Babylon 5 and its characters belong to J. Michael Straszynski and PTEN. They are borrowed only with the deepest respect and admiration. This story can be considered as occuring in the mid- second season, at some point after "The Coming of Shadows."
Hurrying into his office, Captain John Sheridan grabbed a moment to check that his uniform was in good order, then he stood to attention in front of the vid-screen. Raising his left hand, he spoke rapid-fire into his communicator patch. "Put him through." Almost instantly the face of Earth President Clark came clear on the big wall screen. He was a balding, middle-aged man with a sour complexion and cold blue eyes. His expression was even icier, and Sheridan felt his stomach sink whan that glare focused on him. "Captain Sheridan." "Yes, Mr. President. What can I do for you?" Sheridan forced a smile, though his body tensed for the reply. "As you know, the anniversary of the end of the Earth- Minbari War is coming up in three days." "Yes, Sir. I know," Sheridan replied. The President continued as though he had not been interrupted, his voice as sharp as a fine knife's edge. "It has been fourteen years since the Minbari surrendered at the Battle of the Line. The original treaty signed at that time is up for renewal this year. Our Ambassador to Minbar has completed the renegotiation process and the new treaty is ready to be signed on the anniversary date. That signing will take place on Babylon 5." "What? Here?" Sheridan stared at the glacial visage on the wall-screen with unconcealed surprise. "Yes, Captain. It is the appropriate place for such an event, since it is considered neutral territory. Our Ambassador should be arriving within 24 hours, and I believe that you already have the Minbari Ambassador present. You should consult with her regarding the ceremonial arrangements. For our part, all we require is that the treaty is signed before a full meeting of the Babylon 5 Council, but the Minbari will almost certainly require a more complicated ceremony to take place." Sheridan opened his mouth to speak, but the President cut him off. "This must happen within the next three days. See to it, Captain." And then he was gone. - - - - - John Sheridan stood at attention in the center of the Babylon 5 arrival bay, his entire body aching with the stress. EarthGov had just dropped a major diplomatic event in his lap with little or no warning, giving him only three days to make all the arrangements, one of which had already flown by. Even with the full cooperation of the Minbari Ambassador, Delenn, most of the weight had fallen upon him and his staff. Garibaldi had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off since the news had come in, trying to arrange security for the treaty signing, and the Secutity Chief's job had been complicated by the arrival of a battalion of Minbari warriors of the Star Rider clan, all determined to stick their noses - or was it bone-crests - into the middle of his job. They seemed to have a near-proprietary interest in the Earth Ambassador, even to the exclusion of their own. *Sinclair must be protected...* - if he heard that one more time, Sheridan was going to scream. You'd think the Minbari would be a bit more concerned about their own Ambassador's safety. He turned to look at the woman in question, standing a mere two feet away. Dressed in an elaborate white robe with detailed red embroidery, Delenn waited with total calm and composure. Her black hair was coiled at the base of her skull, her face both serene and lovely. She was the one ray of light in this whole mess, and Sheridan felt his heart skip a beat at the very sight of her. She noticed his scrutiny, and gave a slight bow in his direction. He returned her gesture, then focused his attention back on the entranceway from the dock. No sooner than he had done so, than drums began to sound. To the sonorous beating, robed figures began to file through the door and down towards the waiting dignitaries. The first two Minbari were obviously of the religious caste, their hands folded against the front of their white robes. Bowing to Delenn, who had come forward to meet them, they split apart, one moving off to each side. The next pair were worker caste, dressed in green, their sleeves lined with stripes of red and white. They also bowed to Delenn, and then stepped apart. The third pair of Minbari were obviously warrior caste, dressed in red, bearing large ceremonial swords. Acknowledging Delenn, they too moved aside to reveal the final visitor who had followed unobtrusively behind them. Dressed in red and white robe over dark pants and tunic, decorated only by large sapphire set in a gold brooch, his face was hidden by the cowl of his cape. He stopped before Delenn, but instead of bowing as the previous Minbari had done, he stretched out a hand to her. She moved closer to him, then in one flowing, graceful motion, she took his hand in both of hers and bent her head down over it. She slid all the way down to a crouch on the floor, pressing the crown of her ebony-haired head against the back of his hand, then she, just as smoothly, got back up to her feet. He inclined his head at her, then listened intently as she spoke briefly in the fluid Minbari language. In a deep voice, he responded fluently in the same tongue, winning approving nods from the watching Minbari. Thn the red-cloaked figure lifted