari beds leave a lot to be desired."

They were to meet their party on Monday. It was only still Saturday. Three days. A waiting game now. He had a lot to do all the same.

Marcus worked all day at the data terminal. 2 sets of rations eaten for breafast were devoured hours ago, the remains littering the table. He finally pulled up a chair, kicked his feet up, an old Earth book he'd read at least a dozen times before on his lap. All the while murmuring commands, passwords and signal routing codes to the computer.

Susan had gotten bored and frustrated with the time it was taking him and unwittingly dozed off on the couch sometime around 100 hours. Catching up in the sleep she'd scared out of her system he deduced. He was determined she get some rest this trip. So, waking her up like she'd want him to do was totally out of the question.
He had covered her with a blanket soon after she had drifted off, but hadn't
bothered her since.

He managed to get a scrambled message past the jammers, through three satellites, piggy-backed with other data to disguise it, and via three Minbari and Narn communication systems to break the signal's origination signatures. He used the emergency code so it would be directed straight to Sheridan or Delenn, instead of one of the C&C ops. After 3 hours, and several severed attempts, finally success.

Sheridan appeared on screen in a bathrobe and a bad case of bed hair, It was 4 am station time... typical.

"Marcus?" he croaked, still half asleep.

"Sorry to wake you, but we have a slight problem." he said trying to look cheerful.

"What happened?" he asked quickly concerned. "Is the meeting off?"

"No, no. Our identacards are just malfunctioning a bit, they didn't pass the security checkpoint. Luckily, I managed to talk our way out. We can't do that twice."

"Yeah, they'll catch 2 misses right off." He yawned rubbing his stubbled face "I'll get them fixed ASAP, but it'll take several Earth Standard hours for them to get through to you there. Don't leave the hotel until tomorrow though, just to be safe."

"Shouldn't be too hard, we are honeymooners after all. If I can keep Susan from swallowing her tongue every mention of that word it won't look suspicious at all, right?" Marcus chuckled.

"Where is the Commander" Sheridan asked looking.

"Asleep thankfully. Don't want to wake her. Bound and determined to drive herself into all out panic that one is. I might actually get something done if she stays out. They have real coffee, so it's managed to hold her at bay so far."

"See! She'll thank me yet for this assignment." Sheridan yawning again while rubbing his sleep tousled hair. "Anything else?"

"No, but better go now, this connection will die soon." Marcus said watching the digital signal status starting to weaken and split. He was surprised it had lasted this long.

"Don't take any chances, Marcus. You can call this off anytime you want if it gets too hot. Just get back here in one piece."

"Will do." he nodded with a smile. "End link." Sheridan's face vanished into a white blip.

"Computer, Kill signal repressively to target though the main connection port. Delete all audio and video log files to this terminal, and cripple input and output streams until further notice on my password, alpha-2-9-zero-f ."

He fell back in the chair exhausted. Whew. Now he felt tired for the first time all day. Three hours jabbering at the wall really took it out of you. Almost as tired as he got trying to talk to Ivanova most any time.

Susan began stirring, letting out a luxurious dreamy sigh. She stretched and opened her eyes seeing him not at work now.

"We get through?" she asked hoarsely squinting a bit.

"Yes, I just did." he yawned.

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up, Cole?" she barked angrily "Computer! Time!"

"The time is 300 hours 27 minutes." came the sanitized voice

"Because," he said interuppting the computer's response "Because you needed the sleep obviously, Miss Susie Sushine."

She rolled to a sitting position and shot him a sour look for the Susie
Sunshine comment. Yes, it was uncalled for but he'd been holding on to that card for months waiting to use it. He just couldn't
resist any longer.

"What did he say?" she demanded getting back into command mode.

"No problem. But, we're stuck in here until tomorrow to ensure the fix is made before we have to use the cards again. We can't risk another close call like that." He yawned "Too bad, I was really up for a walk too. I'm really getting cagey in here. I have been sitting all day, and my ass is sore." He stood and stretched backwards, resetting a few vertebrae in the process with a deep groan

Susan nodded yawning as well. This was not what she wanted to hear, that was obvious, his ass or 24 more hours here, he wasn't entirely sure and he was smart enough to not ask. She wasn't going to make an issue of it when it was common sense.

"Y'know," she started with a twinkle in her eye "as long as we don't leave the
hotel itself we'll be fine. Right? I mean there's a restaurant down there
you know. Real food..... bill it to the room so we don't use the cards." She was downright glowing about the possibility.

"That's probably the best idea I've heard in months, one meal of rations is quite enough!" He jumped up out of his chair and pulled on the jacket he'dbrought.

"Will you join me for walk around the halls afterwards?" he asked stuffing his hands in his pockets and stretching out the kinks from sitting so long.

"Sure" she said smiling "Sounds good." She looked nervous. He wasn't sure why she was apprehensive about the option of a mere walk, but it was written all over her face.

Susan was in heaven. She eagerly munched down steak and pasta, while he delved into a plate of salmon and a large glass of lager. He hadn't had a proper beer in years. It was wonderful to be amongst civilization.
Even though the resistance skirmishes had risen lately the tourist industry on mars was still thriving - probably due to the insistence by EarthGov that everything was just fine and dandy - the offerings of real earth food was certainly atno loss. It took them forever to choose what they wanted, and mere seconds to wolf it down like starving men when it came.

Marcus just leaned back in his chair and stared at his empty plate in shock.

"I had completly forgotten what food was supposed to taste like," he said in a slow measured tone. "I have been on station too long," he said sullenly, amazed at how much he had managed to eat so fast

"It's almost enough to make me to join up with Clark and start waving the flag of the regime," he whispered to her fom across the table.

Susan nodded in agreement nursing yet another cup of coffee. "I'm stuffed to the gills, but I am going to eat dessert anyway" she whispered with a wicked grin comma after anyway because God knows when I'll ever see them again..."

Marcus laughed "Nothing else for me, I still want that walk." he said shaking his head.

He just wanted to get back out on his feet, he'd been sitting almost all day, for him it was unheard of. He would even pace on ships if there was the room.

"Suit yourself!' she grumbled, ordering a sinful sounding Chocolate and Valusian Cherry Cream Cheesecake from the waiter, with yes, another cup of coffee. He wondered how she was going to sleep tonight.

When it arrived, it was the most decadent single piece of food he had ever seen. It looked absolutely like the most sinful thing he'd ever seen. He regretted not ordering some dessert now.

Susan's eyes were fixated and she just looked at it for nearly five
minutes. She was trying to enjoy this he observed, for as long as possible. Then she picked up a fork.

After the first bite, and the little gasp of pure joy that escaped her lips she opened her eyes to see Marcus smiling in amusement at her.

She looked at him puzzled. He liked the way her brow furrowed like that.

"What?" she said her eyes looking around frantically thinking something was wrong.

He ripped his gaze away and rearranged his napkin on the table.
"Nothing." he said softly.

"What?" she demanded a little louder.

He laughed playing with his napkin. He decided to fight his heart and not pursue this line of contention. It would just make her worse than she was.

"We meet with our target on Monday. So enjoy that, we may be leaving early."

Marcus just sat back and just enjoyed watching her eat it when she wasn't looking. The room melted away behind her and he watched as she savored each bite. It must have taken her a good half hour to eat it. It felt like an eternity to him. He wanted to say something, but did not wish to ruin this moment for either of them. He was enjoying something entirely different, but it worked for him just fine.

After dinner, they wandered around the hotel corridors. They chatted a bit
about the wonderful dinner, and the station, but they mainly just walked. He'd crack a joke after a while and she'd ignore it as usual. But she was relaxing. He could tell. She might even be actually having a good time despite herself. She even occasionally managed not to stifle every smile that fought cross her lips.

Feeling more than then a bit mischievous and itching to breaking the polite silence that was making him exceedingly nervous, he stopped walking. "Anadeesh kay reh minbaru noksha lad nee?"

She stopped in her tracks 'I have a purple chair that swims in the temple?" she asked confused.

"No! That would be 'An adesh keenah midatu nola shadna'." he said with a smirk "I said 'Let me teach you Minbari'. It certainly would give us
something to do while we wait. And you need help learning it."

Suddenly she pulled up her guard again. He shook his head in amazement. With her it was like poking sticks in a mine field, some went off, some didn't, and it was in never the same place twice.

"No, I am not much of a student, but I prefer to learn alone. I'm doing OK so far..."

"Susan, there are nuances that learning on your own will not teach you. All I am asking is for you to let me help, not teach you. Minbari is a very difficult and subtle language, one word can have 12 meanings depending on what's before or after it, andthen depending what caste dialect you are speaking. Took me a full year just to learn religious caste dialect alone, and I am a bit of a linguist. Minbari is very, very, hard.
And besides, telling your crew to 'target aft slippers on the gravy boat' doesn't exactly inspire crew morale does it?"

She laughed. This surprised him.

"You're right, I should let you. I need to know it," she said giving in enirely too soon.

Marcus stood there shocked. She admitted she needed help. He thought he die on the spot.

"When should we start?" she asked a bit upset at having lost another skirmish.

"Tomorrow?"

"Sure, there's always time between waiting and sitting..."

End PART 3

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 4
----------------------------------------------------

Susan Ivanova paced in front of the Drazi trading ship's loading doors. She
looked at her timewindow for the 32nd time. 32. She counted. Marcus was never late. Always annoyingly early, something was wrong.

The Drazi captain joined her side.

"We must leave." He said sternly "Your rendezvous is waiting for you. 3 days will be tough as it is to make it on time. We have no more time to wait for the Ranger." His eyes said more than he spoke. He was scared and wanted the hell out.

Ivanova nodded. She knew the mission could not be sacrificed for a single member. Something had happened she was sure, but if she knew Marcus, he'd find his way back to Babylon 5. He was amazingly resourceful. She was sure of it. She placed her hand on the wall to support her as she stepped over the threshold into the entry to the ship.

"SUSAN!" Marcus' voice screamed into her brain. She froze, shaking. It was loud, very loud. "HELP ME!" Her heart raced. How did he know? How long had he known? What else did he know? She closed her eyes trying to concentrate on him despite her fears about him entering her thoughts. Focus damn it! she screamed at herself, FOCUS! She could see him. Level 13, he was on level 13! But where... A coffin? What? She unholstered her gun. "Ngrash! I need some of your men, if you can
spare them, there's a problem." She turned and headed full bore for the nearest lift tube. The elevator didn't stop on level 13, access had been terminated? They went to
12 and took the access tunnels up to 13.

They burst out in to a handful of EA forces, Ivanova and the Drazi team dodged behind a bulkhead started firing. Ngrash the Drazi captain took a shot to the shoulder. It was minor, but enough to incapacitate him into further duty. He held the position there while Ivanova and the two remaining crewmen, continued on to find Marcus.

Susan had chastly remained on her side of the bed the next two nights,
nearly glued to the outside edge as far away as the mattress would allow, and quite frankly Marcus was happy about her doing so. He needed to be as sharp as possible for the pickup, and any further lack of sleep would hamper his abilities. She was not however far enough away for him not to smell her orange scented shampoo. He'd never think if the fruit quite the same way again.

Both evenings they ate heartily in the resturaunt and Marcus was sure he'd even put on a few pounds since his arrival. Which was fine, he probabaly never see food like it again. He'd take the weight gain as a pleasent reminder of this trip.

He thought he was a bit boney anyway. Each evening disappearing to the gym downstairs to give Ivanova some time and space alone that he knew she liked. It also made sure he worked off all the food he was devouring as well as any feelings he was likely to divulge. He had come close a couple times during their meals and he quickly managed to stifle the vile thoughts and returned the gym to teach himself a lesson in moderation.

He didn't use the pike as it would certainly draw attention being a alien
weapon, so he practiced the choreagraphed almost dance-like movements
without it.

It looked much like a version of the ancient martial art from Earth called Tai Chi, only faster and with more whole-body movement, so he felt like he didn't stand out quite so much. It was a welcome mental dampener, a way to blot out the world and go within, very relaxing and tireing at same time. He drifted exhaustedly into sleep after each workout soon after arriving back in the room. Once he could swore he dreamed just a bit. Wasn't much, just some flashes of some familiar faces on Babylon 5, but certainly not unpleasant, just confusing.

They finally left the hotel finally on Monday and found their way to the Ambassador Stardust Grill in the main colony dome. For such a impressive name it sure was a dump. None of the chairs matched, some of the glasses were clean, and the clientele certainly was, well... diverse.
There were a bunch of Narns bargaining a business deal in the back, and Zracks looking to start a fight. It was Marcus's kind of place.

But, they made a great stew, he didn't know what meat it was, and wasn't too sure even entirely what vegetables were in it, and he didn't want to think about it either.

He had learned not to be a food critic in his travels. You ate whatever you were offered, if you were offererd anything at all, and took your chances hoping for the best. Susan hadn't been on recon before, she hadn't learned this little fact yet. She wasn't touching hers. If the type of meat wasn't mentioned on the menu "it could be anything from rat to Pak'marah." she said. She ate a few off-world vegetables and pushed her bowl away.

"I can't, really..." she said shuddering, her mouth curling up in disgust.

Marcus laughed, "Really it's quite tasty. The Orromorgokh root is good for your blood," he held out a slimy yellow stringy lump on his fork to show her what it looked like

This made her down right sour faced. She looked nauseous and covering her mouth looked away.

"Please... don't try, you're not helping." She sipped her drink and waited. She even avoiding looking at the bowl. He laughed at her behavior and it only annoyed her more.

She fingered the edge of her glass nervously while eyeing everyone in the bar with extreme caution.

A wiry and frumpled couple of men entered the bar, and began searching the faces in the crowd. Marcus took her other hand, and smiled.

