*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
Ivanova was staring down at the pad in her hand that contained the newest budgets for the Rangers.
Susan hearing a noise, turned around and looked behind her, nothing, her hearing must be going. She made her way towards the balcony and she heard the noise behind her again.
"Old age." chuckled Ivanova.
The noise came closer, they sounded like footsteps. Before she could react she fell to the floor with a thud.
The blade was just about to plunged into her, when the sound of a Denn'bok opening was heard.
The blade fell to the floor with a "KLANG" as Marcus took another swing in the dark. He hit something, but that something hit him back and then took off towards the open balcony.
Marcus followed and saw the figure leap over the balcony.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"She's waking up." said Michael. Susan opened her eyes and saw Marcus and Garabaldi staring at her.
"Oh man. What a headache. What happened?" she asked sitting up.
"Well that's what I was hoping to ask you." replied Garabaldi.
"I really don't think she'll be much help Michael, I mean after all she was unconscious when I arrived." stated Marcus.
Ivanova stared at Marcus, blinked, shook her head and then blinked a few more times.
"Marcus? You're supposed to be dead."
Marcus smiled, "So everyone keeps reminding me."
Ivanova hinted for Michael to leave and after a few minutes he finally took the hint and left.
Marcus sat down next to Ivanova, opened his mouth and never had a chance. Ivanova took hold of his collar, pulled him to her and kissed him.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
At dinner that night, Lena was silent. Jason considered it a victory just getting her in the same room with Vir and her father.
"Excuse me." she said getting up from the table and started to leave the room.
"Lena." said Delenn reaching out for her.
"No." she said as she walked through the doorway.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
Out on the balcony she looked at the stars, and sighed. A few minutes later Jason joined her outside. She looked at him and turned away at stared at the moon.
Jason plucked the moon from the sky, held it in his hand and showed it to her. That caught her attention as the sky went dark, she turned to see what he was doing.
He crushed the moon into tiny pieces and blew it back into the sky, where it again became whole and lit up the sky.
Smiling Lena said "Leave it to a Techno Mage to cheer me up. Have you heard from Galen lately?"
Jason shook his head "No, I haven't." He pulled a small device from his pocket and handed it to her.
"What is this?" she asked as she took it and looked at it.
"Press the center button." Curious she pushed it and a shield formed around her.
Lena was awe struck, "This is great. Thank you." She slipped it in a pocket on the inside of her cloak and then hugged Jason.
Seeing Lennier in the doorway Jason let go and excused himself.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"Hello." said Lennier, leaning on the balcony.
"Hello." she replied.
"Lena, I'm sorry. If Vir had told you I was still alive, it would have put you and the others in more danger then I was willing to risk."
He paused.
"Please do not be mad at Vir, I asked him not to say a word. I am truly sorry." Lennier turned to walk away, but Lena caught his arm.
"Father, when this is all over, I think we should get to know each other better." She paused, "I'm told I have alot of my father in me."
Garabaldi coughed in the doorway, "Lena, a call has come through for you."
"Excuse me." she said.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"Put the call through." said Lena as the door to the office shut.
"Lena?" She recognized the voice.
"Matthew?" She stood in front of the screen.
Gideon's smiling face greeted her, "Hey kiddo, I did get your message. I checked out that info you asked for.
All those Minbari Rangers responsible for the attack of the Earth Force base on one of the Minbari moons, were captured, tried and convicted according to both Earth Force and Minbar law.
I found that all who were aboard were killed when the ship carrying them back to Minbar suddenly exploded."
He paused, then continued, "There were investigations, but they found that something in the engine malfunctioned and caused the explosion. Two of those three who weren't on board turned themselves in, whereas the third was never found."
"No name or description on the third?" asked Lena.
"No name, as for a description he looked like a Minbari, sorry sweetheart."
"Oh before I forget I'm a few days away from Minbar, so I was thinking maybe I could take you up on that poker rematch?"
Lena smiled, "You sure? I mean if you really want to be, how did you put it? Ahhh yes, taken to the cleaners."
Matthew chuckled, "Bring everything you got hon. What did you want to talk to me about?"
Lena shook her head, "I'll tell you when you arrive all right? And Matthew, be careful."
The Admiral replied, "You be careful too, OK? Gideon out."
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
It was early evening as Delenn toured the landing facilities making notes and preparations for the visiting dignitaries and making sure their ships were secure. Garabaldi had been here yesterday looking things over and he assured her everything was ready. Delenn had just finished inspecting the last hanger and was just about to leave when she heard a noise from a hanger that had been locked.
Curious Delenn un locked the door, walked in and saw a small Minbari shuttle.
"Welcome to my home Delenn." said a voice as the door locked behind her.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"Like it or not I'm going after her." said Lena.
"You are not going alone, last time that happened Marcus had to pull you from the rocks." said Jason.
"I was not prepared for what I encountered, this time I am."
Jason sighed, "Lena..."
"Jason do not say another word. I will not stand here and listen to this." Lena argued.
Lennier walked through the doorway and into the conversation. "He is right Lena. All three of us shall go."
Lena looked at her father, then Jason and shook her head. "No, out of the question, no. I am not about to lose you again."
"This is not up for debate." said Lennier.
"The hell it is. With all do respect to you, father, I do not wish to see you or anyone else hurt."
Lennier stood there quietly and then said, "You sound like your mother."
Pause.
"We are coming along, I do not wish to hear another word."
