'King Arthur' sat forward. "We will take action to alter these odds," he said quickly. The network? What the hell was that?
"No. The alliance with the Shadows and the support of Clark's Government has served us well enough, but it is now time to abandon them both. We will take no action."
Sheridan sat back, eyes burning behind his mask. There would be no changing the strategy of these people. It could not be done. Yet. For now, he had bigger concerns. Deal with Clark, deal with the Alliance fleets and then....
Then he would come back and destroy this Round Table once and for all. His membership had served him well enough.
But it was now time to abandon them.
The meeting ended a few minutes later, and Sheridan left in a hurry.
The room was a near–identical copy of the Hall of the Grey Council. Sinoval's face was dark as he walked around it, watching the ten columns of light emerge from the darkness. A minor footnote of history, all but forgotten by Minbari historians, but not by one who could talk to those alive a thousand years ago.
"I will meet Sonovar here," he said, his eyes closed. For a moment time faded, and he was a year in the past, the first time he had set foot on Babylon 4. He had moved forward and time had.... paused.
And he took the step into the column of light. He knew where he was, in the Hall of the Grey Council. He was alone, but he was carrying Stormbringer. One by one the columns around him lit up, and each one contained a figure. Minbari, some he knew, some he did not. All were armed.
As the last column lit up, he found himself looking at Sonovar. A body lay slumped at his feet. It was Kats. She was quite still.
Sinoval whispered her name softly, knowing he would never speak it again.
"It is over," said Sonovar, no malice in his voice, just a finality. "You will not leave this place, traitor. Your allies have fled, your servants are dead, and now I.... I will take our people on the path we were always meant to tread."
"No," was the only reply.
Sonovar raised his pike, and Sinoval could see it clearly. Durhan's blade, the one he had wielded all his life. Sonovar charged. The other eight charged. Sinoval raised Stormbringer....
.... and the central column of light went out.
Sinoval's hand reached down to caress Stormbringer. Something within it, some part of himself he had passed into the blade in its forging, hummed at his touch. "Yes.... you, my brother of blood and war.... you will be beside me in this."
He had remembered that vision, but he had also remembered something else. An essential truth, one he had always embraced, one Sonovar also recognised.
Great men make their own destiny. Nothing is written in stone.
And so he had manoeuvred things subtly, hoping to make such changes as were necessary. He would meet Sonovar and his allies here, not in the Hall of the Grey Council. Maybe this was as it had always been meant to be: he did not know.... but he did know that he would do his best to beat them, to beat all those who opposed him.
But he would not best Sonovar with weapons.
He stepped into the central column of light, wishing Kats were here. He understood why she was not. She found the Hall of the Grey Council uncomfortable, and replicas of it just as much so. She was elsewhere, waiting for Kozorr to arrive, as he surely would.
But she was not alone. Lanniel was with her, and two others of the Primarch's Blades. He had spoken to them earlier.
"Guard her as you would me."
Each had sworn this, but still Sinoval was afraid for her. If he could keep her alive, keep her from her part in the vision he had seen, maybe she could keep Kozorr away from this place.
"I remember," said the memory of a soft voice. Marrain had shown him where this place was. "I once stood in one of these columns of light. I watched as Valen spoke to the first nine of us to ally ourselves with him. He said there would be nine to guide and lead his people, and one over them."
Sinoval's eyes were still dark as he looked around at the nine pillars of light, and began to name them. The first Grey Council had been convened here, although few had called it by that name. As far as the official histories were concerned, the Grey Council had been founded at the war's end, on Minbar itself, not here, not in this place.
"Marrain," he said, looking at one of the columns. "Parlonn. Rashok. Nukenn. Nemain." He continued to name the first nine, names now long forgotten and lost to history. Only Nemain, then a young man filled with awe and a righteous conviction, and Rashok and Nukenn, and of course Derannimer had joined the first official Grey Council at Minbar. The others.... were dead, or traitors.
"I will know you all," he said to the empty room. "I will honour all your memories, and praise all your names."
Then he willed all the lights to extinguish, and he was alone in darkness.
Alone and waiting.
The package was small, neatly wrapped, and showed no indication of what it might contain. Lyndisty had a sufficient sense of curiosity to want to open it, but then she also possessed enough propriety to know not to do that. She was a little confused about this whole endeavour, but she knew enough not to question her father.
He was gone now, gone to war, to defend the Republic and fight in its name. She was pleased he had taken time from his busy schedule to come to her. She loved her father with a passion that bordered on the fierce, and she trusted him totally. No one was as strong as him, no one as powerful, as mighty, as capable of defending the Republic.
Which was why his words had worried her a little, almost scared her in fact.
"Lyndisty.... you do know that I love you, don't you?"
"Of course, father."
"You also know.... to be careful. The Republic has many enemies. I have many enemies, people who would not hesitate to strike at me or at the Republic, through you."
"Of course, father. I can protect myself. My trainer says I am improving."
"Yes.... I know. I spoke to him yesterday, and he merely gave me another reason to be proud of you, as if I needed any more. I know you can look after yourself. I know you are intelligent and able. I know you ran our estate for a while when I was.... away, and your mother was ill. I know you can do many things you should not have to do as a lady of the Court.
"But.... I have enemies, powerful enemies, and sometimes it is better to run and hide than to fight. That is why I made sure you were safely on Immolan during the.... troubles last year. You do understand that? There is no shame in running."
"I understand. Father.... is.... something wrong?"
"I do not know. I wish I did. I think.... I may have done something I should not have done, but it is too early to tell. Maybe nothing will come of it."
"What can you have done wrong, father? You cannot have done anything to hurt the Republic, or to hurt me."
"Ah.... sometimes an act done with the best of intentions can have the worst of outcomes. I will be going shortly. You will be well guarded while I am gone, you and your mother.... but.... there is something you must do. Something you must do alone."
"Of course, father. I will do whatever you want of me."
"Some day, Lyndisty, you will not be so trusting. A package has been delivered to you. There is a place you must take it. Someone will be waiting to receive it. Give it to them, and leave. Do not look inside the package, do not try to find the identity of the person you give it to. Hurry back to safety once this is done. Do you understand?"