Soaring With Angels (M/L ~ ADULT) - 6/18 Complete

[RoswellOracle]

Okay guys, here is the first part of the final alt ending.
Hope you enjoy!


Soaring With Angels
Alternate Ending #4

Author’s Note: I love the fact that the same event could be interpreted many different ways. That is what inspired to write this story in the first place. And like any good mystery I threw in a few red herrings to hopefully keep the reader off balance. But somewhere in the middle my mind started to explore some of those other possibilities.

Have you ever read a story and wished it would go a different direction or thought of a different ending? As a writer I often come up several different scenarios and endings even for my own stories, like a choose your own adventure if you will. I mentioned it to my beta Ellie and she suggested I should write the other endings for this story.

So here goes.

To quote the movie Clue - “That’s how it could have happened. But how about this…”


Summary: Everything in Soaring has happened up to this point. Max’s parents and Maria were killed, Max killed Lonni, Rath, Tess and the Skins, Isabel and Khivar tricked Liz, Michael and Max into going to Antar, the war, Michael is killed, Isabel and Khivar are defeated and captured, Liz goes to visit Isabel and Khivar and they try to convince her that Max is evil. Liz believes that Khivar has done something to Isabel and tries to get Max to spare her, but Max has Khivar and Isabel executed.

This ending starts right after the execution where Liz fainted. I am beginning with a few scenes after that to remind the readers what happened.


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Part 1


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


When Liz awoke she was in her own bed and Max’s mother Kasha was sitting in a nearby chair. Tears pricked at Liz’s eyes as she realized that Isabel was gone, and then she remembered her dreams.

In her vision Liz had seen Max in his past life again, as Zan. He was in the palace and it was being overrun by Khivar’s men and Zan was fighting valiantly, using his powers and his sword to defend himself. With his left hand Zan used a burst of energy to toss a group of men aside as he beheaded an attacker with his sword on the right. More men rushed into the room and Zan lashed out again, but Liz could feel how tired he was and his powers were waning.

Desperately Zan reached out with his mind to search for the power of the Granolith, hoping to use its energy to bolster his own, but he couldn’t feel it. He used his sword to hack through two more attackers, and sent his shield out around him. The men were pushed off their feet but they got up quickly. They knew Zan was tiring and as a group they used their powers against him.

Surrounding him, the men pushed their energy into his shield, and Liz watched as the green protective ball around Zan got smaller and smaller. He collapsed to his knees, the fatigue overcoming him, and his shield dissolved into nothing. The men rushed him and the sword was knocked from his hand as they wrestled him to the ground, wrapping him in chains.

Then the vision had changed. Once again she was looking down at Max’s bloody body in the bed they shared in the palace. Just like the other times she had witnessed the scene, Max’s throat had been cut and he was dead.

Liz shook her head. How could it be? How could Max still be murdered? Khivar was dead, but something was still wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

Kasha came to sit on the bed when she saw Liz stir. “How are you feeling, my dear?” she asked, cupping Liz’s cheek.

Liz shook her head. “I remember being at the execution and Khivar and Isabel…” she trailed off. “But I don’t remember what happened afterward.”

Kasha took Liz’s hand. “You fainted. Max checked you personally and the healer agreed it was just shock, but Max asked me to keep an eye on you while he is in the Council meeting.”

Fresh tears started in Liz’s eyes. “Kasha, I’m so sorry about Isabel.”

Her mother-in-law patted her hand kindly. “It’s sweet of you to say so, dear, and I can see that you’re still upset by this whole terrible affair.” She sighed tiredly, “And even though Isabel was my daughter, I had become resigned to her death. In her past life Vilondra betrayed her brother, her family, but even then I gave her another chance. I killed her so I could send her to Earth with her brother to be reborn. But she didn’t deserve our love, Liz. Isabel colluded with Khivar again, betrayed her brother again.”

“You killed Vilondra?” Liz gasped.

Kasha smiled kindly. “It had to be done, you understand. It was the only way to save her.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


(Antar date 06.11.71306)

Max paced before his Generals and Jaetus. Last night Liz had told him that she’d had the vision of his death again and he was more upset than he wanted to admit. He didn’t want to die, but that was just a minor worry. Max knew no one would be able to protect Liz if he was gone and it enraged him to think that after everything they had been through she could still be in danger. He’d thought with Khivar and Isabel dead that they would be safe, but obviously he was wrong.

“Liz is still having the visions,” Max said. “That means there are still traitors on the loose and I want you to find them,” he ordered.

One of the Generals spoke up, “But your Majesty, we’re looking everywhere without success. Perhaps the Queen is wrong.”

Max turned on him with a snarl. “Your Queen is never wrong! Every one of her visions has come true, with frightening accuracy. Never question her again!”

The General dropped to his knee, bowing his head. “I’m sorry, your Majesty. Please forgive me.”

“Get up,” Max ordered the General, turning to encompass all the men in his gaze. “Put every available man on the search. Some of Khivar’s supporters are still out there and I want them all,” Max said with quiet fury. “I want every one of the traitors dead, and I don’t care what you have to do, or who you have to torture or kill to accomplish it.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


All morning Liz had been shivering, a sense of foreboding wracking her body. And as the day passed the feeling was growing.

Max was in a meeting and usually she attended with him, but she’d just been too upset to go. She walked slowly through the halls of the palace deep in thought, her arms folded across her chest attempting to curb her shivers. She had been wandering for hours trying to figure out what was wrong, and suddenly a series of flashes assailed her.



The slash of a sword


Screams


Shouts of rage


The crack of bone


The sound of blasters and torn flesh


And blood


So much blood



It all happened so quickly that it took Liz’s breath away and she stumbled, reaching out for the wall to steady herself.

Instantly Jaetus was at her side, his arm going around her waist to keep her from falling. “Are you well, your Majesty?”

Liz felt faint but she struggled to stand on her own. She shook her head. “I’m fine, I just…” she trailed off as she met his eyes and another flash tore through her mind. She saw Jaetus’ face, covered in blood and twisted in a horrible expression of hatred and insanity.

She gasped but quickly answered him. “I just didn’t get much sleep last night,” she said lamely, disengaging herself from him. “I think I’ll lie down for a while.”

Jaetus bowed. “May I escort you to your quarters?”

“No, thank you,” Liz said. “I’ll be okay.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


A messenger rushed into the room interrupting Max’s meeting. He bowed low. “Your Majesty, we’ve captured three more of Khivar’s men who were trying to sneak into the palace. They appear to be assassins.”

“Finally,” Max growled, his eyes burning with power and rage. “Take me to them.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Liz walked sedately down the hall and waited until she turned the corner, obscuring her from Jaetus’ sight, then she looked back to make sure he wasn’t following her. When she was satisfied that she was alone, Liz hurried to her suite of rooms.

She was shaking with emotion when she got there, the visions having unnerved her even more because of the sense of foreboding she was experiencing. Liz didn’t like to go through the hall where she had gotten the vision, because she knew it was where Khivar’s troops had overcome the original Zan. But she’d never gotten a vision there before and now she wondered if she’d seen the past or the future.

Maybe it was a portent of things to come, someone else attacking them in the palace. Maybe that was why she’d been feeling so strange.

The vision she had gotten of Jaetus had freaked her out even more. She’d never trusted him completely, feeling instinctively that there was something off about him. But in the vision it’s not like she had seen him colluding against them. What she had seen could be accounted for by the war.

Liz wanted to talk to Max, but when she reached out to him with her mind, she could tell that he was busy and she didn’t think it was important enough to interrupt him. All she really had was a couple of disturbing visions and a bad feeling. Liz took a deep breath trying to calm herself. The last thing they needed was for her to panic. She’d tell Max everything later.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max entered the room where his men had secured the assassins. The three men were chained against the wall, their hands secured so they couldn’t use their powers. On a nearby table were an assortment of weapons that had been taken from them including an amplifier.

Max reached for the amplifier and held it up before them. “What the hell were you planning to do with this?” he asked them. He turned it on to the setting that blocked powers, letting the prisoners see. Then he used a burst of his shield to overload the amplifier, making it explode in his hand. Max dropped the ashes at their feet. “These don’t affect me,” he mocked.

He saw their eyes widen but they remained silent.

Max shook his head. “I would think you would be better informed before coming here.”

The men still said nothing and Max continued. “But you were obviously ignorant of that fact, so my question is, who sent you and why didn’t they tell you? Was it because they didn’t know, or because they were sending you to your deaths?”

The prisoners still said nothing, angering Max. He built the power inside himself until his eyes glowed with it, and he walked forward, stopping within inches of the captives. They gasped in shock and fear when they saw his eyes and struggled against their bonds, desperate to get away.

Max drew his sword and reached out toward the first man with a smile. “And now you will tell me everything you know.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Jaetus waited until Liz had disappeared around the corner and then he hurried down the hall in the other direction. He entered a door without knocking and dropped to one knee. “I think the Queen is beginning to suspect that everything isn’t as it appears.”

“Yes,” Kasha agreed. “She could become a problem.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max was good at torture. After all of his experience during the year of war he was a lot better at it than wanted to be. But he had to admit that the ability to extract information from prisoners was not only useful but vital. It had saved their lives on more than one occasion and even though Max hated doing it, he knew it was sometimes necessary.

The three assassins chained before him had broken quickly. Their master Khivar was dead and their mission to assassinate him had failed, they had nothing left to fight for. And after a couple of displays of his power the three realized the hopelessness of their position and started talking.

“There is no organized resistance,” the first man admitted.

The second man nodded. “We were a group of ten of Khivar’s soldiers who made a pact to kill you. We knew you were powerful and that we would probably fail, but we had to try.”

“And the others have all failed,” the third man said. “They were captured or killed. We are the last of Khivar’s men. The last who stand against you.”

The first man met Max’s eyes. “When you kill us Antar is yours.”

“It always was!” Max growled. He smiled humorlessly, a combination of anger and relief rushing through him, strengthing his power and making his glowing blue eyes burn with the intensity. The prisoners gasped with fear, recoiling from him.

Max raised his hand before him. He was satisfied that he had all the information the three men possessed, and quickly ended their lives.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Song Playing: Clean by Depeche Mode


Liz sat in her room, reading a book to pass the time as she waited for Max. She was aware of him all of the time through their bond and she could feel his emotions when they were strong. And a short time ago she had started to feel Max’s desire for her. It rapidly grew in strength, building until it almost took her breath away.

A moment later Max burst into their bedroom and Liz dropped the book she was reading when she saw him. He was enflamed with desire and she gasped with the strength of it.

He reached her and kissed her hard, using a single jerk of his hands to rip her dress apart, throwing it aside.

The desire Liz had felt through the connection had instantly stirred her own, and as Max kissed a line down her throat she flushed with arousal. She could feel his power all around them and hers rose to meet it. “What happened?” she gasped.

Max used his powers to divest her of her bra and panties, and his hands roamed over her breasts pushing power into her. He pressed his body against her and backed her into the wall. “We caught the assassins,” he said between hungry kisses. “We’re safe now.”

Liz wanted to ask him about it, but his kisses drove the thoughts from her mind. Feeling his need made her desperate for him, and she wrapped her arms around him.

Max bent to take her breast in his mouth sucking it hard. He didn’t bother with his own clothes. Not wanting to waste a moment, he simply freed his rigid cock.

“Max we need to talk first,” Liz gasped her protest.

“No!” he growled. “I have to have you now!” He lifted her against the wall and surged into her.

Liz moaned her pleasure as he entered her, and arched into him. “Oh Max!”

