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lurkers-guide


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


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/breakfast.jpeg">

								The command staff arrives for breakfast to find Sheridan leaned up against

								the wall carrying on a conversation with himself.  Their attempts to engage

								him don't get through, but his occasional outbursts of laughter disturb

								their conversation.  Trying to form the non-aligned worlds into a union

								again is a daunting task, they agree, but one that must be done.


								<p>

								With an exultant shout, the Captain stands up and comes over to their

								table.  "There has got to be an easier way to do this!" he enthuses, with

								his characteristic "I've got an idea" gleam in his eye.  He orders Marcus

								to take three White Stars to a sector of Centauri border space and wait

								there for orders.


								<p>

								As he leaves in a hurry, Ivanova gets up and sniffs his empty coffee mug.

								"Just checking..." she remarks only half in jest.  Franklin laughs that

								this is after Delenn has only been gone three days.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/home.jpeg">

								There is no laughter for Delenn, however.  Lennier reports fighting in the

								capital, the opening salvo of civil war.  In the next days she passes

								time in a chamber watching scenes of the capital city in all its

								splendor, and she weeps to think of it in flames.  "Did I do this, when I

								broke the Grey Council?" she asks.  Valen predicted that she would, but

								since he was Sinclair, he could not have known what would pass after the

								breaking.  There is no prophecy to steer her course now.


								<p>

								What she does know is that the fighting must be stopped immediately, or

								they will all face a millenium of war.  And so she goes to rendezvous with

								the leaders of the religious caste.  She has also invited her old enemy

								Neroon of the warrior caste to meet her there.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/sherlondo.jpeg">

								Ambassador Mollari is baffled that the Captain is asking him to deny that

								the White Stars are patrolling the borders of Centauri space, especially

								since their presence there was for the sole purpose of inspiring the League

								worlds to allow White Stars on their own borders.  As Londo launches into a

								tirade about human psychology, Sheridan reaches out comfortingly and

								smiling broadly says, "Trust me."


								<p>

								Delenn strides purposefully on board the waiting Minbari war cruiser into

								palpable tension, as she finds  Neroon and a small party of warriors lined

								up opposite a welcoming party from the religious caste.  Apparently

								Neroon's presence aboard the religious caste vessel has been met with a

								hostility just shy of violence.  Delenn states that he is under her

								personal protection and demands to speak with him at once.  She stares his

								adjutants down until they make way for her passage.


								<p>

								Lennier turns toward the religious caste leaders, and as he passes by they

								hiss their anger at the honor with which she treats Neroon.  Loyal as

								ever, Lennier simply states that they must wait for Delenn to speak for

								herself.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/plan.jpeg">

								Alone with Neroon at last, Delenn asks for his help.  When he reminds her

								that the last time they met he intended to kill her to keep her from taking

								control of the Rangers, she states that despite their differences he has

								always acted honorably and to serve their people.  She explains that

								neither the warrior caste nor the religious caste can win the war because

								it will unbalance their society.


								<p>

								With a fragile trust they sit to discuss.  He argues that their "world gone

								mad" cannot be stopped easily, but she has a plan.  Even though it will expose

								them both to the mistrust of their respective castes, he offers her his

								temporary support.  Meanwhile, panicked civilians flee through the burning

								capital.


								<p>

								The Drazi Ambassador pounces on Sheridan in the Zocalo to ask about the

								White Stars which have been sighted on the borders of Centauri space.  At

								first amiably and then curtly the Captain refuses to comment, leaving the

								Drazi more frustrated than ever.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/shootrocks.jpeg">

								After standing by waiting with his three White Stars for the Captain's

								orders, Marcus is not pleased to hear that he's gone all that way to

								destroy asteroids.


								<p>

								"I see," he says, mystified.  "Shoot a bunch of rocks, and then leave."


