Chapter Ten: The Family Peace Alliance

KyTeth held his shield close to his body, preparing to strike his opponent with his one free hand, which held an ancient club. The weapon was called by Narns a "mart'nok", and properly used, it could be deadly. Before he was able to swing, however, his opponent's mart'nok crashed into his face, sending him sprawling across the floor of the gymnasium. As the room swirled around him, KyTeth felt the taste of his own blood. The cold, viscous liquid streamed down from his forehead and into his nostrils and mouth.

"My blood is not human," he thought, too dazed to pull himself from the floor, "for all the time I spent on Earth, my blood is still not human."

"Nnnnorrrrrkkkkkktttt!" The sound of a screeching, inhuman voice filled his ears. "I have victory over you, Earther! And, were this a real combat experience, you would be dead."

KyTeth grunted his defeat, hoping he would be left alone to die. Before he could close his eyes, however, a clawed hand grabbed him by the girth of his trousers and pulled him to his feet.

"Is this the attitude of a Narn soldier?" Na'Toth cried angrily. "One who aspires to the Fifth Circle? You are a disgrace to the confidence which Ambassador G'Kar shows in you!"

"Look, Hon," he told his superior officer, swaying dizzily, "you've won! What do you need to lash into me for? Obviously, I'm not going to be as good as you at oppressing people. I've only just begun training. So go easy on me, huh?"

Na'Toth's red eyes narrowed, and she became silent for a minute. She looked intently at him, reminding him of a snake hypnotizing its prey. It was difficult, and it took all of his concentration, but he managed to force himself to return the steady gaze without looking away.

"To go easy on you, young one," she said finally, "is to sentence you to death. It is to send you unprepared into the ranks of the Narn military. This is something I cannot afford to do, for it will reflect badly on me. They will say that I have failed as a teacher, and I will know it of myself. I do not tolerate failure, not in my trainees, and especially not in myself. As a female, one can never afford to be weak. As for you, who are male, you have a great advantage. G'Kar of the Inner Circle is willing to speak for you, and so am I. We are both superior to you and can help you in many ways. But I cannot help you unless you learn to let go of this ridiculous self-pity that the Humans have taught to you. So you lie bleeding on the floor! Who is going to pull you up? Certainly not your opponent! So you must pull yourself up off the floor. You must forget your pain and push yourself to greater endurance. Strive to go a step beyond yourself! When you get there, you will have no one to guide you but only ever yourself, striving further and further to be as strong as it is possible for one Narn to be in this indifferent Universe of ours. If you are a Narn in today's society, you must forget the piddling Ancients and their myths. G'Kar will tell you another story, but he is religious; I am not. I believe only in myself; and if you want to survive in the Universe, you must believe in yourself, too. If my abuse towards you hurts, then jump up off the floor and pull me down instead! Let your rage find expression. Do not allow yourself to be a victim! Claim your identity as a true Narn and revenge yourself upon your enemies!"

KyTeth felt a new strength entering him. He felt the rage that had been a part of him for so long bubbling to the surface. Before, he had dealt with it through sarcastic remarks and jokes, but today—no more! He remembered the anger he felt towards the Earth government for abandoning him to his own hated culture; he remembered the arrogant Nykko Marran, calling him a disgusting animal and manhandling Chanaral in front of him; and finally, he remembered his Pouch-Mother, lying blood-stained on the ground, shot to death by the Narn Military. He felt a howl of anguish erupting within him like lava from a volcano.

"Eyyyyyyaaannnnnrrrrrrrgghhh!" He screeched, slashing Na'Toth's face and head with his claws. She was taken by surprise but quickly recovered, kicking him off his feet again in one savage blow. He grimaced in pain, but forced himself to recoup and respond in like manner. He staggered to his feet and kicked out at her, using a move shown to him earlier by G'Kar. The move was successful, and his foot landed squarely in her gut. She fell to the floor, winded, but she was up on her feet again in seconds, urging him on.

"Now you are fighting like a Narn, KyTeth!" She shouted her approval. "Continue! Strike me down!"

Encouraged by the newfound respect that he had achieved, he grabbed hold of his mart'nok and flailed at her madly, snarling his anger. She blocked his swings with her own weapon, neatly stepping aside as he dove at her clumsily. Each time he fell, however, he continued to arise. He would never give in! The more defeat came to him, the greater his impulse to defy his victor. He continued to climb to his feet, until finally he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. He fought to stay awake, gripping the mart'nok in one hand, clawing the air with his other. He gasped for air as blood filled his nostrils. He awaited the death-blow that he was sure would come his way but instead he felt a cloth wiping away the blood from his nose, allowing him to breathe more fully.

