Gareth Williams - A Dark, Distorted Mirror. Volume 5 - Among the Stars, like Giants. Part 5 - The Three–Edged Sword

He had always known these implications, but over time the knowledge had been lost to him. His uncle had been a Merchant–Lord, an incredibly rich man, a wily and experienced trader with contacts on a score of worlds. Lethke had travelled with him as a child and as a young man, and he had dreamed of seeing more of these aliens, of understanding how they thought and why they acted, of knowing more than just how to take their money. o u

And so he had become a diplomat. The skills of language and perception his father had taught him served him well in both fields. w i

But over time, the meaning of what he was had escaped him. He had become just another servant of the Government, just another politician drawing a wage and holding down a job. l l

As he looked around at his companions, he realised again what he really was. o b

He was the voice of the Brakiri people, and he had been silent for too long. e y

Durano, the cold, icily–efficient Centauri statesman. Lethke had come to admire his competence and calm. He remembered the emotionless look on Durano's face as he signed the Kazomi Treaty joining the Alliance, as he reported the raids on Centauri worlds, as he announced the illness of Emperor Mollari II. u s

G'Kael, pleasant, almost jovial. Lethke and he had dined together on a number of occasions, and spoken of their religious beliefs. G'Kael always seemed sincere and genuine and truly devout, dedicated to the cause of his people and his Government, a Government which no longer existed. y o

Taan Churok. He had been present at the birth of the Alliance, and for those early, difficult years he had been a rock of stability and certainty, always committed to the cause the Alliance stood for. He had fought beside his people during the Conflict, and had returned to the Alliance following the Drazi surrender. Lethke could not recall a single word he had spoken in Council since that day. u w

Kulomani. Loyal, driven, dedicated. It was no coincidence he had been chosen as Commander of Babylon 5, but Lethke did not know where Kulomani would align himself or where his decisions would lead him. i l

No one else. Was this all there were? Lethke had wanted to call a private meeting before the Council meeting itself, a meeting of those he trusted. He wanted to test the water, to see where people would turn. l o

These were all the people he could trust. He felt almost sick. b e

Delenn was too busy, and too synonymous with the Alliance. With G'Kar away, she led the Rangers. She had renounced her ties to her own people to concentrate on the Alliance. To Lethke, who would not have dreamed of taking the same step, it seemed an admirable act, but it compromised her. If she were here, Taan Churok would definitely not be, as well as maybe G'Kael and Kulomani. y u

The Minbari did not have an Ambassador, despite having been members of the Alliance for over a year and a half. Kulomani was aware that the Grey Council had sent a representative, but however many good words he heard of Satai Kats, he did not know her. s y

The humans were represented by General Sheridan, but his first duty would be to the Alliance and the Dark Star fleet. He had led the attack on Zhabar and other Drazi worlds during the Conflict, and Taan Churok would not be likely to forget it. o u

The Pak'ma'ra had recalled their Ambassador when news reached them of the attack on Narn. So had the Llort. w i

So few. l l

"I...." He coughed. "I thank you all for coming. I realise this is.... pre–empting the scheduled meeting, but I wanted to discuss a few matters privately first, to see what response we are going to make to the.... incident. We are all Ambassadors and diplomats, and our first loyalties must be to our own peoples. I would like us to present a united view to the Alliance, but most of all I would like us all to know where we stand." o b

Kulomani rose to his feet. "I am a soldier of the United Alliance," he said. "This is a meeting of Ambassadors." e y

"I requested your presence for a reason, Commander," Lethke said. "Your opinion is as important as anyone else's." u s

Kulomani looked around the room, slowly and carefully. Lethke felt a chill as his compatriot stared at him. The soldier had the eyes of a diplomat. Finally, he sat down. y o

"If I may," Durano said, in his clipped, precise tones. He rose. "I received a communication from my Government moments before leaving to attend this meeting. We have only recently been able to send messages off–world. u w

"Emperor Mollari II has awoken from his coma, and looks set to make a full recovery from his illness. He has been thoroughly examined, and will begin to resume official duties within a few weeks. One of his first acts, he hopes, will be to visit Babylon Five to meet Ambassador G'Kael personally." Durano turned to the Narn. "Indeed, he has personally asked me to pass on his most sincere condolences to you and all your people." i l

"Thank you," G'Kael replied, displaying no emotion at all. l o

"Is it wise for the Emperor to come here?" Lethke asked. b e

"That, I believe, is what this meeting has been called to determine. Am I wrong?" y u

"Matter is simple," Taan Churok answered. "I will leave here now. All Drazi will leave. We return home, and we fight to get home back. You smart, you all fight too." s y

"You cannot do that," Lethke said calmly. o u

"We try." w i

"This cannot be resolved by war." l l

"War is all we have." Taan looked at G'Kael. "If you helped when we fought last time, perhaps you still have homeworld left. We fight and we lose. Maybe we lose this time, but we fight, and maybe others fight too." o b

"But surely a peaceful solution...." e y

"Alliance built for peace. Alliance built for good intentions. But things change. Alliance change. This not Alliance we helped create. You know this. Something wrong. Very wrong. We fight it." u s

Lethke bowed his head. He had known, somehow, that it would come to this. Peace was still possible. He knew it. But he could not create peace alone. y o

"Is this a private party," said a solemn voice. "Or can anyone join in?" u w

Lethke looked up. G'Kar stood in the doorway. i l

"It's beginning, isn't it?"

"What?"

"The storm."

"It has already begun. We just have not noticed it yet."

"My mother was a telepath. She used to play music for me, sing for me, old Russian songs of lost love and old Gods and the old country. My mother's dead, my country is dead, the songs are dead. I try to remember them, but they all slip away. I try to remember the names of the Gods and they.... aren't there."

"We are the Gods now. Or we will be. You are a God now."

"Me? Hah. The God of what exactly? Cynicism, melancholy and bad jokes?"

"There are worse things to be a God of."

"And you? No, forget I asked."

"I feel no shame for what I am, and nor should I. If I am to be the God of War, worshipped and feared as such, then let me be the God of War. Then no one else has to be."

"You scare me."

"Good. I should."

"And are the Gods going to war?"

"The old Gods have been at war for a very long time. We are going to end it."

"But it isn't ending, is it? It's just beginning."

"Everything is a cycle. Sometimes, to end a thing, you have to begin it. To break the circle, you have to know where it starts."

"I don't get you."

"Sometimes neither do I."

"Have you contacted your friends?"