He started a furious pace within her and despite the anxiety Liz had about the visions her climax built quickly as he pounded into her. Each thrust buried him so deep inside that it rode the edge of pain, but it only made her pleasure even more overwhelming, and it only made her want more of him. She grabbed his shoulders arching into him. “Yes Max, harder!”

Max increased his pace and licked a line down her neck to her breast, and through the connection Liz could feel how much her pleasure enflamed him. His power flowed over her sensitized skin and passed into her, and it was like Max was touching every inch of her at once.

Max surged into her faster and faster, grunting his exertion, and through their connection Liz sensed that he was on the edge. She cried out as she came powerfully, his orgasm triggering hers, and then her tears started.

Max was instantly concerned. He pulled out of her, lowering her to the floor and cupped her face in his hands. “What’s wrong Liz?” he asked, his eyes flicking over her face. “I didn’t hurt you did I?”

Liz shook her head as she wiped at her eyes. “Nothing is wrong. I don’t know why I’m crying. I’ve been really emotional the last few days. Or maybe it’s just the relief that we’re finally safe.”

Max placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “A lot of terrible things have happened to us and maybe it’s just all catching up with you. But I don’t want you to worry about anything. I promise that I’ll keep you safe. You are my sanctuary, my beautiful, innocent Liz. My angel. You are everything to me.”

More tears started in her eyes. “Oh Max, I love you so much.”

He cupped her face and kissed her tenderly, putting all of his emotion for her into their connection. And in return he could feel Liz’s love for him burning brightly through their bond. But there was also something different.

A strange but somehow familiar sensation was present, and for a moment Max was concerned. He concentrated and quickly searched for the source. It was almost like another presence was in their bond and at first Max suspected one of their enemies. But the presence wasn’t malevolent or evil, it was warm, beautiful, innocent, and unaware.

Max broke their kiss with a gasp. “Liz you’re pregnant!”

“What?” Liz asked incredulously. “How can that be? You’re sure?”

Max nodded.

“When could it have happened?” Liz asked.

“It must have been when we were together after you went to see Khivar,” Max said. He held her eyes. “I’m sorry, Liz. It’s my fault. I was so worried about you and I must have forgotten to…”

Liz cut him off. “You’re sorry?” she asked as tears started in her eyes. Her hands went to her flat stomach. “You don’t want the baby?”

“Of course I want the baby,” he assured her, cupping her face. “I can’t think of anything more wonderful than having a baby with you. I’m just sorry that it happened so unexpectedly. I wanted to wait until we were ready.”

He reached down to cover her hands resting on her stomach. “But even though the baby is unexpected it doesn’t mean that it is unwanted or that we’ll love it any less.”

Liz smiled, relieved that Max wanted the baby. “Now isn’t such a bad time, is it?” she asked.

Max shook his head. “The war is over and there’s peace, our enemies are dead and we’re safe.” He smiled. “I’d say it was the perfect time.”

“And you’re happy about the baby?” Liz asked.

Max smiled. “I couldn’t be happier.” He stroked her cheek. “Are you happy?”

Liz nodded. “I love you Max, of course I’m happy to be having your baby.”

Max kissed her tenderly and they both smiled and started laughing with joy. He stroked her cheek. “Liz you’re pregnant!” He lifted her up and spun them around.

Liz giggled but suddenly started to feel sick. “Oh Max, put me down.”

He sat her on the bed and knelt before her taking her head in his hands. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I just felt a little dizzy, but I guess that’s normal.”

“Yeah,” Max said softly. “It also explains why you’ve been a bit unsteady and emotional lately and the fainting.” He smiled. “I was worried when I couldn’t find anything wrong with you. I didn’t even think to check if you were pregnant.”

He kissed her again. “And now we have all kinds of plans to make,” he said excitedly, “not to mention choosing a name.”

Liz was glad that he was so excited. “It’s early yet,” she said. “We have time. We don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

Max nodded. “We also don’t know how long this pregnancy will take,” he reminded her. “I think we should have you checked out tomorrow by Seris, to make sure everything is okay, and then we can start making decisions. Although with our bond I don’t think we’ll be able to keep from knowing the baby’s sex.”

A surprised look crossed Liz’s face. “I didn’t think of that.” She met his eyes. “Do you think we could tell?”

Max shrugged. “I’m not sure. Do you want to know?”

Liz considered for a moment and then smiled and nodded. “Yeah, do you?”

Max smiled. “I do too.”

Reaching for her hand, Max laced their fingers together and placed their hands on her stomach. He sent a small burst of his power through their clasped hands and into her, searching for the baby. It only took a moment before they found the spark of new life within her.

Max, Liz gasped through their bond, he’s so small, so innocent, but he’ll be strong. Can you feel it?

Max smiled. He didn’t think Liz even realized that she had discovered the baby’s sex. I can feel it, he said. Our son will be strong, and we’ll make sure he’s a good man.

Tears started in Liz’s eyes as she met his. “Our son, Max.”

They embraced tightly and Max pressed kisses into Liz’s neck. “I love you so much, and I promise that everything will be okay.”

He kissed her neck again and moved lower, trailing kisses over her naked body, between her breasts and down to her flat stomach. “This baby was conceived from love,” he said, kissing her soft skin. “Everything will be perfect.”

Kissing a line back up to her mouth, Max moved over her, pressing her down onto the bed. He made sweet, slow love to her, worshipping her entire body with his hands and mouth, and Liz had never felt so loved in her life. Afterward he wrapped her in his arms and they fell into a deep contented sleep.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


But Liz’s sleep didn’t stay peaceful for long.

Dark, disturbing feelings rushed through her, fear, malice, anger and pure evil.

Images swirled through her mind, Max’s past life as Zan merging with her memories of their time on Earth and the war on Antar.

Once again she saw Zan being attacked in the palace, enemies rushing all around him as he attempted to defend himself. Zan lashed out with his power sending the soldiers flying. He turned quickly to engage another group who rushed into the room and Liz gasped as Zan’s face morphed into Max’s.

Men shot weapons at Max and he raised his shield to divert the blasts and then pushed the glowing green energy out, crushing the men into the wall.

More enemies rushed forward and Liz could feel Max’s despair. His powers were quickly draining and he wouldn’t last much longer. He needed the additional power of the Granolith, but he couldn’t feel it. He tried to get away but fell to the floor, and suddenly changed into Zan again.

And as enemies swarmed over him, Liz screamed.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


TBC

[RoswellOracle]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Part 2


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Max jerked awake as Liz’s feelings of horror reached him through their bond at the same time that she screamed. His eyes darted around the room looking for signs of danger, but he realized almost immediately that she was dreaming.

He shook her gently. “Liz, wake up. Liz.”

Her eyes snapped open and he touched her face. “Everything is okay. You were just dreaming.”

Liz collapsed in relief against him. “It was so real. I saw your past life when Khivar’s troops took over the palace. They were attacking you,” she shook her head, “attacking Zan, but he kept turning into you.” She looked up to meet his eyes. “I think you’re still in danger.”

Max smiled gently. “No Liz. Isabel and Khivar are dead, and so are the last of the assassins. We’re safe now. We’ve been in danger for so long that it just hasn’t had time to sink in yet, and with the pregnancy your hormones have got to be on overdrive.”

“I don’t know,” Liz admitted.

“You dreamed about Zan’s life,” Max said softly, “not ours. You didn’t see anything new. You’re just still worried that’s all, and you were confusing Zan and me. We’re okay.”

Liz nodded, smiling softly. “I guess you’re right.”

Max kissed her forehead. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you or the baby.”

“I know Max,” Liz said.

He kissed her again and pressed his hand to her stomach. “Let’s get dressed and go see Seris to check out this little guy.”

Liz smiled with relief. Max was right. They were safe and everything was okay. She should just be concentrating on their son.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Kasha slipped into a room in a disused part of the palace and moved into the arms of her waiting lover Jaetus. They had to keep their affair secret and they could only steal a few moments together at a time.

Jaetus kissed Kasha hard. “Only a little while longer my love,” he said, “and we’ll be able to openly declare our love.”

Kasha sighed. “I’ve lived with the specter of my husband for so long, and then Zan’s after he was killed. But now that Max has come back and defeated Khivar I can finally live a life for me.” She smiled at Jaetus. “We can live a life for us.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Hand-in-hand Max and Liz sat in Seris’ office as he examined Liz and the baby. Seris had been deep in concentration for a long time with his hand pressed to Liz’s stomach as he connected to the new life within her, and Max and Liz eagerly awaited his diagnosis about the baby.

Finally Seris looked up at them, removing his hand from Liz. “You are right, of course,” he said. “The baby is a boy, he's healthy and he’s only a few days along.”

Max smiled, glad to have his feelings about the baby confirmed. He kissed Liz on the forehead reassuringly before turning back to Seris. “And do you have any idea how long the pregnancy will take?”

Seris shook his head. “Not exactly, but I think it will probably be about the same term as a human pregnancy, possibly a little longer. There has never been a hybrid pregnancy, but Antarians have a term very similar to humans.” He smiled. “We’ll keep a careful watch on the baby to see how he is progressing and we’ll be able to make a more accurate estimate in a few weeks.”

Liz smiled, squeezing Max’s hand. When they had connected to the baby she had felt that he was okay, but she was relieved to have the opinion of a specialist. “Thank you Seris.”

Seris smiled at them. “This is wonderful news, your Majesties, for you and for Antar. May I be the first to congratulate you?”

Liz had been so happy about the baby that she had never considered she was carrying Antar’s future King, and suddenly she felt overwhelmed. The color drained from her face and she swayed dizzily.

Max’s arm went around her instantly. “Liz?” he asked anxiously.

She tried to smile reassuringly but it looked like more of a grimace. “I’m fine.”

Max looked to Seris who nodded. “Liz is in perfect health. The dizziness is just part of the pregnancy.” He looked at Liz. “Everything will be fine but you should get some extra rest.”

Liz nodded. “I am tired,” she agreed. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”

Max grimaced remembering her dreams. “Why don’t you take a nap while I go to the meeting?” he asked softly.

Liz liked to attend the meetings with Max to support him but she quickly agreed to his suggestion. “Yeah, I think I could use the rest.”

Max scooped her into his arms.

“Max,” she laughed, “you don’t have to carry me.”

He smiled as he continued out of Seris’ office and into the hall. “You’re a little unsteady and I like carrying you. I’ll take any chance I can get to hold you in my arms.”

Liz snuggled against his chest. “I could get used to this.”

Max took her into their room and placed her on the bed. He slipped off her shoes and pulled the blanket up before sitting next to her.

Liz smiled up at him. “You’re going to spoil me with all this pampering.”

Max kissed her forehead. “Well get used to it because I plan to spend the rest of my life pampering you.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max sat with Liz and they talked softly for a few moments making plans. They agreed to let their press agent make a statement about the baby that morning and tomorrow they would face all the questions from the press together. Max made a quick phone call to set it up and he stayed with Liz, stroking her hair until she drifted off to sleep. Then he quietly left the room, a joyful smile lighting his face.

He was on his way to tell his mother the news, but he encountered her and Jaetus just down the hall.

Kasha rushed to him. “Max, one of the guards said he saw you carrying Liz to your room,” she said concerned. “Is she okay?”

Max’s smile widened, he felt almost giddy with happiness. “Liz is pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” Kasha asked incredulously. “But I thought you were going to wait.’

Max nodded. “It was unexpected,” he admitted, “but Liz and I couldn’t be happier.” He grinned like a fool. “We’re having a son, and Seris says he and Liz are healthy.”

“A son,” Jaetus gasped. “An heir.” He dropped to the ground. “Zha’an will live on. Antar will prosper.”

