A Week in the Strife - Part 2

By Sunraven


 

Terra unstrapped herself from the seat and came over to where Neroon was piloting the shuttle. Her gift told her that he was getting angry and brooding about the breaking of the Council again, and she figured he could use some distracting. Fortunately, Neroon had always been easily distracted. Distracting him when he was trying hard to concentrate had always been a favorite game of hers during the peace talks. She walked over to him, put her hand lightly on his neck, and came around to his side, leaning against him a little.

"Terra, I’m trying to pilot the shuttle." He rebuked mildly, but he belied his words by lifting one hand off the controls and slipping it around her waist. "Ummh," she said, her attention taken by the feel of his skin as her finger traced the sensitive areas around his headbone. She could never get over how the skin there was so soft, considering the powerful cartilage right above it that connected his headbone to his scalp. His face and neck muscles were stiff with tension, and had lumped up in several places. She figured his back muscles were probably in worse shape. She started massaging the tense areas she could reach, and he leaned into it, almost purring like an Earther cat would.

"Take off the armor, Neroon, so I can get to your back muscles. You’re so tense you’re knotted up like an old tree."

"Just a minute. I should put the shuttle on autopilot before you start anything. You do have a tendency to distract me, and it wouldn’t do to end our lives needlessly by running into a planet, or something." She rested her hands lightly on his neck while he made the necessary adjustments, and still kept leaning against him. Her heart swelled at how good it felt to be with him again, despite the momentous circumstances.

"There, that is complete." He unstrapped himself and swung his chair around suddenly, offsetting her balance so that she fell into his lap. He smiled down at her, looking very pleased with his successful attack.

"Oh! That was a smooth move, Neroon. I've never been taken prisoner so easily before!" She put her arms around his neck and he tightened his around her.

"You shouldn’t tease me, Terra. In the mood I am in, I just might forget myself enough to take you up on it. I always did like a challenge." Then he kissed her deeply, holding her way too tightly for comfort. As she tried to ignore the tremendous pressure on her ribs, she realized that his lack of gentleness was a strong indicator of how upset he was inside. He had always controlled his tremendous strength when he held her before. Her head told her, as usual, that this wasn’t a good idea. That if she went much further, she would slip easily past the point of no return. After deciding that they should never marry a few months ago, making love to him now would really muddy up the waters again. But her heart and her gift told her that this man, who was one of her oldest Minbari friends as well as the mate of her soul, needed the steadiness of her comfort and caring right now very badly. As an empath, she could no more ignore his need than she could mate with a Centauri. Not to mention her need.

She reached up and unfastened the catch that held his armor on. Unfortunately, it fell on her when it came off, and knocked her off of his lap. He caught it with one hand before it fell on top of her, and started laughing so much at her annoyed expression that she finally had to smile.

"You will never learn that you have to be careful with this, will you?" He laid it aside, and leaned forward and helped her up from the deck. Then he sat back, pulling her again on his lap. He searched her face with his bright brown eyes. "How is it that my entire culture can be ripped apart by one fanatical Religious Caste, my caste is threatening to kill one from another caste, and Valen’s peace of a thousand years is dissolving around me, yet my heart is singing inside me right now because you are in my arms? I don’t remember being this fickle and as easily distracted before I knew you."

"You were a too-serious old crank when you were younger, from what the Shi Alyt use to say." She started nibbling his neck, smelling his familiar scent and feeling a strong erotic reaction from him, which only augmented her own.

"The Shi Alyt never said that!" He held her away from him to give her a good glare.

"He did too! He said that he had made it his life’s work to get you to loosen up a little. Then he laughed at me and said that I had managed to get you to chill out within a few weeks of knowing you, like it was a great accomplishment!"

"Chill out? Why would you want me cold?"

Her lips moved up to his face, and she replied automatically, her face close to his, "It’s an Earther expression that means to relax." Then she moved to his lips, and stopped his sarcastic reply before it came out.

He pulled his lips away from hers reluctantly, looking at her seriously. "Terra, are you sure this is wise? After our decision about marrying…" 

She moved her hands to his face and framed it with them. "Do you know that I have been absolutely miserable since I forced you to withdraw your proposal? Neroon, I love you, I will always love you, and you need me right now." She looked a little sheepish. "You probably think I'm a scatterbrain who keeps changing my mind, don't you?"

