"Oh, look around you, Mollari. You're going to win this. Everyone knows that, because all the morons out there have been too busy scrambling around trying to deal with each other. Their ambitions are not high enough, you see. Only you, I and Elrisia actually realised the true prize…. and once I'm gone, Elrisia will never get anywhere. She's the most hated woman in the Republic."
Londo felt sick, but he tried to stagger to his feet. His sword was so heavy.
"No…. you were always going to win. It was just a matter of time. I saw that a long while ago. I was the only one who could have beaten you to the throne, and there was a time when I thought I'd want to do that, but…. no…. Not any more."
"Why…. not?"
"Ah. You know your problem, Mollari? You're an optimist, an idealist, a romantic even. I, on the other hand…. I see the truth. We're a dying people, a doomed people. We can't keep control of our outer colonies, the Narns are banging at our door, we've lost almost all our allies, our leaders are too busy fighting amongst themselves, there will be a rebellion from the peasants any time now…. and now these Shadow Criers and their future of holocaust.
"The Republic will be finished before the century's over, Mollari. I know that, and so do you. Who wants to be known as the Emperor who guided us into oblivion? Not me. No…. far better to be known another way, don't you think? I'll be the man who fought you for the throne, and damned near won…. and every day from now until the end, people will wonder…. what if I'd won? How different would things have been if I'd been made Emperor instead of you? We'd both know there would be nothing I could have done to prevent this end, no more than you…. but they won't know that, and each and every one of those sheep we rule will wonder…. what if?
"And that, my dear Mollari…. is the greatest form of immortality any man can ask for."
"Won't…. be like…. that…."
"That idealism again. You're blind, Mollari! And a fool. I suppose it's just as well for me that you are. If you weren't, then you'd be in my place now. And that would be very unpleasant for me. Come on, Mollari…. pick up your sword."
"Damn…. you…. Cartagia."
"Damned? Oh no. I'll be canonised. You, my friend, will be the one to be damned."
Londo took a halting step forward. He could hardly keep his grip on the hilt.
"I'm most disappointed in you, Mollari. Your good friend Dugari was on his feet after more than this. But then, Elrisia was never as refined at pain as I."
"Du…. gari…."
"Keep your blade up, Mollari."
There was a flurry of movement, and Cartagia charged. He made no effort to strike Londo. He did not need to. Instinctively Londo's sword rose up, and Cartagia literally ran onto it. He fell backwards, his own sword falling.
"Proud…. of you…. Emperor…. Mollari," he whispered, blood trickling from between his lips. "My…. congrat…. ulations."
With a sigh and a smile, he closed his eyes.
* * *
Memories were slowly awakening within her. Thoughts and emotions trapped for months, even years. Ever since her confrontation with Marcus and Lyta at the Battle of the Second Line she had been locked within her own mind, a prisoner of forces beyond her control.
But then, hadn't that always been the case? Psi Corps, her mother's memory, her brother's useless death, her father's futile act of rebellion, choosing to stay on Earth even though he knew the danger. Susan Ivanova had always been trapped and bound by forces outwith her control.
For a moment she thought of Laurel. She had…. died, hadn't she? Yes…. she was dead. She'd been a prisoner as well, although she had never realised it until her death.
The Shadows hissed at her angrily. She was their prisoner now, but at least they…. seemed to…. care. What they wanted here…. they wanted it for their own ends, but she would benefit as well. All of humanity would. They had explained it to her. She had to know, they reasoned. And now she did, and he had to know too.
A new humanity, a new destiny. So much would not have happened. Anna would still be alive, and Laurel, and her brother, and…. and Marcus.
And it all came down to one man. Kill him, kill the traitor to humanity…. and it would all be over. So simple.
But for one tiny detail.
"I know," she whispered to her eternal guardians. "There's a Vorlon. It's coming here."
Sheridan stirred. He seemed to be stabilising in time. He had been under a lot of strain recently. Too much. Her guardians seemed to be content. Maybe they were winning the battle, and none of this was necessary?
"Wake up, John," she said, trying to put some warmth into her voice. She failed, but then the thought of Satai Delenn angered her. She…. remembered what Delenn had become. A mockery of everything her brother had died for. "Your Minbari whore's coming for you, and him as well. He's coming too."
"Who…. who are you talking about?" He tried to rise again, and managed to hook his arm over a handrail and haul himself up. Susan watched him, thinking about Anna. She had loved this man, and he had betrayed her.
"I don't suppose she told you, did she? No, truthfulness and honesty are not particularly big Minbari virtues, whatever they like to tell anyone. Minbari do not lie, they say. Maybe not, but they never tell anyone the whole truth either.
"What do you know about Valen?"
Before today she had hardly known anything herself, but they had told her all she needed to know.
"Minbari…. not born of Minbari," Sheridan muttered.
