(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
* * *
<<ENVOI>>
#There#
The dark-robed man came to his feet and nodded in satisfaction, as the images of the battle just concluded faded from the screen in front of him. For once, everything had gone exactly as planned. Perhaps Elric would even be pleased with him, for a change.
"And now," Galen noted, "It is time for the veils to come off at last. Four ride forth, but will any of us return?"
* * *
On the bridge of the ENCHANTRESS, the crew went about their tasks silently. No one would meet the eyes of their Alyt; no one would speak to her, for it was the belief of all that any who tried would not survive the attempt, after what had just occurred at the battle of Zander Prime.
"A trick." Elizabeth Sheridan angrily muttered. "I didn't want to say it to him; I wanted to believe this was the truth as much as he did. But now, someone will have to pay for the mistakes we've made here; someone will have to answer for the loss of the BASILISK and her crew, and all the rest -- and I'm *damned* if it's going to be me."
She felt for him, she *really* did -- she'd been married to him for almost twenty-five years, after all. But in the end, the Council of Ascension would make their decision, and she intended to be ready for that decision, to make the process...
Easier. For everyone involved.
"Armsmaster." she snapped, and a moment later, a tall, stocky figure in black body armour stepped forward out of the shadows behind her command chair, a man whose greying hair was clipped close to his skull. This man had served loyally at her side for over a decade now, and he had saved her life too many times to count. And now, although this was a painful thing to do, there was only one man she would have do what needed to be done.
And this man was that man.
"Armsmaster, you are to take a detachment to Sha'var Alyt Sheridan's quarters, arrest him, and prepare him for transport to Minbar. Do you understand these orders?"
"I do. And will gladly comply with that command... if it truly *is* your will."
She turned, and met her protector's frank and inquiring gaze. "Until this matter is concluded, Armsmaster, one way *or* the other, I am suspending our union, for the good of the Empire. Do not make me say the words again."
Armsmaster Michael Garibaldi inclined his head fractionally, at that point. "I don't think that will be necessary...
Sha'var Alyt Lochley."
* * *
#Here#
The summoning had been obeyed without question. And now, as the others looked on, Klairika approached the silver construct the Soul Hunters had attached to the obelisk the day before, Galen, Sheynell and the Praetor Questus at her side. It seemed to glitter slightly in the lamps that now illuminated the inside of the enclosure; a deadly gleam. Night was ending upon Amaranth, a 'between time' as the Soul Hunter had put it, and what they needed to do, needed to be done now, before another opportunity to look thorugh the 'walls' was lost.
"So." Galen mused, "After the instructions we gave you upon arrival, may I assume that everyone knows what they're doing, here?"
"You and the Praetor Questus are to be the Nexus on this side," she whispered, as they all arrayed themselves in the agreed-upon positions around the 'wedge' in the door of Souls -- a wedge that would allow them to look into the reality that Julia was trapped in. "Sheynell, because of her telepathic abilities, will serve as a link between that nexus and myself. While I, as one my Val'na knows well, will dangle on the end of the chain as a lifeline for her to grasp, when the moment comes. When we find her."
"This is too dangerous!" Sheynell insisted. "What if the link is broken? What if we're trapped in that thing as well?"
"It is up to you, telepath," Galen emphasized, "To ensure that the link is not broken. Not so long ago, I asked you if you were up to the task; you said that you were. Are you now telling us that these words were not true? That you do not believe we *can* save her?"
"No! That's not what I meant. I..."
"It is not a sin to admit you are afraid, Sheynell Keynes," the technomage noted, his eyes bright. "I have been known to be afraid as well, on occasion... when there was reason. There is not reason now. The Soul Hunters know what they are doing, and how this is to work... and the success rate of the procedure, in circumstances similar to this one, has been... admirable."
"Then you're saying," Klairika exclaimed, "That some of the attempts have failed?"
The Praetor Questus inclined his head fractionally. "They did not believe enough in what they were doing. The soul they sought was lost, and theirs were, as well."
"The question you must ask yourselves is this." Galen continued. "Do you believe enough in yourselves and what we attempt to make this work? If not..."
"We *have* to rescue her!" Sheynell insisted. "Where she is, now -- it isn't where she belongs! We have to bring her back."
"She is our captain... and our leader." Klairika finalized. "We have no other choice but to TRY."
"Then let us begin." the Praetor Questus stated, and under his instruction, Galen, Klairika and Sheynell placed their hands upon the construct as the Soul Hunters directed. "I will ask you all to close your eyes now; the machine will see for you -- the machine will show you all what you need to see."
A faint, decisive 'click' sounded, then. "Prepare yourselves."
Seconds passed, then, and nothing seemed to happen. "I don't see anything." she whispered. "What's going on?"
It was then, of course, that it happened. And the darkness behind her clenched eyelids suddenly became...
Light.
* * *
Interstellar Alliance Starship EXCALIBUR, in orbit around Zander Prime.
#There#
"Entil'zha!"
Here was the man her captors had named 'Admiral' -- here was the man who was probably also Entil'zha of the reborn Anla'shok in this dark, terrible reflection of her own reality. And that he was still here, in the Earth Year 2267, meant that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong with the flow of history... but that appearance went far to explain much of the rest she had seen in this reality, to date. And with him came other faces she recognized, and their presence here wasn't surprising to her in the slightest... although the way that at least one of them was *dressed* was.
