A Dark, Distorted Mirror. Volume 4. A Future, Born in Pain

somewhere, but I cannot find it.' He hefted his pike. 'Well.... I suppose it is too late to do anything about it now. There is only battle left, and duty.'

Tirivail smiled, and her smile lit up the room. 'There is only ever battle and duty,' she said. 'We are warriors. We fight, and we die.'

And Babylon 4 came closer. Anla'Verenn–veni. The Place of Restored Dreams.

* * *

There was an old saying among tacticians and strategists of the Centauri, one they usually quoted with despair and considerable annoyance. 'Any battle plan lasts only as long as it takes for the first soldier to move.'

This was held to be a general truth about the futility of in–depth planning, and over the centuries a number of great military thinkers and leaders had tried to find ways around it. Strategists hated the idea of not being able to direct the entire course of the battle. The whole thing became too.... untidy and awkward and difficult.

Lord–General Marrago was held to be the foremost military tactician of his day. It had in fact been one of his distant ancestors who had first coined the saying. He disliked the truth of it as well, but for a very different reason.

He knew his soldiers. He knew their names, their families, the names of their children. He also knew the pointlessness of most wars. He fought them anyway, because he had a duty to the Republic, but what he wanted most, what all soldiers wanted most.... was to sit and rest, to eat fine food, to drink fine wine, and to be at peace.

With that aim in mind, he planned and fought every battle.

Tolonius 7 was an old world, one of the central colony worlds of the Republic. It was a sizeable and well– populated planet, the centre of several vital trade routes and an industrial base. The Narns had known all this when they had taken it in a bloody ground war.

If they had operated according to their usual tactics, the nobles captured would have been put to death, the land strip–mined, and its resources and minerals exported. The Centauri people there would be little more than slaves.

Of course, had the Centauri taken a Narn world, there would have been little difference. That was why Marrago did not hate his enemy. All in all, both races were the same. The Centarum and the Kha'Ri, the Lord– General and the Warleader, Centauri soldiers of the Republic and Narn warriors of vengeance.

Marrago did not hate the Narns, but Tolonius 7 was a world of the Republic, its people were children of the Republic, and he had sworn to serve his Emperor to the best of his abilities.

He sat back in his chair in the war room of the flagship, the Aubec. He was alone, save for the two guards at the door. From here he would be able to direct the whole course of the battle, without ever becoming involved in it. He would have liked to fight in it himself, but the fleet could be led admirably by Captain Mollari and his Valerius. Despite his age, Carn had more combat experience than most generals.

Marrago shifted his gaze to a drawer just in front of him. In there, hidden from view, was the black orb the Shadow emissary had given him. He had wanted to destroy it, but his soldier's brain had told him clearly not to destroy anything which might later become an asset. He prayed he would never have to use it.

He sat forward to study the schematics of his fleet. This would be a difficult engagement, but it could be won. He was sure of it.

He directed the first wave of ships to leave hyperspace and begin the assault.

* * *

'I see,' said Corwin softly, after the Captain had finished speaking. 'May I know the.... reasoning behind this change of plans?'

'Information has reached me from allies on Proxima,' Sheridan said. 'They will be willing to provide assistance in removing the Shadows and their influence, but only if we act quickly. They fear discovery.'

'Who are these allies?'

'I can't tell you that.'

'Are they trustworthy?'

'Yes.'

'You're sure of this?'

'I told you, yes! I realise you had a free run while I was.... ill.... but you can't have fallen into the habit of questioning orders from superior officers! Now I have given you your orders. You are to obey them!'

Corwin took a step back, but then he straightened. 'I will obey them.... but first, a warning. We do not have the time to prepare for a full assault on Proxima, not on the timetable you have given us. Least of all if we are to continue attacking listening posts and stations in the Vega system to draw away the Shadows.'

'That will no longer be necessary. We are to recall the entire Dark Star fleet, save only those ships necessary to safeguard Kazomi Seven itself. Any other support vessels the Council can provide us with will be welcome as well. We are to make directly for Proxima, with no side tracks or detours.'

'What? Captain.... they'll know we're coming. We'll trigger all sorts of early warning systems, the listening posts will pick us up from light years out. You know what the defences are like around Proxima. Hell, you put most of them up yourself! We'll have to get through minefields, the defence grid, the entire Earthforce fleet.... not to mention the Shadows.'

'None of these will be a problem, not if we are at Proxima on time. You have your orders, Captain. See to it they are followed.'

'Yes, sir!' Corwin snapped, turning on his heel and walking away. Sheridan turned back to his reports, not even watching him leave.

* * *

'We shouldn't be here.'

Talia sighed softly, knowing her companion had not even heard her. She leaned back against the wall, holding the data crystal up to the light and watching it sparkle. Everything she had come here to discover was on there, everything Byron had.... died (maybe?) to recover.

She hadn't examined the information in full - that would take far too long - but she had studied it enough to be sure it was what Welles had claimed it to be. She'd have time to study it fully when she met up with Al. If Sanctuary was no longer safe, then she would have to head elsewhere. She knew the beacon frequencies of the secret Psi Corps mother ships, as well as numerous other hidden bases. She could find him.

So why was she still here?

Byron? It was possible he was dead, or if he wasn't, then he had become part of whatever it was IPX were doing to the telepaths they had captured. From time to time, in her dreams, she had heard what she thought was his voice, mingled in with a cacophony of others. There was nothing she could do for him now, and her first priority was the good of the Corps, to get this information back to Al.

No, she was very much afraid the reason she was staying was sitting in front of her, looking at the sleeping figure on the bed. He was even holding her hand.

Talia reached down and touched Dexter's shoulder. He turned, and she saw the lack of sleep in his eyes. He must have been here ever since they had got to this place. Over a day now.

'We shouldn't be here,' she said. 'We have what we did this for. Let's go.'

'Go? Go where?'

'Off Proxima. There are.... places we can go, places where we'll be safe.'

'I can't leave her.'

'What is she to you? She's the enemy, in case you've forgotten that! We have what we came for, so let's go. Al can.... use someone like you. You're one of us, remember? Besides, I've.... got used to having you around.'

'I can't go. I have to stay with her, at least until she wakes up. Besides.... Welles promised to clean up Sector Three–o–one. I have to make sure he keeps his promise.'

'For God's sake, Dexter! This is a pointless battle. There is a war going on all around us, a war that's set to tear this whole planet apart. She's at the centre of it all. No one cares about Sector Three–o–one. It doesn't matter. It's not important.'

'If you don't win the little battles, how can you win the big ones?'

She sighed, and shook her head. 'I'll be leaving tonight. I can smuggle myself aboard a ship, get off–world,