his hands and drew back his cloak, revealing not the characteristic boney crest of a Minbari, but rather a head full of slightly graying, dark brown human hair. It swept back from a high forehead, curling down behind his ears and against the nape of his neck. His eyes were a strong, clear amber, glinting above above a forceful chin, full mouth, and arching cheekbones. He focused again on Delenn, and his smile broke free like a burst of sunlight. "It is good to see you, Delenn," he said, this time in standard English. "And you, Jeffrey" she replied in the same language, bowing less deeply to him, this time with a welcoming smile. He inclined his head in return, then turned his attention to Sheridan who was watching him with a distinct look of surprise. "You must be Captain Sheridan," Ambassador Sinclair said warmly, stretching out his hand towards Sheridan's chest. "Unhh... yes." Sheridan bolted into official function, taking the other man's hand in a firm grasp. "Welcome back to Babylon 5, Ambassador." "Thank you, Captain. I'm glad to be here." He released Sheridan's hand and turned towards Susan Ivanova standing at attention beside her superior officer. "Susan, it's good to see you again." "And you, *Ambassador*," she replied with a smile. His own smile turned wry, his eyes rolling in their sockets, forcing her to bite down on a laugh. But he was already turning towards Garibaldi, reaching out with both hands. The security chief's normally rather dour face was wreathed with pleasure he closed his hands upon those of his long-time friend. "Hello, Jeff. Welcome back." "Thank you, old friend," Sinclair replied, clinging tightly to his friend's hands before reluctantly letting go. Stepping back to his left, he went over to Lennier, standing quietly at Delenn's side. The Minbari aide took a short step forward, then swept into a deep bow. "Welcome, Ambassador Sinclair." "Thank you, Lennier," came the somber reply. "I am glad to see you again." Lennier allowed himself the slightest of smiles. "As I am happy to see you, Ambassador. But you must be tired after your long journey. Perhaps you would like to go to your quarters and rest for a while." "Thank you, Lennier. I'd like that." Ambassador Sinclair glanced towards the taller Minbari standing just behind Delenn. The warrior nodded, then gave a quick signal. The procession formed again, this time with Sinclair in the middle, Delenn at his side. Lennier and the Star Rider fell in behind them, while the two religious caste members led the way with the worker caste representatives inbetween. The warriors took up the rear, not failing to throw displeased glances towards the human representatives, Sheridan in particular. When they were finally out of sight, Sheridan turned to Ivanova and sighed aloud. "They're just *never* gonna like me, are they." - - - - - It had taken more effort than he had thought possible, but Sheridan had finally managed to get all of the council representatives into the council chambers at the proper time. Several had protested vigorously about the Minbaris' rather zealous security, and it had taken every last ounce of diplomacy he had to convince them to go along peacefully. He had not so much luck in his own dealings with the Minbari, most of them seeming to take his very presence as an affront. But somehow, it had all come together, despite his constant arguments with the coldly disapproving Star Riders. More than once, he had been ready to toss them off his station, only to find them suddenly willing to cooperate. Their forced pleasantness never lasted long, and Sheridan could only guess that *someone* was applying some heavy pressure on them to work with him. Which only frustrated him even more. He guessed it was probably Delenn who was responsible, which would explain why the warrior caste, especially their leaders, barely managed to be polite to their own Ambassador. What really annoyed him was just how amazingly respectful those same Minbari were towards Jeffrey Sinclair. It was bad enough that he had just spent a year being told in a hundred different ways, "You're not Sinclair," without having proof shoved in his face that the man was some kind of diplomatic miracle-maker. Sinclair might indeed be an accomplished diplomat - and Sheridan had to admit that he seemed a likeable enough sort, if a bit cryptic at times - but he was hardly a saint. Not that you could tell that to the Minbari. And the man himself seemed to hold tight to his own council, though Sheridan had to admit that considering he'd just spent a year of his life living as the only human on Minbar, such an attitude was not terribly surprising. Without a doubt, that experience accounted for the man's rather irritating ability to make even *Kosh* appear forthcoming. Anyway, even despite the difficulties with the Minbari, Sheridan was quite pleased with the way things had worked out. The delegates from the league of non-aligned worlds were all in their seats, G'Kar and Londo were keeping their distance from each other, restricting themselves to daggered looks, and even Kosh had decided to grace them with his presence. Lennier was sitting in as the Minbari representative to Babylon 5, while Delenn would be performing the role of Minbari representative to Earth. So all was in place, though he couldn't help wishing that he knew more about the Minbari part of the ceremony, but they had not