A Place to Call Home

by Terri Osborne

Susan Ivanova and Lyta Alexander take on the Psi Corps. My take on the Telepath Crisis. (Story is incomplete. Publishers are beginning to be interested in my non-B5 work, so I am not sure when I'm going to get back to this.))

11.

A Place to Call Home
By Terri Osborne
terri@terriosborne.com
Part 11

All Babylon 5 characters and settings belong to JMS, Warner Brothers, TNT and anyone else with legitimate legal claim. No infringement of copyright is intended by this work. Only a few select characters are mine, and should the Great Maker need them, or anyone similar to them, I can probably be bought off with a story credit. ;-)

Even though this covers the same time period and the same major event, no infringement upon J. Gregory Keyes' novels is intended. Though, I will draw upon them for some background information.

Content Warning: [AC] [AL]

Anything encased in * these * is telepathic speech.

A note from the author: This story centers around three characters, Susan Ivanova, Alina Minette (yes, she's baaaack) and, to a certain extent, Lyta Alexander. To the I&M'ers out there, stay tuned, my friends. For the spoiler-allergic, provided you haven't read it already, I would recommend waiting to read Only Those Whose Lives Are Brief. In an intentional Babylon Squared/WWE homage, the flipside of at least one scene in Brief will show up here.

Since I'm not sure of everyone's schedules, I'll include this potential spoiler warning: I'm a continuity junkie, so this includes events through Season 5, as well as things that were revealed in the closing credits of Sleeping in Light. (If you've seen it, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. If not, that's okay, it's not quite that obvious.) Background information on the Psi Corps comes from the Keyes novels. Set in the same potential future as Only Those Whose Lives Are Brief. Considering that this covers the time frame of late 2263 - early 2265, I suppose everything is a potential spoiler (though, it would be one INCREDIBLY lucky guess).

And thanks to Sarah, Sharon and Keith, my eagle-eyed beta readers! Virtual boxes of Godivas to all of you!