"My sweet," he said softly and through his clenched teeth "They're over there". He traced a line on the back of her hand to focus her eyes.

She made her way to look in their direction.Whispering to Marcus,
"Are you sure? I don't like the look of them."

"If you went through what they did to get here with what they have, you wouldn't look good either," he said trying to catch their eyes. He nodded subtly and they soon were joined at the table by the pair.

Marcus kept his hand on top of Susan's. More out of a protective gesture to warn the rest of the eyes that watched in interest of fiery Russian commander. And, also because he thought he could get away with it.

"Timothy, Raul... nice to see you again." he said in low measured tones keeping an eye on the room.

The taller blonde man leaning in, his eyes full of fear. He nodded
quickly in acknowledgement to Ivanova. "Alright, I am not entirely sure we weren't followed. We had a hell of a time at security and I think they have telepaths on the trail. I don't know why, or whats on this thing, but they want it back bad."

The hair along Marcus' neck rose and he went all cold outside. Shit. They were right, he could feel it too. Something knowing and watching from the corners. Bugger. Double bugger. Triple goddamn bugger.

Marcus leaned back, and looked to Ivanova. "Here's the room key, get back there now, I'll meet you."

He pressed the key hard into her palm.

"I can't leave yet, we -" she protested.

"Things have changed." he said interuppting, keeping his voice low and steady. "I'll catch up. Now go." He looked into her eyes, letting her know he meant business. He'd said it a little harsher than he intended, but he wanted her to for once not to question him. He couldn't have her here with telepaths, they'll read her like a book, she knows too much. She knows everything. She was scared of them enough she'd broadcast it out of fear.

Susan removed her hand slowly and got up from the table and headed swiftly out the door without so much as a look back.

He sipped his drink non-chalantly scanning the room cautiously.

" If what you say is true, we've just walked into hell without a handbasket . I had to ensure the Commander's Saftey." Marcus explained ordering them a drink to try to look inconspicuous. They shot them down thankfully.

He leaned back across the table, "OK, let's get this done. You have it?"

They nodded nervously and slipped him a data crystal. It was a red banded one, top secret high security encoded. Marcus slyly popped it in his secret coat pocket in the seam and handed them a set of identicards.

"Thank you, your efforts for the cause will not go forgotten.
There should plenty on those to buy you a cushy tourist voyage back. This may save the lives of millions on both sides, well turn the tide of the war." He almost found the words odd to say, "lives of millions".

It seemed rather small in comparison with the threat the Shadows had held in the universe as a whole, but this part of the war was a battle of words and politics, not light and dark. Evil was evil no matter what face it wore. And indiscriminate killing of innocents is still lives lost to the dark. It could not be allowed to succeed in any form. It was his job as a Ranger to protect all from the darkness no matter the source.

"Safe journey you two. Now, I have to get the hell off this rock before the whole thing blows to little tiny bits."

They bowed their heads in salute, thier hands forming a Minbari sign, a triangle formed with thier hands. He hoped they made it back alive.

Marcus nodded and headed out into the hall as his companions sat back at the bar. A large hand clamped down on his shoulder almost immediatly. He spun around and was met with the sight of a huge EA Security Officer. The mammoth grunted and forced an attempt at a smile.

"We need to see your Indenticard, sir," it spoke.

"Why?" he asked, his heart pounding. "Is there a problem?"
"Routine check," his face deadened "You understand." His face held a sly grimace. Marcus knew this wasn't a random check. They knew who he was, and why he was here. His heart started pumping. Where was Susan?

"Yeah, I do." he said putting on his most knockout grin "Hold on. Let me it comma after do find it here!" he said digging into his pockets. He pulled out handfuls of crinkled papers and mangled gambling receipts, and looked around.

"Will you be ever so nice to hold these for a second?" He pushed them into the guards hands, who was now confused. "I really should clean these pockets out more often...I know I have
it in here somewhere...?".

He dug in the pockets again and pulled out a small toy rubber ball and some tiny pocket toys and shoved them off on the guard as well.

"I know it's in here, I just had it fifteen minutes ago... ahhh!" he smiled victoriously "Here it is!" He thrust up his hand above his head and the pike flew open. He came down and smashed the guard up side the temple. Marcus just started running.

Within minutes he was being chased by a handful of security men down an access shaft near the stations life support systems.

He got enough of a lead of them that he had a spare second to try to lead them where he wanted. He reached in another pocket and littered the path ahead with a handful of more crumbled food wrappers and, backed up and took a side smaller shaft.

He always kept pockets full of odds and ends just in case. He'd go to seedy areas and ransack trash cans to get them, sometimes getting whole sacks full, and making sure he had a good supply in his pockets before he left the station. He had to act drunk to get away with it, but had certainly come in handy this trip in the last few minutes.

He could tell from the echoes from the junction where he entered, that they took the bait and headed in the direction of the trash he planted.

After a while, and many altered routes he found the hangar they had arrived in two days ago, and from the crows nest spot he occupied any chances of getting off the planet in the ship they came on were instantly dashed. The ship was just crawling with EA force and PsiCops. His Ranger companions' suspisions had been correct.What was on this crystal?

His Ranger uniform he had left on a ship was now on a table being searched. Ripping it seam from seam methodically by a team of black suited PsiCops. This image made his blood boil, to deface a uniform of such honor, it was nearly intolerable. He took a deep breath and reminded himself it was a symbol, and symbols could be replaced easily. He needed a new one anyway. This one had smelled funny after the last night he spent on the Narn homeworld. He had washed it and washed it and the scent
was still there. Sort of like a sickening burnt licorice smell. The Narns
had an alcohol that smelled just it, but he wasn't sure how it had gotten on it. It was a blessing now actually now that he'd thought of it that way.

Luckily, he had removed his Ranger pin and took it with him, in case there was any doubt who he was with. If he had seen them with it he would be down there now some heads in to get it back, he could replace the uniform but the pin... he refused to think of them holding it.

They had fortunately removed everything else from the ship, but it was now at the hotel. He hoped Susan was safe. He had to warn her they were found out. He had to try. He refused to think she was in danger.

Whatever was on that crystal certainly had the PsiCorps panties in such a bunch, that was for sure.

He jumped back into the tiny shaft and emerged from a small access door three floors down in the habitat sector for the colony's residents. Racing down the hall looking at the door panels to spot one that was in static mode.

Cheaper-rent sectors would remove life support from un-occupied areas while the inhabitants were gone to save operating costs. You would simply wait outside thirty or fourty seconds for the interior to stabilize and then go inside when it had finished. It was efficient and cost-effective way to run a habitat sector. And damned convenient now. It guaranteed no one would be home.

He spent a few minutes hotwiring the door panel, and heard the life support vents inside activate and the doors whirred open after a few seconds. He raced inside and immediately located the comscreen.

He typed in the hotel room's comnumber and got the answering program. She was'nt back yet. Odd, but it was a fair distance and she was probably taking her time getting back to be on the safe side. She wa asmart girtl, he reminded himself, the best of the force. Act natural, nothing going on, just seeing the sites.

He smiled when the small recording light came up. He put on a happy face.

"Lydia darling? Oh, I see you are still out the gym. Sorry I missed you, sweetheart. Things are taking a little longer than expected, there's a
problem with the ship, something about a fuel line leak, I'm not sure. It's getting some maintenance in the bay but, no word on how long it's supposed to take. Do me a favor and call your brother and see if he can help us in case we can't get this ship back in time. Anyway, I have the key. I'll be back as soon as I can, don't wait up, love." He hit the stop button and deleted the message from the sent file his host's memory. He hoped it was enough, it was more than he should have said, but he wanted to let her know they were being sought after now. Or at least he was. He hoped he had gotten her out of the bar in time. He refused to think otherwise.

He took a drink with his hands from the sink as he was parched from his little jaunt and headed back out the door. He made sure to lock the door and ensuring the life support was deactivated so hopefully no one would be the wiser. He really hated entering a stRangers quarters.

He was doing well enough until he reached another security checkpoint at the gate leading out of the sector.

Bugger, they were everywhere before he was! Always a step ahead.

Earthforce could never mobilize this quickly, let alone be places before he was without knowing where he himself was going. They had to have PsiCorp people everywhere trying to find them.

All he knew was he was being herded somewhere. Playing a PsiCorp game of cat and mouse was not in Marcus's playbook.

He would simply hole up somewhere and wait them out. He'd head for the hotel room next, he only hoped he could get to it without drawing more attention. Wouldn't be easy, it was in another sector entirely.

End PART 4

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 5
----------------------------------------------------

They had caught him while he was climbing up an inner hull inspection ladder in a claustrophobic little tube shaft. He had been surrounded on all sides. He went the
only way he could up.

They snatched him out as soon as his head surfaced at the top.

They dragged him kicking and screaming into a small set of offices off a main hall, and tossed him into a tiny empty room with no lights or furniture. A large cell basically without the copious emmenities one would provide. It went uncomfortably pitch black when the door closed.

"Oh, bollocks," he cursed trying to catch his breath. He sighed to himself, this was all you needed.

He slowly groped his way over in dark to try the panel, and found there wasn't one. Well, it was worth a shot. He could say he at least tried.

His hand went to his belt, they hadn't removed it, obvioulsy not thinking anything so small was a weapon. He'd show them soon enough.

He slid down back against the wall and tried to clear his brain. He was here for the night from what he could tell. No lighting. No blankets, just walls and a floor. A cold metal floor. He had already found a small drain in the center. The thought of the floor being metal scared him. You never could feel truly comfy in a room that could be hosed out.

Nothing like Martian hospitality to warm the cockles of your heart.

His mind went to Susan again. He hoped she got the message and understood it. If they knew about the ship they probably knew about the hotel room, hopefully they didn't have her already. He had to hope they didn't, and if they did there wasn't much he could do right now anyway. But if they did... he'd take it out on half colony I fthey so much as harmed a hair on her head. Run, Susan, just run... go without me, save yourself. Just go. Run as fast as you can. He tried to see her face and he
focused on it intently. He knew she couldn't hear him, but it made him feel better to at least try.

Fatigue from his run was taking toll on him. He could feel sleep
starting to drift in like a thick fog. The muscles in his legs spasming,
contracting and relasing, mimiking the frantic pace he'd run for so long.
Did she think he was dead already? Would she care if he was? He might be for all he knew - tommorow was still ahead of him. It certainly didn't look pleasant in the least.

He was awakened by being pulled to his knees by two neanderthal guards. His eyes ached in the sudden shock of the lights being on. He strained to see where the door was.

"Don't!" he yelped trying to fight of the strong hands that restrained him. "I haven't done anything!" They were too strong. Then he looked up.

There were two PsiCops in the corner. A tall thin pasty faced
white male and a black female with the typical PsiCorp hairsytle, hair pulled back tight as a drum remove all tracess of humanity. They grinned at him in mock pity and amusement

"Hello Mr. Temple, if that IS your name... and we will find out soon enough won't we?" The man clapped his gloves hands. "If you cooperate this won't hurt a bit, if you don't... well, we'll do our best to not damage you too much in the process."

The man grinned a pained tight smile.

Oh no, he said to himself. This was going to be bad. This was going to hurt, a lot. He fought against the guard, trying to creep away from their intense glare, but they held him firm.

They just stood motionless staring at him for several minutes. He could feel their minds in his, poking imaginary fingers here or there, cautiously at first,rummaging around his mind for whatever they could find to locate something more interesting. He suddenly felt naked as they stripped more and more away from his mind. They were too strong. His head thrashed violently side to side trying to break
free of their hold.

It was brutal. They were dredging up memories he thought he had buried. The memories of his brother's death was more vivid than he remembered. It was more intense, more frigtening, more real than it had been in years. He could smell the odors of the colony equipment, the burning of William's ship in the puddle of fuel, the sickening sweet smell of singed flesh ... He screamed all over again.

He could hear them mentally conversing with each other. Was he supposed to hear that? He could hear them discussing where to go next.

"STOP! Get out!" he screamed inside...Pink rabbits! Where had that come from?

He clamped his eyes shut and began visualizing large pink rabbits. Pink rabbits in the corner, pink rabbits in his mind... pink bunnies everywhere. Piles and piles of pink bunnies, up to the ceiling in every nook and cranny of everything he could imagine. His date with a pink bunny in at the colony senior prom...pink bunny slippers.

He focused all his enegery on rosy hued lapines in every nook and cranny.

One of the PsiCops swayed backwards and looked at him confused. The pain suddenly lessened whatever he was doing was working. He heard the woman let out a sniggle of laugh and attempted regain composure. Her eyes grew wider and she narrowed the gap between them to gain a better lock.

Marcus did not falter, now he was dancing with the rabbits in a big circle. Bunnies copulating in the corner... He frantically sought out the PsiCops' eyes. They were struggling. They no longer had a hold on him.

They were angry and frustrated and now grasping at straws to regain control. They were getting closer to him.

"How are you blocking us?! This is impossible!" the man screamed outraged trying to drive harder into Marcus' thoughts. "How can you fill your mind with such rubbish and keep us out."

"Rabbits rabbits rabbits!" He said slowly concentrating. Any variance of this thoughts would let them in again. This infuriated them more.

The male PsiCop flew over enraged and laid a blow across Marcus' face that sent him out of the grip of the guards and scrambling across the room with a solid slam against the wall. Marcus groaned feeling a couple ribs resettle with a loud click as he slid to the floor gasping for air.

Marcus touched his jaw where he had connected. His hand was covered in blood from a cut the corner of his mouth, he wiped it on his pants, and wiped his face on his sleeve.

He rose to his feet slowly, braceing himself against the wall.

Standing, shaking his head, he smiled.

"You shouldn't have done that..." he calmly said pointing at the PsiCop male.

"That wasn't very nice you know."

The PsiCop only smirked arrogantly and crossed his arms with an arrogant smirk.

