STAR Series (Very AU, sci-fi) {COMPLETE}

[silverofroswell]

Chapter 7

Hail the Heroes - Earth

Part 19

Primary hangar bay
Moira-class battleship Destiny

Kyle was a bit worried. He had been ordered to dock in hangar 4 instead of his usual place, the second hangar. The returning Angel squad received a warm welcome, and they were ready to call it a day - though some victory celebrations were definitely due, after all they won this battle, but he felt more like sitting down with Serena in someplace quiet. However, their orders said to go to hangar one for debriefing. So, that's where the increasingly grumpy Angel squad was headed.
As they walked the corridors, they had an unfamiliar feeling something was out of place. It took them a few minutes to realize that they were hearing strange sounds. Not the well known rumbling of the engines, but something completely different. In another minute, they knew that it had to be music - it got louder as they got closer. Well, if someone is partying so loud that they could hear it from that far away, then they will be found soon, and then Enteroff will kick their ass. The old fox was well known for his hatred of any kind of mess on his ship.
When they reached the primary hangar, the music was even louder. Someone is partying in a hangar bay? During a debriefing? One of the many doors slipped open and their jaws hit the ground. A full blown party was going on in there, loud music and flashing party lights. Hundreds, no thousands of bodies were moving to the beat, and food stands and beer kegs were placed all along the walls.
A few seconds after they entered the music was cut off.
Reflectors were aimed at them and they stood frozen on the spot like a deer caught in headlights (literally!), and somebody shouted, "Silence!" through the megaphone. The crowd went quiet instantly.
`Some of the true heroes of the battle just arrived to celebrate with us my friends. Men and women who risked their very lives to win this battle for us. I want you to give a big hand for the ANGEL SQUAD! `
The cheer that rose from the crowd was so loud that it shook the walls of the hangar. Kyle felt himself picked up and thrown up in the air again and again.

Kyle

I don't know when Liz found time to organize this party, but I have to thank her later. By the time we arrived back, all the ships were removed from the enormous chamber, and party lights and speakers were placed everywhere. All but one hangars have been converted like this, so the whole crew of fifty thousand can fit into Destiny. People are arriving on shuttles from other ships even now.
It's so strange to be the center of all this attention. I usually keep a (relatively) low profile, I don't want to be seen as the son of the Vice-Admiral, I don't want people to be nice to me because they want to make a good impression on my dad. But now, finally, I feel like I stepped out of my father's shadow. I won't have to pay for a single drink tonight, not for many nights. All these people, they don't come over to me to slap my shoulder or pat me on the back because I'm my father's son, or Liz's friend. They do it, because I'm me , Kyle Valenti, the Angel One. In the beginning I tried to be modest, but to Hell with it! We did a great job today, and I'd like to see anyone else repeating it! This is the best night of my life, the very best. I’m only missing one thing. Her.
It's hard to tell where we stand with Serena. Sure, we've been dating in the last two weeks, we got together when we had time between the drills and exercises, and it was pretty serious. But do I love her? It was something I just had to say, with all that going-into-battle feeling, full of adrenaline, and all macho. I guess I just got carried away. I like her very much, but is it love? We are not Max and Liz, whose love can bridge the stars. I don't know what I’ll tell her when I see her next time, though I can't wait to see her. And what happened to me that I'm pondering on these things in the middle of a friggin' party where I'm the friggin' hero?
.
Serena

After I've played my compulsory part in Admiral Parker's celebration scheme, I head for Hangar One to find Kyle. In the last weeks, I've got to know our Admiral and she is not exactly what I expected her to be. Or maybe she is, and that's the problem. Sometimes I only see an idealistic young woman, who speaks with passion in her voice and who believes in peace and the brotherhood of all sentience. Other times, I see her lighter side, a lively, playful woman, a great friend to hang out with. Max brings the Real Liz out of her, or at least I like to think about this side of her as the Real Liz. What they have is something unique. All this staring-into-each other's eyes. It's incredibly romantic! He is like the perfect boyfriend. He always seems to be ready to jump at her word. They are extremely close to each other. Sometimes it's like they are reading each other's mind. Maybe that's the advantage of having an empath as a lover.
The whole thing seems to make Kyle a little uneasy. Every time they kiss, he stiffens a bit. He plays it really cool, but I just sense it. Maybe he dated Liz in the past? I wonder if I should ask him. And there are all those private jokes Max and Liz share. I don't understand a single one of them, but Kyle does, or at least more than I do, and he has to fight really hard not to laugh. It's so sweet when he is trying to pretend that he doesn't understand anything, so that I won't be the odd one out. Though I don't understand what can be so funny about some lame alien jokes!
And of course there is Admiral Parker. Now that I've got to know her up close, I'm not sure at all that I like it, when Liz goes all Admiral. Its not the way she issues orders and expects them to be obeyed, more like the orders themselves. It seems that Liz grew up on Machiavelli. She made sure that the four groups of "heroes", went to different parties, so we can be admired and worshipped everywhere like some religious icon. And I guess that it wasn't a coincidence either that the conspirators were leading the attack. And I bet there were many better qualified candidates for the post of Colonel Yian too. Yian. I try not to think about his death, and it's meaning. I try to make myself believe the accident version, but I just can't. Colonel Yian was murdered in cold blood, and it must have been the Admiral who gave the order. I can't help but shudder at how close I was to death that afternoon. If I said the wrong things... Hell, if I thought the wrong things! She must have had our thoughts under surveillance. She is shrewd enough for that. In theory, I know that one man's life is no price to pay when it comes avoiding a war, but still, I feel violated, even though I had nothing to do with the murder. I haven't confronted Liz about this. The less I know about the "things that must be done", the better.
And here I am, worried about the leader I gave my heart and soul to, while my boyfriend told me that he loved me only a few hours ago!
I can't help but smile at the memory. He loves me! He confessed his love to me! The thought itself makes my knees weak. That handsome, cool guy loves me, me, a little, gray nobody! And I love him back! I'm so full of estrogen that I can barely stand still. Once I find him, I'll drag him off to his room and we’ll make love all night. What "make love", I'll fuck him blind, that's it! I've waited long enough, and I won't wait a second more! I want to claim him as mine for good, tonight!
------

Kyle was sipping on his beer, standing gloomily at the edge of the party. By now, he was fed up with his newfound popularity. He just wanted to talk to Serena, not exactly sure of what he would tell her, unfortunately he had no idea where to look for her. She probably wasn’t in Hangar One, he thought that they would announce her, just as they did with them, and it would have been pointless to go randomly looking for her in a crowd of fifty thousand distributed evenly on a gigantic ship. And her com was turned off for some reason. He was just about to call it a day and sneak away, when he felt someone grab his ass. He turned indignantly, only to come face to face with Serena, who was grinning devilishly and who threw herself into his arms and kissed him fully on the lips.
`Se... Serena! `, he managed when she finally released him.
`Hello, love. ` Love? Wait a second! Did she just call him "love"?
`Uhhh, hello. Let's go and find someplace quiet to talk.`
`Talk? Who wants to talk? `, she purred and she pressed her body against his. `Something more like a private celebration was on my mind.` Was she suggesting, what he thought she was suggesting? All Kyle's plans for the evening flew out the window. He made a last attempt to regain control of the situation.
'Aren't you tired? Or thirsty? Or hungry? I can get you a sandwich...` His words died off in his throat at the look she gave him.
`I'm terribly hungry. I'm starving. And only you can satisfy my hunger. ` Her voice was husky as she whispered into his ear. Kyle shrugged mentally, he tried, honestly, he did, and he switched off his mind and allowed his "energy source" to take over the conversation.
`I must confess`, he whispered, `that I have the same craving for you. Let's go and find a room.... `




Author's notes:
First, there will be no posts in the next two weeks, I'm off to Greece for a fifteen day cycling trip. I'll try to work on my Palm though as much as I can.