“Get up, please,” Max said. He really hated all the bowing. He let his mother pull him into an embrace and hugged her back as he spoke. “My press agent is releasing a statement now and tomorrow Liz and I will make the official announcement.”

“Oh Max,” Kasha said excitedly, “this is wonderful news. After all of the terrible things that have happened it’s a miracle. Nothing could make me happier.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Within a couple of hours the news of Liz’s pregnancy had spread across the planet and reached the ears of those who wished Max harm.

“This news changes our plans,” the first person said.

“Yes,” the second agreed, “but even though the news is unexpected we could turn it to our advantage.”

The first person nodded. “Everything was set up for tonight anyway, it will just require a few simple adjustments.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Liz slept peacefully for most of the afternoon, a deep, restful sleep that rejuvenated her tired body and mind. But then she started to dream.

Again she watched the events unfold that had led to Zan’s overthrow and death. She saw him being attacked in the palace by Khivar’s men. He fought valiantly, killing dozens of men, but eventually his powers waned and the attackers overpowered him, pulling him to the floor.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


The afternoon had turned into evening and Max was finally finished with the day’s meetings. Putting the government back together after more than half a century was a huge job and he was looking forward to having dinner with Liz and relaxing.

A smile lit his face as he walked slowly through the halls of the palace on his way to their room. He wanted to do something special for Liz to celebrate her pregnancy. He wasn’t sure what to do, but he had time to think of something. Maybe they could take a few days off and go to one of his family’s rural palaces. Liz hadn’t seen much of Antar even though they had been on the planet for more than a year.

It was perfect, he thought. He would take her to the palace that he remembered as being his favorite. They could escape all the pressures of their life and just relax and spend time together.

His smile widened as he imagined long walks through the woods watching Liz discover each new plant and animal. She would love it and he would love sharing it with her.

He estimated that they could leave in a couple of weeks. By then the government should be up and running again and …

His thoughts trailed off as he realized that the halls around him were completely silent. The palace wasn’t usually noisy, but there were always the sounds of activity; servants, guards, the palace staff going about their duties. Max stopped, listening intently but he heard nothing and a shiver went up his spine.

The whole scenario seemed vaguely familiar.

Max started walking again, more quickly this time, eager to get to Liz. Suddenly he realized why the situation seemed familiar. Something similar had happened when he was Zan, on the last day of his life.

Max picked up his pace again. Shivers wracked his body as he remembered what had happened in his other life. The palace had been unusually quiet right before the shouts and laser blasts had erupted. It had been Khivar’s men attacking and even though he had fought to the end, he hadn’t escaped with his life.

He didn’t remember everything from his final day, but he remembered enough. No one should have to relive their own death, especially when it was caused by their sister.

Max took a deep breath. He wasn’t worried that anything was wrong now, but he knew only Liz’s presence would chase the bad memories away. Just the thought of Liz helped him relax.

A strange hissing sound caused the hair on his neck to lift and his shield instantly went up, an automatic reaction against danger. Max turned toward the sound, his eyes darting around, but he saw nothing. He shook his head and pulled down his shield. Thoughts of the past were haunting him that was all.

He started to turn away but something shiny on the floor caught his attention. Max leaned down and picked up a small metal object. It was about an inch long and pointed on one end like a needle. He stood up examining it closely, wondering what it was.

A sound behind him made him spin around and he found himself face-to-face with three strange men who were almost on top of him. Obviously they had meant to take him unaware but when he turned they stopped in surprise. Max had only a second to take in the situation. They were all armed with some kind of baton with a glowing end, and he didn’t even have time to wonder what they were before the men rushed him.

Max pushed out with his shield, easily lifting the men off their feet and slamming them into the wall. He was careful to only use enough force to knock them unconscious so he could question them later.

Suddenly shouts rang out all around him and approximately twenty men poured into the hall from several directions rushing toward him. The men were armed with blasters and the same kind of sticks with glowing ends.

Several shots were fired at him and his shield went up automatically, sending the bright red streaks of light bouncing off. Five of the men reached him and directed the glowing ends of their batons at his shield. Max felt a jolt of energy that surprised him and he pushed out with his hand, sending the men flying back.

More shots were fired and several of the men took up positions around him, raising their own hands and directing their power at him. Max felt his shield take several powerful hits and then several more men rushed toward him.

Adrenaline rushed through Max’s system fueling his powers and everything went into slow motion around him. He used a simple thought to send his shield out and had time to study the men attacking him.

They were all dressed in priests robes, possibly how they were able to gain access into the palace, and they were all equipped with the strange batons. Max had never seen anything like them and wondered again what they were for.

He watched with fascination as the men moved infinitesimally closer, their every action slowed in his mind. Max could see the red laser lights from their blasters, moving faster than the men, but still so slow that he could have easily stepped aside to avoid them.

The situation was so similar to what had happened in his other life, but he was so much more powerful now that the attackers didn’t have a chance. He felt a sense of calm wash over him as he watched his glowing green spread out around him. These men were no match for him.

Not for the first time Max wondered about the incredible increase in his powers. It could be because of his half human status, the added DNA altering him in unexpected ways. But Max had always suspected it was because of his bond with Liz.

They complimented each other in every way, but especially with their powers. Separate they were both powerful, but together they fueled each others’ energy, building and multiplying it in ways that had surprised them. Their powers seemed to feed on each other, flowing together, unlocking their complete potential. Max had no doubt that without Liz he would have been powerful, but with her he had achieved levels of power that Antarians had only ever dreamed of.

Another laser blast sparked off his shield, bringing his attention back to the men surrounding him, and he wondered who had sent them. Max had no illusions. He was hated by many and that would probably never change. Could the men be in the employ of someone who wished him dead? Or were they more of Khivar’s followers?

The men had obviously hoped to take him by surprise, probably intending to use the sticks with the glowing ends to incapacitate him somehow before ending his life. Then he remembered the pointed metal object he found on the floor. Had the hissing sound been some kind of gun shooting the needle at him?

Max watched as his shield finally reached the men, engulfing them. He easily pulled the life from their bodies and they collasped like rag dolls to the floor around him.

He stood for a handful of moments with his arm outstretched, looking around, waiting for a second attack, but it didn’t come. Everything instantly returned to eerie silence.

His next thought was for Liz. He reached out with his mind looking for her, and was relieved to find her in their room still asleep. There were always guards outside their door and she was sealed inside. She was safe.

Reaching for the communicator he always kept with him, Max barked orders into it. “I was just attacked in the south wing near my quarters. Lock down the palace and search it, and send a squad here for three prisoners.”

He turned to look at the unconscious men on the floor. Liz’s uneasy feelings had been correct again, and he swore to himself that he would never discount them in the future. But at least he had been able to control his temper enough to leave them alive, and he would get answers from them.

The sound of running footsteps caused him to spin around again, his arm outstretched, but he allowed his power to dissipate when he saw his mother and Jaetus rushing toward him with several squads of men.

“You got here fast,” Max said.

Kasha nodded. “We were already on our way when we heard about the attack.” She glanced around at the men littering the floor. “Are you okay?”

Max nodded. “I’m fine. They didn’t even touch me.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what they were thinking. Maybe they didn’t know about my powers or maybe they thought those batons, or whatever they are, would do them some good…”

“Max,” Kasha interrupted him, “something has happened and we didn’t want to announce it over the communicators. The Granolith is gone.”

“What?” Max asked incredulously. Instantly he reached out with his mind searching for the power of the Granolith, but it wasn’t there.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Liz awoke suddenly from her dream with the sensation of Max’s power running through her. For a moment she thought he was really in danger and then she remembered Max’s words. They were safe now and she was just confusing him with Zan in her dreams.

She released a shaky breath, trying to calm down. Getting upset wouldn’t be good for the baby. Maybe Seris could give her something to help her not have nightmares.

With a smile she placed a protective hand on her flat stomach. When they had discovered she was pregnant Liz had been worried that Max wouldn’t want the baby. He’d had such a horrible experience with the baby Tess had made up, holding it over him and using it to torture him, and Liz had wondered if it was too soon for Max to want to be a father.

But she needn’t have worried. She’d been relieved to discover that Max not only wanted the baby but he was ecstatic. He loved the small, new life inside her already and he wanted everyone to know. Liz smiled wider. Max was going to make a wonderful father.

She knew he had already told his mother the news. Max had wanted her to know immediately and Liz thought it might be better for him to tell her alone even though she didn’t mention it to him. Kasha had just lost her own daughter and Liz wanted to give her a little time to come to terms with the pregnancy.

Again Liz’s sympathies went out to Max’s mother. The poor woman had been through so much; losing her husband, then losing her son because of her daughter’s treachery, finding the strength to kill her daughter to try and give her a second chance at a life, and then being forced to admit that Isabel wasn’t worth saving and watching her die again.

Liz wasn’t sure if Max knew that Kasha had killed Vilondra to send her to Earth, but he really needed to know. But so much had happened the last couple of days that Liz had completely forgotten.

And Liz realized that she had forgotten something else too. She had intended to tell Max about the weird vision she had gotten when she touched Jaetus.

She didn’t know what it was about Jaetus, but he always gave her the creeps. On the outside he was always perfect, said the perfect words, did perfect things, but Liz always had a feeling that something was going on under his perfect façade.

Liz swung her legs over the side of the bed, noticing that it was dark outside. She glanced at the clock confirming the time. Max was supposed to come and wake her and they would have dinner together, but his meeting must have run late.

The meetings often did run late and the conference room was a lot closer to the dining room than her bedroom. So Liz decided that she would simply go to meet Max at the conference room.

As she slipped on her shoes and ran a quick brush through her hair, pieces of her dream kept returning to her.


A hissing sound

Zan, unarmed except for his powers, using his shield to throw men across the room

Men rushing toward him with glowing sticks

Zan bending to pick up a small metal object


Liz left her room deep in concentration. Why was the dream so different this time? Zan had a blaster and a sword in her dreams before, and the attackers weren’t holding glowing sticks. And she didn’t remember Zan picking up anything.

Suddenly she had another flash and realized that Zan was dressed differently than he had been in her other dreams too. She was used to seeing Zan in a uniform, but this time he was wearing Khakis and deep blue shirt just like Max had been that morning.

It wasn’t Zan in her dream, she realized with a gasp, it was Max.

A knot of fear started to uncurl in her stomach, quickly growing. Was it just the old dream that she was altering in her mind, or was Max really in danger? She had awoken to the feeling of Max’s power rushing through her. Had something happened?

But Liz barely had time to complete the thought before her attention was captured by a familiar voice calling her name.

“Liz.”

She turned toward the source of the sound with wide eyes. It couldn’t have happened, she told herself. It was impossible.

“Liz,” the voice called again.

Liz took a tentative step forward. “Isabel?”

Her eyes darted down the hall where she had heard her sister-in-law’s voice but she didn’t see anything, and Liz realized for the first time how eerily quiet it was. “Isabel?” she called out again.

Fear suddenly raced through her and she took a step back. There was a faint hissing sound like in her dream but Liz only had a split second to wonder what was happening before a sharp object pierced her neck and she slipped into darkness.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


“How the hell could that happen!?!” Max barked.

“We’re not sure, your Majesty,” Jaetus said. “The guards outside the Granolith room were gone and there is no sign of it.”

“Who could have that kind of power?” Max asked aloud. “They had to get into the palace, know where the Granolith is kept, overpower the guards and use some kind of shield or cloaking device to remove the Granolith practically under my nose.”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.” He motioned to the dead men scattered around him. “But then I wouldn’t have thought this was possible either.”

Kasha spoke up. “The only person who came close to matching your power was Khivar.”

