Chapter 10
December 7th, 2241: Kha'Ri Council Chamber, Narn Homeworld
Before the Centauri came, the Narn homeworld was a lush world. Misty forests, verdant jungles, numerous lakes and small seas were scattered across the surface. The grasslands and prairies were so rich, and the harvests so bounteous, that hunger was nearly a thing of the past. The Narn people were deeply philosophical after a series of great thinkers had caused a sort of cultural revolution centuries previous. They had kept to the land and had not advanced very far with what technology they had. Their homeworld was rich enough that the normal wars over resources, common in other cultures, simply never happened.
This is not to say that they did not understand many modern concepts: they were aware that their homeworld was not the center of the universe, that the star in their system was one of many, and that other alien species existed. A millennium previous a race from the stars had come to their world, those that would later be known as the Ancient Enemy. The Narns were by and large left alone, the alien race initially having little use for them.
Eventually the aliens had need of the hardy Narns. They approached the Narns claiming to be gods, and demanded fealty in the form of the Narns surrendering some of their number to labor on the 'gods' behalf. Many were prepared to help these new gods, as they were promised great reward, both individually and as a species.
But a segment of the Narn population, what they called mindwalkers, (and what other races would call telepaths) sensed duplicity in the aliens. They declared the aliens deceivers and false gods, unworthy of the help of the Narn people. With the help of the mindwalkers, the great Narn leader G'Quan and his comrade G'Lan rallied their people to fight the invaders and expel them. These aliens were fighting a desperate war somewhere else, and could ill afford to waste more time with the Narns. After causing a great deal of destruction, including killing every Narn mindwalker, the Ancient Enemy fled the Narn homeworld.
The experience led to an awakening for the Narns. They gave birth to generations of thinkers and philosophers, starting with G'Quan and G'Lan. They revered these thinkers, and eventually the great philosophers replaced their ideas of 'gods' (the Ancient Enemy had come posing as 'gods' as well). Eventually a school of thought came forth for every group in the Narn culture. They eschewed the trappings of technology and wealth. They built their small cities and homesteads in conjunction with nature rather than in spite of it.
And so for thirty generations the Narn lived as they had. They mourned the loss of their mind-walkers and followed whatever pursuits their hearts desired. They looked to the stars, knowing that others were there, but they did not allow it to taint their way of life or their way of thinking.
When visitors came again from the stars, the Narn were wary. These that came looked much less alien, claiming to be men much like the Narn only having technologies about which the Narn could only dream. They called themselves Centauri.
These Centauri told the Narn of a vast galaxy, peopled by multitudes of others. They offered to bring the Narn along, to educate them, to make them partners in the galaxy at large in exchange for the rights to work the land, and take ores and minerals for which the Narn had no use. Of course the Centauri would be willing to employ the Narn for such work.
The Narn rebuffed the newcomers, saying they were content to live their lives as they had for centuries. The Centauri shook their heads in disbelief, even as they secretly ground their teeth in anger. They put up a good face, smiling in defeat of their offers. They packed up their ships and left, leaving the Narn in their idyllic bliss.
But the richness of the Narn homeworld was too great a lure for the Centauri. They returned months later in force, sweeping down from the skies like angry demons. Their starships destroyed the few cities, even as their armies swept up the population. Unlike the Ancient Enemy, the Centauri were there for conquest, and conquer they did.
The Centauri took what they wanted, forcing the hapless Narn to help in the rape and pillage of their world. Whatever resources could be gleaned from the planet, the Centauri collected with a vengeance. The Narn homeworld was devastated with vast tracts of it being turned lifeless and foul. The Narn were a hardy race, with extremes of cold, heat, or radiation bothering them little. Millions of them were shipped off-planet to toil away in harsh and unsafe conditions for their Centauri overlords.
