*************************Chapter 13***************************************

It was a great dinner. Lasagna, made with four different cheeses and a dozen spices. Two different meats. Real earth beef and veal, hydroponically grown

Mars tomatoes for the sauce, authentic rice and potatoes from Canada. Italian bread, French Bread and several kinds of appetizers. Dessert was a mix of cakes, cookies and chocolates. The meal wasn't entirely Italian in origin, but it was an excellent complementary mix of human cuisine.

I sighed as I patted my stomach before turning on my side. It was late and I was tired, but I was having trouble sleeping. The dinner was heavy on my stomach and I wished that I hadn't eaten that fourth plate of lasagna, the three bowls of rice, and four pieces of chocolate cake. Not to mention all of the cookies and other little goodies. I had developed a sweet tooth during the training. I silently cursed Uncle Mike's skills as I rolled onto my other side.

Every one had eaten more than their fill. It was a good thing Uncle Mike made three trays of lasagna because Marcel ate most of one by himself. He also ate an entire pie and a tray of cookies. He avoided the rice, but ate half of the mashed potatoes. Watching him eat was mesmerizing. He tried to apologize afterwards, but Uncle Mike made it clear that a true chef is only insulted if his meals are NOT enjoyed to the fullest.

Even Mother had had thirds, which was something I had never seen her do before. My father had stared at her incredulously as she hurriedly finished her second helping of lasagna. As she finished, she noticed him staring and flushed. Her eyebrows quirked up, as though challenging him to say something. He just shook his head and filled his plate again.

After we ate, we all sat around in the smallish common room. We talked for a little while, until Uncle Mike turned on a vid of an old earth cartoon. My mother grinned as the logo popped up and turned her head to look at Uncle Mike. He explained how he had once shown this vid to my mother when she had asked him to help her learn about human humour. My father quirked his eyebrows, and my mother explained that it had been a few months before he had arrived to assume command from Sinclair.

This vacation was indeed turning in to one filled with revelations, as after the vid Uncle Mike told us about the first time he had met Sinclair and about how Sinclair had come to be recalled to Earth. Mother then explained how the Minbari had demanded he be sent to Minbar as an Ambassador and how the Minbari had been angered by Father's being posted as commander of the station.

Mother explained her reasons for entering the chrysalis and even explained some of the process involved. Uncle Mike told us about how betrayed he had felt when he had woken in MedLab and found that his best friend had been reassigned and that his second in command had shot him in the back.

Father than told us about the surprise he had felt at being given command of Babylon 5 since he was a soldier and not a diplomat. He then told us about the shock he had felt when Mother first appeared in the Council chambers. He told us everything he could remember and when his memory failed, Mother filled in the details.

From the time Father first learned that is former wife might be alive, to the time Mother joined the Markab in isolation. They told us about Draal, the Trigati, the first appearance of the Shadows. They shared everything and spared us nothing. I wondered why they did this, but decided to wait until we were alone until I bothered them. They had much to say and not all of it agreed with the 'official' and 'public' knowledge which already differed on many points.

Deciding that I wouldn't be getting any sleep, I had just started reading again when there was a knock on the door. I marked my place in the book and, throwing on a robe, went to see who it was.

I blinked in the harsh light from the corridor. I felt no surprise to find my friends, dressed in dark clothing and glancing around. "What do you three want at this time of day?" I asked.

Kahlen grinned. "Nice robe." she commented. "Look, we know it's late, but we couldn't sleep. Knowing you, we knew that you wouldn't be sleeping either. So we decided to go on a tour of the stations more . . . lively areas. Now. Since you're sort of in charge, we felt that going any where without you would be stupid."

Shannon smiled and spoke up. "Besides, we need someone with a level head to keep these two out of trouble."

I thought for a nanosecond. "Give me a few minutes to get dressed." I ushered them in, and pulling a few things out of the dresser, went into the bathroom to change. I came out to find Kahlen browsing my book collection, while Shannon was picking my things off the floor. Marcel stood guard by the door, his arms crossed and his eyes half closed. "Let's go." I said, tossing my robe and shorts onto the bed. Shannon frowned at my sloppiness, but I ignored her. As I passed the desk, I grabbed my pike, my ID, and my credit slip. Rangers never went any where without their pikes.