Tools of Dishonor
by Sunraven, June, 2001

The door chime pulled Dr. Terra McClare out of a deep sleep. She sat up and looked around at her quarters, blinking confusedly. The noise rang out again, impatient insistence sounding in its smooth tones.

"Computer, what time is it?"

The impersonal voice responded "It is 0200, Earth Standard Time."

Now who the hell would be at her door at two in the morning? If any of her usual patients had an emergency, they would contact her by vid.

"Damn! Computer, activate door audio, enhanced volume."

"Activated."

Terra spoke to the unknown visitor while getting out of bed and pulling on a robe. "Yes? What is it?"

"A voice from your past."

She would recognize that baritone voice even if she were three days dead.

"Neroon? Open." She went over to the opening door. Sure enough, it was him, standing there in his usual high ranking Warrior Caste armor. "What in Valen's name are you doing here? It's two in the morning!"

"Now is that any way to treat an old friend come calling, Terra? Aren't you going to invite me in, or are we going to converse for the rest of the night in this doorway?" He checked her body out, and his busy rycanthin glands told her that he liked what he saw immensely. "If we are, then I must insist that you go change into something that won't distract me so much. I am not made of acrylar, you know."

After that comment, she was tempted to tell him to take two aspirin and come back in the morning. Her robe was an old favorite one made of a now ratty pink material. Blushing, Terra pulled the frayed pieces together at her breast. "Uh, come on in. I look like something the cat dragged in. Really awful. I wish that you had notified me that you were coming, Neroon."

He walked in and turned around to look her up and down in his insolent way. "Awful is not the description I would use with regards to your appearance." The light that often smoldered behind his dark eyes (most often when he was fighting or sparring) was there at full kilowatt level as he looked at her.

She smiled at his comment. Talk about Eye of the Beholder, and all that! He looks good, though. Wearing the gray must be agreeing with him.

"I believe that's a compliment, Neroon?" Terra moved into his arms for a kiss then, not able to keep away from him for another second. He was like a magnet to her iron.

After his kiss had sufficiently woke Terra, she pulled away a bit and smiled up at him. "Are you going to give me an explanation as to why you're here and how you got on the station, since I'm sure you didn't come all this way to tell me I look good in my sleeping robe?"

The empath, rather overwhelmed by the scorching feelings coming from Neroon, peeled herself away from him, feeling suddenly shy. Remembering her hostly duties, she turned and went to her kitchenette to put some water on to boil.

"I'll make some tea for us while you talk."

Terra could sense that he was hungry, so she pulled together a quick snack made up of a mixture of Minbari and Earther foods that she knew were palatable and safe.

He sat down on her couch and made himself at home while she worked. For Neroon, home was wherever his august presence was.

As Terra brought in the tea and food, the new Satai looked at her quizzically. "I would have thought that you would be expecting me. I was informed that Delenn told you about the series of biochemical illnesses occurring on Korun."

"Yes, she did, right after she got the word from the Gray Council a day ago. I've packed up my equipment and the other things I'll need and am just waiting for transportation. She said that the earliest they would be able to get here would be tomorrow at about 1500 EST."

Looking very arrogant suddenly, he smiled. "Well, it isn't as long as all that."

"You mean you are my transportation? Why? And how did you convince the Gray Council to let their newest Satai out of the circle to act as a taxi service?"

He took a deep drink of the tea, a Minbari blend relished by all three castes alike. "You do know then, that I was elected to the Gray Council, just as you predicted when the Shai Alyt died?"

Terra's normal friendliness cooled distinctly as she glared at the warrior sitting next to her on the couch. "Yes, I heard. And I also heard of the cruel words you said to Delenn when she was thrown off the Council."

He returned her glare. "Delenn has a big mouth. What happens in the Gray Council is private, and not supposed to be spread, especially not to ä" He bit his words off before he went too far.

Hurt coursed through her down to her very bones. How dare he! Terra, eyes turning green, jumped in quickly to finish his statement. "To outworlders, wasn't that what you were going to say, Satai Neroon?" The honorific was dripping with sarcasm. "You do know that saying that would be justification enough for my clan to challenge you to the Denn-sha? My adoption into the Diun clan was approved by the Gray Council and the Council of Religious Caste Elders, and as such, is legal and binding to any succeeding member of the Gray Council."

His anger flared right back, and quickly burned up the shame he felt for his unkind thoughts and words. "There is no one in your pathetic Religious Caste clan who could hope to win if they challenged me to the Denn-Sha. I was taught by Durhan himself, after all."

The glass globe on her chest burned a dark emerald color to match her angry eyes. Arrogant Ass! "I suspect that Fleet Captain Lenann and Sech Durhan might have something to say about that comment. I'm told Lenann beat you seven times out of ten at the academy."

The fire in his dark eyes flared to solar proportions at this insult, his Warrior Caste pride pricked. "That was a long time ago. We were children then."