This continued for close to a century, with three generations of Narns being born into slavery. The Narns endured under the lash of the Centauri neural whips, but they never forgot that once they were free. Within the nameless multitudes, a core of leaders formed that planned revolt from the Centauri: the Kha'Ri (which means 'The Voicing'). Initially they worked by word of mouth, never preaching disobedience, only a furious patience. They coordinated Narns to collect equipment, weapons, cast-off items that the rich and decadent Centauri would never miss. The Narn followed the Kha'Ri's every word. After seeing what hideous things happened to those that resisted the Centauri, the ideas of the Kha'Ri seemed the best way to regain their freedom, and to exact revenge on the hated Centauri.
Secrecy was paramount, lest the Centauri awaken and put down the rebellion before it even started. Many times the Kha'Ri gave orders to kill off traitors (what the Terrans called 'Quislings') within the midst of the slave population. The faithful followers of the Kha'Ri did as they were asked.
Nearly a century after the Centauri had first come to the Narn, the Kha'Ri judged the time would never be better. A great deal of clandestine equipment had been built or procured. The Narn populace was primed, their hatred, anger and frustration simmering at just the right level. Some outsiders say the Kha'Ri needed to call for the revolution at that time as the patience of their people was at an end. Whatever the truth may be, across the secret transmitters of the Kha'Ri the call went out to every revolutionary cell: rise up and destroy the hated Centauri overlords.
The Uprising (as it came to be known) was spectacularly successful. The Centauri had grown complacent with their slave race. It had become fashionable to keep 'civilized' Narn slaves in household positions, allowing the Narns to kill important Centauri officials, often in their own homes. With the natural indolence that comes with vast wealth and power, the Centauri had turned over many of the tedious technical tasks to Narn slaves. That put the Narns into positions that allowed them to seize vast amounts of Centauri ships and space-faring equipment, once their overseers had been slain. It also allowed them to sabotage vital Centauri systems that had been put into place to quell just such a slave uprising.
The initial stages were a bloodbath as the Narn gave vent to their hatred on a massive scale. Every Centauri that was in the way was ruthlessly eliminated, no matter their age or gender. The wholesale slaughter led to massive reprisals by the Centauri, which in turn led to even more vicious atrocities by the Narn.
It has been said no revolution can succeed without outside help. Initially the Narn received outside aid from the Abbai and Hyach, both champion races of freedom and peace. But they soon withdrew their assistance as the atrocities committed by the Narns escalated. The Drazi clandestinely sold them arms, as did any number of other minor races, mostly to help bring the Centauri as low as possible.
But in reality, the greatest outside help for The Uprising came from the Centauri themselves. In a hideous example of how Centauri politics worked, many Centauri Houses unwittingly aided the Narn by falling upon their enemies. Many feuds, long-standing arguments, even personal slights were resolved amongst the Centauri Houses during The Uprising, with the Narns often reaping the rewards.
Eventually the Centauri Republic retreated, leaving behind vast amounts of equipment and wealth. The Narns were finally masters of their own destiny. The devastation on their homeworld was immense. Despite the casualties of The Uprising, there were more Narns alive than could be easily supported by resources remaining on the homeworld. Nor were the Narns satisfied to simply have the Centauri removed; they wanted them done to death in the most painful ways possible.
An ancient Terran philosopher said it best perhaps, "Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze long enough into the abyss, forget not that the abyss gazes also into you." In their ruthlessness to eradicate the Centauri, they adopted their enemy's tactics of terror against them. In their quest to care for their people, the Narn rolled over various minor races that had been overlooked by the Centauri conquest, thus consuming their worlds and forcing the inhabitants into servitude for the grand crusade. In their desire to carry the war to their former overlords, the Narn struck out with their dreams of empire in all directions, conquering worlds to gain resources and advantage to strike against the Centauri. In their hatred, the Narn became that which they beheld, and the abyss had entered into them.
The Kha'Ri was in emergency session for the tenth time in as many days. The war had been going badly. After the first initial gains against the Centauri at Quadrant 17, things had gone poorly. They had been arguing over the offer from Emperor Turhan of the Centauri Republic, what all recognized as terms of surrender for the Narn Regime.
