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All characters/places/persons not belonging to the writer are the sole properties of their owners, PTEN, WB, JMS, and will be turned over to the owners at the request of their agents. All other characters/places/persons are public domain.

G'Kar and Lyta had visited several worlds in the last few months, but they were still in Interstellar Alliance territory.

"We’re being followed G'Kar."

"Are you sure?"

A very pregnant Lyta nodded. "What do we have for weapons?"

"Only light cannons. Nothing to brag about. We could defend ourselves against a small raider."

"Close your eyes G'Kar."

"Why?"

"I don't want you to get sick."

G'Kar closed his eyes and waited. Almost instantly, Lyta told him to open them. What he saw took his breath away. They were in normal space. He checked his instruments and could not detect anything within a month's travel time of them. There was nothing there, no planets, no jumpgates, nothing.

******************************

On board the ship following them, the captain was stunned as his weapons tracking operator told him that G'Kar's ship had vanished off his screen.

"What do you mean, "They've vanished"?"

"Sir, they were there, then they weren't. Our scanning/tracking system is operating normally."

******************************

On board the trailing whitestar, the reaction was similar to that on the ship they were following. The difference was that the whitestar captain had his navigator plot the last position of G'Kar's ship with the intent of exiting back to normal space at that point. It would be risky, but he had his orders.

*******************************

With fear in his voice, G'Kar looked at Lyta and asked, "Where are we?"

"I don't know exactly, except that there isn't a world within light years of us," answered Lyta. “In fact the only thing within scanning distance is a big rock, G’kar. I’d call it an asteroid if there was a sun somewhere in the vicinity. I’m going to look at it close up and personal.”

“Why, Lyta?”

“I want to conduct a quick experiment before whoever is following us arrives.”

Twenty minutes and two thousand kilometers from where they had exited from hyperspace, Lyta brought the shuttle to within a five kilometers of a rock shaped like a lopsided potato and roughly a kilometer in length on it’s long axis.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Remember what I did to several of the people who made assassination attempts on us? Well, I was wondering what I could do against something a bit more solid.”

“And?”

“We’re about to find out. You might want to wait in the main cabin.”

G’Kar moved out of the pilot’s area and closed the door behind him. There was a small viewscreen mounted on one bulkhead. He turned it on and, since it was slaved to the main viewer in the pilot’s area which was monitoring Lyta’s rock, watched the large rock that was displayed in the center of the screen. It was a few minutes after he began watching the screen that the appearance of the rock began to change. If he didn’t know better, he would swear that is was quickly being eroded away. He knew that wasn’t possible because there was no weathering in deep space, not even a solar wind. As he continued watching the erosion process speeded up, until the rock was gone. The entire process hadn’t taken fifteen minutes. Where the rock had been there was a very fine dust cloud.

Lyta walked out of the pilot’s area. “What do you think? Will that make a good addition to our armament.”

“You did that with telekinesis?”

“Yes.”

G’Kar whistled softly to himself. “Very impressive is a massive understatement, Lyta.

“Yeah, but the real trial is already in progress.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I think I’m in labor, G’Kar. The pain hasn’t started, but according to my reference materials, that’s what my present contractions mean. Besides, my water broke about an hour-and-a-half ago.”

“Lyta, Where do you think that rock came from?”

“I don’t know. While I was concentrating on it, I became aware of a great many others ranging in size from not much more than dust up to about a hundred meters in diameter – if something shaped like a badly distorted potato can be said to actually have a diameter. I suppose, since they’re this far away from anything else, that maybe they’re part of a comet/asteroid belt that is circling a large star or cluster that is so far away that our sensors aren’t detecting it. After all, the Ort Cloud around Earth’s sun is so far away you can’t detect it with normal telescopes from Earth. It wasn’t until my people started to send probes way out past the orbit of Pluto that it’s existence was factually established.”

“I learn something new every day with you. I was never a student of science or astronomy unless it could be used to kill a Centauri.”

*******************************

It was an hour since G’Kar’s ship had disappeared and as it finally approached the calculated last position of G'Kar's ship, the whitestar opened a jump point and exited hyperspace. It almost ran over G'Kar's ship as it did so.

G'Kar was shaken by the near miss and hailed the whitestar. His hail was answered almost immediately.

"Captain. Where did you get your pilot's license?" inquired G'Kar.

"My apologies Ambassador G'Kar. We were off a bit in our calculations," answered the Minbari captain.

Lyta had retreated to the bathroom in pain. Her baby was coming ready or not as she had told G'Kar, but he couldn’t really help anyway. The pains came faster and harder. Lyta screamed. In the pilot's area the microphones picked up her scream, and G'Kar looked disturbed. With the pilot’s area door open Lyta’s screams sounded like she was shouting right into his ear holes.

"What is going on over there, Ambassador G'Kar?" the whitestar captain with concern in his voice. The area microphone in the cockpit had picked up the Lyta’s screams as they echoed off the bulkheads.

"It's nothing, Captain. My companion is not feeling well just now," answered G'Kar.

Lyta screamed again. The pain seemed to feel worse than anything she had experienced since her torture on Mars, before she had gone to the Vorlon home world. Another scream followed almost immediately. Lyta had set up a pan and towels to catch the baby as it exited her body.

"Ambassador G'Kar. What in Valen's name is going on over there?" Insisted the captain.

"Honestly, Captain. It is just a minor medical problem with my companion," answered G'Kar.

There was one more scream and then it stopped. In the bathroom Lyta picked up her new daughter, smacked her on her bottom eliciting a small cry, cut and tied her umbilical cord and placed her in the sink, then she delivered the afterbirth. It was messy. She disposed of it and began to clean up her new baby. It was a duplicate of her with flaming red hair and a touch of Byron in her eyes.

Lyta reentered the main cabin and called to G'Kar, "It's a girl!"

Onboard the whitestar, the whole bridge crew heard Lyta's statement to G'Kar.

"It’s alright, Captain. The problem is over," said G'Kar.

"Who is your companion, Ambassador?" Inquired the captain.

Lyta walked within range of the communications camera. "Is there a problem, Captain?"

"There are just the two of you?" Asked the Minbari.

"No. Now we are three," answered Lyta.

"Could I invite you to dinner aboard my ship?" queried the Minbari.

G'Kar and Lyta accepted.

