PART 6 - The Delicate Balance of In-Between
by Jimmy, June 2, 2001
Rathenn gracefully took his seat, but only after Delenn made herself comfortable first. Her dismissal from The Council saddened him since he knew it was spurred on by fear and paranoia. He had witnessed Delenn at her worst and at her best, so he knew she was tempered in spirit, passionate in her heart as well as determined in will, a rare combination for a Minbari, and rarer for a member of The Grey Council. Her metamorphosis had taken him by surprise when he first saw her, but he had known Delenn long enough to realize her soul had not changed along with her looks. And she was such a lovely creature. Her beauty could never be denied, even now with the strange human hair cascading underneath her headbone.
"Satai Rathenn ..."
"No more formalities, Delenn. I can take only so much before my patience grows short. Call me Rathenn like always. Think of it as a kindness to me."
Delenn smiled, "Thank you old friend. I would have had difficult time remembering to address you as Satai for I have known you too long as Rathenn."
"That gladdens my heart, Delenn. It does me good to know that you still consider me a friend, even though I was unable to defend you in your time of need."
"We do what we must. And that is in the past, what matters now is the future. Are you here for specific business or just to torment Captain Sheridan with that war cruiser of yours?"
Delenn's compatriot broke into an uncharacteristic smile at her perceptive remark. "I will confess I did like the look on his face when I met him. He has more control than others give him credit for. Delenn, can I assume Hedronn has made his presence known to you?"
"In his usual manner."
Rathenn's face was a study of restrained sarcasm. "I can imagine. I'm surprised he's not here right now, demanding to know the reason of my visit. He was always short-tempered, and it's getting worse with age."
"I will keep praying it will improve rather than devolve as he grows into a venerable elder."
"Then you'll be doing nothing else for the rest of your life but praying for his enlightenment."
"It seems he has taken control of our conversation even without being present." Delenn said; her voice touched with humor. "However, something tells me you're not on Babylon 5 to speak with him, Rathenn."
"No, mercifully not. I am here to see Callimer."
Delenn gasped sharply. "You have not heard?"
"Oh, don't tell me that fool rejected my advice and already spoke to Neroon." Rathenn said despairingly. "I told him to wait until I was here with Jerina!"
"Rathenn, Callimer's been murdered."
Her friend suddenly became silent, but the widening of his eyes told her the news was a genuine surprise.
"Rathenn, what was he not supposed to tell?"
"Murdered? Are you sure?"
"Yes, Rathenn, please, tell me what is happening in Minbar."
"Have they caught the person responsible for such a foul deed?"
"No, but they are hunting for them, even now."
"They? There is more than one?"
"Yes, we are sure of it. It seems a great conspiracy has been created in order to ensure Callimer's death."
Rathenn sighed deeply, "Delenn, I must confess, I was worried something like this would come to pass."
"What was happening between Callimer and Neroon?"
"You know of the problems between the Sun Hunters and the Star Riders?"
"Yes, Hedronn has informed me."
"Then let me give you the unedited version, Delenn. It's much worse than you are probably led to believe. Their animosity has spilled over to all the Castes, and the tension is mounting quickly at Yedor. I am sure Hedronn has said the Sun Hunters are ambitious lot and squarely placed the blame on them, but there is a deeper plot at hand."
"I figured as much. To challenge Neroon seems very foolhardy unless something great was at stake."
"That something is Jerina, daughter of Shykan, leader of the Sun Hunters. Do you know her?"
Delenn shook her head, "I know of her, but I have never met her personally."
"She has come of age, and her father has given her permission to seek a mate. In spite of claiming Shykan as her sire, she is a great beauty and a tremendous warrior. When it was made known she was looking for a husband, the Warrior Caste went into frenzy hitherto never seen before. The competition was fierce, and one of the names bandied about as a potential suitor was Neroon's."
Delenn thoughtfully said, "That makes sense. He's been one of the most sought-after males in the Warrior Caste. I am personally surprised he has not found a mate years ago."
"He's a political creature, Delenn, and ambitious beyond measure. He knows as long as he remains unmarried, there is a chance he could ally himself with a powerful clan."
"Like the Sun Hunters." Delenn said out loud. "But where is the problem? If the two clans align themselves with each other through marriage, they will be virtually unstoppable."
"The problem is Jerina. She has fallen hopelessly in love with another."
"Callimer?" Delenn asked in dismay.
"Yes, and they have been in love since he became her father's aide."
"Has Neroon made an official declaration of intent?"
"Yes, right after he took your place at The Grey Council. As you can imagine, Shykan thought it would be the greatest honor for his daughter and his clan if Jerina chose Neroon as mate. Jerina, on the other hand, had other plans. She had agreed to meet with Neroon out of sheer deference to her father, but the first meeting did not go well at all. In her defense, I must say Neroon's courting skills lack much finesse. She told me, and the story has been confirmed by others present in this fiasco, Neroon mispronounced her name throughout the meeting. Needless to say, this irritated her beyond measure." Rathenn took a deep breath, "In Neroon's defense, she had already become used to Callimer and he is half-Religious. So he knew how to speak eloquently while pleasing his listener to no end. Neroon acted like she should be grateful that he bestowed his attentions on her ... while Callimer, well, that one treated her like she was the center of his universe, which she was. So, for Jerina, the choice was brutally clear."
