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He haunts me.
Even in my dream-time, events of that day rewind and play themselves over and over and over. A vid that loops eternally in my mind. We fight. Thrust. Parry. Block. Gasping breaths. Thrust. Parry. Block. The denn’bok whizzes past my head, barely missing me. He is skilled—for a human.
Thrust. Parry. Block. Thrust. Parry. Block. Strike!
The metallic clashing of our denn’boks ring in my ears and vibrate up my arms. He smiles when he staggers from the blow, as if it were merely an inconvenience. I know better.
Thrust. Parry. Block. Thrust. Parry. Strike!
He climbs to his feet yet again. It is taking too long to achieve what must be done. I am tiring. It is a strange feeling. I seldom tire. I find it difficult to believe he can withstand so much punishment.
Thrust. Parry. Block. Thrust. Strike!
He lies on the rubbish strewn deck, chest heaving to breathe. I know he is too badly injured to rise. Yet he does. I do not want this!
Thrust. Parry. Block. Block. Parry. Strike!
It is worse when I am awake. Memory burns in my brain and I cannot escape it. In practice, I measure my opponents by his yardstick and discover each time that he has set the bar too high.
Thrust. Parry. Block. Parry. Thrust. Strike!
I remember how he lay so quietly sleeping in the healing center. Peaceful. Machines chiming and beeping, tracking his every breath. When he wakes, he speaks and I laugh. He makes me laugh! How is this possible?
Thrust. Parry. Block. Thrust. Strike!
We live for the One!
Even his words are blows. Fatal blows. I cannot fulfill the terms of combat.
Thrust. Parry. Block. Strike!
How can a human be more Minbari than I? He forces this knowledge upon me with each blow of his denn’bok, with each word from his lips. In my heart I know it is true, but my mind cannot encompass it.
Thrust. Parry. Block. Strike!
How can he be defeated yet seem victorious? I do not understand. I do not understand him. I understand myself even less. He called for denn’shah. It is past time to finish this, but I cannot force myself to land the final blow.
Thrust. Parry. Block. Strike!
We die for the One!
Thrust. Parry. Block. STRIKE!
Your blow struck true, human. My soul brother. The death was mine.
THRUST! PARRY! BLOCK! STRIKE!
He haunts me.