“I need about an hour, Captain, to get the place and myself cleaned up,” said Lyta.

“Call me when you are ready.”

*********************************

G'Kar's ship was much too large to fit in the whitestar's hanger bay, so they transferred using a small four person shuttle.

In the whitestar’s hanger bay, G’Kar and Lyta found themselves being met by the largest Minbari either of them had ever seen, much less met.

"Ambassador G'Kar, Ms. Alexander, I am Shai Alyt Sheraun, commanding officer of the Whitestar 71," said Sheraun, formally introducing himself. “If it is easier, you may refer to me as captain.”

G'Kar explained that he was no longer an ambassador, but Sheraun brushed it off, explaining that G'Kar rated the respect regardless. Then he looked at Lyta. "You also have a reputation amongst the Anla'shok."

Lyta looked a bit taken aback. "I don't understand. I've done nothing to merit a reputation. I’m wanted on Earth, unwelcome on Babylon 5 and several other worlds, but there’s nothing of note about it," answered Lyta.

"I am afraid Ambassador Delenn sees it differently. She speaks of you with respect and regret. Respect for what you have done unselfishly, and regret about how you have been treated. May I?" Asked Sheraun reaching for Lyta's daughter. Lyta, having used her psi abilities to determine that the huge Minbari was harmless to her and Maya, handed her child to him. He held her close and looked at Lyta. "You delivered, alone, without help?"

"Alone and without help, seems to be the story of my life," answered Lyta.

"I can identify with that," he told Lyta with a resigned sigh.

G'Kar looked at the Shai Alyt with an odd expression. Had he heard what he thought he heard? He watched the Shai Alyt and was rewarded by seeing a wistful look in his eyes as he looked at Lyta.

[I'll be damned], thought the Narn.

"We have company, Shai Alyt," said Lyta. "They’ll be coming out of hyperspace about a hundred thousand kilometers in front of us in about two minutes."

"How do you know that?" He asked.

"Remember, Shai Alyt, I am a telepath," replied Lyta.

"I have a P-12 telepath on board, but he can't do that," replied Sheraun.

Lyta smiled, and said, "I’m not surprised."

Less than two minutes later, Sheraun’s communicator beeped. It was his second advising him that a ship had just exited hyperspace about a hundred thousand kilometers in front of them.

**********************************

Three minutes later on the whitestar bridge:

"Unknown vessel, this is the Daneth, we are chasing the ship that you have tractored alongside. The pilot and passenger are wanted on the Drazi home world for murder," said the Drazi captain into his communications system.

"You are a little far from home aren't you?" Inquired Sheraun.

"That is no business of yours came the reply. We demand you turn over the two we seek. You can keep their ship."

"You are absolutely sure you want these people?" Asked Sheraun with emphasis.

"You seem to have the idea," came the response.

Lyta walked into range of the communications system. The Shai Alyt, seeing a small foot just visible protruding from under the small blanket Lyta had thrown over her left shoulder and covering her left side to her waist, realized the small sound he had been hearing was her baby feeding at her breast.

"You want me for murder. Is that correct?" Asked Lyta, again.

"You and the Narn," came the reply.

Lyta tilted her head a bit and the Drazi on the screen began having difficulty breathing. "Are you really sure you want me and G'Kar?" Asked Lyta.

Someone or something unseen was strangling the Drazi.

"I am waiting for your answer," said Lyta.

The Drazi fell out of the range of his communications imaging device.

Lyta turned to face Sheraun, "Maybe he changed his mind." Her child was still busy feeding at her breast.

“Shai Alyt, the lifesigns on the Drazi ship have just decreased by one.”

“Their intent, Shai Alyt, is to assassinate G’kar and me.”

Sheraun smiled inwardly. She had just killed the Drazi, and it had only taken a thought. She had done it with no more concern than he would have at crushing an irritating insect.

"Shai Alyt, I think I need to make an example of that ship and the people they represent," said Lyta.

"What do you have in mind?" He asked.

"I think it might be best if I go back to our ship, and you take the whitestar and G'Kar and jump into hyperspace until I call you back," said Lyta.

Sheraun looked at G'Kar, who just shrugged his shoulders.

He escorted Lyta back to the hanger bay.

"I have some reservations about this, Ms. Alexander," said Sheraun.

"Don't worry, Shai Alyt, and call me, Lyta," she responded.

"Only if you call me, Sheraun," he replied.

Lyta smiled at him and started to board the shuttle.

**********************************

On the whitestar’s bridge:

"Shai Alyt, Ms. Alexander is aboard their ship, and the shuttle has returned and is docking," said the navigator.

"Take us away from here," ordered Sheraun. "Jump to hyperspace when we are clear of G’Kar’s ship."

The whitestar spun on its axis and accelerated away from G'Kar's ship at high speed. A minute later, it opened a jump point and disappeared into hyperspace. Aboard the whitestar, Sheraun looked at G'Kar and asked, "Why did she leave you here?"

"She doesn’t want me in the way,” he answered. “And, she doesn't want you to see what she becomes, Shai Alyt. To be truthful, she has admitted that not even she knows or understands all that she is.” He hesitated, then continued, “She is beyond our understanding, and she seems to have power that no one outside of Lorien has ever had," referring to the first one who had saved Sheridan at Zha’ha'dum. He thought to himself, [No reason to scare them by mentioning that Lorein also did something to her.]

Sheraun had heard stories about the one called Lorien. He wasn't sure he believed them, but Delenn did, and that was enough for him to give the tales credence.

"You like her, Shai Alyt?" Asked G'Kar.

Sheraun smiled at him and replied, "Yes, I suppose I do. I never gave Human females a thought before, but she is different. Actually, I haven't given Minbari females much thought either." Sheraun couldn't ignore the fire that Lyta seemed to have lighted in him. He couldn't explain it either.

"Contact Ambassador Delenn on Minbar," ordered Sheraun.

Moments later the face of Delenn appeared on his communications display. “Entil'za I have some news and need direction.” He explained about G'Kar and Lyta and informed her of Lyta's present condition.

"Bring them to Minbar," she ordered. As usual she was short and to the point.

"You’re playing with fire, Shai Alyt. Lyta will not want to go to Minbar. President Sheridan is there, and there are very hard feelings between them," said G'Kar.