given much in the way of explanations. Drums sounded, mixed with the chime of bells, warning that the ceremony was about to start. He came to his feet beside his chair, motioning to the other council represtentatives to follow suit. It was time to begin. - - - - - Standing outside the door to the council chambers, Earth Ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair felt an odd sense of deja vu. Not that that was any real surprise. He'd spent more than enough time in the Council chamber during his years as the B5 commander. It was strange to be back here in another role, and to see another man in his old job. But at least he had found that the new Captain to be a capable and honest man. Both Delenn and Michael spoke well of him, and it eased Sinclair's heart to know that this place was in good hands. Delenn came up beside him, a tentative smile lightening the seriousness of her expression as she looked up into his eyes. "Are you prepared?" He took a deep breath, then returned her smile with a genuine one of his own. "As ready as I'll ever be." "You'll be fine," she said approvingly. Drums and bells began to sound off, and they both moved quickly into position. White-robed Minbari circled the two of them and the chamber door began to slide open. - - - - - The procession entered slowly, each step taken with careful precision, timed to the beat of the drums. The white- robed Minbari formed a half-circle with their back to the delegates from the non-aligned worlds. Two held drums, two held small bells, two more held candles and yet another held a small, ornate box. Once they were in position, a pair of uniformed Earth Force officers walked in, saluted Sheridan, then split apart to stand at opposite ends of the room. Finally, the two Ambassadors entered the room, Delenn dwarfed by the tall man beside her. Her slender figure was garbed in a simple, unadorned white robe. The cowl lay down across the back of her shoulders while her dark hair fell in a thick curl over the front of her left shoulder. Sinclair was dressed in an odd combination of garments, his Earth Force Commander's uniform overlaid with a red and gray Minbari cloak, fastened at his chest with a sapphire brooch. They walked up to center arch of the semicircular table and bowed to Sheridan. He bowed in return, then after the drums had fallen silent, he waved at everyone to take their seats. There was a quick shuffle as everyone except Sheridan, Sinclair, Delenn, and the honor guards settled down. Silence reigned for a moment, then Sheridan cleared his throat and began. "Today marks an auspicious anniversary. Fourteen years ago on this date, a peace accord was signed between the Earth Alliance and the Minbari Federation, bringing to a close a shameful era of bloodshed and mistrust between our two peoples. In those fourteen years, we have stretched out our hands in friendship, and found common ground. Today, we celebrate and renew that friendship, walking forward together into a new age of peace and understanding between humans and Minbari." Picking up the documents on the table before him, he lifted them up for all to see. "Here I hold the treaty agreed upon by both our representatives, Delenn of the Minbari Federation, and Jeffrey Sinclair of the Earth Alliance." He spread the two documents out on the table before the two Ambassadors, then formally asked them to identify them. When both had scanned the papers, and given their approval, Sheridan held out a pair of old-fashioned ink pens. Giving one to Delenn, he asked formally. "Do you accept the terms of this agreement on behalf of the Minbari Federation?" "Yes, I do," she replied solemnly, taking the pen from his hand. Drawing both documents closer to her, she signed them with meticulous care and then put the pen down on the table and moved back to Sinclair's side. Sheridan then held out a pen to the waiting human Ambassador. "Do you accept the terms of this agreement on behalf of the Earth Alliance?" "I do," came the grave reply. Sinclair followed Delenn's example, signing quickly, but carefully, in the proper places. When he was done, he turned to Delenn and they clasped hands and bowed to each other. Sheridan gathered up the documents, placed one on the table before him, then handed the other to Lennier. The young Minbari stood to take the document, then returned to his seat, placing it in front of him. Sheridan then returned to his own seat, filled with a sense of relief. Earth's requirements had been met, the rest of the ceremony was up to the Minbari. - - - - - Moving to the steady chiming of the bells and the rolling beat of the drums, Sinclair and Delenn turned to face the three white-robed figures behind them. The two holding lighted candles stepped forward, one facing each Ambassador. Holding the candles near Sinclair and Delenn's faces, they began to chant in the sonorous Minbari language, their voices rising and falling like waves crashing upon the shore. For nearly half an hour this continued, followed a long series of questions and anwers. The candle-holders would speak out sharply, then Delenn and Sinclair would respond in unison, his deep voice underlining the higher-pitched musical fluidity of hers. Both spoke the Minbari phrases with confidence, neither one hesitating in their replies. After this was finished to the questioners' satisfaction, they stepped back, and the white-cloaked Minbari