Alpha Pegasi 9 was a wasteland, a place of poverty, of hopelessness and,
until very recently, boredom. The large explosion to the north was about
the most exciting thing that had happened in the last couple of years.
There were rumors flying all over the colony, that a white star, one of the fabled ranger ships, had come and destroyed a complex to the north. Why, no one seemed to know. All records showed that the place had been empty when it had been destroyed; no one was supposed to be conducting research when it happened.
The ship had then returned to orbit, as if it was waiting for something, but what no one could say.
No one, that is, except the young Minbari named Lennier. They were waiting for him, they had to be. He hadn't tried to hide who was sending the message, and he was fairly sure that they wanted to take him back home, for whatever fate awaited him there.
Pris noticed the intense silence that had descended upon him after the bizarre ship, which she had never seen, but had heard described as a White Star, destroyed the creature and departed.
Anne was happy to have gotten away with her life, and was ready to go back to the university with news of the professor's demise. She did not, however, intend to tell them about his descent into madness, and his service to the creature.
After she booked herself a flight that would, eventually, take her back to Mars, she gave Pris and Lennier her ship.
"It's good in atmo, as you have seen, but it's also capable of short journeys through space, it's the least I can do for you."
She gave them everything they needed for the ship, plus the 500 credits she had promised them earlier, and left.
They gathered everything they needed for a trip to...well, wherever. As they took off and left the atmosphere, Pris once again, asked him where he thought they should head. He didn't answer her at first, but instead set an intercept course for the white star, which was still hanging in orbit.
She stared at him for several seconds, trying to decipher anything from his expression, but got nothing. Still, ideas were forming in her head, she was beginning to understand, or so she assumed, what was going on.
"Ok," she said finally, "you have no intention of going any further do you?"
He didn't answer, but continued to stare ahead.
"I don't know what you did, Lennier, but, and correct me if I am wrong, you are about to turn yourself in."
He still didn't answer, but there was a slight twitch as she spoke.
"Dammit," she said, looking ahead, "so, this is it then? You're just going to leave me here? I knew something like this was going-"
"You'd be better off," he said quietly.
She stared at him for a moment. "Would I?" she said, tersely.
"Pris," he said with a sigh, "if I don't turn myself in, I can't go home, and I have to avoid the rangers. It would not be right of me to ask the same of you."
"What did you do?" she asked quietly, knowing she had no right to.
"I tried to kill someone," he answered, quietly.
"Ah," she said with a nod, and then after a moment, "Is that all?"
He looked at her, plaintively.
"Must've been someone important," she continued.
"Still is," he said.
"Strange," she said, looking back at the white star, "they don't seem to be all jazzed up to bring you in."
He looked over to the ship, and saw that she was right, it wasn't moving to intercept, or anything, but it was hailing them.
Lennier opened communications, and a voice said, in Minbari, "Hello, my friend."
"Findell?" he asked, in almost disbelief, he hadn't expected to hear his voice again.
"I am happy you still recognize me."
"I suppose you wish to take me back to Minbari Prime."
"Why would I want to do that?"
Lennier stopped for a second in surprise. Pris had no clue what was going on, seeing how the entire conversation had been in Minbari, but by Lennier's surprised expression, she was sure it was interesting.
"I don't understand Findell, I thought the rangers were looking for me."
There was a pause before Findell answered. He said, "I know that something happened which led to you leaving us, Lennier, but as to what it was I do not know. Delenn has expressed a wish to see you, but that is your choice. I just wished to send you my regards."
Lennier was speechless; this was not what he had expected at all.
"Thank you Findell," he said, and the communications closed.
Pris raised an eyebrow, "So," she asked quietly, "is this where we part ways?"
"No," he said, looking at her, "is isn't."
Lennier watched quietly as the white star turned and jumped away. He continued to stare long after the gate closed and there was nothing but empty space. Finally he set a course for the local jump gate...and wherever it would take him.
The End...
There were rumors flying all over the colony, that a white star, one of the fabled ranger ships, had come and destroyed a complex to the north. Why, no one seemed to know. All records showed that the place had been empty when it had been destroyed; no one was supposed to be conducting research when it happened.
The ship had then returned to orbit, as if it was waiting for something, but what no one could say.
No one, that is, except the young Minbari named Lennier. They were waiting for him, they had to be. He hadn't tried to hide who was sending the message, and he was fairly sure that they wanted to take him back home, for whatever fate awaited him there.
Pris noticed the intense silence that had descended upon him after the bizarre ship, which she had never seen, but had heard described as a White Star, destroyed the creature and departed.
Anne was happy to have gotten away with her life, and was ready to go back to the university with news of the professor's demise. She did not, however, intend to tell them about his descent into madness, and his service to the creature.
After she booked herself a flight that would, eventually, take her back to Mars, she gave Pris and Lennier her ship.
"It's good in atmo, as you have seen, but it's also capable of short journeys through space, it's the least I can do for you."
She gave them everything they needed for the ship, plus the 500 credits she had promised them earlier, and left.
They gathered everything they needed for a trip to...well, wherever. As they took off and left the atmosphere, Pris once again, asked him where he thought they should head. He didn't answer her at first, but instead set an intercept course for the white star, which was still hanging in orbit.
She stared at him for several seconds, trying to decipher anything from his expression, but got nothing. Still, ideas were forming in her head, she was beginning to understand, or so she assumed, what was going on.
"Ok," she said finally, "you have no intention of going any further do you?"
He didn't answer, but continued to stare ahead.
"I don't know what you did, Lennier, but, and correct me if I am wrong, you are about to turn yourself in."
He still didn't answer, but there was a slight twitch as she spoke.
"Dammit," she said, looking ahead, "so, this is it then? You're just going to leave me here? I knew something like this was going-"
"You'd be better off," he said quietly.
She stared at him for a moment. "Would I?" she said, tersely.
"Pris," he said with a sigh, "if I don't turn myself in, I can't go home, and I have to avoid the rangers. It would not be right of me to ask the same of you."
"What did you do?" she asked quietly, knowing she had no right to.
"I tried to kill someone," he answered, quietly.
"Ah," she said with a nod, and then after a moment, "Is that all?"
He looked at her, plaintively.
"Must've been someone important," she continued.
"Still is," he said.
"Strange," she said, looking back at the white star, "they don't seem to be all jazzed up to bring you in."
He looked over to the ship, and saw that she was right, it wasn't moving to intercept, or anything, but it was hailing them.
Lennier opened communications, and a voice said, in Minbari, "Hello, my friend."
"Findell?" he asked, in almost disbelief, he hadn't expected to hear his voice again.
"I am happy you still recognize me."
"I suppose you wish to take me back to Minbari Prime."
"Why would I want to do that?"
Lennier stopped for a second in surprise. Pris had no clue what was going on, seeing how the entire conversation had been in Minbari, but by Lennier's surprised expression, she was sure it was interesting.
"I don't understand Findell, I thought the rangers were looking for me."
There was a pause before Findell answered. He said, "I know that something happened which led to you leaving us, Lennier, but as to what it was I do not know. Delenn has expressed a wish to see you, but that is your choice. I just wished to send you my regards."
Lennier was speechless; this was not what he had expected at all.
"Thank you Findell," he said, and the communications closed.
Pris raised an eyebrow, "So," she asked quietly, "is this where we part ways?"
"No," he said, looking at her, "is isn't."
Lennier watched quietly as the white star turned and jumped away. He continued to stare long after the gate closed and there was nothing but empty space. Finally he set a course for the local jump gate...and wherever it would take him.
The End...