“But he’s dead,” Max said automatically, and then he stopped as realization dawned on him.

He looked up meeting his mother’s eyes as he spoke. “Khivar must have had help inside the palace. He was somehow able to fake his death and his men let in these others and got the Granolith out. It must have been his plan all along.”

Max’s mind reeled with the implications and he spoke aloud working through them. “Obviously he hoped to kill me, or at least distract me long enough to take the Granolith. It was brilliant really,” Max admitted. “A simultaneous two-pronged attack…” he trailed off again as everything clicked into place. “LIZ!!!”

Instantly he reached out with his mind, but he couldn’t feel her.

Max grabbed his communicator as he started sprinting down the hall toward their bedroom. “Hallek!” he bellowed, calling the name of the guard assigned to protect Liz.

There was no answer and Max tried again. “Hallek!!!”

Again there was no answer.

Jaetus ran close behind him. “What is wrong, your Majesty?”

“Don’t you see?” Max yelled over his shoulder without slowing his pace. “It wasn’t a two-part attack, it was three. Khivar would need to do three things to rule Antar again; kill me, take possession of the Granolith, and control or kill my son.”

Max pushed himself to a faster speed. “A statement was released to the press, Jaetus. Khivar knows Liz is pregnant. He knows she’s carrying our son.”

As they turned the last corner Max’s heart fell when he saw there were no guards outside his bedroom door, and he burst into the room calling out. “LIZ!”

Quickly he looked through their rooms. There was no sign of a struggle, but there was no sign of Liz either.

She was gone.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


TBC

[RoswellOracle]

Hey,

Welcome to the new readers and a big wave to the returning readers.

We're getting down to the end. Just one more part after this, I think.

So hang in there and everything will be explained.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Part 3


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max stood in the middle of his bedroom, shaking his head incredulously. He couldn’t believe Liz was gone. He had felt her through their bond just moments before and she’d been safe and asleep, and suddenly she had just disappeared.

Automatically he reached out for her with his mind. The connection slid easily into place like it always did but Max could barely feel Liz at the end of it. The bond was faint and fuzzy and Max suspected Liz was either drugged or unconscious or both. She was still alive, but he couldn’t tell where she was.

But she couldn’t be far away. He’d ordered the palace locked down just moments after he’d last connected with her. It was likely that she was still within the palace walls.

Again Max reached for his communicator. “Darius report!” he barked impatiently.

“Your Majesty,” General Darius’ voice answered immediately, “the palace is locked down. So far we’ve found no trace of other intruders, and no sign of how they entered the palace…”

Max cut him off. “Liz is gone!” he bellowed. “Khivar has taken her! I want every available person to join the search!”

“Of course, your Majesty,” Darius agreed. “The Queen’s safety is our first priority.”

Max turned off the communicator and headed for the door but he was stopped by his mother coming in.

“Max, Liz is missing?” she asked incredulously. “How can that be?”

Max shook his head. “She was safe a moment ago, but they’ve taken her. And they’ve drugged her or blocked our connection somehow. I can’t feel where she is.”

“Oh Max,” Kasha said softly reaching out to him. “I’m so sorry,” she soothed, “but we’ll get her back. I’m sure of it. We’ll get her and your son back safe.”

Tears shone in Max’s eyes. “Mother, I’m so scared. I’ve never been so scared in my life. Khivar has no reason to keep Liz alive, especially now that he knows she pregnant.”

Kasha touched his face gently. “Come and sit down, Max,” she suggested. “You’re so upset.”

He wiped at his eyes, impatiently brushing the tears away as he shook his head. “I can’t just sit here. I’ve got to help with the search. I’ve got to find Liz fast or she and the baby don’t stand a chance.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Hours later Liz came back to consciousness gradually, aware that something was very wrong. She had a groggy sensation in her head, and her entire body felt heavy. She couldn’t move at all and even her eyes didn’t want to open. After several attempts she was only able to crack her eyelids but it didn’t do any good because her eyes wouldn’t focus.

Allowing her eyes to close she relaxed against the soft surface. She was lying face down, her head turned to the side and she reasoned that she must be on a bed. But somehow she knew it wasn’t her bed. It just felt wrong.

Maybe she was sick, she thought. Maybe she had been taken to Seris’ office.

Liz had no memory of what had happened, of how she had come to be where she was. Her mind couldn’t seem to focus that much. The last thing she did remember was Seris confirming her pregnancy. Vaguely she wondered how long ago that had been. It seemed like just a moment ago, but at the same time it seemed like days.

She tried to speak, but her mouth didn’t seem to want to work either, and all that came out was a kind of whispered hiss. “ssmaaxxxsss.”

But as soon as the word left her lips, she knew Max was nowhere near, and that meant she couldn’t be in Seris’ office or anywhere else safe. Max would never leave her alone if she was this sick, especially if he couldn’t heal her.

Liz tried to reach out to him with her mind, but she couldn’t seem to focus enough to open the connection. She could feel the power in her body but she had no control over it.

A shiver of fear raced through her. Obviously she wasn’t sick. Someone had done something to her, drugged her most likely, and Max had no idea where she was. She must be in the power of their enemies. She was completely helpless, and she had no way of protecting her baby.

Suddenly she panicked. What if they had harmed the baby!?!

Liz focused her groggy mind as much as she could, searching her own body for any sign that her son was all right. But she couldn’t control her powers enough to feel the baby either.

Tears of fear and frustration leaked from her eyes. What if her son was dying? She had to find a way to help him. She had to find a way to contact Max.

Again and again she tried to focus her power but she only grew more tired with each attempt. Her head was spinning and she felt like she might faint. She was wearing herself out, and she couldn’t afford to. Only she could save herself and her son.

Liz took a deep breath trying to relax. She had to calm down and attempt to rest before trying her powers again. But she couldn’t relax because she was worrying about her son.

As hard as it was she had to put the baby out of her mind. She had to think of anything else.

She took another deep breath and turned her mind to the events that had led up to her current situation.

Clearly she remembered going with Max to see Seris, but that was the last thing she did remember. For several minutes she concentrated trying to remember what else had happened.

It was all so vague and foggy, like trying to pull meaning out of one of her visions. But Liz refused to give up, and went over and over the events she could remember and then tried to push beyond.

She had a feeling that Max had carried her to their room and put her in bed. And she was pretty sure that he had stayed with her until she’d fallen asleep.

But they had talked about something, hadn’t they?

Liz felt her mind roll, like some kind of uncontrollable sensation of vertigo, and she wondered if she might be sick. It must be the drugs, she thought, but she pushed the sensation away and refocused on her task.

What had she and Max talked about? It must have been something to do with the baby.

Yes, she thought triumphantly. They had talked about formally announcing that she was pregnant. More tears stung her eyes as the baby entered her thoughts again. What if she wasn’t pregnant any more?

A soft sob escaped her lips before she could stop it and she immediately chastised herself. If the baby was gone, she’d have time to grieve later, but now she had to believe that he was okay. And she couldn’t help herself or her son if she gave in to despair. She had to be strong for both of them.

Again she refocused on the memories she had lost, trying to pull out anything, any clue that might help.

She and Max had talked and then she had slept. Maybe they had taken her in her sleep, Liz thought. But somehow that didn’t seem right. Something else had happened, she just knew it.

She must have gotten out of bed, Liz reasoned, but Max couldn’t have been there because he would never had let anyone take her. So maybe she awoke early and had gone to meet him.

Suddenly she had a flash of memory that was clear.

She’d been in the hall outside their room and she’d heard a voice calling her name. It had sounded like Isabel, but that was impossible right?

Liz had witnessed Isabel die, but a nagging voice in her back of her head kept questioning what she had actually seen. What if somehow she had survived? What if it was all an elaborate hoax?

The voice she heard in the hallway calling her name had been clear and very familiar. A voice that she had heard many times. Had it really been Isabel?

Suddenly Liz’s mind rolled again.

Khivar!

An overwhelming fear gripped her. If Isabel was alive that meant Khivar was too!

Max!

For the first time Liz worried that Max might be in trouble.

What if Khivar were alive and he had done something to Max?

Khivar was the only person on Antar whose power had been a match for Max’s. What if he had somehow overpowered Max again?

And then Liz had a terrible thought. How had they been able to get her out of the palace without Max realizing, unless he was injured? Or dead?

Frantically she tried her powers again. She had to feel Max. She had to know if he was alive.

Focusing all of her strength she concentrated on their bond, willing it to come alive again. But she felt like there was nothing solid anchoring her and the feeling of vertigo returned. It seemed like she was falling forever, twisting and spinning faster and faster. Her head throbbed with pain, and blackness started to encroach, but still she held on to the thread of their connection.

She willed all of the power she could gather into the bond, and for just a split second she felt Max on the other end. But the dizziness and the pain were too much for her and she slipped into darkness again.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


They’d had to work quickly to take Liz and the Granolith, but the plan had gone off without a hitch.

“Liz and the Granolith are secured, my love,” he said with a smile, as he took his lover into his arms.

She nodded with satisfaction. “This plan is even better than the original. We’ll use Liz to lure Max into our trap. She won’t even wake up until Max is already gone.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max was slowly going insane. Liz had been missing for hours and he still had no idea what had happened to her.

He had led the search for her himself even though his mother and General Darius had begged him to try and get some rest. But there was no way Max could simply stay in his room while Liz was missing. He had to do something, anything, to try and get her back.

He’d been like a man possessed; running through the halls, checking and rechecking every room and every person, searching for hidden passageways, using his powers on every surface to try and get a flash, but nothing had worked. None of the search teams had found any trace of Liz or the Granolith.

Max smiled grimly. The Granolith had been so important to him but it had instantly faded into the back of his mind when he had learned that Liz was in danger. He’d barely thought about it all day. But now he wondered if he had the Granolith, would its power help him find Liz?

Throughout the day Max had attempted again and again to reach Liz through their bond, but each time he’d had the same result. Even though he could tell that Liz was still alive, he couldn’t hear her thoughts or feel where she was.

Once, a couple of hours ago, Max had thought he’d felt her. It had just been for a split second, she was in his mind, and then gone again. But he was sure she had been there.

Immediately he’d stopped what he was doing and put all of his concentration into their bond and contacting her. He felt the connection but it still seemed fuzzy, blocked. Max concentrated harder, building up his power and pushing more and more of it into the bond, trying to strengthen it, bring it into better focus.

He’d concentrated and built his power for what seemed like hours, but in reality it had probably only been fifteen minutes. And in that time he’d had no luck. His lack of progress frustrated and angered him and his power built with his fury. He would have continued indefinitely but he’d been interrupted.

“Your Majesty?” Darius asked. “Are you all right?”

Max had turned to the General, his eyes burning with power and rage and Darius had taken a step back.

Max felt a pang of regret that Darius was frightened of him and his power, but his power wasn’t even close to enough. He wasn’t strong enough to find Liz.

Perhaps if he’d had the additional power of the Granolith… He let the thought trail off. He didn’t have the Granolith so he had to find another way to locate Liz.

After the search of the palace failed Max went to interrogate the three prisoners he had captured. At first he had simply questioned them, but none of them uttered a word. And then Max’s fury had taken over.

He had tortured the prisoners, causing as much pain as he could, but still they wouldn’t talk. So Max healed them and then started the process over. Again and again he tortured them to within an inch of their lives, and then healed them to keep them alive. But it was useless. The men wouldn’t talk.

And when Max left them for a few minutes to get an update on the search, the three prisoners had somehow committed suicide.

Max grimly started to re-searched the palace but as the hours passed and they had still made no progress he grew more frustrated and more desperate. He returned to his bedroom and paced around and around, looking and thinking.

