Author's note:  The characters and places in the following story belong to 
and are copyrighted by J. Michael Straczynski, PTEN, and Warner Brothers, 
a subsidiary of Time Warner, Inc.  All rights reserved.  I'm just borrowing 
them for a little while, and promise to give them right back when I'm done.    (There, that should hold off the lawyers.)  The story itself belongs to Sandra R. Brazelton and is copyrighted 1998, and may not be reprinted without written permission of the author.  

   This story is the follow-up to Descent and Journey into Darkness Part 1, 
and occurs at the beginning of season 5.  You really need to read Descent, 
since you'll be lost without it.  Events in this story differ significantly 
from the televised episodes.  Basically, this story and Descent take place 
in an alternative universe.  Fourth, and possibly fifth season spoiler alert.  
Do not read further if you don't like spoilers.  You have been warned.   The 
story  contains very mild swear words, nothing you haven't heard on the show.  
Anything else?  Ok then, let's dive in!!



JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS
PART 2



Garibaldi watched as the Narn doctor tended to his injured leg.  He'd had 
his doubts about Narn medical treatment at first, but he was surprised at 
how much better his leg felt already.  The day was just full of surprises.  
The biggest surprise of all was that Zack's plan to smuggle him aboard 
G'Kar's ship had actually worked.  No one saw him, and no one was the wiser, 
he hoped.  For Zack's sake as well as his own.    


He looked up to see Lyta watching the proceedings from across the room.  
She was here on G'Kar's ship, over Garibaldi's vehement objections.  He 
couldn't help feeling that she was in way over her head.  
 
 
"I still think you should've stayed back on the station," he said to her as 
the Narn doctor continued to work on his leg.


Lyta folded her arms across her chest.  "You need someone to watch your 
back," she countered, "and with Zack stuck back on the station, I guess I'm 
the one."

Garibaldi shook his head.  "Lyta, things could get rough.  I'm wanted for 
murder, and after what happened on the station, it could get real ugly, real 
fast.  Even if I don't get you killed, you're gonna be in big trouble if 
you're caught with me."


"Don't worry," she said smugly, "I can take care of myself." 


Garibaldi looked up at the ceiling with a "why me?" expression on his face.  
When he looked back at her, he could see she was determined to see this 
through.  He knew this was an argument he wasn't going to win, but he knew 
the dangers and she didn't.  He just hoped she knew what she was getting 
herself into.  


"Ok, but at the first sign of trouble, I want you to bail out," he said.


She looked at him smugly.  "Not a chance," she said.  "And stop worrying."


"I'm serious," he said.  "I don't want anything to happen to you."
 

Lyta walked to the treatment table, and put her hand on Garibaldi's shoulder.  
"Michael, you can't do this alone, as much as you want to.  I DO know the 
dangers, and I'm willing to take the risk.  Besides, I can watch your back 
better than anyone."

He closed his eyes and sighed in defeat.  "Ok, you're right.  You win."  
Then looking at her he said, "But I'm still gonna worry about you."


She squeezed his shoulder, smiled, and said, "I know."


At this point, Ambassador G'Kar didn't merely enter the room, he strode in 
with that 'larger than life' quality that marked everything he did.


"Ah, Mr. Garibaldi, feeling better?"  G'Kar's voice was only a few decibels 
lower than a sonic boom.


Garibaldi looked down at his leg, and saw that the Narn doctor had just 
finished up.  "Yeah, this feels a lot better.  Thanks doc."


The Narn doctor bowed wordlessly and left the room.


"Good," boomed G'Kar with a flourish of his arms.  "We haven't much time.  
We will rendezvous with a Narn cargo vessel shortly.  It has all been 
arranged.  The cargo vessel will see you safely to Mars, while I continue 
on to the Narn homeworld to allay suspicion."


Garibaldi smiled at G'Kar and shook his head.  He wondered, not for the 
first time, what he had done to deserve such good friends.
  

"G'Kar," he said, "I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done.  
I only hope that someday, I can repay the favor."


G'Kar smiled.  "You seek the truth.  We are all seekers of the truth, Mr. 
Garibaldi.  Often, that road is a most perilous one, and we often don't 
know which way to turn.  It is at those times that we must help one another, 
as you helped me when I began to seek the truth."



Garibaldi nodded, remembering G'Kar's transformation from a blustering hot 
head to an eloquent spokesman for his people.