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March 29, 2264

Lyta stared through the multiple panes of glass at the main dome of Mars Colony. Over a kilometer away and her skin still crawled from the proximity. Even Centauri Prime would not have been far enough away from him.
Alfred Bester had that effect on people.
The expression that had been on the little man's face all those years ago was burned into her mind forever. A serial murderer, the lowest form of life known to humanity. Death would have been preferable to the fate Alfred Bester had doled out. She could still see the poor soul trying desperately to claw out his own eyes. Anything to be rid of the terrors that Bester had implanted deep inside the man's brain.
One Psi Cop had played judge, jury and executioner for a crime against 'his telepaths.' She had stood silent, allowing the perversion of justice to happen.
If it were the last thing she did, Lyta would make certain Bester paid for his crimes.
Forcing thoughts of revenge into the back of her mind, she turned away from the window and back to the luxurious rooms that Garibaldi called home. The sheer amount of space the home occupied spoke volumes about the building's original owner, the late William Edgars. Money had been no object for the corporate magnate, which was obvious in the simple luxury of real oranges which still occupied the occasional fruit bowls around the house. Lyta knew how much it had cost to get perishables shipped to Babylon Five, and Mars was proving just as formidable. It took someone of means to get little luxuries like that. William Edgars had been that kind of person.
Now, the same could be said for Michael Garibaldi.
Marrying a rich widow had a way of doing that to a man.
Alina and Andrew sat side-by-side on the long sofa, each with a report in hand. She smiled softly at the sight. They had barely known each other a month, yet they worked perfectly together.
Of course, the mutual attraction she had sensed since their first meeting had absolutely nothing to do with it. It reminded her of two other people she had known not so long ago.
Lyta silently prayed to deities both Vorlon and human that these two didn't share the same fate.
Lowering herself into an overstuffed chair, Lyta picked up a report and began perusing its contents. It was a listing of Psi Cop assignments dated only a week previous. She was not certain from where Garibaldi's sources came, but she was suddenly more thankful for them.
If those same sources could only have obtained Cassandra Alexander's cooperation. Twenty-two years old, and her niece was still causing her trouble. Lyta Alexander was now forced to attempt the impossible, get Susan Ivanova to go along with what had to be the most audacious plan since the retaking of Earth.
Sadness crept into Lyta's mind. A profound sadness that she could not quite place, until she saw Alina wipe a hand across her eyes. Andrew reached across, taking Alina's free hand.
"Alina?" he asked. "What is it?"
Her green eyes raised to the doorway, and a longing smile appeared on her delicate features. She shook Andrew's hand off as she stood. "Marcus," she whispered, wiping away another tear.
Andrew's eyes lowered to Lyta questioningly. All she could do was shrug.
"What are you picking up?" Lyta asked.
Alina's breathing became labored, and Lyta could sense that the woman was fighting to stay in control. "Him," she stated. "I haven't felt it for years, but it's him."
Andrew pulled himself up, his expression matching the concern Lyta felt. "How?"
"I don't know," Alina said. "But I'd know his telepathic signature anywhere."
"Telepathic signatures can't be faked," Lyta said. "Not even Bester could do that."
"Then how-?"
"Ladies and gentlemen," Garibaldi interrupted, pushing open the door to the room. "I believe our last guest has arrived."
The familiar face of Susan Ivanova strode through the doorway. Garibaldi stepped outside, closing the door. Lyta smiled widely at the sight of her old friend, but could not help the thought of what Alina had sensed. There was something different about Ivanova, something other than the Earthforce blues she wore. She appeared tired, more haggard. No amount of makeup could hide the dark circles etched under her blue eyes. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a braid that looked tight enough to give someone a headache. Susan stood stock-still, a military precision that Lyta knew was old habit, nothing more. She was convinced that Susan had even lost weight. She could not help but be concerned by the vision that stood before her, yet Lyta made every effort to hide her thoughts.
Lyta attempted to speak, but stopped when she saw the look in Susan's eyes. Her old friend had locked gazes with Alina, and neither showed any sign of relenting.
"You must be Ivanova," Alina warily said.
Susan squared her shoulders. "Miss Minette. Or, should I say Stewart?"
Alina's eyes lowered. "She's dead," Alina stated. "Fifteen-"
"Fifteen years ago," Susan finished, stepping across the room to where Alina stood. "Thanks, but I don't need the history lesson. I know all about you. Do they?"
Lyta put a hand to Alina's arm. "We know all we need to know. That's enough. But, how did you find out?"
"Mutual friend," she replied. "He thought you were dead."
"He was right. It's a shame I can't tell him that personally." Alina looked up, directly into Susan's eyes. "Or can I?"
