"There is no hurry." Clark smiled. "We have all the time in the world, after all.
"Yes, we have all the time in the world."
His smile, thought Sheridan, was like that of someone who has just got the joke that no one else could understand.
Drugged, sluggish, deafened and half-maddened as she was, Talia still managed to make her way slowly out of the laboratories in which she found herself. Skills of evasion, concealment and disguise that she had been forced to learn over long years of training served to save her life now. Instinct took over as she navigated her way through laboratories, past chambers filled with cryogenic storage units and regular patrols of security guards in black, wearing no insignia.
It was the cryogenic units that concerned her most. The majority of them were occupied, and she knew that every person within them was a telepath. Strangely, not all of them were human. She knew that most of the other races had telepaths — except for the Narns, and Al had been working to see that the telepath gene was reintroduced into their race — and she even had some idea of their relative strengths and the training carried out by the other races.
She had no idea what these alien telepaths were doing here. Were they a part of this network as well?
Such thoughts would have to wait for later. For now, she had to escape from here. She had to find.... Dexter. For the first time since their capture she thought about him. Was he all right? Was he even alive? He was wanted on a charge of murder, she remembered.
Then another thought struck her. He was a telepath, albeit a weak one. Had he been made a part of this network as well? A momentary pang of fear struck her, and that made the voices all the louder. With a considerable effort of will she forced them out, and concentrated on the mission at hand. If Dexter could not be saved, then he would have to be avenged. She had to get to Al. He had to know about this.
After some time, her subconscious skills navigating her through the complex, she came to realise she was underground. That made sense, Proxima was filled with tunnels and caverns, a legacy from its old days as a mining colony. There was room down here to hide.... an army?
It was also much more likely that there would be an unguarded way out here than through the surface. There would be a respectable surface building above this, possibly even the Edgars Building itself. But underground.... there would be a secret way out. All she had to do was find it.
And so Talia, unseen by guards, unnoticed by any alarm, her fogged mind unable properly to realise the strangeness of all this, disappeared deeper and deeper into dark catacombs. Guards passed infrequently, letting her know she was still heading in vaguely the right direction. Some of them even seemed to be looking for her, although their thoughts made it clear they thought it was a fool's errand; surely she could not have got this far underground?
The sound of movement ahead caused her to duck down into the shadows, hiding herself from the guards she had been following at a safe distance. Probably just another patrol.
"Who's there?" said a sharp voice, loudly. It was a member of the patrol she had been surreptitiously tailing. "Give the pass.... Oh." He paused. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know it was you. You were expected earlier."
The reply was much softer and quieter, and as much as Talia strained to hear, only a smattering of words reached her ears. ".... detained.... emergency.... state...."
"Yes, sir, of course. Come this way, we'll provide an escort into the complex."
Talia pressed herself even harder into the shadows, her eyes following the flickering light source as the patrol turned about and headed back towards her. A man was following them. He was wearing a long black cloak with a hood which hid his face. She tried to reach out and gently skim his mind, but she could not even find it. It was as if a curtain had been drawn across his thoughts, not just shielding them, but hiding them completely.
The voices were still, a terrified whispering passing among them.
The man stopped suddenly, and began looking around. Talia restrained a gasp. It was almost as if he was looking directly at her. Could he see her in the shadows? Surely she was well enough hidden. She tensed her muscles, ready to move.
"Something wrong, sir?" asked the guard.
"No," said the man. "I just thought.... I saw a rat down there."
The guard nodded. He looked a little nervous, and very overawed. "Possible, sir. Would you like us to check and make sure?"
The man shook his head. "No, forgive me. A little nervousness, that is all. Come, I do not want to be any more late than I am already."
"Of course, sir."
Talia did not breathe again until she could no longer see the light source. The voices began to return, but she closed them out.
Not long afterwards she found a way out of the catacombs. The exit was not guarded, but it was very well concealed. Still, she managed to stumble free, and the light of the sun on her face awoke her slightly. Looking around, she knew where she was, in one of the old mining domes, long since abandoned with the mineral resources all but played out.
Breathing slowly, she closed her eyes and thought of Al.
I have returned, in a sense. In another sense, the man who left this world has gone forever and an imposter come back in his place. An imposter with the blood of an innocent on his hands, a Minbari no longer, a warrior always but now also a priest.
There has never been any self-doubt in my life. I was master of my own destiny, lord of my own demesne. Let the priestlings babble about the divine will, and the placings of the universe. I was a warrior. I lived, I fought, I killed. I felt each breath in my body, each beat of my heart, and I knew I was alive!
Now.... I am not sure. I know what must be done. The Well of Souls told me some, but the rest I worked out for myself. I know what I must do. It will not be easy, but it is necessary, and I have never shirked from what must be done simply because it will be hard.
I have time. Enough time to.... prepare matters, to finalise certain things, to.... deal with certain situations that must be dealt with.
There will be those I leave behind. They must be ready.
Tarolin Two is a dead place for me now. I see my people around me, those who have called themselves my guards, those who have pledged themselves to my side. I wonder what they would say, if they only knew.
I admire many of these people. They have fought a war every bit as great as mine. They have rebuilt from devastation, they have forged new lives where I forged weapons, they have fought hunger and despair and suffering where I have fought the humans, and the Vorlons, and Sonovar.
Yes, I admire many of them, but for only one person here is there anything more in my heart than mere admiration or respect. She is the bravest, wisest, kindest person I have ever met. I know she will forgive me, her beautiful soul will not let her do anything else, but I wish more than anything else this were not necessary.
I look into her eyes, feeling the fear there. She has avoided me for many months, since Kozorr's.... betrayal. I do not blame her.
I tell her about what I have done, and she begins to cry. I want to hold her and comfort her, but I cannot. If I could feel love for any living being it would be for her, but I do not have that capacity. Another does, and it will be he who must share her life.
"This is my fault," she whispers, her head bowed. "He came to me.... The Primarch.... and he told me.... he tried.... to warn me...."
"You are not to blame, my lady. Her blood is on my hands."
"I said I would be your conscience! I said I would.... guard your soul. I failed you."
"No, I failed you, but that is past. I promise you, my lady.... I will make a better future, but I cannot do so alone. I need you at my side, my lady. I need you."