lurkers-guide/synops/075

<h3>Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)</h3>

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/tailors.jpeg">
A very aggrieved Zack is being subjected to a Minbari fitting of his
new uniform.  His mocking of the ceremonial piping and general Minbari
fashion sense earns him a pointed reminder about looking gift horses in
the mouth.  Zack admits to Lennier that he's really upset about taking
the Chief's rightful place.  He insists that it's temporary though.

<p>
Greeting a Minbari delegation at the gate, Delenn requests one more day
to spend with Sheridan.  She promises to tell him where she is going,
but not why.  She is quite unsettled when the lead delegate suggests
that it would be more honest to tell the Captain that if the
<i>Dreaming</i> does not go well, she will not be permitted to return
to him.

<p>
Wearing her green Drazi leader's sash, Ivanova makes her way to a Drazi
religious party.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/wave.jpeg">
Dr. Franklin is fitting G'Kar with a new prosthetic eye.  G'Kar's
initial outrage when he realizes it's not his natural color dissipates
quickly when Franklin mentions that it will keep sending signals even
when it is removed from the socket.  G'Kar
instantly pops it out and waves at himself at arm's length.

<p>
On his way to Delenn's quarters, Sheridan passes a lift just as a
battered, bedraggled Commander Ivanova emerges supporting herself on a
cane.  "Don't - Even - Ask," she utters and hobbles painfully away.

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/goaway.jpeg">
Sheridan shakes his head, and enters Delenn's room.  She greets him
wearing a sleek and revealing gown.  He is pleased but baffled.  She
reminds him of the Minbari custom of women watching men sleep for three
nights to determine their true nature, and requests that this be their
third night because tomorrow she must leave.  He is happy to agree, but
it's clear from her indisposure that she isn't telling him everything.

<p>
He has to leave it unquestioned though and head off to a meeting with
Franklin and Marcus.  Fed up with President Clark's lies about the
station, Sheridan has decided to send them on a mission to Mars to begin
their retaliation.  Franklin offers to ask a few questions about the
Captain's missing father while they're there, but the Captain
declines.  It would only endanger the resistance.

<p>
Delenn caresses John's sleeping face in farewell and departs.  She
fails to notice Lennier waiting for her in the corridor.  "I have
pledged myself to your side,"  he reminds her.  She cannot leave him
behind.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/clan.jpeg">
And so Delenn returns to Minbar where she is brought before her clan.
The clan leader, Callenn, disapproves of her liaison with Sheridan.
Taking an offworlder as mate has been forbidden since Minbari first
contacted other races.  He claims that he seeks to only understand her
decision, not judge it hastily, and thus she must submit to the
<i>Dreaming</i> to discover the reasons for her actions and agree to
obey her clan's ruling on the subject.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/drink.jpeg">
Lennier volunteers as her second, to protect her in the
<i>Dreaming</i>.  They both take deep draughts from a ceremonial
chalice, then enter through a guarded door into a room filled with
mist.  Lennier recognizes from her actions that this is not the first
time Delenn has been in the <i>Dreaming</i>.  Once as an acolyte she was
second to Dukhat.  She begins to relive that time when she attended the
greatest of the Minbari and was terrified.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/dreaming.jpeg">
"There's nothing to fear in the <i>Dreaming</i>.  Only that which we
take with us," he told her.

<p>
Suddenly she was on a ship being attacked.  Dukhat, dead in her arms.
She screamed and screams, then and now.

<p>
Her eyes black with horror, Delenn is comforted by Lennier.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/mystery.jpeg">
She plunges back into the past again.  Delenn was curtly summoned by
Dukhat as he strode swiftly past her down a corridor.  Glancing
nervously at her fellow acolytes she followed him humbly into the Grey
Council Chambers.  As he stalked around the circle, he began to tell
her how the Grey Council had decided not to make contact with a
recently discovered species known as "Humans."  He called them silly
cowards, drew her into the middle of their circle and asked her what
she would do.  After stammering a little she replied, these humans are
a mystery presented by the Universe as a gift.