Second. About five parts ago, I gave a little question, and here is the answer.

. ...And the day I'm crowned, it won't matter anymore what the elders think.` He is fleeing into another delusion.
`No, I'm not...

Notice where that there is no semicolon before and after Liz's thoughts, but Max answered them anyway...
It's not much of a riddle and it was only some kind of perversion on my part to put it in, but I simply couldn't resist...
I know, I'm mental.

[silverofroswell]

Part 20

Earth
Central City
Private Council Hearing

It was a medium-sized chamber; maybe thirty people were sitting in it. Half of them were Council members, elected politicians of humanity, and the other half represented the High Command of the Navy and the Army. Four people were standing - the two Admirals and their adjutants. They were here to give their assessment of the battle, to evaluate the enemy's and their own maneuvers in the light of the outcome.
To say that Houston was nervous was an understatement. He knew that his carrier was over - the Solar System fell under his command in less than thirty minutes. This made it even harder to believe what he was hearing.
`The mastery of Houston's control over his ships was evident. He easily countered the supreme firepower of the Pegasus group. It was just sheer luck on my part that the Loki was passing there, not conscious decision.` This has been going on for hours. Admiral Parker was dedicating all her successes to dumb luck, while she was praising Houston without stopping to take a breath. The officers of the High Command had been sure that this meeting would end with Houston resigning from his post, but now, even they were starting to doubt their own analysis; Admiral Parker was very convincing, especially if you take into account her behavior from two years before.
One of the Councilmen, who had no clue of fighting, raised his hand tentatively.
`Yes, Councilor?`
`Admiral, I don't want to offend you in any way, but to me, it seems that you are claiming that Admiral Houston was the better and you won by pure chance.`
`Yes, Councilor. He outnumbered me two to one. I was just hoping to hold out as long as I could. Victory wasn't among my objectives, to tell you the truth. The Doombringer group was a desperate, last minute idea, and after all, it was worth a try. There was a one-in-a million chance, and it worked. I don't expect that anyone will be able to pull this trick again,` she said while she was thinking "There's no way in hell that anyone except me will pull this trick again." She was lying smoothly for more than an hour now, claiming every one of the practiced and rehearsed maneuvers to be stroke of lucky intuition, her best ideas to be mere miscalculations and so on. She knew that she will never live down the scandal she is creating right now; after all, billions upon billions of people watched in live as she crushed Houston under her heels in a manner of minutes. She got a bit carried away, but when she realized that she could win without the Doombringers, she couldn't resist but to seize the opportunity. `Stupid, stupid,` she scolded herself, while it was Houston's turn to tell the Councilors how he saw the events at the time being. `Why couldn't I just sit back and let Kyle finish his work?`
< Because in a real battle, taking out the planet doesn't finish anything, > came the answer.
< I just hope that he will be able to follow my story.>
<He must know exactly that you are offering him escape on a golden plate. He'd be a fool if he didn't take it.>
<Darling, he is a fool. I've beaten him with two-to-one odds.>
<True. Well, if he doesn't, we can't do anything about it.>
<It's a pity. It'd be a waste to lose him.>
<Mayhap your mind is a tad bit more devilish than it should be, oh Prophetess of Humanity?>
<Mayhap, oh Prince of Antar.>
Liz was snapped out of their silent conversation when the attention in the room refocused on her.
`Admirals, please allow us to discuss your recounts of the events in private. We thank you very much for your help today.`
The four officers left the room together. Liz nodded slightly to Alex, and he pulled over Houston’s adjutant with some lame excuse - his master had a message to deliver. Houston saw that he could have a few words with Liz in private. He wasted no time turning to her and asked in a lowered voice.
`Why did you do it?`
Liz meditated for a second whether she should just deny everything, but she decided against it. She leaned closer.
`You are a good soldier Houston. You know how to fight. But I know how to battle. Sooner or later, I will come against the Solar System again. And when that day comes, I want you to be at the head of the defenders. Because no matter what the odds are, I can beat you any day with my hands tied behind my back.` Her whisper was full of menace and untold threats. The other Admiral paled visibly, he was grasping for words. Liz leaned back and took a step away from him. `Alex, could you come over here please for a sec!`, she called him over, before Houston had a chance to react to her words. Message delivered!
She didn't add that the next siege might be more than a simulation.

------

The day after

The crowd was buzzing impatiently on the streets of Central, the capitol of the human race. About ten million people gathered along the twenty kilometer long Grand Road, the axis of Central. It was past quarter to noon and the beginning of the triumphal march was scheduled for twelve o'clock. Humanity was victorious again, the fourth fleet returned with trophies from three worlds- three new Domes were filled on Eden with prisoners of war, even if they didn't know that they were at war with the terrans.
In the center of Central, a kilometer wide circle was left open, the crowd was held in check with opaque forcefields. This was where the march would begin. It was a cloudless day, with a light breeze easing the heat. The engineers of the Weather Control Facilities made sure of that. When the clock hit twelve, all eyes turned towards the skies, expectantly.
A tiny black dot appeared coming through the atmosphere on a low angle. No! It was one black spot accompanied by a lot of smaller ones. It took a full two minutes until the carrier finally touched ground. It was a blue and silver ship sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight. It's wide ramp descended smoothly, but no one could see into the darkness inside the ship. Gradually, the air became filled with rapid drumbeat from hidden speakers.
The first gravocar run down on the ramp without a sound. It was an open cabriot, only a faint glimmer in the air whispered about the forcefields protecting the passenger. She was standing proudly, some might even say defiantly, as the crowd went wild on the sight of her. She was wearing her white uniform without a single decoration, only a medallion hung from her neck. She was beautiful, her head held high, her long brown hair silkily flowing down on her back.
Three others with a lone passenger in each one followed suit as the first one started towards the beginning of the Grand Road. Behind them, other open cars followed, with five to ten people in them, representing the best of the Fourth, all in their best uniform, and every one of them without a single decoration. The music changed from the beating of the drums as more and more instruments joined. The well known tracts of the Heroica were forming and following the march as it proceeded down on the Grand Road. A hundred cars in three columns with a following distance of ten meters behind each row left the square. They were a magnificent sight, the finest of men and women hovering a meter above the ground, while fighters pulled away above them, chasing each other with wild moves.
The hearts of the onlookers filled with pride and awe at the sight. This was their unbeatable, always triumphant army, returning from victory.
All the soldiers, expect for the first one, were smiling and waving, responding to all the love they received from their fellow humans, even the Vice-Admirals were nodding here and there, but she was just staring ahead with a guarded expression on her face. However, it only made the crowd to try harder to get her attention.
Gigantic screens showed the warriors of humanity in close-up, running texts telling the people both on the streets of Central and before the screens in the whole Republic who they were and what ship they served on. The cameras found her particularly often. Many noticed the carved stone hanging from her neck, with the encrusted silver whirlwind on it, but few understood the bitter irony of it.
The enthralling sounds of the Ninth Symphony followed the proceedings, as the wind carried far the eternal song about the joy and the hope and the love of life as the procession moved forward. The air was trembling from the cheering of the crowd, humanity was celebrating, hailing its heroes.

