The guard blinked. For an instant it had looked like the cell was empty. He stared at the huddled mass of dark in the corner for a moment, the remembered himself and step aside to allow Ms. Winters entry. The woman strode passed him, her vibrantly tan face twisted into an icy look of disgust as she looked at the blip. Facing the hallway, the guard heard the snap of cuffs and seconds later they exited the cell. The blond telepath walked imperiously behind the wretched form that stumbled in front of her. If the guard's thoughts strayed onto a momentary kinky tangent he kept those thoughts firmly behind blocks and prayed that Ms. Winters did not notice.

Talia staggered and leaned against the cool wall as soon as she got out of sight, dropping the telepathic projection. Taking one shuddering breath after another she tried to pull herself together, if someone happened along the currently empty corridor they couldn't see her like this. When the door to the empty cell had opened Talia had only had a brief moment to react, projecting an image of Alisa for the guard. If the girl had somehow escaped, rather than having been spirited away by another section of the Core, her disappearance would not be looked into. If she had escaped.

Standing up strait, Talia forced herself to walk, one foot in front of the other down the hall. It didn't matter where she was going, she just had to move, look normal. It had all seemed so simple, break Alisa out and send her back to Minbar; Dangerous but simple. Now. Talia sighed. Now, she had no idea if Alisa had truly escaped and no way to find out. Even for a telepath of, well, of whatever ability Talia had become, finding one telepath who was presumably trying to hide when she was surround by a couple hundred minds was close to impossible. Assuming she was still on the base.

Without realizing it, Talia's feet had taken her to the northwest corridor, pausing in front of one of the two windows the base had. She couldn't see much of the outside, and the stars where much dimmer than they had been on Babylon 5. They did twinkle though.

"It's a nice night, is it not?"

Talia stifled a gasp and turned around with a carefully neutral expression on her face.

"Yes sir, it is."

Bester moved up to stand next to her, peering out into the night. If he had been anyone else she would have asked, with genuine concern and interest, why he wasn't home with his family. As it was, all she could feel was hatred and fear. She could kill him now; all it would take was a thought.

"Trouble sleeping?"

"A little, I thought I would take a look at the stars."

"That's not a bas idea, I-"

He broke off with an odd look on his face as Talia reached out with her mind. His breath came in short gasps. Horrified she let go.

"Sir, are you alright?"

He raised a hand and rubbed his throat. "Yes, I'm…" He looked around, eyes searching for something or someone that might have caused this. "..fine. It's nothing." He dragged his eyes back to her, a note of suspicion creeping into his voice. "You didn't see anything?"

"No, sir."

"Yes…. Well, I should get home. Goodnight Ms Winters, enjoy the stars."

"Thank you, sir."

He turned and walked down the corridor, turning back to stare at her once. She kept her face impassive and returned his stare calmly. Talia closed her eyes when he was finally gone. She could feel the Sleeper beginning to stir, she had to get back.

A flare from shooting star crossed the Martian sky, but Talia's back was already turned. She walked rapidly through the halls to her quarters.

Stepping across the threshold Talia peeled off her gloves, dropping them wearily on the table. She balanced precariously, stepping on the heel of her boot yanking her foot free. She repeated the process with the other shoe and shrugged out her dress, leaving it in a pile on the floor. Let the Sleeper wonder in the morning.

Talia collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes. The red message light blinked on her consol. Falling into old habits, Talia groan and got back up, forgetting that it was for the Sleeper.

"Computer, play message."

"Hey Talia, its Alisa. I'm here on Mars. I had some trouble so I'm in hiding but I need to meet with you. Be at the Little-Green at 2300 hours sharp tomorrow. Don't think of standing me up, I'm not the same person I was when I left and I will find you. In Vaylen's name."

Talia drew a shuddering breath. "Computer, delete message."