"I still owe you," Garibaldi said.


"We'll see about that later," G'Kar replied.  "For now, get some rest.  You 
have a long and difficult road ahead of you."


-----------------------


Garibaldi watched as Mars grew larger on the cargo ship's main view screen.  
How many times had he left Mars, vowing each time never to return?  And how 
many times had he found himself right back on this God-forsaken chunk of 
dirt?  'If God exists,' he thought, 'she really must be honked off at me.'


Lyta and the captain of the Narn cargo vessel stood beside him in front of 
the view screen. 
 

"We will be arriving at Marsdome in one of your Earth hours," the Narn 
captain explained.  "We have a safe house set up for you with one of our 
dealers there."


Garibaldi looked thoughtful for a moment.  "I don't think it's a good idea 
to go through Mars customs in the regular way," he said.  "Is there some way 
we can get down there 'unofficially'?"



The Narn captain hesitated.  He had been ordered by G'Kar to give these 
humans anything they wanted.  What they most likely wanted was his only 
shuttle craft.  He didn't know what was going on, but orders were orders.


"I have a small shuttle craft you may use," the captain said.  "I will 
prepare it at once."


Lyta nudged Garibaldi's side as the Narn captain left.  "You don't want to 
use our disguises and fake identicards?"


"No," Garibaldi replied.  "Not unless we have to.  I know that Earth Gov 
doesn't have jurisdiction on Mars anymore.  It's just that there could be 
more than a few people there who aren't happy with the split from Earth."


Lyta shook her head in agreement.  "And some of those people are with Psi 
Corps."


"Yeah," he said.  "They could try to use me to destabilize the provisional 
government, or kidnap me and take me back to Earth, or just kill me, and 
anyone else who is with me."  He gave Lyta a sideways look that said 'don't 
risk it'.


"Then we'll just have to make sure we don't get caught," she said.  "Come 
on, lets see what kind of shuttle the Narn captain has for us to use."



As they entered the shuttle bay, Lyta stopped suddenly.  She looked at the 
shuttle in disbelief.  "That is one SMALL shuttle," she exclaimed.


"It was only meant to carry a single Narn," the Narn captain explained, 
"but since humans are so much smaller, you should fit in quite nicely."


Garibaldi was already headed towards the shuttle.  "Come on, Lyta, we 
haven't got all day."  He lowered himself into the tiny ship, and began to 
check out the control panel.
  

"This is the only shuttle you have?" she asked, already knowing the answer.


"Yes," the Narn captain replied, "this is but a small cargo vessel.  We have 
no need for a large shuttle craft."


She wondered if now was a good time to mention that she was claustrophobic.  
No, probably not.  She concentrated, remembering her Psi Corps training, and 
felt the fear begin to subside.


The Narn captain pressed a data crystal into her hand.  "This is the address 
of our dealer on Mars.  His name is T'Ban.  His home is in the southern 
sector of Marsdome.  You will be safe there.  Now, go, and may G'Quan be 
with you."


Steeling her nerves, Lyta walked to the shuttle.


"Hop in," Garibaldi said with a mischievous grin.  "It's really quite cozy."


Lyta seriously doubted that.  As gracefully as she could, she entered the 
shuttle and tried to settle in.  It was, to put it mildly, a tight fit.  
She looked at Garibaldi, who seemed to be enjoying this a little too much.
 
 
"Can we leave now?" she asked.


"Sure," he replied, still grinning.  "Next stop, Marsdome."


Garibaldi began to work the control panel, and closed the shuttle's door.  
The shuttle bay depressurized, and the tiny ship headed out into space. 
 

------------------------



"Are you sure you know where this T'Ban lives?" Lyta asked.  It seemed that 
they had been walking for hours.  She was totally lost.  The neighborhood 
they were in looked more than a little run down.


Garibaldi looked out from under his slouch hat, which had been pulled down 
over his eyes.  "It's just up ahead," he replied.  "I know this sector of 
Marsdome pretty well from the old days."


They walked on.  Lyta shivered as she adjusted the backpack she was 
carrying.  It was daytime on Mars, but the air around them held a chill 
that Lyta just couldn't shake off.  The dim sunlight reflected off the red 
sand, filling the dome with a strange orange glow.
 

At least Garibaldi seemed to know where he was going, she hoped.  He stopped 
in front of a small, non-descript building, and again checked the address 
they had been given.
  

