Chapter 2

THE grey-clad Security man known only as Mr. Welles waited patiently in the corridor. Welles was always patient, and thorough, two of the reasons why he had come so far, why he had survived the horror that had engulfed Earth, why he was so valuable to the Resistance Government here on Proxima 3, and why he had been given the task of breaking this particular prisoner.
General Hague had warned him that this would not be easy. The prisoner was.... stubborn, to say the least, possessed of an astonishing core of inner strength and an almost tangible willpower and force of personality. The fire and knowledge in her eyes frightened even him. From the first moment he had seen her, Welles had leapt at the chance for this interrogation. He had nearly fallen to his knees and thanked the God he had stopped believing in. Here, at last was his chance to serve his people.
General Hague had warned him that this would not be easy, but even so, Welles was surprised by his lack of success. For over six days the questioning had continued. The prisoner had been denied food, water and sleep. On three separate occasions Lyta Alexander had entered the her, only to emerge with vague images, unclear thoughts and a fatigue that lasted for days.
Mr. Welles could wait. Mr. Welles was patient. But Mr. Welles was also practical, and he knew when to hurry an interrogation along - when to wait, and when to push, when to sit in silence, and when to speak.
The two men he had been waiting for were coming into view, and he took time to study them. Boggs was a former Gropo, insignificant and unimportant, one of millions, at least until he had become trapped behind enemy lines during the assault on Io. He had survived on an occupied moon for months, with little food or water, but he had endured and been rescued, with a long scar, a knowledge of the Minbari language and physiology, and a deep-rooted hatred. Cutter was another story entirely. Born to rich military parents, the old man's connections had swung him into Earthforce and up the ranks. Those connections had ended with Earth, but Cutter still tried to maintain his claimed superiority. Of average competence and dubious political leanings, he was not especially valuable, but he had two redeeming characteristics: he obeyed orders and he trusted Welles. Both were security guards under Welles' direct supervision and he now needed their help.
"You wanted to see us, Chief?" Boggs said.
"How much do you know about the prisoner I'm questioning?" Welles asked.
"Everything we need to know," Cutter replied. "There was a near-riot a few days ago. People wanted to drag her out under the Dome and stone her to death, of all things. We sorted the matter out."
"Really? I hadn't heard about that," Welles said, annoyed with himself for becoming too engrossed in this case. "Does everyone know she's here?"
"Pretty much, yes," Cutter said. "It leaked somehow."
"Really? Oh, well. Our prisoner is proving remarkably unco-operative. If force of will could be bottled, she'd have enough to open a plant. Not even telepathic scans are having much effect, which is where you come in. I want you to hurt her. Nothing permanent, nothing serious and nothing where it will show. Just enough to throw off her equilibrium. With any luck, hunger, thirst and loss of sleep will do the rest." Welles looked at them slowly. "Gentlemen, can you control yourselves? I can't let you kill her. She has far too much information that we need. If you don't think you can control yourselves, just let me know, and I'll get someone else to do it. I won't think any the less of you if you can't do this. I don't think I could control myself either."
"She's a Minbari," Boggs said slowly. "We owe her all the hurt in the bloody galaxy."
"I know," Welles replied. "I know."
"But you're the Chief," Boggs finished. "You say nothing permanent or serious, then fine. Nothing permanent or serious."
"Good, thank you. She's in there." Welles banged on the door and the security guard who had been keeping an eye on the prisoner opened it. Welles, Boggs and Cutter stepped in. Satai Delenn of the Grey Council looked up.
"I have been expecting you," she said softly.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Sheridan cursed every last Narn to the fires of purgatory for what seemed the hundredth time since he had arrived on this desolate rock they called their homeworld. And then he looked out of the window and repented his silent curse. The Narns had also known what it was like to lose everything they held dear. For over a hundred years the Centauri had dominated their people, and now each and every Narn was consumed with a fury for revenge, for retribution and for blood that not even a recent five-year war could diminish. How different were they from Sheridan himself?
Fine, so he understood them, but did they have to be so bloody slow about everything? He had been waiting here for three days since his arrival on the Narn homeworld, to report personally on the destruction of the Vega 7 colony to the Kha'Ri - and not at all to find out which one of those reptilian bastards had sold him out to the Minbari. Oh no, not at all.