"Rest, now, Pouchling," Na'Toth's voice whispered soothingly in the growing darkness of his consciousness. Her voice had lost its harshness. It was now gentle, soft, maternal. It comforted him like a pitch-black blanket, expressing a tender understanding of his rage like no other being had ever understood it.

"The training is over for now, KyTeth," she said quietly, "and you are strong enough to have completed it. I am sorry I had to cause you so much pain. But now, when you go to Narn, you will be ready for what must come."

For a time, there was nothing more. Then, slowly, he became aware of a bright light. It began in the darkest corner of his mind and continued to grow.

"That's it," he told himself. "It's over. You're dead, Kytey. Now what will it be—the Earth or the Narn spirit plane?"

"KyTeth," said a voice. The Voice of the Universe? He would now learn if the Universe held any compassion for him. He opened his eyes slowly and through blurred vision, he saw the face of his friend, Josh Singh.

"J'Singh..." he murmured, trying to raise his large head. A fierce pain shot through him, and he was forced to lie down once more. He felt a wave of nausea pass through him, and he knew then that he was still alive. He felt almost disappointed to come back into consciousness after the warm, velvety nest of blackness that had held him.

A second Human figure came into view, a figure he recognized as Dr. Stephen Franklin.

"You'll need to rest for a few days, KyTeth," he told him firmly. "I've just notified your family of the attack. Your father is on his way."

"It...wasn't...an attack..." KyTeth murmured in between breaths, "training..."

"Narns," Dr. Franklin muttered. "If that's what they call schooling a child, then I think the whole lot of them need a major mental overhaul..."

Dr. Franklin's words took on an ethereal quality as KyTeth felt himself slipping once more into peaceful oblivion. This time, however, he was more aware of himself. Perhaps this was not oblivion after all: Dr. Franklin was still there, towering in front of him, a giant in front of the black, starry sky.

"What is it that you want?" He asked, his brown skin illuminated by the starlight. His voice echoed in the cavern of KyTeth's mind, making him feel afraid. Was this a dream or was it real?

Suddenly, he became aware that he was floating, and that he had grown a pair of spotted wings on his back. Kyte, the Narn angel? Not a chance. This must be a dream.

"What is it that you want?" the Dream-Franklin reiterated.

"I want you to make me a Human face, Doc," he responded. "Use all those great surgical skills of yours and transform me. If I'm not dead, then I'll be schrocked if the Universe is going to make me continue on as a Narn."

Franklin suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a huge Red-Eye dressed in the robes of the Ancient Ones. For some strange reason, KyTeth recognized the figure as Josh Singh.

"J'Singh!" he cried. "Nice get-up! Where'd you get the make-up job?"

"I am G'Tarn, KyTeth. You know me from before. Were we not comrades at the Temple? You were the Black-Eyed soldier, Mi'Roc, who slew my clan; yet we became friends. You gave up your life for me, in the end. You defied your Military Masters, and you refused to slay the last clan of the Red-Eye still living wild. Our example lived on, and my people survived. I left the Narn Circle to go among the Humans when I died, but I have not forgotten you. Maybe one day you will join the Earth Circle as well. But for now, you must live your life as a Narn. Na'Toth has taught you well; she has taught you to survive. This skill, you will need in the coming years, but mere survival is not enough. You cannot end your journey with this, for you have done that too many times before. To end your journey well, you must learn the honor of the Ancients, as your father has tried to teach you. You must continue the lesson you learned with me at the Temple of G'Quan. Remember, KyTeth, rage is not strength. It is the energy of weakness."

The figure of G'Tarn/J'Singh was replaced by the sky-high Franklin once again. He did not say anything but gestured to KyTeth that he should look into a pond. KyTeth flew over to the body of water, peering into the reflection at himself. To his horror, he saw a mangled caricature of a Human face, the head grotesquely misshapen and the skin around it in sagging folds, as if it had begun its life large and had been forcibly reduced.

"That ain't me!" he screamed. "I don't wanna be that!"

"This is the surgical miracle you asked for," Dr. Franklin told him, having shrunk back down to his normal size, "the best science can offer."

"Forget science!" shouted KyTeth. "Make me an Ancient!"

He awoke with a start, in Med-Lab once again. He was sitting up, screaming garbled sounds rather than fully formed words.

"KyTeth, my son, all is well—your soul travel has ended, for the moment."

Tan Kari's voice calmed him, as if it were a river of cool, clear water running over him.

"R'Kai," KyTeth called, using the Narn term for "father", "R'Kai Tan Kari! I want to be an Ancient, not a military officer and certainly not a Human, if it means having such awful plastic surgery! I saw G'Tarn...and...Sky-Franklin was there..."