[silverofroswell]

Thank you guys for all the feedback! I'll try to keep up the one part/day posting speed. (This is not an oath, but I'll try to keep it.)

Part 21

An hour before the beginning of the triumphal march

The troop carrier, which has been given the duty to ferry the soldiers to Central, was waiting in the fourth dock of Destiny. Men and women were gathering around it, chatting excitedly, making last minute adjustments to their appearances. It was a great honor to participate in the march, or at least many of the officers felt so. There were every kind of soldiers here, High Command accepted the fact that a reactor engineer can have as much to do with the winning of a fight as the captain of a ship. Most of them were very nervous: the whole universe was going to watch them!
The ship was scheduled to leave in five minutes and there was still no sign of the high officers, save for Pierce, who was already in his seat, apparently bored. Liz, Enteroff, and Valenti fell in three minutes before departure, all wearing plain white uniforms. The men stared at their empty chest. What has gotten into them? The Admiral was one thing, but the Vice-Admirals too? Liz picked up a megaphone that was lying around.
`Officers! You probably noticed that I have no decorations on, neither do my fellow commanders. I decided along with Vice-Admirals Valenti and Enteroff, that today we'll wear no badges of merit and honor. Today we'll have no marks of bravery and skill attached to our chests. The Fourth is a virgin fleet. We fought no battles, we suffered no losses, and we claimed no victories. Yet,` she paused for a moment, gathering her breath.
`And I hope that we won't have to. But if we do, from that day, I'll wear shining mementos of real fights proudly. Until than, I won't. The Council's little gadgets for empty successes has nothing to do over my heart! That was all I wanted to say. Let's get on ship!`, she finished seemingly lamely after her fiery speech, leaving her men and women in stunned silence. Serena and Kyle were the first to reach for their decorations, and stripped them off. The others, completely unaware of the link between the main heroes of the battle and their fellow conspirators, followed their example one by one, partly out of loyalty to the Admiral, partly because she convinced them, and partly because they didn't want to be the only ones with decorations left. That's the reason why every single officer of the Fourth turned up undecorated on the march.
And the Admiral's words were carried to the rest of the fleet in a manner of hours and the gap between the Fourth and the Council widened another inch.

------

On the night after the march

Maria

I don't know what's up with Liz nowadays. I've never seen her in love before, but honestly, it can't explain everything that's going on. She used to be somewhat closed off, even melancholic. I can understand that a little nookie cured that, but the fire that is burning inside her nowadays... There was no talk about Ricker for weeks. She even seemed glad to come to this wretched celebration, and that's a first! It's of course natural that she couldn't resist causing another scandal, but it hurts a bit that she didn't tell me of it beforehand. The distance grows between us every day, and I don't like it one bit. Maybe she is just growing up, having her first really serious relationship. When she is with Max, they are... weird. There is no better word for it. I know he is an empath, but it's sometimes ridiculous how he fulfills her wishes before she can voice them. He is not supposed to read thoughts! Sometimes it's like he knows her better than I do.
She works so much lately! Planning sessions, meetings behind closed doors... It never used to be this way. It's like she actually began to care about her work! And when I ask her about it, she shrugs it off as nothing.
Take tonight for example! We came to the after party of the March. She had always hated these parties and called them the "paramount of vanity.” She came of course with her hair dyed red. I don't know when she found time for that. She disappeared with Max for a sec and she came back with flaming red hair. They are currently off with Serena somewhere. Suddenly everyone around me has found significant others. Liz has Max, Kyle has Serena, and Alex produced some blonde Krautz called Isabel. I don't know what's up with them. They went to the ball together, but I couldn't get any details out of Alex afterwards. It seems that I'm being left out of everything suddenly. I wonder why? When did I lose my friends? And where the hell is Michael? Why hasn't he called me?

Kyle

We are hunting the grounds for the members of the second group of conspirators. Everyone has given us a few names and now, Alex, Liz, and me have to check them out. Liz has Max and Alex has Isabel, but Serena isn't an alien, and worse, she isn't aware of the aliens, so our tail, a slightly balding fellow, has to evade her attention as well as the targets’. We are starting the same conversation with every one of them about the same topic. I told Serena that their mind will be read by a fellow telepath, and the 'path is sitting hidden somewhere. I don't know what the results of our inquiries are, but I guess we will find out in two days at the meeting. Our targets are relatively low ranking officers, we don't have any plausible reason to approach anyone above Major.
Apart from the fact that we are enlisting people who would die if we were discovered, I'm definitely having fun. Serena is sometimes like a child, playful and innocent. It doesn't seem to occur to her that every one of our targets can destroy us with a single sentence to the wrong ears. She is currently dragging me through the crowd for the next meeting - we had left notes for the officers to meet us in different pubs, at different times. I hope it will go okay. I'd hate to lose her to some traitorous bastard.

------

<There he is> His eyes followed hers. A man was sitting with two girls at the bar.
<Roger.>
They approached him from two sides, effortlessly sliding through the crowd in the pub. He made way for her, and though it might have escaped the attention of a casual observer, he elbowed everyone aside who could have been a threat to her without looking back even once to check her progress. He didn't need to.
She shooed away the two babes with a threatening glance and a guttural grunt, then she and Max took the girl's places.
`Sorry to disturb you, Colonel, but we need to speak in private.` She had asked him earlier to meet her here, and in utmost secrecy.
`I'm glad to be of service,` he replied dutifully. In truth he was a bit annoyed that she scared off the two blondes, he was having quite a good time entertaining them, and he hoped that at least one of them would entertain him in return later that night. On the other hand, he was intrigued and felt flattered that the Admiral herself asked him to meet her privately.
`Colonel, I'm assembling a special task force on behalf of the Council, for a certain task of the most trustworthy of my officers. Vice-Admiral Valenti recommended you personally. I can't tell you more until I have your word that you will keep its existence in secret.`
`But, of course, Admiral.`
<He means it.>
Liz bobbed her head in response to both men's words.
`All right. The meeting will be held in the briefing room 2566 aboard Destiny, two days from now, starting at ten o'clock sharp.` she placed a card in front of him, with the time and place of the meeting.` I expect you to be there. And remember, not one word to anyone.` She waited for him to nod in acceptance, then she stood up from her chair. He started to jump up to salute, but realized in mid-movement, that he shouldn't, so he awkwardly sat back.
`Have a good night, Colonel.`
`Yes, madame!`

[silverofroswell]