Nothing in the room was out of place and there was no sign of a struggle, but that didn’t mean nothing had happened there. Max walked around touching everything, willing a flash to come, but nothing happened.

He was exhausted and terrified for Liz and their son, and when he came to the bed he stopped.

Max sat down and picked up Liz’s pillow, putting it to his nose and inhaling deeply, breathing in her scent. He and Liz had been there together just hours ago and they had been so happy, making plans for the baby and the future. He’d held her hand, touched the soft skin of her face and let the silky strands of her hair sift through his fingers.

He brushed his hand over the sheets where she had slept. It was almost as if he could still feel her warmth.

Suddenly he got a flash.


<i>
Liz lay beneath him, holding him inside her body, her legs wrapped around him. Her head was arched back, her face clearly showing her pleasure and her love for him.
</i>


Max came out of the flash shuddering with the intense feelings. He had to get Liz back. He couldn’t live without her.

Even more determined he got up and continued around the room touching everything. He got a few more flashes, but nothing relevant.

Finally he approached Liz’s dressing table and reached out taking her brush in his hand. Immediately a flash assailed him.


<i>
He saw Liz sitting at the table that afternoon brushing out her hair, but more importantly he felt her intentions.

She had awoken late and figured that his meeting must have run over, and she decided to walk toward the conference room to meet him.
</i>


Max put down the brush and rushed into the hall. She had to have been taken somewhere between their room and where he had been attacked. Slowly he followed her route, touching the walls, and carefully examining every inch.

But he had only gone a few yards when something hidden by a shadow caught his eye. Max dropped to his knees recognizing Liz’s shoe instantly. He grasped it and a flash ripped through him.


<i>
Liz had been on her way to meet him when she had been distracted by someone calling her name. At first she’d been surprised and curious, but then fear had set in and she’d tried to get away. There was a hiss and a sharp pain at her neck, and everything went black.
</i>


With a growl of anger Max leapt to his feet. “ISABEL!”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Kasha was just down the hall when she heard Max cry out and she rushed to him. “Max?”

He clutched Liz’s shoe to his chest as he turned to her. “It was Isabel and Khivar!” he roared. “Somehow they got in the palace, and Isabel lured Liz.”

Kasha pulled Max into her arms. “Oh Max I’m so sorry.”

Tears gathered in Max’s eyes. “We know for sure who took Liz now, but it doesn’t get us any closer to finding her. I still can’t feel Liz.”

Kasha touched his face. “I feel like this is my fault. Isabel is my child. I must have gone wrong with her somehow.” She shook her head. “I just don’t understand how you two could be so completely different. You are so good and kind, and your sister is pure evil.”

Suddenly Kasha drew back from him. “Max, maybe that’s it. If you can’t find Liz maybe you can find Isabel. She is your sister and you have a connection.”

Max looked at her in surprise. “We had a connection when we were small but it went away as we got older.”

Kasha shook her head. “Connections don’t go away. They become weak or forgotten when they aren’t used, but they are always there. If you had a connection to your sister once, it is still there.”

Max rose to his full height, purpose burning in his eyes as his power instantly filled him. “How do I find her?”

“Remember her,” Kasha said, “the good times and the bad. Let her presence, her essence fill your mind and then reach out to her.”

Max closed his eyes and did as his mother said, remembering Isabel; how close they had been as children, how they had fought as they had grown apart, and how she had so cavalierly betrayed them. He let his sister’s memory fill him, how she looked and moved, her scent, her voice, and then he reached out with his mind.

It was easier than he expected. He found Isabel almost immediately.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max had been able to pinpoint Isabel’s location and within minutes he and a large compliment of troops were on their way. Not surprisingly she wasn’t far away but it seemed like it was taking forever for them to get there.

“Faster!” Max growled to the driver.

“Your Majesty,” General Darius soothed, “we are going as fast as is safely possible.”

“Liz isn’t safe!” he roared. “Go faster!”

He was practically in a panic. Even though he knew where Isabel was, that didn’t mean they were keeping Liz there. And Max felt an urgency to get to Liz. He had a feeling that he would lose her if they didn’t get there soon.

When they arrived Max leapt out of the vehicle before it even stopped moving and raced toward the building. He vaguely heard the shouts of his men behind him but he didn’t slow his pace. “Search the building!” he yelled over his shoulder. “Find Liz!”

Pushing his shield out in front of him, Max blew the door off its hinges and ran inside. A few dozen men dressed in priests robes were inside and he easily threw them aside before continuing deeper into the building. He followed the connection to Isabel that he felt in his mind, letting it lead him to his sister. Unerringly he ran through halls and down into the basement, reaching another door.

He could sense that this door was much heavier and thicker than the outside door had been. This was a bunker, a last place of defense. But his anger filled him with an unstoppable power and Max used a burst of energy to twist the door off its hinges, revealing Khivar and Isabel inside.

They huddled together, expressions of fear and shock clearly visible on their faces.

Fury and power rushed around Max like a cyclone and with each step he took his energy level increased. He focused all of his anger on Khivar as he entered the room, his eyes burning with power and hate.

Now that he was finally face to face with Khivar and Isabel he simply wanted to choke the life out of both of them, but he kept his temper in check for Liz’s sake.

Khivar put his hand out, sending a burst of power at Max.

With a flick of his hand Max easily pushed it aside. Khivar was powerful, Max could feel it, but Khivar was no match for him. He walked forward, easily holding Khivar’s power in check, and with a thought he lifted Khivar off his feet and tossed him backward, pinning him against the wall.

Isabel suddenly came at him and Max used another flick of his hand to throw her across the room and into the wall. Her head hit with a dull thud and she slid down onto the floor.

Max turned back to Khivar focusing all of his fury on the usurper. “Where is Liz!?!” he roared. “Tell me where she is or I’ll tear you both apart!”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


TBC

[RoswellOracle]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Part 4


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


“Where is Liz?” Max roared at Khivar again.

Khivar shook his head.

Max’s anger was almost beyond his control and Khivar’s refusal enraged him further. He took two steps, closing the distance between himself and Khivar, stopping just inches away from the other man. He gripped his throat and started squeezing. “Tell me where Liz is now!” he growled with deadly intent.

Again Khivar shook his head.

Max slammed Khivar’s head against the wall as he squeezed his throat tighter. “You will tell me, one way or another.”

A sort of strangled gasp escaped Khivar. “I don’t know.”

The answer infuriated Max. Khivar was playing with him even now. He tightened his grip and heard an audible crack.

“STOP!” Isabel screamed. “You’re killing him!”

Max’s attention swung to Isabel. “You’re both going to die,” he growled. “But how long it takes and how painful it is, is up to you!”

Isabel gasped with horror.

Max smiled, glad he was getting through to his evil sister. “Tell me where Liz is now, tell me what you did with her, and I’ll kill you both quickly.”

Isabel tried to get to her feet but winced in pain and sank back onto the floor. “If Liz is missing, we didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“What!?!” Max growled.

“Maybe Liz finally saw through to the real you and left,” Isabel said, “but we didn’t know anything about it.”

Max shook his head. “Nice try Isabel, but Liz didn’t leave me, she was taken.”

“You evil bastard!” Isabel shouted. “You’re going to kill us anyway. You don’t need any excuses, so just get on with it.”

“Not before I have Liz back!” Max shouted. He slammed Khivar’s head against the wall again. “Tell me now or I’ll kill him.”

Tears streamed down Isabel’s face. “I swear to you Max we didn’t take her, and we don’t have her. We would never hurt Liz.”

“I don’t believe you,” Max growled. “You have Liz and my son.”

“Your son?” Isabel gasped. “Liz is pregnant?”

Confusion crossed Max’s brow. “You didn’t know she was pregnant? How could you not know?”

Isabel smiled grimly. “We’re not exactly up on current events. We’ve been in hiding here since we were rescued from the execution, just waiting until it was safe to get out of the city.”

Max shook his head. “In hiding? Get out of the city? But you attacked the palace just tonight. You took Liz and the Granolith. You could use it to go anywhere.”

“We didn’t attack,” Isabel said. “We didn’t take Liz or the Granolith. You defeated our army, killed all of our men. We know we don’t stand a chance against you. Khivar and I just want to live the rest of our lives together, on another planet somewhere. Anywhere away from Antar and the wars and your evil.”

“My evil?” Max asked incredulously. “You and Khivar are the ones who started the wars, the ones who attacked us again and again. The five planets have been at war for more than fifty years because of you. This is all because of your evil, Khivar’s evil.”

Isabel shook her head. “We only attacked because you were evil. We were trying to save the people, save Antar from what you would have done to it.” She sighed as she sank back against the wall. “Mother saw that were evil in your other life, that’s why she helped us against you. But she believed in you and gave you another chance and sent us to Earth when we died.”

Isabel’s eyes when to where Max still held Khivar against the wall. “But you turned out twisted and evil in this life too. You…”

“Wait,” Max interrupted. “Our mother told you that Zan was evil, that I am?”

Isabel realized that she had inadvertently said too much and stayed silent.

Max continued without waiting for her answer. “Isabel, she told me that Vilondra was evil, and you are too. She told me that she killed Vilondra to give her another chance on Earth.”

“What?” Isabel asked incredulously. “That’s not possible.”

Max nodded finally understanding. “It was our mother who helped you and Khivar escape the execution. She lied to both of us, Isabel. She has been turning us against each other. Our mother caused the war, this whole thing.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Kasha and Jaetus waited together, curled up in each other’s arms, for a message from their spy.

Kasha couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Finally, today this whole thing will be over.”

She turned to Jaetus and touched his face gently. “Our years of patience and planning are finally paying off.”

Jaetus returned her smile. “Yes my love.

Kasha nodded. “Our original plan was good. We found a way to incapacitate Max, with a burst of energy from the batons. It would have made him easy to kill, but our best priests failed to get close enough to him to use them.”

“Yes,” Jaetus agreed. “It was a little different than we had originally thought, but it worked out even better. And the addition of Liz’s pregnancy into the mix will make us even more sympathetic.”

Kasha nodded. “When I first heard Liz was pregnant I couldn’t believe it. Max and Liz go at it like animals, but he told be he was going to wait until things stabilized until he would even consider having a child. So the pregnancy was a total shock. But I soon saw how to turn it to our advantage.”

“Yes,” Jaetus nodded. “Using Liz and the baby to lure Max to the building were Khivar and Isabel were hiding was inspired.”

Jaetus kissed her hard. “Yes my love. Today we will finally get what we deserve.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Isabel shook her head, unable to come to terms with what Max was telling her. What he said seemed true, and she desperately wanted to believe that he wasn’t evil, but it was just so incredible. She’d seen Max do terrible things. He had attacked them and he was going to have the executed. “I don’t know,” she said wearily.

Max lowered Khivar to the floor and held up his hands in a gesture of peace.

He opened his mouth, starting to speak when suddenly General Darius burst into the room with Liz in his arms. “Your Majesty we found the Queen. She was in a secret room hidden in the back.”

Max rushed forward as Darius placed Liz on a nearby table. His gaze raked over her looking for injuries as he placed his hands on her. It was difficult for him to make a connection, but he pushed through the dulling effects of the drugs, sending his healing power through her body.

He was relieved to find nothing wrong with Liz or the baby and he easily flushed the drugs out of her system. With a gentle push of power he brought her back to consciousness.

Cupping her head he softly called her name. “Liz, come back to me.”

Liz’s eyes fluttered open. At first she was frightened, but as her eyes found Max she felt such a profound relief that she burst into tears.