"Be that as it may, I have my orders," he replied.

"I am just wondering, how you propose to take her there if she doesn't want to go. You should realize, she can destroy this ship with a thought."

"I do not believe she would do that. We have not harmed her and we wouldn't. If she doesn't want to go, I won't try to force her."

On Minbar, Sheridan walked into her office just as Delenn closed her communication with Shai Alyt Sheraun. Turning to look at her husband, she said, "Whitestar 71 reports that they have G'Kar onboard and that Lyta is aboard G'Kar's ship. John. She just gave birth to a daughter."

John Sheridan was remembering Lyta's performance in the Zocolo onboard Babylon 5 and her taunt. Sheridan reopened the channel to Whitestar 71. "Shai Alyt. You said that you have G'Kar aboard your ship. Does that mean that Lyta is alone with her daughter aboard G'Kar's ship?"

"Yes it does, Mr. President. Why?" Asked Shai Alyt Sheraun.

"Listen closely, Shai Alyt. Lyta Alexander represents an unacceptable danger to the Interstellar Alliance. You are ordered to destroy that ship and her and her daughter with it."

Shai Alyt Sheraun was stunned and didn't reply for more than a minute. "Sir, would you repeat that last order?" requested Sheraun.

Sheridan repeated the order.

On Minbar, Delenn was mortified at what she had just heard.

On Whitestar 71, G'Kar stepped into range of the bridge imager and addressed Sheridan. "John. That’s not a good idea. You don't understand the situation anymore."

"What do you mean, G'Kar?" Asked Sheridan.

"If Shai Alyt Sheraun tries to attack Lyta and her child, she will destroy this ship and all of us with it."

"What makes you think she is powerful enough to do this, G'Kar?" He asked.

"She can move my ship into and out of hyperspace without jump gates or jump engines. I have watched her reduce a kilometer wide asteroid to dust She has killed men at distances of several kilometers, one at a hundred thousand to be exact, with her telekinetic abilities. I don't think attacking her is a very good idea. She can probably kill everyone aboard this ship with nothing more than a few thoughts."

Delenn appeared again and said, "Shai Alyt, I gave you an order, and I expect it to be followed. If you harm her or her child, I will have your head. Do you understand?"

Sheraun replied, "Yes Entil'za."

On Minbar, Delenn closed the communications channel and began chewing on her husband like a starving dog chews on tough leather.

G'Kar looked at Shai Alyt Sheraun and said, "An attack on Lyta would be a death sentence."

"Would she really kill us with you aboard?" He asked.

"She’s a mother protecting her offspring. What do you think?" Responded G'Kar.

Just then they picked up the distress beacon from the Drazi ship. A few minutes later Lyta called for them to return.

***************************************

Onboard the Drazi ship, the sensor operator watched the whitestar jump to hyperspace and reported two lifeforms on G'Kar's ship. The bounty hunters' ship moved to close with Lyta. It was about fifty kilometers away when its problems began.

On G’Kar’s ship, Lyta had put the sleeping baby down for a nap, in the small bed that she had constructed in anticipation of her child’s impending birth, and returned to the pilot's area. She put new data crystals into the ship's recorders and began to concentrate. It didn't take long to separate the Drazi engineer's thoughts and get complete information on his ship's engines, weapons and hull structure. Anyone observing Lyta's concentration would have noticed that she began to exude a white aura which got brighter and brighter, although no heat was being produced, until she couldn't be seen because of its intensity.

Aboard the Drazi ship, all hell was breaking loose, literally. Its engines had shut down and couldn't be restarted. The weapons systems no longer had power and the ship was starting to drift and fall apart. Bulkheads were separating and on some decks there were hull breaches. Personnel were scrambling to get to lifepods, but they were all inoperable with hatches that were jammed shut. Desperation drove them to try to get into environment suits, but the fighting over them was preventing it. Meanwhile, large pieces of the ship were separating from the main hull framing members as the ship continued to break up. Within twenty minutes, the bounty hunters were just so many bodies floating among the remains of their ship.

Lyta quit glowing like a small sun and signaled the whitestar to return. A few minutes later, Whitestar 71 jumped into normal space about twenty kilometers from Lyta.

*****************************

On her viewscreen Lyta was watching and listening to Shai Alyt Sheraun invite her to come back over for the promised dinner. With no expression showing on her face, on his imager, Lyta was telling Shai Alyt Sheraun, "Sheridan ordered you to kill me and my child. Your feelings about it were so strong, I could read them even while you were in hyperspace. You might want to scan the wreckage of the Drazi ship. I think you’ll find it interesting."

The whitestar maneuvered to get close to the wreckage before starting their scans. It only took a few minutes for the results to be tabulated by the ship's computers and recorded on data crystals. The results painted a picture of horror. The ship had simply fallen apart. There was no evidence of any weapons fire of any kind and there were no survivors. The bodies weren't mangled or otherwise damaged. They just floated in space among the other debris.

The whitestar came around to leave the debris field and close on G'Kar's ship when its main engines shut down. Its thrusters didn't operate either and its life support was being powered by emergency batteries. It was drifting helplessly in space.

"I think, Shai Alyt, that Lyta is making a point," observed G'Kar. "She is showing us how easily she could destroy us."

Shai Alyt Sheraun looked at G'Kar and said emphatically, "I am impressed, Ambassador."

Without warning, Whitestar 71's main engines, jump engines and auxiliary power all came back on line.

"We are being hailed, Shai Alyt", said the communications watch. Sheraun nodded and Lyta appeared on the imager.

"I get the point Lyta," said Sheraun.

"I thought you might," she responded. "Is G'Kar ready to leave?"

"Lyta we have been invited to Minbar," said G'Kar.

"You know I’m not welcome there, and you know Sheridan wants me dead. You saw and heard the orders he gave to Shai Alyt Sheraun," came a tart reply.

"Delenn wants you to come. Besides, no one there can do you any harm, anyway," G'Kar countered.

"Okay, G'Kar," she said in her tired laid back way, looking like she was placating a small child.

They tractored G'Kar's ship up close to the whitestar in preparation to jumping into hyperspace. Lyta was standing just to the left side of the Shai Alyt's chair.

"Let me, Shai Alyt?" She requested.