"Quiet, now, my beautiful little boy," Tan Kari whispered in the Ancient dialect. "I am here, and I will not abandon you. Rest from whatever visions have appeared to you. We can write them down later and make sense of them, if need be."

"No need," KyTeth told him flatly, in the Earth language, "I understood perfectly. I'm a Narn, and not a Human, and that's that."

KyTeth drifted in and out of consciousness, speaking with people both real and imagined, until at some point in time, he became fully awake. His father and Josh Singh were still present.

He was in a bed, surrounded by other sick people in beds, and the smell of anesthetic pierced his nostrils. He tried to sit up and felt a wave of dizziness hit him. He vomited onto the floor, and then his head collapsed back onto the pillow. He brought his hand up to his face painfully, to feel if it was still his own; to his relief, he could feel only Narn features.

"Easy, Kyte," Josh was saying to him soothingly, the same way he spoke to his beloved horses at their friend Shorty's Pine Cone Ranch. "You took quite a battering, and the Doc says you won't be up and about for another few days at least."

"How long have I been here?" he asked, closing his eyes to ward off another feeling of dizziness as Tan Kari took a cloth and wiped the vomit from his son's face and hands. "It seems like only a few minutes."

"You have been here for three days, KyTeth," Tan Kari informed him, kneeling down to wash the floor. Josh stood up and brought a sliding wall partition around KyTeth's bed, one that had been designed by Human engineers to ensure patient privacy. There was also a "sliding ceiling" which Josh brought out from the wall to form an ensconcing cubicle around the three of them.

Three days? KyTeth thought, staring at them in shock. "What...was I in a coma, or something?" he exclaimed. "I can't have been here for three bloody days! Why...Josh, you'll have to go home soon...I've wasted your visit!"

"Not at all," Josh told him. "First of all, you weren't in a coma, because you were in and out for the whole three days...I think you may have been in 'Narn hibernation mode', which Dr. Franklin says is the way the Narn mind/body heals itself. Secondly, my father extended our time here on the station. I need some more research information. The project is going very slowly."

"Yeah, I'll bet. You don't do any project slowly, if it has to do with Narns!"

"Actually, we have another project in the works," Josh explained, "but we'll tell you about it when you're feeling better."

"I am feeling better, Singh!" KyTeth said, giving his friend a mock-growl. "Tell me now, or I'll eat your hair! After that puke, I suddenly feel hungry."

His father and friend looked at each other resignedly. They convinced him to eat some G'kamazad broth and banana peels (a remedy which, according to Healer Rha' Noth, was thought to quell nausea in Narns) before they would tell him anything; and to top it off, they called upon Dr. Franklin to come in and inspect him.

"He's on the mend," Franklin told them. "Just don't tempt fate by getting back into that so-called training of yours, KyTeth."

"Yeah, okay, Doc," KyTeth replied good-naturedly, glad to see that Dr. Franklin was no longer towering over him as a big Sky-Giant. "But am I cleared to hear about this big project that Josh is getting us all into?"

"From what I understand, it's a fine idea—if anyone will listen," Franklin answered cautiously.

"Does everyone know about this project but me?" KyTeth asked.

"Just Dr. Franklin," explained Josh. "He's been very supportive of me and my father while we've been here."

Dr. Franklin excused himself to go and look after his other patients, and Josh related to KyTeth what had transpired during his time of "soul travel", as the Narns called dreaming.

"You remember what happened before the training incident with Na'Toth," Josh began, "when we were waiting to find out from your father what Minnar Orno had said to him the night he visited us all in your home quarters. Well, the next day, Professor Tan Kari was silently mulling it over while you had to go into that 'secret training' of yours—no wonder it was a secret, with all that pounding going on—so, I decided to go for an early morning walk just to clear my head. I went into the Temple of G'Quan, just near the Narn Cultural Center. I'd never been inside a Narn temple before, and I was too curious to let the opportunity pass. I gestured my respect to the old Narn who was there, and I asked in Narn if I might have his permission to sit quietly in the Temple for a period of time. To my surprise, he agreed and after we had both sat there for awhile, he came over and spoke to me. I didn't know it at the time, but it was Ambassador G'Kar! He was dressed in prayer-robes, and he certainly didn't look like the raging reptile on the newscasts.

"'You are Joshua Singh,'" he said to me. "'I have heard of your arrival. I have also heard of your interest in our people. Some of the Narns who heard you speaking our language the other night can hardly believe that you are Human. You speak better than does our own pouchling, KyTeth.'"

"I was amazed that he had heard about me. After all, I had only just arrived on the station! I figured you must have told him something about me, and I asked who he was. When he told me his name, I just about fell over I was so shocked. After all, this guy spoke in a very gentle tone. He wasn't shouting, he wasn't angry—nothing like that."

