**"As if *once* wasn't bad enough, now, here I was, about to do it to him again. First Ulkesh and the Vorlons, and now, Bester. The way I went about it was not the way I initially wanted to, either. As time passed, and Tashann and I began the job of commanding the White Star Fleet in its myriad tasks, I began to realize, with sinking heart, that it was almost *too* likely that Bester's deadline would arrive before I could return to Tuzanor, to say goodbye...and explain. Instead, it seemed that I would have to vanish again, this time for good; and that William's inauguration as a member of the High Council might be the last time I would ever see him, in person.
There was no going back on this sort of thing, you see; either I would be on time, or Bester would slam shut the doors of the trap still waiting for William. He's implied just that, you see; no shades of gray in the matter... and with William's children just having entered the world, I simply couldn't take the chance that anything might go wrong, that a message might be missed...and that assassins might be on the way because of that missed message.
And so, I plotted my own downfall from grace; like another dear to those in the circles around the President, I was about to run away. Even now, I cannot forgive myself for what I did to him...I will never return to Tuzanor; there would be too many painful memories involved..."
- Brianna Tolmanes, quoted privately after the end of the Telepath War, in 2266
* * *
Early September, 2262; Tuzanor.
The chambers of the Anla'shok High Council.
In the darkness, a single ray of light illuminated the chamber. A room that had waited more then a thousand years to see its full purpose come to pass. From here, the decisions made could reach across hundreds of light years, and although it took time for those decisions to reach the farthest bastions of the Rangers, no command made in the chamber was ever ignored. But now, a time of both sadness and joy had also come; for something was to a happen, this day, that had never happened before. Inevitable, perhaps, but special, at the same time.
The stone seats that ringed the other side of the chamber were full, this day, a rare occurence indeed. But a great many had come to see the event, and not all of them were even Rangers, by any means. Religious Caste and Warrior Caste Minbari had come, putting aside their past emnity to see the event come to pass...for word had come that the previous day, a lone White Star had been seen in the skies over the City of Sorrows, and all knew what this meant.
The human that some Rangers named Rimstalker was coming home to the place that had given him form, and another moment of transition in a singularly impressive career was about to occur. Many of the younger Minbari who were there, that day, had come in part because they did not believe a *human* could have done all the things that this man, William Westcastle, had done. They had come to see this human in person; to look into his eyes, and there, see the truth. For if he had done the things that had made him and his command all but legend among the Anla'shok, already, they would be able to see it.
And then, a murmur passed through the waiting throng; for without sound, without warning, the seven living, present members of the High Council had appeared. Two of the seats on their great stone table were presently empty; one was set aside for the eventual return of their Entil'zha, Delenn; but that time had not yet come. The other...
With a grating sound, the portals to the chamber slid aside, and a single human male entered, his Ranger uniform dark as night; his face, determined, behind a now slightly silver-streaked beard, and the increasingly long streak of silver in his hair announcing to all what he had been through to reach this place. For rumour had it that the Rimstalker had aged ten years in the last five in pursuit of his tasks, and now, the watchers could easily believe that such a rumour had truth.
Behind this momentous arrival, some of the watchers observed several more human and Minbari Rangers enter the chamber, and they catalogued the faces, for future reference. One Minbari, tall and stern, his face and head marred by scars; Sha'vei Tashann, the new commander of the White Star Fleet. Two russet-haired human women, one taller then the other, who appeared to be in the advanced stages of carrying a child to term...this, they knew, as the Rimstalker's constant companion and soul mate. A younger, blond haired man with a beard, and finally, a curly haired young woman, her dark locks just long enough to braid. Strangely enough, the watchers noted that this member of the entourage wore no Ranger sigil, but instead, a tri-pointed jade star set in silver.
Many present had *also* heard some of the rumours surrounding this human, and wondered what the future would bring.
In any case, the watchers now found due cause to subside; for the man named Rimstalker had come to a halt before the seven members of the Council, and merely waited. There was a brief pause, and then Rathenn, head of the Council beneath his present Entil'zha since the mysterious departure of Jeffrey Sinclair, rose to his feet, face stern. "Who comes before us, this day, of all days? Who strides in the footsteps of Valen and the Nine, to seek for that which is given, but at the same time, denied to so many? Who comes?"
"I come." they heard Westcastle declare. "In Valen's Name, and in his footsteps, I come; for I have been called; down from the stars I have flown among. I have been called, returned to the place that created me as I am, in its time of need."
At that, another member of the Council entered the fray. "The need is understood, the calling accepted; but what you seek is not easily attained; you must prove to us your worth!"
A nod of acceptance. "It shall be as you say; in the cycles since I first came here, I have seen great Darkness, and been through the heart of the Fire. I have seen far too many pass beyond the Veil, to protect us from that Darkness. But against the Night, I helped to create a great Force; a force that has served us all in ways we never could have imagined when we began the task. And since then, I have flown with them, between the stars, protecting that which must continue.