Sheraun started to ask her what, and the scene outside the bridge viewports changed from normal space to one of the red background of hyperspace. The Shai Alyt's jaw dropped. The rest of the bridge crew was stunned.

"You see, Shai Alyt. There is more to me than meets the eye," said Lyta, as she faced him. Sheraun wasn't about to disagree as he saw a very brief red and white glow flash in her eyes. He wondered if he had only imagined it.

********************************

After dinner that night G'Kar took Lyta aside and said, "You would have destroyed us."

Looking hurt, Lyta answered, "No. It wouldn't have been necessary." Then thoughtfully, "I would simply have disabled the weapons systems. This crew hasn't done anything to me. If I killed anyone, it would be the one who gave the order. Besides, Shai Alyt Sheraun would not have carried out the order. He considered it illegal."

"I’m bunking with the crew. Where did they put you?"

"This ship has quarters reserved for a flag officer. It’s small, but it’s private and has enough room for Maya."

"You named her Maya?"

"It was Byron's mother's name," she replied wistfully. "Her middle name is Natasha, after my grandmother."

"I think the Shai Alyt has a thing for you, Lyta."

"I know he does."

"How do you feel about it?"

"I like him G'Kar. He’s a very good man, but what does he see in me?"

"You don't look your best. You just gave birth, and you haven't shrunk back to your pre-pregnant self."

“Really! G’Kar, I’ve carried all my weight gain in my belly and in the baby. Admittedly, I’m not exactly svelte yet, and true my breasts are swollen, but they’ll be like that until Maya is weaned. I know I look like hell, in a manner of speaking, but hopefully, a shower and a decent night’s sleep will dispense with some of that. Who knows, maybe he goes for the ‘looks like hell’ look. Some men are hard to understand.”

***************************************************************

The trip to Minbar took a week; Lyta and G'Kar did their best to stay out of everyone's way. Lyta and Maya were popular amongst the rangers and she spent a large portion of her time with those who were off duty. A few days into the trip Lyta tried participating in hand to hand combat with some of the young rangers. The crew was a mixture of Minbari, Humans, Drazi, and at least one member from each of a dozen other ISA member races. They all found that she could move faster than they expected of a normal Human female who’d just given birth. She was graceful, in spite of her recent pregnancy, and appeared to learn very quickly. In matches that extended over several days, several rangers had acquired the lumps and bruises to prove it. She was introduced to the denn'bok and within a very short time put knots on the heads of half dozen of the younger Rangers including three Minbari. An older Minbari ranger tested her, and even though he ‘won’, he got thumped for his efforts. They were fascinated with her and respectful after her display of martial abilities. She even recorded some of the matches. By the time they arrived in orbit above Minbar, Lyta had shown not only that she could at least hold her own against the best of the rangers on board, but that she could outright defeat most of the younger ones. The other noticeable difference that she demonstrated was that except for her swollen breasts, there was nothing about her appearance to indicate she had ever been pregnant. The enhancements the Vorlons had ‘installed’ included almost miraculous healing abilities. Apparently, the Vorlons believed ‘a healthy weapon is a more useful weapon’.

The ship's telepath, Joseph Donnelly, a young male P-12 barely twenty-one years old, gave Lyta the hero worship routine until she was embarrassed. Shai Alyt Sheraun suggested that taking it gracefully was her only option. It came with the territory of doing things for others, at risk of your life, with no expectation of compensation. Lyta liked the young man, he was a ranger in final training and he was well respected by his fellow rangers.

**********************************

Lyta was just sitting down to eat a somewhat lunch in the whitestar's version of a mess hall. It was a small affair less than ten by fifteen meters in width and length, and due to the time of day was almost empty of crew members. As she took her seat, Joseph Donnelly asked, “May I share your table?"

Lyta looked up to see a slender, 68 kilogram, medium height, 175 centimeter, very young man of almost effeminate appearance with light brown hair and brown eyes, and said, "Certainly.” She would bet that Joseph had to fight off the women, both Human and Minbari who would want to take care of him.

Donnelly got started on his meal before he inquired, "How did you know that ship was going to appear where it did?"

"It's a little trick; I picked up in my travels."

"Do you suppose you could teach it to me and any of our other telepaths?"

Lyta laughed, "Not in this or any other lifetime, Joseph."

"Why not?"

"You aren't powerful enough. I know you're a P-12 and that's impressive as far as it goes. For you to be able to detect a ship in hyperspace from normal space or vice-versa would require that you be a very high P-14 as a minimum requirement. Even then it's problematical if it could be done at all."

"If I may be so bold, what's your present rating? I know it's higher than the P-5 rating listed in Psi Corps records."

"There is no way to measure my psi abilities. The method used by Psi Corps is meaningless when applied to me."

"I'm disappointed. I had hoped that there might be a way to enhance our usefulness to the Anla'shok."

"Don't take it personally, Joseph. It's no reflection on you or your abilities."

"Since the detecting a ship in hyperspace is out, I guess the other things like moving a ship between normal space and hyperspace and reducing a ship to a drifting field of debris are a no-go too?"

"I'm afraid you have it in one, Joseph."

They continued the remainder of their meals in silence. Lyta never admitted to him that she wished very much to be able to share those gifts with him and the other telepaths in the Anla'shok.

Before leaving the table, Lyta asked, “How did you come to be in the Anla’shok?”

“The same way a significant number of telepaths managed. During the Shadow War we lost many telepaths in combat. Those of us who survived took advantage of the situation. They and I are officially listed as killed in action. With the help of the Minbari, it was easy to do. As a point of interest, when I was sixteen I was assigned to infiltrate the ranks of the rogue telepaths. I was trained in counterintelligence; That’s still my specialty. It irritates Shai Alyt Sheraun no end when I have to accompany the other Anla’shok members on a mission. He insists me and my talents are too important to jeopardize in such a manner.”

“I think I agree with him. You can teach someone how to repair an engine or how to operate a communications or weapons console. But the blunt truth is you have to be born a telepath. There just isn’t any other way to get one.”

*****************************

Shai Alyt Sheraun was attentive of Lyta. He had observed her match with his senior ranger and was impressed by her. He didn't try to hide his feelings for her. Lyta for her part behaved neutrally, but it didn't change things. What made it tough was knowing that his feelings were real and not just infatuation. She admitted to herself that she found him very attractive. He wasn't a telepath, but he was disciplined, honest and caring. She knew that a woman could do a hell of a lot worse.