"G'Kar has ears all over the station," KyTeth informed his friend. "Don't ask me how, but for some reason he always seems to know every little detail about me and my life. He may be cute but he's crafty, too. Don't get taken in by that 'gentleness' thing too much. I like the guy, but he's been through too much shit in the past to be 'Mr. Nice'."

"I gathered that he wasn't 'Mr. Nice'," Josh continued. "I'd read all your letters, remember. But it was interesting to see this side of him, nonetheless. I was thinking that this might be a great opportunity to get some insight into Narn society—for my pre-thesis essay. After all, I'd never spoken to an actual Military Red-Eye before. I asked him a few questions about his beliefs, about the past, and about the present. He told me a little about the indignities that he and his family suffered at the hands of the Centauris, and I began to ask him all sorts of questions about whether he thought it was right that families should have to suffer because of a bunch of stupid political decisions. He seemed to become very weary and said, 'no, but the Universe is thus'.

"I told him that I thought the Universe was thus because we made it thus, and he told me he thought I could be right. Then, I...I brought up Chanaral, without really thinking about it. I told him that I thought it was pretty courageous, what she had done, offering him the Mu-Kar as she had."

"What?" KyTeth cried. "J'Singh, you idiot! What the frag did you go and do that for? The less G'Kar has to do with Channie, the better. In case you haven't heard, me and her are in a peck of trouble!"

"We all share the same trouble, now, my son," Tan Kari interjected. "The families have united."

"What does that mean, schrock-da-schrock?" KyTeth asked, using the old Narnish swear-word to illustrate his dismay. Josh took a breath before answering him.

"G'Kar told me that he learned through his 'sources' that Chanaral was ex-communicated. After Nykko left your quarters that night, he took Chanaral to her aunt, who scolded her soundly. But Nykko distorted the facts and couldn't keep his mouth shut about it. Another lady who was there visiting the aunt spilled the beans about what had supposedly happened between Chanaral and G'Kar. She pressured Ambassador Mollari into holding a kind of trial for Chanaral, where she and her parents had to respond to the charge of treason. They held it at the Centauri Cultural Center, and Chanaral gave a passionate speech encouraging Ambassador Mollari to declare the Mu-Kar to the Narns in order to ensure peace for the younger generations."

"Oh, no. No..." KyTeth murmured, feeling as though he would like to lose consciousness again. That, however, would not help Chanaral.

"What happened?" he forced himself to ask. "Will Channie be all right?"

"Well," Josh explained, "according to G'Kar and his 'sources', the speech did not go over well. No one really understood what a 'Mu-Kar' was, exactly. When Chanaral tried to explain it as an apology, all hell broke loose. They all began to throw things at her and tell her that she must wear what's called 'The Black Robe'. Apparently, it was worn during the Centauri Occupation of Narn by all those women who slept with the enemy/slave—if they were caught. They called Chanaral all sorts of names, including 'the lover of G'Kar', and they even threatened her with violence. Ambassador Mollari stepped in at that point and took charge of the mob, wielding a sword and telling them they'd all better shut up or he was going to turn them into sliced meat. The angrier ones in the group were escorted out and the rest of them came up with the idea that Chanaral, because of her youthful age, should only wear 'the Black Robe' for a certain period of time as punishment for her ideas. Ambassador Mollari told her that, after being tutored by her Aunt Nisha Marran, a 'true Centauri', she would become less confused and would eventually regain her sanity. At that point, she would be re-evaluated and if she passed the test, she would no longer wear 'the Black Robe'. In the mean time, she was prohibited from ever again associating with Narns of any kind, be they Red, Black, or Green-Eyes."

KyTeth groaned. "What'd Minnar have to say?" he asked, despondent. He could not imagine the Centauri doctor sitting still while the hoards tore into his beloved daughter. Tan Kari touched his son's shoulder gently.

"Dr. Orno told me afterward that he argued strenuously against the whole idea of Chanaral ever having done anything questionable," his father explained to him. "He tried to tell them that she had formed only innocent associations with 'the gentle Black-Eyes' and not at all with G'Kar. He said that it was all a lie and that his nephew was known for telling tall tales."

"Wait a minute," KyTeth interjected. "What was Minnar doing talking to you if Channie was ordered away from Narns?"

Tan Kari closed his eyes wearily for a moment. Finally, he resumed his explanation. "Dr. Orno has rejected his peoples' decision. Outwardly, he finally gave the appearance of consent in order to save his daughter any further pain, but in truth he is outraged by their betrayal of Chanaral and the whole Orno family. Chanaral is to wear the Black Robe, and she will take lessons from her Aunt; and, she is not to leave the presence of her mother, Tunida. You must promise not to speak to her or to see her. No more escapades at the Minbari Cultural Center, KyTeth. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, R'Kai Tan Kari," KyTeth responded in Narn. He waited for his father to continue.