"You will free her from her bonds." the man in the door instructed.
"Entil'zha!" the Minbari who had slapped Julia a moment before exclaimed, "Surely you can't be serious?"
"She is telling you the truth, Neroon. Release her immediately."
And when that had been done, she decided to do something else that might convince the rest of her truthfulness. Julia rose from the seat and went down on one knee before him, drawing a gasp from many of the people in the conference room... while in a corner of her mind, the Other screamed her frustration at the action she was taking. "Entil'zha." she whispered. "I should have known it would be you."
Jeffrey David Sinclair raised an eyebrow at that point, and turned to someone behind him that she couldn't see. "My apologies, old friend; I shouldn't have doubted you for a moment." Sinclair threw a hard glance in Delenn's direction, then. "She is the one we need, Delenn. You will release her into my custody. Immediately."
"You are sure about this, Jeffrey?" Delenn pointedly inquired, her eyes terrible to behold.
"Very sure." Sinclair repeated, while the mysterious 'Shadowman', this reality's version of the Technomage Alwyn, stood in the background, together with the other two Technomagi presently aboard -- one of which appeared to be her former mistress and firm friend, Jennifer.... although, for some reason, she went by the name of 'Jaenisara' in this timeline. And William as well, of course.
"You must know that this one is the commander of the SHARD OF NIGHT, that she has killed many Minbari, many humans and many of our allies in the last five years, that she has shown *no* mercy towards any who fight for our cause! She is..."
"The One we need!" another voice insisted; a voice that Julia recognized through the stories that William, Jennifer and the rest had told her. "<Tck, tck> She, we have searched for very long time to find. She is the Visitor, the Teacher, the one your Valen said would appear in our darkest hour. This, Zathras knows to be true."
"Two souls in one body?" Delenn whispered, her face now showing shock. "It is not possible!"
"Likely, no. Possible, yes." Zathras corrected. "Equal parts darkness and light, this one is. For now, light is the stronger of the two."
"Who do you serve?" Sinclair suddenly snapped, and she stiffened for a moment as the Other sought to regain control of their shared body, but eventually, she forced the words out.
"The One. In my proper space and time, I am Anla'shok Val'na, and commander of the Interstellar Alliance battlecruiser SHARD OF NIGHT... a brighter echo of the ship you know and hate. And I am on a quest to save humanity from the depredations of the enemy you also face here.
The Drakh."
"A good and fair response." Sinclair noted, before turning back towards Delenn. "Are you convinced, now?"
"Convinced that this is an unusual situation, yes. Convinced that she is an ally to our cause, NO." At that point, Delenn turned towards her, and Julia shivered at that glare. "Choose your path carefully, *human*. If you betray us and the cause, you will be made to regret it. Do you understand me?"
"I do." she managed.
"We will see." was Delenn's final retort, as she swept out of the chamber.
"She'll come around." Sinclair mused. "She always does, in the end. Zathras, you were saying?"
"Hmm, what was Zathras saying? Ah, yes! Serves the One, she does, is here in right place, and at right time. Told you I did that this one was visitor from other place. This one may yet save us all."
"Save us all?" she exclaimed. "What, in Valen's Name, are you talking about?"
"Let me explain." Sinclair patiently replied. "While you don't belong here, Val'na Tikopai, one of our allies was able to summon you here to perform a very specific task for us. You must help us teach your counterpart what she needs to know."
"Why?" she asked, even though she was afraid she knew the answer.
"Myself, Delenn and Sha'var Alyt Sheridan share a bond, even though he does not yet understand the truth of what will be."
"I understand, Entil'zha. Where I come from, it is the same, as I eventually learned. You are the One who Was; she is the One who Is... he is the One who will be."
"You are also One!" Zathras insisted, as he first turned to William, and then to Jaenisara, and finally back to her. "And you. And YOU. Searcher. Inquisitor. Teacher. Zathras knows this to be true."
"You're not implying that Sha'var Alyt Sheridan is capable of good, are you?" she demanded, fixing the short, quizzical alien with a harsh glare. "I've seen him in action, him and all the rest, and they are twisted, dark copies of the good people I know in my reality. Are you expecting *me* to bring him over to your side?"
"No..." Sinclair replied, "Not quite. But maybe *she* can."
Zathras heartily agreed. "You are the Teacher. She is the Apprentice. You are *both* the One, in this time and place. Zathras told that only one can do this... you are that One. Succeed we must, or Darkness will triumph. Forever.
You will help?"
"Well let's see if I've got this straight," she sarcastically retorted, counting off points on her fingers, "Here I am sharing a body with an alternate self that wants that body back more then life itself, there's a fleet of Shadow destroyers chasing us -- the fleet's commanded by John Sheridan -- who, incidentally, wants to kill you all... and you want me to show my alternate self how to bring him out of the Darkness and into the Light. And oh, yes... I'm trapped here, in previously mentioned body, and don't know how or if I can ever get home to my own. Does that just about cover it?"
Sinclair nodded. "More or less, yes."
"You're not going to give me any choice, are you?"
"None whatsoever."
"Now how did I *know* you were going to say that?"
* * *
To be continued, in Episode V of 'The Seeker's Fire', "Their Proper Time and Place", coming in about three weeks time...