Chapter 8
Secrets and lies

Part 22

Serena stirred in her sleep. She stretched and yawned and reached out for Kyle, only to find him missing. It took her a few moments to recall that she was in Colonel Whitman's house. They took an early flight back to Athens before the others, and had their own private celebration. She smiled at the memory. She wasn't sure whether the rest of their group had arrived yet, so she dressed up at least semi-modestly, and lightly as a cat, she tiptoed down to the kitchen.
However, she stopped in the middle of the flight, when she heard her own name. She wasn't sure exactly why she did it, but she remained still and listened.
`She is sleeping soundly upstairs. We can talk freely.` It was Kyle's voice.
`I still don't approve of you bringing her here. We have business to attend to. So when she wakes up, take her to the beach or something.` Liz's voice sounded troubled and a little bit annoyed. What is it that they don't want her to hear?
`What? And I'll be left out of the planning of the war? Come on, you need a fighter's pilot's point of view.`
`Like we need a pain in the neck. Kyle, we aren’t planning a war, we just want to prepare the fleet for the talronids. Max's and General Rath's experience will be more than enough.` It was Alex. What has Max got to do with a distant alien threat? And who is this General? Generals only served in the Army, not in the Navy. Everyone knew that the ground forces were only a joke in the age of space battles. Her train of thought was interrupted by Liz.
`They are coming.`
`How... Never mind. It’s just simply unnerving when you do that.`
`Sorry, Kyle, I can't really help it. He just checked in and told me that they will be landing in two minutes.`
Now Serena was completely lost. He called her on her cellular? But she didn't hear any ringing! What is this all about?
True to her word, two minutes later she heard the front door open and two people come in. One of them was Max, the other's voice she didn't know. He sounded grumpy and a bit irritated. From the sounds, they took out some chairs and notepads. Serena remained glued to her spot on the stairs, unable to will herself move. She knew it was wrong to spy on them, but she couldn't help it.
`So General, would you please begin?`, asked Liz.
`My Prince?`
`I authorize you to give all the technological and tactical information to the humans that can help them fight the talronids. Don't just stick to the necessities and raw information, your advice and personal thoughts on the topic are welcomed too.` Max's voice was oddly formal, like reading rehearsed ritual, but there was a commanding edge to his voice. Did this General just call him "My Prince"? For Heaven's sake what's going on here?
`I hear and I obey.` His words were oddly formal, too. After a brief pause, he continued in a more business-like manner.
`The first thing you need to know about talronid warfare is that they only use projectiles and gravitational weapons. So the EM shields are completely unnecessary, but you need to strengthen the AG fields. Their spacecraft are not built, but grown, so all of them are completely unique in its shape and weaponry, but all of them are similarly deadly...` She listened in fascination for five minutes to the details of warfare against a race she has never seen, from the point of view of a veteran of many battles; until five minutes later Liz decided that it was time for Kyle to check up on her, so she was forced to hastily retreat into her room. She quickly undressed, then waited for him to come and "wake" her.

------
Next morning, in the desert near Cairo.

There was no big crowd surrounding the spaceship. Two humans and six antarans were the sole sentient creatures for miles. Three antarans already boarded the ship, only Max, Isabel, and Michael stood on the sand with Liz and Alex.
They were staring into each other's eyes, hand in hand. Neither of them was willing to make the first move that would take them apart for god knows how long. There was complete silence. They didn't need words, the others have already said them.
< I'll see you in eight weeks.> His tone made it clear that he found the time far too long.
<Not like this. Not like this for long.> It was hard to distinguish, who thought which thought.
< I'll do everything within my power to make you mine.>
<Don't. We can wait. We can bide our time. The war is more important now.> Her thoughts said one thing, her heart whispered another.
<You are the most important thing in my life. Without you, I'm barely alive.>
<Just as I am without you, love. But we have to endure, we have to be strong, until we can be weak again.> Her lips melted into his.
< It will be terribly hard to see you and not kiss you.>
<At least the connection will be open, won't it?>
< I'm afraid, not, love. That's one more thing I'd had liked to talk about with you. It will be hard enough to hide what's between us from my kind if we are silent. A single thought sent through the connection would be like a blazing bonfire for them. Any antaran would be able to sense our love if we ignite the connection. We might even get caught if we stand near each other and think about the other. So we need to minimize direct contact as much as possible.>
<Rath and Alex could act as go betweens.>
<Agreed.>
They were aware of the others standing around them, waiting for them.
<You should go.>
< I would rather hold you in my arms forever.>
There was no need for her to reply.
After a few seconds, he reluctantly pulled away. She felt cold without the heat of his body, lonely without the beating of his heart against hers. He did not look back, neither did he stop for a final kiss, because they both knew, he would remain for much longer. He entered the cone shaped ship last, leaving his love of life behind. His first though came only when they softly took off.
< In two months love, in the system Deb'Recen.>
< I'll be there. I swear by all that's holy, that I'll be there.>
Though the cloaking was activated as soon as they left the atmosphere, they continued to whisper sweet nothings until the distance finally muted their link, filling their soul with emptiness where there other half should reside.

------
Briefing room 2566
About forty people were sitting scattered in the chamber, waiting anxiously for the Admiral. The members of the first round were sitting evenly distributed among them, prepared to whisper the proper things into the ears of their neighbors at the proper times. At exactly ten o'clock, the door opened and a casually dressed Liz came in and walked to the podium in front of the chairs. She waited 'till the buzzing ceased, then began.
`Greetings, everyone.` She waited for a moment.
`First, nothing that you hear here is to be repeated outside this room. Not even among yourselves. This operation is not just top secret, it's beyond top secret.` She paused for another second, waiting for nods of agreement, making eye contact with them, one by one.
`Another race made contact with the Republic.` There were a few gasping sounds around the room. Liz raised her hand to silence the crowd.
`More exactly, an alliance of nine races came to the Council. Their technological level seems to be matching our own. I hope I don't have to stress the delicateness of the situation. The Fourth is heading off to meet an Alliance envoy. We will try to negotiate a medium-term treaty. The Council decided to keep the talks top secret. So this brings the question: why am I telling you any of this?`
`The answer is simple. The chance of peace is too important to be risked by a hotheaded youngster whose head is filled with xenophobic daydreams. I don't want a war to break out because an idiot couldn't keep his fingers off the trigger. So I need you to keep watch over your comrades. Your ships will be in the first line, and I make you personally responsible for the acts of your underlings. And I want you to spread the view that an alliance with aliens for a few decades, maybe for a century, is possible and acceptable, even against your personal beliefs. Don't do anything suspicious, just bring up the topic if the opportunity presents itself. And I expect you to keep a cool head when we finally encounter the alliance. This is all I ask of you. Is this clear to everyone?` She waited again for nods. She was in commander-mode, speaking in short, harsh sentences, making it clear that she means every word.
`So as far as you are concerned, this meeting never occurred. You have never heard of the Alliance, nor the Council's attempt at a peace treaty. You can safely assume that if someone isn't present now, then he or she has no idea of this plan, regardless of his or her rank or social standing. There are people even in the Council who are kept in the dark about this topic, and if wrong people heard about this, they might even consider it treachery. I believe that I've said everything I wanted. Questions?`

