(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
* * *
<<ENVOI>>
Drakh Fleet Carrier NELAZIZ -- running on beacon vector out of Centauri territory.
As smoothly as always, the doors slid aside, and Palakz stepped onto his command-bridge, knowing what was coming... while at the same time, still exploring the limits of what he had established beneath the Centauri palace -- and this being the first time he had ever done such a thing, the results were interesting, to be sure. Of course, Raeznon knew nothing of this, and as such, he knew what was coming...
"Now that you have returned to us safely, my Vekh'shivalht," Palakz's first officer began, her voice sharp with suspicion, "Perhaps you would be so kind as to inform me of the reason for this... detour of yours? The Adversary awaits us in hidden, distant places -- why, then, did you choose to prowl within the carcass of Mollari's 'great' Republic?"
"The search for the Adversary will not be an easy one, Raeznon," Palakz replied, his expression determined and resolute as he assumed the chair his Vaarliht had held for him in his absence. "And while the military might of our Order will most certainly be put to use during the course of the search to come, other methods and resources must also be utilized at the same time if we are to succeed in finding our enemies."
"And the world of the Centauri actually produced such a 'resource', did it?"
Palakz sighed. Raeznon was growing overly bold again -- this wasn't really surprising, of course, given the time that had passed since their last Test of Will -- time would obviously have to be found for a new Test, and soon. Such was the way of service in the memory of the Dark Ones... such was the way of his people. The weak did not survive, while the strong, the survivors, learned the lessons that mattered. And even from her, to openly question the commander of an order of battle would only be tolerated... so long.
"Indeed, my Vaarlht -- but let me explain. The weapon I cast forth this day is a weapon devised by Sheridan's Alliance, although they will not see *her* as such, until is far too late for them to do anything about it."
"Forgive me if I point out the obvious..." Raeznon carefully noted, "But why do you refer to this 'weapon' in the first person?"
"It has been said that there is no greater weapon in the universe then the possession of accurate intelligence on one's foe. And that knowledge, applied correctly, can be more devastating then any weapon of war ever invented."
"Then you have acquired an agent of Alliance for our use?"
"I have."
"*They* should not be used so freely..."
"I felt it necessary!" Palakz all but snapped, "And in due course, you will see that I was right to do what I did. The agent Islane Refa serves *us* now... he concluded, his eyes glittering darkly. "And between the worlds of seen and unseen, the answers we seek will be ours to have.
If the Dark Ones will it, that is."
* * *
Elsewhere -- aboard the STORMWIND.
"How goes the interrogation?"
"As best as can be expected, under the circumstances."
"What has he told you?" Rahkeel bluntly continued.
"Nothing, as yet." Illithan freely admitted.
"Nothing?" the Storm Dancer all but snarled. "I recruit you to my side, and utilize most of the resources under my command to capture this Worker, and you have *nothing* to report?"
"That is correct." she replied, keeping her amusement at the rages of this Warrior well in hand.
"You begin to make me wonder why I should have trusted you..." Rahkeel added a moment later, as she watched him visibly work to rein his anger in. "As you *may* understand, the longer this takes, the more... concerned the Shai Alyt will become. And even though we have been given a great deal of time in which to accomplish our tasks, even his patience is not infinite!"
"While this will not happen quickly, *Alyt* Rahkeel..." Illithan replied, her tone turning his rank almost into a slur... a distinction he certainly did notice, even if he chose not to comment on the matter. "What you seek WILL be yours eventually... but we cannot rush into this. If you force his hand, you will learn nothing -- but if the process is extended, drawn out, we will wear him down, little by little. You must be patient."
"What you ask of me is not an easy thing... but so be it. For now, I choose to trust your instincts -- but understand that I will not tolerate your impertinence for long, Worker Illithan! There will come a day in the very near future when I *will* expect results -- and when that moment comes, there will be no further delays. Is this understood?"
"Perfectly. Alyt."
"This is well, then." Rahkeel concluded. "For now, I leave you with your subject and your... amusements. Until next time, Worker Illithan."
The amusement was gone, now. And as the door closed behind her, Illithan allowed her anger to come to the surface. His day, too, would come.