<p>
Dukhat crowed with delight.  This foolish young acolyte, he chided the
Council, carries the attribute of simple curiosity which you have
lost.

<p>
Since he had thus alienated her from every member of the Council, Dukhat
took charge over Delenn's education.  He instructed her to look him in
the eyes.  "I cannot have an aide who will not look up," he said.  "You
will be forever running into things."

<p>
Presiding over the Council years later, Dukhat watched Delenn become a
member.  As she uttered the sacred oath and held her hand up to the
triluminary, it suddenly glowed blue.  The other Council members were
visibly surprised and disturbed.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/newsatai.jpeg">
Later in her quarters, Dukhat congratulated Delenn again and began to
answer her question about the triluminary.  It was brought by Valen,
and one story was that Valen was from far in the future.  He had just
started explaining why he selected Delenn as his prot&eacute;g&eacute;
long ago when they were interrupted by a chiming.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/nomercy.jpeg">
From the Council chambers they noticed a fleet of unknown ships
approaching.  Delenn recognized them as humans.  Suddenly they noticed
with horror that circling the scene was a group of Soul Hunter ships.  Dukhat
ordered the gun ports closed on their ship, but the Earth ships opened
fire and in the battle Dukhat was struck down.  With the Council divided
between taking revenge or taking stock, it was Delenn who cast the
determining vote to pursue the humans without mercy.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/mad.jpeg">
The war became a holy war, relentless and
all-consuming.  Even though she regretted her moment of rage soon, it
was too late.

<p>
Lennier tells Delenn that her relationship with Sheridan shows that she
is still seeking absolution for her guilt in the death of so many
humans.  She asks him crossly, whether he truly believes that.  No, but
this is what the clan will say when we tell them what the
<i>Dreaming</i> has shown, he replies.  Callenn summons them forth
telling them to rest until the morrow, when they will tell what they
have seen and a judgment will be reached.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/reenter.jpeg">
Delenn is distraught.  Trying to sleep, she watches Dukhat die in her
arms again and again, and for the first time notices his lips move, but
she can't make out what he is saying.  She decides to go back into the
<i>Dreaming</i> again.  The clan leader tries to prevent her, but it's
too late.  She and Lennier have already imbibed the potion.  Handing
him the vessel she demands that he follow her in this time, so he can
understand.  Callenn is apprehensive, but she comforts him with Dukhat's
own words to her long ago.  "There is nothing to fear in the
<i>Dreaming</i>.  Only that which we bring with us."

<p>
The Earth ships were attacking.  Pandemonium and destruction in the
corridors, and Dukhat was lying in her arms.

<p>
"Listen!"  Delenn commands Callenn and Lennier.

<p>
Blood dripping from his mouth, Dukhat struggled to say, "There was a
purpose in my selection of you.  Your heritage.  You are a child of
Valen."

<p>
Hours later, Lennier appears with an ancient scroll he has sneaked from
the Council archives which Delenn says proves her case.  Lennier is
still confused, though.  Delenn explains that since Valen was really
Jeffrey Sinclair, human and Minbari DNA have already merged.  She
herself is one of his descendants, which explains why the triluminary
glowed for her.  There is no purity in the Minbari race that can be
saved by her casting aside her alliance with Sheridan, she argues.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/plead.jpeg">
Callenn begs her not to make this public, because it will disturb the
society deeply, and suggests a compromise.  He will tell the clan that
she is fulfilling an ancient custom from the warring days of Minbar
when the victor would offer a daughter as a bride to the loser, as a
symbol of life.

<p>
Sheridan greets Delenn as she docks.  She tells him nothing except that
everything is fine now, and inquires after Marcus and Franklin.

<p>
A transport lumbers along through natural space.  Locked away deep in
its belly, a singing Marcus is methodically driving Franklin insane.