MIDNIGHT ON THE NEGOTIATION LINE - PART 4

By Sunraven


They didn't pack up and head back to the compound right after their discussion, but the more the distance between them lengthened, the less bright the sunshine was for Terra.  Finally she gave it up and had him take her back.

He walked with her to her quarters, took the suitcase inside and placed it on a table, then turned to her.  Without meeting her eyes he bowed, and said "Till another day, Doctor.  Goodbye."  He was giving off anger and pain as sharp as a razor, and a curious determination.

Frightened because of that determination she felt in him, she cried out, "Neroon!"  She reached for his arm, thinking she couldn't let him leave in such a state.  With trained warrior reflexes he easily eluded her grasp, turned, and left.  After the door swished shut, she threw herself on her bed and sobbed until it felt as though she had used up all of the salt water in her body.  Finally she fell into a broken sleep, dreaming that she was desperately looking for someone, and she called and called, but never found him.

Terra didn't hear from Neroon at all the next day, and spent the time getting herself and her shields ready for the negotiations the next day.  She dreaded seeing him again then.  All of her hard won composure would crumble, she was sure of it.

As a matter of fact, Branmer came in with another warrior as his escort.  Both of the other Minbari negotiators wondered what happened to Neroon, and the surprise they gave off was genuine.  Terra couldn't dare asking the Shai-Alyt what had happened to his aide, so she waited to catch Relinn later and asked him what had happened.  No change of personnel was supposed to happen without telling her.  

"Yes, I wondered the same thing myself.  When I asked him, the Shai-Alyt mentioned that Alyt Neroon will be leaving shortly on an important mission for the Warrior Caste.  He is in seclusion meditating and preparing for it, then will be heading out to rendezvous with the Ingata tomorrow.  That was all the Shai-Alyt told me."

Very quickly after the talks resumed did they reach a shouting crescendo again.  The Shai-Alyt seemed more testy and imperious than usual, and it was all Major General Bolter could do to keep his miniscule shred of temper from overflowing in response.  

"You planned to have our scouts on Zendar abducted and tortured!  One of the survivors recalled a higher level officer coming into the room once and speaking to the interrogator.  This was obviously part of an Earth plot to try to force my warriors to speak of our battle plans!"  The Shai-Alyt sneered at the Major General, and the new Minbari aide looked and felt as though he was ready to jump the table and challenge Colonel Lanscombe or someone to the Denn-sha.  Lovely, just lovely, sighed Terra.

Bolter responded through clenched teeth, "The higher level officer your man saw was, in fact, one of our EarthForce physicians, Shai-Alyt, not a military officer.  He was checking on the health of the prisoners, is all.  Do not make accusations unless you get your facts straight, Minbari."  He took a breath.  "If we had planned to torture your men, rather than one soldier going out of control, which is what happened, then there wouldn't have been any survivors!"

The Shai-Alyt's new aide's muscles tightened up in preparation for battle, and he pulled out his denn-bok.  His intent to go after the Major General was plain in the emotions he was giving off, and the way he glared at the Earth officer.

"NO!"  With her gift, Terra reached for the man's hand, forcing the denn-bok to drop from his now frozen fingers.  The clanging sound as it hit the ground startled everyone.  Then she froze all four of the military men in place by short-circuiting their neural systems.  She let up on it after just a second, because in doing that to them, their autonomic systems would also be shut down, which included breathing.  The action certainly got their collective attentions.

She stood up, furious, and moved over to where Branmer's escort stood there looking rather confused.  She got into his face, ignoring the repugnance in his expression when she did so, and said in dark Minbari.  "I have released the paralysis on your hand.  Give me your denn-bok.  I am confiscating it because of your unacceptable behavior.  How dare you threaten one of the negotiating team!  Where did the Shai-Alyt dig you up from?  The Warrior Caste Academy?  Are they now using half-trained undisciplined children as escorts to the Minbari negotiating team?"  

The young man started to respond in the only way he knew how to counteract this insulting small person who was getting in his face.  His muscles tightened up for attack.

"Chakur!  Nei!  Val shenon du!"  Branmer's command stopped the warrior short.  He froze in place for a second, then backed up and, with a final glare at Terra, left the room, without picking up his denn-bok.  Terra reached down, picked up the denn-bok, went over to the Colonel, unsnapped the cover flap on his hip holster and took his gun.  Fortunately for him, he had the sense not to move a finger or say a word. 

"This is final!  No more weapons in this room.  I don't care if Valen himself rolls over in his grave in shock at the breach in tradition.  If we cannot handle ourselves as civilized adults, then I will have to become more strict."

Chang - sai Tuan, the gentle Chinese co-leader of the Earth negotiation team, asked her in his sweet voice.  "Terra, most of what just happened was in a version of Minbari the Earth team did not understand.  Was violence offered to someone?  Is that why you have confiscated the weapons?"

Terra turned to the Shai-Alyt, allowing him to save face by answering the question.