Against all estimations and assumptions, the Centauri had united into a cohesive force. The ultra-nationalist Vorchan faction was in ascendancy, having gained power and shunting the more peaceful Basif faction aside. They had found a warlord in the poster boy for the Vorchan faction, the Assassin of Kotac, the thrice-damned Lord Jentavus Roglark.
He had started with his speech before the Centaurum condemning Lord Tesu the Governor of Quadrant 17, which led to the ruination of their supply depot at Kotac. He narrowly escaped death at Ardun, then returned the following day to Ardun with the final insult of the destruction of three dreadnoughts. With nearly every move Roglark the Assassin had thwarted almost all of the Narn aims for the war. It might take more than twenty years to rebuild those losses in warships alone.
Warleader G'Sten raised his voice again, trying to bring some calm, "Citizens! Citizens please! We must discuss this matter in a more productive manner!" Citizen Malroth, carrying the temporary rank of Warcaptain, stood and tried to shout down the dissenters as well. Many of the Narns in the room quieted down amid a great deal of grumbling. G'Sten shook his head sadly at the division within the room. "We are not united," he thought for at least the thousandth time since this most recent war with the Centauri began.
Warcaptain Malroth stayed standing, silently fuming as the room quieted somewhat. His plans for taking much of the Buffer Zone had been nearly perfect. Had he and G'Sten been listened to, all of it would be under Narn control, especially the holy ground of Ardun. That was what angered Malroth the most: the fleet had been unable to secure the strategic grave-shrine of Ardun. "Citizens," he shouted, "we must talk about what answer we shall give Turhan at the deadline in two days!"
"Talk about your failure you mean!" Na'Far shot back.
Malroth swung around on Na'Far, his hand twitching towards where the dagger should be on his belt. "No weapons in council,"he remembered. That had been a change in the Kha'Ri after The Uprising. "The only failure was in trusting YOU to put our people before yourself Na'Far!" Malroth barked. Clenching both fists, he shook them while yelling, "Was your grab for glory at Quadrant 17 worth it Na'Far?"
Na'Far sat back in his chair, a beatific smile on his face. "The Centauri colony was destroyed," he said dismissively.
Malroth's fury rose to apoplectic levels as he shouted back, "But at what cost? By striking Quadrant 17 precipitously you alerted the Centauri to an offensive in the making!" Malroth began ticking off Na'Far's shortcomings on his fingers, "You roused them to life! You gave them a single thing to rally around!" You gave the Vorchan faction ammunition against their opposites the Basifs!" He shook his head sadly. "You gave the thrice-damned Roglark his opening to eliminate the fool Tesu and assume command of the entire front."
Ha'Rok, a comrade of Na'Far, leaned forward and spoke in his defense, "Destroying Quadrant 17 was in the war plan."
"At the end of next year you druval!" Malroth yelled. There were a few nervous laughs at the insult 'druval', it indicating an animal bereft of sense.
The war plan had called for much more than simply regaining the Buffer Zone. Once much of the Zone was regained, (Ardun being the most strategically important) it could be used for forward bases, making it easier to attack other Centauri colonies like Quadrant 17. More importantly the forward bases in the Buffer Zone would allow them to follow up on attacks to the Centauri interior. Supply lines would have been shorter, flank or rear attacks from the Centauri would have been harder for them to execute with both edges of the front touching space controlled by powerful governments that were at best neutral. Some, like the Drazi, were actively hostile. Strategically Ardun was the key, and as such the Centauri fought hard for it. Through Ardun went many jump routes for the remainder of the Buffer Zone, the Narn Regime, Epsilon Eridani, and the only ones into the Centauri Republic from the Zone.
