"STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE"
EPISODE FOURTEEN: "CRIMES OF ASSOCIATION"
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(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
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<<Act Three>>
Refuge Bazalshieon, Chayankeer Province, Minbar -- Late afternoon, local time. August 10th, 2267.
With a faint whisper, the Minbari atmospheric flyer settled gently onto the surface of the landing pad, the emblem of the Anla'shok prominent on its side -- while the Rangers riding within the flyer could only look upon their exterior surroundings with astonishment. Julia grinned as she stepped out of the flyer into the late afternoon sunshine of this place, nearly a third of the way around Minbar from Tuzanor and much closer to the pole... her concerns over her missing tactical officer briefly forgotten.
Bazalshieon, with its four massive towers and mighty stone battlements, was, as near as she could tell, the Minbari equivalent of an ancient human castle... and commanded a high point above the river Varht, from which one could see for a great distance in every direction... but for into the massive snowcapped range of mountains to the north... beyond which lay Chayankeer proper, an icy wasteland of glaciers and rock perched on the edge of the north polar icesheet. As the other Rangers had explained to her on the way over from Tuzanor, Bazalshieon was almost unique among the ancient Minbari holdings in having four primary towers instead of three. This, of course, was to do with their Way of the Windflower...
She jumped then, however, as Belaii tapped her gently on the shoulder, and set her musings aside for the time being. "Val'na, I believe that there are certain things you should be reminded of before we enter this place. While the elder who comes to meet us is sympathetic to our cause, certain other members of his clan are *not*. For instance I would speak to you of D'Hal Takier, their Warmaster, as well as..."
"Alyt Rahkeel, one of their greatest warleaders." Julia finished for her.
Belaii nodded, her expression solemn. "Just so. Luckily for us, our sources indicate that Alyt Rahkeel, together with Sha'vei Lanniel's sister Tirivail, disappeared from this place some time ago, presumably sent on a mission either by Takier or..."
"Or, as Takier has claimed on more than one occasion, by Shai Alyt Kozorr himself." another, mildly accented voice intruded, and all the Rangers turned as one to see a stately Minbari of advanced years appeared over the edge of the landing pad, a much younger member of that race at his side. "And on that point, I will agree with him... which does not, as you no doubt surmise, happen all that often. Now -- you are Lak'otal Belaii -- formerly of the Wind Swords, if I am not mistaken?"
Belaii bowed, a small smile now on her face. "Yes, D'Hal."
"While *this*, of course, would be the human named Julia Tikopai... the young Anla'shok who upset Rahkeel so badly after the Drakh attacked the human homeworld -- as well as 'Vi'dalae An'shaka's commander since the beginning of the hunt for the cure conducted by Gideon and his crew onboard the starship *Excalibur*."
The Minbari elder began to smile, while Julia stood before him, tapping her foot nervously. "Now, now... no need to look so worried -- I won't, as your kind would say, *bite*. My name, if the others have not already told you, is Miyonn, and I am eldest among the Storm Dancers. I will also introduce to you at this time my assistant Selvahn, who is the youngest brother of your esteemed fleet commander -- as well as a prospective future member of your order. Welcome to Bazalshieon, Anla'shok -- one and all."
"It is a... truly imposing place, D'Hal." Klairika allowed, as the party made their way off of the landing platform and towards the nearest entrance. "If you do not mind me asking, how..."
"Old is it?" Miyonn inquired, his eyes wide. "Ah... it is interesting to hear a question like that, coming from a member of your race -- so often, the Brakiri are only interested in material wealth, and nothing more..."
"I am a Ranger." Klairika replied. "The first of my kind to take the vows."
"Which," the elder agreed, "Tells me everything I need to know. But now, let us discuss the answer to your question -- Bazalshieon has stood above the Varht since long before the coming of Valen -- perhaps one thousand seven hundred of your commander's years, if our histories of the time-before-darkness are accurate. While your timing in coming to this place is impecable, I might add -- your chiefest enemy among the Storm Dancers, my Warmaster, Takier, is absent at this time conducting an inspection of our deployed forces out on the Rim -- along with Rahkeel and his daughter Tirivail, who are also away on their own, mysterious mission... as Belaii has already informed you."
