The Legacies of War
Part 2: In all the empty places where you must walk
She stood at the water's edge looking out into the blackness ahead. Behind her, the white sandy shores of the beach stretched back into the unseen place beyond. A place familiar yet distant like the memory of a dream that lingered on waking. She lingered at the edge, caught between the two worlds. The sea calls to me, she thought. The waiting tide grew restless, reaching out for her. Slowly she stepped forward, unable to resist the ocean's siren song.
"Not yet," A voice from behind spoke. It was gentle, but commanding and its power held her back as sure as if the speaker had restrained her himself with his hands.
She knew, even before she turned to face him who had spoken.
"Master," she said, smiling.
He returned the gesture with a gentle smile of his own, bowing his head forward in greeting and extending his right hand towards her heart, his movements mirroring her own.
"It's been a long time, Delenn. Come, walk with me."
With those words, he led her away from the sea that waited to claim her, if only for a little while.
John Sheridan paced the room angrily. He moved like a caged animal provoked by onlookers on the outside.
"Dammit Susan, how could they let this happen!"
Susan, looking at John's agitated movements, wisely did not reply. John already knew the answer to his own question. 'They' meaning Earth gov had let this happen out of fear. During the Earth-Minbari war bio-warfare had been an area of great demand, the only hope it seemed Earth had against an almost invincible enemy. When the war had ended, Earth had signed treaties with the Minbari preventing the development of further biological weapons. The fruits of those labors of war were not destroyed however.
Instead they were hidden away, black projects that would later surface when Earth got wind that the Minbari had sheltered the war criminal Jah'dur better known as 'death walker'. And it was that fear and paranoia that had allowed them to ripen under the Clark regime.
"After Clark's reign it was agreed that the bio-weapons developed during the war would be destroyed, on both sides!"
But it hadn't happened. The treaties prohibited governments from both worlds from developing, acquiring and stockpiling such agents for purposes of war. John knew however that it was almost damn near impossible to ensure that those treaties were respected, especially seeing that there was nothing formally set up to monitor compliance. The Rangers definitely couldn't do it, they were, after all not intended to be the Alliance's police force.
"They could argue that they kept samples of viruses and bacteria for study for defense purposes, to develop prophylactic drugs. Nothing about the treaty prohibits that. And especially with the Drakh plague hitting Earth, it would be reasonable."
"But they're not even saying that Susan, they're outright denying that they even developed it! Now Delenn's life is hanging by a thread and the doctors are unsure what they're dealing with. The only thing that's keeping her alive is that she's part human, and this was probably designed to specifically target Minbari cells. But they're telling us they don't know anything! That they didn't create it and Fletcher took everything, the bug, the research and wiped their database clean? I don't buy it."
"Well maybe they didn't create it," Michael said. He put his hands up, as John spun around at him, an incredulous expression on his face. "Just hear me out a second. Now governments may have signed treaties but a lot of private co-operations aren't bound to that. When I took over Edgar's industry, there were a couple black projects that had to be rooted out. Apparently he created a virus to use against telepaths. And he wasn't just anti-telepath, he was also anti-alien. He would have had some of the best and brightest on his payroll. Now I'll bet with him gone those folks would have been quite happy to sell themselves and their work to whoever was offering the right price. It's gonna take some doing but I may have some leads I can follow up from this angle."
"All right," John replied after a minute, "do that, and Susan and I will try to follow up some more leads from Earth force, I may have a few contacts still that I can use."
"What about Stephen?" Susan asked.
"He knows, he's been in contact with the doctor's here, trying to shed some light on it as well. But he's also up to his eyeballs in his work with the Drakh plague. And I can't ask him to sacrifice one for the other, no, Delenn wouldn't want that and neither do I."
Liar. John thought to himself as the words came out. He wanted nothing more than to use every resource he had to make her better. He would move heaven and earth if it meant saving her. But unfortunately their world did not work like that. He had to use restraint, weigh what he wanted against what was right. It wasn't exactly a scenario that was new to him. But no matter how many times he had to do it, it never got easier. He was tired of this. He felt it, the weariness of all the trials he'd been through and the effect of his shortened lifespan, the continuing on in a body that had already died, it hit him suddenly and hard.
"If there's nothing else…" John said.
The other two just nodded and rose in response.
"John, if there's anything else we…" Susan said before exiting.
"I know," he replied cutting her off. "Thank you, both of you, but I just need some time right now."
He waited for them to close the door before collapsing into a chair. He had worked a lot of rage out earlier. There was more in there he knew. But there was also fear and sorrow, emotions he seldom ever let surface. Until now. They wouldn't let him near her. He couldn't sit with her or hold her hand. Not until they knew more about how contagious it was. They didn't want to put David, or any other Minbari who would come into contact with him at risk. And he understood that, well his mind at least understood. His heart was another matter. That part of him cried out to be with her. He had promised he would never leave her. All things being considered, it was an unfair promise since at the time of his making it he only had twenty years to live. He'd convinced himself that it was a fair trade, a good run he had called it. He was a fool. He had accepted his fate only because she was there by his side, whatever time he had left he would spend it with her, and David. Did he, ever in that time, stop to think of her agony, her fear of losing him? If it felt but a fraction of what he was experiencing now…
"I'm so sorry, Delenn," he whispered, his voice hoarse with grief.
"But I'll find a way to save you, I promise you that and I'll find those responsible," his voice hardened as he spoke and he let the rage take over, giving him strength. John Sheridan, husband, father was gone. John Sheridan, warrior, star killer took over. He had spent his time grieving. Now he had work to do.
