"The third principle of sentient life is its capacity for self-sacrifice: for a cause, for a loved one, and for a friend. But the noblest is for the one who is all three..."

Sheridan wearily leaned against the airlock wall, waiting for the lights to change color and the door to open. Finally, all those hours of EVA were over, and the time shift system was stabilized and ready to go. It was time to let Sinclair do whatever he felt he had to do, and for the rest of them to get out of there.

The lights brightened and the door hissed open. Too tired to do more than pull off his helmet, he clumped into the station and winced at the noise of the alarms. The tachyon bursts, the general instability of space-time in this sector, Ivanova's helpful false warnings, and a general evacuation made for some loud alarms.

He reached the deserted main corridor leading to C&C, looking around curiously at the amount of damage. He had been protected from the instability in his suit in the core and hadn't felt any of the severe shaking.

To his even greater surprise, he saw Zathras pinned beneath a fallen support girder, and went to help.

Zathras smiled in satisfaction. "Zathras knew the One would not leave him."

"What?" Sheridan asked, not fully paying attention, then grunted trying to shift the large metal bar without success. He tapped his link. "Sheridan to White Star."

Marcus answered. "White Star. Go ahead, Captain."

"Marcus, I need some help. Come to the main corridor near C&C. Zathras is trapped."

"Coming."

Sheridan looked again at Zathras. "What did you say?" The small alien grinned like a madman.

Zathras nodded repeatedly. "Zathras was right. I know you."

The captain was uncomfortable under Zathras' suddenly too-knowing stare and looked away. Marcus came trotting up soon after. "Ah, I see. You are in a bit of a jam."

Two people made it easy and Zathras was freed quickly. As he scrambled to his feet, Marcus asked him, "Zathras, what about the stabilizer? And Entil'Zha?"

"Fixed," Zathras announced. "Gave it to him, did Zathras."

Marcus let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank Valen." Then to Sheridan's observing gaze, he seemed to grow troubled again. "I'm going to tell Susan the news." He moved off toward C&C.

Sheridan called after him. "We'll meet you there." Then he asked Zathras, "So if you gave Sinclair the stabilizer, where is he?"

Zathras shrugged and bobbed his head. "Not far. On his way."

"Good." Sheridan plopped down on a supply crate. "I'd look for him, but I'd rather just wait." He started to strip his suit, while Zathras merely watched him, grinning to himself.

Ivanova watched on the main monitor of C&C as the shuttle carrying Commander Sinclair, Garibaldi, and the last of the B4 evacuees slipped through the distortion field, heading to B5.

Strange to think she was also out there on the station, working in blissful ignorance of Shadows and her own future self here on Babylon 4.

Her hand dropped away from the comm activation switch, having conquered the temptation to contact the shuttle. Was it wrong or right not to warn Michael about Jack?

She had chosen not to contact him, knowing she was thereby inflicting near death and betrayal on her good friend. But tampering with time could be dangerous. She knew that in her universe, Michael had not known. Changing that fact could change other events as well.

She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that Michael had survived and Clark would have found a way to assassinate Santiago anyway. But it still hurt. If only Jeff were here right now to talk to about this... She needed his steady morality right now.

She smiled a bit, remembering the Sinclair and Ivanova in 2258. He had worked for so long, so subtly, to help her find her confidence again. Little by little, under the pressure of his faith in her, the walls had cracked.

Looking back now, it was just as he had said to Sheridan: everything had led to this. Earth Force had sent her to replace Takashima, believing Ivanova would be less personally loyal to Sinclair and more loyal to Earth Dome. A spy of sorts, and certainly someone they thought they could count on when Clark came to power.

But a year and a half under the tutelage of Jeff Sinclair had changed her. Through example he had shown her the importance of principles and right, and fighting for both. By the time of Colonel Ben Zayn's visit, Clark's henchmen must have realized that she had no intention of playing obedient soldier anymore.

But if she had been more of a lap dog, Earthdome might not have decided to put in a new station commander, and Jeff wouldn't have gone to Minbar to become Ranger One...

The chain of cause and effect stretched back as far as the mind would trace it, all to end up here and now. Would she later understand the greater purpose in Jeff's being lost in time?