Max pulled her into his arms. “Ssssshhhh, it’s okay,” he assured her. “Everything is okay now.”

Liz held him tightly. “The baby,” she gasped.

“The baby is fine too,” Max said. “He’s perfect.”

Liz collapsed against him, shaking with delayed reaction. “I was so scared, Max. I thought…”

“Ssssshhh,” Max cut her off. He cupped her head and pulled back to meet her eyes. “Don’t think about it.” Gently he wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. “Everything will be fine.”

General Darius and his compliment of men had their blasters pointed at Khivar and Isabel. Both of them looked pretty bad, but he worried that they might try something while Max was focused on Liz. He waited as long as he dared before interrupting them. “Your Majesty,” he said loudly, “what about the prisoners?”

Max turned, allowing Liz to see Khivar and Isabel for the first time, and she gasped with fear.

“Lower your weapons,” Max ordered his troops. “They are not our enemies.”

“What!?!” Liz and Darius asked simultaneously.

“Khivar and Isabel aren’t evil,” Max said as he crossed to Isabel. He put his hands on his sister and healed her injuries before helping her to her feet. “They never were evil. The whole thing; the war, the killings, the years of suffering were all based on a pack of horrible lies.”

“Whose lies?” Liz gasped.

Max looked at Isabel. “Our mother.”

Isabel still wasn’t convinced. “You’ve done terrible things Max,” she said.

Liz instantly defended him. “Max only did what he had to do to keep us alive,” she said. “It was a war Isabel. You and Khivar didn’t exactly keep your hands clean either. What about using Tess and a non-existent son to torture him?”

Max crossed to Khivar and knelt down next to him. Khivar’s hand rested on his injured throat, his breathing raspy but even.

Isabel shook her head, wanting to believe but still cautious. She watched anxiously as Max put his hands on Khivar. “What about the things Khivar remembers Zan doing?” she asked shakily, afraid that the question might raise Max’s temper again. “The subjugation of conquered people, the torture and slaughter.”

“Do either of you know what Jaetus’ special power is?” Max asked.

“Of course!” Liz gasped. “Jaetus can mind warp, just like Tess. He can make you see things or alter memories.”

Max’s hands glowed with power as he healed the injuries he had inflicted on Khivar. The two men who had been enemies for more than half a century held eyes, and a new understanding was forged between them. Max rose to his feet and held out his hand, and Khivar unhesitatingly took it, accepting Max’s help.

Khivar stood shakily and Isabel rushed to him. They embraced tightly for a handful of minutes before they turned back to Max and Liz.

Khivar nodded grimly. “So the things I remembered Zan doing might not have really happened at all, or they might have been partially real and then altered in my mind.”

“Oh!” Liz gasped again. “I think at least one of the things you remembered did happen.”

She looked to Khivar. “The memory you showed me of watching Zan slaughter those people, I think that really did happen. But it wasn’t Zan who killed the people, it was Jaetus. I had a flash when he touched me a few days ago. I thought it was something from the war, but it really disturbed me. I saw Jaetus covered with blood, people laying dead around him and he was laughing like a madman.” She shivered with the memory. “Jaetus must have changed your memory putting Zan in his place.”

Khivar nodded. “That memory is so vivid in my mind. I can still hear the screams, smell the blood. It must have happened.” He met Liz’s eyes, “You must be right.”

Isabel smiled feebly. “She’s right. Her visions are always right.”

Khivar nodded again. He put his arm around Isabel and pulled her into his side. “Max, Liz I know it seems like a hollow gesture with everything that has happened, but I’m sorry.”

Isabel squeezed his hand. “We both are.”

Khivar continued. “We were trying to do what we thought was right.”

Max nodded. “I know. You were only trying to save lives, to save Antar. It’s not your fault, either of you.”

Isabel burst into tears and Max reached out to touch her arm. She threw herself into his arms and Max hugged her tightly as she spoke through her sobs. “I’m so sorry Max. I should have known.”

“It’s okay Isabel,” he soothed. After a moment he pulled back. “We both should have known. We should have held onto each other instead of letting things come between us. But we have another chance now.”

Isabel looked over his shoulder to Liz. “And Liz is pregnant?”

Liz nodded, her smile lighting her face. She attempted to get off the table but was still a bit unsteady and Max and Isabel were instantly at her side.

Isabel reached out to her tentatively. “You have to be careful with that little one.”

Liz smiled and took Isabel’s hand, placing it on her stomach. “It’s a boy.”

Isabel smiled back at Liz and they embraced, both laughing with joy.

Max smiled, watching Liz and Isabel together he felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. He’d hated being at odds with Isabel and was more relieved than he could say to be proven wrong. Of course now he had to face the truth that his mother was the evil one. She and Jaetus had caused millions of deaths over the last fifty years, all in the name of greed and power, and now they had to deal with that.

Liz sensed his discomfort and instantly knew what it was about. “Max,” she said softly as she moved into his side, wrapping her arm around him.

He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “We have to arrest mother and Jaetus, and who knows how many of the priests were involved.”

Max turned to General Darius and the dozen men he had with him. It was likely that at least some of the troops were involved too.

Darius and his men had stood by listening silently, and he knew what Max was thinking. Instantly he dropped to his knee before Max and Liz, and his men did the same. “Your Majesties,” Darius said, “I had no knowledge of this plot and would have informed you immediately if I had learned of it. I can vouch for your senior staff and the men on this mission as well. I hand-picked the men, your most loyal and skilled troops. Every man here supports you unconditionally, and we would all willingly give our lives for you.”

Max nodded, hearing the truth in Darius’ words. “Thank you General. Please rise, all of you.”

The men stood and Max offered Darius his hand. “I never questioned your loyalty General. I only wonder how many of our troops support my mother.”

“I don’t know,” Darius said, “but it would seem likely that at least some of them do. How else would they have gotten the Queen and the Granolith out of the palace so easily?”

“I agree,” Max said. He shook his head. “They planned this well. Taking Liz ensured that I would look for her personally, and do anything to find her.” He looked to Khivar and Isabel, “Mother framed you and then suggested a way for me to locate you. And it almost worked. I was so close to simply killing both of you for taking Liz.”

Khivar nodded. “Kasha and Jaetus must have expected us to kill each other off. Then they could blame whoever they wanted and assume the throne.”

“But what if we didn’t all die?” Isabel asked.

Max grimaced. “Mother had no trouble killing you in our last life,” he said softly.

“Yes,” Khivar agreed. “I imagine if there were any survivors, they would be dealt with.”

“How could she?” Isabel gasped. “How could she kill her own children? And if she just wanted us dead why did she send us to Earth to be reborn?”

Liz spoke up. “Kasha and Jaetus probably meant for you to kill each other in your last life too, but something went wrong, so they sent you to Earth to give themselves another chance.”

Max nodded and squeezed her hand. “Why don’t we go ask her?”

Suddenly the communicators held by Max and the others sounded with an incoming message.

Darius switched his communicator on. “Report!”

“General,” the voice came through the device, “we have reports of thousands of men approaching your position.”

“Who are they?” Darius asked.

“They are dressed as priests,” the man reported. “And after what happened at the palace…”

Darius cut him off. “Those men are the enemy! Try and get an accurate count and bring all of your troops into the building to defend the King and Queen.”

There were sounds of many men running and a moment later the communicator sounded again.

“There are at least ten thousand,” the voice from the communicator reported. “And more are incoming in ships and transports of all sizes and descriptions.”

“Ten thousand!” Liz gasped.

Isabel shook her head. “But Max killed at least five thousand of our troops with a single blow in the war, he could…”

“He used all of his strength,” Liz said. “He passed out and was unconscious for hours.”

Khivar grimaced. “So even if Max did take out half of them, the others would simply overwhelm us with their numbers.”

“We’ll call for help,” Isabel said. “Max your army…”

Max shook his head. “They would never get here in time.” He turned introspective. “There are twenty thousand priests that I know of, and there could even be more. This is why they took the Granolith and lured me out here. I don’t have enough power to save us.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Jaetus reached for his communicator as it signaled an incoming message and eagerly activated it. “Yes.”

“Our troops have reached the building and are engaging the enemy. Everything will be over in a matter of minutes.”

“Report when the area is secure,” Jaetus said, and switched off the communicator. With a smile he turned to Kasha and pulled her into his arms. “Everything is working out perfectly,” he said with a laugh. “It will appear that there was a huge battle between Khivar and Max. Our priests rushed in to help their King, but unfortunately they arrived too late to save him.”

Kasha nodded. “Khivar and Isabel will be killed in the resulting battle and blamed for everything, including Max’s death.”

She kissed Jaetus hard. “This is the day of our revenge, my love, and the first day of the rest of our life.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


TBC

[RoswellOracle]

Hey,

Thanks everyone for sticking in there. This is the last part.
It has been a long wild ride, but I hope you enjoyed it.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Part 5


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max turned to Liz. “I’m so sorry Liz. I thought we were safe now. I thought I had the power to protect us. I wanted to give you and our son a good life.” His anger rose with every word he spoke, building his power until his eyes burned with a blue flame. “I’ll fight to the death to protect you but…”

Liz cut him off. “I love you Max and if this is how it ends, then at least we’re together.” She gripped his hand tightly, her power building to meet his. “And we’ll fight together. I’ll combine my power with yours and we’ll do everything we can to save each other and our son.”

Max kissed her forehead. He could already hear the sounds of blaster fire outside. It was only a matter of moments. “I love you so much, Liz.”

“And don’t forget us,” Khivar said. “Isabel and I are able to combine our powers too. Maybe the four of us together…”

“That’s it!” Max exclaimed, cutting him off. “There are four of us. Maybe we could all combine power and form our own four square!”

Khivar nodded. “It’s possible. You and Liz are bonded, as are Isabel and I. And you and Isabel have the bond of family, of blood. It is definitely worth trying.”

Shots sounded closer and Darius and his men took up defensive positions around the door.

“We need to hurry,” Isabel said. “What do we do?”

“We all join hands,” Khivar said, “and we form a connection.”

Max was already holding Liz’s hand and he reached for Khivar’s.

Khivar gripped Isabel’s hand and reached for Max’s, taking it in a firm hold. Their eyes met as the connection opened between the four of them.

Thoughts and feelings passed through the bond; memories of the past, and of other lives, feelings of love, hate, betrayal, and understanding. But uppermost in the connection was the power. Their individual power flowed together, combining and multiplying until it was rushing through and around them like the wind of a hurricane.

It was unlike anything Max had ever felt, even with the additional energy of the Granolith. Again, time around him seemed to go into extreme slow motion. But this time he wasn’t alone, Liz, Isabel and Khivar were with him, all working toward the same goal, and it felt incredible.

Max was easily able to pinpoint each of the men inside and outside the building, automatically separating the priests from his troops. He felt invincible, as if nothing could stop the four of them working together. But he knew he had to be cautious. The power could be deceptive and could seduce him into acting rashly.

Tentatively Max released a small amount of the energy, sending his shield out around them. He watched it closely in his mind as it easily passed by his own men and slammed into the priests who were trying to enter the building. Max was aware of each man’s life-force as his shield touched them and he counted over six hundred priests as they were lifted off their feet and thrown back, their lives extinguished instantly.

He sensed the other priests hesitate outside the building and took the opportunity to release a larger amount of energy into his shield. It traveled out even faster and drained the life from over two-thousand men.

It was working, but it was taking too long and Max was worried that when the rest of the priests arrived there would be too many for them to defeat. So far their energy seemed to be holding up, but none of them had any idea how long it would last.

