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"I remember when you first came to me. You would not look up...until I ordered you to do so. But it did no good. Even when you were looking up, you were looking down."

Delenn, 2259.


Lennier was a Religious Caste Minbari who served as Delenn's diplomatic aide on Babylon 5 before eventually joining the Anla'Shok.[1][2]

History

Early Life

Lennier was born into the Minbari Religious Caste clan, the Third Fane of Chudomo. Raised in temple, Lennier studied the ways of his caste and attained the rank of novitiate.[2] During his time on homeworld, Lennier was trained in hand-to-hand combat, linguistics, mathematical statistics (attaining the rank of master adept) and demonstrated a passion for history.[3] During the Earth-Minbari War some of his family served aboard the flagship Drala Fi and were lost when the Warcruiser was destroyed by the EAS Lexington.[4][5] [6]

An Aide Who Will Not Look Up

Being highly spoken of by his teacher Lennier was assigned to Satai Delenn in 2258.[2] At first, his duties were small but he did sit in for Delenn for the extradition vote on Deathwalker.[7] Later in 2259 when Delenn began her transformation, Lennier was called upon to tell the Humans, namely Sheridan and Ivanova, the reason for the Minbari surrender at the Battle of the Line. Lennier also watched over her during her transformation.[8] Throughout 2259, Lennier's role as aide to Delenn seemed to widen and deepen as was his appearances at important times. He accompanied Delenn to Minbar when she was to be removed from the Grey Council because of the changes she underwent. It was during this period that Lennier swore himself to Delenn's side to spite her warnings. Later, he was an instrument in the exposure of a conspiracy within his clan against Sheridan, which could have removed him and increased tensions with Earth.

In 2260, when Delenn and Sheridan with the Rangers began to secretly fight the recent Shadow emergence, Lennier frequently accompanied the two on missions of very high risk. He was also critically injured early that year in a terrorist bombing saving the Centauri ambassador Londo Mollari. Later that year, Lennier's duties became much more important when he began, probably in association with the Rangers and others, running weapons, technology and information from place to place to help fight the Shadows.[9]

In the last year of the Shadow War, Lennier was present at most all of the major battles and encounters including the decisive Coriana VI, which ended with the Shadows and Vorlons final departure to the rim. With the war now over, he worked closely with Delenn and Sheridan in solidifying the presence of Babylon 5 as a fully independent state. When it became clear that the Minbari had become divided and that fighting between the castes was imminent, he went back with Delenn to Minbar to attend to the current crisis. It was also in the midst of this that he and Delenn first encountered the Drakh attacking shipping lanes, and trying to ally themselves with a faction of the religious caste for territorial gain.[10] When the Minbari civil war broke out, he was once again nearly killed trying to preserve the lives and honor of others.[11]For the rest of 2261, Lennier helped Delenn organize the League of Non-Aligned Worlds and then Earth into a new alliance.

"Initiating "getting the hell out of here" maneuver."

Lennier to Ivanova, 2261


Ranger Lennier

With the birth of the new alliance in 2262 Lennier decides to join the Anla'Shok. His choice surprises and concerns Delenn on many levels. When she questioned, he claims that along with a desire to fill a void left by the death of Marcus, he also feels as though he is no longer needed as Delenn's aide on Babylon 5. More precisely, he says he feels that he needs to move onto other opportunities and grow beyond what he had been. Additionally, he says he wishes to earn Delenn's respect and make her proud of him by serving the Rangers. She tells him very plainly that he has always had her respect.[1] But in reality, he is leaving to avoid the feelings he has developed for Delenn over the years. He also wishes to avoid friction with John Sheridan. Lennier begins training to be a Ranger and despite developing a hardened temperament to which others are concerned, he is the ideal Ranger recruit. After a few months, Lennier visits the station on the Brakiri Day of the Dead where a temporarily resurrected Mr.Morden, tells him that he will one day betray the Rangers.[12] After this, Lennier returns to the station at Delenn's request; reaffirming that he would always be at her service when he was most needed. She gave him a covert mission wherein he was to get evidence of who's responsible for the recent attacks on the Alliance shipping lanes. As such, he was assigned as a trainee to a Whitestar ship under the command of Captain Enrique Montoya, where he again proves worthiness as a Ranger when he helps a fellow trainee discover where he belongs in life.[9] Apart from training exercises, Lennier was given a covert mission by Delenn to find evidence of who's responsible for the recent attacks on the shipping lanes. Disobeying orders and nearly dying, Lennier discovers that the Centauri are the ones responsible for the attacks, makes a recording of it and gives it to President Sheridan.[13]Later, during the war with the Centauri, accompanying Delenn on a mission to Minbar their ship is nearly destroyed when a Centauri battleship attacks them. Just before they think they are going to be killed, Lennier declares his love for her. She gently responds that she already knew. As a rescue ship arrives, Delenn implies that she didn't really hear what he said but tells him she felt very complimented by it never the less.[14]