A day out from Minbar, Lyta and Sheraun were walking down a passageway near the engineering plant, talking about life in general and life philosophies. Maya was sleeping and a young ranger was watching over her. Without thinking about it Sheraun put his arm around Lyta's waist. She didn't pull away, and after a few steps, he removed his arm from her waist. "I am sorry, Lyta. I was out of line," he said.

Tilting her head, she looked at him and replied, "Were you?"

Sheraun's heart skipped two beats.

"Shai Alyt. To say I’m a telepath would be a gross understatement. You don't understand that a telepath doesn't need to scan someone to pick up and read really strong thoughts and feelings. In fact, we have to learn to put up mental barriers to keep out the thoughts of others. Otherwise, we can go insane. It’s like standing in a large hall with hundreds of people and all of them shouting as loudly as is possible. With that thought in mind, I could read your feelings a sector away."

Sheraun continued to walk as Lyta talked. They rounded a corner and were out of sight of any of the engineering personnel. Sheraun put his arm around Lyta again and turned her toward him. He bent down and kissed her lightly. Her response was to put her arms around his neck, stand on her tiptoes and kiss him so deeply he thought it would never end. He was on fire and his knees actually went weak. He stumbled, but caught himself. Drawing away from her kiss, Shai Alyt Sheraun was almost breathless. He still held her in his arms and she still had her arms around his neck when a crewman came around the corner. Covering his surprise the crewman said, "Shai Alyt, you are wanted on the bridge." After delivering his message, the crewman spun on his heel and walked away.

"Shai Alyt. This will be all over the ship in about two minutes," said Lyta smiling, her arms still around his neck.

"I can live with it, if you can," he replied. Letting her go, he turned and started toward the bridge.

"This isn't over, Shai Alyt," she said smiling at his retreating back.

"Yes," replied Sheraun, "Why?"

"I thought the warrior caste had no use for Humans," said G'Kar.

"In general, that is true, but not all of us hew to that line of thought. I, for example, went against the wishes of my caste when I volunteered to help Ambassador Sinclair train his first group of rangers. It infuriated my family when I continued to be a part of the rangers and wouldn't take part in our civil war. I thought the war was wrong. I am a sort of rogue, if you will," answered Sheraun. "You are, of course, thinking of my apparent relationship with Lyta, aren't you?"

"Yes, Shai Alyt. I know you do not truly understand what she is."

"You think I should be afraid of her?" He asked.

"No, not afraid; cautious," replied G'Kar. "Your clan is going to raise very strong objections to a relationship between you and a Human."

"Probably, but Lyta isn't just any Human. She is unique."

"Shai Alyt. That may be the understatement of the millennium," answered G'Kar.

************************************

Later that evening:

Thinking about what he was going to say to Delenn and Sheridan tomorrow, after they arrived on Minbar, and not looking forward to his family's reaction to Lyta, Sheraun knocked on the door to Lyta's assigned quarters. Lyta opened the door and Sheraun asked to come in. He took a seat on one of the two chairs in the cabin. Lyta lay back down on the bed and snuggled Maya into her arms. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Shai Alyt?" asked Lyta.

"After earlier today, I think we need to talk," he said.

"To say the least," she said, smiling at him. "You must have a thousand questions. Ask them. I’ll give you straight answers."

"G'Kar told me I should be cautious, that I don't truly understand what you are."

"He was telling the truth. Do you really want to know what I am? After you learn, you may not find me so appealing. You think you love me, and you do, but it isn't fair for you to love something you may not be capable of understanding." Lyta carefully disentangled herself from Maya, who was sleeping very deeply.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lyta looked into Sheraun's mind. Sheraun felt the lightest of touches in his mind and knew she was scanning him. He was no longer in the cabin with Lyta; he was home talking to his father. They discussed the actions he had taken and beliefs he had adopted since he had been a very young man, and the results of those actions. There were many things he had done that caused his family and friends great pain, and he could not change even one of them. In his mind he was seeing scenes that had never happened in his life's experiences. They featured a number of Humans and a redheaded female in particular. Some of those scenes made the Minbari warrior shed tears. Other scenes showed the Vorlon home world and things that were beyond his understanding. He heart ached with sorrow. He saw the happenings that Lyta had experienced since her involvement with the Vorlons, the loneliness, the rejection and despair, and the realizations of what she was, and what she was becoming. He was acutely aware that she and those who knew her thought of her as a what, not a who. She was a weapon, a thing of unimaginable power, with other abilities that no one would even dream of - with her sense of right and wrong as her only guide. She was truly a frightening entity. As quickly as it had begun, the visions ended with Sheraun seeing Lyta sitting across from him again.

"If that was supposed to make me reconsider my feelings toward you, it did," he said. "They’re stronger than ever."

"I’m not surprised," she responded.

She had him remove his robe to keep it from getting milk splotches on it. She had to explain about Human females and how the mammary glands functioned. He smiled at her concern, but put his robe across the back of the chair he had been sitting in. Lyta made him sit on the bed and lean against the bulkhead. She straddled him and sat on his lap. "It's time you discover what you are letting yourself in for," she told him. He put his arms around her in response. Lyta put her arms around his neck and put her lips to his. In a few minutes, Sheraun was on fire. He was stimulated beyond anything he could have imagined. His arms tightened around Lyta. Sitting on his lap she could feel him becoming aroused. She pulled away from him. When he opened his eyes, she could see that his arousal was so intense that he wasn't aware of his surroundings. It took several minutes for him to get control of his desires.

"Is it what you expected?" Asked Lyta.

Sheraun had trouble answering her. His mind was spinning, trying to understand what he had just experienced. Meanwhile Lyta nuzzled his neck and snuggled up on his chest and shoulder.

"I have never felt anything like that, before," he breathed.

She told him, "That was only a little sample. Are you really sure you want the whole program. You could get badly burned."

"Fire never felt so good," he replied.

Lyta sat up, and kissed him again. It was a very long deep passionate kiss. His mind overloaded from the stimulus and he almost lost consciousness. Lyta pulled away from him. It was almost five minutes before Sheraun's mind came back to reality. "Are you still interested?" Asked Lyta.

All he could do was nod his head in the affirmative.