For three days they had been debating and arguing about his report. What was there to argue about? Vega 7 was neither important nor valuable, but it still housed a lot of humans and Narns. And then the Minbari had swept in, and massacred everyone there. Marcus Cole was the only surviving inhabitant, and Sheridan hoped his evidence would convince the Kha'Ri. Assuming either of them ever got to see them.
His link bleeped and he activated it sullenly. "Yes?"
"Captain?" It was Corwin. "Daily report for you, sir."
Sheridan groaned softly, then hoped Corwin hadn't picked up the noise. Was it that time of day already? Was he going to be stuck here forever? "Proceed, Mr. Cor...." His communications console suddenly bleeped, and he turned to it. "Excuse me, David. On."
The face of a Narn appeared on the screen. It was Councillor Na'Toth. "Captain, the Kha'Ri will see you now, in their personal hall."
"About bloody time," he muttered under his breath. "Will you want to see Marcus as well?"
"Who? Oh yes, the.... witness you mentioned in your report. That will not be necessary, Captain. Please be prompt. We are very busy, after all." The viewscreen went blank again.
"I'll bet you are," Sheridan said. He touched his link again. "Sorry, David. The Kha'Ri have finally woken up and they want to see me. The report will have to wait, I'm afraid." He switched off his link without giving David a chance to reply, and opened the door. The sooner he could see the Kha'Ri, the sooner he would be off this barren rock.
Unsurprisingly, Marcus was there waiting for him. Sheridan glared at him. "I thought we agreed you weren't going to do that." Sheridan didn't need a bodyguard, least of all one with the sort of death wish Marcus seemed to possess, and the man was annoying the hell out of him.
"You agreed, Captain. Please respect my wishes on this." Sheridan did, but they were no less annoying for all that. Had Marcus been alone, he would probably have muttered something about respect and then let Marcus accompany him, but Marcus was not alone.
"Have the Kha'Ri decided to see you at last then, John?"
Susan Ivanova was one of the most confusing people Sheridan had ever met. She was breathtakingly - almost heartstoppingly - beautiful, and she was possessed of a deep, wry sense of humour. She reminded him - personality-wise - of Anna before they had been married. But instead of taking away his tensions simply with her presence, as Anna had done, Susan added to them. There was nothing he could put his finger on, but he did not like to be around her. Maybe it was the power of her unnamed 'friends' who could blow away two Minbari cruisers in ten seconds, or maybe it was the fact that she reminded him so much of Anna as she had been, which reminded him only too well of what Anna was now, or maybe it was the fact that she kept coming to his bed at night, and he lacked the willpower to resist her.
Or maybe it was all of the above.
Sheridan had insisted she come along, and she had not seemed to mind. He did not like to be around her, but he didn't trust her, and he wanted her to be where he could see her. He had hoped she would stay on the Babylon, where David could watch her, but.... she was here instead.
"About time too. They want to see me alone, but I suppose the two of you can come along."
Marcus merely nodded, but Susan batted her eyelashes and put on an infuriating display of childish ingenuousness. "Why thank you, Captain. I'm so glad."
Sheridan was not a happy man, and he doubted that this meeting with the Kha'Ri would make him any happier.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"Well, Satai Delenn," said Mr. Welles as he sat down and sipped his cup of artificial coffee. It was dreadful stuff, but old habits died hard. "And how do you feel now?"
"You do not care how I feel," she replied, spitting fury with every syllable. "You only care about the knowledge I have that you want. You are concerned with nothing more than acquiring that."
"True," he conceded, looking at her. Boggs and Cutter had done their work well. The only visible sign of injury on her was a fading bruise on her cheek that had been there for over a week. She was sitting in the same posture she had adopted for the last six days. Only the hint of a sob in her breath, or the slight twitch of her left arm, attested to Boggs and Cutter's work. Hopefully it would be enough to break her. If not, he could always call them back. "But look at it this way, Satai Delenn. At least I want you alive."
"You use my title in mockery," she replied, "not understanding its significance. I would rather you did not. Its meaning is sullied in a mouth like yours."
So there it was. The anger that had been brimming beneath the surface for six days was now out in force. Welles removed his PPG from his holster and placed the weapon on the table in front of him. Just in case. Looking at her eyes, he understood how dangerous this woman was. "So then, Satai Delenn, explain to me its significance. Tell me about the Grey Council, about Valen and the Nine, about the darkness and the light. I will be a most attentive listener."