Na'Far waved away the statement and insult saying, "Warcaptain Sh'Tak approved the attack." There was a great deal of murmuring over that declaration, much of it laudatory. Malroth saw the hero worship directed at Na'Far by some of the Kha'Ri, especially the ones that felt the war should be handled more aggressively.
Not liking what he saw from his fellow Kha'Ri, Warleader G'Sten jumped to Malroth's aid saying, "He gave his approval only verbally?"
A brief flash of irritation swept Na'Far's face as he said, "He gave it verbally to me."
"Strange," G'Sten mused out loud, "that he did not send word, or log the orders with the War Command. Do you know why?"
Na'Far snorted saying, "I would not presume to know the Warcaptain's mind."
"A shame we cannot ask him." Malroth said. Warcaptain Sh'Tak had not survived the attack at Quadrant 17.
Looking pious Na'Far said, "Yes, may his spirit rest in peace."
Bowing their heads, many of the Narns replied in unison, "May his spirit rest in peace."
Another member of the Kha'Ri, Ambassador G'Kar, leaned forward and said, "Yes, a pity we could not ask him why he deviated so drastically from the approved war plans."
Malroth was somewhat surprised G'Kar had spoken: G'Kar was not a typical supporter of his. "However," he thought, "G'Kar is often an opponent of Na'Far."
Na'Far shrugged saying, "Perhaps he felt the plan was too tame." There was a quick murmur of assent from some of those at the table.
"The plan would have worked," Malroth thought. When composing his war plan over a year ago, Malroth's in depth research showed many things in favor of the Narn Regime: that the Centauri had no stomach for another war; that the more peaceful Basif faction was in ascendancy in the Centaurum (and that they would probably be willing to make more concessions); that Emperor Turhan would have allowed much to go unanswered in regards with the Buffer Zone; that the main neutral power, the Earth Alliance, would most likely have stayed neutral despite their friendship with the Centauri. Many dreams of the Narn people would be within their grasp including securing the graveshrine of Ardun.
But all of that changed with the Quadrant 17 debacle. Na'Far had trooped off to the Centauri colony with a large fleet commanded by Warcaptain Sh'Tak, (nearly a quarter of Malroth's total fleet), completely ignoring the central war plan. He had the prestige to pull off such a move, even more so now since the populace had seen his smashing of the Centauri as bold. Only those in the War Command had actually known how the operation had been an empty victory (at least as far as long-term plans had been concerned).
Na'Far smiled as he went on, "After all, Quadrant 17 was a spectacular victory."
Malroth slapped the table with his open hand growling, "A victory that has only helped the Centauri!"
That set the table to grumbling again. G'Kar spoke up again saying, "As we all know, helping the Centauri is no mystery to Na'Far." Na'Far and his supporters immediately jumped to their feet, trying to shout down the old accusation of Na'Far having been a Centauri collaborator. G'Kar's voice could be heard over the din, "Perhaps he was pining for his Centauri paramour."
"For the thousandth time, I never touched that bitch Lady Schiaze!" Na'Far screamed exasperatedly at G'Kar.
G'Kar's face assumed a look of innocence as he said, "Who said anything about Lady Schiaze?"
Na'Far looked stunned for a moment at the suggestion, then a dull mask of rage dropped over his face. His hands balled into fists as he launched himself across the table at G'Kar. Na'Far's supporters immediately grappled with him, trying to prevent the attack. They eventually got him seated again amid catcalls from the room at large. Malroth saw disappointment briefly flicker across G'Kar's face. As G'Kar shifted in his seat, Malroth caught a glimpse of him slipping what appeared to be a thin blade under a wristband. "How interesting," Malroth thought. Somehow G'Kar had hidden a weapon from the scanners. The blade had been a dull, non-reflective black. Malroth wondered what it had been made of as the scanners detected metals, crystals, and ceramics to prevent weapons from being carried into the council chambers.
