Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 8

Hermione stood at her station, working diligently. The work was enjoyable and she liked her co-workers…she'd just rather be with Prompto and Noctis. That wasn't feasible, they all had to make a living after all. Noctis was the only one of them unemployed, still working out what he wanted to do and how to do it. He'd made certain oaths to his Order and he couldn't break those which meant there were limits. Prompto was trapped by the Corps, it was impossible to leave while alive, though the three of them together would not allow them to harm Prompto. There were societies who treated telepaths a lot better than Earth did too if they decided to leave. All she had to do if she wanted to leave was resign, there was nothing making her stay in Earthforce.

Noctis had worked his magic on the records, giving a time where they could have met a few years after when they said he'd met Prompto. Sometimes, she thought it'd be easier in a less technological world, where she could just magic up records or something. Harry had known what he was doing in making one of them a techno-mage, and she knew that Noctis was as glad as she was that it hadn't been Prompto. She doubted he would have been able to mentally handle it, it was hard enough on him being a telepath.

She hadn't interacted much with the Captain, mostly with Commander Ivanova, but they seemed like good people. Prompto and Noctis had given their opinions on the command staff and others like Ms Winters. The Captain was new to his posting but they both thought he was doing a good job. It was some of what was coming from Earthgov that none of them liked. President Clark reminded her of the Emperor or a far more competent Fudge and that did not comfort her, especially with this ancient enemy being back.

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"Yes, what?"

"Ambassador Delenn, you asked to see me?" Susan answered.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes." That was an odd question.

"Come in, quickly."

The door opened and Susan stepped inside the Ambassador's quarters only to freeze as the woman appeared.

"Commander, I want you to understand I acquired human characteristics to bring your people and mine closer together. To symbolize our mutuality. It is supposed to be a dignified inspiring transition for both humans and Minbari. So will you, please, explain to me why this-this-this...Hair. ...refuses to cooperate?" Delenn sighed. "I had no problems with it at first but as time passed, it…" she was obviously very frustrated.

Susan walked over for a closer look at the rats nest the others' hair had become. "It's pretty brittle," she could tell that much just by looking. "What are you washing it with?"

"Washing?" Delenn seemed utterly confused by that which confused her, then again Minbari didn't have hair.

"Yes, you know, when you bathe," she clarified.

"We use a chemical compound that strips away the outer layer of the epidermal tissue. It is symbolic of being reborn each day."

Okay…that sounded mildly painful. "And you've been using this on your hair?"

"Yes," Delenn nodded, as if it was obvious.

"Have you considered just immersing your body in water to remove the sweat and…" she offered.

"We do not perspire in the same way you do. While we sleep, we secrete a fluid,"

"Ambassador..." Susan cut her off, "maybe I should get somebody else to deal with this."

"Do you know what to do?"

"Well, yes, I mean…My mother used to do my hair. But I'm sure…" she tried to tell her that there had to be someone more appropriate.

"This is most embarrassing. If you could just,"

"I have duties," Susan argued.

"Please. I trust you," Delenn answered, and Susan sighed.

"C&C, this is Ivanova".

"Online."

"Please inform the captain, barring an emergency…" she looked up at Delenn again. "I may be a while." A while might be an understatement. "Oh, boy."

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Prompto smiled and nodded, watching his last client of the day leave before slumping back in his chair. He had a headache from a day of negotiations and just wanted to get back to his quarters, hopefully Noct would be back. He was working on getting himself set up as a tech trader, not wanting to be employed by any one company or anything. It would give him access to things to play with too.

"You look worn out."

Prompto looked up to find the Garibaldi standing beside the table, offering a tired smile to the seemingly older man. "Busy day," he admitted. "Is there something you needed?" he really hoped he wasn't going to ask him to scan anyone, not with his headache.

"Nope, just thought I'd say hi and thanks again for your help lately. Though if you're done for the day, I'd suggest going and laying down."

"Thanks, and I am done." He stood, wincing slightly, before nodding to him and turning to leave.

"Can I ask you something?"

Prompto turned back to him. "Alright."

"The Corps really marries its members off based on genetics?"

The question startled him, but he nodded. "They always want to breed stronger telepaths. That was why my own parents were married and when I was the result Bester was paired off with someone else for better results, which they got."

"That's…cold."

"Very," he agreed. "Why the interest?" it was kind of an odd thing to ask out of the blue. He moved away from the table and Garibaldi walked with him, freeing it for other businesses to use.

"Got a visitor on the station, a Matt Stoner, know him?"