How could she, if he was going to die some meaningless death a thousand years ago? Maybe getting unstuck in time was the universe's way of saying Jeffrey Sinclair was not supposed to go back with the station.

The C&C doors opened and she turned to see Marcus hurry in. "Susan! Zathras said he fixed the stabilizer and gave it to Entil'Zha. They're all on their way here."

Her moment of relief that Sinclair was rescued passed as soon as it had come. They had run out of time. Jeff was going to sacrifice himself and there was nothing they could do.

She was so wrapped in her own gloom she didn't catch Marcus' murmur at first. "What?"

His eyes were deep and somber as he repeated, "I'm going to take his place."

A cold stone dropped within her. "No, Marcus. No. There must be another way."

He shook his head and moved to join her in front of the window. "No. There's no one else. Someone has to guide the station back, and I won't-- I can't let Entil'Zha do it."

"But Marcus--" she wondered why she was suddenly arguing for Sinclair to be the one to go. "What if this truly is his destiny?"

"It's not," he answered, with surprising certainty. "His destiny is to be Entil'Zha in the war against the Shadows. That's where he belongs."

"How do you know?"

"I saw a timeflash, Susan. Of the future." He moved closer to her, but his gaze went past her. "The Shadow war was over. We'd won. But only if I follow my heart and do what's right. This is right, Susan. I know it is."

Her eyes pricked with tears and she offered quickly, "I'll go."
He shook his head and found a wry smile for her. "And you know how many words in any Minbari language?"

She glared at him, trapped. She didn't want him to go, but she didn't want Jeff to go either.

Marcus saw her resistance and touched the Ranger brooch pinned to his cloak. "I am a Ranger." Then he added, obviously quoting, "'We walk in the dark places no others will enter. We stand on the bridge and no one may pass. We live for the One, and we die for the One.'"

She swallowed hard. She had known that the Rangers were sworn to follow Ranger One, but she hadn't known the depth of their dedication.

His gaze dropped away from hers and he whispered. "He gave me back my life, when I only wanted to die. I can't let him do this."

Susan valiantly pushed away tears. He was resolved on his course, and who was she to demand otherwise? But still, she felt as if something long hidden inside was breaking.

She reached for his hand and managed only to say, "I know."
He squeezed her hand in silent thanks and let go.

She asked, "What are we going to do? There's not much time."

"When the rest of them go back to the White Star, you and I will stay behind."

"Then we'll force him on the ship."
He shook his head. "We can't."

"Why not?" She pointed to the pike hanging off his belt. "You're good with that thing."

"If we give him a chance to fight, it's over. You're right, I'm good -- but Entil'Zha is better."

"Not when he's unconscious," she pointed out. She could see his flash of shock at the idea of knocking out Sinclair, but the idea grew on him.

"We don't have much choice, do we?" he asked, resigned. "You distract him, I'll stun him."

She held out her hand and they sealed the bargain.

The doors opened and they dropped hands like guilty children.

Sheridan, Delenn, Zathras, and Sinclair entered. Ivanova's jaw dropped at the sight of Sinclair, and next to her, Marcus took an involuntary step forward, suddenly tense with anxiety. She blurted, "My God, Jeff! What happened?"

Not that it wasn't obvious. He looked as if he had aged ten years, with solidly grey temples and creases which hadn't been there before. Besides the mysterious aging, he was also clearly exhausted. He ran a hand through his suddenly silver-threaded hair and looked rueful. "I feel like I went two rounds in the Mutai. My advice is to avoid being unstuck in time, if you can."

He smiled, but Susan recognized the look in his eyes, having seen it before on the station. He was ready to do what conscience dictated, regardless of personal consequence.

She sternly kept control of her face so he wouldn't read her equal determination that this time, he wasn't going anywhere.

They joined her in front of the main control console. Jeff stood just apart, Zathras at his side, while Marcus moved to put his back to the window so he could watch the whole room.

Sheridan faced Sinclair and asked abruptly, "You're really going to do this?"

"You heard Delenn, Captain. Without this station in the last great war, the Minbari couldn't defeat the Shadows." He reached for the green Ranger brooch attached to his brown and gold cloak. It was the sort of automatic gesture someone made when checking that he still had something in a pocket. "But someone has to guide it. There's no automatic."

