AN-A lot of this chapter and a few others are dialog from the show intertwined with the character's thoughts. Standard Disclaimers apply. Not mine.

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Delenn walked as quickly as she could down the corridor. Neroon's ship had docked. She reached the connecting corridor to the docking bay, to find herself in the middle of a standoff. On one side of her, was a line of crewmembers from the Whitestar. On the other side was a line of Neroon's aides, standing in front of Neroon himself.

"Hello Neroon."

"Delenn. I was surprised to receive your message. I considered not responding. But then I enjoy a mystery as much as anyone. I am, however, very disappointed in the welcome I received from your fellow religious caste. For a moment I thought they might actually fire on our ship."

Delenn sighed within. She didn't want petty misunderstandings or resentments to interfere now. Too much was at stake. "You are under my protection. They will not harm you, except in their own defense. I need to speak with you. Alone."

"Given the fighting that is going on back home, I should think you would be very worried to be alone with one of the warrior caste." He replied, with an arrogant look on his face.

"I would. If it were anyone else, but you."

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Come with me and find out." She wasn't prepared to tell him more until she could be sure no one else was listening. She believed she could trust him, to some extent, but she had no illusions that any other of the warriors would be glad for her plan to stop the fighting. It seemed as if deep down, they desired this conflict. Of course, she thought, most of them probably did. They still resented her caste's order to surrender to the humans during the war, and the Warriors were almost guaranteed victory over the religious caste, who did not have the advantage of centuries of military training.

Neroon acquiesced, or seemed to, and Delenn moved to pass his officers. They did not move. She glared at them, and finally, they parted slightly, allowing her room to pass. She marched past them, outraged at their lack of disrespect for her. Neroon turned and followed her.

She led him down the hall, to a conference room she had set up earlier.

Neroon entered the room, and walked over to stand next to the wall. "Alright Delenn. What is it?"

Delenn stood where she was. "I need your help Neroon."

"My help? I remind you that not very long ago I fought to keep you from taking control of the Rangers. We have not exactly been friends."

"No. But your actions have always been motivated by one desire. To do what is right for our people." Delenn walked over to Neroon, trying to will him to agree with her next words. "The warrior caste cannot be allowed to win this war. The religious caste cannot be allowed to win it. You know as well as I if either side achieves dominance the delicate balance of our civilization will be destroyed."

"You should have thought of that before you broke the Grey Council!" Neroon was indignant. It was hardly his fault that events had transpired this way. Why did she blame him when so much of the spilt blood could be laid at her feet?

"What is done is done Neroon. What matters now, is the future." Delenn hoped with all her heart that he could see that; and see that she was sincerely trying to do what was best for their people, despite the mistakes she had made in the past. "Yes we've disagreed, even fought. But I would rather have someone who opposed me out of an honest belief in the rightness of his cause, than someone who was always at my side, because it was expected, or required. I've questioned your judgment, your wisdom, your temperament, but never your loyalty."

"Was that a compliment?" he asked.

"After a fashion." She gave him a small, enigmatic smile.

"Then you trust me?"

"After a fashion."

"Well, it's a beginning." Neroon walked over to a nearby sofa, and Delenn followed him. "I only wish it could have happened months ago. Then we might have avoided all this grief now, when it's too late."

"It's not." Delenn insisted. She had to keep her faith. It seemed that sometimes it was all that was helping her survive this conflict.

"This has been building ever since the war. The fire cannot be stopped. It will have to burn itself out before the two sides will listen to reason."

"And how many cities will be burned to the ground by then? How many lives will be lost?"

"Delenn, I am as horrified by what is happening back home as you are. But we are two against a world gone mad. What can we do against that?"

"Nothing. Until we get their attention. For that, I need your help. Will you give it?"

"If I do I risk alienating my entire caste. They may turn against me."

"That is true. And I risk the same by working with you."

"Well it's a challenge, and I have always liked challenges. You have my support. For now."

Delenn smiled. This was what she had been hoping for. With Neroon's support, her plan might have a chance. She began to detail her idea out for Neroon.

"In the time before Valen, when the castes still warred amongst one another, there were protocols for the surrender of one caste to another. The leaders of each warring caste would enter the Starfire Wheel."

"The Starfire Wheel?!?" Neroon gasped in shock. "Delenn, the Starfire Wheel hasn't been used in a thousand years, since before Valen came to our people!"

"It has been a thousand years since the time when we warred amongst one another. And look how easily Minbari are killing Minbari now. It was our greatest law, and we have left it behind. If we have abandoned the laws and customs established by Valen, then we must abide by the laws our ancestors set down for us. If I surrender to Shakiri, in front of all of Minbar, and demand that he respect those laws, then he will have no choice."

Neroon thought about this for a moment. He couldn't believe it, but she was right. If she issued the challenge, Shakiri would never be able to decline without forfeiting his right to leadership of their people. And his pride, Neroon knew, would never let him forfeit the power. Neroon then looked pointedly at her swollen abdomen. "Delenn, what about your child?"

Delenn looked down at her belly. She knew that this would come up. The life of a child was one of the most sacred things to Minbari, and Neroon knew her well enough to know that she would not endanger her child's life. He knew as well as she that she couldn't, not to mention wouldn't, go into the Starfire Wheel if she was still carrying the baby. "The child will be born by then. If not on it's own, I will have a doctor induce labor, but I will not carry my child with me into the Starfire Wheel."

Delenn's self-righteousness sometimes astounded Neroon. She was simply going to give birth to her child, and then run off to die, under the veil of saving their world? How could she even entertain the possibility? He voiced his opinion.

"Neroon, I will not die. You know as well as I, that Shakiri will never stay inside the fire. After he leaves, I will leave. And we can rebuild our people, as they were before, with the Grey Council intact." Delenn told Neroon this, trying to justify the lie to herself. The only reason she could come up with was that it was to save her people, and her child from this kind of strife.

Neroon seemed to hesitantly accept her plan. "Very well Delenn. What do you need me for?"

"To draw Shakiri to the temple. Shortly after we arrive on Minbar, I will give the surrender order. I trust that you can convince him to hold the surrender at the Temple of Varenni?" Neroon thought about it for a minute, then nodded.

"Delenn, I hope you understand what you are doing. What if your plan does not work?"

"It must. For the good of everyone, we must make this work Neroon!"

"You are basing much of this plan on simple faith, Delenn."

"Faith manages."

Neroon sighed. For all that she had been making sense, he couldn't believe that she had so much faith in the universe; especially when everything seemed to be falling apart. "Very well, Delenn. I will do as you ask." He paused, and then added, "I hope you are right about faith managing, Delenn. Because if this does not work, the thousand year peace created by Valen will die, and many of our people will die with it."

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AN-Ok, that's all I can put up for now. Please review!!! I'll get the next chapters up shortly!