"I am Anla'shok and shall remain so until I pass beyond. I could no more betray the Anla'shok than my fingers could betray my hand."

Lennier to the late Mr. Morden, 2262.


A Rogue

Despite having taken extraordinary risks to save lives and do good, Lennier succumbed to his greatest weakness: his love for Delenn. As he, Delenn and John travelled to the new alliance headquarters on Minbar aboard a Whitestar. During an emergency situation, a bulkhead seals to contain a toxic leak. In the process, both Sheridan and another Ranger are trapped. Seeing a chance to have Delenn for himself, Lennier leaves Sheridan behind a sealed door purposely. While he initially left Sheridan to die, he came to his senses and started to run back to help. Sheridan saves himself and the other Ranger, Lennier is deeply ashamed and has run away in a fighter ship and ignores an attempt by Delenn to talk to him. On Minbar after dinner with Emperor Mollari, Delenn receives a message from Lennier expressing his sorrow over what happened and that he meant Sheridan no harm, but said he could not come back until he has discovered what he truly is and how to redeem himself in her eyes.[15]

"Delenn, all we know is that we will die. It is only a matter of how, when, and whether or not it is with honor."

Lennier, 2260


Redemption

Lennier died during the Telepath War, alongside Lyta Alexander sometime around 2265[16] and 2266[17] in an explosion that destroyed Psi Corps Headquarters. His other actions during this time are not known. It is never known whether or he and Delenn reconciled. [18][19] In 2281, at the last dinner held by John Sheridan before "going to the sea", he makes a toast "to absent friends, in memory still bright"; Delenn says Lennier's name.[20]

Friends

"As Mr. Garibaldi would say, it's been one hell of a day."
"Yes, a hell of a day. And a hell of a year."
"A hell of a five years."
"A hell of a life."
"You win."

Vir and Lennier, 2262

Delenn

She had been Lennier's closest and dearest of personal friends. Coming to her as a simple novitiate with a life spent mostly in temple, he learned much about the outside world and gained much experience in the area of diplomacy and alien relations. But for the most part, it was Delenn's caring and nurturing soul that he truly admired. And after only a short time he began to revere her, swearing himself to her side at all times. Soon this reverance would turn to a perfect love for her. But when Delenn and Sheridan began their relationship, Lennier outwardly accepted it but never did so in his heart. This led to his eventual downfall.

Garibaldi

Lennier and Mr. Garibaldi were friends while serving on Babylon 5. Handling all the security arrangements for the ambassadors and their guests, Garibaldi came into frequent contact with Lennier and so it wasn't long before the two began talking outside of the job. Their friendship seemed to begin in 2258 when Lennier helped him finish assembling, with some Minbari technology, a twentieth century motorcycle to which they both shared a ride on through the corridors of Babylon 5.[21]Other instance of their friendship occured when he didn't believe that Lennier would organize a cover up, to prevent the truth from getting out on the issue of Sheridan being accused of murder.[6]In the next few years, the two often spoke to each other including one instance in 2261, with Lennier disbelieving that Mr. Garibaldi quit security.[22]

Vir

Lennier and Vir often shared their thoughts and feelings on the many hassles and pressures of being ambassadorial aides, usually meeting at a drinks bar on the Zocalo at late times. [23]

Appearances

Signs and Portents
The Coming of Shadows
Point of No Return
No Surrender, No Retreat
Wheel of Fire
Novels

References

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