"You are a sucker for punishment," she smiled. "It’ll be okay as long as I don't get carried away."

Sheraun was totally wasted, and all she did was kiss him. He was afraid of what would happen if they went any farther. Actually he was worried for himself. She apparently had no problems. His loins ached badly. It was very painful. He had never been aroused like this before. He wasn't sure he could survive a return engagement. He made his excuses and said goodnight. He was getting ready for bed when noticed the front of his tunic. It was soaked where her breasts had leaked on him. [Well, she did warn me], he thought smiling. He went to sleep wondering if any man could truly handle the redhead. He would be glad to die trying.

Whitestar 71 settled into a low orbit over Minbar. Her shuttle dropped toward the planet's surface carrying Shai Alyt Sheraun, G'Kar, Lyta and Maya. G'Kar's ship was being piloted down by one of the whitestar's shuttle pilots.

Inside Interstellar Alliance headquarters, G'Kar and Lyta waited while Shai Alyt Sheraun went into Delenn's office. Sheraun bowed in greeting to Delenn who returned the gesture. "How may I be of service, Entil'za?" He inquired.

"Tell me about your patrol, and how you came to have G'Kar and Lyta aboard?" She asked.

Shai Alyt Sheraun gave her a thorough report about his patrol, explaining that all of the whitestars had been ordered by President Sheridan to keep watch for G’Kar’s ship. He also gave her data crystals recorded onboard both G'Kar's ship and his whitestar. Delenn never asked about when the orders to watch for G’Kar’s ship had been given, instead she watched the videos from the data crystals with great interest. During her viewing, President Sheridan came into the office.

"Good morning, Shai Alyt," he said to Sheraun.

Delenn turned to look at both of them and she didn't like what she saw in Sheraun's eyes.

"Is there a problem, Shai Alyt?" She asked.

Sheraun slightly shook his head, no.

"Ask G'Kar to come in, Shai Alyt," said Delenn.

G'Kar left Lyta and proceeded into Delenn's office.

"Good morning, Ambassador," said G'Kar.

"G'Kar, before you tell me about your travels this last year, I want to know if you were aware that John had issued an order to the whitestar fleet to keep watch for you?" Requested Delenn.

G'Kar answered no to her question then gave them a complete rundown, leaving out any references to Lyta's activities as much as possible.

"Seems like you have had some interesting, not to mention dangerous, adventures," said Sheridan. He didn’t seem to notice the laser stare his wife was directing at him.

"Yes. I have a couple of legal questions concerning ISA laws, Delenn."

Delenn nodded for G'Kar to continue.

"I believe outright killing an innocent person is defined as murder. Am I correct?”

Delenn nodded assent. She thought she knew where this was going and glanced at her husband, who looked very uncomfortable.

"Then hiring someone to kill an innocent person would be the same as killing them, and ordering someone to do it would be at the least conspiracy to commit murder. Is that correct?"

Delenn stared at G'Kar for a full minute, then answered, "That is correct."

G'Kar then related his conversation with Lyta about someone ordering her and her daughter killed. "I believe John, that Lyta could make a good case against you for conspiring to murder her and her baby. She has the records from the Whitestar 71 as evidence."

Sheridan's face turned beet red, and he was obviously mad as hell. "Are you accusing me, G'Kar?"

"No, but I think she will, and she has a lot of personnel on her side."

"Have Lyta come in," ordered Delenn.

Sheridan looked like a trapped rat.

Lyta entered carrying a sleeping baby in her arms. She smiled at Delenn.

"Hello Delenn."

Shai Alyt Sheraun stepped up behind Lyta and put his arms around her. Delenn was taken aback, but said nothing. It was the way Sheraun had done it, as if they were familiar with one another. She admitted to herself that they made an eye-catching couple, a 199-centimeters (not including the top of his bone crest), 114-kilogram male member of the warrior caste and a 176-centimeters, 66-kilogram redheaded Human female. Sheraun was very large, even for a member of the warrior caste.

President Sheridan was trying to disappear into the woodwork and not being very successful at it.

"You need to know, Entil'za, I would not have carried out the president's order," said Sheraun.

"I know, Sheraun. It was an illegal order. In the future, all orders, and I mean all orders, will come through me, or they won't be followed," replied Delenn. "I’m curious, what is your relationship to Lyta? You only met her a week ago."

"I am like you, Entil'za. I knew what I wanted, and it has come to me. You are correct, my clan and family are going to be angry enough, finally, to disown me. It has been coming for years. I accept it," said Sheraun wistfully. His tone let anyone paying attention know he wished it weren't so. "It is what you get for, as the Humans say, 'walking on the wild side'."

Delenn walked around her desk and reached for Maya who was starting to wake up. Taking the infant, she returned to her seat behind her desk and put the baby on her chest and nuzzled her. Maya shifted position and went back to sleep.

"A mother's touch," said G'Kar. Delenn smiled.

"Sheraun, if you don't object, I would like to talk to your father about you and Lyta," said Delenn.

Sheraun nodded assent.

“G'Kar will you and Shai Alyt Sheraun wait outside. I want a few minutes alone with Lyta. John, you stay," said Delenn.

Delenn loaded one of the data crystals into the viewer. It was from the whitestar and showed a debris field with bodies. It also showed the analysis of the bodies and debris.

"That was what the whitestar found, John. This is what it came from." With that Delenn loaded the first of the two remaining crystals. As Sheridan watched the vessel's destruction, his blood got very cold.

"That is what could have happened to Whitestar 71, if Shai Alyt Sheraun had tried to carry out your order," said Delenn in a flat voice.

Sheridan looked at Lyta, who was now sitting in a chair watching the visual record of her handiwork. "You could have done that to Babylon 5?"

Lyta just nodded slightly. "All I would have had to do was cause the spinning section to jam momentarily and the station would have torn itself apart. I am curious, though. Just what kind of monster do you think I am, and why? You never thought of Lorien as a monster."

"You're not little miss docile telepath anymore. You're a killer, Lyta. Steven told me about the incident on Drazi home world, and I’ve heard what you’ve done to people who have tried to kill you and G'Kar. You can kill in the coldest ways I ever heard of. Lorien never actually killed anyone directly that I know of, that's why I see you differently.”

