Dalshon
Chapter 18
The uncouth human's 'associate' was as grey as the robes of the Grey Council, and had horns on his head, almost like a nightmare version of a Minbari. He walked in a peculiar between-ness, as if slightly out of phase with the universe. He was difficult to look at. He was a Drakh.
Lennier had suspected as much. So he was not surprised when the Drakh came into the room at the raider base. "We meet at last. I am Lennier. And you are my new associate."
"Indeed?" asked the Drakh. "What do you want?"
"I want Delenn."
"Our human friend has told us of your plans. We would be pleased to assist you in your quest."
"I thought as much," Lennier said.
"But first, a small test. There is a Minbari here. A few minutes ago, the raiders caught him sending a signal. He claims it was a message to another pirate group to come join us, for the raiders are strong, but in need of new vessels."
"A signal?" Lennier asked. "Show it to me."
The Drakh obliged by sweeping a hand at the one blank wall without pirated art on it. A flat screen picture was projected onto the wall from an unseen source. The signal was a series of numbers.
"What do you make of it?" asked the Drakh.
"That first sequence is clearly this base's location. We must get out of here before the Fleet arrives. Let the raiders fight the battle, they are expendable, and it will do the Fleet good to have an occasional fight. But you and I must leave before they get here."
"So it is not pirates that are coming."
"No. That code is used by the Anla'shok. The Whitestar Fleet is coming." Lennier paused. Quietly, as if speaking to himself, he said, "Morden was right."
"Morden? You knew Morden?"
"He said this day would come," said Lennier. "Let us leave. Quickly."
"We will leave. One more thing first. Come." The Drakh led him to a series of bare rooms, with the granite from which this base had been dug left exposed on the floors, walls, and ceilings.
There was a human guard in the hallway by the cells. In one of the cells was a Minbari. "Is he Anla'shok?" asked the Drakh.
Lennier peered in. "No. That is Comac of Clan Itma. Also called Comac the Torturer. Warrior caste. An intelligence officer. If he is working with the Anla'shok and the Whitestar Fleet, then the warrior caste is backing Delenn. This is a new development. I must take some thought on how that could be counteracted. Isn't it time for us to go?"
"It is." The Drakh led Lennier to a Drakh ship. They left the base. "We will be long gone before the battle."
"Good. But they are likely to find out that I was here. I must change my plans for Sheridan. Push back the timetable."
"Why is that?" asked the Drakh.
"Sheridan must die. But not in a way that I could be held responsible for. Delenn must hate someone else for it."
"That could be arranged," said the Drakh.
"In the meantime, I must seek out Sheridan and issue the counterphrase. It is likely my involvement is already known. Comac must have been working with Whitestar 97. They flushed me out and he was waiting for me when I arrived at the base. I cannot take the chance that Delenn might already know about it, so I will have to abort the plan for the mutual annihilation of the two presidents. I must convince her that I was forced to issue the loribond command. And that I escaped from the raider base at great personal risk to come issue the counterphrase."
"It is a good plan," said the Drakh.
Lennier allowed himself a small, pleased smile. He was going to get away with this. The Drakh were going to let him go, and then he was going to be able to undo the damage of the loribond command before anyone got killed. Without getting the Drakh mad at him.
"As for Sheridan's future, Shiv'kala will see to it." The Drakh closed his eyes for a few moments, communing with all the other Drakh, sharing his plans and these latest developments.
The Drakh opened his eyes and grinned a death's-head grin. "When you have Minbar and the Interstellar Alliance in the palm of your hand, remember who your associates are."
End of Chapter 18