"You have made the bunnies angry... very angry!" He screamed rushing them. In a silvery flash his pike was sweeping the bodies in all directions. In moments all were unconcious.

He staggered still a little dizzy from the deep scan to the door. It was making the floor wobble a bit, but not anything he couldn't handle.

Rabbits, he'd have to remember that one. It was good trick to remember for the future. He leaned against the wall next to the door and caught his breath for a few moments. He readied and politely gave the door soft little knock.

It opened. He reached around, yanked the guard inside by his ears and kicked him soundly up against the wall sending him in a quick spiral to the floor. He peeked outside and the area looked clear.

Marcus crept out of the room, and around the corner where he was met with voices just beyond. And the door out to the main sector just past them.

He took a deep breathe, wondering if this idea was just crazy enough to work. He said a quick prayer and ran straight through the crowd, knocking down any who happened to be in the way. The guards stood there out of shock for a moment. One called out after him, realizing he was the prisoner and the group gave chase.

He managed to get to the hotel again taking a maintainence railcar to the hub. He punched in the code to the room and the door did not open, Shit! Bloody hell. She better be fine. He should never have sent her alone. He should have taken her. He was supposed to protect her. He had only made it worse. Damn, why hadn't he thought?

He put his head against the door trying to clear his thoughts, his eyes caught sight something to his left. A tiny corner of a piece of paper wedged in behind the wall panel.

He looked around quickly. And huddled over the panel. Taking his fingers he managed to scoot out the wedged piece of paper.

It was a ripped corner from the page of a book. "M- 800hrs d3 b6 drazi. msg rec'd. S" in tiny print, but it was her writing. It could have been a trap, but he doubted it. It was too well hidden. He wouldn't have even have noticed it himself except that he happened to look straight at it. He popped the panel back on just as two security troops came around the corner.

"You! Freeze!" They said. He heard the charging of the powercells on the PPG's. Marcus took off running as the guns started firing, missing his leg by mere inches. He'd still gotten hit by the heat signature, and it burned like hell, he took a double step and kept going.

He was tired of running, he had done too much this trip, and he was getting to old to dash around like this all the time.

They had him boxed in. They managed to herd him down a ladder chute at breakneck speed. He lost footing and spiraled down what seemd like five decks some storage containers full on with the side of his arm at the bottom.

He laid there a few seconds the pain of the fall courseing through his entire being. Screaming like a proper banshee for all the world to witness and not caring in particular if they heard. Dying seemed perferable right now. He ever so gently groped his arm and felt the obvious fracture poking upwards against his shirt sleeve.

To Valen, how had he'd managed to blow this operation, he wasn't sure, but was pretty convinced it was doomed before they'd even landed on Mars.

Oh, God, not this, he didn't want to do this. He cursed himself for even thinking it. But it was the only way he knew. He pulled himself up and wrapped his arm around a pipe. He gripped hard onto his hand and clamped his mouth tight, took a sharp deep breath, closed his eyes and yanked his body backwards aginst the pipe suddenly.

He heard the bone pop back in place, and fell back on the ground in a black haze of agony. He just lay there gasping for a few minutes trying to recover. He was glad it did it in only one try, he wouldn't have had the energy or guts for another.

He heard voices and he somehow manged to choke past the pain and stand up enough to get moving again. His whole body ached from the fall, there wasn't a part that was trying to hold him down. He removed his belt and wore it as a strap to keep his arm from hanging limply.

They had managed to steer him into an abandoned deck filled with empty loading bays. He ran into the only bay that was open. Convienently unlocked. He lodged himself next to the doors in a small emergency saftey channel that was used to prevent people from being sucked out in to the vacuum of space in the case of hull. Earth engineering at it's finest, optimally usless. He fully doubted it would actually work as it was intended, but it was good it was where he need it to be right now.

He'd been waiting now in the cubbyhole about an hour and half now, his legs were tiring from standing, and there was no way to stretch them in such a cramped place.

He could hear the security teams scanning for him. They were taking their sweet time doing it to. They were close now, very close.

So much so thar Marcus could hear them breathing. They could have heard his except he stopped minutes ago. He just stood and stared, his eyes plastered on the opening of his little place in the darkness.

His hand started to twitch on the pike's body, he slowly raised his hand over his head.

His hand started to twitch on the pike's body. He slowly head and aimed down to about face level, he looked ba ck to check there was aimed it down to about face level, He looked back to check adequate space behind him and waited.

Suddenly, a hefty EA guard appeared at the end his face turned looking at his scanner. "This can't be... Lt. Neiman!"

He was joined immediately by a second lankier and younger officer. They looked at the scanner screen. "It says he's IN the walls? That can't be,
there are no access shafts in this section... what the hell?" the fat one said.

"Can't be...it says we're right on top of him, where in the hell - " his voice trailed off and his head slowly turned to the opening. His eyes opened wide in alarm at the sight of the bloody man in the crevice.

Marcus smiled widely "Hello! Nice day, eh?" he said, as he gently
activated his pike. It shot out like a lightening flash and hit the front most officer dead in the face. Knocking him instantly unconcious body into the other officer. They fell like dominos. Marcus struggled out of his hole in the time it took the remaining officer to rise.

As soon as he got out he was being rushed by more than three others that he had been unaware of. He braced the pike against his side and started
swinging the long pike into the heads of the advancing forces. He was doing pretty well until one came up front behind and beat him across the scalp him with a security club. He fell lifelessly onto the floor, the pike rolling away and then darkness.

He was kicked and pulled back into conciousness.

"Where are they? Who else is with you? Where's Sheridan?" a rather tall and blurry fellow screamed at him as they pistolwhipped him with their PPG's. He franctically grasped at the floor during the blows, his fingers familar feel of cool smooth Minbari metal. A hard blow came down on his ribcage, his body screamed and so did he as well.

He took all his strength, still gritting through the pain of his arm and now he was sure several broken ribs, and made one last grab for the pike, lurching forward.

In a blinding flash that surprised himself, he tripped three of them and even managed to get one in the face just as the sound of PPG's echoed through the room. Reinforcements, damn it to hell! This is it. This is the end. He made a quick prayer to Valen that it be with out more pain, and kept swinging at anything that moved above. "We live for the one! We die for the one!" He yelped horsely thrashing the pike around with one hand while laying on the floor and knocked one full in the head dropping to the floor next to him. His pain and injuries made everything big blur. But he was hitting alot of blurs.

"Marcus!" Susan screamed while another volley of PPG fire lit up the room.

Was he hearing things? He had taken some nasty blows to the head.

"Susan?!" he gasped. A guard standing near Marcus took a series of hits to the chest and fell to the floor dead missing his head by a mere fraction of an inch.

It was silent, he strained to see but it was all a red fuzzy mess. He
struggled to hold up his head, but it only made him dizzy and nauseuous. His head smashed down against the floor. all his energy left him. It was growing dimmer. Thicker. Colder. Darker.

"Marcus! Where are you?" Ivanova yelled. He moaned incoherently and half dazed from the back of the room. He realized then they had kicked and dragged him to the rear of the huge hanger.

He heard their steps race right to him. They fired off a couple more shots. His crumpled body lay in far corner in a puddle of blood and he looked up weakly.

"Why, Susan...I didn't know you cared." he smiled wide as he could through a battered and bloody mouth. "I got what we came for...I got it...Did they get you? Are you ok?" he asked paniked reaching for her hand "I never should have left you alone..." He was starting to drift off again.

"Are you alright?" she said, he felt her touching his chest and face. "Can you walk?"

"No, I don't think so, I could try though..." he coughing up a little blood.

"No, they probably picked up the PPG signatures by now, we have to move quickly." She reached for his hands and tried to pull him on his feet

"AHHHH! Not my right arm, it's broken. I think everything is broken. OW!" His face contorted and fell back against the floor again. Smashing his head unforgivenly into the floor again.

A Drazi navigator rushed to help him sit up amongst dead and unconsoius EA officers. Marcus's head drooped backwards and was starting to startied to lose conciousness with the sudden move. The Drazi effortlessly picked him up and the team skirted him away back through the path they had cleared only moments before.

Carrying his limp and unconsious body up the stairwell was a daunting task but, without a word the Drazi drapped Marcus over one shoulder and up with out so much of a grunt of effort.

End PART 5

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 6
----------------------------------------------------

They disembarked from the colony in a blinding speed. Jumping immediatly to hyperspace as soon as they were far enough away.

When they had established course and entered hyperspace, Ivanova entered the ships medroom which was also the crew cafeteria.

Trading vessels did not have space to donate to such a luxury as a medlab especially if the crew was only of ten. The fact that this small ship had a jump engine a testiment that they did more than trade minerals and supplies, but Ivanova didn't care, they had saved them by risking everything they had. They'd earned her respect.

Marcus was laying down on the eating table being treated by a Drazi officer who was strapping his arm to his side with a wide strip of cloth. His breathing was shallow and weak, and he was covered in huge purple bruises from head to toe. His vision had returned somewhat, and he watched as Njar tended him.

"How is he?" Susan asked genuinely concerned as she entered the room.

"I feel fine, thank you for asking." Marcus coughed weakly. He felt like utter crap. He wished he were dead. Might as well lie still and look heroic, he heard it impressed women. He didn't care anymore.

"Broken ribs, a broken arm, internal bleeding, a fractured cranium and so many other things. I have given him an injection for his pain, but I fear it will not do him much good. He is just too badly battered for me to treat effectively."

"I've been worse," he quipped horsely "You should have seen me my first week on Minbar during Ranger training-" Ivanova shot him a deadly look. "Ah, I guess I told you already."

"We do not have the facilities or equipment" The Drazi continued "to treat injuries like this, only cuts and minor viral illnesses. We don't often get in to firefights being mineral traders. All we can do is secure him for travel and hope for the best."

"Thank you Njar, We need to now to get him back to Babylon 5. Can we do it?" she asked. The Drazi nodded swiftly and left them in the room alone.

"Timothy was right, they did have telepaths. PsiCops. PsiCops. They... They didn't get you did they?" He grasped her hand desperatly "You are ok? I shouldn't have let you leave alone I should have... gone with you, I was wrong to leave you alone..."

"No, I went to hotel bar and called John over voice channels via the Centauri. He sent the Drazi. They never found me." he voice was soft and soothing and he fought to stay awake.

Marcus breathed a sigh of relief "PsiCops... got me... they scanned me...they didn't get anything..." It was a huge effort to just talk, his energy was draining. "They didn't get anything..."

"What they scanned you?! What did they see?! What!" Her voice was now intense and on the verge of an explosion.

"Pink rabbits.." he said smiling weakly, fading in and out. The room was ripplingwith colors.

Ivanova shook his feet gently. "Pink rabbits? What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Huh? oh... I blocked them." His voice was growing more dream like, he all there, he was falling away. The meds the Drazi had given him were settling in nicely and he was drifting away.

"I thought... of big... fuzzy pink.... bunnies..." He laughed a wheezy little chuckle. "Pissed them off to no end... then they got mad.. but they didn't get anything... all they got was bunnies...piiiiiink bunnies...but I got loose..." It was growing black again. "I showed them."

" How did you manage to block a PsiCop? Marcus, Tell me!" He just shook his head, side to side.

"Are you teep, Marcus?" She got close to him

His eyes lazily opened "Teep? Where?" He tried to look around the room "No more teeps.. no more..." he said his voice paniking.

She leaned over to him and held his face to look him in the eyes, to hold his attention "Are you a Teep?"

"No... I don't know.. think so.. I don't...think...no.." he was growing more and more disoriented.

"How did you know I was a telepath!" she snapped fiercely.

"What?" he thought he was hallucinating now. "You're a teep? I thought you said.. I was the teep..."

"Listen!" she slammed her finger to her head "You screamed my name and HELP ME! How else do you think I found you?"

He started shaking his head. "no no... no no... no teep.."

"Snap out of it Marcus, tell me, how did you do it?!"

He let out one long sigh and he was asleep.

Ivanova just stood angrily and just stared at him for the longest time.

Dr. Franklin rushed with the medlab crew out to the Drazi ship. It had been a tough long trip. Marcus had slipped into shock, but the alert drazi crew had prevented him going further by placing him near the kitchen cooking unit swaddled in blankets. The quick thinking of the crew ensured he made it to Babylon 5 at all.

"We really have to stop meeting like this, doc." Marcus managed a smile, his voice was soft and raspy. He was pale and drawn and looked like he'd taken a lesuirely stroll through a mine field. He felt worse.

"Maybe you need a new line of work." Stephen said back as they placed him in the lift.

"What fun would that be? Can you see me behind a desk?" Marcus smiled remebering his comments to Susan at the start of the mission.

Stephen chuckled "No, I guess not."

"Susan!" he called out suddenly "Here!" He nimbly fumbled in a tiny hidden pocket in the seam of his trouser pocket and pressed the red stripped
crystal into her hand "I got it, but I don't know whether to trust it now..."

"Don't worry, we'll be careful..." she said smiling uncomfortably. How she could smile at him when he know he looked like a hideous mess was beyond him, but he appreciated it all the same. She had a lovely smile. But she knew it didn't look well for him , and he knew it.

"Good." He sighed a flood of relief washed over his face as the doors to medlab opened and a crew was waiting for him.

Ivanova split off as they entered and headed for the Captain's office. She
touched the pad outside.

"Enter!" came Sheridan's voice as the doors opened.

"We're back," she said dryly plopping exhuastedly into a chair opposite the Captain.

"How is Marcus?'

"Not good. It'll be a few weeks before he's back up and driving me insane again. Looks like he was broken before they got to him, they just stomped on the pieces a bit more."

"And your objective?"

"Yes." She handed him the crystal "I don't know how safe it is, the target said been followed by PsiCops, I 'd consider it suspect. Probably
something on there they want, or someting they don't want us to have."