Kyle

The meeting went rather well, I guess. I was a little surprised when she told us that she would feed them a lie, but it was a smooth one. However, something's wrong with Serena. She seemed somehow... stressed in the last two days. I've not yet asked her what's wrong, but I will now. We have grown closer in the last days than I ever imagined we could, and I don't mean just the physical intimacy. It might be strange for Kyle Valenti to think beyond sex, but I certainly do nowadays. At least sometimes.
We have three hours of free time before the next combat exercise begins for me, and she will leave for a staff meeting not long after that, so if I want to resolve this, I have to do it now.
`Serena, you seem distracted lately. What’s bothering you?` We are in her quarters on the Blue Phoenix. She looks at me, she is obviously hesitating on something, and then I see the slightest change in the lines of her face as she makes up her mind. She is so beautiful! I wonder why I hadn't seen it right away? Maybe this is love.
`It's nothing, I guess. I'm just having... issues.`
`What kind of issues, sweetheart? About us?`
`No. Yes. Partly. Maybe,` she doesn't sound entirely sure of herself.
`Please, talk about it.`
`It's just... I don't know how to say this... It's about trust.` That surprises me. What could it be?
`Trust?`
`It's... Today, Admiral Parker lied to the face of thirty men and women, the cream of the officers. And if I hadn't known better, I would have believed her myself. And I began to doubt how much was true from what she told us.` I know that a lot wasn't. They got a highly edited version. A version that does not mention shape shifting aliens, neither the fact that they've been infiltrating us for years, nor that Liz is already planning the campaign against the talronids. Not to mention the not-so-business-like relationship between the Admiral and the Prince of Antar. There are layers upon layers of secrets surrounding this business, and I'm sure that a lot is kept hidden from even me. It's no wonder that she has some suspicions .
`I trust Liz with my life, and so far she has proved herself worthy of that trust.`
`You haven't answered me.`
`There might be things that she kept to herself, but you shouldn't worry about that. I'm sure that she would share it with us, if we needed to know.`
`So you think, that there is nothing important that she’s hiding?` Her voice is very strange, like she is giving more weight to the question than she should. It should ring an alarm bell in me, but it doesn't.
`I don't know of anything.` God help me, I can't lie to her face, but I have to.
`Kyle, two days ago, I wandered down in the morning and overheard a conversation.` I freeze. Uh oh. This means trouble. I quickly run my mind over the topics they discussed that day, but she couldn't have been present at any of the nastier ones. She can read my face easily, but I don't know what she makes of it.
`What's going on Kyle? There was talk of war, and there was a general, and a lot of things I didn't understand, or I didn't dare to believe. Tell me the truth please, what's going on with the Admiral? Who was that general? Who is Max Evans?`
I'm torn between conflicting loyalties. However, the choice was already made for me.
`I'm sorry, but I cannot. It's not my secret to tell.` Her face looks ashen.
`You choose her over me?` I don't like her tone. It's frightening, it chills my blood. She is not screaming, nor shouting. She sounds crest fallen and sad. There is an edge of hurt to her voice. A lot of hurt.
`No, I don't! I mean you have to go to Liz with this. It's her place to decide to tell you.`
`And what if she doesn't approve? Will I follow Yian?` The temperature of the rooms drops a few degrees.
I don't think she understands. Truly understands. It took me weeks to get my mind wrapped around the seriousness of the situation. Anyone is expandable, no cost is too high to pay. If she had to ask this question, than she has still not grasped what's at stake. So, I tell her the truth, even if it breaks both of our hearts.
`If need be, no matter how much I love you, I'd drive the dagger myself into your heart.`

Part 23

`Chica, I got promoted!` There was nothing in Maria's tone that sounded like happiness or excitement. More like resentment and indignance.
`And what's the matter with that? It means higher pay and greater opportunities, doesn't it?` Liz had prepared for this conversation long ago. She hated lying to her, but she knew that she must spare her friend from the reality of what was going on.
`NO! This means that I'm off to Eden as the leader of a research team! I don't want to leave Destiny!`
`Huh.` She tried to sound surprised.
`Huh? That's all you have to add? Go and do something about it!`
`Me?` Liz wondered if she was overplaying it.
`Yes, you! You are the fucking Admiral if you forgot!`, she half shouted, gesturing wildly.
`I can't reassign the non-military personnel, nor can I demote you. And isn't this something you've dreamt off?`
A nasty suspicion entered Maria's mind.
`You've arranged it, didn’t you? To have the room for you and Max! How could you?`
`NO, I didn't!`, she hasn't expected this turn, `Max isn't even coming!`
`Then put me back there!`
`I told you, I can't. And I wouldn't, even if I could.`
Now Maria was really starting to get into it.
`Why on Earth not? You had enough of me and you simply dump me? And you call yourself my friend?`
`Maria, this tour of duty will be nothing like any before. A war is coming up, and I'm not sure that we will return from it. I just want to keep you safe.` Liz's voice was soothing and even.
`What are you talking about? What war?`
`I don't know!`, she cried out, feigning exasperation, `I only know that there will be bloodshed. I'm already doing everything within my power to prepare for it. I think we will prevail, but there is no need for you to risk your life. There will be nothing you can do.`
`This is stupid. I know you and your visions. This is not how it works.`
`Fine. I wanted to spare you from the truth, but if you want it, you can have it. Hear me. You will die, if you come with me. This is set in stone in the future.` It was a lie, but a good one, and Maria had nothing to say to it.

------

`What the fuck is it?` Liz was sleeping in the villa alone. Maria was off to her relatives, Max had left, Alex was working, and Kyle.. Well, Kyle was calling her in the middle of the night. It was a long day, first Max's departure, then the briefing, after that the confrontation with Maria, and the two-hour girl-to-girl bonding time that followed. And two interplanetary travels. Yep, definitely a busy day. She had trouble falling asleep without the warmth of Max. Truth to be told, she had trouble even breathing without Max. It was a nightmare to go on without his presence in the back of her mind. In the last weeks she became so accustomed to his reassuring, quiet strength that she was hardly able to perform without him. The thought that she might have to go on like this for years made her groan out loud. So she was not exactly in what you would call a cheerful mood when Kyle woke her up in the middle of the night.
`Liz, I'm sorry that I woke you up. I forgot that it's midnight by you.` He said, seeing her in her nightgown.
`Yeah, I'm sorry too. What's it?` She was frustrated, she was irritated, she had enough of keeping up a smiling facade when her insides were burning with unquenchable fire for Him.
`It might be better if I called you back in the morning.`
`No. You already woke me up, let's get it over with.`
`Well... Serena overheard a conversation and now has a lot of questions. I wanted to ask you how much I can tell her, but it can wait.`
`How much did she hear?` Her voice became instantly ice-cold, just like every time something appeared that could, even if remotely, threaten Max.
`Pretty much. More than enough. And she wouldn't take no for an answer.`
`Put her through.` It was an order, not a request, there was no mistake.
`Are you sure?` Fear for her was evident in his voice.
`I will handle her. Put her through.`
She has seen Kyle get up from front of the vid. Serena was waiting in the other room. He led her to the vid.
`Kyle, leave us alone.` He hesitated for a moment, then left silently. `I've heard you have some questions. Ask them.` It was clearly not the beginning Serena was expecting.
`Who is General Rath?` If she gave it some thought, it wouldn't have been the first question she asked, but it was the first that came to her mind,
`An antaran officer, veteran of the Talronid Wars. He is helping me to prepare the fleet for all occasions.
`I heard him arrive. How does he move around? How does he avoid being seen?`
`About one of every few hundred thousand antarans is born with shape-shifting abilities. All of the Alliance agents on Earth are shape-shifters.` Serena didn't stop to process this information, to ponder on the implications.
`And who is Max Evans?`
`He is the human alter ego of Prince Zander.`
`And you and him...`
`I think that is completely between me and Max,` came the cold reply.
`I'm sorry Admiral, I didn't mean to...`
`What do you want to know exactly, Serena?` She asked in an exasperated voice.
`I... I don't know. I was... I guess I was angry that so much was kept from me. But I had no reason to. I am being childish, aren't I?`
`Oh.` It was a sigh of fatigue. `You remind me so much of my younger self. In every move you make, in every word you say, I see myself. I used to be like you, you know?` Liz's voice became dreamy. It seemed that she was too tired to put on a mask anymore. It was just her, and only her without any pretense. She said the thing that came to her mind, sedated by fatigue and the loss of her other half.
`You are bit more clever, maybe a bit more naive, but you have the right heart. I trust you, Serena, I trust you, because I trust myself. You will make the good decisions, even if they are hard. I know that you are able to do what is right instead of what looks easy.` The words came from her heart, and she meant them. She was talking to herself, and Serena sat on the other end of the line dumbfounded, but completely forgotten by Liz.
`I don't know what to say... Thank you.` Liz was startled out of her daze by her voice.
`Oh, it's nothing. Can I sleep now?` There was no edge in her voice now, just weariness.
`I'm sorry that I disturbed you , Admiral. Good night.`
`Good night.` Liz pressed the disconnect and the room was plunged into darkness. She climbed back to bed, and tried to nestle into the bundle of sheets that covered her bed. She more or less forgot the conversation for the next morning, but Serena did not.