Malroth wondered if the blade had been made of Terran carbon-fiber. He knew that they manufactured the hideously expensive material and marketed its ability to defeat metal sensors. Perhaps G'Kar's penchant for bedding Terran women, and his post as ambassador to Earth, had made it possible for him to acquire just such a weapon. G'Kar caught him staring and inclined his head briefly in acknowledgement.
As the room quieted down, Malroth regretted that the session had degenerated into resurrecting the specter of past wrongs. It had been rumored that Na'Far had had an unusually...close relationship with the Centauri Lady Schiaze before The Uprising, even though Narn and Centauri were entirely incompatible for sexual relations. Malroth knew the rumor had started because somehow the Lady Schiaze and her personal entourage had escaped The Uprising, even though Na'Far had been her personal house slave. To add further fuel to the fire of rumor, Na'Far had also come into a rather large amount of personal wealth by the time The Uprising was over. Malroth knew many others long suspected that Na'Far had simply accepted a bribe from the Lady Schiaze for safe passage. Even with all of the brutality involved with the occupation, House Schiaze was known as a rather benign House by both Centauri and even Narn standards. For many, it was not inconceivable that a young Na'Far had succumbed to a moment of weakness.
"We all have things we would like to forget about that time," Malroth thought. He had shown weakness himself during those long blood-drenched years of fighting. Once, Malroth had another name, one he did not mention. He had left his old name behind after his own moment of weakness caused the death of those undeserving.
In command of his own revolutionary cell, he had fought long and hard for Narn freedom. After nearly two years The Uprising was beginning to wind down as more of the Centauri fled rather than fight. Many Narn, especially those that had not had harsh masters, were tired of the bloodshed. They wanted nothing more than to return to Narn and begin rebuilding. Zha'Gan, (as Malroth was called then), was one of those tired of the slaughter. His own moment of weakness stemmed from his battle fatigue. His group had found an enclave of Centauri that had been on the edge of the fighting. They were in a high, well-defended spot in some low mountains. The other Centauri were abandoning the planet, and holding the spaceport to do it, just on the other side of the range. The enclave had an old female Narn servant with them who was sent out to parley a free passage arrangement. The Centauri simply wanted to leave to make it to the spaceport, taking nothing of what they had horded with them. Weary of the constant killing, he gave his word to let them just go, so long as the Centauri of this enclave set their Narn slaves free.
The Centauri commander set the few remaining slaves free, and set out as quickly as he could with his group to the spaceport. He had many non-combatants with him and the going was slow enough to be witnessed. Some of Zha'Gan's/Malroth's men had become incensed that he had let the Centauri go free, and in the middle of the night set out to kill them. He realized what they were going to do, and quickly left with two close friends to intercept them from ambushing the fleeing Centauri.
But he was too late. Though his cadre overtook the other vengeful Narn ahead of the Centauri group, in the darkness they set off the ambush. The noise alerted the Centauri who were armed and ready, perhaps suspecting just such an attack. In the dark of the mountain pass a vicious three-way firefight erupted of which Zha'Gan/Malroth, though wounded, was the sole survivor. As he limped and staggered back to his camp, he came across the Centauri commander. He was barely clinging to life, but to Zha'Gan's/Malroth's experienced eyes, not for very long. The Centauri commander recognized him in the predawn light, and spit out one word as he expired: malroth. It was a Centauri swear word describing a type of demon known as a deceiver and an oath-breaker. It was used in Centauri culture to describe the worst sort of villain, but one who is always the last man standing at the end. Looking about at the carnage of his men, and those that had trusted his word, Zha'Gan took the name Malroth as a symbol of his failure.
To add final insult to his perceived failure, a bit of a legend grew up around his change of name. It came to be believed that he had deliberately set up the Centauri enclave, and had personally led the ambush himself. Supposedly the Centauri had cursed at him with their dying breath, calling him The Malroth, (the deceiving demon).