"I pity you," she replied. Another person might have laughed, but Welles did not. He merely raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. She did so. "Amongst Minbari, one individual leads, but we move together. When our leader was killed by your people, we went mad together, and we stayed mad for a very long time. We are only now beginning to wake up.... together. But you.... you are alone. All of your people are alone, with no one to wake you from your madness."
"Madness? Really? Oh, well let me see if I understand this, Satai Delenn. You went mad because of the death of one man - your leader. His name was...?"
Softly: "Dukhat."
"Ah, thank you. Dukhat, yes. You went mad from one death, one loss, and under that madness you destroyed seven colonies, two moons, most of our fleet, twenty thousand ships at the Battle of the Line, most of our leaders, most of our population in fact.... and our homeworld. So tell me, Satai Delenn, if you went mad from just one death, why can we not go mad from all those deaths, from all those losses? You may pretend otherwise, but you are no better than us, are you?"
A silent stare was his only reply, but a stare with a hint of sadness. Ah, a beginning. "In fact, you destroyed more than just our homeworld. You destroyed our dreams with it. Do you have any.... oh, how should I put it? Any point of focus? Something for your whole people to believe in - to worship, if you will? Anything at all?"
Equally softly: "Valen, and the Nine, and the purpose ahead."
The purpose? He chalked a mental note to remember that one. "Well, we had a point of focus too. A centre for all our hopes and dreams as a people. It was called Earth. Here, look at this." He pointed out the badge on his uniform. She looked at it, but said nothing. "Earthforce, you see. As in - Earth. When I first put on this uniform, I felt ten feet tall, as though I could take on anything the universe could throw at me. I had a calling, you see, and that calling was to serve Earth - the planet, the people, the ideals that gave it form. You took all of that away from me. From me, and from countless others. I have endured. I still have a purpose here. A small one, I grant you, but a purpose still. I still desire to serve, to do all I can. But others.... others do not. They have fallen, grieving for their losses. Suicide. Dust or Storm, or alcohol. Sad, pitiful figures, without purpose, without calling, without a reason for living."
Was that a burgeoning tear in her eye? A hint of remorse? "Now, I am a rational man, Satai Delenn, or I would like to think that I am. You see, I am aware that there are Nine in the Grey Council and that you doubtless do not speak for all Nine. You may not even have been in the Council during the war. I am aware that Captain Sheridan killed a few of your number during his attack above Mars just after the fall of Earth. You may be a replacement for one killed then. Or you may have spoken out against the war, voted against it, called for an end for all of it. The destruction of my dreams.... of our dreams, may have been done at another's instigation, not yours. I am a rational and fair man, Satai Delenn, and I cannot punish one person for actions committed by another. But they are not here, and you are, Satai Delenn.
"Mere words cannot express what I would like to do to you in return for all those lost lives, for all those severed dreams, for all those broken spirits. I would rip out your eyes, crush your bones, rip that crest from your head and smash it into powder, tear out your organs, rip you to shreds. The people elsewhere on this colony desire something similar. They would have you stoned to death, or crucified, or beheaded, or burned at the stake, as if you were a witch or something. I want all those things as well, Satai Delenn, but I know that I cannot have them. I know that you are needed alive, for the knowledge that you have, knowledge which may well serve to undo all the wrongs committed against my people. There are very, very few of us with the conviction to think that way. I do not blame the others. They have every reason to want you dead, but I.... I want you alive. That makes me, Satai Delenn, the only friend you have on this planet."
She was crying now, softly and silently, but she was crying all the same. Welles smiled. "Now, tell me the names of the other members of the Grey Council."
Quietly, so quietly that he could barely hear it: "Sinoval."
"Caste?"
"Warrior."
"Clan?"
"Wind Swords."
"Ah, that sounds interesting. We will return to him later. Another?"
"Hedronn."
"Caste...?"

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"We are sorry, Captain Sheridan," the Narn was saying, "but we can find no evidence to support your theory that the Minbari were behind the attack on Vega Seven. This was definitely a Centauri attack, designed to push us into conflict against another enemy. They are duplicitous."
"Centauri? Councillor Kha'Mak, the Centauri wouldn't go within ten light years of Vega Seven. This was Minbari."
"I am afraid that seems unlikely, Captain. The Centauri have been rebuilding their fleets since we defeated them so completely two years ago. We have been expecting something like this for a long time."