The Shai-Alyt turned towards the Earth team and said in Interlangue, "Dr. McClare acted appropriately, gentlemen.  I had forgotten that my escort, Chakur, had a clan member who didn't survive the interrogation we were discussing.  He is...unaccustomed to serving diplomatic duty and reacted without thought.  It will not happen again."

Terra turned and glared at Major General Bolter, until the old warrior turned to the Shai-Alyt and said, "It is I who should apologize to you and to that warrior, Shai-Alyt.  I spoke without respect for your losses in the incident under discussion.  That will not happen again, either."

She handed the denn-bok to Branmer, and the gun to Bolter, and said, "I will entrust these with you, gentlemen, to return to your aides when appropriate.  Now, I would suggest we take another break, and continue these negotiations tomorrow.  I have some logistics problems that I need to work out to make these damn talks work out!"

Apparently most of the teams agreed with her assessment as all the people sitting around the table were exhausted and grumpy.

She dragged herself back to her quarters, while being forced to put up with Colonel Lanscombe escorting her.  When he tried to invite himself in, she stopped herself from punching him, and instead reached inside and increased the amount of stomach acid going to his stomach for a second.  It probably wasn't very nice to give him a belly ache, but it was better than punching his lights out.

She sat on her bed and meditated for a few minutes, but found that she really couldn't concentrate.  Neroon was leaving, and it was on account of her!  It was all her fault.  She had to see him before he left for the Ingata.  She had to talk some sense into him!

Gathering her determination, she went over to the Minbari side, to the quarters that Neroon shared with the Shai-Alyt.  She buzzed on the door chime, her heart lodging in her esophagus.  The door opened, and the Shai-Alyt stood there.  When he saw who it was, he didn't seem too happy about it.

"Dr. McClare.   How may I be of assistance?"  That was absolute rudeness, by Minbari standards.

"Shai-Alyt Branmer, I need to speak to Alyt Neroon."

"He is in seclusion, meditating, and can not be disturbed."  He said firmly.  He was definitely not happy with her for causing him the loss of his aide, or for what she'd had to do today during the talks.

"If you let him know it is me, he will allow it."

He gave her a dirty look.  And a dirty look from a warrior of his caliber would normally scare away all but the most stupid or determined person.  "You seem very sure of that.  Haven't you caused enough damage, Doctor?  Do you feel compelled to try to inflict a few more wounds before your opponent goes out of your reach?"

"Thatís not fair, Branmer, and you know it!"  He frowned even more when she purposely skipped the honorific.  "What happened wasnít my fault, nor his.  It just happened.  I need to speak with him, and I ask you, politely, not to interfere."

"And if I choose to interfere?"  Now he was really scary, and looming over her.  She wanted to scurry away and hide somewhere that the big, bad warrior couldn't get her.

Well, in for an inch, in for a mile.  "Do you really think he would allow you to do violence to me, Shai-Alyt?  You would lose him forever if you tried, and you know it!"  Not that she would allow it herself, of course.  These warrior caste guys all seemed to react the same way, even a half-caste one like Branmer.

Suddenly the larger-than-life warrior shrunk down to the elderly half-caste Minbari that he really was.  "Yes.  That fact is what makes me want to add you to the list of my destroyed enemies, Doctor.  Only a female could come between us like this, who are so close.  I did expect it to happen some day, but not like this.  I expected that he would be filled with happiness, not that a part of him would die as a result."

"Then please let me speak with him, and maybe I can make sure that that part of him stays alive.  Please, Shai-Alyt!"  Now she was begging, tears flowing from her green eyes.

He sighed wearily.  "Let me see if he will see you."  He then turned away and went toward the room Neroon slept in.  Terra, without realizing what she did, went over to the altar the Shai-Alyt had set up.  She put up her hand in the ritual gesture that Delenn had taught her, and said a quick prayer to whatever god might be listening.

Branmer came out of the back room, with his aide following.  The warrior leader said, "I am going for a walk."  And left to do so.  For a few minutes the two of them just stood there, not saying a word. Just looking at each other, and hurting.

"You look tired."  What a great gambit, Terra.  Great going.  Real smooth.

"Why have you come?"

"Because youíre leaving tomorrow for the Ingata.  Were you planning not to say goodbye?"

"Would it have made a difference if I had?"

"In what lies between us, no.  Probably not.  But our friendship is still there, Neroon, and it would have caused me a great deal of hurt.  Is causing me hurt."

"Good!"  He snarled explosively.  "Perhaps then maybe you might feel some of what I do, Terra.  All of your vaunted empathy, and you seem impervious to it."

Tears again started falling down her cheeks and swam in her vivid eyes as she shook her head violently.  "No.  Never impervious, not to you."

He couldn't stand it when she cried.  Minbari didn't cry as easily as humans, but he was just as susceptible to her tears as would be a human male.  He stepped through the distance between them and put his arms around her tightly.  So tightly that she could hardly breathe.  But she didn't say a word.  She just put her head against his chest and cried silently.

Finally, she looked up into his dark eyes, and said.  "I am so very, very sorry.  I never meant this to happen.  If I had known it would, I would never have allowed you this close.  Please forgive me, my love."