"When Minnar Orno came to me after our supper a few nights ago, he told me that he had spoken at length with Chanaral about the affair in the restaurant. He pressed upon her to tell the whole truth about her associations with various Narns and she finally did, albeit reluctantly. She told him, upon her word of honor as a Centauri, that she did not have 'inappropriate relations' with Ambassador G'Kar or any other Narn..."

"Really?" KyTeth interrupted, brightening.

"...except for you," Tan Kari continued in an even tone.

KyTeth's heart sank, troubled once again. "I'm sorry, Dad," he apologized. "You must be disappointed in me."

"No," Tan Kari stated. "It is, in a way, my own fault. I knew you were past the age of adulthood for a Narn boy and I should have arranged to find a mate for you. But I was concerned that there would be a clash of cultures between you and a girl who had been raised on Narn with no experience of other cultures. Brides of the Eighth Circle who have had interplanetary experience are rather rare. I suppose we could have married you to Tino', but I didn't think you would be agreeable to such an arrangement."

"You got that right, Dad," KyTeth concurred. "I would not have made a proper Narn husband...I'd probably never have cheated on her!"

"Indeed," Tan Kari agreed wryly, "but let me continue. Minnar Orno and I agreed that a sexual relationship between the two of our children would be a catastrophe. We do not blame you for exploring your sexuality; but a friendship, let alone a love liaison, between you and Chanaral would bring the wrath of Centauri Prime down upon all our heads. The Narns would not look upon it favorably, either, although many are secretly pleased when Centauri females defy their males and cause them anguish. They see lovemaking with the Centauri as a crafty act of defiance against the enemy—provided it is done in relative secret, in the way that G'Kar handles his affairs. Should any information about you two come out, it would be quite dangerous. Both Narns and Centauris would be sure to voice their opinions about it. Neither of us wants this scenario to occur; therefore, we have allied ourselves together as parents, to inform each other of what is happening in our respective camps. In the last days of the Occupation, this was often done between Narn and Centauri families, in a very secretive way of course, to protect each other's children from harm. It is called Barra Klaatu or Family War Alliance. Its purpose is not to further war but to improve the chances for peace and survival."

"Dr. Orno was talking to my father and I about this Barra Klaatu idea as well," Josh added, "and apparently Chanaral has been working on trying to form a similar organization, "the Family Peace Alliance", whose aim is to bring warring cultures, such as the Narns and Centauris, together with the one thing that matter to both: the protection of their families. The idea is that each side will want to negotiate peace if the mothers and children of each culture put enough pressure on the power-holders. As we all know, the power-holders on Narn and Centauri tend to be exclusively male. Minnar told my Dad that he's been thinking more and more about Chanaral's idea as he's been taking the Narn culture classes. Then, when this whole Nykko Marran situation blew up, he felt so angry with his own people that he now wants to help his daughter with this new idea, believe it or not."

"As a doctor, he's been talking a lot with Healer Rha'Noth about finding cures for certain illnesses that the Narns and Centauris have in common. After all, the Centauris do have some features that are associated with the reptilian order, like the Narns. Both are, I suppose you could call them, 'repto-mammals'.

"Healer Rha'Noth has been speaking with Minnar Orno?" KyTeth exclaimed incredulously. "I didn't think that he could forgive a Centauri, after they decimated Narn and made his race almost extinct."

"I don't know if he's actually forgiven him for that, but he tolerates Minnar in the hope of finding a cure for his daughter Mara', who has a terminal illness."

KyTeth reeled in shock. Little Mara' had an illness? He knew that she walked with a limp, and that she was fairly skinny, but he never suspected that the seven-year-old pouchling could be dying!

"Poor little kid," KyTeth said quietly. "It makes me wonder what the Universe is made of, when angels like her gotta take the big exit."

Josh and his father were silent as KyTeth took in the news, thinking about how Mara' had offered Ambassador Mollari the white flower. It was a simple gesture, yet by performing it she had broken a barrier that the power-mongers of Narn and Centauri Prime put together would have been incapable of doing.

"If Rha'Noth and Minnar put their heads together, I bet they can come up with some cures," Josh said quietly. "In fact, there may be an opportunity for Rha'Noth to help a little Centauri girl, who's also dying. Apparently, a certain substance found in the Narn body chemicals can be used to create a kind of antidote to the Centauri condition. Some Centauris have tried forcing Narns into donating these chemicals or even killing them to extract the substance that way; but apparently, it doesn't work after the Narn body has died. The substance has to come from a living Narn, one who is not drugged or in a state of fear. The whole medical procedure is extremely delicate and difficult to perform unless the Narn donor is in a cooperative frame of mind. Dad is trying to convince Rha'Noth to help."