"If you just kill a dozen assassins, more come to take their place. If you kill them in a horrifying manner, they aren't so anxious to get to you. It’s a matter of psychology. It’s why I destroyed the Drazi ship the way I did. I could have just as easily made their reactors and engines explode," replied Lyta, in a matter of fact tone. "I suppose my not being docile anymore scares the living hell out of you, doesn't it?"

"Frankly, yes it does," replied Sheridan.

"Do I frighten you, Delenn?"

Delenn answered, "No. You have always been my friend. Friends don't fear friends. They respect and love them."

Delenn put the last data crystal into the socket and the scenes of the whitestar being rendered powerless and drifting in space and the following transmissions played. Sheridan was visibly shaken by what he was seeing.

"No one was harmed," Lyta pointed out. "I wanted to demonstrate the futility of trying to kill me. It isn't going to happen Mr. President. Get a PPG from one of your guards."

Delenn called in the guard outside her office door. He had a sidearm.

Lyta looked at the guard and said, "I want you to take out your PPG and shoot me."

The guard looked puzzled. Sheridan nodded for him to comply. The guard was looking distraught. He hadn't signed on to just execute someone like this.

Lyta commanded, "Shoot me until the power cap is empty." When he didn’t comply, she mentally forced him to point the weapon at her and pull the trigger. She stood not three meters in front of the guard as his PPG discharged repeatedly until its power cap was depleted. Lyta absorbed every round and grimaced at each shot. She said, "That stings like hell." Then, after the pistol was empty, Lyta said, “I’m sorry, but it was necessary.”

The guard was very distraught. He couldn't stop himself from shooting the lady in front of him, but he might as well have been using wet noodles. Delenn dismissed him with a warning to tell no one what he had witnessed.

Sheridan appeared to be dumbstruck. An ordinary person would have been incinerated in Lyta's place.

Lyta looked at Delenn and her husband, "The war cruiser that is in orbit overhead - I could destroy it as easily as I shut down the whitestar. I can do it from here and without line of sight."

Delenn shifted Maya's position to get more comfortable. It was at that point that John really noticed the baby Delenn was holding to her breast and shoulder.

"I’m not a monster. I just want to be left alone to pursue whatever relationship I may have with Shai Alyt Sheraun," said Lyta.

"What about your war with Psi Corps? That isn't just going to go away," noted Sheridan.

"Michael Garibaldi has been sending me messages through a front company to keep me in the loop, so to speak. I don’t respond to prevent the Corps from knowing where I am and what I’m doing. The broadcast is only one way, like it was between Stephen and the station when he and Marcus went to Mars. The war has entered a new phase. There are to be no more physical attacks or killings by our side. We’re obtaining the corps most closely held secrets and the records to support their authenticity. We’re going to destroy the corps with their own records. Once the mundanes learn what has been going on for the past hundred years or so, Psi Corps as an organization and institution will be finished, and with them will go the persecution of what are now called rogue telepaths. We’ll show the mundanes how to keep the telepaths from running amuck without organizations such as the corps."

"Besides high adventures, what have you and G'Kar been up to these last months?" Asked Sheridan.

"We have been working on my anger management and general enlightenment. I have been learning about hatred, understanding, forgiveness and other emotional experiences that I must learn how to handle. As you can see, I have become a mother. That tends to cause a woman to review and refocus her priorities."

Maya woke up hungry - Lyta reached across Delenn's desk and Delenn gave her the baby. Positioning Maya, she unsnapped the part of her blouse that covered her left nipple. The baby found it and started feeding. John looked at Delenn.

"Is something wrong, Mr. President?" asked Lyta.

"Mm, no," he responded. He kissed Delenn and took his leave.

After he had gone, Delenn looked at Lyta, smiled, and said, "I think you and Maya just made him understand what you really are, a mother, a terribly powerful mother." Delenn hesitated a moment before continuing, "I’m going to call Sheraun's father. I think he should meet you. Lyta. This is not going to be easy. It may not even be possible."

Lyta handed Delenn a data crystal. Delenn put it in the socket and watched the combat matches Lyta had participated in on the whitestar. She was suitably impressed.

She stepped over to her wall mounted communications system and made some quick entries on a keyboard. It took almost a minute for a response from the system. An old Minbari with a massive bonecrest appeared on the viewer.

"To what do I owe this call, Satai Delenn?" The gentleman queried.

"Valeck, you know well that I am no longer Satai. I am merely an ambassador to the Interstellar Alliance," replied Delenn.

"You are still married to the 'Starkiller'." It was a statement, not a question.

Amused at the way the statement was phrased, Delenn replied, "Yes. I’m still married to the president of the ISA, but that has nothing to do with why I called." The Minbari waited for her to continue. "When was the last time you saw Sheraun?"

A dark expression crossed Valeck's face and then was gone. "It has been a number of cycles," he replied. "He doesn't keep any council with his family or clan. Why?"

"I think he may be going to take a wife," replied Delenn.

"It's his life and his choice. He hasn't asked for any advice in the past, so I don't expect him to start now."

"This is different, Valeck. He wants to marry a Human."

The expression on Valeck's face was almost indescribable. It looked as if he were choking to death. "I am not surprised," he spat, "considering what he has done in the past. This will be the last straw. He will no longer be a member of this family or this clan."

Lyta, still feeding Maya, moved to within the pickup's area of coverage while this exchange was taking place.

"I said Human, but the truth is she is only about half Human," said Delenn.

"Oh? And just what is the other half, as if it should make any difference," Valeck replied, noticing the Human female who had just stepped into view on his comm screen.

"How about half Vorlon," Lyta said, in warrior caste dialect, into the pickup.

Valeck's jaw visibly dropped at Lyta's statement. He noticed that she was nursing an infant. While less experienced and stiff-necked Minbari might have been offended at this ‘breach of etiquette’, his having seen more than his share of infants being fed around his own home over the years caused the scene to barely register on his conscious mind.

Delenn and Lyta waited a full minute for Valeck to recover.

"I have never before heard of such an abomination," Valeck finally replied.

"I know. We must keep our race pure," Delenn replied her voice dripping sarcasm.

"What do you want from me?" He asked.

"I would like for you to invite me and Lyta to supper," replied Delenn. "You will find it most interesting."

Amused, Valeck replied, "1900 hours your time, day after tomorrow. We are having our annual clan gathering - bring your husband. I want to meet him." With that he bowed and closed the channel.