Prompto frowned in thought before shaking his head. "Name's not familiar, is he a telepath?"

"He's Talia's ex-husband."

"Ah, so that's why you asked about the Corps."

"I saw something…odd in customs and then her reaction when his name came up…"

"The Corps won't keep you married if it's obvious you're completely incompatible except for the genetics, which means those marriages tend to end badly."

"You almost sound like you're speaking from experience."

"Always the investigator?" Prompto sighed. He stopped walking, leaning against the wall. "I was, very briefly. She was nice, pretty, we could talk and get along, everything worked well…except for the physical aspect. The Corps wanted a child from me badly, to see if my parents power levels just skipped a generation. So when we couldn't manage to provide one naturally…" he shrugged awkwardly. He had a child in the Corps somewhere that he'd never met, he tried not to think about it.

"You're a Dad?" Garibaldi looked shocked.

"I was a genetic donor in the end, nothing more. I don't even know if the baby was a boy or girl. Our marriage was annulled and I never saw her again, I have no clue if she remarried or was stationed off world."

"That's…"

"The way the Corps works and so long as the Senate keeps membership compulsory it won't change."

"You know, you're the only telepath I've ever met who talks about it the way you do."

"Obviously you've never met anyone whose telepathy came online later in life. Maybe if I hadn't spent a week with Noct after my Mother died…but that time let me see what freedom was like and I never let it go. If Talia needs to talk, she can come to me but right now I need sleep."

"Hope your headache is gone soon."

Prompto nodded and headed back to his quarters, happy to find Noctis there already. Soon healing magic was sinking into him, alleviating the pain.

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"And here you are," Londo called as he entered his quarters.

"And here you are finally. Where have you been?" Timov demanded, obviously annoyed he'd kept them waiting.

"Affairs of state, my dear," he informed her.

"State of inebriation, I'd wager," she snapped back.

"Londo, you're looking fit. More handsome than I would have remembered," Daggair smiled at him, so she knew why he had summoned them to the station, or at least suspected.

"Oh, well," he played the game too.

"What's going on here? Londo, what's all this about?" Timov demanded crossly.

"You have no idea why I've summoned you all here?" he asked her.

"No, and I think it's about time—"

"Wait. Where's Mariel?" he realised only two of his wives were present. "Vir?"

"I don't know. I-I was expecting her and-and-and she didn't show up," his aide stammered.

"Probably we should wait for Mariel to arrive…" and he was so looking forward to telling them.

"No, I will not tolerate this any longer. The secret of our marriage's success, Londo is our lack of communication. You have jeopardized that success and I would know why," Timov would obviously not agree to wait, and she did have a point on why their marriage worked even a little.

"Very well," he agreed." I wanted to save the surprise but clearly you have forgotten that tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of my ascension day."

"It is?" she had obviously not kept track.

"Yes. The Emperor has not forgotten. I personally received a congratulatory note from the royal court. My star is rising in case you are unaware."

"I was unaware, yes. I have little patience for the vagaries of politics and social climbing. That's always been more Daggair's field of endeavour," Timov turned to her, beginning to realise something. "Hasn't it, Daggair?"

Daggair just laughed airily in response, neither confirming nor denying that she knew.

"Now the emperor is a busy fellow, of course. No time to shop unlike my beloved wives who always find the time to run up my credit accounts." This time Londo was the one chuckling. "In any event, he wished to give me a gift in honour of my service to our people. And the gift he gave me was any one wish within his power to grant."

"And what was your wish, my sweet?" Daggair moved closer, smiling coyly.

"A divorce!" he announced, earning a gasp from her and a thoughtful frown from Timov. "An easement from the arranged marriages' to my three wives," he chuckled at their reactions. "However…the Emperor requested that I keep one of you to be by my side for future state affairs. So by tomorrow, I will choose one of the three of you to remain my wife. The other two will be gone." He couldn't help laughing again. "Gone!"

He sobered and stared between them. "You'll receive no further money beyond the vast amounts of my savings you've already diverted to other accounts. You'll have no title and you'll have to do without the privileges to which you have become accustomed. A small repayment for the many years of joy you have given me." And he still didn't know which one he would or should keep.

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Noctis stretched out on the couch, Hermione tucked against him, Prompto sprawled on the ground, looking up at them. The three of them all together wasn't easy to arrange. He was working towards getting work, Prompto was often busy most of the day, and Hermione had shifts that ranged from day to night. Her schedule was ever changing depending on which shift needed her presence. So all three of them in her quarters was nice. Her bed was a bit bigger than Prom's too.