"Arrrrgggt," KyTeth croaked, imitating his Uncle Ba'Quith. "That little tree-eater won't do it. He's too much of a snob to help out a Centauri."

"Don't be too sure," Josh countered. "He knows that if he helps the Centauri girl, Minnar, as a fellow healer, will be honor-bound to return the favor and help little Mara'."

"Rha'Noth is also very dedicated to the calling of being a Healer," Tan Kari interjected. "For all you do not like him, KyTeth, he is one of those who goes beyond himself for others. Besides, such an action might help our cause. If a Narn was to save the life of a Centauri and vice versa, we might see a change in the attitude towards Chanaral's proposal."

"What proposal?" KyTeth asked. "She's under the thumb of her aunt for now. Maybe that's for the best, guys. After all, she won't get into as much trouble that way, and she'll be safer. You guys should maybe forget this whole peace thing."

"What's gotten into you, Kytey?" Josh asked, somewhat angrily. "Weren't you listening that night in the restaurant? Chanaral has a great idea with this "Family Peace Alliance" movement, and I think it could catch on. My Dad and I are sure going to push the idea on Earth, at least. And do you really think that Chanaral will be happy just sitting around taking lady-lessons from her aunt? She's going to get into trouble anyways. We all know that. That's why we're supporting her, so that she won't be alone when the ground falls out from under her...which, in a way, it already has."

KyTeth sighed. "I go under myself for a few days, and all hell breaks loose. This is beginning to sound like an underground conspiracy, guys!"

Tan Kari regarded his son in a concerned manner. "It is exactly that, my son," he told him. "I know, deep within myself, that if we returned to the sphere of our society's influence, I could not help but work towards the honor which the Ancients would have expected of each of us. Some time after you and Chanaral met each other, she came to my classroom to offer me the Mu-Kar for what her people had done to my family. I was filled with an odd mixture of sorrow and respect for her courage in coming to me. My rage at the Centauris had always been tempered by the gentle words of my own father, who was himself a loyal servant to the ruling Centauri family during the Occupation. He had always felt that if we were honorable enough in our own behavior towards the Master, then he would behave in an honorable way towards us. When most of our family was killed by the Master's soldiers because of the actions of a few Narns unrelated to us, I felt betrayed. I continued to behave as I believed my father would have wished, but there was a rage within me which I have never been able to resolve; that is, until Chanaral, a young Centauri girl who had nothing to do with what befell my family, came to me with the honorable action that my father never had the chance to experience from one of his masters. I felt strongly that I must honor my father's words to me, as much as it was possible for me. On the day that Minnar came to see me, I told him what she had offered to me. I believed that he needed to know, and I knew that his love for his daughter was great enough that he would always act in her best interests. Despite his sometimes-arrogant manner, I felt greatness in his soul...a commitment to the truth.

"I told him that her action had affected me in a profound way. In fact, I offered my Mu-Kar to him, for the death of his relatives on Ragesh 3 at the hands of my people. He was in turn deeply grateful to me and even apologized for his own arrogance in the classroom. He said he was unable to help it as it was a natural part of being a Centauri male. However, it seemed that the classes in Narn culture helped him to appreciate his enemies' culture and to understand them in ways he never thought possible."

"Somehow, my son, our two families have formed an alliance. I know it is absurd, but Minnar and I see many parallels in our situations: both our children have been manipulated by G'Kar, both of us have been alienated by our own cultures, and both of us long for a peace which would ensure honor for our respective species and long life for our pouchlings."

KyTeth became disturbed as he listened to his father's speech. He was happy that Minnar and he had formed a friendship of sorts, but this battle that Tan Kari was waging slowly against G'Kar was bound to become a problem. How could he tell his father that G'Kar and Na'Toth had secretly been training him as a fighter pilot? If it was awkward telling him before, it was fast becoming impossible to tell him now. His father could be shot as a traitor! If G'Kar found out about this...how far would the ambassador's compassion for the Black-Eyed family stretch? G'Kar was all Red-Eye at heart, even if he did have some Black-Eyed pouch-brothers who were a part of the Resistance. KyTeth decided that he would be needed now more than ever, to keep the relationship with G'Kar a happy one. If KyTeth could strengthen the paternal bond between himself and G'Kar, he knew that his family might have a chance, even if the Ambassador did find out about this crazy peace thing that they had all hatched.

"Dad!" KyTeth whispered, looking worriedly at the wall partition that Josh had pulled around KyTeth's bedside to ensure privacy while they were speaking. He hoped it was as sound-proof as the Humans claimed.

