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210 lines
9.1 KiB
210 lines
9.1 KiB
<h3>Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)</h3>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/tailors.jpeg">
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A very aggrieved Zack is being subjected to a Minbari fitting of his
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new uniform. His mocking of the ceremonial piping and general Minbari
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fashion sense earns him a pointed reminder about looking gift horses in
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the mouth. Zack admits to Lennier that he's really upset about taking
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the Chief's rightful place. He insists that it's temporary though.
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<p>
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Greeting a Minbari delegation at the gate, Delenn requests one more day
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to spend with Sheridan. She promises to tell him where she is going,
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but not why. She is quite unsettled when the lead delegate suggests
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that it would be more honest to tell the Captain that if the
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<i>Dreaming</i> does not go well, she will not be permitted to return
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to him.
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<p>
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Wearing her green Drazi leader's sash, Ivanova makes her way to a Drazi
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religious party.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/wave.jpeg">
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Dr. Franklin is fitting G'Kar with a new prosthetic eye. G'Kar's
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initial outrage when he realizes it's not his natural color dissipates
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quickly when Franklin mentions that it will keep sending signals even
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when it is removed from the socket. G'Kar
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instantly pops it out and waves at himself at arm's length.
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<p>
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On his way to Delenn's quarters, Sheridan passes a lift just as a
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battered, bedraggled Commander Ivanova emerges supporting herself on a
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cane. "Don't - Even - Ask," she utters and hobbles painfully away.
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/goaway.jpeg">
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Sheridan shakes his head, and enters Delenn's room. She greets him
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wearing a sleek and revealing gown. He is pleased but baffled. She
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reminds him of the Minbari custom of women watching men sleep for three
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nights to determine their true nature, and requests that this be their
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third night because tomorrow she must leave. He is happy to agree, but
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it's clear from her indisposure that she isn't telling him everything.
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<p>
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He has to leave it unquestioned though and head off to a meeting with
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Franklin and Marcus. Fed up with President Clark's lies about the
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station, Sheridan has decided to send them on a mission to Mars to begin
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their retaliation. Franklin offers to ask a few questions about the
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Captain's missing father while they're there, but the Captain
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declines. It would only endanger the resistance.
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<p>
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Delenn caresses John's sleeping face in farewell and departs. She
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fails to notice Lennier waiting for her in the corridor. "I have
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pledged myself to your side," he reminds her. She cannot leave him
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behind.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/clan.jpeg">
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And so Delenn returns to Minbar where she is brought before her clan.
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The clan leader, Callenn, disapproves of her liaison with Sheridan.
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Taking an offworlder as mate has been forbidden since Minbari first
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contacted other races. He claims that he seeks to only understand her
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decision, not judge it hastily, and thus she must submit to the
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<i>Dreaming</i> to discover the reasons for her actions and agree to
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obey her clan's ruling on the subject.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/drink.jpeg">
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Lennier volunteers as her second, to protect her in the
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<i>Dreaming</i>. They both take deep draughts from a ceremonial
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chalice, then enter through a guarded door into a room filled with
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mist. Lennier recognizes from her actions that this is not the first
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time Delenn has been in the <i>Dreaming</i>. Once as an acolyte she was
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second to Dukhat. She begins to relive that time when she attended the
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greatest of the Minbari and was terrified.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/dreaming.jpeg">
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"There's nothing to fear in the <i>Dreaming</i>. Only that which we
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take with us," he told her.
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<p>
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Suddenly she was on a ship being attacked. Dukhat, dead in her arms.
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She screamed and screams, then and now.
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<p>
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Her eyes black with horror, Delenn is comforted by Lennier.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/mystery.jpeg">
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She plunges back into the past again. Delenn was curtly summoned by
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Dukhat as he strode swiftly past her down a corridor. Glancing
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nervously at her fellow acolytes she followed him humbly into the Grey
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Council Chambers. As he stalked around the circle, he began to tell
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her how the Grey Council had decided not to make contact with a
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recently discovered species known as "Humans." He called them silly
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cowards, drew her into the middle of their circle and asked her what
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she would do. After stammering a little she replied, these humans are
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a mystery presented by the Universe as a gift.