It was Susan's turn to look surprised. "He's dead. You know that."
Lyta knew the second she heard the tone of Susan's voice that the woman didn't believe any of what she was saying. Her mouth opened, closing again before words escaped. They had all suspected that Susan knew that Marcus was alive, but what Lyta heard in Susan Ivanova's voice suggested more. The fact that Alina had sensed Marcus's presence right before Susan walked into the room was significant. The question was, how? Something beyond Marcus's apparent death had happened that night in Medlab. The real trick was figuring out what, and the only clue she had stood right before her, arguing with her second-in-command.
"Is he?" Alina countered. "How sure are you that he's dead?"
"Ladies," Andrew interceded. "Can we please sit down and discuss this like rational human beings?"
Alina crossed her arms over her chest, still staring into Susan's eyes. "I want an answer. It was your order that stuck him in that tube, Captain. What's he doing in there if he's dead? Why waste the station's resources?"
"I don't have to explain myself to you," Susan glowered. "I'm starting to wonder why I even came down here."
Lyta stepped forward, putting herself between the two women. "Susan, Alina, Andrew's right. We need to sit down and talk. Personal business can wait until later. Now, can we please call a cease-fire?"
"I didn't shoot first," Alina stated. "I think you should ask her."
One copper eyebrow raised. "Susan? Seems to me like you two should try to get along, for Marcus at least."
Susan stared hard at Alina, then visibly relaxed. "All right."
Alina nodded, allowing Andrew to pull her back down to the sofa. "Now," she said. "You called this meeting, Captain. What is it you need?"
Susan's eyes came to rest on Lyta. "I'm joining up."
Lyta's jaw dropped. "You're what?"
"I'm joining you."
"Well, that certainly makes things easier," Andrew commented.
"Makes what easier?" Susan asked.
Alina looked over at Andrew, then raised her eyes to Susan. "We were about to ask for your help. Lyta told me-."
"I told her about your history with Bester and the Corps," Lyta interrupted. "We need somebody with your skills, Susan. Desperately."
Susan settled into a large white chair. "My skills?"
"Well, your skills and your connections," Lyta admitted with a sheepish smile. "You're the only person I can think of that could pull off this job."
"What's the job?"
"Infiltration," Alina stated. "We need a person to work on the inside."
"Inside Psi Corps?" Susan asked, disgust in her voice. "Not on your life."
"It won't be for long," Lyta consoled. "Maybe a month."
Susan's jaw dropped. "A month! Lyta, do you have any idea what Bester could do to me in a month?"
Lyta leaned back in her chair. "Yes, I do," she replied. "I've seen the kind of damage he can do in an hour. I can protect you, but I don't think you're going to like how."
Susan visibly tensed. "How?"
"Blocks. You can block a P5 easily on your own, but to beat someone like Bester you'll need reinforcements."
"And exactly how do you plan on setting that up?"
Lyta pursed her lips, debating whether to tell Susan what she knew. "Training, mostly. I can help you at a distance, too, that way if he catches you-"
"No way," Susan stated. "Nobody's getting into my head, and I am not going anywhere near the Corps. Find another guinea pig for your mission."
"We're fighting the Corps, Captain. What precisely do you plan on doing, sitting on your ass in the barracks with the rest of the children until the war's over?" Alina drily enquired.
Lyta's eyes shot open. "Alina, you don't-"
"No, Lyta," the small woman interrupted. "The woman who claimed to be the right hand of God comes down from her steel pedestal to join us. We give her a mission right up her alley and then she tells us she doesn't want to go anywhere near the enemy? Who did you think we were fighting, Captain, Santa Claus?"
Susan's jaw tightened. "I know precisely who you're fighting."
Alina gathered the paperwork that she had been reading, slipped it into a folder, and rose from the sofa. "Then I suggest you think long and hard on whether you truly want to be here. Like it or not, you will engage the enemy at some point. That is one risk that cannot be avoided by anyone working with us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a mission to plan, with or without your assistance."
Turning on her heel, the small brunette strode to the doorway. Within seconds, she was gone.
* Andrew? * Lyta asked.
He shrugged. * Not a clue. I'll go talk to her. *
When they were alone, Susan burst out of her chair. "You let that take over? What the hell were you thinking, Lyta?"
She chose to ignore the insult. "I could ask you the same question. I refuse to believe you didn't know what was going on down here, Susan. You're too good for that. You said you were here to join us, why do I have a feeling that's not the truth?"
Susan took a deep breath. Lyta could feel that something serious was happening to her old friend. The person she had known would not have made such a scene with Alina, at least, not on their first meeting. When Susan had said things were different, she hadn't been lying. If the visual clues hadn't been enough, the thoughts Susan Ivanova was broadcasting to anyone who could listen would have been just as convincing.
