*Sorry about the long time to update the story. I was pretty busy with other writing projects including a book I published online. But, I am back in the game.

Chapter 21: The Price of Loyalty

Lennier stepped off the small lift of the ship and down the corridor. A couple days had passed since he had heard the Starkiller's outrageous claims about Jha'dur. But, for all its outrageousness, it had bugged him. The human had seemed so sincere in the truth of his words.

He stepped up to the door with the chime bells to the side of it and paused for a second.

Wait! he thought to himself, What am I doing? I cannot go just walk up to Shai Al'yt Sinoval and confront him about this?

But, curiosity won out against reason and he slid his hand down the crystals for the bell. The door slid open nearly immediately and in front of him, towering and intimidating was Shai Al'yt Sinoval. His clean face looked down on Lennier.

Lennier saw a glimpse of movement to the side of his eyes and a quick glance showed him a woman in the background. But, he could not tell who it was.

"What do you want, Anla'Shok?" Sinoval growled, his eyes bearing deep into Lenniers', "As you can see I am busy."

"Sorry," Lennier held his fingers up to shape a triangle and bowed, "I must have been turned around."

Sinoval grunted and beckoned him in. Lennier stood for a second in mid bow, wondering what this was about. But, he stood and walked inside and the door slid closed behind him. He entered the room and looked upon the woman who was sitting on the couch. It was clear to Lennier she was not Minbari. What race was she?

"Anla'Shok Lennier," Sinoval said, walking to a chair and sitting, "I said I was busy, but you might be able to help. My friend here is currently trying to break Sheridan Starkiller."

"Oh yes?" Lennier said, standing near a small table. He automatically did not like the woman, whomever she was.

"You have had some time to be around the human," Sinoval remarked, "What has he revealed to you?"

"Nothing," Lennier said.

"Really?" Sinoval asked, raising an eyebrow, "I have heard that you have spoken to the human at length. Do you deny this?"

Lennier shook his head, "I don't know what you are talking about. We have said maybe one or two words back and forth."

"Like what?" Sinoval pressed as he ran down a hand along his robe and straightened it out.

"He did mention that he was being tortured by Jha'dur," Lennier remarked, but laughed, "That is a ridiculous statement though."

"Indeed," the woman at last spoke, having been silent the rest of the time, "I did not so much torture him as I tried persuading."

Lenniers' eyes narrowed. This woman could not be who she claimed to be. It was outrageous! But, why was a small voice in the back of his mind nagging him that it was the truth?

"Yes," Sinoval said, taking Jha'dur's hand in his own and lifting her knuckles to his lips, "This is Jha'dur. Deathwalker."

Lennier sat stunned as if a thunderbolt had struck him. What would drive an honorable Minbari to ever join forces with Deathwalker? Minbari do not lie though. The whole idea was a sacrilege to nature itself. But, she could not nearly be old enough to be Deathwalker. Minbari do not lie.

"You said you needed my help?" he finally asked.

"I actually need you," Jha'dur said, standing and beckoning him to follow her through an opening in the wall, "I have been working on a serum for eternal youth and immortality."

"That's..." he said hesitantly, "Generous. And who would benefit from this discovery?"

"My," she said with a small vicious smile, "The Minbari of course. The Windswords hid me for years after my defeat at the hands of the humans. And when the Grey Council learned, they did not interfere, since I could be very instrumental to them for the next war with the Human Remnant."

"And why would they make such a deal?" he asked a cold seething anger building up inside him, following her into the corridor which was dark, no lights in here to show the way, "Why would they allow you to live, even with a promise of a serum that could or could not be true?"

"Because," she said, her voice like the announcement of a harsh winter on the Valen'Zal Mountains in the southern continent of Minbar, "The essence of it comes from the life-force of humans."

As realization dawned on him, two halves warred against themselves inside of him. One side debated that the woman was lying, that Sinoval was no more than a rogue, working on his own. He didn't even believe there was an actual serum. By Valen, the whole thing could be a lie.

But, the other side spoke the opposite. Why was she here? Surely the Grey Council was all-knowing. And yet, if they were, that would mean they knew about this, unless they weren't all-knowing. But, then again, she was here.

And he followed the sounds of her footfalls into a room with a center light. And in that center light was Starkiller. He looked in horrified wonder at the proud man, kneeling on the floor, head bent down, bluish light cast him in an eerie shadow.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting," Jha'dur said, and Lennier saw electric currents strike Sheridan and wrapping around wrists and neck pull him into the air. He thrashed around and he saw a second set wrap up to grab his ankles.

"Now, tell me," Jha'dur said softly, "Where is the Agamemnon?"

And the human remained silent, twitching limply in the air. Jha'dur sighed and touched a button. The voltage increased. And Starkiller, the man who had murdered hundreds of Minbari, whose ship was a specter for his people, screamed.