"This kind of thing is fine for Josh and Kris," he continued urgently. "They have free speech back on Earth. But you and I and Ba'Quith, we gotta look out for our family. We gotta be a little more careful in all this. I know I've often bugged you to be more objective about the Centauris, but...you know, this whole thing scares me. What about Ti'Quith and her new little pouchling that'll soon be coming down the pipes? If we all go to the firing squad, fine; but what about her and the baby? She's pregnant, and we have to look out for her. No one knows that more than Uncle Ba'Quith. We can't afford to waltz into this 'Family Peace Alliance/Barra Klaatu' business. And G'Kar...you know, I think you and Minnar have him all wrong. He's not manipulating either one of us. Why, Channie told me that when she went to offer him the Mu-Kar, he was an absolute pussycat. As for me, G'Kar's been really helpful. So has Na'Toth. They've been showing me how to survive in Narn society and that's vital. I think maybe, for the good of Chanaral, her family and ours...well, maybe we shouldn't try to get too cozy with each other."

Josh was staring at KyTeth, aghast at his friend's words. Tan Kari gestured to Josh to leave them alone, and Josh complied reluctantly. He looked at KyTeth sadly as he closed the partition door behind him.

Tan Kari was silent for a moment before speaking softly to his son. "KyTeth, my pouchling. You are more important to me than anyone in the Universe, for you are the child of my dearest First-Mate, LaTeth. I love you even more deeply than that—I love you for yourself, even when you make the most tragic of mistakes in your confusion. My rage at Na'Toth and G'Kar at the present moment is indeed momentous, and it does no good to speak in favor-currying tones of their goodness. Do not misunderstand me! I do not hate them. I understand their rage at the enemy, for I have felt it myself. I know they believe that what they do is right for the protection of our people; but they are leading us down the path of destruction. I have come to believe more and more in peace as a path for our people, as I have watched the efforts of Commander Sinclair and the Minbari Ambassador, Delenn. They have worked together to ensure peace between their own peoples, and they have even tried to encourage it among other species, such as ours. Their cooperation together is an inspiration to me, and I do not believe that either G'Kar or Mollari is listening to them as they should. And it is families such as ours and Minnar Orno's who will end up paying the price. Whatever G'Kar offers you, KyTeth, do not blindly step into it. It is as you warned Joshua earlier: G'Kar has been through too much pain in his life to be a 'nice' fellow. It is not written in stone that he must be this way, but until he makes some attempt to correct the atrocious errors which our people have committed in the name of 'planetary protection', I cannot begin to trust him and neither should you. Remember your Pouch-Mother, KyTeth. Remember how hard she fought the establishment."

KyTeth paused a moment to fight the pain which exploded in his chest upon hearing his father's words. It was true that he owed loyalty to LaTeth, but he was not altogether sure that his mother would have approved of Tan Kari's alliance with a Centauri. He seemed to recall vague memories of a screaming match between his two parents. KyTeth did remember that it had something to do with the Centauris.

"Dad," he finally said, his voice shaking with emotion, "I love you too, more than I can ever express in words and way more than I'll ever love G'Kar. I ain't never going to forget my Pouch-Mother, no matter what path I take. But...I just don't want you ending up like she did, that's all. I lost one parent—isn't that enough for one lifetime? What good did all her fighting do if she was only going to wind up dead? I'm just scared that you and I and our favorite Quithies are going to end up in the same boat. I don't want that, Dad! And if it means I have to kiss G'Kar's ass a bit, well then...that's what I have to do. You know that!"

"Your mother's fight was not in vain, KyTeth," Tan Kari reminded him. "Although she was rash and reckless, her courage in standing up to the Narn Military will not be forgotten. We must try to forge the way to a more just Narn society, as she did. I know it is dangerous, but when you are Narn you live every day in danger, from the moment you are old enough to leave the pouch. LaTeth's actions will mean nothing only if we forget what they stood for. I know, however, what you are saying: I do not intend to be rash, as LaTeth—may G'Quan bless her—always was. You have learned much from Tal Quith's philosophy of rationality in the past year, and of that I am well pleased. Indeed, we must deal politely with G'Kar and Na'Toth, for they are our superiors at present and we can do nothing to change that. But I warn you again to be careful. Do not listen to them too closely! Remember, you are the son of Tan Kari and LaTeth, not the son of G'Kar and Na'Toth!"

"Dad!" KyTeth's tone became jovial once more. "You know that ain't gonna happen. I love you, like I said. You got no cause to be jealous. You are my main man, and there ain't nothing in the Universe that can change that. If you guys want to hatch this peace egg, then I'm behind you. But, just so you know—I'm going to be treading pretty carefully, because I'm on a tightrope here between you and G'Kar. You catch my drift?"