Defeated them so completely? Sheridan nearly gave an audible groan. The Narn / Centauri War had been a stand-off, bloody and devastating, but a stand-off all the same. Neither side had been happy with the result - which was not so much a cease-fire as a mutual cessation of hostilities while they sorted their armies out for another go. Had it not been for Sheridan's personal involvement on the side of the Narns, things might have been even worse.
"I have a witness who says that the Minbari were responsible."
"We have read your report, Captain," said a testy old Councillor named Du'Rog. "The human you mention is a habitual drunkard who was arrested several times for drunken offences in the past year. We checked with the records sent to us periodically by Administrator Na'Far. There is little evidence to support your theory. It is merely your desire to embroil us in your war with the Minbari."
His desire to embroil them in a war? Sheridan had little doubt that the instant the Narn and Centauri met in combat again, he would be sent a message begging for the Babylon.
"And there are some of us, Du'Rog," spoke up a Councillor whom Sheridan did not recognise, "who are little better than habitual drunkards ourselves. We both know full well that the Centauri are not capable of a strike like this, and nor are the Minbari. This was the Ancient Enemy at work, and you are all too blinded to admit it."
"H'Klo!" snapped Na'Toth angrily. "We have no time for your petty scaremongering." She turned to Sheridan. "We are sorry, Captain, but we cannot interfere in this matter."
But Sheridan barely heard her. H'Klo's words had awakened something within him. An ancient enemy? Na'Far had whispered the same thing as he died, and Lyta had pulled the same thing from Delenn's mind. Delenn had tried to warn him about something on Vega 7. An ancient enemy? "Who is this Ancient Enemy?" he asked softly, trying to make the question appear casual.
"Myths and legends," Na'Toth replied scornfully. "Nothing more. I am sorry, Captain, but we can do nothing more for you." Sheridan looked up at her. She was lying. He knew that for a fact, but people had been lying to him for years. The truth would come out, because sooner or later, it always did.
"I thank you for your time," he said, in as neutral a tone as he could manage. "Circles, Councillors." He pressed his fists against his chest in the Narn salute, and stalked from the chamber. Inside his mind, things were ticking away. Secrets never stayed secret long, and Na'Toth was certainly keeping a few of her own. Had she been the one to order his betrayal? Was she even in collusion with this Ancient Enemy? A sudden thought struck him. Were Susan's friends this 'Ancient Enemy'? They were old, powerful, and made him uncomfortable, and the Minbari certainly knew about them.
Susan and Marcus were waiting for him outside the chamber. "How did it go, John?" Susan asked.
"Typically Narn behaviour," he snapped in reply. "Come on. I intend to enjoy myself on this waste hole before we leave." The truth had a way of getting out, and Sheridan resolved to keep a very close eye on Ivanova. Sooner or later, the truth always got out.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Na'Toth went directly to the communications screen in her chambers. Austere and simple as they were, it was the one thing which stood out. It took her a few moments to patch the signal through, moments in which she tapped her fingers against her side angrily. Na'Toth had never been patient. When the viewscreen activated and the face of Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar appeared, she nearly knelt. It was an absurd reaction. Na'Toth had never knelt before anything - Narn, prophet or deity - in her life, but when in the presence, even remote, of Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar, it was an almost impossible urge to resist. He projected an aura of such.... greatness and power, that it was almost overwhelming. She had heard that G'Quan had been the same.
"Yes, Na'Toth," he said. "What news?"
She immediately regained her senses. This had to be done quickly. "Captain Sheridan has recently left the Hall of the Kha'Ri. Unsatisfied. They refused to believe that the Minbari were behind the destruction of Vega Seven."
"As indeed they were not."
"Exactly. The Kha'Ri, on the other hand, blame the Centauri, except for H'Klo. He mentioned the Enemy to Sheridan. The Earther seemed.... intrigued, to say the least."
"H'Klo," G'Kar sighed. "When will he ever learn? He is fixated on the past. He sees the Enemy purely as a means to gain glory for himself. No, he is another matter. Will Sheridan pose a problem to us?"
"I do not know. He has a reputation for skill at solving mysteries and uncovering secrets. It may be difficult to keep this from him, and it will cause problems if he investigates too far."
"I know. Very well, Na'Toth. Are Neroon and Ta'Lon still in G'Khamazad?"
"Yes."