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"You've been fairly busy, haven't you, Mr. Stoner? Your records have you all over the place. Wouldn't be trying to stay one step ahead of someone...or perhaps involved in some shady dealings?" Michael suggested as he stared the man down. Something about him just rubbed him completely the wrong way but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was more than him being Talia's ex. Maybe he should see if Argent would be willing to walk by, see if he picked anything up.

"Do you treat all new arrivals to Babylon 5 this way or is this…personal?" Stoner asked as if completely unconcerned with being confronted by the chief of security in an interview room after being removed quietly from the Zócalo. He was having his archaeological paperwork checked at the same time too, to make sure he really did have the right to sell that artifact.

"Talia Winters is a friend of mine," Michael answered.

"Is she here? Small galaxy, isn't it?"

"You're gonna pretend you didn't know?" he asked, he didn't believe that for a second.

"Did she tell you all about me? No. Would you like me to tell you all about her? Is that it? What she likes to hear, where she likes to be touched." Stoner was actually smirking, and Michael glared at him.

"Don't push it," he warned.

"The little noises she makes. Does she cry out or sigh softly?"

"Shut...up," he was not going to lose his temper.

"I thought you wanted me to talk. Make up your mind, officer. Any more questions, officer…or am I free to go?"

"If Talia Winters so much as breathes a word that you've been harassing her you'll be spaced so fast you'll think you were born in a vacuum."

"Hmm." He didn't seem at all worried by the threat.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"Use both eyes. You'll need them," Stoner smirked as he left.

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John paused as he spotted his newest officer standing in front of Noctis, her eyes wide in shock even as Noctis stared back at her. And then they were laughing and hugging each other. What were the odds that the young techno-mage would know both their newest telepath and officer?

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"Hello, puddin'. Glad to see me?" a familiar voice asked, and Talia stiffened slightly, but didn't turn to face him, not yet. "Not a word for your ex? Not one syllable?"

She took a deep, calming, breath. "Why have you come here?" she asked as she turned to face her ex-husband.

"You never were a big believer in coincidence," he smirked slightly. "We had something once, Talia."

"You had something, not we," she denied, turning to walk away. "And it's nothing I want any part of, not anymore."

"I'll add it to the list of things you don't want any part of, like Psi-Corps," he said, and she froze, turning back to him. "But then I forget… anyone who's telepathic doesn't have that option." Was he taunting her?

"Except you." How had he done it? she could see maybe a P1 being allowed to vanish, but Matt was too strong for Psi Corps to willingly let go.

"You'd love to find out how I did it, wouldn't you? How I got out?"

"Yes," she admitted softly.

"Anyone can," he shrugged. "All you have to do is lose your telepathic abilities."

"Oh, that's all," she scoffed. Figured he wouldn't actually tell her.

"I did it."

"What?" she frowned, staring at him, that wasn't possible, was it?

"They have no hold on me. I could arrange for them to have no hold on you either. You'd be out of Psi-Corps, Talia. You'd be free…and we could be together." He took her arm, staring at her.

"Everything alright Talia?" a familiar voice broke the spell and she turned to see Prompto approaching, eyeing Matt warily.

"It's fine Prompto," she smiled at the younger telepath. "Matt was just leaving."

"I'll see you late Talia, think about my offer," and with that he left.

"Mr Garibaldi mentioned your ex was on board, I'm assuming…"

"Yes, that was Matt Stoner," she rubbed her wrist, watching as Matt vanished into the crowds.

"Psi Corps sucks at marrying couples who will actually last," he joked.

"Your parents," she agreed, and he nodded.

"You and Stoner…me," he admitted, and she glanced at him.

"You were married?" she asked in surprise.

"Very briefly. I liked her well enough as a friend but it didn't work…physically."

"Oh," well, that explained what she'd seen, his closeness with that other young man…Noctis.

The Corps did make allowances for such things to a point but as a P9, they'd still want his child…and from the look in his eyes, he'd provided. She was glad they'd never pushed it with her, there were many P5's and she didn't have a lineage with the Corps like Prompto did.

"Be careful Talia, something about him…just doesn't feel right."

"I can take care of myself," she almost rolled her eyes. First Michael and now Prompto, she was a big girl.

"I'll see you later," he called, vanishing into the crowds.

She watched him go, shaking her head. She supposed it was sweet how protective they were being of her. Matt wasn't a bad person and the idea of freedom from the Corps…

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Prompto ran his fingers through Hermione's curls and she smiled at him, leaning in for a soft kiss.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Talia's ex-husband. There's something…off about him. I checked the records and apparently he lost his telepathic abilities and the Corps let him go."

