"May I know the reasons for…. this…. hostility?"

"Indeed you may. I believe you know Merchant-Captain Kullenbrok?"

"The name rings a bell." He sat still for a moment, seemingly lost in memory. Delenn realised that he knew full well of whom they were speaking. "Ah yes. One of the individuals we exchanged for Miss Ivanova and Captain Smith."

"Indeed. He was a prominent member of a Brakiri Merchant House on this world before the Drakh invasion…."

"As I have said…. my associates did not sanction that attack in any way, shape or form. The assault on this world…. was carried out by an independent faction of the Drakh warrior caste. My associates…. both human and Shadow, merely managed to use their contacts with the Drakh to release the prisoners."

"Yes…. you have said as much. I do not believe you, Ambassador. The Drakh attacked this world on the direct orders of your…. associates. But that is not the issue here. Merchant-Captain Kullenbrok killed himself last night in his room. As was inevitable…. we investigated his death, and our ally Vejar here…. discovered something. Do you know what?"

He shook his head, smiling.

"Vejar."

The technomage stepped out from the shadows in the corner of the room. He was carrying a small, transparent box, constructed from some sort of crystal. Inside the box was a small grey mass. It stirred, and something opened, revealing a malevolent, brightly-shining eye. It burst into a flurry of motion, extending limbs from its body and thrashing against the side of its prison.

"It seems to recognise you, Ambassador," Delenn said, as Vejar laid the box down on the Council table. Vizhak surreptitiously slid as far away from it as possible. "You know what it is?"

"I am sure you have no interest in my answering that question."

"I am sure I already know the answer. It is a Keeper, a foul device created…. or harnessed by your associates. We have detected countless numbers of them upon our citizens here…. a legacy of the Drakh occupation, and of your passing. We checked out the other…. prisoners freed in the exchange. Two of them have disappeared, but the other three were all possessed by these Keepers.

"You have acted in considerably less than good faith, Ambassador…. and we reject your offers of peace, because we know they are false. We do not want war with either of your associates…. but if that is the only choice we have, then that we shall choose."

"I have full diplomatic immunity," he snapped quickly. "But in the grand scale of things, my life means nothing."

"Calm down, Ambassador," Delenn said slowly. "We will not harm you. Not because of your…. 'diplomatic immunity', but because we are better people than you." Taan Churok growled softly. "You have one hour to gather your belongings and leave Kazomi Seven. And after that, if you or any members of your staff are found within Alliance space…. you will not leave it alive.

"Am I clear?"

"Perfectly. In that case, I wish to make just one point." He looked around the table, pausing at each figure. "Brakiri. Drazi. Narn. Minbari. You are all dead. Each and every member of all your races. We offered you peace. We offered you assistance…. and understanding.

"There will be no peace now. Your choice. Not mine. Not ours. There will be no peace. There will be only death, and the worms and the rats will crawl through this room when we are done, and your Alliance of paper and string will consist only of the dead.

"A sad loss, to be sure. And an unnecessary one. But with you gone…. perhaps the other races will listen. No one ever said we could win all the time."

He turned and stalked from the room. When he was gone Delenn sat down, shooting a warning glance at Taan Churok as he leapt up. "No," she said. "We have given him an hour. Vejar…. I think you had better follow him…. Be sure he does not…. do anything inappropriate. If he is still on this planet after an hour, kill him."

The technomage nodded and left the room. The air seemed to crackle with each movement.

"We should have killed him," Vizhak said angrily. This was one of the few things he and Taan Churok had agreed upon since the Alliance had been founded.

"We should never let our enemies live," growled his Drazi companion.

"We are not murderers," Delenn said firmly. "And this Alliance will not be built upon the callous shedding of blood. But it seems we will have to prepare for war. Ambassador G'Kael, will you be able to arrange a meeting for me with G'Kar? I had…. hoped he would be here."

"He wished to…. avoid too firm a link with the Alliance. Precisely to avoid this sort of situation."

"Well, the Alliance and the Rangers are moving in the same direction now. As we should have been from the start."

She sat back in her chair and looked around at the other members. "Well…. we have lasted over a year, and but for two major battles it has been a peaceful time. I am very much afraid that none of us will ever see peace again in our lifetimes."

Vizhak muttered something in the Drazi language, and Taan Churok chuckled. Delenn took a moment to translate, and then she smiled sadly.

It was an old Drazi proverb. 'Peace comes only with the grave. Yours…. or theirs.'

"And how did the meeting go?"

"As…. well as could be expected, I suppose." Delenn looked at G'Kar carefully. He had spent the last few months slowly recovering from his injuries. She had spent as much time as she could with him, but that had been sadly very little. The business with the Alliance, the peace talks and…. John had kept her away. A shame. She felt there was much to learn from this Narn. He had somehow embraced an inner peace that had escaped almost everyone else. In all the galaxy, he alone was sure of his place, and his direction.

And now he was running around, packing, behaving with considerable energy.

"I would have liked you to have been there."

"Ah…. no. You did fine without me, from the sound of it." He stopped, and looked at her carefully. "You are sure about this choice? It will not be an easy war."

"Wars never are," she replied sternly. "But yes, I am sure. I want peace, yes…. but not the peace we would have had by surrendering to them."

"Hah! Exactly. But still…. things will be difficult. They have a considerable start on this, but all is not yet lost. We have allies out there. All we need do is find them."

"Allies? Such as who?"

"Well…. before the battle I would have said Mr. Bester…. but it seems that particular relationship has well and truly run its course. Oh well…. but even without him, there is Primarch Sinoval, if no one else. If we can get him on to our side…. then…. In him we could have the greatest friend we will ever need, or the worst enemy. And Emperor Mollari, of course.

"I do not think we are anywhere near as alone as it might seem."

"Perhaps. I…. You look as if you are preparing to leave."

"Oh, I am."

"Was it…. something I said?"

"No. I have…. certain obligations to various allies and contacts I acquired before entering the Machine. I spent two years trapped in metal and rock, and now my body is my own again. It is time I started fulfilling my obligations. There are people I have to see, and things I have to do…. and I have to do them alone."

"You cannot leave now! Your injuries…."

"I can see…. I can speak, I can touch, I can walk and I can think. I need nothing else."