The red heat of his anger washed over her, augmenting her own through her life bond with him. Terra jumped to her feet and snarled back at him, "Alyt Neroon, go find another place to puff up your chest and brag like a Brajerian Blowfish. I grow weary of it, and of your presence. I will ask Delenn to find me other transportation to Korun. I wouldn't ride with you if you had the last starshuttle in the galaxy. If it weren't for the thought of what a possible plague gone rampant would do to that lovely world and the ten million Minbari there, I'd even be of half a mind to just unpack my things and let you find someone else to solve your little problem. After all, why should an outworlder help the Minbari?"

At that, his anger died completely, being replaced with genuine fear for his people on Korun.

"There is no other Minbari as experienced as you in dealing with biochemical illnesses like the one on Korun, Terra. You know that. There is no one else." The urge to say he was sorry shot to his lips, but stubborness and pride chased it back inside again. After all, he hadn't actually called her an outworlder, just thought it for a second.

She sighed tiredly. "Yes. I know that. Go away, Neroon. I'm tired and I wish to go back to sleep. I will deal with you in the morning. Oh, and set the door back on lock status when you leave."

To forestall any argument, she untied her robe and took it off, laying it over a chair. She climbed back into bed and turned on her side away from where she could tell that he still stood, radiating irritation, arousal, shock at her boldness, and other feelings; She willed her body to sleep. Within moments Terra was deep in an empathically forced sleep.

 

When the computer sounded her wake-up call, Terra came immediately awake. The whole nasty conversation of the night before played again in her mind. Her first response was a deep hurt that after all Neroon and she had been through with each other, that he could call her outworlder with that casual disdain in his voice. It didn't matter that he hadn't actually said it. He'd thought it, and that was bad enough. The anger came next, hot and furious. That damned Minbari! How dare he?

As she sat up in bed, the empath sensed another's presence in her quarters. It was Neroon. That idiot had never left after she fell asleep! She got out of bed, her head filling with the anger and a feeling of violation, and hurried into the kitchen.

Neroon was in her kitchenette cooking something and making tea. He seemed perfectly at home, like he owned the place. He had removed his outer armor and his boots, and was dressed only in the black undertunic and trousers of his caste.

Ignoring the familiar awe she always felt when she saw him without his armor, Terra slammed into the kitchen. "What are you still doing here? I asked you to leave last night. Why did you disobey me? You have shown me great disrespect!"

He turned to her with an unusually mild expression on his face. "I decided to stay and watch for your true face. I wanted to see it again."

He handed her a mug of tea. Automatically she took it, disarmed by his gentle attitude.

"Neroon, most people ask permission first before they perform the true face watch." She thought about what else he might have seen, with her habit of throwing her blankets off of her in the night, and blushed crimson.

"Would you have given it to me after the way I talked to you last night?"

"Hell, no! Even if you hadn't talked to me like that, I still wouldn't have let you do it. Our relationship is not so close any more that you would have the right to do that. You were extremely disrespectful!"

He grinned at her, totally unrepentant. "Yes, I suppose I was. But I did get to see what I wanted." His smile turned sly, "Among other quite interesting things. " Now his face turned serious. "After my rash words last night, I realized that I have been listening to Shakiri too much. He is very persuasive, and some of his ideas had infiltrated my mind without me knowing it. The truth of it is, Terra, that in my heart I haven't really thought of you as an alien since the peace talks. I know his hate-filled words are wrong about you. I let my irritation at Delenn trying to make me look bad in your eyes speak without thought as to the effect of those words."

"Is that the equivalent of a Warrior Caste apology, Neroon?" A small smile turned her lips up at the corners, but in female fashion, she wasn't quite ready to forgive him.

"No. It is the equivalent of a Satai's apology, Terra." A smile quirked on his face. "Of course, if you ever told anyone about it, I would deny it."

She warmed her hands on the hot mug. "I've never done anything to Shakiri, you know. He has no reason to hate me."

"Oh, yes he has. After you brought back the death recordings from the crew of the Trigati, many of my caste finally accepted your adoption as a Minbari. They knew Kalain, and that he would have never agreed to order his crew to make those recordings and give them to an alien, and a Human one at that, to return to their clans. The fact that he gave them to you caused great awe among my people. Shakiri had been trying to use you as the focus of the hatred a lot of my caste has had for the Religious Caste and for Humans since the war, since you are now both. After the Trigati recordings were brought back, he lost a good portion of his support in that direction."

She frowned up at the large warrior. "So are you trying to use Shakiri's influence as the excuse for your horrible behavior to me last night, Neroon? And to Delenn, who is my friend, when she was physically vulnerable after her transformation? Has your promotion to Satai changed you so much from the annoying but sweet warrior that I knew, andäand cared for?" The sadness in her eyes gripped his heart.

He reached out and stroked her face with his thumb. "It isn't dignified to describe a warrior as sweet, my Heart. But what I said to Delenn was äregretful. I had just learned about why they had ordered us to surrender to the Humans, and I didn't want to believe their religious squealings. Humans with Minbari souls? It was too much for me to believe. I lashed out at her to relieve my own sense of shame and horror." He looked away from her eyes, and the hurt within them for a few seconds, then caught her eyes again. "I had forgotten about what I have always seen of your true face each time I have been with you."