"You don't believe it?" Noct asked as he joined them, pulling his shirt on as he left the tiny bathroom.

They were getting used to the sight of pale flesh marred by implants, thought Prompto still felt concern when he saw them, the memories too clear of his own battle to survive. Noctis was strong and healthy though, that made it easier to deal with the memories of his own mutilation.

"No way the Corps just let him go, they would have wanted to look into how he lost his abilities, if he could get them back, still pass them on…"

"Want me to look into it?" Noctis dropped down beside Prompto, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"Can you from here?"

"Sure, there's enough links back to Earth and Psi Corps in the computers for me to get into their files."

"Sneaky," Hermione teased.

"I could be a Glaive these days," Noctis grinned, but then it faded, all of them thinking of Eos, wondering how their home was now. How long had it been? Were they grandparents, great-grandparents? Even more?

"So what have you two been up to while I was busy?" Prom asked, shifting to get more comfortable between them.

"Well, all the command crew has been invited to a part," Hermione offered. "And the Captain suggested I invite the two of you as various plus ones. Well he suggested I get Noct to give Prompto his invite since he doesn't know we know each other."

"Oh?" Prompto asked in confusion.

"Ambassador Mollari's 30th anniversary of his ascension day party is tonight. So which of you is my plus one and which is Commander Ivanova's?" She asked with a grin.

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Hermione straightened her uniform even as she wriggled her toes, she didn't know why the dress code was for bare feet but those were the rules. Thankfully, Noct had only one implant in his left ankle, easily hidden by his trousers.

"It feels weird wearing gloves but no shoes," Prompto murmured from where he was waiting for the Commander. Despite her known dislike for telepaths, it made more sense for him to be her companion for the evening then Hermione's.

"Have fun," Noct whispered back, and then they moved into the hall.

It was noisy and the alcohol flowed freely, as expected from a Centauri party. Hermione stayed away from the alcohol, as did Noctis and Prompto. Telepaths and alcohol didn't mix and while Hermione and Noctis could handle more than a normal human, they generally didn't drink just to be safe. They stuck to the Minbari safe drinks to ensure they weren't slipped any.

Soon it was time for the Ambassador to receive his gifts and of course that was when trouble stuck. She saw Prompto frown slightly, focus shifting to one of Mollari's wives, as if he'd sensed something.

"Now what is this?" Mollari asked as he picked up the statuette.

"It's from me," the youngest of the three women smiled.

"In a way, it's from all of us," one of the others chimed in coyly. There was definitely something going on there.

There was a soft noise and then there were two tiny…needles sticking out of Mollari's forehead. "Ah!" he cried out and then he was collapsing to the ground, groaning. Noctis rushed in, flicking his fingers at the figurine and it shimmered slightly so she assumed he'd put some kind of shield around it.

"Medlab, this is Sheridan. I need an emergency team fast," the Captain called over the comm.

"Right away, captain," a female voice answered.

Hermione moved in to help control the crowd, getting them back and away from the crime scene.

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"What is it?" Susan asked, seeing Argent rub his temple, even as he helped move some very intoxicated Centauri back from where the Captain and Noctis were kneeling by the Ambassador. She supposed it would make sense for the techno-mage to have some medical skill, when you travelled alone most of the time then there'd be no one else to patch you up if you were injured.

"Not really a fan of parties, too many uninhibited minds pressing in but…"

"But?" she pressed, and he glanced at the younger of Londo's three wives.

"It could be nothing but right before he picked up her gift there was a spike of anticipation. It could have just been excitement over him picking her gift next and hoping he would like it but it feels like more than that," he admitted softly.

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"I didn't know it was dangerous, I've handled it a hundred times. Centauri metabolism must set it off," Matt Stoner explained.

John watched the interrogation on the monitor, Argent beside him.

"Well, you can explain it to the magistrate," Michael told him.

"What do you think?" John looked at the young telepath.

"From here?" Argent looked at him. "There's something about him that just feels off but I'd have to be closer to scan him and even if he has lost his own abilities, there's no guarantee he wouldn't be able to sense me scanning him. Plus I'd need permission, either from the court or Stoner."

"I'll explain it in hell," Stoner scoffed.

"I'm going in, add some pressure and see what happens."

"I'll monitor you all as best as I legally can," Argent offered, and John nodded before heading for the interrogation room.