The notoriety he gained from the ambush did have at least one positive side effect: he was promoted from a field commander into the Kha'Ri. From there he chose to be a devotee of the newly emergent G'Sten and his fledgling Narn Deep Space Fleet. All of which had led him here, to this place where their leaders chose personal prestige before the welfare of the people, where the war they could not afford to lose had been lost nearly before it began, and where thousands upon thousands of young males and females died to no avail.
The table had fallen to bickering again. The voices of his comrades sounded hollow and weak as they traded insults and blame. Malroth noticed that his mentor G'Sten, and surprisingly G'Kar, were silent as the multi-sided tirade continued. The cacophony was giving Malroth a headache. Elbows on the table, he dropped his head into his hands, trying hard to think of a way out of this predicament for his people. If only there was a way to convince some of the other empires to join against the Centauri. A resurgent Republic with a freshly veteran military should scare them out of their wits. Even now, reports were coming in that the entire Republican Reserve had been called up, and mothball units were being activated at a breakneck pace. Certain industries that were needed or the war effort were running shifts around the clock. Perhaps most telling of all: many of the moderate Centauri Houses were gathering ships and men, not just those associated with the Vorchan clique. Surely others could see that such a massive build up was meant for more than just the Narn. The Centauri hammer would swing again, and soon.
Na'Far was still going on at length about "the aims of the Regime..."and "the work of the Regime..." and "the pride of the Regime." With Na'Far and his cronies it was always "the Regime", "the Regime", "the Regime", never as it was in the earlier days (and more appropriately): the people. Malroth shoved his fleet documents and copy of the proposed surrender agreement into his satchel. He then heaved to his feet, slipped the satchel over his shoulder, and left the room. He was unable to sit and listen to the nattering any longer.
He went straightaway to his quarters. He kept a small set of rooms here in the capitol city of G'Khamazad. Though the quarters were relatively Spartan in comfort they contained a vast array of research materials and information storage equipment. Malroth followed the precept of 'know thine enemy' seriously. He had collected dossiers, reports, visuals, assessments, even anecdotes about every major (and many minor) players in the Centauri political and military organizations. This sat side-by-side with plans and reports on every piece of Centauri military equipment from the Octurion-class battleship all of the way down to the bayonets of the lowliest soldatii.
This is not to say he only studied the Centauri, far from it. His quest for knowledge had broadened to include leaders and inventories from the Earth Alliance, all of the members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, even a modicum of information on the enigmatic Minbari. His collection of information was his pride and joy.
Malroth pulled open his alcohol cabinet, pausing briefly to make a selection. He dallied with the idea of getting blind drunk, and even went as far as reaching for the bottle of kriul, the potent Drink of the People (potent enough to be fatal to any human that consumed it). He swept the idea out of his head and instead grabbed the Taree, pouring a glass of the spiced blood-red wine into a glass. He carried it over to the table where he had set his document satchel.
Malroth dropped into a chair, still wanting to scream in fury at Na'Far. A glass-and-a-half later he had calmed somewhat, at least enough to think again about the war situation. "There must be SOME way to wring advantage out of this debacle," he thought. He leaned back in his chair crossing his arms, the now empty glass cradled to his chest, eyes closed in thought. He went over the peace offer from Turhan in his mind, carefully trying to find any edge for his people. As he sat ruminating, his fatigue finally caught up with him and he dozed, drifting into vague dreams of pursuit and flight.
Malroth awoke with a start, nearly dropping his empty glass. He placed the glass on the table, glancing at the illuminated clock: he had dozed for the better part of an hour. Malroth stretched from his sitting position, then got back to work. He was going back over the peace agreement line by line, not knowing what he was looking for, but he felt certain he would know it when he saw it.
During his reading an idea came to him. Malroth quickly checked annotations and indexes, grateful that they had been provided. Whatever Centauri functionary wrote the document had given full vent to the Centauri penchant for writing much but saying little. Amid many flourishing statements and references, ("Why oh why couldn't the Centauri just SAY what they meant clearly and succinctly," he thought), Malroth found what he wanted and an idea formed. Its simplicity was elegant, provided the Centauri were willing to adhere to their own document as it was written. It would require a savvy negotiator and a willing neutral representative.
