Bridge of TCS Bull Run: The rest of the Earth delegation arrived in the Edding system, and transferred over to the Bull Run. The EA ship then left and proceeded back to Beta Durani. The comm. tech was a little surprised the following morning by the incoming signal, and when he responded, he was really surprised. He quickly alerted the XO, who immediately called the Captain to the bridge.

When he arrived there, Captain Grove was looking a little tired, "What's up Ian?"

"We just got an incoming message for Lennon, the Minbari will be here in half an hour."

Captain Grove looked at him, "Well they're only a day early, have you informed Lennon or the others?"

"Not yet sir."

Captain Grove yawned, "Inform our guests Commander, I'm going to get some coffee."

"Yes sir."

Twenty-five minutes later, everyone was on the bridge when the Minbari ship exited hyperspace. Lennon and Nosann both looked at the ship, and the captain thought he heard a small gasp coming from Nosann.

The XO looked at the captain, "Do we scan her sir?"

"Passive scans only commander, we don't wish to appear rude."

"Yes sir."

Commander Sheridan looked at the ship, and he remembered the last time he had seen a ship like that. Lennon came up beside him, as if he knew what the commander was thinking.

"Yes commander, it is the same class as the Black Star. It is the Valen-tha, one of our finest."

Sheridan looked at him, "Let's just hope this meeting goes better than my last one with a ship like that."

Lennon smiled at him, "I'm sure it will commander, I'm sure it will."

..
The comm. tech received another signal from the Minbari ship, request permission to send over the delegation. The Captain responded in person, "Valen-tha, this is Captain Jeffery Grove of the TCS Bull Run, we would be honored to receive your delegation. Would you allow us 30 minutes to prepare a proper greeting for them?"

The request was considered and then agreed on, and the signal ended. The captain looked at the delegates present, "I guess we should get things moving then."

Thirty minutes later, the Minbari shuttle was setting down in landing bay Alpha. As soon as it was down, the honor guard took their positions, and the Captain and the delegates awaited the Minbari delegates.

..
Bridge of the Valen-tha:
As they exited hyperspace, the Shai Alyt looked at the ship in orbit of the planet.

"Well at least it looks better than the earther ships."

Satai Racine stood next to him, "I agree, this one looks like a war ship. Not like most of the earther ships we have seen."

"Should we scan it Satai?"

"No Shai Alyt, just passive scans. If they were going to start anything, they would have done so when we exited hyperspace."

Now the Shai Alyt looked at him, "Satai Racine, are you sure that it is wise to be doing this?"

Racine looked at him, "Wise, who knows. But it is necessary. Besides, someone with a backbone needs to be there to make sure Delenn doesn't give the humans our entire Federation."

Both of them chuckled a bit, and the Shai Alyt had the human ship hailed. The arrangements were made, and he ended the signal.

..
Now he looked at Racine with a serious look on his face. "Since I can't stop you from going, at least take an honor guard with you. I have six of the finest warriors of my clan who will accompany you and follow your orders."

Before he could say anything, a voice from behind them spoke, "That is an excellent idea Shai Alyt. We do not wish to appear as the weak party at these negotiations."

Both men turned and the Shai Alyt bowed to Satai Delenn. "But Shai Alyt, will they follow my orders as well?"

"Of course Satai Delenn."

"Then we will have them as our honor guard. Have them meet us in the shuttle bay at the time of launching."

"Of course Satai Delenn."

Delenn looked at Racine, who said nothing, and then they left the bridge to prepare for the upcoming meetings. Delenn stopped at her quarters and retrieved a Tri-Luminary, which she would use when questioning the Minbari on board the human ship. If the humans asked what it is, she would tell them the truth, it was a Holy Icon, she just wouldn't tell them the whole truth.

..
Landing Bay Alpha TCS Bull Run:
As the door of the shuttle opened, the six Minbari guards came out first. An older Minbari man in fine gold and black robes followed them. A younger Minbari woman in white and yellow robes followed him. The man and woman came to the front, and the six guards fell in place behind them. They then started toward the gathered people, and the guards of both sides were eyeing each other carefully. As they approached the gathered humans and the two Anla-shok, the tension was almost palpable. When they were in front of the humans, Lennon and Nosann both bowed deeply.

Lennon spoke to them, "You honor us with your presence here Satai's."

Delenn smiled a little, "We are honored to be here. But do not use our titles."

Then the Minbari delegation bowed to them. Lennon turned to the others; "It is my great pleasure to introduce Master Racine of the Star Riders clan, and Mistress Delenn of the House of Mir."

To their surprise, all of the humans bowed to them. Lennon continued, and introduced the humans.

..
Delenn thanked Lennon, and turned to the human he had called Captain Grove. "Captain, before we start to talk, we would like to see our people on your boat."

Captain Grove bit back a smirk, "Of course Miss Delenn."

Delenn had seen the Captain's response, and she looked at Lennon, "Did I say something wrong?"

Lennon smiled, "You called his vessel a boat, when it is a ship."

Now she turned to the Captain, "I am sorry if I offended you or your ship Captain. I am still not good with your speech."

"That's perfectly alright Miss Delenn. I too know how hard it can be to learn an aliens language." and he remembered the lessons on the Kilrathi language that he had taken when he was at the academy.

"If you will allow me, I'll be more than happy to escort you to where our guest's are quartered."