"This should be it," Garibaldi said.  He glanced around nervously as they 
walked to the door and activated the call button on the control pad.  So 
far, so good.  They hadn't been followed, at least as far as he could tell, 
and he had made sure they hadn't been by taking the long way here, on foot.


In response to his signal, a tall Narn, much taller than normal, answered 
the door.  "Yes, what do you want," he demanded.


"We were sent here by G'Kar," Garibaldi replied.


The Narn smiled.  "Ah, yes.  I've been expecting you.  Come inside, 
quickly."  The Narn ushered them in.  "My name is T'Ban, welcome to my 
home."


Lyta entered as Garibaldi took one last look around outside to make sure 
they hadn't been followed.  He then entered, and gave the place 'the once 
over'.  It was small, one main room, with two other rooms branching off 
it.  Typical of this section of Marsdome.  He noticed that Lyta had already 
found a place to sit on the couch.  She looked tired.  Hell, he felt as 
tired as she looked.


"I see you made sure you weren't followed," T'Ban noted.  "Most wise.  Come, 
sit.  You must be hungry and tired after your long journey.  I will prepare 
food for you, and then you will rest."


T'Ban left for one of the other rooms before Garibaldi had a chance to say 
anything.  He was beginning to think that all Narns were as forthright and 
self assured as G'Kar.  He took off his hat and backpack, placed them beside 
the couch, and sat beside Lyta.
  

"Are you as tired as I am?" Lyta asked.


"A little," he replied, looking down at the bare, stone floor.  As they sat 
there in silence, he tried not to fidget.  He hated waiting, waiting was 
the worst part.  They were close, so close to the base.  He hated to just 
sit and do nothing, but he knew they would have to be sharp if they had any 
chance of making this work.
   

"Look, Michael," Lyta said, "I know you want to get started right away, but 
neither of us is in any condition."  She began to notice the aroma wafting 
from the kitchen.  Her stomach began to remind her of just how long it had 
been since she'd eaten anything besides the emergency rations they carried 
with them.  "We both need something to eat, and a few hours sleep will do 
us  a world of good."


"The female is right," T'Ban interrupted, carrying what must have been the 
biggest tray of food Garibaldi had seen since the last Centauri banquet on 
the station.  He hadn't been all that hungry, at least not until he'd 
smelled what T'Ban had prepared.  "You will eat, then get some rest, and 
then set out on your journey after dark."


As they rose from the couch, Garibaldi said, "Yeah, you're right.  I just 
hate waiting, that's all."  He sat down at the dining table and looked at 
what T'Ban had prepared.  He didn't quite know what it was, but if it 
tasted only half as good as it smelled, it would be all right.  The first 
taste clinched it. "This is really good, T'Ban, what is it?"


"A Narn delicacy," T'Ban replied.  "G'Kar once told me it is similar to an 
Earth dish called 'Swedish meatballs'."


By this time, Garibaldi's mouth was too full of food for him to do more 
than grunt his approval.  He and Lyta spent the next half hour eating mostly 
in silence, eating until they couldn't face another bite.
  

Lyta stifled a yawn as she rose from the table.  "Thank you, T'Ban.  It was 
delicious."


"You are most welcome," T'Ban replied with a bow.  "And now you must rest.  
My sleeping quarters are at your disposal.  Come, I will show you." 

 
"Lyta," Garibaldi offered, "you take the bedroom and I'll sack out on the 
couch."


"Ok," Lyta replied with a sigh, "since I'm too tired to argue about it 
anyway.  I'll get you a pillow and a blanket."  Lyta went into the bedroom 
and brought out the items.  "Here," she said as she handed them to him, "get 
some sleep.  See you in a little while."  With that, she went into the 
bedroom and closed the door.


T'Ban clearly did not understand this strange [to him] turn of events.  
Narns thought no more of sleeping together than they did about breathing.  
"You are not going to sleep with the female?," he asked.


Garibaldi couldn't help but look startled.  He quickly recovered and said, 
"No, no.  We're... um...well, it's hard to explain.  Just trust me, it's 
better for all of us this way."


T'Ban regarded the human for a moment before deciding to let the matter 
drop.  "Very well," he said, "I will wake you as soon as it gets dark.  
Sleep well."
  

Garibaldi tried to get comfortable on the well worn couch. He settled in 
and in no time at all was fast asleep.


--------------------------