“Always.” He kissed her, and held her tightly, as if he were afraid he would lose her if he ever let her go. He remembered his vision from aboard Babylon 4. Much of what happened there was still a blur to him, but that vision he would never forget. The sight of Anna’s body slumping and falling as he shot her.

It would never happen, he told himself. Never.

But he had always suspected it might. Now, he knew for certain that it never would.

“I love you,” he said, pulling back.

“I love you, too,” she replied. “Just come back to me… Oh, and make sure you get dressed first. It might help.”

He smiled.

“Well, Commander,” Clark said. “Can you explain this?”

“I would appreciate it, Vice President, if you would tell me what I am accused of before you ask me to plead guilty.”

Corwin stared at the four people looking at him, and he tried to avoid swallowing hard. Beside him was Delenn. She was standing as straight as he was, but she had not answered any of the questions put to her, and her very presence, with her tinges of human appearance, was enough to damn her, Corwin and the Captain.

“Dammit, man!” Hague exploded. “Two of your security guards are dead, and you bring that… that freak here! How can you live with yourself? Why did you go through with this? You must have known something! How could you have let her do this?”

“Satai Delenn’s change has nothing to do with the deaths of the two Security officers,” Corwin said firmly. “I have reason to believe that they were killed by…” He did swallow, unable to even speak her name without feeling as though his heart were about to burst. “By Lieutenant Ivanova.”

“What?” snapped Clark. “Young man, this…”

“This is absurd!” snapped Hague.

“Excuse me, Commander,” said Takashima. “Are you telling me that Ambassador Ivanova killed two security guards aboard the Babylon?”

“Yes, General.” As much as it hurt to say it, Susan wasn’t the same woman as the one he had known – the one he had fallen in love with.

“And do you have a motive for her to do this or are you making this up as you go along?”

“Miss Alexander and I saw her attempting to kill Satai Delenn. The security guards were under orders to let no one but myself and Captain Sheridan past. She must have killed them so that she could get to Satai Delenn.”

“Then I just have one more question, Commander. What has happened to Satai Delenn?”

“She has… changed, General.”

“We can see that,” snapped Clark. “Are you telling us you knew this was happening?”

Deep breath. “Yes, Vice President.”

“Then why did you permit her to do such a thing? And how did she do it for that matter?”

“It was a piece of Minbari technology. I do not know the specifics. I believe the transformation was broken off early – probably by… Ambassador Ivanova. As to why… apparently the Minbari have some form of prophecy which seems to state this transformation would take place. She believes she may serve as a means of ending this war.”

“Then why does she not tell us this herself?”

“The… premature ending of the transformation has affected her in a way we have not been able to determine just yet. Her mental abilities may have been damaged.”

“Did you know anything about her change at all, Commander?”

“A little, sir.”

“Then why did you permit her to make this change without asking for our permission, and without knowing the full outcome?”

“With respect, sir,” spoke up Takashima. Corwin turned to face her. He did not like her expression. “You are being too hard on him. Commander Corwin is, after all, the second in command of the Babylon. Perhaps the one to blame is the one who is in command of the Babylon.”

“Ah, yes. And what part does Captain Sheridan play in all this, hmm?”

As if on cue, the door opened and Captain Sheridan walked in, accompanied by Mr. Welles. The Captain did not look even remotely happy. Mr. Welles did not either, but then he never did.

“What has been happening?” Sheridan asked. “I… Delenn!”

She turned to face him, and Corwin caught a glimpse of his expression as he saw her. Shock, wonderment, terror, concern… all at once. He stepped forward slowly towards her. She turned her head slightly.

“John,” she whispered. “John.” She stepped forward and fell into his arms. He held her tightly, while looking at both Corwin and Clark. His face was… stunned.

“What has happened?” he asked.

“We will deal with you later, Captain,” Clark said. “What news, Mr. Welles?”

“The one security guard was killed by a single blow to the chest. It broke a number of ribs and crushed his heart. The second guard was disembowelled. The two weapons involved are very different. My guess is the killings weren’t committed by the same person.”

“Hmm.” Clark seemed to ponder this for a moment. “Anything else?”

“A strange machine of a type we have not yet been able to identify. It does not seem to be a weapon, but I cannot tell its exact use either. It does look Minbari in origin.”

“Could she have used that to kill the guards?”

“It is possible, Vice President.”

“Keep your men on the matter, Mr. Welles. Well, Captain, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“What exactly am I being accused of, sir?”

“Incompetence and negligence at least, Captain. Treason at most. Did you know of Satai Delenn’s change?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Did you authorise her… change?”

“Yes I did.”

“Why?”

“She believed it could end this war. Prevent an attack here.”

“The Minbari are more than welcome to attack here, Captain Sheridan. With our new allies, we will destroy them utterly. I have every confidence in them. You, on the other hand… for well over a year, you have been insubordinate, reckless and dismissive of orders. You failed to secure the technological deposits at Epsilon Three for us. You prevented Mr. Welles from completing his interrogation of Satai Delenn. You have frequently put personal motivations above the good of humanity.

“Now, whether you are a traitor or merely misguided remains to be seen, but for the moment, I think it would be safer for you to be relieved of command. Yes, Captain Sheridan, you are hereby stripped of your command pending allegations of treason. You will be incarcerated here until such time as these allegations may be confirmed or denied.”

Corwin could see Sheridan straightening, almost unconsciously. Delenn was still next to him, but the expression on his face was carefully neutral.

“I think General Takashima will be the best person to command the Babylon in your absence. Do you have anything to say before you are taken to a cell?”

“Just this,” he said slowly. “I fight the Minbari not because I hate them, but to defend humanity. I wear this uniform because I believe in what it stands for. I serve humanity because I feel it is the right place for me to be.

“I am afraid that we have become the very thing we set out to fight. The Minbari acted out of madness and grief, the same reasons we are acting now. Unless this war is stopped, then we will become them. And then, Vice President, we will be truly beyond hope.”

“We shall see, Mr. Sheridan. We shall see. Mr. Welles. Leave the investigation on the Babylon to the Head of Security there. Your immediate task is to interrogate Satai Delenn. Find out as much as you can from her. Use Miss Alexander’s talents, and every resource at your disposal. Do to Satai Delenn whatever you have to do to gain the information we need. Former Captain Sheridan and former Commander Corwin are to be incarcerated until you can verify from Satai Delenn the influence they played in this affair. Leave no stone unturned, Mr. Welles.”

“I never do,” he said icily.

“So this is what is happening here,” spoke up a sardonic voice. Lord Refa. He had clearly been hiding in the shadows, listening and learning. “Perhaps an alliance with your people is a misguided effort after all.”