"Scatterbrain? No. Confused, though? Yes. But you still have my heart, and always will. Yet I don't want to hurt you."

"You told me once to forget about tomorrow, and to live the joy today. I think you can use a little joy, so let's do that. Now." 

Neroon lifted her up, and moved both of them to the deck of the shuttle, and for a little while they both forgot the momentous actions of the day. They were two souls who were meant to be one, and that was what they became.

Later, after he had gotten up to check the status of the autopilot control, he came back to her, got down to her level, and pulled her into his arms again. "Are you regretting letting me love you again, my heart?" He murmured into her ear, while his hand roamed over her body lightly.

She smiled, and curled a little deeper into his embrace. "No. Though I'm afraid I'm even more confused about us than ever. This, what we just had, felt so right, Neroon." She stretched a bit inside his arms. "But I think I am getting a bit too old to make passionate love on the floor. I do prefer a nice soft bed, oh and a horizontal one."

"You? Old? Hah. You look just the same as you did during the peace talks."

She pulled him down and climbed on top of him and said, "I thought Minbari didn’t lie, Neroon!" But he could tell she was pleased with the compliment. Then she kissed him deeply, and they became one once more.

After their interlude, he dressed in everything except the armor and returned to his task of flying the shuttle. Terra, more comfortable with nudity in general, only put her shirt back on while she worked on the tense muscles in his back and shoulders with her strong fingers. There would be time to return to reality before they approached Babylon 5. After a while Neroon started talking about what Delenn had done, considering all the implications.

"In a way, Delenn was correct in her assessment that the Gray Council had lost touch with the people it was supposed to govern. After I was inducted into it, I realized that we were just floating among the stars, involved in our own petty problems and politics." The distaste and disillusionment in his voice tugged at her heart so that she leaned down and kissed one shoulder lightly in support.

"I wonder why Valen decided to put the Gray Council in a ship, rather than on Minbar. Wouldn’t putting them on the planet be the logical thing to do?" 

He answered, "I’m no fanatical Religious Caste, to study the ancient scrolls as though they hold all the truths in the universe, but I believe that Valen felt that the pull of the castes and clans was too strong to insure that the Gray Council would stay objective. The pull of caste and clan was a lot stronger back then than it is now."

"It still seems pretty strong now, at least to me."

"Back then, your adoption and marriage would have never been considered. Just the thought of a joining of a Minbari and a person from an alien race would have been looked on as an abomination."

"It still is, in some circles."

"You mean those that follow Shakiri?"

"Yes. He is pretty xenophobic."

"Yes, I suppose he is. But since Valen was Minbari not born of Minbari, my people’s xenophobia has lightened over the thousand years since he came to us. The fact that your marriage to Ledann was approved by the Gray Council shows just how much. The fact that Delenn can still carry such power, despite becoming a Minbari-Human hybrid, also shows how much we have changed. Yet she is still the undisputed leader of the Religious Caste, and still has the power to break the Gray Council. Only," She heard uncertainty in his voice, which she had rarely heard from him before. That in itself scared her for him, and for the rest of the Minbari people. "What are we going to replace the Gray Council with? My people are without leaders for the first time in a thousand years, Terra!" 

She put her arms around him, just holding him in silent support. Suddenly they were both startled by the com vid signaling an incoming message. Terra stepped out of the vid’s range of vision. Before opening it, Neroon double checked to make sure that she was out of range. His strong distrust of his own caste wrenched her heart.

"Alyt Neroon here."

It was Morann, another Warrior Caste Satai. "Neroon. We heard that you left in a shuttle. Where are you going? Back to the Ingata?"

"No, Morann. I am going to Babylon 5 to speak with Delenn."

The handsome Windsword’s face flushed and he said, "Have you turned your back on us as well, Neroon?"

Neroon’s face hardened, as did his voice. "If you were saying this to me face to face, Morann, I would consider challenging you to the Denn-sha for it. You forget yourself. My loyalty to my caste and my people is as strong as ever. "

"Well, why would you be going to talk with that freak of nature, if not to throw over to her side? You were always telling us that we needed to get involved with this great war, weren’t you?"