"Then I'll take her out." Marcus volunteered, but with little expectation that Sinclair would change his mind.

Sinclair shook his head once, but his expression was sympathetic. "Marcus, thank you, but I have to take it back. A lot depends on this station arriving in the past."

Marcus' lips tightened in rebellion, but he didn't object again. His gaze snapped to her, silently pleading that she try and find words that would persuade him.

"No," she took a step toward him. "I can't accept this. Damn it, Jeff, I --"

"Susan, it's all right." His warm, light brown eyes met hers so directly it seemed they were alone. "My whole life has been leading to this. I understand what I'm choosing."

His will struck hers, and her own slipped. He was so sure of this, at peace and almost glad. Could there be something else, something he wasn't saying? While she knew that Jeff Sinclair would gladly give his life for the knowledge that he was saving the future, she was unsure if he would be quite this eager.

He took her silence for acceptance and reached across to squeeze her arm gently. "Thank you."

She dropped her eyes, confused again. If this was what he wanted...

Once she was no longer imprisoned in his gaze, her doubts were pushed aside. Just because he wanted to do it, didn't mean that someone else couldn't do it. Draal had taken over at Epsilon 3, and that had been Delenn's choice, since she feared Sinclair would do it. This was the same thing. His friends had to thwart his sacrificial good intentions so that he remained in the present where he was much more important than anything he could possibly have done a thousand years ago.

Apparently believing that the objections were satisfied, Sinclair requested, "Would you and Marcus give us a minute? There's something we need to discuss."

She nodded and slowly walked away.

"Entil'Zha veni," Marcus murmured, bowing his head, and he followed Susan out.

Sinclair watched them leave and frowned. He knew them both well and had expected more objection. Perhaps they realized that he had to do this. Marcus' farewell had seemed to indicate acceptance at least. That was good; he didn't want to leave behind too many who were unhappy with his plans. It gave him hope that Garibaldi might come to acceptance too.

If not, there was little Jeff could do about it. His experience being "unstuck" had shown him what would happen if he did not -- the station would be destroyed and Garibaldi would die.

I'm sorry, Michael, he sent out the thought, I know you're going to have a hard time with this when they tell you, but it's the only way to keep you alive.

He put it all aside. There was one last matter to attend to. He raised his eyebrows at Sheridan who had been shifting impatiently for some time, about to burst with a question he hadn't wanted to ask in front of Susan and Marcus. "You had a question, Captain?"

"Yes, I did." Sheridan faced Zathras and asked, "Before, when you were stuck under the beam, why did you call me the One?"

The last piece of the puzzle snapped into place for Sinclair. Before Zathras spoke, his mind had raced ahead to the conclusion. The Vorlons had confirmed Sheridan was in the right place, but Sinclair hadn't understood why. Now, at last, it was clear.

Zathras rocked back and forth on his heels, grinning smugly. "Zathras knew. Zathras is oldest living caretaker of great machine. 110 years old. Zathras has studied the great machine. Knows things even Draal does not know yet. And I know you," he turned his eyes from Sinclair to Delenn and Sheridan in turn, "and I know you, and I know you."

Zathras help up three fingers to demonstrate as he explained, mostly for Sheridan's benefit. "All Minbari belief is around three. Three castes: worker, warrior, religious. Three languages. Light, dark, grey. Nine of the grey council: three times three. All is three. As you are three."

He inscribed a circle in the air to draw them together symbolically. "As you are one. As you are the One. You are the one who was," Zathras' gaze lit on Sinclair briefly, who was impressed with the change from scatter-brain to focused teacher. His eyes moved on to Delenn and then Sheridan. "You are the one who is, you are the one who will be. You are the beginning of the story, the middle of the story, the end of the story, which forms the next great story. In your heart, you know what Zathras says is true."

Sinclair knew he did and he knew Delenn did. He looked to Sheridan, who was not a man who was comfortable with the spiritual, preferring the hard edges of reality, but even he nodded. Sinclair smiled a little -- Delenn and Kosh between them had prepared him well.

After that, there was little to say. He shook Sheridan's hand and said goodbye. Then he faced Delenn and neither of them could speak. She bowed her head briefly then laid one hand over her heart and raised the other to him, palm out, in the gesture of Minbari blessing and farewell to a loved one.