"What's up, captain?" Michael asked as he walked in.

"I just came from Medlab," a small lie, but he had been there before watching the monitor. "His condition's tearing him apart. You must know something about this artifact," he focused on Stoner who scoffed.

"I just helped dig it up and dust it off, I don't plan on forming a long-term relationship with it."

"You dug it up where?" he pressed.

"An abandoned Centauri colony in Sector 127," Stoner gave the location up easily, and John wanted to groan.

"Brilliant," he shook his head. "Did it occur to you to ask why the Centauri abandoned that sector in the first place?" his question received no answer. "It's because they were driven out by the Narns."

"Narns fight dirty," Michael added. "They probably rigged all kinds of traps and this was probably one of them."

"Mm. Could be. Which means, I didn't ask nearly enough money for it. Oh, well, easy come, easy go. Can I go now?" What was with the man?

"No," he denied his request. "I'm gonna check with G'Kar to see if he knows anything about this, and if by any chance Londo doesn't survive you can be sure I'll find something to charge you with."

"Negligence, transporting dangerous material," Michael suggested off the top of his head.

"Sure. Why not? Go for broke," Stoner shrugged. "Hey, how about I call you an idiot in public and you can convict me for revealing state secrets?"

John left before he said something, joining Argent, Michael emerging a moment later. "Anything?"

"He's smug about something, very sure you won't be able to touch him. Noctis is looking into his records as best he can from here, see if the Corps really did just let him go."

"You think he's still working for them?"

"I don't see them letting him go so easily, even if he did lose his abilities," the blond shrugged.

"Alright, if either of you learns something, please let me know." He waited till Argent was gone before looking at Michael. "See what we've got on Londo's wives, if there was more to the anticipation he sensed…"

"Then it could be a marital dispute that turned deadly," Michael nodded.

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"Dr. Franklin?" Timov called to the human as she entered the medlab.

"Yes?" he stepped into view.

"About Londo."

"Well, I'm afraid there's been no change in his condition," the human offered, and she nodded.

"I know," she stared at her husband where he lay on the bed. "It may interest you to know that Londo and I do have one thing in common, the same blood type."

"Well, why didn't you tell me this before?" the doctor demanded.

"I was deciding what to do about it," she admitted.

"Well, he's dying," the man scoffed, and she pursed her lips.

"We all die, doctor, sooner or later. As for Londo, after everything he's done, I would take some small pleasure in letting him die," there had never been love between them, never even any real affection. "But whatever you may think of me, doctor I have some principles that even 20 years with Londo can't erase. I do not like to win my battles this way, I find it vaguely unsatisfying. So you may have your transfusion, doctor on one condition," she paused, seeing the wariness in his expression as to what her condition would be. "He must never know I did this. I don't think either of us could stand the awkwardness of false gratitude."

"I can live with that. This way."

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Noctis frowned at the information he had dug up. What Psi Corps did to its own members…many of them against their will… He would never let them near Prompto again and he knew Hermione would agree. According to the files, Stoner had been let go but there was something more, something he couldn't get access too while not on Earth. It was frustrating but it was enough to warn the Captain to keep an eye out for the Corps becoming involved should Stoner be charged.

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Prompto looked over what Noct had found, giving his own insight from growing up with the Corps. He agreed with him though, there was something fishy going on in the records and how people reacted to Stoner. It wasn't telepathy though.

"What about empathy?" Hermione asked, and he looked over at her.

"In fiction back home," as in her original Earth, "telepathy often went hand in hand with being an empath, able to read and affect emotions. What if his abilities weren't removed, just altered?"

"That…makes a lot of sense," Prompto admitted. "Guess I better contact the Captain and warn Talia."

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"I can't believe you're throwing away your chance to leave Psi-Corps," Matt stared at her in confusion.

"I am what I am, Matt," she shrugged slightly, keeping her shields up fully, though she didn't know if that would help, if Prompto was right about Matt's abilities simply being changed…just like Jason. "I don't wanna carve out a piece of myself."

"I just wanted you to come with me, I didn't want to pressure you. I want it to be different this time. I was certain that if I told you about the cure, you'd wanna come of your own free will," Matt paced around the room.

"I can't walk away from who I am or what I am. If you take away my talents I don't know what would be left. You can understand that, can't you?" she asked him. Who would she be if she wasn't a telepath?

"I suppose so," he sighed. "But you're still coming with me, Talia."

"Matt, I don't want…" she shook her head.

"You're coming with me."

"Of course," she smiled. Why wouldn't she go with him?