"And I still believe in the danger, Morann. That has not changed. But this time I go to try to reason with Delenn, to try to convince her to put the Gray Council back into power. If I can’t convince her of that, then I will remain to study what she is doing with the warships under her command, and with the Anla’Shok. Or do I need to remind you that our people have no leader or power structure any more? That vacancy leaves the Warrior Caste vulnerable. Shi Alyt Shakiri will probably appreciate any information I can give him when I report to him for reassignment back to the Ingata."

The Windsword smiled. "Of course, Neroon. You were always more devious than the rest of us. Shi Alyt Branmer trained you well. Still, do you think she will even let you come on board the station? She must know that she could be at risk from you, if you decided to eliminate her."

"Just because I do not agree with her politics does not mean that I will throw aside Valen’s peace so quickly, Morann. Delenn will have my word that at this time she is in no danger from me, and she knows that I always keep my word."

"Well, good luck, and watch well, my friend. Morann out." 

"Neroon, you aren’t going to spy on Delenn. I won’t allow it." Terra approached him, her hands on her hips and her eyes flashing green. He looked at her, this female who constantly surprised, infuriated, and delighted him.

"Terra, that is, what is the Earther expression? Yes, that is my cover for taking you back to Babylon 5. Of course I will make a report to Shakiri of what I see on Babylon 5. Delenn herself will expect that of me. But I have my own heart and my own mind. I will make them up without Shakiri’s aid."

She looked at him, no, through him, with her too-wise Human eyes. "You don’t like Shakiri very much, do you? I don’t sense that you’re envious that he was made Shi Alyt over you, despite the fact that you were Branmer’s choice. What is it? Have you finally come to realize what a danger that man is to your people and your caste?"

"Careful, my heart. That is my caste leader that you are insulting. Any good Warrior Caste should challenge you to Denn-sha if you insult our caste leader." There was a smile in his brown eyes to belie his threatening words.

She came up to him, and he snagged her around the waist, drawing her closer to him. She put one arm around him and after a moment said, rather distractedly, "A good Warrior Caste wouldn’t have his hand up a Human female’s shirt, Neroon." His booming laughter was a joy to hear at any time, but especially at this time of change and tension.

 

"Minbari shuttle, this is Babylon-5 Command and Control. Identify yourself please." Commander Susan Ivanova’s face filled the vid screen.

"This is Sat…Alyt Neroon of the shuttle Celonian. I am returning a resident of Babylon 5 back to you."

"Alyt Neroon, we have no report of a missing resident. Please identify this person."

A now fully clothed Terra stepped forward into the vid pick-up zone. "Commander Ivanova, please check with Ambassador Delenn. She will authorize the Alyt’s shuttle for docking."

"Hello, Doctor McClare. The Ambassador did mention that you didn’t return with her, and that you’d be coming later." The Commander shifted eyes over to Neroon suspiciously. "She didn’t mention that you would be in the company of a Warrior Caste, though, Doctor."

"She should have mentioned it. I vouch for Alyt Neroon, Commander. He’s here at my request, and isn’t coming here to look for trouble. Will you please notify Delenn as to our arrival?"

"Of course. Welcome back, Doctor. They could use some help down in med lab. It’s been pretty wild around here. Proceed to docking bay 10."

"Thank you, Commander."

As soon as they signed off, the vid com chimed again.

"That is probably Delenn, wanting to know why I am here."

"I don’t think so. Ivanova didn’t have the time to tell her." Neroon flipped the open switch.

Lenann’s face filled the vid. "Minbari shuttle, this is Fleet Captain Len… Neroon? What are you doing here? I would think that Babylon 5 would be the last place you would be."

"I’m merely returning a package to Delenn that she lost, Lenann." He brought Terra into the view screen.

"Terra? I thought you came back with Delenn."

"No, I decided that I needed to stay and drag this stubborn Warrior Caste back with me to see what is really happening in the universe, Lenann." She was glad to see her clansman, and it showed in the smile on her face. 

"You mean you stayed aboard the Gray Council ship with three very annoyed senior Warrior Caste? That was very risky, Terra. I’m surprised Delenn allowed you to." His concern was obvious. So much so that Neroon bristled a bit.