* * *
'The Road to the future,' Julia wrote, as she slowly sipped the piping-hot cup of tea that had been delivered to her quarters a moment before, 'Is never an easy one, and the road is known to be both straight and complex in the same instant. The road is laced with thorns...'
<chime> She sighed, rose to her feet and moved off towards the door, wrapping her long meditation robe more closely around her as she went. Never failed, did it? Whenever she felt the need to write, was usually the moment the chime went off... "Yes?" she tartly began.
"Ah... Captain -- is this a bad time?"
Julia blinked then, as her mood changed abruptly with the knowledge of *who* was at the door. "Open!" she commanded, and a moment later the door slid aside, to reveal the now-composed figure of Nicholas Dawson just beyond. "I'm sorry -- you didn't deserve that, after all you've been through in the last little while. What can I do for you, Mr. Dawson?"
"Well... I'd actually like to ask you something, if you wouldn't mind?"
"Mind, no -- but I must say, I'm a little bit surprised by your.. openness in coming here..." she replied, as he followed her inside. Isn't this..."
"The first time I've ever come to your quarters, yes." Dawson quietly replied. "Let's be honest -- after the way we met, back on Minbar, there were times I thought that I'd never have the guts to go through with this. That all changed today, though, because when I came back from the meeting with my sister, for the first time I saw you not only as the captain of this ship, but also as someone who seemed to be *genuinely* concerned about what had happened."
"The Drakh Plague's going to hurt a lot of people before this is over, Nicholas... and a lot of people are going to die even if we and the crew of the EXCALIBUR succeed in locating a cure -- people like your sister Marie. To echo you, Nicholas, today I saw you not only as my chief engineer, but also as someone in pain. And people in pain deserve to have helping hands, wherever they can find them."
"And you understand pain, of course..." Nicholas mused, "Because of what you did and what you saw... and what you experienced during the Shadow War?"
"And after," she confirmed, "Even though there's some days when I'm not so sure all my knowledge is a benefit, or a curse."
"If you can help others, there must be some good in there somewhere... and that brings me to the final thing I wanted to talk to you about. Anyways, there was this rumour going around the ship that you like to light candles..."
"As you can see," she replied, gesturing to the candlestands scattered around the room, "The rumour's true, apparently."
"No kidding. Anyways, I was thinking of doing the same -- but before I do, answer me this question -- why?"
"The answer to that question... is a little more complicated then you might think."
"Is that the Ranger in you speaking, or the Observer?"
"Probably a little bit of both..." she admitted. "But I guess this probably *will* help, so here goes. The candle is the light we carry upon the road travelled.
The light we watch for, in home's window.
The light lit in remembrance made.
The beacon carried against the darkness.
The light, within us all..."
"...Captain?"
She blinked again. "I'm sorry?"
"Maybe you should get some sleep now, Cap..." Nicholas explained. "You went all glassy-eyed on me for a moment, there."
She laughed. "Comes with the territory, I'm afraid."
"It does?"
"As you said earlier, I *am* an Observer -- these things happen when my gift start talking." At that point, she cast a critical gaze in his direction, however. "You did hear what you wanted to hear, though, didn't you?"
"Yeah... and more besides. Good night, Captain... sleep well."
"You too, Nicholas." she replied. "You too."
* * *
He hadn't imagined it, oh no -- just for a moment, when she'd gone all glassy-eyed on him after that little speech of hers, the Captain's eyes had glittered briefly, and while it had only been for a moment, it *had* happened, oh yes.
A moment later, Nicholas began to whistle, as he wandered away down the corridor... a tune he had picked up the other day during a pass through the backlog of ancient cult programming he had stored in his quarters savefile.
"Rod, old boy..." he muttered, "What *would* you think of her?"
* * *
While on a distant world, a pair of jade-green eyes snapped open, and a hiss of displeasure emerged from fine lips, as a pair of wings were unfurled against the night and her moons. "It is beginning, quicker even then I had hoped..." the owner of those wings sadly noted, a moment later.
"Such sadness and pain you will know, before we are done with this."