Sheridan rolled the crystal in his fingers "I never thought I'd have to
resort to this... all the command codes, battleship access codes, everything... but what are we supposed to do to win this without losing great numbers for both sides.... it's the only
way." He placed the crystal in a protective box "But I won't use it unless absolutly neccessary. I'll have the Minbari crack it. That way if it is tagged it's they can stop it with out it leading them here."

Susan stood there looking at the desk for a second.

"John, there's something else..."

Sheridan looked up from his terminal .

"I think he's a telepath." she blurted out

Sheridan's head did a little head bob in shock, and his jaw dropped.

"He called to my mind when they caught him. That's how we found him. I knew where he was. I could see what he saw. And, well... this part is hard to accept. He said that he was captured and scanned by PsiCops, and that he actually blocked them with something about pinks rabbits, but he was drunk on meds by that point... but I know what I experienced...he called to me.. I saw."

Sheridan let out a whistle "Blocked a PsiCop? Whew... well, our little Ranger's certainly full of surprises isn't he? Hmmm.....We'll get the full story when he's gets back up and running." He looked shocked.

"He needs to be checked for psi-ability we need to know if he is - "

"Know what? His dedication? His determination to the cause? Commander, Marcus is the best there is, teep or otherwise, I don't care if he is or not. No one needs to know if he is or not. It doesn't change anything except give us an advantage that we desperatly need. If he is a teep, one of that level? I intend to use it fully. We need as many tools as we can get."

"Do you think that's wise? I mean - "

"Susan, I know how you feel about PsiCorp. I don't like them either. But would you want people to know about you? I don't doubt your dedication because you're a latent telepath, why should I doubt Marcus? You managed to stay just one step ahead. Marcus grew up away from the reach of the corp on a colony, and then on Minbar, it would have been real easy to escape detection. This is the first real connection he's had to his homeworld. He's Human, but not an Earther, don't forget that. He's a Ranger first. He's as devoted as you are to ensuring the
exsistance of a world he's never even seen. He's never given me an indication to think any other way. Delenn trusts him implicitly, and that's enough for me. It has to be enough."

Sheridan held out hand to stop her from protesting further, "Let's let him recover before you strap him on the rack and open his brain, eh? I'll get
Lyta in on this, anything keep the Corp out."

"Ok, I'll just have to accept that." She said unconvincingly.

"I know you can. Susan, but I'll look into it. Really... just don't mention this to Garibaldi alright... Marcus is too weak to go through the gauntlet he'd put him through."

End PART 6

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 7
----------------------------------------------------

Marcus lay in his bed the day after being released from medlab. Stephen had
protested, said he still needed to be under observation. Big worry wort. 10
days had been far long enough. Marcus had used his usual charm to convince Stephen to let him recuperate in his own quarters. It was more like release him or he'd make a pain of 24 hours day even more than he already hadbeen. The crew in medlab was ready happy to see him leave as well.

This was as close to home Marcus ever had had since the colony. And there he'd merely had a bedroom. He lived in the office. He lived in the dorm during Ranger training on Minbar with twenty others. In floating space baracks during his EA days. And now he lived in loaned quarters on Babylon 5. He barely remembered the deck it was on, he was here so rarely.

He realized how drab and dark it was. It didn't even have a kitchen. Not that he actually needed one. He briefly considered redecorating, maybe a plant or two but then thought Who'd see it? No one ever visited, no one came in, no one to impress, no one -- he thought, who'd see it? A plant would die as soon as he went out on assignment again. And, asking someone to watch your plant while you were away was more pathetic than not having one at all. What was the use? He was alone just as he has always been. Even his books were boring.

He laid there and watched an old black and white earth film from the 20th century, called "Casablanca". Always a depressing film, but he loved it entirely. About love, loss, war, despair and all that corny crap that seemed to so damned close to his real life it was almost scary.

He really hated himself when he was alone, he always depressed himself. He really needed to stop spending time with himself he noted.

His door chime chirped. Marcus jumped and just looked at the door. "Uhm, yes?"

"Marcus - it's Ivanova... Susan." came her voice uncertainly over the speaker.

He blinked. A few times. And just sat there. Had he heard right? Maybe he was dreaming.

It chirped again "Marcus?" she called again "Are you OK?"

He straightened out his blankets, scrubbed his finger over his teeth,
smoothed his hair, and took a deep breath. It would have to do, not that she'd care.

"Enter!"

She strode in out of uniform, must've been her day off. She wore a red silk shirt and black trousers. Her hair was down. She was stunning. He wouldn't sleep for days now. He still hadn't gotten over the cuddling incident on Mars yet.

He thought he stopped breathing, and then realized his mouth was gaping.

"Hello Susan!" He snapped to attention quickly "I don't get ever get visitors, and I'm not here enough to know how to work the controls... sorry about the delay. What brings the honor of your presence today?" he blabbled frantically.

She smiled. "Well, I thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing after the... injuries and all."

He looked up at the ceiling, disappointed "No. You didn't." he replied curtly relaxing back into the pillows.

"I didn't?" she asked incredulously, laughing "I sure thought I did."

"No, you came in to find out for yourself to see if I was telepathic." he said sadly, then looked into her eyes "and no, you don't have to be a teep to
spot an ulterior motive."

She sighed and dropped her head "Ah, yes. Well, I didn't think you'd remembered me asking on the ship."

"Interrogated was more like it!" he snapped. He was a little jumpy about this, but he had thought about little else and wasn't sure of the answer himself.

"And, yes I do remember, I remember everything... It's my job."

"I'm sorry - I'll go. I didn't mean to bother you. I hope you feel better
soon." She turned to leave.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Susan!" he said "For someone who hates being alone, I do it too much...and I haven't made a formal report yet anyway... and I need to."

She smiled. "OK." and turned back around. "Just one question. How can you concentrate with all the this on?" She held out there arms indicating the massive amounts of noise and action in it.

He glanced up. He did have the entire media wall working, interstellar news feed, opera audio channel, the old earth film Casablanca and a nature show on Centurion Wildcats.

"It fills up the void in my head... Cole's tend to have very short
attention span if you didn't know, and it keeps me from thinking about - I'll, uh... turn them off. Computer - ..."

"Wait!" she blurted out. "Leave Casablanca on... I haven't seen it in ages. If
you don't mind..."

He smiled widely. "Of course I don't mind. Pull up a seat."

A few hours later the door chimed again "Come in!" Marcus called out.

Stephen strode in with his medkit "10 hundred hour Housecall, Marcus... oh, Ivanova, hello."

Susan smiled. She was sitting on a chair next to Marcus with her feet up on the bed. She looked like she was actually having fun. Franklin was somewhat dismayed by the scene obviously.

"This is my last stop of the day before I turn in." He went to the other side of the bed and pulled out his equipment.

"Let's see your eyes..." While he was close, he whispered to him "What did you do? Drug her?" Marcus only smiled and said "Hurry up and leave, eh?"

He finished his examination "Well, I gotta say... you are one of the fastest healers I have ever seen. You should've died last year, and this time... well, I won't go there. But against every odd in the book - you should be back to normal in no time." He closed his kit.

"This does not mean, however, that you can go out walking about the station like normal, you are not strong enough yet for all that." He poked him gently on his good shoulder. "You stay in this Room. I mean it, understand?"

Marcus grinned "Yes Doctor, I'll be a good boy and stay here in my little cave alone and in the dark."

"Good. You do that. I'll be back first thing tomorrow to give you your morning meds."

"I'm feeling fine now, I don't think I need them anymore" he yawned.

"Well you're taking them, and you're gonna like it. If I have to hand
deliver and
force feed every dose, I will. That was part of our deal remember? I'd let
you stay here,
but you had to do whatever I say."

"Yes sir!" he saluted disparaginly.

"OK, that all the preaching I'm doing." he picked up his bag. "It's been a long day. I'll see you later."

"Bye Stephen!" Marcus said as he left the room.

"What a nag." Ivanova said dryly as soon as the door closed.

"You're telling me." He sat up a bit. He gritted his teeth as he pulled his side again. " He called me twice today already. Computer, sound off," he said softly "Might as well start."

"Your report?"

He nodded. "Well, I'll start from where you left. I got stopped almost as soon as you left the bar, and they chased me for nearly two hours. Every place I went they were there before me, every step I made they mirrored it. They had to have telepathseverywhere in that place. I know they did... they couldn't have found me like they did otherwise. I'm too good at it. Been doing it too long." He said without modesty. But it was true. He could spot a trap like no one else, and they'd sprung several on him out of
the blue.

He told her the whole story, about the rabbits, the fall, the way they'd found him...

"And another thing... " he started again slowly, measuring his words to come out slow and calculated so she could digest the next part. "My
great-grandmother was a psychic back on old Earth. Before the PsiCorp started keeping track. I might be, I have never had a reason to think I was too until now. I barely heard of PsiCorp until I was drafted into the force. They tested me but I was negative. But I'd don't know, maybe you grow into it something. I couldn't have done what I did if I wasn't somhow."

It was a uncomfortable silence for several minutes and Ivanova only looked at her hands.

"The Captain is very interested to find out the result." She said finally
"You'll have a big price on your head by the PsiCorp. They don't like being made a laughing stock, and they don't have a sense of humor. You'll considered rogue now. You know that right?"

He nodded. Yes, he was all too aware of the threat he posed by now merely existing. Nothing had crossed his mind more in the last few days

"I think you need to see Lyta." she said her voice distant. She was
handling this
better than he'd hoped. "She has some insight on living as a rogue."

"Yes. I'll do whatever you want, I need to know myself now."

Susan rose quickly. "Well, it's late. You need to rest. I'll give your
report to the Captain." She smiled at him. It sent a shiver down his spine.

"I'm sorry I haven't... gotten to know you better since you've been here. I realized that on Mars, that I had, uhm, misjudged you. I've been busy with the war and all...I should... we should do this again. I had fun. Really. Next time we do this I'll bring coffee? Sound good?"

Was he actually hearing this? "I look forward to it. It's nice having a
human... hell, just someone to talk to. I have Lennier, but he's not exactly
a reknowned conversationalist is he? And he never gets any of my jokes, or so he says."

Susan nodded uncomfortably. She was the same way, he knew. She had pals, colleagues, buddies even, but no friends. Nothing deeper than that either.

"See you later." She turned to the door and it opened. She held back to say something else and found Marcus was standing in front of her. She caught her breath from surprise. He just looked at her for few moments. Drinking her in. Her eyes led for her and told him tthat she was frightened. He'd never seen her scared in all the time he knew her, uncertain, yes, but never scared. She was near shivering from fright.

He touched her cheek with the back of his hand tracing a path down to her chin, feeling the warm silkiness of it make his body shudder. Without
dropping his gaze ever so slowly leaned in to kiss her. Her eyelids lowered and she softened against him just enough that he noticed.
She kissed him back gently as her hands came up to his face and held it
softly just as her lips opened ever so slightly.

There were footsteps around the corner in the corridor. She broke away. Dashing out the door without a word and almost running to the lift at the end of the hall.

Marcus just stood there, his hand still outstretched where her lovely being had been just seconds ago. His mind raced. Was he hallucinating? Yes, that was it, this was a dream. Bloody evil dream too. Damn him and his overactive imagination. He was still tingling in his toes when he felt eyes on him.

He saw Garibaldi staring at him confused.

"Hello... Marcus?" Michael cocked his head.

Marcus came to, snapped his hand down.

"Garibaldi!" he said smiling a bit too much.

Michael patted him on the shoulder "You ought to have Stephen look at your med dosage, I think you're getting too much." The smirk on Garabaldi's face was enough to make him want to curl up and die.

"Yeah, I'll do that!" he nodded vigorously.

"I'm looking for Ivanova, seen her?" He peeked inside the room.

"Nope, afraid not." Marcus lied, probably too obviously. At this point he wasn't sure, it could've have been an impostor. The fact he was still standing with his skull intact could attest to that theory.

"You're sure?" Garibaldi cocked his head and raised an eyebrow "Franklin said she was here." Garabaldi didn't quite believe him.

"Left." he said. "Hours ago. Missed her. Sorry."

Garibaldi eyed him up and down "Uh, OK... I'll uh, try her quarters then." he said slowly eyeing the Ranger.

Marcus nodded vigorously "Yep, you do that, that's where she's bound to be at this time of night. It's late."

"Yeah."

"Wow, look at the time. 'night!" Marcus stepped backwards and the doors closed.

"Goodnight." Garibaldi stood there hands in his pockets. "Everyone's gone loony. That's it. For once I'm the normal one." He turned, whistling, heading back to the lift.

---------

It had been two days since Marcus had seen her last. Running away from "The Incidident" as he now thought of it. He'd left messages at her quarters and at C&C. She was avoiding him. He couldn't allow that now could he? He was a Ranger, he was tireless in his quests, no matter what or they be. Susan Ivanova was the biggest challenge he'd faced so far.

He pulled on his coat over his cast and slowly grimaced his way to the command deck. Being careful to stand straight and not pull his mending ribs. He had to take the back way to avoid passing medlab 3. He knew if Stephen caught him out he'd catch 10 kinds of hell. It was still worth it.

She was at the companel, overseeing a docking procedure when he walked in. He stood there looking at her chestnut hair pulled tightly in a ponytail.

"Marcus! You look much better. How's the arm?" Lt. Dreyfuss said when he entered. He had gone to dinner with her once. Then he vanished for three months on an assignment and never saw her again. She was very attractive. Very nice girl as well, but she was no Ivanova. He had actually forgotten he'd done it until now.

Ivanovaspun around on her heels at his name.

"Christine, Hello." He patted the cast lightly "Yes, the arm's doing well, rather itchy. I think I'd rather I'd lost it than put up with all this bother."