"Is she the reason why there is such hostility between the Sun Hunters and the Star Riders?"
"She initiated it. Every slight, no matter how innocuous, was reported to her father. Neroon did this, he did that, he treated me badly; he ignored me altogether and paid inappropriate attention to other females. He told me he would have to teach me harsh lessons once we were wed because you spoiled me ... you can imagine what tales she filled her father's head with. And, in spite of Shykan's outwardly behavior, he loves his daughter very much. He has openly declared her his greatest legacy, and to have her treated with carelessness, no matter how small, was intolerable for the old warrior. So, it wasn't long before Shykan and his clan rejected Neroon's suit, and did so without a word of explanation. Neroon did not take this well and things escalated from there."
"So Callimer agreed to Hedronn's plan to meet with Neroon because he wanted Neroon to know the truth?"
"Yes, I don't think Hedronn knew why, just that Callimer agreed to it was more than enough to make the necessary arrangements."
"Where is Jerina?"
"On my ship. When she found out Callimer was planning to meet with Neroon, she wanted to come and join the fray. She was worried Neroon would make Callimer pay for her folly."
"Rathenn, why are you involved in all this?"
"I was Callimer's confidant. I knew his mother, she trained with me in Temple, and we kept in touch even after her marriage into the Warrior Caste. After her death, he came to me for advice in secret, and I never turned him away. He was a fine specimen, Delenn. He had inherited his mother's tremendous heart and his father's merciless courage. Shykan was very proud to have Callimer, even though he was half-Caste, and valued him greatly. When he hears of the murder there will be much bloodshed."
"More than you know. Neroon's under suspicion even though it has not been said out loud."
"I feared as much. Is there any evidence against him?"
"The humans have not discovered the reason for his presence on Babylon 5, but Mr. Garibaldi is capable of unearthing anything and everything given his tenacity. They also have everyone looking for Callimer's killer. It'll only be a matter of time, Rathenn, before their attention turns to Neroon and the Star Riders."
"Unless Jerina gets to Neroon first. She is a fearless warrior, Delenn. If she even suspects Neroon was responsible for Callimer's death, she'll invoke Denn'Sha."
"She cannot do such a thing! Neroon is Satai!"
"How long do you think that will last if it's proven he was involved in Callimer's death? Even the suspicion might be enough for The Grey Council to banish him. And once that happens, he will become vulnerable, mortally so."
"Can she kill him?"
"I would like to say no, but I have seen her fight. I think so, yes. And remember, she will be in a mindless rage because of Callimer. In spite of her youth, she loved him terribly. There never was another for Jerina, and now, there never will be."
"Rathenn, what will happen if she loses?" Delenn asked half in fear of the answer, half in worry for the young Minbari female.
"I suspect," he whispered sadly. "If she dies, Shykan and the rest of the Sun Hunters will do everything and anything possible to destroy Neroon and his clan, even if it means their annihilation. And the Star Riders will do the same for Neroon, which leaves the Warrior Caste halved, bloodied and decimated. Perhaps beyond redemption or restoration."
"And that will leave Minbar and all our colonies in a tremendously weakened position." Delenn said.
"We will be made vulnerable to everything that wants to prey on us, including the Centauri. The other worlds have stayed away from us for two reasons, Delenn. One is our superior technology, which gives us our invincibility. The other is the fear of our invincibility. If either becomes compromised, we will pay dearly for it."
"But that isn't all that worries you, is it?"
"No, my other concern is the Wind Swords. Without the other clans, they might come to dominate the entire Warrior Caste. You know as well as I the Star Riders and the Sun Hunters, in spite of their recent behavior, are moderate compared to those militant fanatics. Should they rise to power, there will be nothing to stop them from doing whatever they wish. Remember, they gave sanctuary to that monster, Jha'dur, simply because she gave them weapons that finally suited their needs."
Delenn rose to make tea. Rathenn's revelations had unnerved her totally. Only after taking a sip of the calming brew could she begin speaking again.
"If Shykan loves his daughter so much, then why didn't she tell him of her preference from the beginning?"
"Because when this started, Shykan was determined to match his daughter with Neroon. Even though traditionally it's the female who chooses her mate, if her father put enough pressure on Jerina, she might have agreed out of respect. And there was also the risk of her love for Callimer being discovered. That would have placed him in terrible jeopardy with everyone, both the Sun Hunters and the Star Riders. Once Neroon was out of the way, she could slowly introduce her ... preference, and Shykan would have agreed, in time."
"Does Neroon have any feelings for her?"
"I do not know, but if the effect she has on others is any indication, I would have to say yes. In spite of his behavior, I cannot imagine Neroon being totally impervious to feminine charms, if wielded correctly."
"Especially if those feminine charms come with a denn'bok in hand."
"Most definitely."
The two had to chuckle at the thought of Neroon being unmade by a female and continued with their conversation in a lighter note. They would return to the darker topics soon enough, but for a moment they wanted to share happier memories and trade frivolous gossip if only to fortify themselves for what was ahead.
-- continued in part seven --