"Arrange to meet with Sheridan. Have Neroon and Ta'Lon present, but hidden. They will know if he is touched by the Shadow or not. It may be that his thread will come to ours, after all. He may be a valuable ally."
"Or a dangerous enemy?"
"If that is the case, he will be dealt with. Have Neroon and Ta'Lon told you about the.... other matter?"
"The one who ordered Sheridan's betrayal on Vega Seven? They believe they have uncovered leads, but surely I could have done that...."
"Your place on the Kha'Ri is too important, Na'Toth, and too visible. If your loyalties were uncovered, the results would be.... unpleasant, to say the least. I still have many enemies on the Kha'Ri. Neroon and Ta'Lon are my best agents, and they will uncover what needs to be found. We all have our place, Na'Toth. The universe puts us in places where we may do the most good. You are necessary to me where you are. G'Quan bless you, Na'Toth."
"And you." The viewscreen went blank and Na'Toth stepped backwards. A meeting with Sheridan? What would the Kha'Ri make of that if they learned about it? There were so many games and innuendoes among the Kha'Ri that it might cause suspicion, or it might be seen as just another step in the power games, and deflect attention from her true intentions. At least there were no listening devices in her rooms. She checked three times a day, and all her communications were double coded.
But maybe another check would be useful. Just to be sure.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"I'll admit I was surprised when you requested this meeting, Councillor," Sheridan said, looking around him with polite interest. Not that there was a great deal to look at. Na'Toth's quarters were the most spartan he had ever seen. Then he looked at the Councillor of the Third Circle herself. She certainly seemed interested in him. He wondered if this was more than a professional meeting. He had heard that Narns and humans could be sexually compatible. He almost chuckled as he considered the thought.
"Oh?" she said. "I simply want to.... hear again your reasoning for the attack on Vega Seven. Unlike my colleagues in the Kha'Ri, I am not short-sighted."
Beside Sheridan, Marcus was also looking around the room. Marcus had not been invited to the meeting, but he had come anyway, and Na'Toth had not seemed to object. Susan had returned to her quarters, feigning fatigue, an excuse Sheridan did not entirely believe.
"Everything you need to know was in my report, Councillor."
"Except for one small detail. What were three of your men doing on the colony when you and your ship were so far away? Do you commonly allow your men shore leave on planets such as Vega Seven?"
Sheridan raised an eyebrow slowly. Nonchalantly, he slid his hand down to his belt - and his PPG. He had deliberately left details of Na'Far's actions out of his report, hoping that someone would notice it, and be panicked into making a move. It seemed that someone had.
"They were being held prisoner there, Councillor," he said, noticing that Marcus had similarly tensed himself. Here would be a chance to test the man's worth as a guard. Did Na'Toth have guards of her own nearby? If so, how many? Were other members of the Kha'Ri in on this, or just her alone? "We were.... betrayed by Administrator Na'Far."
"Oh? That seems unlike him. He was always very loyal."
"Loyal? Yes, I suppose he was. And so if any orders.... say from a member of the Kha'Ri, came for him to betray me to the Minbari, he would act upon them, wouldn't you say?"
"I suppose he would." She was acting very cool. She must have an ace hidden somewhere. Where was it possible to hide anything in this room? There was only one door, over which Marcus was surreptitiously positioning himself. There were no closets or cupboards of any kind. It was plain, almost too plain for a member of the Kha'Ri.... There. A tiny crack in the wall, almost unnoticeable. A secret door.
Na'Toth clearly noticed the direction of his eyes. She made ready to act, but Sheridan darted forward, knocking her off balance. She fell, and he pinned his PPG to her head. "Come out or she dies," he barked. "Did you really think I'd fall for the same trap twice?"
Na'Toth barked out something in a Narn dialect Sheridan did not recognise, and the door opened. Two people stepped out. One was a Narn, whose simple browns and greys made him appear less than he was, but whose bearing marked him out as a warrior. The second.... was a Minbari, and dressed as one, prideful in his warrior black, carrying a metal staff just like the one Susan had taken from Delenn.
Marcus cried out something Sheridan did not hear, and darted forward. The Minbari turned to meet his onslaught, and with a swift blur of motion, Marcus was lying face down on the floor. He tried to rise, but the Narn placed a booted foot on the small of his back. Sheridan looked down at the two of them.