"So," she smiled engagingly, turning on some charm switch. "Why are you disobeying doctors orders?" She had a lovely smile, and nice lovely green eyes, they were very inviteing indeed. But they belonged to the wrong person.

"I had to get out of that room, just out sight seeing" he said looking at Susan. "I get such cabin fever in there. I'm not used to being all kept up like that." One he looked at Suan anything he might have been considering about Christine Dreyfuss suddenly died.

"Well, I have to get back to work, it was nice seeing you again. Come over sometime, huh?" She touched his good arm, a little longer than a friendly casual brush should have lasted. "It's been a long time since we went out. We can pull up a vid or catch dinner or something." her manner was so blatant even Vir would have noticed her intent. Or something. He was glad she did it, the little veins in Ivanova's forehead were growing.

"Sure! That sounds great. I'll do that sometime, I'll call you first
though, don't worry." He smiled to her and she returned to her station.

"Can we help you Mr. Cole?" Ivanova snapped. Mr. Cole? Was that jealously he smelled... oh, wouldn't that be a ironic twist.

"Why, yes you can." he said playfully walking closer behind her "My quarters are a bit chilly" Another lie, he thought to himself, Oh well you were taught by the best. Oh yes, the Minari never lie... sure. They just never told the whole truth. But, he was human, not Minbari, he could lie all he wanted.

"And you came here? You don't know where your environmental controls are?" she crossed her arms coldly.

"No I don't I am afraid, I never really got a grand tour." He smiled "And, it's not like I am there oftern enough to know where they are." His blathering maddened her even more, he could tell.

She turned to her control panel " How much warmer would you like it?"

"Warmer," he said slowly "Much warmer." A sly smile crossed his lips, had she
been looking at him at him, he might have gotten a bigger rise out of her.

He saw her head drop. "How does 75 degrees Fahrenheit sound?"

"That ought to be simply cozy." he grinned. "Just delightful."

She turned her head to look at him. "Done. Have a nice day Mr. Cole." She snapped dismissing him, returning to her back to her duties of parking ships so fast her hair flapped her in the face.

"Thank you, Commander." he smiled, then left. Walking a just little springier than before.

He was enjoying a rather nice session of watching dust settle, thinking how
much his cast itched when his door chime sounded.

He was popular all of a sudden. "Maybe I should get mortally injured more often, it's done wonders for my social life." he sighed out loud.

"Yes?" he answered the chime

"It's me." Susan said quietly. His heart lurched, will wonders ever cease. Now
he was expecting the Shadows to start carrying teddy bears.

"I don't know a ME... I know a Chee from Meta Nine and a Dreel of Sigma Fourteen-"

"You know who it is!" She snapped.

"Oh, Come in already."

The doors opened, she walked hesitantly in.

"The temperature is fine now, thank you for following up." He joked. Holding
out his arms wide in greeting "What no hug?" he said pouting.

"I...uh... just came to say that what happened yesterday was... a mistake."

Marcus slowly stood up, being careful to not strain himself "Not from my side it wasn't. And your side seemed extremely co-operative about the whole thing actually. I'd even venture to say you enjoyed it just a bit." He looked at her soft face, her eyes immediately averted choosing to look at her feet instead.

"It was a misunderstanding. I don't have time for this, for anything like this." she flustered, blushing sightly under his gaze.

He put his hand on her shoulder "The Minbari say 'Life is not actions...it's moments.' Now, What you do with your moments are your decision. But, maybe just maybe, if you'd stop dwelling in the past and allow yourself a mere moment of happiness, you never know, you might even like it."

"I'm happy! Who said I wasn't happy?" she flustered pulling away

"Prove it." he said putting his hand on his hip, challenging her.

She rolled her eyes and bared a wide fake toothy smile "See? Happy! Happy
Susan!"

"Like I actually believe that!" he said walking behind her and placed his face near hers, without touching her, smelling the scent that had taunted him that night on Mars. "I know you better than you do." He whispered huskily, his beard just barely brushing the hairs on the back of her neck. The skin there rippled into a wave of goosebumps. He smiled apprecietively.

"You Bastard!" she growled spinning around angrily slapping him across the jaw, her eyes raging defiantly. "NEVER touch me again! Never!"

"You Harpy!" he roared in response catching her by the wrist. "The rest of them were right! I must've been looney to think I was in love with you!" he screamed back. The walls were reverberating with the heated words, certainly security would be here soon. He had never spoken so furiously at anyone before, he refused to take this abuse any farther afterwhat he went though on Mars to make sure she was safe, for everything he'd went through with her. And he ceratinly never intended to break the news to her this way. But, he was through with this charade. He was through with her. It was madness to ever think he had a chance with her to begin with. Just time to give up on this bird, he thought.

Then like a bolt of lightening she grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him to her with such fierosity he lost his balance only causing him to fall harder into to her. She began to him not merely kiss him, but trying to inhale him with her entire soul, her hands grasping him pulling him closer, her tongue investigating his mouth so furiously it felt like she was trying to climb inside. She was so aggresive, he liked it, a lot. He quickly grabbed her at the small of her back and pressed her close to him and quickly took control of the kiss. It was furious and intense growing more so with each second. Her hands ravaged through his hair and his mouth franctically searched hers.

Then suddenly the room went all woozy and the floor was rising to meet him rapidly.

He fell to it with a bone crunching thud, on his broken arm, again. He grunted out of the pain.

"What the hell did I do wrong?" he yelped disorientedly trying to sit up, but was forced back.The room was spinning around him he tried to raise his head, but gravity was fighting him. Bugger! Finally he gets her in the place he's wanted her after all this time and he loses his bloody mind.

She fell to her knees next to him "Marcus, Marcus?" she asked franctically trying to hold his head still, she was ablur and he couldn't talk only open his mouth an gasp for air. She was patting his face trying to hold his attention, he couldn't see clearly. This was more than passion, something else had happened, and he was damned well cheesed off about it's timing.

The room was going dimmer now, and his head was spinning faster and faster. He moaned dropping his head to the floor. "Just kill me now."

"Ivanova to Medlab!" she said tapping on her comlink. He reached over and tried turn it off, but was so badly disoreinted he only connected with the air past her. She batted his hand away. It was getting harder to breathe and he began to gasp desperatly, grabbing at Ivanova to steady him. She leaned over him closer cradling his head gently. Stroking his hair to settle him, it didn't help.

Dr. Hobbs came on, "Medlab 3 here... what's the problem?"

"It's Marcus. Something's wrong."

End PART 7

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 8
----------------------------------------------------

Susan just stood there as a half dozen medlab personnel hooked up Marcus
with wires and gizmos. His breathing had become shallow and labored and had become unconscious before they got him to the lab.

"What's up?" Garibaldi said arriving standing next to Ivanova.

"We were... argueing, He just fell over... I...I don't know." she said catching herself.

"What the hell did you you do to him?" Garibaldi laughed

"What makes you think I did anything?!"

"Commander, he's not exactly your favorite person in the sector is he? Tell me you didn't at least think about killing him even once." he grinned.

She scowled at him. "I didn't do this to him." she whispered gruffly.Garibaldi
eyed her suspiciously when she wasn't looking.

Delenn had just arrived herself and had taken up vigil at the glass window looking in on his room.

Franklin worked hurriedly, giving orders and adjusting equipment.

After a few minutes he emerged removing his gloves. "We have him stabilized, you can go in to see him."

"What happened?" asked Delenn, her face drawn, genuinely concerned.

"Looks like an synapse rejection response to one of the new meds for his head injury. Pretty common allergic reaction, but we didn't know he was allergic to it. Delenn, I want to get all of the Ranger's medical info online just in case for the future. This shouldn't have happened." Steven was obvioulsy a little upset that he could have missed something as simple as a common med allergy.

"He should be fine now. And, he is not going back to that hole he calls his quarters, I am keeping him here under observation. His incessant whining about bad bed side manners is not going to get him cut free of this joint yet. He's not winning this one.You tell him, he doesn't seem listen to me. No one ever listens to me, why should he be any different." Franklin mumbled wandering off.

Delenn proceeded in inside to see him.

Garibaldi leaned over to Ivanova, "Looks like you got him here at the right moment," he said.

"Yeah." She whispered "The right moment."

"What the hell got him all riled up? He's always so calm, well focused anyway."

"We had an arguement, I told you." she said thorough gritting teeth.

She ignored him when he asked what it had been about.

She looked through the glass at Marcus and Delenn. He was laughing already, weakly but laughing all the same. Delenn was as usual maintaining a serene and cautious air. Marcus was telling her a joke of some sort that she obviously didn't get.

Stephen took off his surgical hat and walked to his desk. "He specifically asked see you next, Commander." Tapping her shoulder as he passed to reenter the med room.

Garibaldi's eyes took on a mock accusitory look.

"What?" she snapped at him.

He jerked his head and looked away. "Nothing, nothing..." a sly smile was at the corners of his mouth.

Susan looked once more into the room where Marcus and Delenn were. Then she abruptly turned and began to leave.

"But Commander, he wants to..." said Stephen from the desk.

"He's not going anywhere, is he?" as the doors closed behind her.

Stephen stepped beside Garabaldi.

"Now there's the clearest cut case of denial I have ever seen," he said crossing his arms.

"I'll be sure to let her know your opinion, Doctor." Garbaldi smiled.

"Oh, no no no! Not only will I deny it, but I'll say you said it," Stephen laughed.

"Why did the Vorlon cross the road?"

Delenn pondered the answer several minutes "Vorlons are not known to have soil formed methods of transportation..." She looked positively confused.

Then Marcus found he had to explain that it was a variation of another earth joke. Then explain what a chicken was, and why one crossing the road was funny in the first place.

"Do Chik-kens often find it neccesary to travel?" she asked inquizitively."What is 'the other side'? Is this a metaphor for a destination for the soul in their religous beliefs?, like passing beyond the veil?"

"It's not the fact that it's crossing the road..." He said stopping short his attention diverted to the goings on out in the outer medlab area. Ivanova had been watching him. He could feel her eyes, and something else. He wasn't sure what it was. It was different. Concern? He couldn't tell.

He saw Stephen tell her something which had made her furious. She said something to Garibaldi, then she looked at Marcus and left the room. He watched the door for another minute after he left.

Delenn, who was waiting for Marcus to finish his explaination, turned her head to see what had suddenly attracted Marcus' attention mid-word.

"I see Ivanova has left." Delenn observed

"Yes." he said softly "I was hoping to apologize for scaring her earlier."

"I do not think she is scared of what you think she is." Delenn smiled looking at him again.

"What?" Marcus yelped pulling his confused gaze from the glass.

The Minbari just stood there smiling wisely and looking quite pleased with herself. He rolled those words over in his mind. Yes, she was scared. Ivanova scared of anything seemed intangible. But, anything she couldn't somehow hold or see or beat the living daylights out of was Ivanova's real fear.

Something had happened in his quarters, and on Mars before it for that matter, and she knew it. He wasn't sure what or even when it occured, but it was never going be the same from here on out. He only hoped that she hadn't already deleveloped amnesia.

"What is the answer?" Delenn said breaking back in to his thoughts.

"Hm?" he said turning his attention back back to her.

"The answer to the 'joke'...Why did the Vorlon cross the road?"

"You are not ready to know..." he said smiling.

Delenn looked more confused than before.

Marcus only spent the night in Medlab. Now on another med for his head he felt better, not as sluggish or groggy as before. His side still hurt like the dickens, but he could handle pain, just not dizziness. He had enough pain to consider it proof he was alive.

He decided to stop by the cafeteria to get something to eat it was
breakfast and he had somehow managed to escape medlab without having the dietically engineereed food thrust upon him.

He struggled with his tray one handed and sat beside the command crew at the usual table across from Ivanova who promptly ignored him. The conversation they were having abruptly ended in tense silence. He knew what they had been discussing... him! The news had gotten out he was telepathic. Garibaldi, Franklin, Sheridan and Ivanova greeted him. A little more apprehensively than normal.

"Well, you look better!" Sheridan smiled "Sorry, I didn't get over to see you."

"It's all right, no problem. No need to join me in my misery if you can escape."

He smiled knowingly at Franklin who laughed waving his finger at him.

"We never beat you once!"

"I bet you poisoned me though, what was that for dinner last night anyway?"

"You look like you are back to your old self again." Sheridan threw in.

He looked at Ivanova "Never better." She smiled just enough that Garibaldi did a double take. She scowled at him looked away.

Marcus lifted his booted foot and nudged it gently against the shin of Ivanova's leg. Her eyebrows rose in alarmed surprise but still did not look at him, instead acting as if she were totally absorbed in the conversation.

She took her heel and slammed it in the toe of his boot. That was a warning, he thought. Next time it wouldn't be so nice. He always saw her warnings as opportunies. Her punishments were downright enjoyable thus far.

All he could somehow think of was the kiss last night, even thinking about it now still made him tingle and his heart start pounding. He hadn't been able to sleep all night, and he hoped the weary look around her eyes had meant the same for her. That it had at least meant something to her too.

"Whoa Commander, got something to tell us?" Garibaldi asked.

"What?" she said wakeing up a bit.

"That's quite and accessory you have there, Commander." he said reached across Stephen to pickup Susan's hand. She was still wearing the ring Marcus had given her on the shuttle.

Everyone let out a gasp of surprise and Susan yanked her hand away.

"It was a gift from a friend, Micheal." she said turning a lovely shade of red. "That's all."

"That's some friend." He said amazed.

The meal ended. They all slowly trickled out. Marcus had placed his foot on hers firmly to tell her to stay. She pretended to finish eating her toast.

"What the hell do you want?" She said with a glare that would have turned most men to stone.