[silverofroswell]

Chapter 9

Through the eons


The winds of war are blowing.
The flowers of blood are blossoming again.

I feel it in the air.

I feel it in my bones.

Peril awaits you, Changer.
Pain. Desperation. Death.
This is a warning little one,
an alarm through the eons.

This war, you head to,
I've foreseen.
The ending? I could not tell.
Now it's up to you to weave the strands of Fate together.
It is you, who has to thwart destiny yet again, lest all that is holy is swept away by the flood.
I place a heavy burden upon your shoulders, young Prophetess.
Now, the future of our kinds is in your hand.

You will face hard choices, sister,
and I can't help you to make them,
and sometimes,
none of the choices is right.

You'll meet the enigma of our kind.
The ancient riddle that troubles us, from the beginning of times.
Of Hope and Happiness, which one will you forsake?

Of Love and Duty,
which one will you choose?

[silverofroswell]

That's it people; the end of Between the Stars, and these are my usual, monumental end-of-fic musings. (Actually it's my second fic, so "usual" is a bit strong word) You don't need to read them at all. It will be probably long and boring. (and full of brackets) WARNING heavy spoilers ahead!
Book two will begin in two weeks, on this forum. (I like to be ahead of my readers with at least ten parts before I begin to post)
The working title is currently Storm of Stars, but I expect that it will change. (It's a pity that Star Wars is taken...)
It will start two weeks after chapter eight, and end at the time of Max's and Isabel's death. (I'm not sure that I'm just joking.)
I really don't know whether Max will survive the second book. The story slipped out of my hand, and it came alive and it's hungry. And it wants to eat protagonists. (There are no real antagonists here, though I have a short scene with V-A Pierce planned, what will be quite satisfactory. It contains Kyle holding a gun.) So don't be surprised if some of your favourites disappear in a rapidly expanding gas-cloud. (Who am I lieing to? I just love torturing good guys to death! Bwahaha!)
I know. I'm demented.

About BtS: I really enjoyed writing it, and I'd like to thank everyone for the feedbaxs, and my beta, Strawbehrry Shortcake. Without her, this fic would have been full of grammatical and spelling errors.

A few notes.
I will not discuss the epilogue of BtS in any form. Accept it in the way it is, it contains all the information I wanted to communicate.

Have you noticed there were no Liz or Max first person scenes in the last ten parts? You should wonder why...
I'm quite proud of my Serena. She is an ortodox character, but never appeared in the show, so I can use her in any way I want. (Whoops. Double meaning...: -) It's likely that the Serena-Liz bond will strengthen.
On the other hand, I have absolutely no idea what to do with Maria. It's quite possible that chapter 8 was the last time we saw her. As you probably guessed she is not my favourite character. Liz and Max I can understand. Alex is practically me. Season three Kyle was always one of my favourites. He became such a loser, that you couldn't not love him. Isabel and Michael... Well it depends on my mood. Sheriff Valenti can come handy as a father figure. Tess is so evil, that I can't use her, all of the good ideas about humiliating and defeating her were used up a long time ago, and I don't want to copy other's work. (Of course, I do, but that's another topic) A good Tess is something I can experiment with. Maybe I'll make Ava a positive character... But Maria... )

Well, I managed to write a sort of blog with the length of a smaller part...

So everyone, hold on, SoS is coming (or whatever the title will be)

Long live Ricker!

[silverofroswell]

Heroes of the Stars

Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual.
Summary: An alliance has been forged, a treason has been committed. The war is aflame again, but neither the Nine Races, nor humanity suspects that they are at the bink of destruction and only the abilities of an untried prophet and her alien lover separate them from the dark tide of perdition that has turned against them.
Visualization: Warhammer 40K, Starcraft (especially the video after the terran level 10) and Star Wars gave me the inspiration to form the human fleet. The Alliance fleet was based on the Eldar, and the Protoss (the Protoss are a copy of the Eldar too). The Talronid fleet was taken from Warhammer 40K as well, the Tyranids were their parents. If it helps you, imagine them as overgrown Zerg without an Overmind
Rating: who cares? (Probably R).
Special thanks to my beta, Strawbehrry Shortcake

Chapter 1

How the other half lives

The inside of the scout craft was not crowded. Only six antarans traveled back from the twenty-four who came with the ship. The rest remained on Old Earth, continuing their mission. The cloaked ship slipped easily through the defensive net drawn around Earth. Liz and Max already made plans to give the cloaking technology to the human scientists before the beginning of the war, but currently this hole in the terrans’ knowledge came handy to the antarans.
It took three days to leave the Sol System behind them, so they could enter a wormhole without being detected. The approximate ETA was two weeks to Draconis, the heart of the Alliance. They would present the offer of Admiral Parker to the representatives of the nine races, and if they approved, they would assemble a smaller task force to meet the humans officially. Or at least, this was the official agenda. But that was not what kept the Princess of the Royal House and the former General of the Eleventh Alliance Fleet worried.
Rath and Vilondra were standing on the bridge, which was only a small room on the top of the ship, filled with controls. They both were in their original form, tall, hairless, silver creatures with huge black eyes. They wore casual clothes, which meant black pants and sleeveless tunics. They were a bit uncomfortable; after all, they've spent years confined to human bodies. It was refreshing though, to be able to properly stretch their muscles again. They returned to "normal" communication too: only minimal sounds and a lot of telepathy.
They were looking out the observing window, both immersed in their thoughts. They only said one sentence or so every minute, so the conversation was a bit slow.
`I'm worried about Zan, ` Vilondra said.
`He'll get over her. ` Isabel sighed. She knew Rath would be hardheaded about this.
`He won't. And the sooner you accept that, Michael, the better. `
`Stop calling me Michael! ` He burst out. In his heart he knew too, that his friend won't "come to his senses."
`Sorry, about that, Rath. ` They sat in silence for a while. `They were meant for each other, you know.`
`Who? `
`Don't play with me! You know exactly what I am talking about. ` Michael didn't bother to pretend that he didn't.
`He just needs some time, and he'll forget her. ` Vilondra sighed again. He could be so stubborn!
`Hello? Is anybody home? Rath, they have bonded. Bon-ded. If it escaped your attention, they've not said a word aloud to each other in the last weeks! ` He remained still for a while.
`And what is he going to do? He has Ava, and even if he didn't, he couldn't marry an alien.`
`I know. He knows. But that doesn't change the fact that my brother is bonded to a human.`
`So?`
`I don't know. I'm sure that he wants to do something about it, but I can't see any way the senate would approve of the marriage.`
`I just so don't need Zander's love problems on top of everything! We have a war to fight!`
`He'll be destroyed if they find out.` She said. It was a simple sentence, and she said it quietly, but it took the fire out of Michael.
`You are right. We have to talk about it with Max,` he said, not realizing that he used his human name.
------
Two weeks later
Alliance capital world Draconis
Assembly Hearing