"Not the friendliest fellow in the galaxy, is he?" Asked Lyta.

"Don't let him fool you. He is not what he seems," replied Delenn.

Lyta looked at her, obviously awaiting an explanation. Delenn, instead of returning to her desk, went to sit on the couch on the other side of her office. Lyta followed and sat on the opposite end and faced her friend.

“Lyta, how much do you know about the Earth-Minbari War?" Asked Delenn.

"More than you can imagine. The Vorlons gave me more knowledge of events than I ever wanted. I know what got it started. I know about your part in starting and stopping it. I even know that you actually met John Sheridan at that time, even if you don't. What else did you have in mind?"

"Lyta, I never met John Sheridan before he became commanding officer of Babylon 5."

"I am sure you believe that, but I beg to differ." She explained about how Delenn had in fact spared Sheridan's and Franklin's lives.

Delenn was stunned. "I never knew that. They were totally unrecognizable and incoherent when I saw them."

"What else did you have in mind, Delenn?"

Delenn explained that Valeck was one of the four Grey Council members who had voted not to go to war with the Humans over Dukhat's death. He wanted to contact them and resolve it without conflict. He didn't see any glory in attacking a foe that had no real chance of winning. In fact, he quit the Grey Council over the issue, after the war started. It had not made him popular with his family and clan.

"He sounds a lot like Sheraun. He has an independent streak a kilometer wide. It's probably where all the conflict between them originates," observed Lyta.

"This dinner will give the family a chance to look you over. They aren't going to like you, but it will be a chance for them to see the real you. After all, they have never actually met a real Vorlon before, or a half one for that matter,” said Delenn, chuckling under her breath.

"Are you sure it's all right to let these people know about my make up? It could scare the hell out of them," stated Lyta.

"I don't know about scaring them, but it will give you a chance to earn their respect as a warrior," Delenn replied.

"I'm not a warrior, Delenn."

“I know, but after you beat their best, they will think you are. You were very impressive in the matches you showed me."

Lyta laughed and shifted Maya to her other breast. Maybe the dinner would be fun after all. She noted that there was almost nothing better than beating reality into someone like an arrogant warrior caste member.

Delenn walked Lyta to the door and invited G'Kar to the dinner. She explained to Sheraun that she didn't think he would be welcome.

"Old news, Entil'za Delenn, very old news," replied the Shai Alyt. "I’ll be returning to my ship and leaving to continue our scheduled patrol, after I help Lyta find a place to stay."

"She can stay with me Sheraun. I will help her find accommodations," offered Delenn.

"I think I will stay a little while, also," said G'Kar. "I have never studied Minbari customs, and this is as good a chance as any. Besides, Lyta and I have a great many more places to visit.”

"G'Kar, you can't be serious about Lyta going with you when you leave. Are you?" Asked Delenn. "She has a child to care for now."

Looking thoughtful, G'Kar responded, "We have been very complimentary travel companions and she is an excellent bodyguard."

"She may not be available when you’re ready to leave, G'Kar," observed Sheraun. G'Kar agreed that this might become so.

"Thank you for the offer, Delenn, but what will your husband say?" Asked Lyta.

"Nothing. Besides, I have a son, David - you haven't met him, yet."

Sheraun took his leave, and Lyta stepped away from the others to say farewell. Sheraun hugged Lyta and Maya and kissed both of them, then departed.

G'Kar said to Delenn, "I've heard of fire and ice, but this is fire and even more fire." Delenn looked at G'Kar oddly, then smiled.

It was late afternoon and Lyta had been settled into a small, but very nice apartment in the building that housed Delenn's and John's quarters. It was an annex of the ISA headquarters building. Delenn invited Lyta over the next evening to chat and meet her month-old son.

Having settled in and done her grocery shopping, Lyta dressed for her visit to meet David, knowing that a month old infant would never recall the fact. Lyta was impressed. David was a quiet child, alert and observant of everything going on around him.

Lyta always loved seeing the various art objects with which Delenn always decorated her quarters. She thought it odd to see a piece that didn't seem to match the mood of the rest of the objects.

"Delenn. Isn't that piece out of place amongst your other artworks?" Asked Lyta.

"It’s a gift from Londo for David when he reaches the age of majority," she replied.

For some reason Lyta didn't care for it. She approached the shelf it was sitting on, to examine it more closely. Even though the keeper was dormant, Lyta had detected the life signs of the Shadow object. "What did Londo tell you about this item?"

"Only that it was very old, and was handed down from one generation to the next. He said it contained holy water from one the rivers, that were held to be holy in ancient times," replied Delenn.

"I hate to tell you, but it doesn't contain water, holy or otherwise. It contains what we call a keeper. It’s one of those things Steven told you he found on Mars."

"What shall we do with it. I mean, how do we kill it?"

"We don't. I do. I can kill it without opening the container," replied Lyta.

Feeling the powerful telepathic presence, the keeper awakened, but it only had a moment's consciousness, before Lyta, using her telekinetic abilities, reduced it to dust.

"It’s dead, Delenn. When the container is opened you will find only a little pile of dust. Keep it intact and never let Londo know what we found, and how we dealt with it."

"It will be our secret. Thank you, Lyta. You may have saved my son," replied Delenn.

*******************************

It was the afternoon of the day of the dinner at Valeck's home. Delenn had arranged for a babysitter for Maya and David for later that evening. The lady was a telepath from Delenn's clan. She had arrived early so she could become acquainted with Lyta and Maya. Delenn had introduced her earlier as Nadini. Lyta had insisted on the babysitter being a telepath. She was afraid a normal might not be able to cope with her daughter. Maya was already using her abilities and she wasn't two weeks old yet. Admittedly, so far, it was limited to empathetically letting her know when she was hungry, wet or otherwise in need of attention, but even that could be unsettling for a normal.

Lyta looked at what few outfits she had and chose to wear a white blouse/blue pants outfit and a black braided shoulder cover. She let her hair down and brushed it out. Valeck wouldn't recognize her as the woman he had seen on the communication imager. She walked back out into the main room of the apartment. Nadini noted that it seemed very appropriate dress for a dinner party.

Delenn and John knocked on Lyta's door. Lyta opened the door and brought David in and gave him to Nadini. They bid Nadini good evening and joined John.

part 3
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