"She was not in any danger with me there to protect her, Lenann. Terra knew this."

Stopping this before they got into a verbal antler-knocking contest over an open channel, Terra broke in, "Lenann, are you coming down to the station sometime soon? It would be nice to see you again."

"Yes. I am meeting Delenn in five standard hours for an official tour of the station. I thought it would be good to show our presence to the people on the station. Perhaps we could all meet after that?"

"Of course. Just call me once you’re here, and we’ll set it up. McClare out."

 

Delenn met them in the docking bay, with the ubiquitous Lennier in tow. She bowed, barely, and said in a frosty voice, "Terra, I am glad you made it back safely. I was concerned about you staying back there." She turned to Neroon and asked bluntly. "Neroon, why are you here?"

Of course Neroon bristled at that extremely rude (for a Minbari Religious Caste) comment. Before he could say anything rude back, Terra stepped in like a mother cat protecting her kitten. "He is here because he was escorting and protecting me, Delenn, and that alone should guarantee him a decent welcome! He’s also here because I asked him to come and spend some time walking in our sandals before he passed judgement on your actions. I thought he needed to see what we are dealing with." She gave the other woman a stern look, which was unusual between her and Delenn. "I would ask you as my friend to treat him with courtesy, and to listen when he talks to you. He believes in the great fight ahead!"

"Terra." Neroon chided her gently, picking her up and moving her to the side. "I can speak for myself." The warrior turned to Delenn. "It is my right to have words with you, Delenn. You have fulfilled the prophesy, and broken the Gray Council. But at what price? What is going to happen to our people? We must talk. If not now, then I am afraid we will be forced to talk later." This kitten was definitely a tiger in disguise, and had no need of her protection, that was for sure.

"I acknowledge your right to my attention, Neroon. Of all of them, you have never varied in your loyalty to our people. But I would expect that you are fatigued after your long journey. I will have Lennier assign quarters for you in the Minbari diplomatic section, if you wish. And we have planned to have the Na’Vok’Cha ceremony tomorrow, and both of you are invited to attend if you wish. We all need to heal, and go forward into new beginnings."

Neroon looked at Terra in inquiry. She nodded, indicating that he should take the separate quarters. Their interlude was over, and reality had set in again.

"Terra, the Human government attacked this station, and there are still many wounded to be attended to. Dr. Franklin could use your assistance, if you are not too fatigued from your journey?"

"I’ll go there now, Delenn. Thank you." And she left for Med lab.

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Delenn, thinking about a conversation she’d just had with Marcus, walked into the debarking area to greet Lenann and his aide and escorts.

She saw him at the same time he saw her. He smiled his attractive smile, and said, "Delenn." Then everything went wild. The steel doors that would seal off this area clanged shut, and many Humans with ppgs started shooting at Lenann and his escorts.

"Lenann!" Delenn shouted, and the Captain ducked down to avoid the crossfire and ran over, moving Delenn behind some cases and shielding her with his body. Soon the shooting ended, and a very homely Human with a scar over his eye held a ppg on him and yelled, "Don’t move. Don’t try anything funny or you both die!"

Delenn whispered, "We’ll do as they wish. For now."

"You. Shut up." Hands grabbed them and dragged them and the only other survivor, a badly injured Kalonn, down many back tunnels to a large room with only one exit. Lenann’s heart was full of anger at what these animals had done to his people. He fought the instinct to send himself into a berzerker fury because of Delenn’s words. They would bide their time until it was time to act. Thank Valen that he hadn’t suggested that Terra join Delenn and him for the tour. At least she was safe.

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Five hours of operations and triage later, Terra was interrupted by a call.

John Sheridan’s face on the vid com was pale, and he looked very upset. "Dr. McClare, Delenn and one of the Minbari Captains, a Fleet Captain Lenann, have been kidnapped. We may need your mediation skills and your empathy. Could you come to C & C as soon as you can?"

"I’ll be right there, Captain." Terra was of course aware of Delenn’s feelings for Sheridan, and his for her. She wasn’t even sure if they had admitted it to themselves yet. He looked ready to tear someone apart. She’d better go calm him down. And Lenann! Fear for her gentle clansman tore into her heart. She ran out of the room and headed up to C & C.

Part 3 – The hunt