Disclaimer: No Copyright Infringement was intended during the writing of this story. All characters formally belong to the public entertainment.
Bester Bested: By Quacked Lurker
Bester, visiting Psi Cop, left the Security Chief Zack Allen behind. Inwardly he seethed with anger, but kept tight control over his emotions.
The Telepath quickly located Commander Elizabeth Lochley. "Captain!" Bester basked in the irritation the commander was giving off as he rudely interrupted her dinner.
"I find it most disturbing that Babylon 5 has hired telepaths without notifying either Psi Corps or requiring them to take the prohibiting drug."
"I don't know what you're taking about, so get right to the point." Ah, female irritation was soothing in its own way—and this mundane couldn't shield herself at all.
"Right, well, you know about the presence of blips—runaway teps—and I admire your determination and dedication in refusing Psi Corp access to all who come to B5 in an effort to escape so-call social prejudices, but did you really believe me to forget about the death of Byron and the others? Let's not forget about my previous encounters on this station during the rule of the past commanders."
Bester grinned when Elizabeth shot him her best death glare and withstood the bombardment of "Get to the point!" He continued only when she gave up looking for a distraction that he would theoretically believe.
"Under the late-captain Jeffrey Sinclair, I lost Ironheart and a talented P12 telecop.
"Later, after John Sheridan took over, there was a minor confrontation with Talya Winters. Oh, we got her changes eventually, but have been unable to replicate them.
"Next, there's that ungodly fight over custody of the mother of my child who currently is in cryogenic sleep while your doctors search for a way to remove the Shadow implants and the loss of the technology that could have finished this much faster.
"Plus Lyta Alexander, although registered as P5, has been able to keep me out of her thoughts and from reading anyone else's brain as well. Very talented. Oh, and she seems to have developed a type of Telekinetic power.
"Enough reminiscing of old times. I want to know what you are going to do about the new security guard who not only doesn't project his emotions out, but also managed to keep me from sensing his surface thoughts. Well?" Bester folded his arms and waited for the commander of Babylon 5 to loose her cool and allow him access to the untrained, uncaught telepaths roaming the underground.
Elizabeth Lochley bit her cheek as she searched for a polite way of declining his request. Noticing the approaching figures of Zack Allan and one of several new recruits, she smiled and said, "Talk to the Security Chief. I have a meeting to get to, but will formally file a complaint when I have free time."
Speechless, Bester watched the commander skip away—mentally of course, as anything less dignified than a brisk walk was bad for public appearance. "Ah, good evening, Mr. Allan. Shall we retreat to the local bar?"
Zack lost his cheerfulness. "Fine with me, as Trainee Kyp Durron still has much to learn about this station."
Bester smirked as he felt the two security guards follow him. He frowned when he noticed the most he got off the two were faint impressions instead of the tightly controlled thinking process he normally felt when around security guards or military people. "I was under the impression no one would be able to hid anything from me, ever, yet every time I visit Babylon 5, there is a new surprise and someone else surpasses what I've already encountered. Why is that?"
"Don't know, don't care, buddy. I'm just glad you aren't able to poke around in my head anymore." Never really trust peeps anyway. Of course Bester heard the entire complaint even though only part of it was vocalized.
"Now, Trainne Durron, is it?" Bester turned to face the mystery that was the younger security guard. "I didn't notice you earlier at the boarding pass."
"That's because I wasn't there," admitted the tall man as his brown eyes twinkled and black hair caught the faint glow of stars. "You have me confused with either Trainee Luke Skywalker, or Trainee Corren Horn." His youthful face looked inquisitively towards the P13 psi cop.
Bester's pale face lost what normal coloration he held. "There are three of you able to hide your presence from me?" he whispered in shock. "That can't be. I'm the most powerful telepath there ever was and no one has been able to completely block me before."
"Yes, well, the three men aren't telepaths per say." Lyta Alexander joined the trio "I've already tested them somewhat and found their mind reading skills—or peeping ability—severely lacking. Emotions and faint impressions they can pick up, but nothing more complex. In contrast their shields are very powerful."
Zack Allan summed up his feelings in two words. "Get lost."
Mortified, Bester left the public sections of Babylon 5 and searched for the rouge telepath that drew him here in the first place. Along the way, he tried forgetting about the middle aged, blond hair, blue eyed man who treated him as another human buying. No pride/awe, no fear, and no change in attitude when his (Bester's) lifelong employer was revealed on the Identa chip at customs.
Hours later, with his search in vain, he reluctantly swept the hospital/Med labs in the unlikely event his prey was injured and too stupid or desperate to realize most humans felt uncomfortable at best while in the presence of a telepath. No one enjoyed knowing their mind was an open book to anyone with the ability to read thoughts. Telepaths also disliked being among normals who didn't have the ability to shield their minds. It was part of the price for being different from the masses of the mundanes.
Bester ran into yet another security guard shortly after he chose to crash at his quarters for the night. "Watch were you're going you imbecile." He shouted, angry that he hadn't been able to prevent the brief, unwanted contact with a human.
"Ah, Mister Bester. Security Chief has us on the lookout for you. Interrogation room 4, you know the way."
Sighing, Bester turned to lead the medium aged (and height) brown haired, green-eyed male to the security station. "Who's dead this time that they wish to pin the death on me?"
"One of ours actually." The security guard didn't volunteer anything else and Bester barely repressed a scream when he was unable to lift the details from his mind. "Please don't go searching for information that isn't readily available. It's rude to do so, and no one here has the nicest impressions of you in the first place."
Bester turned in shock towards the guard. "You felt that?"
"Of course I did. Did you think we were born with impenetrable shields? It took time to build them. Ah, here we are, and enjoy the remainder of your stay on Babylon 5."
Needless to say, the days following his newest visit to B5 wasn't the most pleasant one in history, but Bester managed to remain in control until his shuttle launched into hyperspace where he let the impossibility of the situation overwhelm him and went into comatose shock.