"I can't answer that in polite company, now can I?" He was delighted by the red rosy hue her cheeks took on at that.She didn't say anything, just looked uncomfortable.

He decided to start with a topic he knew she was concerned about.

"I saw Lyta today on the way here."

"What she have to say?" ahe asked

"I'm kind of a shocking mystery, seems like them scanning me turned it on."

"It just turned on, just like that?" she looked at him doubtfully.

"I guess so, she says it's not terribly uncommon for deep violating scans to do that. And that it even might just go away as quickly as it came. So for all I know I may not be a freak much longer."

"Not likely." She mumbled under her breath with a sly smile.

"Anyway, Lyta calls it 'Empathic Suggestion' and says I'm completly harmless to the general population as far as telepaths go, and just plain annoying to telepaths themselves," He grinned "evidentally I'm pretty rare, perhaps you've noticed?"

She appeared to be rolling the answer over in her head.

"Dinner tonight?" he said quickly not letting her respond, cradleing his head in his hand drinking her in.

"We're going to be on the Whitestar tonight, you know that."

"Yes, and do we have to eat, but we don't have to invite the Minbari now do we? They'd only want flarn anyway." He leaned in to tell her a naughty secret. "Tell you the truth, I've never liked it. Needs entirely too much salt just to make it edible. You'll never catch me eating it outside of a reglious ceremony. Awful stuff."

She laughed at that a bit "What are we having?"

"Ah! Well now, that's a secret, but I promise you it's not Minbari food." he took her hand gently and looked at the ring. "I take it you like it then." he said rolling the ring a little side to side with his thumb. The feel of her skin against his was a sharp reminder of days ago.

"It really was quite a gift," she said taking her hand back a little
quickly and looking around the room to see who saw him touch her. He decided to drop the convesation to spare her the discomfort.

"Have to go get the Whitestar ready so I can make the meeting with the Captain. See you later." He winked rising and left.

She had even accepted his invitation, he quickly took off down the hall to buy dinner.

Ivanova arrived and sat next to him. She might not have except it was the last seat available. Sheridan acivated the viewscreen, it began rolling off long list of names.

"This data crystal that Marcus and the Commander received, has much more than the battle and transmission encrytion codes, it has names. Names of every Earthforce officer and their assignments, and this was the kicker, every PsiCorp name
on the books, including PsiCops, and those on operative duty."

"PsiCop spies? Aw, geez we sure are asking for it now..." Garibaldi said sitting up staright looking at Ivanova.

"It says we have one here." Sheridan said

Ivanova's back stiffened and her eyes shot up to the screen. Marcus looked at her. She was scared to death.

"Any clue there to where I'll find him?" Garibaldi said, seeming very much now like he was ready to tear the place apart.

Sheridan hit a button and a dark haired swarthy man's picture appeared on screen, he even looked like evil incarnate.

"It says his name is Miguel Regallo, age 32, from Brazilian Consulate. Looks like he arrived here last month, and is on indefinite assignment. It says his mission is to "Observe and report", on what I don't know. But I want him."

Garibaldi stood. "I'll have the bastard before the week is up."

"He'll probably be in class A quarters, anything less would be below them since telepaths and down below usually don't mix too many wild thoughts and pyschotic dispositions for them to handle, so start there."

"I'll start now, anything else?"

"No, go get him, I want him alive if possible... but do what ever you have to, I just want him out of operation here. Put him on the first shuttle out of here, make him find his own way home. I refuse to have PsiCorp looking over our shoulders."

Susan must have been obviously disturbed because Sheridan assured her she would be fine.

"I think getting off station will be a good idea right now." she said
unconvinced.

"Ok, speaking of off station, since Lennier is away on Minbar, The good Dorctor Franklin has approved of Marcus going with the Commander to act as her liaison they in leave 30 mintues to jumpgate 47 to escort three ships of refugess from the Zentara Colony. They sent a distress signal seven standard hours ago requesting escort coming out from hyperspace. They are afraid of another Earthforce ambush, which is how they lost their escorts in the first place, so I don't blame them a bit. You'll signal them when you reach their area, they'll come out of hyper space. You then will initate another jumppoint and ecort them back here. I'm sending Whitestars 12, and 18 with you as well."

Then Delenn stood and handed Marcus two sets of Ranger uniforms. "These just arrived, I aquired you two sets so you will not be without one again. We will perform the ceremony when you return," she nodded with a slight smile.

"Ceremony? For what?" asked Susan incredously.

"I have to get my knickers blessed," he smiled at her with a wink.

"It is more than that, " Delenn interuppted a little impatiently "The garments themsleves are washed in sacred waters from Valen's own temple on Minbar while the particpants pray and cleanse themselves. It sanctifies the garments of the order, as well as the Ranger."

Ivanova's eyes widened. "You have to take a bath with your laundry? Naked?" Everyone at the table errupted into a round of hysetrical laughter. Garibaldi being the loudest. Susan had caught him mid-drink and he did a spit take and was pounding the table in delight.

Marcus covered his eyes with his hands embarrassed and a hot red flush grew across his face. "Not naked, but yes," he managed to squeak out, "And I now have two sets, I'll be out for days." he sighed uncomfortably at Delenn who only smiled back.

End PART 8

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 9
----------------------------------------------------

She had been staring out into space for a about an hour before Marcus
decided to disturb her once he returned from the back.

"Anyone there?" he said tapping the arm of her chair. She stirred a bit and looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Hm....Just thinking."

"Hungry?"

"Oh yeah, a bit, what've you got?"

"Nothing here. Dinner is in the sleeping cabin," he said with a bow at the waist motioning to the door. "Milady..."

"I don't have time..." she tried to escape her promise.

He put a finger up to silence her. "We have 6 hours before we even reach the outer limits of the system... Don't make me drag you, I've only got one good arm, but I can, and you promised." he gently took her hand and leading her off the command chair.

"N'shok enta dayna Ivanova d'lara tashon!" he said calling out to the Minbari crew as he left the room, his hand on the small of her back lightly.

"What did you tell them?" she asked suspicously.

"I told them that if we were disturbed without good reason they'd have to answer to you personally." he smiled roguishly.

"ME!?" she laughed loosening up "Why me?"

"They fear you. Or they respect you, I've never figured out which. But the first definatly works in your advantage." She was not amused.

Dinner wasn't much, he hadn't had time to find a whole lot in the time before departing, but presentation was everything in his opinion so he had spent the last hour making it just so. He had nestled the slices perfectly amongst leaves and mounds of greenery. A basket grapes and bottle of red wine sat nearby. It looked very presentable.

She almost laughed when she walked in. "Pizza?"

"I never claimed I was going to cook, now did I?" he smiled pulling up a large pillow on the floor and motioned her to sit.

"I can cook, but I was making this for you. You better like it, I burned my thumb," he said lifting up the cloth of their makeshift table to show the underside of the Minbari bed. He had welded it flat. "You always complain about the tilt, so I fixed it."

She let out a nervous wide smile "You don't know how long I have wished for that."

"I had a good idea last time we were in here together, you kept swearing in your sleep and kept me awake all night." he smiled "I thought were screaming at me for some reason, so I was afraid to close my eyes."

She looked uncomforatble, evidently she did not know she talked in her sleep until now.

"I'll serve you," he said grabbing a glass and filling it with ruby red liquid. She carefully sat on one of the pillows he had brought. The Minbari stood or lay at an angle. Chairs were uncommon, if they did sit it was on the floor. He handed her a glass.

"Did you mean what you said back in your quarters?"

His heart seized and he found his toungue didn't work for a whole 5 seconds.

"I did a lot of things I didn't mean." He said quickly handing her a plate, hoping she had forgotten the part where he had confessed the telling of his heart in a moment of anger. "I'm sorry."

"You tell me the truth or I tell Stephen you passed out again on this mission." she said looking quite serious. "He'll restrain you to a medlab bed for weeks on end performing all sorts of embarrassing tests...and I'll charge admission to see it."

"You wouldn't dare!" he yelped "That's blackmail, and just plain cruelty! I'm not gonna' be a party to it."

"Just answer the question. You're avoiding it, and not very well."

He was thankful his back was to her, he poured himself a glass of wine immediately downed it in one gulp for strength and took a deep breath. He poured another and moved to sit on the pillow opposite her.

"If I did, would it make a difference? Would it change anything? Could you possibly hate me more?"

"I don't hate you, Marcus."

"Could've fooled me."

"When in the hell did I ever give you that impression?"

"Hmmm let's see..." He put on a mock air of frivolity 'Shutup, Marcus'. 'Leave me alone, Marcus'. 'Drop dead, Marcus'. Oh yes, and the classic, 'Go to hell, Marcus'. Shall I go on?" His voice was letting out a bit more pain than he wanted. It was the alcohol talking a bit more than him. He never should have drunk it so fast.

"Hey, I never said 'drop dead'." she said quickly defending herself.

"Oh, excuse me for beating you to the chase. Want to get it out of your system and say it now?"

"I don't take requests." She was so much prettier when she smiled. Not that she wasn't knockout beautiful all the time.

Before he could stop himself he was stroking a soft brown lock of hair away from her face. She looked up at him wide eyed.

"Sorry!" he said quickly sitting on his hand. Now he wished they were both in casts. "Ever since the replacements were installed I've lost all control of the blasted things," he said trying to break the lull in the pleasantries they had actually been exchanging.

"You love me don't you?" she asked blunty softly searching his face, and for once he looked away instead of her. He chewed on his lip a bit.

He sighed he'd have to say it now. "Entirely. From the first time I saw you." He felt as if his soul was now free. He still came off as soppy, but he had at least said it with the feeling he intended. He couldn't look at her anymore. He felt like a fool.

She smiled shyly and took a bite of her pizza. He was growing too uncomforatble with the dread silence as they both ate without so much a word. He searched her face, nothing. It was too agonizing to sit and wait for a rehearsed refusal. Why didn't she at least call him an idiot? He could deal with that. What was she thinking? She certainly thought he was insane, just making up a right proper insult. He just wanted to leave. He jumped up quickly looking for escape.

"Well, I better go check on things..." he said dashing out the room. He took his time walking to the command deck. Thinking how stupid he had been to confess to her to begin with, now how could he ever look at here gain Without her pity? He'd ask Delenn to be reassigned to Minbar for awhile. Maybe take up that position teaching he'd been offered last year. Teaching the new recruits to fly in combat situtations, it was a promising offer. He thought he'd take it. It would be easier on both of them if he just
left. He had grown fond of the station, but he couldn't expect to be
assigned there forverer, he would be leaving sometime.

When he arrived at the command centre he was greeted by Lecheres, a tall and imposing but yet very serene faced Minbari at the Panel next to the command chair.

"A'nalshok, the Angry One has a message for you," he said in Minbari. The crew always called her the "angry one" because of her hard as nails demeanor on deck. Ok, they did fear her, he did feel she needed to know they did. He'd refused to let her ego get that big.

"She does? Oh, please tell me, I'm dying to know," he lied swooping in to sit in the command chair. He'd stay here thank you very much. She hadn't taken his proclamition as he would have liked, how he'd avoid her the rest of the mission, or his for that matter now was a complete mystery. No, he didn't expect her to be joyous, but he did at least a response. Even a bad one was acceptable. But he had learned Ivanova was not one to do or the the expected.

"Her Minbari is quite awful. She said "A'nalshok fishbait Marcus returning shoes'. I assume it means that she wishes you to return to your meeting. I thought you said you were going to teach her our lanuage."

"You try teaching the Angry One, and see how much you get done. You are welcome to try though."

Within minutes the alert sounded again.

"It is her again, she says 'return Marcus blue pocketwatch'."

Marcus rose and went to Lecheres' side.

"Are we well in here? Nothing out of the ordinary?" he said secretly wishing there was something, an explosion, a evacuation, flood of midgets in the lower hull with magic wands trying to conjure dragons, something.

"No, everything is within correct ranges."

"Messages? Asteriods? Little green men waiting to invade in the airlock? Anything?"

"No."

"Very well," he sighed finally. He would have to go, or she'd come after him he knew. He might as well face Ivanova now versus waiting until she got really peeved.

"If you hear me say...screaming for help, please do. And for Valen's sake put me out of my misery if you need to. Don't let me suffer like that."

Lecheres stifled a smile and returned to his work.

Marcus walked slowly back to the sleeping cabin. He felt a bit like he was walking to his own execution. The "dead man's walk" as the saying went.

There was no door, and when he arrived her back was to him, arms crossed looking downright pensive. He knocked on the outside wall and waited outside, meekly. She turned her head and peered at him over her shoulder.

"Come in," she ordered.

He was about to protest on the grounds he could get a clean break out there, but instead took a spot next to her. He did not look at her, but stared at the wall as she was. It was quiet a long time. Too long.

She rocked forward on her heels "Welding the bed flat, was... quite
possibly the most romantic thing that anyone has done for me. I mean that," she said a smile curling the outside of her mouth.

"You certainly have an odd sense of romance, don't you?" he said.

"Well, you are definitely an odd man so I guess that falls in line, huh?"

"Thank you, I think. Although I protest the word 'odd', eccentric perhaps, maybe even

"Shut up, Marcus," she said softly smiling, turning to face him. "I just don't want to get hurt again. I've been through it too many times. Once more and I think I'd rather die."

"I would never do anything to cause you harm Susan, I swear," he said , he thought he sounded a bit too desperate.

"I know. But that was a warning for the future," she said slowly taking his hand in hers. His fingers quickly found themsleves a comfortable familiarity with the warm softness of her hands. Exploring the roundness of her fingers and knuckles gingerly with his thumb. He was amazed how small they were.

They both stood here staring rather silently at their joined hands.

"Geez Marcus, Just kiss me already," she scowled impatiently.