Miyonn cleared his throat then, however. "But enough of that for the time being -- I speak of things which, while important, pale temporarily before your present concern. Shortly before your arrival in this place, your High Councillor and I shared words -- and he described the situation to me in full. Let me summarize, if I may -- it is your belief that a pair of field agents from the human Bureau of Telepathic Integration captured your tactical officer and brought her to a hiding place somewhere on the plateau behind us, there to interrogate her until and *if* they can safely find a way to depart from Minbar."
"That would appear to be the case, D'Hal." Julia gratefully acknowledged.
"Ah. In that case, it would seem as if a certain *deployment* will be necessary to take care of this... small problem." Miyonn crisply issued a command, and after a short discussion, Selvahn bowed in his Master's direction and moved off at speed. "There are among our ranks warriors who will aid you in your search, Val'na -- those who are able to ignore the foolishness begun by my Warmaster and Rahkeel. With their aid, we will conduct a search of the various refuges known to exist on the plateau."
"And if we do not find her in these outposts of yours?" Julia asked, her tone cool.
Miyonn's eyes hardened. "Then we will widen the search. I assure you, m'shaka zha vei'llani -- if the telepath named Sheynell Keynes is here in Chayankeer, my Storm Dancers *will* find her and her captors."
"M'shaka...?" Julia began.
Larieken's mouth quirked into a smile, and he bowed respectfully in the elder's direction. "That she is indeed, D'Hal."
Which was, of course, when the translation hit home, and her eyes widened. "The walker in the darkness?"
Miyonn shrugged, a twinkle in his eyes. "I thought to introduce a moment of surprise into the grimness of your search. You have many titles -- now to add to those another. And now, while my warriors prepare themselves for the search, pray step this way -- we have prepared refreshments for you and yours. While I am quite certain Selvahn will have many questions to ask you, as well..."
* * *
Elsewhere... August 11th, 2267.
All alone in her prison of thought, Sheynell huddled in the darkness, even as she sensed the approach of her captors -- sensed them looming over her body, preparing to strike. Another interrogation session was about to begin, it seemed -- and while she *hurt* from what they'd done to her already in the (two?) days they'd had her, she was damned if she was going to give up just yet. Viyana and Edward were good at what they did -- they'd both received similar training to that which she'd received before the Corps had broken up, of course -- but everyone had weaknesses, even if they *themselves* didn't believe so. All she had to do was...
And then the pain struck at her, as Viyana smoothly passed through Sheynell's shattered defences to enter her mind. <Find our weaknesses? You don't really think you're going to get out of this, do you? That your precious Ranger *friends* will figure out where we've taken you, and come riding to the rescue?>
<I can and I do!> she fiercely replied. <You may have me at your mercy right *now*, Viyana... but the longer you keep me here, the more time you're giving my captain to find me.>
Viyana laughed. <And what if they *do* find us, however improbable that is? Both Edward and I are P12 telepaths, as you know, while they're normals, with no talent whatsoever. If we so desire, and if they make it necessary, we will simply convince the lot of them that none of us are here -- and then we'll walk straight past them, steal their flyer... and go elsewhere.>
<Which is probably exactly what the ISA authorities are waiting for!> Sheynell reminded her captor. <Don't you think that our High Councillor and his people have covered all the exits by now?>
<Where there's a will, there's a way -- while it does help to have friends in high places. For instance... the Minbari who gave us access to this little hiding hole.>
<If Westcastle and Sheridan knew they were helping us, they'd probably have a fit.> Cattrall observed from the background.