He turned to the guard. "You'll arrange for immediate transport."

"It will be waiting for you in Docking Bay 9," the man agreed.

Matt took her hand and the doors opened.

"Hey," Garibaldi greeted, smirking. "Thanks, Talia, for your help, and thank the kid too."

She felt Prompto's mind brush hers, felt something else, and everything cleared. She pulled away from Matt, disgusted by what he had tried to do to her.

"Damn, I love being right," Michael said as she left.

"Are you alright?" Prompto asked as she walked into the monitoring room.

She nodded, absently rubbing her arms.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your quarters," Prompto offered, and she let him.

She never wanted to see Matt again.

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Prompto suddenly straightened from where he'd slouched against Noct's side even as Hermione moved about his small kitchen.

"What is it?" Noctis asked.

"The Captain's coming," he admitted, and they both looked to Hermione who shrugged.

"We both know Noct, makes sense we'd be spending time together."

Prompto nodded and went to the door, opening it before the Captain could even announce himself. "Captain."

"Mr Argent, may I come in?"

"Of course," he stepped back to allow the older man inside.

"Lieutenant Potter?" he asked in surprise.

"Sir," Hermione greeted, as she set plates out. "Will you be joining us?"

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John looked between the three, surprise fading. He supposed it made sense for Noctis to introduce his two friends to each other. And it would be good for Argent to have more ties outside of the Corps. "No thank you, I don't wish to intrude. I just wanted to offer my thanks for your help with Stoner and the situation with Ambassador Mollari."

"Is Stoner going to be charged?" Noctis asked, and John grimaced.

"As soon as we filed, Psi Corps interceded. Looks like you were right about him still working for the Corps. We're assuming Mariel knew exactly what she was purchasing but there's no proof, Londo asked we leave it to him."

"He made a full recovery then?" Noctis asked, and he nodded.

"Somehow. Once again, thank you. I'll leave you to your meal." He turned and left them in peace.

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"The Centauri Liner Vellurian is now in its final boarding."

"This is the ambassador's upcoming itinerary," Vir told Timov, handing over the documents. "I've marked those events which you might wish to attend and those where he will actually be accompanying you," he explained before bowing to all three. "Ladies, it's been a pleasure meeting you."

"Londo, you're making a big mistake."

"A huge mistake."

"Well, it won't be my first," he admitted cheerfully. He was rid of two of his wives! He knew Mariel had meant to kill him and this was only the beginning of his revenge on her. Daggier he was simply relieved to be done with. "Actually, it will be my fourth. Look, be satisfied I decided to give you a reasonable allowance as settlement."

"Are we supposed to be grateful for that?" Daggier sneered.

"Yes, you are. That's the joy of it. Goodbye, ladies," he smiled and waved them off but Timov lingered.

"Alright, Londo. Why did you choose to keep me as your wife and not them? I've made no pretence of affection for you. I find your recent actions contemptible. I'll never love you, at best, I'll tolerate you. And I'll never be what you want me to be. Why me?" she demanded and he smiled at her.

"Because with you, I will always know where I stand," he explained, and he could be happy with that. She had no reason to stab him in the back or try and push herself into higher circles.

She stared at him, before nodding and taking her leave.

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Experimenting on their own people," Hermione shook her head, sipping her tea.

"I want to dig deeper but I think…the Corps is part of what we're here to help fix," Noctis admitted.

"Makes sense to me, no one else treats their telepaths the way humanity does," Prompto agreed. "It won't be easy though, there've been rumours of Psi Corps getting more and more deeply involved with the darker sides of government and even Earthforce for the last few years."

"I think the Captain has his own suspicions about that and our new President," Hermione admitted. Of them all, she was the most experienced with this kind of moving behind the scenes, she had spent her life on Eos trying to make the Empire better behind her 'Father's' back before she had challenged him for the throne. She didn't need telepathy to read people, she was now on her third lifetime of doing so.

"Thoughts for another time," Noctis stood and stretched before heading for the bedroom, getting a laugh from Hermione over how obvious he was being.

She glanced at him and Prompto grinned.

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"Commander," Delenn greeted as the woman joined her in the transport tube.

"Susan," she offered, and Delenn nodded.

"I wish to thank you again for your patience and understanding."

"Oh, not a problem. Taking on human characteristics has been something of an education for both of us," Susan chuckled. "Well, if you have any other problems any other questions at all, just ask."

"Well, uh, now that you mention it do you have any idea why I suddenly started getting these…odd cramps?"

TBC…