"Are you sure?" he asked rather seriously. He knew how she liked to separate her business and personal sides. "I mean both times before we were rather unpleasantly interuppted by one thing or another. I thought perhaps we could be better prepared this time. Check our respective schedules. Have your people call my people, make an appointment next week for lunch or somesuch." he joked nervously. "We are on duty after all."

"Yes now. Or I'm gonna start wondering about you otherwise," she said, her hand and encircled it around his neck and pulled him slowly to her. The distance to her mouth were excrutitating until they finaly made contact.

Where the first kiss had been rather clumsy and ill-timed, and the second was a pure rush of lust, this one was sweet and gentle. And fairly brief. Far briefer than he'd have liked, but it seemed odd to do this here with te door open to any who would like to watch

Marcus curled his arm around her and just held her close to himself for a long time. She laid her head on his shoulder and he gently stroked her long hair. He was just content to merely hold her. They sat finally her leaning aginst him for what seemed like ages. Saying nothing, not wanting or knowing what to say. He had even briefly slipped into a spell of sleep, feeling so relaxed with her warmth against him, the slow soft hum of the engines lulled him off to a light

Lecheres' stern voice over the comsystem stirred them.

"Marcus, we have contact, they are about 10 earth minutes away in hyperspace,waiting for us."

They split quickly eyeing each other a little uncomfortably.

"Roan neel shan," he said pushing a strand of hair away from her face and letting his fingers run lightly down her cheek as he told the Minbari officier that they were on the way without removing his eyes from her.

"All right, Commander, let's get back to work."

Ivanova immediatly snapped back into command mode easily. If he'd not been there, he would have been had hard pressed to prove they had ever even met before this.

"How much longer?" she asked Marcus who had taken the first in command spot from Lecheres next to her.

"Now," he said as they formed a jumpgate and exited out into normal space. A jumpgate formed nearby and a large damaged frieghter the 'Wexley' and two small but rather crispy transports emerged.

The Wexley's lower half had large gaping holes that were emitting a fine mist of black smoke and bright yellow fires could be seen raging within. The transports were scarred but remained intact and operational.

The additional Whitestars quickly fell into formation around the wounded ships. Marcus initited a jumpgate immediately and led the small group in.

"I asked Whitestar 12 to go onboard the 'Wexley' and try to contain those fires and lend a hand," He said to Susan passing his hand over a bank of lit crystals. Susan distantly grunted in approval of his action and stared straight ahead.

"Earth certainly did a good job on them. Most major sytems on the frieghter are down or disabled, lifesupport is failing, various areas are totally consumed in fire. Dead ARE in the hundreds, nearly a thousand wounded? Could that possibly be right? Poor souls, they must've been packed in the like sardines," he said looking at the comscreen where he saw a ship approaching from behind about 600,000 km back.

"Oh damn," he cursed. Susan spun her head around quickly.

"What?" she demanded.

"We just can't ever get a simple mission, can we? Just once I'd like things to go as planned. No big explosions, no surprises... no trolls lurking under the bridge... Earth Battlecruiser approaching from aft. Here look." He ran his hand down the length of the bank of crystals to his right and the view screen fell like a waterfall from the cieling.

"What's this job with out surprises?" she groaned "Tell it to stay there," she warned. "If they so much as advance on their present distance, take them out without a second thought."

"Done." he said "They're hailing us."

"I'll hear them." she said quickly, but the nervous tone in her voice did not escape his notice.

He plugged the call through the audio system.

"This is Captain Patrick Raggert, of the Earth Alliance Battlecruiser
'Landrey', we want to join up folks."

"Landrey, How did you know where to find us?" she asked suspiciously looking at the concern in Marcus' eyes.

"It's known that where ever there's trouble with refugees you guys swoop in to help. We're sorry we didn't get here faster to help ourselves, But we got here as soon as we heard. We refuse to assist Clark anymore, he's got to be stopped, this all has to end."

She sighed amazed "Well, thank you. Nice to have more on our side on this, Landrey. The frieghter is in trouble, and it's filled full of dead and
wounded, can you help? We are too small to take any more than a few dozen people."

"Will do, glad to finally do our part. " he said quickly. "See you back at Babylon 5. Landrey out."

Ivanova exhaled loudly and looked at Marcus in shocked amazement.

"This might just work out, if we keep getting more vessels joining us, we might actually win this thing."

He nodded but was not so totally convinced as she was.

It was rather overwhelming when he thought about it, the dozens of Earth ships betraying their orders and joining them against thier own government. It was still hard to believe every time it happened.

End PART 9

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 10
----------------------------------------------------

PART TEN

He took the next morning to think, think about how to make the next step towards Ivanova, and he always thought best in Down Below working. He had to do it right or she'd take anything he said the wrong way and pull back without hope of salvation. He knew even though she had offered him more than her heart the night before that he still ahad a lot of work to do, and he had to do it right. He decided he had neglected his contacts too long since his departure from Mars and his long stay in medlab, and
they needed him as much as he needed them. he would get back to work the only way he could. He was afriad that leaving them so suddenly would only scare them away even farther.

As crazy a place as DownBelow was, he felt for these people, they were lost. Sometimes the only good meal they got was the one he'd buy them. He didn't like to see it as buying friendships or loyalty, but that's exactly what it was. They needed each other.

He turned down the hall to his left and was stopped dead in his tracks. Up ahead a body laying in the middle of the hall. Bloody and broken. He ran up to it.

It was Damon, a lurker he had worked with before. Marcus realized he was still alive as he fumbled for a pulse. The man's eyes flew open and hand reached up and clamped on to Marcus' arm. Marcus jumped instictvley, but the man just looked desperatly in his eyes.

"Marcus, They're here," he gasped choking past the pain. "They're here," he pointed to his head. "They're looking for you." he gasped horsely, barely managing to get the words out. "I'd didn't help them!"

"Who?" he said his heart freezing up, knowing the answer but not wanting to hear it. "Who's here? PsiCorp?"

The man nodded weakly then his eyes closed.

"Damon!" It was too far to leave his friend alone, and search for a companel. He refused to leave him alone. The man was fading away, Marcus could do nothing but watch. His pulse just slowly stopped. He placed the man back on the floor and fell against the wall in shock. Getting angry.

Damon was a good man. He had come looking for work three years ago and finding none, and spent all his money on lodging in the meantime. That had brought him to living down here. Just like so many others he found nothing but dissappointment on the station.

Marcus couldn't see anyone in the area, but he knew the PsiCorp didn't need to be seen to be dangerous, and if they had killed Damon to find him... He suddenly felt sick, he needed out of here nad quickly.

He quickly found a companel on the wall near the lift .

"Security!" he said pressing the button. Zack's voice came over,
"Security here, what do you need?"

"It's me, Marcus, I just found a lurker I knew named Damon. He's dead."

"Where are you?" he said instantly switching in to mode.

He looked around franctically "Brown 42! Zack, I think it's related to our little PsiCop problem."

"What in the hell were you doing in Down Below?" Franklin raged "I told you, you are out of commision until those ribs heal. Godammit! I let The Captain overide my orders because it was an emergency and it was a safe trip, but that did not mean you were off the paiatent list and you know it! I wish someone for once would listen to me around here!" he screamed throwing an instrument at the wall thenm storming away.

"But I just wanted to get in contact again with my -" Marcus stammered in protest looking at the body of his friend under the medlab sheet in the other room.

"But nothing." Sheridan interupted. " Down Below is dangerous. You of all peopl know it. You are removed from duty, Marcus. Your first responsiblity is to heal and get back to work."

"Captain! You can't do -!"

"You disobeyed orders, Marcus. You are on sick leave, until Stephen says otherwise. End of discussion."

"Excuse me, Captain, but I am not of your little orginazation, if you haven't noticed..." Marcus said playing his cards. "My superior is Delenn."

"And me," Sheridan corrected sternly "If you remember, I am in charge the Rangers assigned on my station, and that's you. If you want me to bring Delenn in on this I will, but I promise you, she'll agree with me."

Marcus was raging inside, Of course she would, she'd probably do anything you asked. They could not honestly expect him to sit by why the PsiCorp destroyed all the work he'd accomplished with these people. To them lurkers were throw-aways, they were people after all, they didn't seem to share his views on this. They were "just lurkers".

"I will not take leave!" he said angrily. He pointed into the other room. "He was one of my best contacts, I worked with him for two years, he was a friend! I knew the names of his family back on Earth. I got him a com-pass to call them last Christmas...They killed him to find me. I am not going to sit and wait for them to find me."

Then he had a sudden scream of fear struck through his very soul with the realization that others were now in danger. Who were they going to come after next? Susan? He refused to think that. He couldn't think that

"Alright. You are right to be concerned." Sheridan said with a bit more compassion. "We'll catch him when he comes for you. But, you will be confined to Quarters."

"Gee, thanks!" he said throwing his arm up in disgust. "And what if he doesn't come directly for me, but for one of you next, what then? Hhmm?"

"Marcus!" Sheridan warned "You have your orders. Go see Mr. Garibaldi to work out the details. Good day." His tone was perfunctory, and he was dismissed like a mere child. Which annoyed Marcus even more.

Marcus just stood there angrily, lips clamped tight, unable to voice his displeasure. Delenn would certainly back Sheridan up, and he would have to do it anyway. He still didn't want to be a lure. He wanted to go out and kill everyone on the station to keep anyone from getting to Ivanova.

"What do you mean ?" Garibaldi said confused.

"What I am saying is I want Susan out of the danger zone, off the station, anywhwere else. If they found Damon to get to me, they did thier home work, because no one else knew we worked together. If they can find that out, they can find out about her."

"What about her?" he said, then a wash of realization came over his face. "You're not saying that....you and her..." he

"I'm not saying at all because I am a gentleman." Marcus said struggling to maintaining his composure.

"Gentleman? Whoa, You got it bad, pal!" Garabaldi leaned back in his chair "You and Susan, I never saw that coming, and I know more than anyone here about everything. I did however see her as the cause of your unfourtunate and tragic death but not -"

"Michael! Can we get back to the point now please?" Marcus said irritated. "Are you going to do this or am I?"

The security cheif thumped his hand down on the table, "I'll try but it won't be easy to keep her from knowing we're doing it. And, if I catch hell, I'm blaming it on you before the first blow comes at me. Understand?"

"Yes, yes, whatever it takes," he said blowing off the mock threat,
relieved that she would now be ok. "Now, how do we do this?"

"Hey, it's not that I don't like you, but shouldn't your Dad have went over that with you years ago?" Micheal said with a deadpan expression.

"I'm not going over this again with you." Marcus said not amused.

"Alright, I'm just sayin'..."

"Well Stop it!"

"You're acting like her already, geesh. It's been going on longer than I suspected."

It was actually a good thing to be confined to quarters on the record, if
they had access to the ship's data like they suspected they could come straight to him. Let them come, he thought. He'd be ready for them. He certainly wouldn't be sleeping much in the anticiaption of being off his game when they came for him. Garibaldi had rigged his
quarters with cameras and had issued him some firepower. As well as the quarters across the hall filled full of security officers. He felt about as safe as he could under the circumstances.

He had actually talked Sheridan into sending Ivanova out on the Whitestar with Lennier, who had just returned from Minbar, on a trumped up fact-finding trip around Centauri Prime. Garibaldi had backed him up saying that she was too untrained with her thoughts to be anywhere on the station with a hidden telepath, that had been the clincher. Lennier could be very convincing to the story, she'd never suspect she was out there for no reason if he'd keep her busy enough with leading questions that she'd not notice there was nothing to find. Centauri Prime was chosen because it
would take about 3 days there and back. Hopefully more time than they needed.

Sheridan had unfortunatly managed to send her off the same day without giving him a chance to say goodbye. He would inform her of the whole truth when it was finished and maybe even make it up to he with a proper dinner. Somewhere.

It was tough to not let her in on the story, but it would have to be this way. Once she got over her anger she might actually be okay about it once she realized it was PsiCorp involved and he was just acting in her best interest.

She had just gotten to the point that she finally trusted him just a bit,
and now knowing that the PsiCorp was after him, she could pull away and never come back. He didn't want to think of that possibilty ever happening again. He had to revenge Damon as well.

The hours passed slowly. He slept, or tried to, at least made the time go by faster.

His comscreen awoke him the early in the morning. He wearily rose and pulled on a shirt and stood in front of the screen with a hardy yawn "Open link," he groaned.

Susan's face came on, looking a bit sour and and anger spewing from every pore. A uncomfortable Lennier stood in the background.

"Hello Susan, so nice to see your lovely face this morning!" he said expecting the worst.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded. Oh damn, he sighed.

"What do you mean?" he said trying to hold on to the story even though he knew she had obviously seen through it already.

"There is nothing out here. Not even a satellite, which is the only
interesting thing by the way, nothing remotely alarming. Even Londo would think so. So, I ask again, what the hell is going on?"

"Ah!" he said inhaling deeply. " You're right. We should have told you, he said apologetically.

"I am not going to like this answer, am I?" she said angerily
"Not as such, no. But, we were only trying - ."

"Who is we?" she countered.

"Garibaldi and I, " he confessed not looking at her.

"From what?" she said a little calmer.

"PsiCops." he said sadly. "They killed a friend of mine, a lurker in down below, trying to find me." he looked up to the monitor. "We were just trying to protect you."

"PsiCops... " she said trailing off, with the fear evident in her eyes
"I don't like being lied to."

"Yes I know. But -"

"Never do it again," she said harshly.

"I won't, I promise," he said honestly. And he meant it. He hadn't wanted to to begin with.

"I'm sorry about your friend," she said genuinely.

"He was a good man, just down on his luck that's all. Pity is he almost had enough up to get back home." Marcus decided to try to get a hold of his account and made sure they reached his family on Earth. It wasn't much, but at least it would be something.