"And what is that?"

He looked at her again. "I saw what Satai Relinn has always seen in you, and why he gave you this." He reached out and touched the crystal sphere she always wore with one callused finger. "He thought you had the soul of his wife Sador. I don't know if you have Sador's soul or not, but you do have the soul of a Minbari. Last night as you slept, I saw again that it was true. Your Minbari soul shines from you like our homeworld sun. No one who saw that could ever believe you aren't one of us. Shakiri is blinded by his hate."

"Hmmm." She sniffed the air. "Something's burning!"

They rushed to the stove and managed to rescue his creation before it became inedible.

"I can see why my mother always told me never to let a man into my kitchen. She said you all are too easily distracted, and make a big mess of things."

He took the now black-bottomed pot from her and dished out the stir-fry mixture of Minbari vegetables onto two plates. It was actually good, and after she complimented him on it, she scarfed it down like she was starving. Fighting with Neroon always had made her hungry. Among other things.

After finishing the meal, she stood up from the table. "I'd better get a shower. What time do we leave? We aren't taking a shuttle all the way to Korun are we?"

"No. The Ingata is on a rendezvous course. If we leave by about 1000 EST, we will arrive at the rendezvous point in plenty of time to meet them. It is the fastest ship that we have."

"I guess I see how you talked the Gray Council into letting one of their own escort me. All's you had to do was offer them the Ingata. What I still don't understand is why."

"It is simple, really. I explained to you how some of my caste feels about you, and frankly, I don't trust your safety on the trip to Korun, or back here. Someone loyal to Shakiri may decide to rid him of the thorn in his side by taking your life. My presence there should discourage that, and if it doesn't, then I will be there to protect you. In helping us, you are again doing a great deal for our people. It is the least I can do to protect you while you do it." He smiled. "Officially, of course, I am going along to ascertain the real situation on Korun."

Right then, the vid chime sounded. Terra put it on limited view and saw it was Delenn. The person standing next to her almost gave her a heart attack. Ledann! She thought she was seeing a ghost of her lost husband. But no. She saw the small differences now, the small scar under his left cheek, the fuller face. It was his cousin, Fleet Captain Lenann.

"Good morning, Terra."

"Good morning, Delenn. And a good morning to you, Lenann. I didn't realize you were anywhere near Babylon 5."

He smiled a breathtaking smile. Ledann's smile. "Terra, good morning to you also. I am here at Delenn's request." He even sounded like her dead husband.

Delenn said, "Has Neroon contacted you, Terra? His shuttle arrived in the early morning, I've been told."

Aware of him standing almost naked (by Minbari standards) just outside of vid range, she answered. "Yes, he has made his presence known. We will be leaving to rendezvous with the Ingata at 1000 EST."

"Because of the friction between the Warrior Caste and the Religious Caste, I have asked Fleet Captain Lenann to go along as escort for you to Korun."

Terra could sense Neroon's anger at Delenn's distrust like a heat wave behind her. "I thought that Satai Neroon was to be my escort, Delenn. It could be contrived as an insult to him if you bring in another to serve in that capacity."

"I do not care what Neroon likes or dislikes. He is much in Shakiri's presence lately, and because of that, I want someone from our caste there with you. Someone of high rank, and from your own clan. Lenann volunteered, but I would have chosen him even if he had not, because of the respect the Warrior Caste hold for him. He will be accompanying you and Neroon in the shuttle when you leave, Terra. "

She knew better than to argue with Delenn when she spoke in that tone. Terra smiled. "I never can argue with you when you get in that mood. And I will welcome exchanging clan news with you, Lenann."

The beautiful smile flashed again. "And I with you, Terra. Shall I meet you at the shuttle at 9:45?"

"That would be fine. Thank you." Terra signed off and turned to the very angry warrior behind her.

"How dare she! She has no right to treat me this way. It is disrespectful! She isn't Satai any more!"

"You can take Delenn out of the gray robes, Neroon, but you can't take the gray robes out of her heart. She leads the Religious Caste, and so I must obey. It will be good to see Lenann again. And it will be a reunion for you two also. So look on the bright side, you might even get to prove to me that you are better than him in the denn-bok now. Here's your chance!"

She went out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "You could make yourself useful by calling Delenn. Please be polite to her, Neroon! And arrange to have her send some people to get my equipment from my lab. The boxes are all marked, and for Valen's sake, tell them to be careful with them!"

"Oh, and don't forget to put on your armor before you call! No use causing a scandal."

Neroon was rather shocked that she could order him around so casually when he outranked her by so many levels. And Terra would probably have been surprised at the chuckle he let out before he turned to do as she had bidden him.

 

Part 2 - square off: 1 Warrior Caste Satai, 1 Religious Caste warrior, and one Human with a Minbari soul.

She heals, he prays, and they fight!

Go to Tools of Dishonor, Part 2