Just a note, sorry about the delay in posting, but the real world sort of nudged its way in this week. So this is a short chapter, more will follow.

Chapter 14

Bridge of TCS Mastiff: Admiral Douglas was looking at the scans of the area. His battle group had done far better than he had expected, and now the salvage teams were going to work. At least 4 Tanashi Frigates were still in pretty good shape, and one of the larger Sharlin Cruisers was pretty much intact.

"Well the EA R+D people will like this." he thought.

Now Captain Tate was walking up to him, "I have the AAR for you Admiral."

He took the report from him, and began to go through it. "It's not that bad Leroy, some minor structural damage to the Avenger, and a burned out shield generator on the Perseus. It could have been a lot worse."

"Yes Admiral, but I think you may want to review section 7 sir."

The Admiral scrolled down the report, and looked at section 7. "This can't be right. One ship did that kind of damage?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Laqua's"

The Admiral looked at Captain Tate, "I think I need to see Mr. Laqua again, and ask him a few more questions. Would you see to it that he sees me as soon as possible."

"Yes Admiral."

"And Leroy, ask Lt Kirhaka to come and see me."

"Yes sir."

..
Brig of TCS Bull Run: Anla-shok leader Nosann was sitting in the cell the earther troops had led him and his crew to. He was sitting and just watching the inner door of the cell, and he was wondering what the earther's were doing to Anla-shok Jassaron. The young lad had been injured in the attack, and these earthers had separated him from the rest of them.

He thought, "If these earthers have harmed him, I swear to Valen that I will kill all of them."

The outer door opened, and an earther of some obvious importance came in. He walked up to the inner door, and looked at the Minbari prisoners. The earther pushed a button on the wall by the door and spoke. "I need to speak to whomever's in charge of you."

Nosann stood up and walked to the door, he looked at the man on the other side of the clear door. Nosann spoke to him in broken English, "I am in lead."

The young human looked at him, "I need to ask you a very serious question."

"What is question?"

The look on the young humans face looked very serious. "Are you and your people soldiers or spies?"

Nosann looked at him, "We are Anla-shok, or in your speak, Rangers."

The young human relaxed visibly, "Then that means your soldiers, and not spies."

Nosann now looked at the human, "Where Jassaron is?"

The Earther looked at him for a moment, and then nodded, "You mean the one who was injured. He is in our sickbay, being treated by our doctor. According to our doctor, the young man has a few broken bones in his arm, and some scrapes and bruises. He wants to keep him in sickbay for the night, to make sure his injuries aren't more severe."

Nosann nodded his head, something in this man's face made him think that he was speaking the truth. "I need see him, be sure."

The earther nodded his head, "Stand back from the door."

Two guards aimed their weapons at him, and Nosann under stood, and he stepped back. The man at the door, took out a card and inserted it in the slot by the door, and then typed on the number pad by the door. When the door opened, the man stepped back, but motioned for Nosann to step out. The guards kept their weapons pointed at him, so he moved slowly and they secured his hands behind his back.

Nosann's junior looked at him and spoke in Minbari, "Where are they taking you Nosann?"

"I'm going to check on Jassaron. Say nothing to them while I am gone. If I don't return, you know what to do."

The other Anla-shok just bowed slightly at the order.

..
The Humans took Nosann through the hallways of their ship, and he was amazed to see that most of the crew was human, but he was truly surprised to see other species on the ship as well. He couldn't help himself, he asked the human in charge, "These others, slaves?"

The man looked at him, "No, their crewmembers. We don't believe in slavery, for any reason."

Nosann bowed his head slightly, "I mean no dishonor."

The human looked at him and actually smiled, "That's Ok, you just didn't know."

Soon they were at the beta sickbay, and Nosann found the smell of the place reminded him of the healing temples of Minbar. Soon he saw Jassaron sitting on a bed, with a strange plastic tube on his right arm.

The young Minbari saw him and began to smile, "Leader Nosann, I thought that I wouldn't ever see you again."

Nosann looked at him, "How are you feeling Jassaron? Have the humans mistreated you?"

"No leader, they have set my arm, and bandaged my wounds. Why would they do that for an enemy?"

"I'm not sure Jassaron, I feel we have more to learn from these humans than we were led to believe."

The young Minbari just nodded his head, and then an older human man came up to the group.

He looked at the younger human, "I hope that you aren't here to annoy my patient Captain."

"No way doc. I'm just escorting the young man's leader here so he could check up on him."

