by Lindy
Part 1
"Dammit, I can't do it!"
Talia grinned as the angry Commander stormed away from the table in a petulant sulk.
"Of course you can, Susan" she replied in her husky voice. "It just takes practice, that's all. You can't expect to learn how to do it instantly"
Ivanova felt herself calming as she always did at the sound of her lover's beautiful voice.
"But Talia" she said, more quietly, "I need to know how to block a scan. The Psi Corps could be here any day"
Ever since Talia had found out about Ivanova's telepathy, they had been working to help her learn to block scans. Although Talia was not yet ready to break away from the Corps herself, she was sufficiently aware of their real nature to know that she had to hide Susan from them at all costs. Susan, of course, would rather die than be captured by Psi Corps.
"I know, I know" Talia said soothingly as she moved to take Ivanova's hand in hers. Susan looked up and they kissed leisurely with the calm satisfaction that comes from being completely at ease with a lover. When Talia pulled away, Susan was smiling.
"Now, let's try again" came the earnest voice of the blonde telepath. "Try to block me"
They continued with the lesson.
In his office, Captain Sheridan was just finishing a call from Earth Force.
"Oh and John? A couple of Psi Cops will be visiting Babylon 5 to investigate reports of a rogue telepath on the station. I trust you'll make them suitably welcome?"
Sheridan assured the Senator of his cooperation, his smile becoming rather fixed. He closed the channel and stood in silence, thinking. He had never trusted the Psi Corps... he grinned as he thought of someone who trusted them even less. Ivanova was not going to be happy to hear this.
*
"They're coming here?!!" Ivanova yelled the next morning in the mess hall. "Oh God... they're coming here..." she got up and began pacing, loking petrified. Sheridan and Garibaldi looked at each other in bewilderment. Ivanova's reaction to telepathshad always been negative, but never this extreme.
"Susan?" Garibaldi asked in concern. "Whats's wrong?"
She turned abruptly to Sheridan.
"Captain, you've got to let me take some leave... I've got some time built up"
Sheridan stared at her blankly.
"You want to take leave now? With things as they are?"
She looked desperate.
"Please, John, you don't understand. It's just for a little while, just until the Psi Cops leave..." she stopped, aware that she had already said too much.
"What's the matter Susan?" Sheridan asked in confusion. "I mean, I know you don't find it easy dealing with telepaths, but..."
"You don't understand!" she yelled, interrupting him, realising too late that the whole room was quiet, listening to her yell at the Captain. She forced herself to calm down. "I'm sorry..." she muttered. "I... can't tell you why"
Sheridan shook his head.
"I'm sorry too, Susan, but I can't give you leae at this short notice, not unless you give me a better reason"
She shook her head dumbly, not meeting his eyes.
"Th.. thankyou, Captain" she muttered, walking slowly from the room. She did not look back.
*
Later, in her quarters, Talia tried to calm a near hysterical Susan.
"They're coming here, Talia!" she cried. "I'll have to meet them... oh hell, they'll know! They'll be able to guess! What am I gonna..."
"Sshh, darling, ssh" Talia held her close, rocking her like a baby. Susan was crying now, the sound muffled against Talia's front.
"Oh God, Talia, I'm so scared... I don't want them to find me... oh please,I don't..."
"They won't find out, Susan. Just remember what I told you"
She held Susan tight, and though her voice was confident, her face was worried.
*
Susan, her face now composed and showing no signs of her earlier panic, stood waiting to recieve the visitors. She had entered a state of almost dumb resignation. She showed little surprise when the occupants of the shuttle disembarked and she found herself looking at the one person who represented everything she hated about the Psi Corps - Bester. As they drew nearer her heart began to beat wildly; she felt very vulnerable alone in the docking bay with two Psi Cops. She managed to keep her voice steady as she gave the usual welcoming speech. Bester gazed at her, noticing her refusal to meet his eyes, her usual cold contempt towards him replaced by nervous discomfort.
Trying to control her fear and loathing, Ivanova led the way to the visiting quarters, feeling shivers run up and down her spine as the telepaths walked side by side behind her. Puzzled, Bester's partner, a tall handsome woman with dark eyes, sent to her boss,
*What's the matter with her?*
His expression did not change as he continued to view the Commander's figure with thoughtful consideration.
*I don't know* he sent. *But I'm going to find out*
The next day, Ivanova stood alone on the Observation Deck, staring out at the stars. She was a little calmer today; it looked as though she had got away with it. If she could just avoid being alone with them... A noise from the doorway made her turn round quickly. He was there, grinning at her like a scene from a nightmare, his colleagure beside him.
"Mr Bester!" Ivanova exclaimed, smiling nervously. "Ah, the Captain's off duty right now, I could..."
"That will not be necessary, Commander" Bester assured her, mving closer. "It was, in fact, you I wanted to see"
Her heart seemed to freeze.
"This, uh, isn't a good time. I'm about to go off duty and I'm really tired." she stepped towards the door. "Perhaps..."
The Psi Cop stepped in front of her. Ivanova's mouth went dry. This couldn't be happening... she stopped, staring straight ahead, swallowing hard.
"What's the matter, Commander?" asked Bester, a calm smile on his face. "I merely wanted to ask you a few questions"
As they moved towards her, Ivanova felt him quietly trying to enter her mind with the gentle pressure a normal would not even have noticed. Acting instinctively, she covered her head and yelled,
"Get out of my mind! How dare you!"
Bester and the Psi Cop exchanged significant glances. The look on Bester's face was as close as he ever came to ecstatic.
"But Commander, only a telepath could have sensed that scan. How did you know I was in your mind?"
Ivanova bowed her head, refusing to answer. She felt his presence much more intensely now, battling her for entrance to her thoughts. There was no time to think, to call out, all strength was needed to keep him out... she tried desperately to remember all that Talia had taught her. She tried to picture a wall in her mind, separating her from the Psi Corps wolves... she held her head tightly with both hands, screwing her face up and gasping with effort. It was working... but she knew she could not keep him out for much longer.
Dimly she saw Bester's assistant move to join him, adding to his strength with a series of mental jabs designed to confuse and disorientate Susan while hammering her defences. She moaned with the pain of it, staggering, falling to her knees. They were too strong... she couldn't fight both of them. Suddenly the hated voice was deep insde her head.
"Well, Commander, this is interesting. I'm impressed that you managed to hide this from us for so long. All that aggression... it's so clear now. You're a telepath! And I never even suspected!"
He chuckled, the sound driving Ivanova almost beyond madness. Summoning the last reserves of her resistance, she tried desperately to force them out of her head. She struggled to her feet.
"No!!" she cried, blind with tears. Bester's accomplice stepped forwards quickly, dark and competent and menacing. She gripped Ivanova's face, cruel fingers behind her ears and thumbs below her eyes. Ivanova gasped as a fresh wave of pain crashed through her head. Trying to escape her tormentor, she moved in the only direction she could, sinking back to the floor. She moaned in resignation, pathetically trying to push the woman away. Bester moved forwards.
"Now you're mine, my little telepathic Commander, let's conduct an examination of your abilities before you join us properly, hmm?"
He sent the full force of his searching, punishing powers into Susan's mind.
Part 2 here soon
a href="http://www.oocities.org/star_fury_princess/index.html">Back Home