EntilZhaDelenn
Regular
Disclaimer: Same as before.
Chapter 3 Joining the Anla’Shok
Latiya and Delenn returned to the compound to see that John and David were gone. Delenn began to panic, but she found a short note explaining that they had gone for a walk. Delenn sighed with relief.
"At least they were not taken away." Delenn commented.
Latiya smiled weakly and went to her room. She sat on her bed and sighed. She heard her door open and she looked up to see Delenn come in. Delenn sat next to Latiya and kept eye contact.
"What’s wrong?"
Latiya sighed. "My visions may get in the way of the calling of my heart."
"And, what is the calling of your heart?"
"Right now, it is to join the Anla’Shok."
"Then, you may do so. Do not let your visions scare you away from the calling of your heart. Your visions are just warning you so that maybe you do not make a mistake." Delenn explained.
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course." Delenn said, smiling.
Latiya smiled and hugged Delenn tightly. Delenn was startled at first, but soon put her arms around Latiya in return.
* * * * *
"I don’t mean to cut you short, Latiya. Sect Turvall is calling for me, the guard tells me. I will be back shortly."
"Promise me that you will come back. It is dreadfully lonely here." Latiya said.
"I promise." Chantal said sincerely.
Latiya smiled for the first time that day as Chantal left the cell. Latiya leaned back against the stone wall and sighed. Maybe she did have a small chance of getting out of jail.
"I am so lucky to have a friend like Chantal." she said aloud.
Then, she stifled a yawn. Her eyes began to droop and she felt herself falling into sleep.
* * * * *
"Latiya? Latiya!"
Latiya groaned and opened her tired eyes. Chantal was hovering above her; a worried expression had creased her face. She now looked relieved.
"Thank God. I thought you had died or something."
"Why would I die? I know that I have something to do…something worth living for."
Chantal sat down. "Okay. We left off when Delenn told you that your visions would never get in the way of joining the Anla’Shok."
"So, a month passed, in Human terms, and I turned sixteen. That day, I wen to Delenn to talk about joining."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Latiya? You know that it is very dangerous."
"I know. But, it has always been my dream to serve our people. There is no better way to do that than to join the Anla’Shok."
Delenn smiled. "You would join the Anla’Shok to help our people and others?"
"Yes." Latiya said.
"Done. I will take care of everything. Welcome to the Anla’Shok."
"Thank you, Delenn."
Latiya bowed and left. Waiting by the door was an older Minbari dressed in a Ranger outfit. Latiya bowed in respect to him.
"Are you Latiya?"
"Yes."
"Follow me."
Latiya watched him go towards the foyer and she followed with her head bowed in respect.
"Have any of your family been in the Anla’Shok?" the man asked.
"Yes. Both of my parents and my guardian."
"Who was your guardian?"
"Joshua Thomason."
The Minbari stopped in his tracks and faced Latiya, a look of complete surprise on his face.
"So, you know the ways of the Anla’Shok?"
"Yes. Everything except the Denn’bok and flying ships." Latiya replied promptly.
They walked outside and walked to the Ranger Training Center. They entered the brightly-lit building.
"Sect Turvall. A new recruit?"
"Yes. This is Latiya. Joshua Thomason’s adopted daughter."
"Ah. Where shall I take her?"
"Take her to Marcus. She has learned everything else except the Denn’bok and flying ships."
"Yes, Sect Turvall."
"Go on child. Follow her." Turvall said.
Latiya bowed to him and then followed the Human. They walked down the corridor to a room on the left.
"We will need to get you a uniform first. Go in there. There should be uniforms on the left and changing rooms on the right."
Latiya nodded and as the door opened, entered the room. On the left were stacks of pants, shirts, cloaks, and a bin filled with pins. She grabbed one from each pile and went into one of the changing rooms. Eagerly, she put on her uniform. She left the changing room and walked out to the corridor. The Human smiled.
"That was quick. That’s how I like it. Follow me."
The Human walked swiftly to the end of the corridor. The door opened to reveal a big room with ten students with Denn’boks out. The instructor was a Human with black hair and a short black beard. The instructor looked up.
"Hello, Clarese. A new recruit for me?"
"Yes, Marcus. She is…" Clarese paused and looked at Latiya. "How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
Clarese nodded and looked back up at Marcus. "This is Latiya. She is six-"
"I heard how old she was." He looked at Latiya. "Take a denn’bok and join your classmates over there. You came just in time to learn the basics."
Latiya bowed and went to the side of the room where several extended denn’boks were hanging on the wall. She tried to take one down, but could not reach because of her height.