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<p>
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Dukhat crowed with delight. This foolish young acolyte, he chided the
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Council, carries the attribute of simple curiosity which you have
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lost.
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<p>
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Since he had thus alienated her from every member of the Council, Dukhat
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took charge over Delenn's education. He instructed her to look him in
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the eyes. "I cannot have an aide who will not look up," he said. "You
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will be forever running into things."
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<p>
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Presiding over the Council years later, Dukhat watched Delenn become a
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member. As she uttered the sacred oath and held her hand up to the
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triluminary, it suddenly glowed blue. The other Council members were
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visibly surprised and disturbed.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/newsatai.jpeg">
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Later in her quarters, Dukhat congratulated Delenn again and began to
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answer her question about the triluminary. It was brought by Valen,
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and one story was that Valen was from far in the future. He had just
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started explaining why he selected Delenn as his protégé
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long ago when they were interrupted by a chiming.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/nomercy.jpeg">
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From the Council chambers they noticed a fleet of unknown ships
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approaching. Delenn recognized them as humans. Suddenly they noticed
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with horror that circling the scene was a group of Soul Hunter ships. Dukhat
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ordered the gun ports closed on their ship, but the Earth ships opened
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fire and in the battle Dukhat was struck down. With the Council divided
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between taking revenge or taking stock, it was Delenn who cast the
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determining vote to pursue the humans without mercy.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/mad.jpeg">
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The war became a holy war, relentless and
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all-consuming. Even though she regretted her moment of rage soon, it
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was too late.
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<p>
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Lennier tells Delenn that her relationship with Sheridan shows that she
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is still seeking absolution for her guilt in the death of so many
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humans. She asks him crossly, whether he truly believes that. No, but
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this is what the clan will say when we tell them what the
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<i>Dreaming</i> has shown, he replies. Callenn summons them forth
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telling them to rest until the morrow, when they will tell what they
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have seen and a judgment will be reached.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/reenter.jpeg">
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Delenn is distraught. Trying to sleep, she watches Dukhat die in her
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arms again and again, and for the first time notices his lips move, but
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she can't make out what he is saying. She decides to go back into the
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<i>Dreaming</i> again. The clan leader tries to prevent her, but it's
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too late. She and Lennier have already imbibed the potion. Handing
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him the vessel she demands that he follow her in this time, so he can
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understand. Callenn is apprehensive, but she comforts him with Dukhat's
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own words to her long ago. "There is nothing to fear in the
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<i>Dreaming</i>. Only that which we bring with us."
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<p>
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The Earth ships were attacking. Pandemonium and destruction in the
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corridors, and Dukhat was lying in her arms.
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<p>
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"Listen!" Delenn commands Callenn and Lennier.
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<p>
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Blood dripping from his mouth, Dukhat struggled to say, "There was a
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purpose in my selection of you. Your heritage. You are a child of
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Valen."
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<p>
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Hours later, Lennier appears with an ancient scroll he has sneaked from
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the Council archives which Delenn says proves her case. Lennier is
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still confused, though. Delenn explains that since Valen was really
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Jeffrey Sinclair, human and Minbari DNA have already merged. She
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herself is one of his descendants, which explains why the triluminary
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glowed for her. There is no purity in the Minbari race that can be
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saved by her casting aside her alliance with Sheridan, she argues.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/075/plead.jpeg">
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Callenn begs her not to make this public, because it will disturb the
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society deeply, and suggests a compromise. He will tell the clan that
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she is fulfilling an ancient custom from the warring days of Minbar
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when the victor would offer a daughter as a bride to the loser, as a
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symbol of life.
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<p>
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Sheridan greets Delenn as she docks. She tells him nothing except that
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everything is fine now, and inquires after Marcus and Franklin.
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<p>
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A transport lumbers along through natural space. Locked away deep in
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its belly, a singing Marcus is methodically driving Franklin insane.
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