<In any case -- you're ours, Keynes... and regardless of what happens with your friends, you will continue to *be* ours for as long as we desire. While now I think it's time for you to show us another of your dirty little secrets>
Sheynell cried out involuntarily, then, as Viyana's worming probes cut into her mind like black little daggers, and her viewpoint shimmered, returning her to...
* * *
"Ah, yes..." Bester mused, as flashes of plasma passed above the barrier his Bloodhounds had set up, only moments before, "Now what did Sheridan call this... but of course -- 'walking into the heart of the fire'. An apt enough analogy, from a remarkably interesting mundane... when he isn't irritating the Hell out of you, that is. You've never met him, have you, Sheynell?"
"No, sir." she ground out, as off to one side, their people struck out as one, pinned down a weaker enemy, and picked her off cleanly with a set of PPG bursts. "I haven't... but isn't all this besides the point? What happened here?"
Bester sighed melodramatically. "The Frostian and Byronite factions joined forces and tried to capture the President and her cabinet, at which point *Ferris* and his Humanists tried to mediate their way out of the crisis."
Sheynell winced, as the barrier shuddered, and PPG rounds continued to fill the air above them. "Let me guess -- it didn't work."
Bester shrugged. "They're rogues, Sheynell -- do you really think any of them are capable of thinking sense by this point? Actually, I must admit Ferris succeeded in buying the President and her immediate cabinet time enough to escape from Earthdome. The Senate, however... now that's another story entirely. The opposition has managed to pin down the majority of the Senate in their chambers -- and while that esteemed body has Security to defend them, and we're attacking the rogues from behind..."
"We're too evenly matched to make any progress, because they've got enough people to hold both us and Security in check -- and to end this..."
"To end this..." Bester grimly finished for her, "It looks as if we're going to have to kill every last one of them. They'll have it no other way."
Sheynell shuddered, as she felt her armor, the armor that Bester and the rest had helped her to build... shudder. "Kill? But they're..."
"Family?" Bester sighed, as the firefight continued. "I used to think that way as well -- but we've let this problem spin out of control, I'm afraid, past the point of no return. There is only one way our kind will survive this war now, Sheynell -- and that is for us to *excise* what they've become from the whole."
<Like a cancer.> she thought, keeping her blocks high enough that he wouldn't catch the thought -- and then she nodded, priming her own weapon. "I understand, sir."
"In that case..." What Bester had been about to say never came out, however, because at that moment the wall on the far side of the battlefield suddenly... exploded, and through it poured a fresh contingent of troops, accompanied by...
Accompanied by twelve figures in black, wearing a symbol which, in this age of chaos and bloodshed, was beginning to have less and less meaning. Figures who struck out against the rogues and subdued them, even as the Earthforce troops who'd taken them by surprise pressed their attack -- but those attackers weren't killing their opposition, only *disabling* them. And when it was all over, when the enemy contingent had been carted away, injured and otherwise... their leader of the group who'd ended the crisis came to stand in front of Bester and Sheynell, an expression of fury and regret on his face.
"You and your kind are the ones who started this, Bester." Colin Ferris said, each word exacting and precise -- and full of pain. "And that's why I'll never be able to forgive you for what you tried to do here, this day..."
She wouldn't figure it out until later, but something in Sheynell...
* * *
"Broke that day?" Viyana drew her hand back from Keynes' face as if it had been stung. "What the *Hell*?"
"I saw it, just the same as you did." Cattrall confirmed, his face and voice tense. "As near as I can tell, somehow Bester was pushing her closer and closer to the edge the longer the war went on -- until..."
"Until the day when Bester's enemies tried to capture President Luchenko and her cabinet... and failed. But her resolve didn't really wane..."
"Until Ferris confronted her and Bester?" Cattrall shook his head disbelievingly. "It just doesn't make sense!"
Viyana held up a hand, and the older telepath fell silent. "Wait -- at least twice before the start of the War, Keynes and Bester visited Babylon 5 -- didn't Ferris teach her a lesson there at least once... or maybe it was more? Anyways, there *is* a connection, I just didn't see it before."