"So, maybe she does tell you something after all? Pillow talk, perhaps. Yes, Valen was Minbari not born of Minbari. He was human in fact. A human from this time who used some machine to change himself into a Minbari, and took this station backwards in time to the last war against my people, where he led the Vorlons and the Minbari and all the other perfect little races to victory.
"And imagine our surprise when we discovered all of this. Imagine our surprise when we realised that all we had to do was kill one man and we'd win the war then. The Minbari would be finished and…." She paused, her tone of voice changing, becoming more…. soft, more human.
"Think about it, John! If we kill Valen now, then the Minbari will be destroyed. A thousand years ago! No Minbari, no Battle of the Line, no destruction of Earth. None of this will have happened. You'll still have your Anna. I'll still have my mother. Everything can be so much better."
And then a coldness swept across her mind, and she stiffened. What was the point? He wouldn't listen. They knew that. They had told her as much. "But no. Don't bother answering. I know you. You're worse now than you will be in the future. I know you won't help me, at least not willingly.
"They're coming for you. Your little Minbari whore and the one who betrayed us all, the entire human race, by becoming one of them. They're going to come for you, and we're going to kill them."
"Delenn…." he rasped. "No…." He stumbled forward and fell, blinking, his body swallowed in the mist.
Susan sighed. Another time flash. How many was that? What was he seeing? Past, future…. what? She briefly wished she could share his visions. Oh, to know the future, to know if she would be successful here, that would be….
She turned, warned by her guardians. They began to shimmer into view, just as Valen appeared at the far side of the hall.
He stopped, and stood stock still.
* * *
"Mollari! Mollari!"
Valo was furious. He was also bleeding profusely. Cartagia. That complete madman Cartagia. What was he up to? What…?
"Aaagh!" Valo continued limping forward. Two of his soldiers were at his side, helping him. He knew both of them well, had done since the Immolan campaign. Good men, both of them. They deserved better than to be led by that feeble-minded Cartagia, or the rest of the weak Court.
And Malachi was still alive. That was the worst bit, but…. ah well. He was an old man, and would probably die from his injuries. And Valo's forces still controlled the majority of the palace compound as well. They would track down Cartagia soon enough. And then…. he didn't know. What would that bastard do if he had Valo in his power?
He dreaded to think.
"Mollari! Where are you?"
This was absurd. Carn had been given an express task. He was to stay at the back, co-ordinating things from the central base. He would receive reports on which nobles had been killed, which areas of the palace had been taken and so forth. Carn was a loyal man, so where in the Gods' Names was he?
"Mollari!"
"Here I am, Lord." Carn came into view from a nearby doorway. Valo recognised it as leading into a large barracks. Carn must have moved the base there. Perhaps there had been more wounded than they had expected.
"I need a medic, and quickly. Cartagia…. got to me."
"Yes, in here, Lord. Hurry."
Limping forward as fast as he could, supported by his two companions, Valo made for the door and entered the room. It was a typical barracks, a place where the Palace Guards slept, rested and did…. whatever it was they did when they were not on duty. This one was just like every other barracks room Valo had seen, except for one small detail.
Most of the other barracks did not contain Lord-General Marrago, accompanied by twelve soldiers bearing the seal of the island of Selini.
"Valo. I wish we could have met under different circumstances, but we take what we are given, hmm?"
"Marrago! What are you doing here? Mollari, what is the meaning of…?"
"I arrived here a few moments ago, accompanied by as many of the Selini Guard and militia from Gallia and Sphodria as we could muster. I will give them credit. There were more than I had anticipated. They must be grateful that we saved their cities. And now we will save the capital. You will stand down your weapons, and your men."
"Joking, of course, Marrago. Join me. The Republic needs strength, you can see that. We're both soldiers, and we were both betrayed by this Court. You know what the Republic needs."
"Yes, I do." Marrago stepped forward slowly. "And the Republic does not need you. You will issue an order to your men to stand down, now."
"No! The Court is ours now. I will rule here. I…." Marrago reached out and struck him hard across the face. Valo fell sprawling, crying out as his wound tore open again. His two guards went for their weapons, but Marrago's Selini Guard trained theirs on them. They paused.
"You will issue that order, Valo."
"Mollari…. help me. What…. what are you…?"
"I'm…. sorry, my Lord, but I was with the Lord-General from the beginning. I had hoped matters would not go this far, but…." Carn bowed his head. "I am sorry, my Lord."
"Damn you, Mollari! Damn…. you!"
"You will recall your men now. You will give them all an order to stand down their arms and report to me personally. I assure you, Valo, that only the commanders will be held responsible for what has happened here today. Those soldiers who were merely following orders…. they will be permitted to rejoin their regiments. The divisions within this Court, and this Republic…. they all end today.
"We should not be fighting each other, Valo."