The next burst of energy Max focused at the incoming ships. He used his shield to slam several of the larger ships together and they exploded in the air, raining debris down over the city. Max sensed over six thousand men in the ships that went down, but there were still more than ten thousand surrounding them.

And with the last burst of power Max started to feel fatigue closing in on him.

He heard Liz’s concerned voice in his mind. Max?

I’m fine, he lied. He could feel her fatigue too and briefly wondered if it would hurt the baby, but he pushed his worry away. Right now he had to concentrate on keeping them all alive.

Max felt a push of invigorating energy that came from Isabel and Khivar.

Wait for the ships to get closer, Khivar suggested in their combined minds. Make them collide so they will fall onto the priests outside the building.

Max agreed with a thought and concentrated on sending out small bursts of his shield to kill any priests who got close to the building. For several long minutes he waited, dispatching a few thousand more men until the ships were finally close enough.

He was feeling the strain of using the power so heavily but they were so close to succeeding and there was no way he was going to let Liz down. Also there was no way he was going to let his mother and Jaetus win.

Max thought of all the terrible things that had happened over the last fifty years because of their lies and greed; the suffering, the continual wars, the millions of deaths, including his parents on Earth, Alex, Maria, Michael. The anger built up in him quickly and he let it take over. Max used the fury rushing through him to add fuel to his flagging energy and pushed the sensation of fatigue aside.

Again he threw out his shield, angling it so it crashed in the side of one ship, sending it tumbling into the four others. The ships were engulfed in a huge ball of fire and fell on the bulk of the remaining priests on the ground. A tremendous explosion rocked the ground as the ships hit, sending the remaining survivors flying.

Max almost collapsed in relief. He still sensed around three thousand priests outside but he used another large burst of power and easily ended their lives.

We did it, he said needlessly through the connection. We really did it.

He released Khivar’s hand and turned to Liz.

She threw her arms around him. “I knew you could do it Max.”

Now that the danger was past Max’s fatigue came rushing back and he wobbled a bit on his feet. Instantly Khivar was at his side, a strong arm gripping Max’s, supporting him and helping him to a seat.

Liz sat beside him concerned. “Max?”

General Darius and the other men in the room also came forward.

“I’m okay,” he assured them with a smile. “I just feel like I’ve run a marathon.”

“That was amazing, Max,” Isabel said.

“Yes,” Khivar agreed. “I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that.” He shook his head. “The power, the incredible power.”

General Darius and his men dropped to their knees bowing low. “Your Majesty.”

Khivar joined them, kneeling before Max. “You are incredibly powerful. You care about and protect your people, risking anything for them. You truly deserve the title of King, your Majesty.”

Max shook his head. “Please get up, all of you.”

He reached his hand out to Khivar. “Please get up. That makes me really uncomfortable, and besides we’re family.”

Khivar nodded and took his hand, letting Max help him to his feet.

Max looked around. “This isn’t over yet. Mother and Jaetus will be expecting their priests to check in.” He focused on General Darius. “Get one of the priests’ communicators and we’ll send them the message they are expecting.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Jaetus grabbed for his communicator when it sounded. “Report!”

A voice answered through the communicator. “We’ve lost a lot of men, your Excellency…”

Jaetus cut him off. “What about the King, and Isabel and Khivar?”

“They are dead,” the voice said. ”They are all dead.”

“But Liz is still alive, as I ordered?” Jaetus demanded.

“Yes, of course, your Excellency.”

Jaetus smiled. “Is she still unconscious?”

“Yes,” the voice answered.

“Good,” Jaetus said with satisfaction. “Bring her back to the palace, along with the bodies of the King, Isabel and Khivar.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Darius switched off the communicator. “So far, so good.”

Max nodded. “We have to be careful. We still don’t know what they’ve done with the Granolith, or if they have access to it’s power.” He focused on Darius. “How many loyal troops can you contact?”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Jaetus turned off his communicator and tossed it aside so he could take Kasha into his arms. “It’s finally over my love! We are finally free!”

“Yes!” Kasha exclaimed. “I am rid of the bastard’s offspring once and for all!”

Jaetus smiled. “We just have to make sure that Max’s body is too damaged to clone, and then we’ll only have Liz to deal with.”

Kasha smiled wider, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she spoke. “Liz has lost her bonded mate, she’ll be practically incapacitated with grief. With a little friendly persuasion and some mind warping, it will be easy to sway her to do whatever we want, until her untimely end.”

Jaetus nodded. “Yes, after losing the reborn King Zan to Khivar’s treachery, it will be so tragic to lose his wife and only child to Khivar’s remaining supporters.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max, Liz and the others quickly donned priests robes and wrapped up four bodies to deliver to the palace. Then they altered one of their ships to look like a transport the priests used, and within a few minutes they were underway.

“We’ll just keep this simple,” Max said. “Jaetus will want a report of what happened so we will be brought before him. Our loyal troops will shut us in with Jaetus, and take up positions outside so we won’t be outflanked by priests.”

“We’re all tired,” he continued, “but we have to end this now. We won’t get another good chance like this where we can take them by surprise.”

Everyone nodded agreeing and Max turned to Liz. She was so tired, he could feel it through their bond, and he was worried about her.

Max took her in his arms and gently rubbed her back. “Are you okay?”

Liz nodded, trying to reassure him. “I’m tired, but I’ll be fine.”

Max kissed her forehead as he spoke through their bond. I was so scared when they took you. I thought I might lose both of you. He inhaled the fresh scent of her hair. It feels so good to have you in my arms again.

I was so scared for you too, Liz said, and the baby. I was completely helpless and I didn’t know if I would ever see you again.

But we’re together now, Max said, and after we arrest Jaetus and my mother we really will be safe.

Minutes later they arrived at the palace and put up the hoods on their robes before exiting the ship. Their men carried the bodies and their group was escorted into the throne room where Jaetus and Kasha were waiting. They stood regally before the King and Queen’s thrones, hands grasped, with a look of pure maniacal glee on their faces.

A shiver of reaction raced down Max’s spine. This was the room where he had died in his last life as he had searched for the power of the Granolith to aid him. And he wondered at the coincidence.

Suddenly the doors slammed shut behind the four of them and Jaetus’ face twisted into maniacal laughter. “You can drop the pretense Max,” he said. “We knew who you were the moment you stepped off the ships without the fake Granolith.”

Max pushed his hood back, aware that the sounds of a battle had started in the hall outside. “Fake Granolith?” he asked.

“Of course,” Kasha said. “We are going to tell everyone that Khivar and Isabel took the Granolith and Liz, so obviously they both have to be returned to the palace along with your bodies.”

Jaetus laughed again focusing on Isabel and Khivar. “I must admit it was quite a surprise that Max didn’t kill you. We thought he would torture you to death trying to get you to tell him where you had Liz.”

“I almost did,” Max admitted. “But their answers didn’t make any sense.”

Jaetus smiled. “Well now we will have the pleasure of seeing you die.”

Isabel shook her hood off as she stepped forward. “But why?” She focused on her mother. “We’re your children.”

Kasha laughed, her beautiful face twisted with hatred. “Even though I conceived you and gave birth to you, I never considered you my children. You were simply a means to an end.”

Isabel gasped and involuntarily stepped back.

Kasha’s eyes hardened and she lifted her chin regally. “I was a high priestess in the Order of the Angel, as were my ancestors for thousands of years before me. That is where I met Jaetus and that is where we made our plan to rule Antar.”

“Yes,” Jaetus continued. “Our order has served the royal family for generations and we decided that we were tired of being servants to a line of simpering Kings who never think past their own planet. There is a whole universe out there!” he exclaimed. “With our people’s powers, we could conquer it all! Every planet, every star system! We could have an empire!”

A smile briefly crossed his face before he returned to his story. “So we planned for Kasha to seduce your father and marry him. He was the heir to the throne, and when his father died, with a little help from us, she became Queen. We decided she would bear two of his children, one male of course to inherit the throne, and we would work to turn them against each other.”

“It was so easy,” Kasha said triumphantly. “I would whisper in Zan’s ear that Vilondra was jealous and evil, and then I would do the same to Vilondra about Zan. You hated each other so much, and we knew it would only be a matter of time until one of you did something. So I killed your father, forcing the young Zan to assume the throne, and forcing Vilondra to act against her brother.”

Kasha’s brow creased. “But Zan’s power grew much greater than Vilondra’s and we feared that she would be no threat to him. So I subtly pushed her toward an up-and-coming political, one of Zan’s advisors, and a very powerful man in his own right, Khivar. He was handsome, charming, his power rivaled Zan’s, and I knew he wanted Vilondra.”

Jaetus shook his head. “And Vilondra’s stories about her evil brother, along with a few well-placed mind warps were all it took to convince Khivar that Zan was evil and a danger to Antar. We anticipated a huge civil war where Zan, Vilondra and Khivar would all be killed, leaving Kasha the only member of the royal family alive to take over the throne.”

Kasha frowned. “But Khivar was stronger and more prepared than we anticipated. He took the palace by surprise and killed Zan.” She shook her head. “Khivar and Vilondra would have been declared King and Queen and simply taken over, ruining all our plans. At the time we knew the priests were no match for Khivar, so we came up with a backup plan. I killed Vilondra and cloned her and the others and sent them to Earth.”

“We sent the Granolith to Earth too, because at the time we were unable to completely use it, we weren’t strong enough. But we didn’t want it to fall in Khivar’s hands. The best option was to send it to Earth with Zan. We knew he would keep it safe and bring it back to us when he returned.”

Jaetus nodded. “Then we spread the rumor that the four of you had been sent away to be reborn, to prepare to take back Antar. We knew Khivar would do everything in his power to get Vilondra back and kill Zan again, so we simply waited.”

“We set up the cloning to take forty years to buy us time to build up the number of priests, and build up our strength. Also we spread rumors of Khivar’s evil and treachery across the star system. So Khivar’s energy was focused on Earth, and fending off the attacks of the other planets and Zan’s supporters. That made it easy for us to forge our priests into one of the greatest fighting forces Antar has ever seen.”

Kasha continued. “So when Max returned to Antar we helped him defeat Khivar and Isabel, but we couldn’t let him assassinate them. We needed them to be the villains and take the blame. So we rescued them from the execution and kept them hidden until we needed them.”

“We were simply going to kill Max and Liz in the palace and blame Khivar and Isabel, but Liz’s pregnancy changed our plan. We decided to use Liz and the baby to lure Max to the building were Khivar and Isabel were hiding. We thought at least some of you would die, and then our priests would finish off the survivors. The official story would be that the priests had arrived too late to save Max and they killed the traitors Isabel and Khivar.”

Jaetus smiled. “Liz would have been the only survivor, discovered out of harm’s way in a back room. We would have allowed her to have the baby, and persuaded her to name Kasha as regent to help her rule. And in time Liz and the baby would have been assassinated by more of Khivar’s followers, allowing Kasha to assume the throne.”

Jaetus’ eyes focused on Liz. “But now that you know the whole truth, I’m afraid you will spend the rest of your pregnancy in an induced coma. It will be reported that you were mortally wounded in the fighting. Of course before you succumbed to your injuries you requested that your body be kept alive to allow the baby to come to term, and you also requested that your husband’s mother be named as guardian and regent.” He smiled. “It’s a tragic story really, one that will touch the hearts of our people.”

“Of course your child won’t live past its first birthday,” Kasha continued with a smile. “But by then Jaetus and I will be married and expecting our own child, a son, who can inherit the throne.”

Isabel spoke up. “There is no way you would get away with that.”