"How are you doing it, catching him I mean?"

He held up his hands "Me. He wants me. I am supposed to be the bait."

"You're not in that kind of shape to take that." she said quickly.

"I won't have to, security is across the hall. I am stuck in here anyway, the Captain got all tossed off about me disobeying Doctor's orders or somesuch and removed me from duty. I am none too pleased about the whole thing honestly."

"He was right to do it too. You would go out bashing people over the headwith that baton of yours."

He grumbled under his breath about the "damn smothering Earthforcers"

"Well, I am going to start heading back, I'll just stay out of area until I hear from you. I better go now," she said slowly. She seemed okay about this. He was shocked.

"We'll call the second we have him." he said wishing he could be with her. He had felt her soul just briefly enough to know he wanted to know nothing else.

She nodded "Oh, and when you do... wear pants."

He looked down. He was standing in his underwear, he hadn't thought the cameras saw that low. He glanced back up quickly, his face an extremely flaming shade of red just as she disapearred into a blip with a mocking smile.

Well at least she didn't seem to mind. Oh damn, he'd never hear the end of this from Lennier. He would remind him. Politely of course, with all respect, but he would never let him forget it for a moment thet he should mind his attaire.

He dug out his pajama pants from the Mars trip just in case she decided to surprise him again in a few hours and collasped on the bed. Susan Ivanova was an evil woman, he liked that, he might even learn to enjoy it. He crawled back under the covers tried to imagine her next to him and fell promptly back to sleep.

End PART 10

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 11
----------------------------------------------------

Late the next night Marcus lay still under the covers when he heard the door open. Heard the footsteps enter and stop by the bed. He tightened his grip on the small weapon, he'd use it if he had to. Hopefully Garibaldi would arrive first. He didn't look forward to the pain he'd feel if he didn't. He decided the non-violent approach was best. Where the hell was Garibaldi?

He sat up straight in a flash "Hello!" he said aiming the PPG he'd a been given.

The man nearly jumped out of his skin. "Have a seat." Marcus smiled menacingly.

"Over there."

The man only stood, staring at Marcus, and slowly He began to feel the man's mind brushing his own. Invadeing him, searching, pushing, pulling...

"And stop doing that!" he yelled. The man only smiled with a intense stare that turned Marcus' spine cold. Oh, no not again.

Then the pain, like a knife through the temple started, piercing and all encompassing, coursing through his body. Marcus fired. Or tried to. The man already had control as Marcus tumbled to the floor. Marcus fought past it growing more and more afraid and angry. He saw what they wanted with him. This man wasn't a PsiCop officer, he was a PsiCop assasin. What ever he had done to them on Mars was an embarrassment to the whole Corp. One that had to be kept a secret. Marcus strained past the pain and fought the lock the man had on him and hauled a foot into his thigh.
The man began tumbling on him tried to franctially to scramble up. Marcus
driven only by instinct and feeling and not thought, siezed him andsat on top of him his hands at his throat. Rage boiled within him as he squeezed harder around the PsiCops throat. Make it stop, make it all stop, once and for all, leave us all alone, he screamed inside. He squeezed harder and harder. The man's eyes bulged, he franctically scratched at Marcus' strong hands. His legs kicking and flailing trying to break free. Gasping for air.
Marcus thumped his head repetively against the floor forcefully shaking him trying to beat the pain out of his own mind. This one, then another, then another, would they ever stop looking for him now? Would he ever be safe again?

The door exploded and fell into the room, it's edges red and smoldering from the weld cut, and a half dozen combat garbed security officers rushed in. Marcus did not even flinch, he didn't notice. He was staring the face of his enemy with sheer hate, a hate he had never felt before.

"Marcus!" Garaibaldi said swooping next to the Ranger choking the life out of the man on the floor. He tried to pull him off the him with no effect, he was practically dug into him. He motioned the others to stand back, and leaned in over the mesmerized Ranger.

"Let go, let go Marcus." he said comfortingly in his ear "We're here."

"I said stop! Make it all stop!" he screamed at the face of the bugeyed assailant not noticing the security chief.

"We'll take him, it's ok, let go, come on pal. Let go. I know you don't want to do this, you're a good guy, you don't do this kind of stuff," he said placing his hand over Marcus' and trying to loosen them. "Let go."

He felt the hands on his and he slowly let go of the man. He looked up in to the eyes of a shocked Micheal Garabaldi. The agent weakly gasped and sputtered, attempting to roll to one side grasping his crushed throat.

Marcus looked at his hands, wondering what he could have actually done with them. "I- I-" he stammered as Garibaldi lifted him off and the security team carried off the man.

Michael sat him on the bed. "You alright?" he said trying to read the pallor that had taken over his face.

Marcus could only stare at the floor disgusted with himself. He was actually going to kill that man, not with a gun, or through self-defense but with his own bare hands. He never thought he could be capapble of it. He hated what they had made him.

When would they stop? Would they ever? Would he stop next time?

Garibaldi, rubbed him heartily on the back "It's ok, I certainly would've done
the same thing. Except I would've finished the job. And then had a party."

"They sent him to kill me," he said, with a disgusted whisper feeling as if he wanted to hide in the deepest, darkest, furthest, reach of space and just disappear all

"Doesn't surprise me." Garibaldi said "And notice, I'm not asking how you know that." he said observantly.

"Where were you?" Marcus asked angrily "I thought you were supposed to help- "

"Damn sneak secured your panel with a 'buglock'," Garibaldi Took us a whole ten minutes just to cut our way in."

Marcus looked over at the heavy door now laying in the middle of his couch bending the frame of it.

Michael nudged Marcus with his elbow.

"Come on, I'll buy you dinner. You can't stay here now, with the draft and all. And, you'd give the station one hell of a show at bedtime." He slapped his leg standing up. "I'll have the guys get you a new set of quarters, and they'll even move all your stuff over before we get back. Ok?"

Marcus looked over at him. He did think he wanted out for a bit.

"All right, give me a few to freshen up..." he said slowly rising with a weak smile, but still not feeling much better. His sides hurt something awful from the wrestling match. he migh even report this all to the Doc, but he doubted it.

"Freshen up? This ain't a date..." he said with a mocking grin

Marcus laughed half heartedly "Do I get one with a kitchen and real shower if it is? Because, I look absolutely ravishing in blue, you might just change your mind you know."

End PART 11

----------------------------------------------------
Moments Of Infinite Clarity PART 12
----------------------------------------------------

Three days later Marcus appeared at Ivanova's door. He'd asked to come over to apologize for leading her out to deep space on a wild goose chase the week before. She'd ended up inviting him over for dinner instead. She was even cooking, making a crack about his culinary talents on the Whitestar.

She answered the door with a soft smile and shoulders full of freshly brushed flowing hair.

"Hello Marcus. Come in and have a seat."

He walked in and took a place on the couch while she split off to finish making dinner. Whatever it was, it smelled fantastic.

"How was your ceremony?" she asked back. She was turned away him. He wasn't postive but he thought he heard her laugh.

"Wet, long, rather cold and throughly embarrasing, but thank
you for asking," he said dully. "Sorry you weren't there to heckle?" He said
leaning off his chair to try to catch her expression.

" I do love the Minbari, but after three hours of standing in waist high water in uniform chanting prayers and burning incense, they are
a bit much."

"Three hours?" she said turning back to him.

"I wore both sets at once so I wouldn't have to do it twice," he laughed. The fasting and prayer portions alone took an entire day alone, the bathing was merely the final step. "If I'd had to, I'd still be there. I only got out of the full 'cleansing' because of the cast. I was so damned water logged I almost couldn't climb out of the tub."

She handed him a plate with the steaming concoction "Sorry it's not real food, but I don't cook much."

"We could have went out and gotten a bite at a place in the Zoloco. Or, do you not wish too be seen with me?" he asked sullenly.

"No, it's not that." she said quickly, "I just think if everyone knew I was out with you I'd lose all the respect they held for me," she said dryly , shooting him a smile finally to tell him she was joking

"Thank you so very much! I'm not going to give you my present now!" he said trying to sound hurt. "It would require us leaving the confines of this abode and going out into the general public, wouldn't want to embarrass you."

"What present?" Her eyes twinkled at the word even though her voice was stone cold.

"I always hear how you want to get out in a ship and just shoot loops, so I talked a Narn in medlab out of his fighter for the day. I thought after dinner you could head out and joyride around Episilon3."

"You sure know how to impress a girl," she said dryly, but her eyes revealed she was thrilled about the oppourtunity.

"Actually no!" he smiled "Lucky for you, eh?"

She didn't eat after finding out she had a ship out there waiting for her to fly it. She at Marcus expectantly while he attempted to be as polite as possible while shoveling down a few bites of the concoction. Not bad, actually pretty good.

"What?" he said looking up from his plate. He was famously hungry as he hadn't eaten in two days. It was part of the ceremony as well. Evidently Rangers needed to be emaciatedand soggy to serve the One. He saw the look of expectation in her eyes and sat his plate down and stood up taking a huge drink of wine to wash it down quickly.

"Alright, woman, let's go before you drag me to the bay by a fork in my chest."

"Glad you saw it my way, space-boy," she cracked leading the way out the door, he nearly had to run to keep up with her all the way.

"Do you want to go alone, because I can stay," he said trailing off as she entered he small bay.

"No, I think I'd like the company," she said hitting the 'squawkbox' button on the wall of the bay to talk to Command and Control.

"C&C," Corwin answered

"Hey Lieutentant, it's Commander Ivanova. I've got a Narn fighter on loan, and going offstation for a while, I got clearance?"

It was silent a few seconds "Uhm, sure. We're clear for now so you're free to depart whenever you wish, Commander."

"Good Job, David, See you later, leave a light on." she looked at Marcus with a smirk."Come on, this is going to be fun."

She opened the door to the cockpit and saw there was a dozen deep purple roses lying on the pilot's chair.She picked them up and smelled them deeply. He had paid extra for the gentically enhanced roses. They had a more profound smell. Very tantilising, he thought. They had a deeper richer scent that had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when he first smelled them. He hoped she liked them as much as he had.

"Got to love the old standards," he said to her with an embarrassed shrug of his shoulders, buckling himslef in the co-pilot's chair. She leaned over and gave him a embarrassed smile and climbed into hers. "Thanks," she said quickly stabilizing the air pressure and adjusting the oxy-mix.

He just sat there in shock for a second trying to digest the last week.
Yes, this was really happening. He smilied and tightened his flight harness, he felt he was going to need it this trip.

She examined the controls and buttons. "Looks fairly straight forward enough.

Let's do it!" she said powering up the engines, heading out of the bay full bore. She tore out doing barrel rolls, sharp turns and steep banks. Marcus closed his eyes and made a prayer to Valen.

It wasn't too bad, not being restricted by gravity lessened the dizziness he would have felt in a gravitied ship. She looked absolutly consumed in the moment, she took her fun very seriously. But, he could tell she was having fun. More than she'd had in years. And so was he actually.

"Leiutentant, Where's Commander Ivanova? I can't seem to contact her over her link." Sheridan asked walking into C&C looking around and not seeing his first officer.

Lt. Corwin with a rather shocked expression pointed out the window to the reckless craft. "There."

Sheridan stepped next to him.

"What the hell... what is she doing in a Narn ship?"

"Don't know," he said "Just said she got it on loan and was going off station for a few hours."

"Ring her up." he ordered quickly.

"Yessir." Corwin snapped obediantly. "You got her."

He addressed the tiny brightly painted ship ou the window that was doing reckless spins. "Commander Ivanova, don't make me have to do all the paperwork I'd have to go through to reimburse the Narn Government for that fighter," he warned with a smile. "And speaking of that ship, where exactly - ?" his voice trailed off as the fighter came to a complete stop.

"Hello, Captain." Marcus' voice came over the system.

Sheridan and Corwin looked to each other in absolute confusion.

"Marcus? What are you doing out there?" Sheridan asked.

"I borrowed the ship from a Narn in medlab," He said quite seriously. "Susan's always droning on and on about being strapped to the C&C console... OW! Don't hit you vicious little -" he yelped to someone else in the cabin.

Susan's stern dry all-business voice suddenly replaced Marcus'.

"With all due respect, John, I am off duty, and on a date... If you will excuse me..."

"She turned off the comsystem!" Corwin said looking at the panel in
bewilderment and back at the ship in front of them.

The ship shot off in a spiral towards Episilon3 and disappeared towards the orange planet in a blink.

"Date?" they said in unison and looked at each other again in confusion. The rest of C&C had looked up in surprise as well. And when they caught Sheridan's attention, they quickly tried to look nonchalant and tried to act normally.

Sheridan took a deep breath in examing the room "A date with Marcus. Well, well... will wonders never cease?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and wandered to the elevator slowly.

"Corwin, you will of course let me know the second they return right?" he said
with an amused twinkle in his eye.

"Of course, Sir!" He smiled turning back to his work.

"Good. Good." he nodded walking out of C&C. "I'll be sure to wait up."

Marcus escorted her back to her quarters, it was only proper after a date after all, wasn't it. It was also later than he had thought. Upon landing Corwin had been sure to mention it was 0300. Something told him that more than one wager had been set on thier time of arrival.

"Thank you," she said taking his hand outside her door, "I needed that. Come inside." she typed in her code and the door opened, she grabbed his hand quickly as she entered pulling him behind her.

His heart started pounding, he knew what she was asking. He held his position. Almost having to dig his heels into the floor.

"No, I don't think I should. It's late," he said quickly surprising
himself. Yes, he had been thinking the same thing himself, and yes, he was scared as all hell by the prospect, but he also knew it was right. It was too soon, it was too late.

"That wasn't a request, it was an order." she barked with a smile giving him another hard tug pulling him indoors.

The End