find out what it is. What exactly is going on?'
There was the sudden sound of klaxons, and he looked up. He could almost see the Alliance ships coming into view, all those miles above. He could almost feel his son on board one of them.
Time was short....
G'Kael had never been a particularly religious man. He had always been concerned with practicality over theory, and had seldom bothered with prayer. More recently, however, he was finding faith a suitable and interesting thing to have. It helped greatly when it came to looking at the future.
And the present.
He looked at the woman who was, in name at least, his attach? here on Kazomi 7. Na'Toth had been in the inner circle of the Kha'Ri, only to be deposed in a particularly machiavellian power game. Now she was here, out of the way, in a powerless and humiliating position. Or so her enemies thought. She, G'Kael and G'Kar all knew better.
'The Kha'Ri is not happy,' G'Kael noted.
'No,' said Na'Toth. 'I would guess not. I suppose the evidence is actually reliable?'
'It certainly seems so,' G'Kael replied. 'I have not actually spoken with the captain who recorded it, but the Kha'Ri seem convinced that it is genuine. Of course, that does not mean a great deal.'
'And if it is true, what then?'
'I have instructions from Councillor H'Klo. He wants the Alliance to intervene on our behalf in the war with the Centauri. His exact words were, 'This is no longer a private matter. Our war is now their war.''
'Will the Council see it that way?'
'It is possible. Captain Sheridan did after all order us out of the Council until we chose to involve ourselves in their war. This way,
'When he arrives.'
'He is a busy man. The affairs of his position here weigh heavily upon him. Also, there is the matter of the war with the humans to contend with. However, Councillor H'Klo instructed me to bring this matter before the Alliance Council as soon as possible, no matter how busy they are.'
'Councillor H'Klo will just have to wait.' snapped Na'Toth. He had been among the foremost of those who had stripped her of her position in the inner circle.
A few minutes later the door opened and in walked the Ha'Cormar'ah. G'Kar, head of the Rangers, prophet and leader, both of warriors and of the faithful.
'There is something you should see, Ha'Cormar'ah,' said G'Kael softly.
G'Kar watched the video footage in silence. His face was grim. It would be hard, G'Kael knew, for him to watch scenes of Narn soldiers and Narn ships being destroyed. Even harder to watch this happen at the hands of the Shadows, seemingly allied with the Centauri, who were led by G'Kar's oldest friend.
'Is that genuine?' G'Kar asked, when it was finished.
'It seems so,' replied G'Kael. 'Our preliminary tests have not been able to determine any obvious flaws in the recording. It will be examined in more detail, of course.'
'Londo would never ally himself with the Shadows,' G'Kar said angrily. 'He has been fighting them almost as long as I have. He was one of the first to join my mission.'
'That was our thought,' said Na'Toth. 'But are you sure he would not do that? Not even for the good of his people?'
'No, he would not. He was here, remember. He was here when the Drakh invaded Kazomi Seven. He has seen the chaos the Shadows cause. He would not make such an alliance, no matter what the ultimate aim. This is a trick of some kind.'
'Whatever it is,' G'Kael said, 'my instructions are to take this piece of footage before the Council and demand that the Centauri embassy here be refused recognition, their provisional ambassador exiled, and our embassy restored to its rightful status. I am also to request that the Alliance join our war against the Centauri.'
'Londo would never give his people over to the Shadows,' said G'Kar thoughtfully. 'This is a trick, I am sure of it. By the Shadows or....'
He hesitated, and G'Kael caught the belief he could not give voice to. The position of Narn Ambassador here had been denied recognition by the Council and G'Kael himself dismissed from war meetings, until, as Sheridan had put it, the Narns chose where their allegiance lay. That position would be reinstated if the Narns committed themselves to war with the Shadows. The Kha'Ri had been furious to hear this.
But now, mere weeks later, by a stunning coincidence, 'evidence' had appeared of a Centauri deal with the Shadows. G'Kar would not like to think that the Kha'Ri had manufactured such evidence, but it was a possibility that could not be far from his mind. Both G'Kael and Na'Toth had considered that, although not aloud.
'A trick,' G'Kael said at last. 'But we cannot prove that, and I have no time to do it. My first duty, Ha'Cormar'ah, is to my people, as you know.'
'Yes, I know. Very well, G'Kael. Approach the Council. I will try to.... dissuade them from committing to war with the Centauri. We do not have the resources to fight such a war yet anyway, not while we still fight the humans. But I fear we can only buy a little time.
'The Shadows have done this to force precisely this sort of action, G'Kael. We must do what we can to ensure their success is limited.'
Time was short.
Ambassador Sheridan moved as fast as he could, rifling through the papers on Clark's desk, desperately trying to get into the files. Nothing was any help. The computer console had been purged from within, all the files destroyed. All the papers had been shredded, except one.
It was a simple white page, with two words written in Clark's scribbled hand.
Scorched Earth.
The words filled Sheridan with fear. What was Clark going to do here? Where had that secret passage taken him? This whole building was filled with emergency escape tunnels - he could have gone anywhere.
And he had sent away his secretary and all the Security from this part of the building. It would take time to recall them. Everything would take time, time he did not have.
The Shadow was by the window. It seemed to be staring up into the sky.
Fortunately there was one person who could help, if he got here fast enough. If he wanted to help.
The door chimed, and Sheridan looked up. At last! 'Come in!' he barked. The door opened, and in walked two security guards. Between them walked Welles. His face was covered in bruises and he limped slightly, but his eyes were as aware and as alert as always.
'You may leave,' Sheridan told the security guards.
'We apologise, sir,' said one of them. 'We are not to leave this one alone anywhere other than in his cell. Direct orders from the President himself, sir. That may only be countermanded by his own word.'
'The President is.... indisposed at present. You have my instructions to leave.'
'That is impossible, sir.'
Sheridan sighed. They did not have time for this. Fortunately another realised this as well, and was more than capable of taking action.
The Shadow moved with a speed neither guard could anticipate. Space folded around it as it shimmered into invisibility. There was a blur of movement, a spray of blood and an anguished cry, and moments later both guards were dead.
'You didn't have to do that,' Welles said softly.
'Yes, I did,' said Sheridan. 'We don't have time. None of us has any time at all.'
'What's happened here?' Welles' cool gaze took in the bloodstains on the wall, the pile of shredded paper and the broken body of the dead Shadow.
'This,' Sheridan said, thrusting the piece of paper into Welles' hand. He took it awkwardly in broken fingers. 'Clark's planning something. Clark and the Vorlons. They're controlling him, and they're up to.... I don't know what, but it is going to be very bad. He's vanished through one of his secret passages. He's gone somewhere.