But there comes a time, in all things, when one must stand aside from that which is, for such is the way of life, and our way, *is* the way of Life. And so, I stand aside, in the name of He who followed me through all the battles, all the Darkness; it is his time, now."
At that, the watchers observed a short, but pointed meeting of gazes between the Rimstalker and Sha'vei Tashann, and understood the meaning of that meeting of eyes, even as William Westcastle; Sha'vei, Rimstalker, and husband to the woman named Observer, knelt on the stone floor, before the assembled Council. Understood how *very* hard it must have been, for him to set aside the command of the White Star Fleet, the thing that gave him more joy then anything else...with one, small exception, of course.
"And so it is, my fellow councilmembers..." Rathenn continued, his smile knowing, "That we observe the arrival of a legend into our midst; a legend who was, at the same time, noble enough to stand aside when the time was right; wise enough to attend to the Other Side of his soul, in her time of need. And yet, the Anla'shok cannot do without him; for we owe him much, much *indeed*. It is enough, I think, that the gift we give him in the name of his actions is a simple one.
A gift of peace. For while he may, from time to time, yet sail among the stars with those he calls friends, this place now has a hold on him that is stronger then words. We call you home, Rimstalker; accept your beseechment to the position you seek. Rise, Sha'vei no'Raden Westcastle, you have *more* then earned your place among us."
There were no cheers, as would happen in a human gathering such as this one, but the response was *quite* noticable, as several Religious Caste acolytes approached from the rear of the chamber, carrying a *very* important gift for the newest High Councillor of the Rangers. With care, Westcastle allowed them to remove his outer tunic, and then, they replaced it with the lighter brown tunic and robes of his new position.
It was done, then; and with careful stride, the watchers watched this human take his place among the other Councillors, and then, a hush fell over them...for as expected, the Rimstalker had something to say.
"I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this; wasn't sure if I even *deserved* this position you have given me, today. But I look out over those who have come here, to see this happen, and once again, I understand. Understand the reason I came here, four years ago, to take up the burden of the battle against the Great Enemy. I look out, and see the faces of all those who survived, when others did not. We fought that fight for all of you; and now, we must look to the future, to the generations of Anla'shok yet to be."
* * *
White Star Four; one week later; on patrol, near the confluence of Minbari and Human space.
"All is quiet, for now." Larieken declared from the first officer's seat, while above and behind him, Julia attended to the operations board, and tried not to meet his eyes. "And you, my young human friend; you are also quiet. Why might this be?"
"You know *all* too well." she replied, finally looking up; Larieken, of course, narrowed his eyes when he saw her expression. "It almost seems...like everyone's...like everyone's beginning to go their seperate ways. What we built, what we had together; it's all starting to come apart!"
G'kael, gone to Narn. William and Jennifer, to Tuzanor, and their new tasks, their children. Like all things, this bond they had was coming apart at the seams. *Nothing* good ever lasted, she thought darkly.
"*So*..." Larieken replied thoughtfully. "That is the cause of your latest dark mood. I do not mean to dissuade you, Julia, but this is the way things must be; this is the way of life. The Rimstalker and all his companions were drawn together by need; the Great War brought us together, and for a time, we Rode on the Storm in his name, and in the name of our Entil'zha, and the President, when Captain, he still was. As you humans say, we fought the good fight, and in the end, victory was ours."
"But there's a price for that victory, Larieken...there's *always* a price. And we're not the only ones affected by this condition. Haven't you heard?...even the people that gathered around Sheridan are starting to go their seperate ways."
"*Hold*. Just for a moment there, before you changed topics, it seemed to me that you were about to say something else. I know you too well, Julia Tikopai, for you to hide anything from me at this stage. We are loyal companions, and I have come to trust you in all things."
She sighed, and then ruefully nodded. "I should have known better then to even talk to you while this other matter was concerning me. Very well, yes, there *is* a problem; it's been growing for some time, but the closer we get to the end of the year, the more noticable it's becoming.
It's Val'na Tolmanes, Larieken; I can see it in her eyes, and if I was a telepath, I have no doubt that her unhappiness would be leaking out and into my mind on a minute-by-minute basis. Something's wrong, Larieken; and I mean to find out *what*."
* * *
<Communication link to Mars established.>
"Bester." Brianna stated, as she stared into the screen in her quarters. "I received your message; what is it you want?"
In the screen, and light years away on Mars, Mr. Bester smiled his nasty smile. "Well now...let's just say that a little bird told me you paid a visit to Miss Lyta Alexander a few months ago, on Babylon 5. Now admittedly, she and you have something of a shared past history with the Vorlons, but where she went with them...well now, it was a little more then you did, yes?"
Brianna slowly drew in a breath, and exhaled it. Had to stay calm... "That's right, Mr. Bester...I did...and it was. You may recall, at the time, that Lyta had just come out of a crisis that you helped to engineer?"