He blinked away tears, and returned the gesture, honored by the inclusion into her heart, as she had been in his for so long. He watched them leave, to return to the life he would never know again.

Zathras touched his sleeve and said, not without sympathy, "We have much to do."

* * * *

Once outside C&C, Susan and Marcus did not head back to the White Star. Instead they went in the opposite direction into an alcove near the C&C entrance.

Side by side, they pressed back into the niche. She whispered, "Still ready?"

He nodded resolutely. "'We live for the One, we die for the One,'" he murmured again. "The Rangers, the war -- we need him."

She put a hand on his arm. That seemed to break a little of his self-control. He turned into her body and held her tightly. His voice ragged, he whispered into her hair, "Susan, if there were anyone else..."

"Hush, Marcus," she ran her hands through his hair, finally able to do what she had been dreaming of doing for so long. Now that it was too late to do more. "And take this with you." She kissed him, holding back nothing. Flesh to flesh, they pressed together desperately, and she strained for a greater connection.

Like a butterfly pushing from a cocoon, her mind broke through the barriers where she had hidden it and touched his. The butterfly flew free -- twining them together in an intimacy deeper than words. In an instant he knew she loved him, and he loved her, that she would miss him, but that she accepted his going.

He withdrew first, as the door to C&C opened. In his eyes she could see his wonder at the connection and what he had felt, but he did not speak.

She heard footsteps and recognized the Sheridan's stride and Delenn's lighter tread heading down the corridor. She dared a quick glance of confirmation and saw Sheridan and Delenn, arm in arm, at the other end of the corridor. Then they turned the corner, and the corridor was deserted.

She pulled back into the niche. "Zathras didn't go. I guess he's staying."

When she looked again at Marcus, the moment of togetherness had passed. He had settled into himself, readying himself for what he was about to do. He would not be swayed. While a large part of her cried out against it, she also knew it was the right thing to do.

"Then we have to draw Entil'Zha out," he said. "You lie down at that end, as if you're hurt, and I'll get him." His Minbari pike telescoped out with a soft metallic whisper and he stepped out of the alcove. "Let's do it."

She tiptoed past C&C and lay down on the floor at the end of the corridor. Marcus gave the doors to C&C two solid blows with the pike and then pressed up against the wall.

Not even half a minute later, the doors opened and, as expected, Sinclair poked his head out. He immediately saw Ivanova. "Susan!"

He hurried down the corridor and, on cat feet, Marcus followed.

Sinclair's battle instinct had not deserted him entirely, for he started to turn just as Marcus swung the pike. Susan winced at the crash as head and pike came together. She reached to catch Sinclair, as he dropped in a soft fall of his robes. Carefully she laid him flat and checked his vital signs. He was out like the proverbial light, but thankfully his pulse was steady.

"I'm sorry, Entil'Zha," Marcus murmured, standing over them. "But she wouldn't want you to do this. I won't let it happen."

Ivanova scooted to Sinclair's feet. "Come on; let's get him to the White Star."

He collapsed his pike and bent down to take Sinclair's shoulders. Before they had lifted him, Ivanova's commlink chirped. She hit it. "Ivanova."

"Commander?" Sheridan asked. "Where are you?"

"We're on the way," she answered. "I just needed a.. souvenir."

"Get back here on the double. We don't want to be trapped here."

"On our way. Ivanova out." She bent and took hold of Sinclair's legs again and lifted. For a slim man, he was unexpectedly dense and heavy.

At the hole in the station's hull, they set him down and their eyes met. "You have to go," he murmured. "I don't envy you -- Entil'Zha will be quite angry when he wakes up."

"I should go with you."

He shook his head once. "No. This is my path, not yours. But I wish..." he trailed off, knowing the futility of the wish. "Be careful, Susan."

"You too." Before she lost her will to do this, she lowered herself in the hole. She glanced around, but fortunately the area was deserted. "All clear."

Marcus eased Sinclair down to her, feet-first, and Susan lowered him to the floor. She then returned to look up through the hole, at Marcus above her. He said nothing, but she knew what he felt, and knew that he knew what she felt.

She hit the control to shut the hatch, and as it rolled shut, she lifted a hand and whispered, "Dosvedanya."