								<p>

								Sheridan appears almost annoyed at being questioned, and tells Marcus to

								follow orders.  Ivanova tries to question him too, but he blithely agrees

								that it was an unusual command and departs to find Franklin.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/denial.jpeg">

								The Drazi Ambassador calls upon Londo for an explanation as well, but only

								meets with a categorical denial and a heap of insults thrown in for good

								measure.  He is now deeply worried and quickly huddles with the other

								League ambassadors in the corridor.  At that moment Franklin finds them and

								asks them each to ask their governments to send extra blood supplies for

								their species, just in case of an attack.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/poison.jpeg">

								The religious leaders are also busy trying to figure out what Delenn is up

								to.  She must intend to surrender, some say.  One of them even eavesdropped

								on her conversation with Neroon enough to hear her say that the religious

								caste should not win the war.  Another argues that killing someone so

								revered would split their caste deeply.  So the first replies that they

								must martyr themselves and the entire ship to prevent her from reaching

								homeworld.  They place a small time-release cask of toxic material in an

								air duct and prepare their hearts for death, unaware that Lennier has

								observed their scheming.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/story.jpeg">

								The Voice of the Resistance is about to begin broadcasting when Sheridan

								casually steps into the War Room.  Just as casually he asks Ivanova to

								report that nothing happened today in sector 83x9x12.  It won't be a lie,

								he argues, because it's true.  Keeping bewilderment just barely at bay, the

								Commander goes on the air the next moment with this announcement, and

								advises everyone to please remain calm.  This message and the intelligence

								that three White Stars engaged an apparently invisible enemy in an asteroid

								field drives the perturbed League ambassadors deeper into the arms of

								paranoia.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/minor.jpeg">

								Standing in contemplation in the cruiser's battle command center, Neroon is

								suddenly attacked by one of his retainers.  Delenn is furious.  After

								Neroon is taken away for care and the attacker thrown in the brig, she asks

								the religious leaders to watch over him because his caste believes he will

								surrender to her, and thus will do anything to stop him.  The religious

								caste members exchange a

								quick look, and one asks if they really don't intend to surrender.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/steady.jpeg">

								"Don't be foolish," she retorts, and explains again that neither side can

								surrender to the other or there will be chaos.  She shakes her head in

								dismay at the warrior caste who are so full of extremism that they would

								attack one of their own.  Her compatriots' remorse only grows as she says

								gratefully, "But you.  You are the steady rock beneath my feet."  They

								realize that it is now too late to prevent their own pointless suicide.


								<p>

								But they did not count on Lennier, who is able to reach the cask in time to

								shut off the valve just as the poison begins to escape.  "Have we fallen so

								far that we cannot even trust ourselves?" he asks them as he collapses from

								the effects of the fumes.


								<p>

								Neroon reports that Lennier is being tended by his personal physician, but until

								he recovers there is no explanation for how he was exposed to the toxin.

								When pressed, Delenn admits how deeply she cares for Lennier, that she is

								training him the way she was trained by Dukhat, and that she utterly relies

								on him.


								<p>

								Neroon tells Delenn that if their people are ever to understand why she

								treated him with honor, it will be because she taught them, and ruefully

								admits that he is finally coming to see why Dukhat chose her to succeed

								him. "I do not know what lies ahead, Delenn.  But I do know that it is

								right that we are here."


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/league.jpeg">

								The League ambassadors call a hasty council meeting.  When Sheridan

								arrives, they present him with their demands.  He must supply them with the

								same defense he is providing the Centauri.  He balks, but they insist.  He

								is only able to obtain the concession that they will give his ships the

								authority to intercept ships on their borders, and they will support his

								fleet in the event of a greater danger.  Then they dismiss him.  He is only

								able to contain his glee until he reaches the first lift.


								<p>

								Lennier regains consciousness only to tell Delenn that he smelled a leaking

								valve, but he denies the suggestion of warrior caste sabotage.  As soon as

								she leaves, the religious leaders cluster around to ask him why he didn't

								tell her the truth.  He explains that she lives in a world where everyone

								is better than they really are.  When they thank him, he replies angrily,

								"I did it for her; I did not do it for you."  Her faith in their goodness

								was more valuable to him than her knowledge of their weakness.  And so they

								depart, deeply chastened.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/079/betrayal.jpeg">

								The Voice of the Resistance announces the League's new border patrol

								initiative, and asks for news of the events on Minbar.  Meanwhile, Neroon

								leaves the war cruiser stealthily.  In his first message to his caste

								leader he announces with satisfaction that he possesses the religious

								caste's plans and victory is at hand.