There were two Minbari in the class that showed no emotion while all the Human students began to snicker. Her face became hot and she blushed furiously. Marcus came over and got one down for her. She took it from him and looked down at the floor.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
Marcus smiled and led Latiya to the rest of the students. Latiya practiced extending and closing her weapon.
"Thank you, Clarese." Marcus said.
"See you later, Marcus." Clarese said as she left.
"All right recruits. Let’s get to work." Marcus ordered.
"So, I learned how to use that weapon quickly."
"Yeah, I know. I remember. That’s where you met Edward, Tannia, and I. It was the start of a lovely friendship."
"Yes, it was."
"I remember what happened up until our first break. I don’t know what you did then."
"Well, I went back to the Interstellar Alliance Compound to visit everyone. By this time, David had turned four, in Human terms."
"Latiya! It’s so nice to see you!" Delenn cried happily as she embraced Latiya.
"I missed all of you as well. How are you all?" Latiya asked.
"Fine. David missed you so much."
Latiya looked behind Delenn to see David running towards them.
"Laya! Laya, you’re back!" David cried.
"David! Where do you think you’re going?" John’s voice rang through the foyer.
Delenn turned around to come face to face with her half- dressed son. He was in a tee shirt, underwear, and socks. Latiya giggled and Delenn smiled.
"David, got to your father and finish dressing. Then, you may see Latiya."
"Okay," he said, running off.
Delenn laughed to herself and then turned to Latiya. "How was training? I heard you ended up with Marcus Cole."
"Well, the denn’bok was pretty easy for me to learn. One of our exercises was to beat Anla’shok Cole. I beat him once, I believe. But, I believe he let me win."
"That doesn’t sound like him at all. You came just in time for dinner. Would you care to join us?"
"I would love to, Delenn." Latiya said, following Delenn to the dining room.
"How long will you be staying?"
"For two days. We are supposed to go on a mission. Sect Turvall will be taking us. It will be my first scouting mission."
Written by Hope Maria Conaway. August 23, 2001.
EntilZhaDelenn
------------------
"There is always hope. It is the one thing no one has figured out how to kill yet." Galen.
"It's a shame our reality is devestating." Eve What's Going On?
"Oh, but who are they to judge us? Together we can all be strong." Alicia Keys, What's Going On?
"Oh, brother, brother, brother. There's far too many of you dying." Gwen Stefani, What's Going On?
Chapter 3 Joining the Anla’Shok
Latiya and Delenn returned to the compound to see that John and David were gone. Delenn began to panic, but she found a short note explaining that they had gone for a walk. Delenn sighed with relief.
"At least they were not taken away." Delenn commented.
Latiya smiled weakly and went to her room. She sat on her bed and sighed. She heard her door open and she looked up to see Delenn come in. Delenn sat next to Latiya and kept eye contact.
"What’s wrong?"
Latiya sighed. "My visions may get in the way of the calling of my heart."
"And, what is the calling of your heart?"
"Right now, it is to join the Anla’Shok."
"Then, you may do so. Do not let your visions scare you away from the calling of your heart. Your visions are just warning you so that maybe you do not make a mistake." Delenn explained.
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course." Delenn said, smiling.
Latiya smiled and hugged Delenn tightly. Delenn was startled at first, but soon put her arms around Latiya in return.
* * * * *
"I don’t mean to cut you short, Latiya. Sect Turvall is calling for me, the guard tells me. I will be back shortly."
"Promise me that you will come back. It is dreadfully lonely here." Latiya said.
"I promise." Chantal said sincerely.
Latiya smiled for the first time that day as Chantal left the cell. Latiya leaned back against the stone wall and sighed. Maybe she did have a small chance of getting out of jail.
"I am so lucky to have a friend like Chantal." she said aloud.
Then, she stifled a yawn. Her eyes began to droop and she felt herself falling into sleep.
* * * * *
"Latiya? Latiya!"
Latiya groaned and opened her tired eyes. Chantal was hovering above her; a worried expression had creased her face. She now looked relieved.
"Thank God. I thought you had died or something."
"Why would I die? I know that I have something to do…something worth living for."
Chantal sat down. "Okay. We left off when Delenn told you that your visions would never get in the way of joining the Anla’Shok."
"So, a month passed, in Human terms, and I turned sixteen. That day, I wen to Delenn to talk about joining."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Latiya? You know that it is very dangerous."
"I know. But, it has always been my dream to serve our people. There is no better way to do that than to join the Anla’Shok."
Delenn smiled. "You would join the Anla’Shok to help our people and others?"
"Yes." Latiya said.
"Done. I will take care of everything. Welcome to the Anla’Shok."
