“I am sorry, Satai Delenn.”

Ta’Lon rose and pressed his fists against his chest. He could not look at Delenn’s tear-stained face as he left.

Londo was drunk, and not just slightly drunk. He was bitter, angry and depressed drunk. He was also drunk on Narn liquor – which he loathed – the Valerius having run out of brivare! (And Sanctuary didn’t actually have any civilised drinks.) On the other hand, Londo knew that he would have to do some major thinking sooner or later, and it would be better to get all this tedious drinking, passing out and throwing up stuff out of the way first. Although not necessarily in that order.

G’Kar may have just lost his chief agent on Centauri Prime, but he had others. Londo had just received one very disturbing piece of news from G’Kar, via Vir Cotto. Ambassador Refa had left Minbar and was returning to Centauri Prime. It appeared that Emperor Marrit had rescinded the various secret and hush–hush charges against Refa, dealing with minor matters such as treason, murder and having ambition that extended beyond his patriotism. Londo couldn’t imagine Lady Elrisia having anything to with that. She hated her husband. It must have been Marrit’s own idea. Who knew he actually had a brain, even if it did tend to work in the wrong direction?

Unfortunately it was the last thing Marrit ever did. It appeared the jhala he had drunk before going to bed a few nights ago had done horrible things to his stomach. A tragedy, of course, and the Royal Court was in deep and very insincere mourning. Lady Elrisia was reportedly quite furious, especially as the next heir to the throne – albeit through a circuitous family tree – was none other than Cartagia, who was also acquiring delusions of independence. And with her husband returning… things were not going well for her.

There was someone at the door. Londo roused a little from his stupor. Surely he would not have to start thinking just yet! “Open!” he barked. “I am afraid I am a little…” He stopped.

“Hello, Minister. A pleasure to see you again.”

“Mr. Morden.” Londo started sobering up very quickly. “How did you get here?”

“I have… friends in some very high places.”

“Does Mr. Bester know that you are here?”

“No. I thought it best to avoid drawing any undue attention to myself.”

“And what do you want with me?”

“That’s a very dangerous question to ask, Minister, and an even more dangerous one to answer, but to try… I’m here to help you, Minister.

“I just want to help…”

“She’s alive, and should recover,” the doctor said. “Her injuries are not fatal, although they will keep her incapacitated for a long time and there may be some mental damage that we can’t cure. She’ll need to be on life support for a while, but I expect we’ll be able to take her off it in a week or so.”

President Morgan Clark looked at the slumbering body in the adjacent room. Susan Ivanova was alive. She had done a wonderful thing, freeing humanity from the shadow under which they had lived for so long. Across Proxima 3, there were celebrations and partying.

Clark’s mind was already at work on plans for the future. His Keeper was content to let him make them. A little time to rest and recover, maybe start cannibalising some of the destroyed Minbari ships. They might be able to find out some details about Minbari technology. After that… it would be time to take the war to the enemy.

But there were a few problems closer to home to deal with first.

“General Hague is dead, but then his performance of his duties had been slipping over recent months, anyway,” Mr. Welles had reported earlier. “I thought we could promote his aide, Major Ryan, and shift any other duties among myself and General Takashima, but I have heard some reports about the Babylon’s actions during the battle…”

“I know,” Clark replied. Welles had known that Clark knew, which was why he had brought the matter up. “It was a simple misunderstanding, that is all.”

“A simple misunderstanding, Mr. President? I hardly think…”

“What you think does not matter, Mr. Welles. There will be no repercussions for General Takashima’s… lapse in judgement.”

“As you say, Mr. President.

“About Ambassador Ivanova…”

“She will be unable to perform her duties for several months at least. Her associates will be sending a replacement. The new Ambassador will be here in less than a week. We have nothing to worry about.”

Clark knew full well about Takashima’s actions during the battle. He also knew that she was not alone. Where had those two Earthforce ships come from? And what about the Narn and the Centauri ships? Takashima was a small piece of a much larger puzzle, and sooner or later, he would trace things back to their source.

For the moment, he was content to wait. He had time.

All the time in the galaxy.

“Delenn?”

“I am sorry, John. I just… I was just… I am sorry.”

“That’s all right.” Sheridan looked at her. It was strange how much she had become a part of his life recently. He wasn’t sure how much she had come to mean to him, but he did know that some of her actions had hurt him. Before he had been too immersed in the moment – the current actuality of the problem – to bother, but now… he was winding down. He was lapsing back into an almost catatonic depression. Now he had time to think… about Anna… about what he had done and seen… about what she had done.

He paused and looked at Delenn. There was a terrible sadness in her eyes. A dark and terrible sadness. “I’m sorry, Delenn.”

“What for?”

“I’m letting you go. You don’t have to stay here any more.” She looked at him. “I… what you did on the Parmenion. I understand it… I understand why… but… everyone I care about gets killed. Sooner or later, and most of the time it’s my fault. I’m… setting you free. You can go wherever you like… maybe even return home, if there’s a place for you there any more. I’ll mention this to G’Kar. I’m certain he has agents among the Minbari… maybe one of them can manage something. I… don’t…”

“John? Don’t. Please. Don’t.”