Delenn walked into her quarters awaiting her appointed time to speak with the leader of the Rangers. It was odd that it was a human, even if it was a close friend. In truth she did understand, at least in some small part, the problem the warriors had in acknowledging Sinclair as Entil'zha, a post once held by Valen himself.
The monitor beeped and Jeffrey's face appeared on the screen. "Greetings Delenn," his calm gentle voice spoke and her fears evaporated. Here was the chosen of Valen. She smiled up at him the same smile she used to give Dukhat. She could feel the gentle strength radiating across the light years. "In Valen's name greetings Entil'Zha." She spoke warmly, not for the first time, as if in some way she was indeed speaking to the ancient Minbari leader.
"Delenn I have a couple of favors to ask of you old friend."
The War Council sat around the War Room waiting for the diminutive Minbari Ambassador to tell them the reasons for having called the meeting.
"I think all of you have heard of Earth's colony called Jim town," she said slowly to let them get the full meaning of her words. "They have an emissary on his way here to open negotiations with this alliance to join in our battle against the Shadows and the Earth Gov."
John Sheridan was quiet, as was his style, thinking about what she had said before he said anything.
"But why would Earth Gov's pet assassins guild change sides in the middle of a war?" Garibaldi spoke up, voicing the thoughts of all in the room.
"And a war in which they are winning right now." Susan was as shocked as the rest. She looked around the room at the faces she knew so well; Talia, her lover; Marcus who had slipped into the role of one of her most trusted friends.
Marcus knew already. The look in his eyes gave him away.
But it was Talia that answered. "Protection from Psi Corps."
"That has to be a rumor. There is no way Psi Corps would let that many rogues live outside their jurisdiction." Garibaldi, ever the skeptic, pointed out. "There are supposed to be thousands of them. Think about it, no way is Bester going to allow that."
Talia waited patiently for him to finish. "As a child growing up in Psi Corps we were told horror stories about the Colonists. They came in the night and stole little telepaths that didn't work hard enough, but they were protected from Psi Corps, at least until Santiago died. My guess is that part of Psi Corps price for their help was freedom to 'recruit' colonists."
"Marcus, what do you know about this?" Susan asked, irritated at the Ranger for with holding information.
"Yes Marcus, you have worked more closely with these people than the rest of us," Delenn asked.
The eyes of the room settled on Marcus as he began to loosen up under their gazes. "Well I have only met a few of them, but from I have seen only the women are telepaths, though the men seem to have shields that are almost impenetrable. From what I can gather they are currently gathering within the Rangers for the same reason they were soldiers for Earth Gov, to get protection from Psi Corps. All of them can't join though, there are too many and some are no longer young enough to pass the physical." He paused for a minute looking around him. "Are they loyal? Yes. Also they are an agrarian colony and we could use the food."
"I doubt anyone here would argue that," Sheridan finally spoke. "I have served with a few of them and the ones I have met seem to be good people."
Garibaldi kept silent, planning to verify this as best he could with his own sources. If they were what they said they were all well and good, but if not someone had to watch the road for pot holes. Other than himself, Susan was the only one there that wasn't a damn optimist.
"When is the Emissary arriving?" John asked, smiling like a school boy. It was childish, but he remembered that the colony grew a very close approximation of an Earth orange.
"That is not all," Delenn added quietly. "We have been asked to help the Rangers rescue one of their own Derrick Newton, to help him escape Syria Plainum." The room erupted for many different reasons.
"That bloody stupid bastard," Marcus almost yelled. "We just got him out of there. The Rangers who helped him last time barely escaped with their lives."
"You people broke someone out of Syria Plainum?" Garibaldi's voice was filled with a new found respect.
"It isn't that hard to break someone out of a prison," Marcus said, as he stood and began to pace the room. "Besides what sane person attacks a Psi Corps base again?"
"They have his wife Marcus, we sometimes lose all reason when love guides us," Delenn spoke softly to the Ranger.
"Yes, but you would think he could at least wait until the commotion from the last time has died down. When will his sisters arrive?" Marcus didn't want to admit that he understood how Derrick felt, he pointedly kept his gaze away from Susan. "What is love? Some strange disease that makes us loose all sense of reason, all sanity?"
"I'll remind you of that someday," Talia said, her smile was on the inside. It was funny, if not for Susan she would be after Marcus like a cat after a rat, but if not for her Marcus would be after Susan the same way. To Susan one was her best friend, and the other was her lover. Did she, would she, ever know how much they both loved her? "Captain I would like to volunteer for this mission," Talia added. Whatever else he might be Marcus had become one of her own closest friends.
"Derrick's sisters will not be joining you until you get back," Delenn said as she straightened her robes. "Their faces are too well known on Mars. You will be joined by Rangers Graves and Mullenders.
Susan didn't say anything, but it was obvious to all who knew her she didn't like it.
"Are these women colonists." Susan asked trying to convince Talia not to go.
"Yes a pair of P12s." Marcus replied as usual way ahead of Susan. He would feel a lot better if he didn't have to babysit Talia. His thoughts however were a little to strong. Talia's eyes narrowed as she turned to face him. Marcus realised his error quickly. "Talia we already have two telepaths, both are combat trained and battle tested. Your first combat mission really shouldn't be one like this that in all likelihood at least some of us want make it back."
"Marcus are there any combat mission where you don't take a chance of dying? If I were Susan would object?" Talia was offended that she could feel so much disapproval in the room. Not just from Susan and Marcus either it seemed as if they were all dead set against the idea.
"Talia," Garibaldi said covering quickly for his friend. "Susan has had combat training." He paused for a second thinking carefully of what to say. "Talia how many times have you had to kill someone?"
Talia stared as if she didn't know how to answer him. "I have had to defend myself." She looked around the room. "I am not some innocent, psi corps trained me to defend myself."
Sheridan ever the diplomat asked, "Are you going to be using a combat shuttle," He waited for Marcus's confirming nod, then added. "Then you need someone on board to keep guard."
Susan and Marcus looked at each other and then just nodded.
As they left the room Susan pulled Marcus to the side. "Marcus keep her alive, please."