With the Shadows gone, both them and the Vorlons defeated, for want of a better word, the younger races had been spared much, had also lost much, and now faced an uncertain future, but that was nothing new. The difference now was that they could steer their own courses, without interference by older races who thought they knew better just because they were older, had seen more, had done more. Now it was time for all the races in the universe to learn what worked for them, to discover how to live together, how to avoid making the mistakes of the past.

They wouldn’t always get it right, it was inevitable that some mistakes would be repeated, even that new mistakes would be made, but the key to their success would be to work together in the spirit of cooperation, and for the greater good of all. There would undoubtedly be conflicts, but the hope was that they could be resolved by talking, and reaching compromises acceptable to all parties, rather than by waging outright war.

That, at least, was the hope Sheridan had as he accepted Presidency of the new Alliance. He knew it wouldn’t be that simple or straightforward, the Alliance’s member races weren’t going to see eye-to-eye on everything, and it would be largely up to him to help them reach something approaching mutual understanding. It would be like herding cats, but…

He had the support of powerful people belonging to three of the most influential races: Minbari, Centauri, and Narn, and the fact that Londo and G’kar, formerly mortal enemies, were willing to agree on anything, was a powerful message, a symbol the other races could hardly ignore.

Whatever was to come, Sheridan, Delenn, and their closest allies would face it, and somehow make it work.


The End