She picked up on Susan's worry about her ship, her crew, her career, and whether or not she was throwing everything away. For some reason, she was also concerned that Lyta might find out something, but what that information was remained a mystery. Last, but certainly not least, Susan was also worried about Marcus.
That was the thought that piqued Lyta's curiosity. "Susan?" she prompted.
"It's the truth," Susan said, slowly shaking her head. "I don't know. Just when I thought I was okay with what happened-"
"Alina shows up to remind you?"
Susan nodded. "It's not just her, though. There have been some strange things going on lately."
Lyta smiled. "Well, if you're going to join us, it's just going to get stranger. I can tell you that from experience."
"Stranger?" Susan asked, a pained expression on her features. "It can't get stranger."
A hand fell on Susan's arm. "You've never bunked down with three hundred telepaths before, have you?"
"No."
"Well, prepare yourself for some interesting dreams."
Susan flinched, her surface thoughts turning to Marcus. "Couldn't get any more interesting than the ones I've been having," she stated.
Lyta stepped back from her old friend, turning and slowly walking toward the window. She had never seen Susan this deeply affected by anything in the years they had known each other. Not even during the time they had thought Sheridan lost at Z'ha'dum had Susan acted this unusually. The normally tightly composed woman's moods were changing with the ebb and flow of a tide. The Susan she had known would have thrown herself into her work after Marcus's apparent death, which Lyta knew was precisely what she had attempted to do in taking over the Valkyrie. Something was different. Something about Marcus's actions had changed Susan Ivanova, and that change reached down to her very soul.
If Garibaldi was right, and Marcus's actions had been taken out of love, that would have explained a lot of what she was seeing.
Lyta had only really spoken with the Ranger once, but she had inherently liked the man. There had been something innately appealing about his devil-may-care personality. Yet, on speaking with him, she had felt the sincerity and genuinely kind soul behind the easygoing exterior. Like Susan and Delenn, he had treated her almost as if he didn't realize what she was. He had always spoken to her as if she were still a human being.
All points considered, that meant more to Lyta Alexander than the world.
She had picked up on his concern for Susan even then, as they were speeding toward a date with destiny at Coriana Six. They had been going into the final battle of the Shadow War, and Marcus's all-consuming thoughts had been of Susan. When he persuaded that young Ranger into allowing him to pilot the shuttle over to Susan's White Star, Lyta hadn't been able to keep the smile in check. She hadn't had to read Marcus's thoughts to know what he was doing. If it was going to be his time to die, he wanted it to be at Susan Ivanova's side.
His wish had apparently been granted a few months too late.
The tragedy of it all brought a tear to Lyta's eye.
It reminded her too much of Byron.
"Susan," Lyta finally spoke. "If you want to stay with us and take on the Corps, you're welcome to. We could use another person with a military background. Alina's been having to plan this raid on Syria Planum by herself. Since you would be involved, I think you should be in on the planning, too."
"But, you're worried," Susan added.
"Yes," Lyta admitted. "Are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, what about Earthforce? What about your ship? I know how much you wanted that."
Susan hesitated, and Lyta felt her trying to hide her surface thoughts. Still, Lyta's strength allowed her to pick up pieces. There was something about a Major Ryan, and something about playing both ends against the middle. Lyta knew that phrase, and the alarm bells began going off in her own mind. The Susan Ivanova she had known was utterly trustworthy. That much had been true before Susan had ever met Marcus. What was going on?
"Susan, what are you not telling me?" she asked, fighting to keep the accusation out of her voice.
Ivanova groaned. "You're just as bad as Marcus."
She didn't allow the non sequitur to throw her from her course. "Susan Ivanova, you are not getting anywhere near my people until you tell me what's really going on here. And I want the truth this time."
"If you're scanning me-" Ivanova warned.
"You'd know it," Lyta countered. "Your surface thoughts are coming through like ISN on a good day. If I can't trust you, I won't let you anywhere near the camp, do you understand?"
Susan nodded, hesitating for only a moment. Lyta felt the weight of a monumental decision being made. "What Earthforce thinks is the truth isn't, and it never will be. I want to see the Corps gone just as much as you do. I owe that to my mother. I'm on your side, Lyta. You can trust me."
Lyta assessed the information Susan was trying to give, curious as to what Ivanova had told Earthforce. If she was still in their good graces, they could easily use that to get her into Syria Planum. Susan's surface thoughts suggested that her own words were the complete truth.
Lyta smiled. Life was getting a little too easy.
"All right," she stated. "If you're sure you can handle being around so many telepaths, you're welcome to join us. Just promise me you'll think about the mission we proposed?"
Susan Ivanova stoically met Lyta's gaze, and nodded. "I'll think about it."

[End Part 11]