G'Kar sat at the bar and nursed a drink as he waited for word from the cruiser that his government had sent to quickly survey the supposedly dead world and get back. He needed the proof to convince the others, or they were all lost.
It was dangerous, of course, but that's why they were under instructions to get in and get out quickly. No lingering to alert the ancient enemy to their presence.
If even half the old stories were true, then they had to move quickly or they would all be overwhelmed. Once he had proof, the others would have to see that.
"Can I have a Dr. Pepper?" a voice said next to G'Kar, looking to the bartender.
He turned to see an unusual sight for Babylon 5. A teenager. There were almost no children on the station save a handful of families.
This one was a human wearing a pretty dress with a thin cloth he believed was called silk. It was actually a synthetic, but it was hard to tell that from looking. She was slender, with dusky skin and long dark hair.
In a few years, she'd be a very attractive woman, the sort that, a year ago, he'd be looking to entertain privately. Heaven bless the universe for creating the females of so many species to be such lovely creatures.
Of course, this was a veritable child and he had more important matters to attend to. He started to turn back away from her to return to his own drink.
She, apparently had noticed the momentary attention, however. She turned to face him and smiled.
"Hello," she said with a smile.
"Yes, hello," G'Kar noted politely, hoping that would satisfy the girl. "You should probably go, this isn't the best place for a child like you."
"I'm fine," the girl said, waving him off.
She nodded in a friendly manner and turned back to the bartender as he gave her the drink. Then she started walking over toward the arcade, walking far too alluringly for someone of her age. If she were his daughter, there'd be no way he'd let her walk around in such a manner amongst such a mixed company.
Not until she was at least thirty.
Indeed, as he watched a pair of dock workers moved to block the girl's access to the arcade.
"What do we have here?" one said, leering. "It's tasty sweet in a pretty wrapping."
"Uhhh, okay," the girl said as G'Kar turned to face the situation cautiously. "I want to get back to my game now."
"We've got another game for you," the other said as he reached to grab the girl's shoulder.
"Let go of me," the girl snapped warningly, smile turning into a frown.
"Come on, you'll...owwwww!!!" the dock worker's proposition was interrupted as the fifteen-year old human reached up and twisted his hand around.
She was frowning intently at him as she continued twisting, apparently not noticing the other dock worker starting to recover from his shock.
Fortunately, G'Kar grabbed the man and pulled him aside forcefully.
"That would not be nice," he said with a smirk.
He turned to see security moving in and nodded, calming down. He looked to the human girl, still smiling.
"You can let go now, child," he said.
A snapping sound came from the dock worker's arm and the girl kept twisting as she continued staring past a frown. For a moment, G'Kar thought he saw a white spark erupt in front of her left eye in time with a renewed shriek from the man she was holding.
"Child," he said firmly, tapping her on the shoulder firmly but cautiously.
Almost immediately she let go, the man that had grabbed her falling back on to the ground cradling his arm. She blinked and stepped back from the scene as the security guards arrived on the seen.
"What's going on here?" one of the officers said, G'Kar recognized him as a Mr. Allen.
"That little bitch burned me with something," the pained man shrieked. "And she broke my arm."
"The...the little girl?" Allen asked with something of a smile and a laugh.
"I'm afraid the man might be correct," G'Kar said. "He and his associate here accosted the child in a highly inappropriate manner and she was forced to defend herself. But I did not see any sign of a weapon."
"Is that right?" Allen asked, turning toward the other dockworker.
"We were only playing around," the man protested.
"Well, we'll play around in security," Allan noted dryly. "What's your name, kid?"
"Shanti Vincent," the girl said nervously. "I'm..I'm sorry."
"It doesn't sound like there's a problem," Mr. Allan noted before turning toward G'Kar. "Look, Ambassador, we've got a big thing going on in security. Do you think you could watch the girl for a bit while we take these two into holding and we track down her parents."
"I would be glad to," G'Kar said with a smile.
Shanti bit her lip and rocked on her heels for a bit.
G'Kar waited until the security were gone before gesturing toward Shanti.
"Well, Miss Vincent," he said in a somewhat patronizing tone. "Shall we have some food then while we wait?"
"I have to wait then?" Shanti asked.
"I think it would be advisable," G'Kar noted. "And perhaps you can tell me where you learned to break a man's arm like that?"
"Rally taught my sister and I how to defend ourselves," Shanti said as they walked to a table and G'Kar called for a waiter. "But I always mess up."
"Well, aside from being aware of all your opponents," G'Kar said. "I'd say you did fairly well."
"I didn't," Shanti said. "I got mad again and Rally always says to stay calm."
"Rally sounds like a good teacher," G'Kar said. "But there is something to be said for letting your passions give you strength. As long as you remember next time that you were fighting two men and not one."
Shanti shook her head.
"I can't get mad," she said. "I can't let myself be angry."
"And why not?" G'Kar asked.
Shanti looked around quietly and leaned forward hesitantly. G'Kar had seen the look before. The look of a youngling who carried a secret she felt she had to get out to someone but was afraid of telling those she knew. Such children often unwisely chose to give such secrets to strangers and new acquaintances.
Luckily, G'Kar liked to think that he was a trustworthy sort and not the sort to take advantage of such a youthful error.
"I don't want to be like my mother," she whispered.
G'Kar was taken aback as he stood up straight and frowned.
"And why wouldn't you like to be like your mother?" G'Kar asked, a bit offended by this lack of respect for one's parents.
"I heard Rally talking to Aunt May and Uncle Roy once," she whispered. "My mother was...was not very nice. She hurt lots of people. She liked hurting people. She's dead and they talk like they're still afraid of her. Rally doesn't want to me to be like that. I don't want to be like that."
G'Kar took a deep breath and leaned forward.
"Child," he said seriously. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that."
Shanti looked confused at the statement.
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(Posted Wed, 28 Apr 2010 06:50)
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