"Thank you, Delenn."
Latiya bowed and left. Waiting by the door was an older Minbari dressed in a Ranger outfit. Latiya bowed in respect to him.
"Are you Latiya?"
"Yes."
"Follow me."
Latiya watched him go towards the foyer and she followed with her head bowed in respect.
"Have any of your family been in the Anla’Shok?" the man asked.
"Yes. Both of my parents and my guardian."
"Who was your guardian?"
"Joshua Thomason."
The Minbari stopped in his tracks and faced Latiya, a look of complete surprise on his face.
"So, you know the ways of the Anla’Shok?"
"Yes. Everything except the Denn’bok and flying ships." Latiya replied promptly.
They walked outside and walked to the Ranger Training Center. They entered the brightly-lit building.
"Sect Turvall. A new recruit?"
"Yes. This is Latiya. Joshua Thomason’s adopted daughter."
"Ah. Where shall I take her?"
"Take her to Marcus. She has learned everything else except the Denn’bok and flying ships."
"Yes, Sect Turvall."
"Go on child. Follow her." Turvall said.
Latiya bowed to him and then followed the Human. They walked down the corridor to a room on the left.
"We will need to get you a uniform first. Go in there. There should be uniforms on the left and changing rooms on the right."
Latiya nodded and as the door opened, entered the room. On the left were stacks of pants, shirts, cloaks, and a bin filled with pins. She grabbed one from each pile and went into one of the changing rooms. Eagerly, she put on her uniform. She left the changing room and walked out to the corridor. The Human smiled.
"That was quick. That’s how I like it. Follow me."
The Human walked swiftly to the end of the corridor. The door opened to reveal a big room with ten students with Denn’boks out. The instructor was a Human with black hair and a short black beard. The instructor looked up.
"Hello, Clarese. A new recruit for me?"
"Yes, Marcus. She is…" Clarese paused and looked at Latiya. "How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
Clarese nodded and looked back up at Marcus. "This is Latiya. She is six-"
"I heard how old she was." He looked at Latiya. "Take a denn’bok and join your classmates over there. You came just in time to learn the basics."
Latiya bowed and went to the side of the room where several extended denn’boks were hanging on the wall. She tried to take one down, but could not reach because of her height.
There were two Minbari in the class that showed no emotion while all the Human students began to snicker. Her face became hot and she blushed furiously. Marcus came over and got one down for her. She took it from him and looked down at the floor.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
Marcus smiled and led Latiya to the rest of the students. Latiya practiced extending and closing her weapon.
"Thank you, Clarese." Marcus said.
"See you later, Marcus." Clarese said as she left.
"All right recruits. Let’s get to work." Marcus ordered.
"So, I learned how to use that weapon quickly."
"Yeah, I know. I remember. That’s where you met Edward, Tannia, and I. It was the start of a lovely friendship."
"Yes, it was."
"I remember what happened up until our first break. I don’t know what you did then."
"Well, I went back to the Interstellar Alliance Compound to visit everyone. By this time, David had turned four, in Human terms."
"Latiya! It’s so nice to see you!" Delenn cried happily as she embraced Latiya.
"I missed all of you as well. How are you all?" Latiya asked.
"Fine. David missed you so much."
Latiya looked behind Delenn to see David running towards them.
"Laya! Laya, you’re back!" David cried.
"David! Where do you think you’re going?" John’s voice rang through the foyer.
Delenn turned around to come face to face with her half- dressed son. He was in a tee shirt, underwear, and socks. Latiya giggled and Delenn smiled.
"David, got to your father and finish dressing. Then, you may see Latiya."
"Okay," he said, running off.
Delenn laughed to herself and then turned to Latiya. "How was training? I heard you ended up with Marcus Cole."
"Well, the denn’bok was pretty easy for me to learn. One of our exercises was to beat Anla’shok Cole. I beat him once, I believe. But, I believe he let me win."
"That doesn’t sound like him at all. You came just in time for dinner. Would you care to join us?"
"I would love to, Delenn." Latiya said, following Delenn to the dining room.
"How long will you be staying?"
"For two days. We are supposed to go on a mission. Sect Turvall will be taking us. It will be my first scouting mission."
Written by Hope Maria Conaway. August 23, 2001.
EntilZhaDelenn
------------------
"There is always hope. It is the one thing no one has figured out how to kill yet." Galen.
"It's a shame our reality is devestating." Eve What's Going On?
"Oh, but who are they to judge us? Together we can all be strong." Alicia Keys, What's Going On?
"Oh, brother, brother, brother. There's far too many of you dying." Gwen Stefani, What's Going On?