in the middle came forward, opening the box she held before her. Standing between the two Ambassadors, she spoke out loudly, but clearly, in the Minbari language. Delenn and Sinclair answered, and she nodded her approval. Holding out the box to them, she waited while they each picked up something small and red from inside. Then she stepped back and spoke again. The two turned to face each other, then Sinclair bowed his head towards Delenn. She lifted her hand towards his face, holding out the red object between thumb and forefinger. He leaned in towards her, and opened his mouth for her to place it within. They pulled back apart briefly while he chewed and swallowed, then the exchange was reversed. Sinclair popping the piece of fruit into Delenn's mouth, and she swallowed it with a quick movement of her throat. When that was done, they reached out to place a hand, palm outward, against each other's chest. Delenn spoke first, still in the fluid Minbari language, and then Sinclair repeated her words exactly. They bowed their heads to each other, then turned together, hands falling first to their sides, then lifting only the ones between them, Sinclair's right and Delenn's left, rising up to touch palm-to-palm. Keeping those hands in contact, they bowed to the Minbari priestess, then began a slow circle, pausing several times to bow outwards together. When they had nearly completed the circle, they found themselves facing the Vorlon Ambassador. Both bent into a bow in his direction, but before they could lift back up out of it, he slid towards them. Several gasps sounded at once throughout the room while both Sinclair and Delenn froze, their heads still tilted downwards. Kosh stood still before them, then focused in on Sinclair. The human Ambassador stood back up to his full height, his palm still pressed to Delenn's and waited for Kosh to explain why he was interrupting the ceremony. After a long tense moment, Kosh's translator began to buzz. The strangely musical voice of the Vorlon rang loudly in the silence, rising and falling to a rhythm all its own. "You have learned much...you have grown...Jeffrey Sinclair...but the path ahead is long...long...far more to go...Follow the light...Jeffrey Sinclair...it is calling to you...the light is calling to you...follow...follow...the light." Kosh's translator fell silent and dull, leaving the entire room in astonished silence. Sinclair was staring at Kosh with a confused look on his face, his mouth almost trembling with effort at understanding. He felt as though he *should* understand, but he didn't and he badly wanted to know what was just out of his reach. Before he could manage to form a question, however, Delenn's voice sounded beside him, her tone filled with awe. "In Valen's name..." "Yessss." Kosh's translator blinked once more, and then was silent. - - - - - "Well, it's about time," the Centauri Ambassador commented loudly when they finally were able to leave the council chamber. A reception was being held in the garden, and they all flowed naturally in that direction, the council members mixing and mingling with the guests. Sheridan's mind, however, was elsewhere, flooded with questions, mostly aimed at the Vorlon. But he had learned the hard way that getting answers from Kosh was worse than getting teeth pulled. In most cases, he ended up more confused by the answer than he had been before he asked the question. Noticing Delenn, he pushed his way to her side, then smiled down at her. "That was quite a ceremony." She smiled politely in return, though not without a definite warmth, falling easily into step beside him. "Yes, it was." She remained silent for a moment, and then sighed aloud. "The Vorlons can be very....mysterious..." He nodded agreement to that, their eyes meeting in mutual, rueful, amusement. "Yet, it is good that they approved of what we did here today," she added. "I guess so. There really wasn't much to object to, though," he replied. "Yes, you are right. And still, there are always those who reject what we are trying to do here, out of fear or anger or confusion. Not everyone is prepared for peace. And peace also carries a price. If only the cost of constant vigilence." He glanced askance at her, finding, as usual, great truth and understanding in her words. She was one of the wisest people he'd ever met, and he felt as though he could talk to her forever without learning all he could from her. He smiled warmly, then changed the subject as they entered the gardens. A few feet away, the tall, robed figure of Jeffrey Sinclair was engaged in active conversation with Michael Garibaldi, while two Minbari warriors stood guard behind him. Inclining his head in the other man's direction, Sheridan asked the one question that had plagued him from the start. "What is it about him?" he inquired bluntly. "From reading his reports, its easy to tell he's smart and resourceful, and has plenty of integrity, but I don't understand why your people seem so attached to him. And what on earth was all that stuff from Kosh about?" When he ran out of words, he stopped and stared down at Delenn. Her expression was somber, almost ... frightened. Her green eyes were filled with liquid as she stared past him towards Sinclair, who was laughing happily at something his friend had just said. And when she spoke, her voice nearly broke on the words. "Because he is who he is." The End