"And wouldn't you know it," Cattrall wearily concluded, "This situation just got a whole lot more complex then it was before. If the..."
"No! No way in Hell will I give her up, not after spending so many years looking for her! She's guilty, Edward... always has been, always will be. And while we may have just proved she actually *does* have a conscience, as well as learning when it was that she started to figure out that following Bester wasn't such a hot idea -- we still have to press on." Viyana paused for a moment, then, her hands trembling just a little. "We... we have to find out if she knows where Bester went -- and..."
"And I'd like to know who it was that finally convinced her to run, actually." Cattrall thoughtfully added. "Who it was that was strong enough to make Bester's imperious little protege become a Ranger, of all things."
"Yes... but not today. We've been pushing ourselves hard since we captured her, Edward... we need to rest again, this close to the end of the line. So we don't screw things up."
Cattrall nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me."
* * *
The High Plateau of Chayankeer -- early morning, August 12th, 2267.
"This is the last refuge, isn't it?" Julia asked Miyonn, as she stood with the Storm Dancer elder on the edge of a thousand foot cliff and bleakly considered the situation at hand. "We've been searching for Sheynell for the better part of two days, now... and while I appreciate the help you've given us in our time of need -- this *is* the last one."
Miyonn paused for a moment, and then nodded, as he placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "It is as I feared from the beginning -- wherever it is these telepaths have gone with your Ranger, it is to a refuge that was not built by Storm Dancer hands."
"The track of the stealthed flyer they brought here from Tuzanor came to these mountains, D'Hal..." Larieken reminded Miyonn. "And since we began this search, the Rangers have been watching carefully... and nothing has been detected departing Chayankeer apart from carefully observed transports belonging to your clan. She *is* still here... and so are they."
"I must agree with your assessment, Larieken..." Miyonn replied, "But all the same, the hunt we must now undertake has become a far more difficult one. Do you and your captain have any idea how *large* Chayankeer is?"
"Almost a thousand kilometers wide, and six hundred fifty across..." she sharply replied. "More or less."
"To use your measure, over half a million square kilometers..." Miyonn stated, his expression grim. "A landscape of ice and razor-sharp mountains -- a region plagued by storms even in high summer. Without clues, we will have no way of knowing where to look -- while our enemies may simply wait until we weary of the task, and then escape."
"No!" Julia burst out, "I won't let that happen!"
"It is good to see that you retain your determination to continue..." the elder replied, "But all the same, now that we have looked in all the obvious places, and while we will continue this hunt for as long as you think it necessary, as I have promised... we will need *guidance* in order to know how to proceed, and where."
Julia took a deep breath, set her anger aside... and nodded, her misery plain to all those present. "I know -- I didn't want to say it... but you're right."
"Of course he is." Klairika said, as the Rangers came together as one to give support to their captain. "But who is there to help us..."
"Who has not helped already?" Veyshahk concluded.
Unbeknownst to anyone present, however, just *such* a guide had just arrived in Tuzanor, many miles to the southeast.
* * *
The Ranger Compound, Tuzanor.
The grey-cloaked woman let out a long breath as she stepped into the courtyard -- the last time she'd been here had been before the War... before dreams had died, and others had been born. And while it had taken her a long time to pull together the nerve to do this, in the end, the Director had been right -- she'd spoken too openly, too soon... and now she was here -- and she knew what she had to do.
And who she would have to see -- and which apologies would have to be made. To start with, that was... there would be others in time, but these would be the first, and also the most *important* ones.
A clearing throat made her turn, then. "Excuse me -- can I help you?"
At last. Brianna Tolmanes let the hood of her cloak fall to her shoulders, and she smiled as the human Ranger's face blanched with surprise -- and then she began to speak, using the tone the Rimstalker had taught her to use, so long ago. "You can, as a matter of fact. Take me to High Councillor Westcastle, Anla'shok -- immediately. There is very little time left...