More than a thousand creatures filled the chairs of the great hall. Or the more exact term would be "cells" instead of chairs. Each race had its own section, a bit of air from its home planet, comfortable temperature, cut off by glass domes from the others. There were all kinds of screens in each cell to inform the representatives about the happenings of the Assembly. There was no common sense shared by all races, neither sight, nor smell, nor hearing, nor mass perception was an adequate form of communication. The gap between the species was bridged by powerful renular telepaths, translating the information to a form digestible by the representatives.
They were all here to witness the hearing of the Prince of Antar. They were all aware of his importance and the grim reality of the human threat, even those races that didn't recognize the importance of separate individuals.
Prince Zander was in the antaran cell, waiting for the other representatives to arrive. Once he got green lights, he stood up. It was a completely unnecessary gesture - only a few races accepted voluntary personal discomfort as a sign of respect.
`Representatives of the Nine Races! I'm Prince Zander of Antar. As you know, twenty-three other antarans and I were selected to spy on humanity, to probe its weakness and strengths. I have to claim that our mission was more successful than we could have hoped.` He was speaking slowly and calmly, there was no need to make the translator’s work harder. He paused sometimes to allow the slower races to catch up with him.
`One of humanity’s war leaders is ready to sign a peace treaty. And even more. She is eager to help us in the fight against the talronids.` He sit back. He knew that it would take around fifteen minutes while all races process the information. The Assembly always worked slowly. The dealings between individual races were much faster, the two-way translation took significantly less time than the nine-way. He took a sip from his drink. He knew that his own people will want a more detailed account later at home, but for now, he had to stick to the basics. When the thinking time was over, a renular telepath signaled him that he might continue.
`However, humanity's government has very strange inner workings. You will all receive our evaluation of the situation with the full report. You will see from our analysis, that the situation requires very careful handling. Only a thin line separates the actions leading to an alliance from causing total war in the case of humans. As a Representative of Antar, I suggest that the Alliance should entrust the matter to the humanoid races, so we will have the maximum chance of a favorable outcome and the minimal chance of war.` He knew that he overstepped his boundaries by making a proposition to the Assembly without the consent of his own race, but he was willing to take the risk. He had to start standing up for himself, he had to start gathering power, showing himself a leader worthy to follow. And he won’t let the handling of this matter slip out of his fingers. They won't defy him in front of the Assembly, maintaining the image of integrity was more important, than punishing him for a small mistake in protocol.

------

Antar
Royal Palace
A week later

There were many hundreds of antarans in the Grand Hall of the Palace, and a lot of foreign dignitaries in bio-suits. The successor to the throne returned home!
The royal family sat at the top table, the King and the Queen in the middle, Zander and Vilondra on their sides. Amreth, the Head of Government sat on the left of Isabel. He was a pleasant little fellow, jovial and always smiling. He was a shrewd negotiator and an excellent politician too. He really meant well, and he was an excellent governor for Antar, but in some cases he could be a little old fashioned. Isabel had to be careful while choosing her words.
`And what of this Admiral we all heard about? Have you met her?` Amreth was a potent telepath, but Isabel wasn't a beginner either. She felt his gentle probing on the surface of her mind. Nothing that could be interpreted as intrusive - but she held her mind shut tight. She didn't want to share anything about Liz.
`Yes. She is quite a powerful woman. And a very talented leader.`
`I've heard that she fought against an opponent who outnumbered her two to one and won. Is that true?` "You know very well that it is," she thought angrily. Their full report was made available to all of Antar. There was no sense in holding anything back. If there was one good thing in interracial wars, then it was that you never had to worry about enemy spies.
`Oh, yes. I've witnessed it live. You know, humans watch the simulated battles as a sort of entertainment,` she said, smiling pleasantly. They of course left out from the report the small detail that Lord Rath helped to devise the strategy that defeated Houston.
`Oh, dear, it must have been terrible to live among humans for that long. I can't even begin to imagine. Forced out of your true shape, forced to hide, to live in fear of being found...` He let his words trail off. She felt a little strange. Did they see it like this? A nightmare to be lived? Sure, sometimes she missed Antar, and it was strange to stand at the end at the line in a shop and to actually pay for the merchandise she took home, and sometimes she felt that she could do with some respect... But mostly being on Earth was fun. It was important work, and she enjoyed it very much. For once, she was doing something to earn her keep.
And she could do things she could never get away on Antar with. Going out with boys, just for the fun of it, sitting in a little coffee shop in Paris, just watching the crowd, without anyone bowing to her or greeting her. She used to work as a historian, and she knew that when someone complimented her work, it was because she had done a good job, not because she was the sole daughter of the King. And Earth was beautiful. Antar wasn't bad either, but Antar was an old planet, pacified by the passing billion years. There were no rough mountains here, no peeks to climb, no cliffs to gaze down from. On Earth... there was always an edge of danger to everything. Some hidden thrill of walking around humans in a perfect disguise, pretending to be one of them, but having the perspective of an outsider. And she loved the humans. Not the way Rath or some of the team did - no, Isabel always kept one step ahead, she felt that physical closeness, well, sex, with a member of another race was gross. Rather, she was enamored with the spirit of humanity. In the beginning, she only saw bloody-handed butchers, but they somehow didn't fit into that picture.
They were lucky enough to observe the Golden Age of a powerful race. Everything on Earth was about growth and prosperity. Not that there was any poverty or famine on Antar, but back there, anyone could achieve anything. The social classes were mingling and changing on a daily basis, old hatreds and prejudices were disappearing in the midst of unlimited possibilities. Liz was the best example for it. She was only a small town girl from the middle of nothing, but she was talented enough to become one of the six military leaders of a whole race! She just hoped that this vitality wouldn't turn against them.
`Lady Vilondra? Is everything okay?`, Amreth asked, with a bit of concern in his voice.
`No, no, I was just thinking. Please, forgive me Governor, I'm not the most excellent conversationalist nowadays, there are just too many things going on.`
`I understand, my Lady. I'm feeling a bit under the weather myself too.`
`Lady Vilondra?` they were interrupted by a well muscled antaran in governmental uniform.
`Oh, Lord Khivar. How may I be of service?` Khivar was the elected governor of the second largest antaran planet. He was a topic she wanted to discuss with her father. After ten years spent in various human libraries, she found that some of Khivar’s speeches and suggestions had an alarming resemblance with past human leaders'. As humanity learned the hard way, when someone started using the expressions "the common good of all" and the "best interests of society" way too often, you had to be careful with the individual.
`I dared to hope that you would give me the next dance, Princess.`
`Oh, Governor, I'm so sorry, I was just about to retire, just as I said to Ambreth, didn't I Uncle?` She said with true regret in her voice, turning to Ambreth. He wasn't her uncle, but he was always close to the royal family, and was around them enough times to earn an honorary position. She only called him Uncle, when she wanted something from him.
`Yes, you did, darling. I'm sorry Governor, but the Princess just said that she was tired, and she wanted to return to her room. I'm sure you'll dance with the gentlemen and the next party, dear, won't you?`
`Certainly, Uncle.`
Khivar knew that he was being made fun of, but their thoughts radiated sincere regret, so he was forced to accept their ridiculous behavior. He was not nobility and his abilities were far weaker than those of the royal line or close to them. So he put up a good face, wished them good night, then sulked away, carefully hiding his frustration. Snob nobs! But they will pay for all this shit one day!