They sat together under a canopy of trees that rustled gently in the breeze. Through the foliage, glimpses of the stars could be seen against the pale wash of a twilight sky. The sound of the ocean, ever present, could be heard in the background. But her eyes looked away from it, in the direction opposite, and she stood silently listening. She had heard something from that place, a voice, distant, yet familiar and comforting. Her companion studied her for a moment then spoke.
"What is it?"
"I am not sure…I thought I heard someone calling to me," she replied, a puzzled look on her face. She was sure of it, a voice that she knew, that called, no, that longed for her to come. "I can't hear it anymore."
Perhaps, the other thought, there is still hope then. He heard the waves breaking on the sandy shore and did his best to ignore it. His time with her was short. But it was important that they spoke. That she confronted what she had hid from for so long.
"You've changed much, Delenn"
"On the inside as well as outside," she replied.
"I know…I can see it in your eyes, the lost innocence, all the pain, all the doubt and the guilt. It's a heavy burden, Delenn, I know, because I bear it too."
"Master, you can not…"
"I can Delenn, we all must bear the consequences of our choices. I chose to keep my knowledge about the prophecy secret. I thought it was for the best, but I wonder Delenn, could that war have been prevented had I shared what I had known?"
"It was my doing," Delenn replied, turning away from him, unable to meet his gaze. He did not need to see her eyes to know what she felt; her voice was riddled with regret and shame. "As you lay dying, all I could see before me was my own pain, my own loss. My thoughts were consumed with nothing but my need for vengeance! Not the council, nor our people, but mine! You were my Master, my teacher, my father in a way after mine had gone to the Sea. And the humans took you away for no reason. It was my fault…the blood on my hands, the stain on my soul!"
"You did what you thought was right at the time, Delenn. You were guided by your heart, a heart that was grieving, but a good heart nonetheless, filled with compassion and love that allowed you to help put right what went wrong. I cannot ask you to let go of the pain of your decision, for it is that pain which help to define us. But the guilt and fear are the chains of your making Delenn, you must free yourself."
"I do not understand, Master."
"I have not much time left Delenn, but you must tell him, share this burden. For too long you've hid behind the wall of duty and secrecy, all the while afraid. Break free Delenn, or you may never leave this place!"
"Master…"
"I must leave you now, Delenn, but there will be others that will come. Remember what I said Delenn, break the chains!"
"Master!" she called to him again. But he was already gone, vanished from her side as quickly as the light had faded with twilight's end.
****
The man known as 'Alpha' swore violently.
"Off," he barked at a monitor on the wall of his office. All the major news channels were filled with reports about the events that had happened on the Guan home world, with speculations ranging from assai nation attempt to an outbreak of a new disease.
"What the hell was Fletcher thinking?" 'Alpha' continued. "He was supposed to bring us the damn thing so we could mass produce it, not use it for his own agenda!"
His companion took a long pull of his cigarette and exhaled. The smoke swirled slowly about his large form. He waited for it to settle before replying, his voice as cool as his demeanor.
"At least now we know it works."
The other would not be appeased, he continued on in a rage.
"I didn't need a fucking test run! And in public! Not to mention they have a sample of it now, we run the risk that they could synthesize a cure or a vaccine!"
"It is an extremely complex organism, genetically engineered. Difficult to synthesize, at least without the in depth knowledge about the structure. Lucky for us the good doctor left us quite detailed notes. A template if you will, and with the right equipment, we will be able to mass-produce in no time. As for a cure, equally difficult without such notes. There is only one man with the know how to synthesize a cure and he never left any notes. No, the Alliance would not be able to do anything in time to prevent an attack. As for secrecy, beyond what has happened they know nothing. Even if he were to reveal himself, Fletcher means nothing to us now, he already delivered to us the data we need."
****
"You must eat something Lelann," the Minbari warrior beckoned to other who sat, legs folded, on the floor. She neither spoke nor moved in any way to acknowledge his statement or his presence.
"Lelann," he said again, positioning himself so that he was right in front of her. It made no difference. Her gaze was fixated on the flame of the candle that sat between them. Occasionally, she would blink, allowing a few tears to trickle down her cheeks. That, and her slow, even breathing were the only indication that she was a living creature and not a finely made statue garbed in silk. She had been like this for days now, since her mate had become infected at the Guan world. The old Minbari could feel his anger rising. It was true he never approved of Lelann's mate. He still believed the An'la'Shok were not true warriors, merely a mockery. But his niece cared for him deeply, and he was still Minbari. That someone would do this was an outrage!
Frustrated, the warrior rose, leaving his niece be. The little one was religious caste. It was how they dealt with their grief. By fasting and praying. He was a warrior. They dealt with their grief through combat. But there was no one to fight. The ones who committed this atrocity remained hidden. They were cowards with no honor.
"It is as I said, Hedronn, if you waited, the humans would strike…they are an arrogant race, do you think they would forget that your world held theirs on the brink of destruction?"
The voice, sudden and unexpected startled Hedroon. It was one he never expected to hear again in his life; one he was all too familiar with. He whirled around wildly, fighting pike extended. But there was no one there.
"Valen's name," he whispered. The strain of the last for days was taking its toll, making him hear the voice of a woman long dead. Perhaps, if he rested awhile, he thought. Walking into his sleeping chambers, he stripped off his cloak. He cast a glance in a small mirror on the far wall. The image he saw there made his heart leap into his throat. Not his reflection, not his face but hers, her black soulless eyes, her mocking smile.
"You look surprised to see me, Hedroon, I told you I had found the secret to immortality," the voice came again. It came not from behind him but inside his mind.
"In Valen's name, no…J'ha Dur!"
The creature in the mirror only laughed, a high, sadistic sound.