..
Soon they had arrived at the area where the Minbari were being held. Lennon suggested that they go in alone, so they could talk to the Minbari in private. As soon as the Minbari prisoners saw Delenn and Racine, they all bowed. Racine and Delenn bowed in return and Delenn carefully removed the Tri-Luminary from her robes. As they walked about the room, they asked various Minbari how they had been cared for, and Delenn watched the Tri-Luminary for any signs of falsehoods. To Racine's surprise, the Tri-Luminary showed that everyone they questioned was speaking truthfully.

Now he was thinking, "Perhaps not all humans are the barbaric creatures we thought them to be."

When they were satisfied, Delenn and Racine went to the door, and rejoined the others. Delenn was walking past Lt Commander Sinclair, when she noticed the Tri-Luminary was glowing very brightly, and was almost humming in her hand. Racine and Lennon also noticed this, but neither said anything.

Racine came up to Captain Grove, "Captain, we would like to move our people to the Valan-tha as soon as possible."

"Of course, would you prefer to use your own shuttles, or would you care to use ours."

Delenn smiled at him, "I think it would be safer if we used our shuttles Captain. But thank you for the offer."

Captain Grove looked at Racine, "If you want, my XO can contact your ship and we can begin the transfers as soon as possible."

Racine allowed himself a small smile, "Thank you Captain Grove."

..
Now Delenn looked at the Captain, "Captain, there is one small matter that we would like your help with."

Captain Grove smiled, "And what would that be Miss Delenn?"

She hesitated for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "It involves the incident with Anla-shok Nosann. We would like to speak to anyone who was there, if that is permissible."

"Of course Miss Delenn, in fact there are three people on board who were there."

He pointed at Nosann, Lt Commander Sinclair and himself. "The three of us were there, and even testified at the court martial of the security officer. When would you like to speak to us?"

Racine looked at him, "As soon as possible, and in a more private setting."

Captain Grove looked at him, "I'll have briefing room one set up for you, it should fulfill all of your needs." and then he gestured for them to follow him.

..
Briefing room one TCS Bull Run:
Racine and Delenn asked that they be allowed to talk to each of them in private, one at a time. They first set up a recorder, and then questioned Nosann, and they used the Tri-Luminary. They found that he completely truthful in all of his answers, but the one that surprised them was when Delenn asked him why he had sworn a personal bond oath to the human woman.

"Her brother was her protector, and he was human. Yet he gave up his life to save mine, a person that he hardly knew, and one that he had been in battle against a few days before. When I saw the level of the sacrifice that he had made for me, I felt almost ashamed at the way I had been thinking of the humans. I had seen how all of the humans had done everything that they could for our people, and now I saw the pain and suffering that my being alive was causing this young woman. I knew that I had a debt to her, him and the universe to repay. Even if I spend my whole life helping and caring for her, I will still be in debt to him."

..
They next talked to Captain Grove, and again he was truthful. What surprised them was that the Tri-luminary glowed a little when near him. After he had left, Racine looked at Delenn. "Why did the Tri-Luminary glow like that?"

Delenn looked at him, "Perhaps it was because his soul is much like a Minbari's."

But the two of them got the greatest shock of their lives when they questioned Lt Commander Sinclair. Delenn was behind him holding the Tri-Luminary as Racine asked him questions. The Tri-Luminary glowed so bright and vibrated so much that Lt Commander Sinclair became aware of it. He turned and looked at Delenn, "And what is that?"

She looked at him and put the Tri-Luminary away. "It is a Holy Icon of the Minbari. It allows the holder to know if a person is speaking truthfully or not. She didn't tell him of its other uses.

"Well I hope you now know the truth."

She looked at him with the slightest hint of a smile, "I believe that we do Commander, I believe that we do."

..
After he had left the room, Racine looked at her. "I have never seen the Tri-Luminary shine so brightly. Even when you were chosen for the council, it didn't shine as bright."

She looked at him, "As you know Racine, the House of Mir was founded by the children of Valen. It is said that all in the house have a direct line back to him. That is why the Tri-Luminary glowed brightly when I became a council member. The stories of the Tri-Luminaries say that in the presence of Valen himself, the Tri-Luminaries would glow so brightly, that everyone would have to shield there eyes. When he was present, no shadow could come near him, and no false speaking could be done."

Racine looked at her, "Are you saying that he is descended from Valen?"

"Racine, we all know that the numbers of Minbari souls born into each generation have become less and less. We now know were those souls have been going."

Racine looked at her in shock, "Are you saying that the humans have Minbari souls?"

Delenn looked at him, "It would explain many things about the humans, and why the Vorlons have said that they would be our new allies in the coming shadow war. I believe that Minbari souls are in the humans, in whole or in part, that would also explain why the Tri-Luminary glowed by Captain Grove. And I believe that the shadow of Valen's soul is in the Commander."

Racine sat down in a chair, and just shook his head from side to side. "We have been killing Minbari souls when we kill the humans. We have broken the first law of Valen, no Minbari will kill another Minbari."

Delenn put a hand on his shoulder, "We now have a chance to atone for that mistake. We can end this war, and begin to prepare for the next one that is coming."

Racine nodded, and then looked at her, "No one but the council members must know of this. We can't let the others or the humans learn the truth."

"I agree, so for now we will only inform the council of what we have found."

They collected themselves, and picked up their equipment. They then informed the EA delegation that they had to return to their ship and that they would see them on the following day.