"Move and she dies," he muttered, but then all he felt was the breath rushing from his body as a great force thudded into his stomach. Staggering backwards, Na'Toth pulled herself free of his grasp and watched as he fell. She recovered his PPG and held it distastefully.
"For a great captain, you are not very smart," she said.
"No," whispered the Minbari. "He is merely not a diplomat, that is all. He is a warrior. I see it in his eyes."
"Stuff your talk of warrior spirit and honour," Sheridan spat. "It was you, then," he said to Na'Toth. "You sent Na'Far the order to betray me."
"No, actually," she replied. "It was not me, but I do know who it was. I have a question to ask you, whenever you start breathing again." He glared at her and she shrugged. "You recognised what H'Klo said in Council today. Where did you hear of the Ancient Enemy before?"
"Na'Far.... he whispered it as...." Sheridan breathed in hard. "As he died. And Delenn." The Minbari showed no overt reaction, but something subtle changed in his posture. "She.... I don't know. She said it too."
Na'Toth looked at the Narn and the Minbari. The Narn hesitated. The Minbari was silent.
"It was black," came a soft, harsh voice. Marcus'. "So black that my eyes sort of slid off it. A cross between a spider and my worst nightmare. As it awoke, I heard it screaming in my mind." Na'Toth made a gesture, and the Narn took his foot away from Marcus' back. "I saw it. I saw it rising from the ground. Oh God, I thought I'd forgotten it."
"What?" whispered Sheridan. "What was it?"
"The Ancient Enemy," Na'Toth replied. "Vega Seven was not destroyed by the Minbari, Captain, nor by the Centauri, nor by any other race with which you are familiar. It was destroyed by a race timeless and ancient, dark and terrible. They are rising again. Vega Seven was proof of that. One of their ships was hidden there, and they returned to collect it. We are the last bastion of hope, the last line drawn against the return of that enemy. They are gathering power once again on their homeworld of Z'ha'dum, drawing their ships back to them. We have to stand ready for when they come, and so must you."
Z'ha'dum? He had heard that name before. Susan had mentioned it.... Susan had.... "I don't.... believe.... you," he muttered. "Don't...." A booted foot crashed into his skull and he lost consciousness.
Na'Toth looked at her two companions. "Get him out of here. Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar will have to see him."
"What about his ship?" asked Neroon. "They may wonder where he is."
"Then let them wonder. I will arrange a cover. If they get too suspicious, it may be easier to just have it shot down."
"And this one?" Ta'Lon said, indicating the equally unconscious Marcus.
"Take him with you. He has seen the enemy also, and may prove a better choice to serve alongside us than Sheridan."
"And what about his companion? The woman?"
"I will explain Sheridan's disappearance to her also. If need be, she will disappear as well. I have contacts within the Thenta Ma'Kur."
"And what if Sheridan does not return from Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar's shrine in the G'Khorazhar Mountains?"
"Then we shall deal with that when it happens. G'Quan walk with you both, and with G'Kar."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Seated in her quarters, Susan Ivanova smiled. After all Na'Toth's undoubted checks for listening devices, she had missed the smallest one of all, placed inside Sheridan himself by means of Susan's kisses. It was powerful, and even partially alive, just the smallest example of her friends' technology.
"You heard?" she said. Despite appearances to the contrary, she was not alone. She was never alone. "Good. The G'Khorazhar Mountains are just to the west of here, or so I believe. It should be easy enough to locate this shrine of G'Kar's. We can simply follow the signal from Sheridan's transmitter."
....
"Yes, I think so too. A Warrior would be best. Can you get one here in time? Ah, good. I don't think even G'Kar can deal with a Warrior. At least not without his two trusted servants. The Warrior can follow us as we follow Sheridan, and when we get close enough, it should be easy to sniff out G'Kar."
....
"Sheridan? Leave him to me. He knows a little, that's all. Certainly not enough to pose a real threat. I can make him believe that Na'Toth was the one who arranged to have him betrayed on Vega Seven, and that G'Kar was working with the Minbari. Sheridan knows a little about the Rangers already, and he knows that you and the Minbari are old enemies. It might be a stretch, but I can keep him from poking too far. All he needs to know is that you are enemies to the Minbari and are willing to help him against them. With G'Kar dead, that should be easy enough, and you will be rid of an irritating problem."
....
"Delenn? Don't worry. I've made arrangements to take care of that problem.
"Trust me."