Lena threw her hands in the air and walked out of the room and out of Delenn's home.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
Ivanova was staring down at the pad in her hand that contained the newest budgets for the Rangers.
Susan hearing a noise, turned around and looked behind her, nothing, her hearing must be going. She made her way towards the balcony and she heard the noise behind her again.
"Old age." chuckled Ivanova.
The noise came closer, they sounded like footsteps. Before she could react she fell to the floor with a thud.
The blade was just about to plunged into her, when the sound of a Denn'bok opening was heard.
The blade fell to the floor with a "KLANG" as Marcus took another swing in the dark. He hit something, but that something hit him back and then took off towards the open balcony.
Marcus followed and saw the figure leap over the balcony.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"She's waking up." said Michael. Susan opened her eyes and saw Marcus and Garabaldi staring at her.
"Oh man. What a headache. What happened?" she asked sitting up.
"Well that's what I was hoping to ask you." replied Garabaldi.
"I really don't think she'll be much help Michael, I mean after all she was unconscious when I arrived." stated Marcus.
Ivanova stared at Marcus, blinked, shook her head and then blinked a few more times.
"Marcus? You're supposed to be dead."
Marcus smiled, "So everyone keeps reminding me."
Ivanova hinted for Michael to leave and after a few minutes he finally took the hint and left.
Marcus sat down next to Ivanova, opened his mouth and never had a chance. Ivanova took hold of his collar, pulled him to her and kissed him.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
At dinner that night, Lena was silent. Jason considered it a victory just getting her in the same room with Vir and her father.
"Excuse me." she said getting up from the table and started to leave the room.
"Lena." said Delenn reaching out for her.
"No." she said as she walked through the doorway.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
Out on the balcony she looked at the stars, and sighed. A few minutes later Jason joined her outside. She looked at him and turned away at stared at the moon.
Jason plucked the moon from the sky, held it in his hand and showed it to her. That caught her attention as the sky went dark, she turned to see what he was doing.
He crushed the moon into tiny pieces and blew it back into the sky, where it again became whole and lit up the sky.
Smiling Lena said "Leave it to a Techno Mage to cheer me up. Have you heard from Galen lately?"
Jason shook his head "No, I haven't." He pulled a small device from his pocket and handed it to her.
"What is this?" she asked as she took it and looked at it.
"Press the center button." Curious she pushed it and a shield formed around her.
Lena was awe struck, "This is great. Thank you." She slipped it in a pocket on the inside of her cloak and then hugged Jason.
Seeing Lennier in the doorway Jason let go and excused himself.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"Hello." said Lennier, leaning on the balcony.
"Hello." she replied.
"Lena, I'm sorry. If Vir had told you I was still alive, it would have put you and the others in more danger then I was willing to risk."
He paused.
"Please do not be mad at Vir, I asked him not to say a word. I am truly sorry." Lennier turned to walk away, but Lena caught his arm.
"Father, when this is all over, I think we should get to know each other better." She paused, "I'm told I have alot of my father in me."
Garabaldi coughed in the doorway, "Lena, a call has come through for you."
"Excuse me." she said.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"Put the call through." said Lena as the door to the office shut.
"Lena?" She recognized the voice.
"Matthew?" She stood in front of the screen.
Gideon's smiling face greeted her, "Hey kiddo, I did get your message. I checked out that info you asked for.
All those Minbari Rangers responsible for the attack of the Earth Force base on one of the Minbari moons, were captured, tried and convicted according to both Earth Force and Minbar law.
I found that all who were aboard were killed when the ship carrying them back to Minbar suddenly exploded."
He paused, then continued, "There were investigations, but they found that something in the engine malfunctioned and caused the explosion. Two of those three who weren't on board turned themselves in, whereas the third was never found."
"No name or description on the third?" asked Lena.
"No name, as for a description he looked like a Minbari, sorry sweetheart."
"Oh before I forget I'm a few days away from Minbar, so I was thinking maybe I could take you up on that poker rematch?"
Lena smiled, "You sure? I mean if you really want to be, how did you put it? Ahhh yes, taken to the cleaners."
Matthew chuckled, "Bring everything you got hon. What did you want to talk to me about?"
Lena shook her head, "I'll tell you when you arrive all right? And Matthew, be careful."
The Admiral replied, "You be careful too, OK? Gideon out."
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
It was early evening as Delenn toured the landing facilities making notes and preparations for the visiting dignitaries and making sure their ships were secure. Garabaldi had been here yesterday looking things over and he assured her everything was ready. Delenn had just finished inspecting the last hanger and was just about to leave when she heard a noise from a hanger that had been locked.
Curious Delenn un locked the door, walked in and saw a small Minbari shuttle.
"Welcome to my home Delenn." said a voice as the door locked behind her.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
"Like it or not I'm going after her." said Lena.
"You are not going alone, last time that happened Marcus had to pull you from the rocks." said Jason.
"I was not prepared for what I encountered, this time I am."
Jason sighed, "Lena..."
"Jason do not say another word. I will not stand here and listen to this." Lena argued.
Lennier walked through the doorway and into the conversation. "He is right Lena. All three of us shall go."
Lena looked at her father, then Jason and shook her head. "No, out of the question, no. I am not about to lose you again."
"This is not up for debate." said Lennier.
"The hell it is. With all do respect to you, father, I do not wish to see you or anyone else hurt."
Lennier stood there quietly and then said, "You sound like your mother."
Pause.
"We are coming along, I do not wish to hear another word."
Lena threw her hands in the air and walked out of the room and out of Delenn's home.
*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*