Jaetus laughed. “No one has questioned us so far.” He motioned to Kasha. “Poor Kasha, her whole life has been beset with tragedy; losing a husband, then two children and then a grandchild. The people will rally around Kasha and put her on a pedestal for her strength, resilience, and her tireless devotion to Antar. They will probably insist that she take the throne.”

“It’s a good plan,” Max admitted. “Excellent even, and it probably would have worked if you had succeeded in killing us.”

Jaetus smiled. “It isn’t over yet.”

Max barely felt power building around them before it burst forth from Jaetus, throwing them all back across the room and into the wall.

For a moment Max was surprised. Jaetus never had that kind of power before. His mother and Jaetus must be bonded he reasoned, and perhaps they could share energy, but together they were much more powerful that Max had ever imagined.

Automatically Max reached for Liz to help her up. At the same time he opened their bond to combine their power, but he was practically overwhelmed with her fatigue. The extended stress combined with her pregnancy was exhausting her, and Max didn’t think she would have the strength to form the four square again.

Max was tired himself and certainly not at his full strength. He didn’t know if he had the power to stop Jaetus and his mother. Maybe with Khivar’s help…

Suddenly Max realized the Khivar was on the floor cradling Isabel. She had been knocked unconscious during the attack and Max had no idea if he and Khivar could share power without his sister to help form the bond.

Max felt another burst of power from Jaetus and had just a split second to put up his shield in front of them.

Jaetus’ power hit the shield and pushed it back a few inches but Max held on. Jaetus and his mother had a lot more power than Max thought, a tremendous amount, and Max knew he wouldn’t last long. He had to go on the offensive and attack them before his power was exhausted.

Max sent out his shield toward Jaetus and his mother intending to pull the life from them like he had so many others, but Jaetus met Max’s power with his own. It crackled and arched through the air like a flash of lighting, colliding with Max’s shield. Max was able to hold on for a moment, but then his shield disintegrated and Jaetus’ power hit him square in the chest. He was thrown back into Liz and they both fell to the floor.

Jaetus laughed. “An excellent plan indeed.”

He raised his hand toward Max, building his power but before he could fire, a burst of energy came from Khivar. Jaetus easily pushed it back at him, causing Khivar to dive aside to avoid being hit by his own power.

Max had started to despair that they were no match for Jaetus and Kasha, until the last blast of Jaetus’ power hit him. Instantly Max had recognized the feel of the power. It wasn’t just Jaetus’ and Kasha’s power, they was using the Granolith’s energy to enhance their own.

Jaetus had been projecting a mind warp, blocking Max from feeling the Granolith, and Max realized that the Granolith was in its room and had probably never even left there. But now that Max could feel the power of the Granolith again, there was nothing Jaetus could do to stop him.

It took a lot of power to control the Granolith, and Kasha and Jaetus barely had enough even with their powers combined. Max simply reached out with his mind and wrested control of the Granolith away from Jaetus without him even being aware.

“And now you die,” Jaetus said laughing again. He knew his next burst of energy would kill Khivar and Isabel and then he would focus on destroying Max. He gathered his strength and directed a deadly amount of energy at them, but the power didn’t leave his hand.

Shocked, he looked down at his hand, not understanding what had happened. Then he became aware that the power was still building up in his body, but he didn’t seem to be able to stop it.

Again he threw out his hand willing the power to destroy Khivar and Isabel, but again nothing happened. He roared with rage, something was wrong with his power, or the Granolith.

Suddenly his eyes snapped up, and just as he suspected Max’s glowing blue gaze met his. A feeling of pure terror rushed through Jaetus. Max had regained control of the Granolith and would use it to destroy him and Kasha.

He was shocked that it was after everything, years of planning and execution, that suddenly everything was at the end. Their plan had failed, and they would die.

Jaetus could already feel the power building in his body to a critical level, and through their bond it would destroy Kasha too. He turned toward his love cupping her face as he held her eyes. Her skin glowed with the power growing up inside her and he thought she had never looked so beautiful. When she started screaming he clasped her to his chest and squeezed his own eyes shut against the pain.

Max wanted to torture them, he wanted them to pay for all of the deaths they had caused, for all of the misery. But he knew that nothing he could do to them would make them sorry, and no punishment would ever equal their evil. So he ended their lives quickly, burning them from the inside, and soon nothing was left but a pile of ash.

Then Max sent out his power exterminating the lives of every priest in the palace. The sounds of fighting ceased around them and everything returned to a peaceful silence.

Quickly Max turned to Liz, checking her and the baby for injury, and when he didn’t find any damage he helped her to her feet. Then he went to Khivar and Isabel, healing them both for the second time that day.

General Darius burst into the room, his eyes going directly to Max and Liz. “Are you all right, your Majesties?”

Max nodded. “It’s over. It’s finally over.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max sent troops to the temple of the Order of the Angel to secure it, and they discovered that the few remaining priests had fled. They were declared outlaws and traitors to the crown and Max knew they wouldn’t get far.

Then Max, Liz, Isabel and Khivar had given a short press conference explaining to the people of the five planets everything that had happened. Then the four of them had given their promises to work together to bring a better future to everyone.

Max invited Khivar and Isabel to live in the palace, wanting to keep his remaining family close, and they agreed.

Isabel hugged him tightly. “I’m so glad we were wrong about each other.”

“Me too,” Max agreed.

Khivar reached a hand out to Liz. “I am happy to know that your faith in your husband was well placed. If we would have listened to one another sooner…” he trailed off.

Liz knew what he meant, and stood on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “We’ve all lost people Khivar and we’ve all suffered. But the best we can do now is never forget, and make a better future.”

Khivar smiled. “You’re right.”

Isabel and Liz hugged and Khivar turned to Max extending his hand. “You have a remarkable wife,” he said.

Max shook Khivar’s hand and looked to Liz where she stood with his sister. “She’s the person I was looking for in both my lifetimes, and I’m so lucky to have found her.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Even though it was mid-morning Max took Liz to their room because neither of them had slept the night before.

He carried her through the door and closed it behind them with his powers before setting her gently on the bed.

“Max” she said with a smile, “you really don’t have to carry me everywhere.”

Max brushed the hair away from her face. “I told you to get used to it.”

Liz wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her for a kiss. It started out sweet and tender but quickly became heated, hungry.

Max grasped her head in his hands and thrust his tongue into her mouth deepening the kiss. He groaned with the sensation of being with her. When she had been missing he had wondered if they would ever be together again.

He trailed kisses across her chin and down to her neck. Liz gasped with pleasure as she threaded her fingers into his hair holding him to her.

Max placed kisses even lower as he slid his hand into her shirt. He pushed aside her bra and grasped her breast, stroking over her hardening nub with his thumb.

Liz arched into him, moaning her pleasure.

Suddenly Max pulled back. “I’m sorry Liz. I know you’re tired. I just missed you so much and I…” he trailed off.

Liz continued, knowing what he was going to say. “You wondered if we’d ever be together again.”

Max nodded.

“I thought the same thing,” Liz admitted.

She reached up to touch his face. “Don’t stop, Max. I am tired, but I’m never too tired to be with you.” She started to unbutton his shirt. “I know we have our whole lives together but I want you now.”

Max smiled. “Anything you want my love.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Epilogue


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Ten months later the five planets were celebrating the news of the birth of the prince and heir to the throne of Antar.

Liz had been in labor for several hours, but the whole time Max had been at her side, easing their son’s entrance into the world.

Alexander Michael Evans was pronounced healthy and placed in his mother’s arms. Max gazed lovingly at his wife and son. He had never felt so happy or so proud.

The three of them spent several quiet moments together. Max could hardly take his eyes off his son or Liz. They were both so beautiful to him and he never wanted the moment to end. But there were others waiting to meet the new baby.

Max kissed Liz’s forehead and then Alex’s. “Are you ready to face the crowds?” he asked Liz.

She nodded, tired but glowing with happiness. “Yeah.”

Max opened the door and invited them in with a wave.

Isabel and Khivar entered first, Isabel’s own belly starting to show her pregnancy.

Next came Nancy and Jeff Parker.

They had been shocked when Max and a pregnant Liz had shown up on their doorstep. But it was nothing to how shocked they had been when Max and Liz told them the whole truth. There had been tears and apologies on both sides, and when Max suggested that the Parkers return to Antar with them, they readily agreed.

And behind the Parkers came Kyle, Jim and Amy.

Amy and Jim had gotten married not long after Max, Liz and the others had left Earth. Jim had expected to keep the aliens’ secret from Amy, but he was relieved when Max and Liz had shown up on his doorstep and allowed him to tell her the truth.

It had seemed to make Maria’s death easier for her, knowing not only had there been a reason behind it, but that the one’s responsible had been discovered and would not be able to cause any more pain.

The Parkers, Jim, Amy and Kyle had been on Antar for more than six months and they had all decided to make it their home.

The Parkers wanted to be close to Max and Liz and the baby.

Things had never been the same for Jim since he lost his job as Sheriff and he was glad for the change. And he and Amy had joined Max’s staff.

Kyle had also been at loose ends. He’d been so lonely after his friends left and he had often wished he’d gone with them. But since he had been on Antar he had found his true calling. Kyle had taken over the temple of the former Order of the Angel and was bringing Buddhism to Antar. He had also met a beautiful, sweet woman, the daughter of one of Max’s advisors and he had never been happier in his life.

Max sat with Liz on the bed cradling her against his chest as they watched the proud new grandparents holding the baby. The official and unofficial aunts and uncles crowded around too, eager for a glimpse.

Max smoothed his glowing hands down Liz’s arms, pushing his healing and rejuvenating energy into her, and easing her pain away.

Liz snuggled into his chest. “So is it because of the old meaning of the name that you didn’t want to call the baby Zan?”

Max kissed her head. “No, I don’t mind the meaning,” he said softly. “I just thought it was time for a change.”

Liz looked up into his face with a puzzled expression on her face. “You don’t mind?” she asked confused. “I thought Zha’an meant angel of death.”

Max looked at her with surprise. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Where did you get that idea?”

“Khivar told me,” Liz said, “when I talked to him in his cell. He said in the ancient region where your ancestors came from the name Zha’an was derived from two words that meant angel of death.”

Max shook his head again. “I wonder who told him…” he trailed off, and he and Liz both spoke at the same time.

“Jaetus.”

“No,” Max continued, “the name Zha’an was always one word and it simply meant angel.”

He kissed her head again. “And I didn’t need to name our son Zan to remind me. I have two angels in my life even though neither of them officially carry the name, our beautiful son and you Liz.”

He kissed her tenderly on the lips. “You are my friend, my love, my angel. I love you more than anything, and I’ll love you until the day I die.”

Liz touched his face. “And I love you with all of my heart and soul.”

Max smiled. “Some people never find happiness,” he said, “but I am the luckiest man in the universe. Every time I look at our son, or hold him; every time I see your beautiful face, or kiss you, and especially when we make love, I am soaring with angels.”


and through it all she offers me protection
a lot of love and affection
whether I’m right or wrong
and down the waterfall
wherever it may take me
I know that life wont break me
when I come to call she won’t forsake me
I’m loving angels instead


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


THE END

Really this time.


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And in a couple of weeks look for part 1 of Mouth of an Artist!

Thanks for reading, and for the feedback.
And thank you very much to everyone who has nominated this or my others stories in the Fanatics awards.

[RoswellOracle]

Thank you everyone so much for the feedback! Glad you all enjoyed the final ending.


For those of you who are interested, I am posting the first part of my new story in the Artist Series - Mouth of an Artist - in two days! - Fri June 9th!


Also on my Author's Page I have announced several upcoming stories with tentative release dates.




And don't forget to check out the Summer Fan Fic Challenge at the new board Roswell Heaven.