Malroth's work was interrupted by the door chime. Not even looking up from the papers strewn all over the table, he yelled out to the door intercom, "Who is it?"
"It's G'Sten," the speaker said.
"Come," Malroth said. The door opened and his mentor entered the room. Malroth looked up to greet him but was struck speechless by the expression on G'Sten's face. He could tell whatever G'Sten had come to say was not good news. Swallowing his trepidation, Malroth asked, "What is it my friend?"
G'Sten crossed to the table and poured them both a glass of the Taree before speaking. "I wanted you to hear this from me, not from some sycophant of Na'Far." He sighed then continued, "Before the council recessed for the day, it had decided to relieve you of command and strip you of your rank as Warcaptain." G'Sten reached out and laid a hand on Malroth's shoulder saying, "I'm sorry my friend. I argued hard against this, but Na'Far was relentless. The council needed someone to blame, and Na'Far successfully argued that the failure of the war plan should be laid on its author."
Malroth sat stunned. "Am I to be executed or merely imprisoned?" he asked.
G'Sten shook his head and said, "No, nothing like that. Na'Far hinted at treachery but no one believed him."
Malroth snorted, "So I am not a traitor, merely incompetent."
G'Sten tightened his hand on Malroth's shoulder and said, "You and I both know that if the plan had been followed..."
"And now we must accept defeat," Malroth said bitterly. "A defeat that could have been avoided and made a victory."
"We will rise again my friend." G'Sten pondered a moment then grew thoughtful, "And we have learned some valuable lessons: our older starships are inferior and completely inadequate for modern warfare, our secondary weapons lack the range to do their job properly, we must build more scouts as their support while jumping from hyperspace is paramount."
"Costly lessons," Malroth added.
They both sat a moment, dwelling on the thousands of young lives lost. Their reverie was interrupted by the door chime. "Yes?" Malroth said.
A voice came from the speaker, "It is G'Kar. May I come in Malroth?"
Malroth looked at G'Sten who simply shrugged. Malroth said, "Enter."
G'Kar stepped into the room and sat at the table with them. Malroth reached for another glass and poured G'Kar a drink. "Thank-you," he said. After drinking deeply he continued, "First Malroth, I am sorry about your...situation. I want you to know I voted against cashiering you."
Malroth nodded in thanks saying, "Thank-you Ambassador."
"Oh please, just G'Kar among friends," he said self-deprecatingly.
Malroth was a bit surprised at the statement, mentally raising a brow-ridge. G'Kar had never been an ally of his, though to be fair he had not been an enemy either.
"Malroth...I...hmm," G'Kar stumbled, a look of genuine empathy on his face.
Malroth nodded and said, "Thank-you again G'Kar."
G'Kar sat silent for a moment then said, "Gentlemen, we must end this war quickly. Though the people's spirit is high, from the reports I have read our losses are appalling."
"They are apt to grow worse with Na'Far 'helping'," G'Sten added. Abruptly G'Sten's comlink chirped. He immediately stood saying, "Excuse me, it is the War Command." He walked a few feet away, speaking into the comlink in hushed tones, returning after only a few moments. "I apologize, but I must cut my visit short. I am needed at the War Ministry." G'Sten turned to leave, then paused at the doorway and said, "The Centauri have sent a revised version of the surrender agreement, adding one more demand: that we break off all military and diplomatic ties with the Drazi Freehold." As the impact of his pronouncement sank in G'Sten said, "Good evening Citizens," then he turned and left.
Malroth sat up straighter saying, "That brings the crosshairs into focus. They intend to continue the war with the Drazi and want us safely out of the way."
"Why wait until now to add the demand?" G'Kar asked.