"Well, as far as I can tell, he's ready to go, but I want to see him in a few days, to follow up on him."

Then the older man looked at Nosann, and saw the small-reddened area on the side of his neck. He then looked at the marine, "Have him sit here captain," and he pointed at another bed.

The human tapped Nosann's shoulder, and then pointed to the exam bed, "Doc wants you to sit down."

Nosann did as the human had asked, and the older man shined a small light on his neck, then Nosann realized that the old man was looking at the burn on his neck. The old human went to a wall cabinet, and took out a jar of some white ointment. Then the old man put some of the white ointment on his neck, and the slight stinging in his neck stopped. Then the old man picked up a small spray bottle, and sprayed the spot on his neck. Now the old man looked at Nosann.

"The stinging should be gone now, and if my scans of your physiology are right, then the burn should be gone in about a day. Just try to keep it clean, Ok"

Then the old man looked at the younger human, "I want to see him here to."

From the way the old man spoke, Nosann knew that what he said wasn't a suggestion. The younger human shook his head, "Ok doc. Ok."

..
The Marine's were escorting Nosann and Jassaron back to the cells, when Nosann asked the young human a question, "When we get food?"

The human looked at him, "Well, doc is setting up a meal program for you and your people, we wouldn't want to poison you."

Nosann just nodded again. He had a lot of things to consider about these humans, they are not as barbaric as he and most Minbari had been led to believe. Within a few hours, the human's brought them some food; the trays had a variety of small meat cubes and some form of vegetable, and fruit juice. Nosannn found the food to be quite good, and he realized just how hungry he was. The following morning, he and the others were led to a room, and there were cushioned coverings on the floor, and the human guards looked at them, and then started to take off the manacles from their wrists.

The young human, who he knew looked at him, "We brought you here, so you can exercise."

Nosann nodded, and then looked at his people, "This is an exercise area, for us to work out in. We will want to be ready for anything, so I suggest that we exercise."

The anla-shok all nodded, and then began to pair off. The marine guards were watching them, and were impressed by the Kata's that the Anla-shok were doing.

..
Admiral's ready room TCS Mastiff: The Admiral's intercom buzzed, and Ensign Femia told the Admiral that Lt Kirhaka was waiting in the outer office. "Send her in."

Lt Kirhaka came in and snapped to attention, "Lt Kirhaka reporting as ordered sir."

"At ease Lt. Please sit down."

The Lt sat down, and waited for the admiral to say something. "Lt, I spent some time on Fireka, and while I was there, I heard of an interesting part of your peoples history. What do you know of the Kuso-nakasa?"

The Lt seemed slightly astonished, and then regained her composure. "I think you mean the Kushor-ngkara, or the mind eaters."

The admiral just nodded, "Yes that's what I meant."

"Well sir, our history-speakers tell of a time 2000 cycles ago, or 3000 human years, when a strange ship fell from the sky. Inside this ship were the mind eaters. They found that they could survive by eating the minds of my people. There were only a few of them, but in less than one birthing cycle, they had destroyed almost all of my people."

The admiral looked at her, "How were they able to do that?"

"The mind eaters would lay in wait, hiding, and when they saw one or more of my people, they would make them feel that all was well, and that there was no danger. Then they would make my people want to sleep, and when they did, the mind eater would come out and touch them. They would draw their minds and souls from my people's bodies, and leave only the dead body behind. Only a few of my people were able to know when a mind eater was near. In just one birthing cycle, only those who could detect the mind eaters had fledglings. But the fledglings of that birth cycle could detect the mind eaters as well, as could all the following birth cycles."

"So what happened to these mind eaters?"

"Well sir as our history-speakers tell us, my people hunted them down, and killed them. But we did not allow ourselves to forget about them. To this day, our new history-speakers are told this story, and shown the pictures of the mind eaters. So that our people will never forget."

..
The Admiral looked at her, "Lt, there are representatives from the earth alliance coming here, and they may have telepaths with them. What I want from you and the other Firekan's on board is to be there when the representatives come aboard, and to be in their escort detail. If they have any telepaths with them, I want to know about it, quietly."

Lt Kirhaka just nodded, "Of course Admiral, we will help any way we can."

The Admiral smiled, "Thank you Lt. until further notice, you and the other Firekan's are excused from your regular duties."

"Yes sir."

Lt Kirhaka got up and saluted the Admiral, "If you will excuse me Admiral, I must prepare my uniform for our guests."

The Admiral smiled, and saluted, "Carry on Lt."