"Come now, Miss Tolmanes, false accusations will get you nowhere; you know very well that Byron was behind the whole thing. I tried to help him, tried to stop what was happening from going where it did; but you know what happens, sometimes; occasionally, even though you may have the best of intentions, everyone else in the universe seems to think you're out to get them. Byron, now: he thought that I *was* out to get him, and as a result...what happened, happened. It was a terrible tragedy, but such is life."
"Life?"
"Yes. But let me come to the point...Miss Tolmanes, the fact that you and Lyta Alexander have had words implies, to me, that your leash needs to be drawn in... significantly. When we last spoke, on Mars, I implied to you that I would expect you to join with us at the end of this year. Due to certain extenuating circumstances, I fear I must advance that deadline, somewhat."
"What?"
"I'm afraid so...a week from now is about as far as my patience will last. " And then, Bester's gaze hardened. "Make no mistake, Miss Tolmanes, if you don't appear by the end of the coming week, the result will not be one you will want to see. After all, there is his new position to consider...and the *children*, of course."
You bastard, she thought...but she didn't say that aloud; she and Lyta had made certain agreements that went above and beyond anything Bester could do to her with mere words. In the end, if it all worked out, they would tear his precious organization apart from end to end...if it all worked out. But for now, she merely nodded. "It will be difficult...sir. High Councillor Westcastle has only recently appointed me to my new position among the Rangers..."
"Doesn't matter to me how you do it, only that you do. One week, Miss Tolmanes, that is all." And then, the signal cut.
For a few moments, she simply sat there in silence, feeling the dark night of her soul drawing near. How would *any* of them be able to forgive her, after this? But long ago, she had sworn she would protect William, in all things...
Even to this.
"Computer."
<Standing by.>
"Begin recording first of three personal messages. The first is to be addressed to Sha'vei no'Raden William Westcastle; destination, Tuzanor. The second to Anla'shok Shi'vek Julia Tikopai. And the third, to Sech Jennifer Westcastle, same address as the first."
<Understood. Begin Recording?>
Brianna took a deep breath, and then began to speak.
* * *
White Star Five and White Star Sixty-six; elsewhere, and elsewhen...
"Have you heard?" Talion inquired.
Tashann smiled, and nodded back at the hologram of his friend. "Indeed, the message came just a short time, ago.
Two hours ago, the Rimstalker and the Observer, Valen go with them, became the parents of a set of twin children...a boy and a girl, as you humans say."
"Hmm. Richard William and Celia Dreanna. Interesting names."
"*Very*." Tashann wryly replied. "And knowing our comrades as we do, there is probably a hidden meaning in those names somewhere, beyond the *obvious*."
Talion nodded, and sighed. "You still miss her, don't you?"
Tashann nodded, and looked out to the stars ahead of his White Star. "Yes, my friend; more then you will ever know."
* * *
Tuzanor. Late evening, local time; September 14th, 2262.
Chronicles Log; Realizations.
Out into the pale night, a scream...and then, another. Their mother never screamed, though, and even though Rishaa, her Minbari physician, offered aid during the process of labour, she never took it. So brave, she has been, in all the things we have been through; this was, I suppose, merely another chapter in the story.
But *what* a chapter. What a turning point. When I first met Jennifer, all those years ago on a planet now destroyed, I never really believed that it would come to this, that there would be enough time for peace, enough time to bring two new lives into the world. But now, as I cradle my newborn son in my arms, and look out under the light of the Minbari moons, I can finally admit to myself that it was all worth it, to reach this point. In the years to come, as Richard and his sister Celia grow up, we will sit beneath the crystal towers of Tuzanor, and my son and daughter, sooner or later, will ask the all important questions...
Why are we here? What did it all mean? And how was it that Father and Mother managed to stand so near to death, and avoid it? They will watch the images of what was, listen to the stories we tell them, and wonder what it all meant...how two great and powerful forces, ancient beyond words, drew us into something that will be remembered for a thousand years.
At least, it will be, if Jennifer continues to write of those events at her current pace. But what a tale it will make, in the end.
What a tale.
She is sleeping, now, and so is Celia, in the cradles that the Minbari built for us. They are...an interesting design, to say the least, but after all, even the Minbari must look after infants of their own, yes?
They will grow up amidst the crystal towers, and I can see a time when my son and daughter will, no doubt, speak the languages of the Castes more fluently then we do. Perhaps one or both of them will even understand enough to follow in our footsteps.
Hmm. I must pause for a moment in this; there is a message coming in; it is a Ranger communication, I can tell that even from a distance. Never seems to fail; who could be calling at this hour, and for what reason?
I must get it; I suppose I will find out, soon enough.
* * *
To be continued. Twice more!
* * *
Next time: as the tale of the Rimstalker moves into its waning phase, William discovers what has happened to Brianna, and confronts Bester, one last time. Meanwhile, Julia and Larieken bring the White Star Four back to Minbar, for now that Brianna has fallen victim to her promise, what will be the fate of William's former command? "Bridled Rider" the Seventh part of "Walkers" coming tomorrow...