"Yesterday on Centauri Prime," Malroth said, "Emperor Turhan called a meeting of many high ranking military House Lords, Republican Reserve commanders, and the upper echelons of the Imperial Guard. The decision must have been made to pursue the conflict against the Drazi."
They sat silent for a time, drinking the Taree. "Do you think Roglark the Assassin will be given command for a Drazi invasion?" G'Kar asked.
Malroth thought a moment before answering, "Yes. At present he is their most competent admiral. His own men would follow him to their death." Malroth shook his head saying, "And somehow he has turned his Republican Reserve units into actual warriors." Malroth in particular was thinking of the stand of the Republican Reserve battlecruiser Valerius. She had stood toe-to-toe with four older Narn cruisers, not just holding them off but destroying all four of them, though it brought about her own demise.
Pausing to carefully consider his words before continuing Malroth said, "We can expect to see House Roglark warships, along with those of his vassal Houses, transferred to any assault against the Drazi." He continued, "In addition Roglark should have plenty of support from the Imperial Guard should he desire it."
G'Kar looked surprised asking, "How so?"
"Admiral Lord Binlamar Catus," Malroth said, "Supreme Commander of the Imperial Guard is Jentavus Roglark's Patru."
"Damnation!" G'Kar barked. He slammed a fist down on the table, slopping the glasses of Taree. "Every time you throw a Centauri across a room, he lands on relatives!" G'Kar jumped up to stop the spill from ruining the papers on the table saying, "I wasn't under the impression a 'Patru' was a true relation."
Malroth nodded saying, "Its not, more a friend of the family." He paused then said, "But traditionalist Centauri families take the relationship very seriously, and Houses Roglark and Catus are traditionalists to the core." Malroth shrugged adding, "With that in mind, Admiral Catus will try to extend every bit of help he can to his 'nephew', barring a direct order from the Emperor himself." Malroth thought a moment then added, "Couple that with the reports I have had of other House fleets mustering and the entire Republican Reserve being mobilized..."
"You paint a bleak picture," G'Kar said quietly.
"I only wished to give you an honest answer," Malroth replied.
G'Kar sat lost in thought. After a time he asked, "How long can the Drazi withstand the Centauri?"
Malroth stared into the deep redness of his glass before saying, "Once hostilities commence, perhaps two months, depending on what route The Assassin takes to their homeworld of Zhabar."
"Surely you are joking Malroth," G'Kar chuckled. "Even after two years the Dilgar couldn't take Zhabar." He chuckled again saying, "Unless you are telling me Roglark the Assassin is better than Jha'dur and Dar'sen were."
Malroth poured them more liquor saying, "Battlemaster Dar'sen had orders to only hold the Drazi, not take their homeworld, and Jha'dur never faced them in combat." Malroth shook his head saying, "Don't have contempt for him because he is Centauri, G'Kar. Roglark is probably the best battlefield commander they have had in the last two generations. He takes the boldest of courses and somehow succeeds." He took a swallow of his Taree and said, "I shudder to think what would have happened if he had been in charge of the Centauri fleet during The Uprising."
As if musing G'Kar said, "He trusts his dice, and his dice like him..."
Malroth wasn't quite sure he heard that right and said, "I beg your pardon?"
"I'm sorry," G'Kar said. "A phrase a human once told me, in regards to games. He said, about one particularly lucky fellow, that 'He trusts his dice, and his dice like him'."
G'Kar sat thoughtful, then said, "Malroth, we need to make sure the other races understand the threat the Centauri pose, especially with so many of their forces mobilized." He paused then continued, "I like the way you think. I am in need of a partner, someone to accompany me as I try to rally other races against the Centauri threat. When I leave Homeworld I want you to come with me."
Malroth stared speechless for a moment. He had never considered himself a diplomat. "If you feel I can help you serve our people, then I will gladly come."
"Excellent!" G'Kar said, smiling.
"Where do we go first?" Malroth asked.
G'Kar grew thoughtful once again then asked, "Have you ever been to Earth?"
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