The Lady of Downbelow
+++++PART+07+++++
December 2257
Now that they had a name, Sinclair had been going around to all the ambassadors and asking if they knew of the planet. So far, everyone had said no, though Delenn had said it sounded vaguely familiar and she would look in the Minbari archives.
Now there was only one ambassador left to ask: Kosh. Thus, here he was, wearing a respirator, in the Vorlon ambassador's quarters. "I came to ask if you'd ever heard of Gallifrey."
"Why?" Kosh's suit translated.
"A resident in Brown Sector was overheard saying that they were graduating from an academy on Gallifrey. Out of curiosity, I looked into our records but there's no reference to the name." Sinclair was purposefully nebulous. He wanted Kosh to tell him more than the usual riddles. The less the Vorlon knew, the more he'd elaborate...right? Well, it worked with humans…
"Who?"
"Who overheard? Or who said it?" Sinclair mentally sighed after a ten-count with no reply and decided to answer both. "I overheard it from the newest resident of Brown-12." Another long pause with no response. "She's known as the Lady of Downbelow." When Kosh still didn't respond, he added, "She's the one who healed you."
Kosh was silent for long enough that Sinclair decided that must be all he would get out of the Vorlon. Yet, just as he was about to exit completely, Kosh said, "Gallifrey is no more."
The commander turned, "She's a refugee." Kosh didn't answer. Sinclair resisted the urge to strangle the annoying enigmatic alien, suit or no suit. "How do I treat her?"
"Ambassador."
Finally an answer! "She said she has to preserve a fixed point. What does that mean?" Another long silence. Sinclair knew that he had more patience than most for the Vorlons, but even he was having trouble with this level of vagary! "Can you tell me anything? Anything useful?"
"Yes," the suit translated.
Sinclair waited for more, but there was none. "What can you tell me? Why is she here?"
A chime, longer than the others, before it translated, "She works for survival."
Sinclair frowned. "Survival? Who's survival?"
"All."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"You seek understanding?"
"Yes! Exactly. Please."
Another, even longer melody translated, "She dances to her music, not your song."
Sinclair mentally sighed, perhaps even more confused than when he'd arrived and already knowing he wouldn't get any more out of the Vorlon. "Thank you for your time, ambassador." This time when he tried to leave, he actually made it into the hallway. Apparently, it was time to ask the Lady herself.
+++B5+++
It was lunchtime in Brown-12 and the first shift was finishing up while the second shift was getting ready. Which is why Sinclair managed to catch Morganson between duties.
Nova blinked, baffled. "You want me to what?"
"As the representative of your planet on Babylon 5, you may act as an ambassador for your people," Sinclair clarified.
"Okay, number one, I'm the ONLY representative of my planet currently on Babylon 5, and number two, who said I wanted to play ambassador?"
"Ambassador Kosh made the implication," he admitted. When she still looked confused, he added, "The Vorlon ambassador is named Kosh." He paused, then continued, "Also the Minbari ambassador, Delenn, is currently the only Minbari on B5. It is not unusual, especially as this is only the first year of operation."
"You want me to be the Gallifreyan ambassador. Why?" she was still confused.
"It's your choice, but it would give you a legitimate reason for being on the station. You'd have quarters in Green Sector, have the highest level of clearance, access to any part of the station… There are many perks to being an ambassador."
Nova shook her head. "Commander, if I had wanted to play ambassador, don't you think I would've done it already in the year since I've been here? Ambassadors may have many perks, but they also have many responsibilities and expectations that I just do not have any interest in. I'm on Babylon 5 for only one reason. Once that reason is resolved, then I'm leaving.
"I'm not interested in opening trade routes, negotiations, treaties, compacts, information, or anything else." She stared at him seriously throughout her small speech. "I'm perfectly happy down here out of the limelight, and away from all political maneuvering. I'm just not interested."
"Perhaps you are not interested, but your people…"
Nova gave a large sigh, "Fine. If it will make it easier on you, then you can call me the Gallifreyan Ambassador if you want to. But I'll be honest, commander, I am not moving to Blue Sector. I'm not opening trade negotiations. No, you can't have technology or access to my archives. Just...no. Worlds and worlds of no. I'll be ambassador in name only –– for your paperwork and nothing more."
"The other ambassadors…"
"Can go stuff themselves for all I care. I told you, I'm on Babylon 5 for only one reason. It has nothing to do with…" she waved her hand vaguely to encompass the process.
He studied her. "You said you were here for a fixed point. What does that mean?"
Nova opened her mouth to respond, paused, then closed it and sighed. "I want to tell you, but I can't right now. Later, when the time is right, I can tell you everything...just not right now. Sorry."
He paused, somehow not surprised by that answer. He regrouped, "You helped Kosh."
Nova groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "How long is that going to come back to haunt me? Yes, I helped him. I did it because of who he is and because no one else could. I am willing to keep helping on a case-by-case basis, but that has nothing to do with being an ambassador."
He looked at her and finally began to see a glimmer of understanding about the woman. "If that changes?"
"I will absolutely let you know. Promise. Until then… You have a station to run and I have soup to serve." The implied go away was loud and clear.
Sinclair gave a small bow of his head, "Thank you for your time, ambassador." Her snort of derision heralded his exit.
+++B5+++
The reception to welcome the newest ambassador to Babylon 5 went rather unlike any before it. The Gallifreyan ambassador walked in, looked around, and stated in a loud clear voice, "Let me save us all a lot of time. Whatever you're thinking, the answer's 'no'. There, we're introduced." Then she turned and walked away. It had taken less than two minutes.
The rest of the ambassadors began to discuss amongst themselves. Some were intrigued, some didn't care, and some were angry.
"How dare she?!"
"Why is she the ambassador?"
"Have her people no better representative?"
"Does she have no respect?"
"Why was she dressed as a human?"
"Interesting," said Delenn.
"I thought she was a new people, but she looked Centauri," said Londo.
"Or human," said G'Kar.
"Honestly, I'm amazed she came at all," Garibaldi muttered.
Sinclair nodded, "Agreed."
09.30.2021
+++++B5+DW+B5+++++
Thanks go to denise3 & BarbedCaress for their excellent betaing skills!
Special thanks to BarbedCaress for his AWESOME rewriting of Kosh's dialogue!
This is my first Babylon 5 fic, so please review and tell me what you think. I know it's not perfect but have done my best. Reviews are love and help keep me motivated!