Forcing back the tears, she returned to Sinclair's supine form and dragged Sinclair through the airlock. Then she touched her comm. "Ivanova to bridge. We're aboard."

"Then we're out of here."

The ship lurched as they disconnected from the station and she swayed as the ship turned quickly and headed out of the distortion field.

* * * *

Marcus took his time returning to C&C, needing to give the White Star plenty of time to get clear with Entil'Zha. His heart was pounding rapidly as he considered the enormity of what he was planning. A thousand years...

But it was necessary, he reminded himself, touching the isil'zha pinned to his cloak. Other Rangers had sacrificed their lives -- he could do no less.

The timeflash he had experienced was a fire in the middle of his resolve. He remembered Entil'Zha's voice, seeing the face of his mentor before him and the impression of the two of them in the middle of a vast, empty space, perhaps a cargo bay, or perhaps a dream.

"Because of me," Entil'Zha said. "Because you followed your heart and did the right thing."

"But it was wrong!" Marcus heard himself exclaim.

"Who can say?" Sinclair returned calmly. "The war is over, Marcus. Light won. Maybe if none of this had happened, the Shadows would have won. We don't know. All we know is what happened and accept it. We can't remain tied to the past, when it's the future we have to build."

"That's an odd thing to hear from you," Marcus retorted, smiling.

The scene had dimmed and shifted, dizzyingly swift, but Marcus had heard Sinclair chuckle, and the sound had returned with him back to the bright lights of the station.

It was comforting, Marcus thought, that he knew absolutely how right his action would be from this future message.

He strolled back to C-and-C and, when he thought he had dawdled enough, he walked through the doors.

"Where did you go?" Zathras asked, without turning from the side console he was working at. "Must go, time system --" then he turned his head and stopped speaking. He blinked rapidly in completely speechless surprise.

Marcus grinned. "I think you were saying something about going?"

"No, no, no, no," Zathras said, looking panicked, and peered behind Marcus as if hoping Sinclair would materialize. "Where is the One?"

"Not here. You'll have to make do with me."

"No. Must find, must have the One --" Zathras reached toward the comm system but Marcus closed a hand over his wrist.

"I'm taking his place, Zathras."

Zathras yanked free with unexpected ease. "No. You did not listen to Zathras. Must have, or all is lost. Destiny! Was, must be. Big circle."

"Destiny," Marcus sneered, finally losing his patience with cryptic warnings. "Destiny to be killed? Destiny to die a meaningless death a thousand years ago?"

Zathras stared at him, with huge, round eyes. "You do not understand. No meaningless death, great meaning. Great importance to Minbari and to galaxy."

"Sure," Marcus said dismissively. "I know. The Minbari need the station to fight the Shadows. I heard the speech from Delenn."

"Also need the One," Zathras added anxiously, trying to make him see. "The One leads us, all follow the One."

"What are you talking about? What Minbari would follow a Human? Follow him how?"

"Not Human, changed. Like Delenn," Zathras emphasized, gazing up at him with earnest, beady eyes. "But into Minbari, into the One who was."

Everything inside Marcus froze at Zathras' words. The picture he'd had so clear in his mind shattered and reformed into a new image which horrified him with its implications. Everything he had heard Delenn and Entil'Zha say took on new meaning. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. The words "Minbari not born of Minbari" echoed in his head like bells of death.

Zathras nodded once. "Yes, yes, now you see." And just to make sure Marcus grasped it all, Zathras added with deep reverence, "Valen."

"Oh God, what have I done?" Marcus whispered, then dove for the comm. "Babylon 4 to White Star. Come in, White Star. Babylon 4 to White Star, come back! You must come back."

The computer's voice answered blandly, "There are no vessels within communications range."

Marcus faced Zathras, stricken to the soul. Because he hadn't trusted Entil'Zha enough and hadn't obeyed, his impetuous, well-meaning act was going to destroy everything.

"What can we do?"

"Only one thing to do," Zathras answered and returned to the console where the time device had been hooked in.

"Where are we going?" Marcus demanded.

Zathras shook his head, working frantically at the controls. "Not 'where'. When."

Zathras touched a panel. Temporal energies swirled and crashed around Babylon 4, taking them to a when that Marcus hoped could make everything right again.