KyTeth felt that he had come as close as he dared to telling his father the truth about his flying lessons. He knew that G'Kar had promised Tan Kari, during the first supper they had shared together, that he would not interfere in KyTeth's education any further than the basic military training by Na'Toth. He also knew, as did his father, that G'Kar had broken his word by encouraging KyTeth into the Fifth Circle Military. He did not doubt that Tan Kari had engaged the Ambassador in a heated debate over the issue. What the two had agreed upon, however, KyTeth did not know. As much as Tan Kari had trusted his son with the news about the Minnar Orno alliance, he had nonetheless told him nothing of what was going on between himself and G'Kar. He knew only what was on his own end: G'Kar was continuing to defy his promise by authorizing the pilot lessons in Na'Toth's fighter...and flying a fighter was strictly for the soldiers of the Higher Circles.

KyTeth felt a stab of guilt as he remembered how he had pestered both G'Kar and Na'Toth to take him out in one of the fighters, after he had been ordered by Na'Toth to clean the "Fire-Lizard" one day.

"Come on, guys. Just one little ride. Would that be too much?" He had asked them.

G'Kar had tried to dissuade KyTeth from his desire, reminding him that he had refused the offer to be a part of the Fifth Circle Military.

"If I authorize such a ride, KyTeth," G'Kar had told him, "I will be going back on my word to Tan Kari even further than I already have. This would cause me shame, because I truly have no desire to dishonor your family in that manner. Your father and I have spoken since I last presented you with my offer, and I have assured him that I will not interfere further in your education as an Eighth Circle child."

"Tan Kari wishes his son to be a toilet-cleaner for the rest of his life!" Na'Toth had objected. "We should honor the boy's request, Ambassador. I have seen in his spirit true promise. We cannot let that go to waste! With all due respect, you are an oaf if you allow an Eighth Circle slave to tell you your business."

G'Kar had sighed, weary. "You are young, Na'Toth," he had told her, "and you do not understand the ways of the Ancients, as Tan Kari and I do. If I do not honor my word, I will be disgracing myself and every Red-Eye who calls himself a follower of G'Quan."

"It is as you say, Ambassador," Na'Toth had conceded, "although I am not a follower of any religion and therefore not subject to this particular restraint. I do respect your choice, however, for you are my elder."

"Hey, G'Kar," KyTeth had prodded him, interrupting the two superior officers in the most irreverent of manners, "what'd my Dad say to you, about all that?"

"That is between he and I, KyTeth," G'Kar had responded sternly. "You do not need to know."

G'Kar had then marched away, leaving KyTeth extremely frustrated. He had hoped to get away from the Space Station in a craft that traveled faster than Ba'Quith's old freighter. Finally, he had persuaded Na'Toth to take him out on a few ventures, and he had proved to be tremendously talented in learning the various fight maneuvers.

"Such talent cannot be wasted on toilets, KyTeth," Na'Toth had told him fervently. "I will admit to G'Kar what has been done, and I will take the punishment for it, if there is any. But he must approve your entry into the Narn Flight Program. You are brilliant. Let me speak to him, and I believe I will be successful in changing his attitude."

Na'Toth had been as good as her word. G'Kar had been angry that she had taken KyTeth out in the fighter behind his back, but she had urged him nonetheless to go out with KyTeth himself and see what the young trainee could do. G'Kar had finally agreed and took the boy out in his own private fighter, where he witnessed first-hand KyTeth's aptitude for flying the craft and performing the difficult maneuvers that Na'Toth had taught him.

G'Kar was very close to his attaché, Na'Toth. She was every bit as arrogant as himself, but he made allowances for her because her strength of spirit impressed him so greatly. As it was with Na'Toth, so it was with KyTeth. The Ambassador made allowances for him because he felt a connection with the boy's rebellious nature. Neither Na'Toth nor KyTeth were punished for their transgression, in the end. G'Kar reluctantly gave his blessing to the ventures, with the understanding that they would be kept top secret.

"If your father finds out, KyTeth, I will be exposed for the liar that I am," he admitted sadly, "but, should that happen, my disgrace cannot be helped. As Na'Toth says, talent like yours cannot be wasted. Your father and I are old. We must pass our flame onto the next generation or let it be forever extinguished. I only hope, that in your father's great Tal Quithian wisdom, he will one day forgive me."

Thinking back to how his flying lessons had come about, KyTeth felt great sadness wash over him as he remembered G'Kar's words. Ironically, it was not Tan Kari's nemesis G'Kar who had betrayed what the Professor wanted, but rather it was his own son. As Tan Kari ran one claw fondly over the boy's head, KyTeth turned his gaze away.