His eyes lit up at her endearment.  With a shaking voice he said, "Now do you see why I have to leave?  I could not be in the same room, on the same planet, as you and not let what I feel show.  And neither could you.  One of us has to go, and for now, I am the less needed."

She nodded, again with her face in his chest.

"Little human, are you going to hide your face from me, or are you going to let me say goodbye?  You said that was why you came, after all."

Violently they plastered themselves to each other, and their lips met in a furious mixture of desire, need, pain, fear, and love.  He kissed her to within an inch of her heart's life, not letting go until her legs were shaking.  Knowing she shouldn't, she just put her arms around his neck, and clung to him, dropping her shields completely, as she had only done with one other man in her life.  

He kissed her again, this time shyly letting his hands move to her body.  His need and her own, projected through her to him, caught them up in a feedback loop, getting stronger as it moved through them.  Then with a feeling of determination radiating from him, he picked her up as though she was weightless and carried her into his room, hitting the privacy lock on the door behind him.  He swung around and looked at the Minbari bed, frowning.

She started laughing, almost hysterically.  "How in Valen's Holy Name do you people make love on that thing, let alone sleep?"

His laughter danced with hers, and he answered, "Not easily, but with practice, most can usually get the hang of it.  I, myself, have never had the pleasure.  And I think I will forego that adventure this one time.î  He took her over to the couch and gently laid her down on it.  He stood looking down at her and asked, "Are you sure, Terra, that this is what you want?  Is it wise?"

"Yes, more than my life right now, and no, wisdom has nothing to do with it."  She reached under his armor tunic, and stroked his strong thigh.  "But when I saw you again just now, I realized what I was so afraid might happen, a life bond between us, had already happened.  Despite the wounds from the war that stand between us.  Despite who and what we are.  So the body is only following a slow second.  Do you understand?"

"Yes."  And they made love, passionately and desperately, knowing it would have to last in memory for a long time, maybe even for the rest of their lives.

Afterwards, he held her naked body in his arms, while she ran her fingers around the outlines of his headbone.  The skin was so much softer there, and she could feel his enjoyment of her touch.  He in turn stroked her hair, over and over, still totally fascinated with it.  His passion was building again as a result of her nimble fingers, and he groaned deeply in response.

"I think you have bewitched me, little human.  Put some sort of spell on me to make me feel this way.  Iíve never felt like this before, this need to possess your body and your soul like this.  No female has ever tempted me so in my life."

ìNeroon?  Is this your first time with a woman?î  The surprise was strong in her voice.  Heíd certainly made love like he had quite a bit of experience.  Of course, that was the way Neroon did everything.

He shrugged, blushing.  ìYes, it is.  Iíve been tempted before, of course, but that was like nothing compared to what Iíve felt for you for a while now.  And my caste is much less, shall we say, strict about these things, than the Religious and Worker castes.  But it never seemed right, until now.î  He looked at her.  ìIt was pleasurable for you, Terra, wasnít it?  I know Iím not experienced, butÖî

She pulled him to her.  ìIt was the most absolutely wonderful thing Iíve ever felt in my life, love.  You had my heart and my body singing so as to burst with joy.î

He nodded, stroking her face gently.  ìIíve been told that that is the way it felt when a manís soul and body found itís mate, as mine has with you.  But I never would have believed that such joy existed.î

Her hand moved down his excited body as she answered. "I think it happened for me when you took off that damned armor.  And it was you who stole mine."  She sat up and checked his body out.  "You really do look nice without it."

They made love again, and by the end Terra was so sore she was sure she wouldn't be walking or sitting comfortably for a couple of days.  He certainly wasn't a gentle lover.  And he had drawn out the wildness in her.  He would be feeling the scratch marks for a while to come, she thought.

Suddenly the door chime buzzed.  They both jumped like they had been shot, and looked at each other with embarrassment.

"Oh, God, Neroon.  The Shai-Alyt!"

"Here, get dressed!  Quickly."  He threw her clothes at her. 

"Me getting dressed isn't going to fool him.  He's going to know what happened."

"Of course he is, but he will pretend he does not know, if we do not shove it into his face!"  He was pulling on his clothes desperately fast, as was she.

Once they were dressed, he opened the door to his Master.  The Shai-Alyt said, "I am sorry to disturb your medita...."  And then he spied a wild haired Terra, standing behind Neroon.  "Excuse me, I did not realize that the Doctor was still here."

"We had many things to discuss, and I was just planning to walk the Doctor back to her quarters, Shai-Alyt."

Branmer looked over at Terra, half hiding behind Neroon.  "I see that you have revived those dead parts quite efficiently, Doctor."  Then the old man suddenly smiled a shit-eating grin at his aide.  "Discuss, eh?  Yes, well, you might want to make sure you include that when you go, Neroon, otherwise it may be rather hard to explain to Chakur when he moves in tomorrow."  That was Terra's bra, which had caught on one of Neroon's shoulder pads and was hanging there proudly like another rank ornament.

As his aide snatched the offending garment and thrust it at Terra, Branmer thought that he didn't believe that he had ever seen a set of faces turn such an unusual color of red before.



Part 5:  More goodbyes