Authors' note: I'll use mix the names continuously, in theory I should only use Zan, Rath and Vilondra, but Max, Michael and Isabel will turn up regularly too. Sometimes even the characters will mix them up, don't forget that they've used the Earth names for more than ten years!

[silverofroswell]

Part 2

On the other side of the royal couple, Prince Zander was preparing his leave too. Lady Avianna was arranged to sit next to him, which was natural for the master of ceremonies, since she was his bride, but he found it extremely uncomfortable. He was supposed to let her into his mind, but there was no way he could hide Liz from her. He explained away his closure as the result of years of mundane speech. He told her, that it was hard to let anyone close him after years of hiding. However, this was only a temporary explanation.
So they were making small talk. Zander had enough of it already, but he had to keep up a smiling facade, listening attentively, and answering every one of her stupid questions about Earth and his last years. She wasn't a bad girl, nor was she truly antipathic to him, but his heart was irrevocably taken, and there was no way that she could come out favorably in any comparison with Her. Max mostly felt pity for her, he wished that he could just pull her over, and explain the situation to her, she would understand. But he hardened his heart. He knew that he had to find some solution to the Avianna problem soon, and wishful thinking isn't going to get him anywhere.
But there were other, more pressing matters at hand. The team will have to present their experiences to the Granoliths, the six ancient sentient computers that acted as a secondary government of Antar. He knew that they would sense his bond to Liz, but he hoped that they would respect his wishes and keep it quiet. On the other hand, he will have to fight to keep Liz's abilities as a prophet a secret. There was no way, that the Granoliths would allow a prophet to live, and there was no way for him either that he would allow them to kill her.
In theory, one extremely strong willed individual could control the information given to the crystal-computers, but it needed a real strength of character, and Max wasn't sure that he had it. He only hoped that he wouldn’t betray his love to those who would destroy her.
------

Next morning

The elevator descended rapidly into the depths of Antar. The six granoliths were distributed evenly on the planet, each sitting in an underground chamber nearly a mile under the surface, surrounded by layers upon layers of force fields and armor. The security was lax compared to the passive measures - the granoliths were quite capable of protecting themselves from anything under a million megaton H-bomb.
They were products of an ancient golden age. Ten thousand years ago, well before the invention of electricity (there never had been any steam engines on Antar, their technological evolution skipped that particular step), the greatest minds, most powerful nobles of a glorious age gathered together, and during a ritual that lasted months, they poured their souls into six gigantic crystals, so their wisdom and strength could guide their people in the years to come.
The granoliths were some kind of a secondary government, or like a group of trusted advisors. They were informed of most things, and their opinions were always asked before major decisions. They were not always heeded, though, neither were they always right. They were vastly intelligent, their wisdom and powers honed by thousand years of existence. By the Alliance's best knowledge, they were the oldest, still existing sentient beings. The common sentiences of the Hive races were older, but even they couldn't recall events crystal clearly from the depths of the passing eons. The immense amount of experience made it extremely hard to fool them, but it wasn't impossible. Max had an enormous advantage over them - contrary to the granoliths, he was alive, and his intentions were fueled by strong emotions and dire need, not cold logic.
He gritted his teeth and prepared for the mental battle ahead of him as the elevator came to a halt in front of the granolith chamber.
------

Same afternoon

`Princess Vilondra, Princess Vilondra!` a servant ran through the garden, shouting her name. She came out to nap a few hours in the sun, in the place of her best childhood memories. "What can it be this time?" she groaned silently as stood up from the bench she was laying on.
`I'm here, ` she called out.
`Princess Vilondra, something terrible happened to the Prince!`
`What is it? No, let's go, tell me while we are under way. Hurry!`, she nudged the servant. They stormed through the palace grounds. The servant tried to keep ahead of her, to open doors and such, while he was explaining, but it was hard to keep protocol when she was moving like an angered rhinoceros. It was extremely improper, but she didn't care shit. Her brother was in danger!
`He went to the granoliths to report, this morning. We don't know exactly what happened, the best guess is that some incompatibility occurred. He started shouting, then fell unconscious to the floor. He’s been rambling ever since, calling for some "Liz". He is flinging bond-links into every direction and it's making the our doctors' work very complicated. Your human name was Isabel, we thought, he might be calling you,` Ohmygod, thought Isabel, this is bad.
`Yes, that's me. Did you open a connection to him?`
`When I left, they hadn't yet. They were waiting for your arrival.` Thank goodness. We might still be able to contain the situation.
`Where is he?`
`He is in the embarkation lobby of the granolith.` One of the chambers was directly under the palace, or more like, the palace was built over the chamber.
A minute later, they reached the lobby. Usually it was a majestic, but empty hall, only with a few guards, but now it was filled with doctors, servants and various passer-bys. Isabel quickly glanced around. Her mother and father were nowhere to be seen, so she held the highest rank here. Excellent. She ordered everyone out, ignoring the protests of the doctors.
When they were safely out, she knelt beside her bother. He was lying on a makeshift bed, and he was shaking furiously. His skin kept changing color and texture- he lost control over his shapeshifting powers. Vilondra felt like he got caught up in a mental storm. He was seeking someone madly, and she knew who he was looking for.
`Calm down, Zan, I'm here, everything is going to be alright,` she whispered to him softly. She knew what to do. She picked up one of the mental-amplifiers left on the floor beside him, activated it, then she placed her hands on his nape and lifted his head up slightly. She concentrated and slowly slipped into his mind.
She tried to keep apart from his emotions and thought; she didn't want to invade her brother's privacy. She was glad that she was around; because for anyone who entered his mind, his love for Liz would have been like a glowing flow of magma through his veins. It intertwined his every thought; there was no part of his personality that their love hasn't permeated. It was a frightening sight. Vilondra wasn’t sure that she’d wish this kind of change on herself.
She quickly looked for the source of the problem. It wasn't a difficult case, some smaller veins popped in his head during the mental battle with the granolith. She diffused the accumulated blood, and closed the small tears and put him to resting sleep.
Healing was a rare gift and she had no talent to it, but their common blood made it possible to help him, but even this small alteration took a lot of energy out of her. She summoned the servants when she finished and ordered them to carry him to his room, and set up a bed there for her too.

------

`What were you thinking, you fool?` It was a few hours later, when Zander had regained consciousness, and they were debating ever since.
`I had to make sure that our connection remains secret.`
`So you've challenged a granolith? Were you out of you mind?`
`Look, I've won. Okay? I've won. They'll not tell anyone of our bond, if I win, and they'll help us to legalize our marriage. These were the terms, and I was the better.`
`You passed out, for Heaven's sake!`
`But not before I've managed to beat it.` His head still ached from the battle. He wasn't a mentalist, he wasn't accustomed to mental brawl. It was will against will, strength against strength. The granolith was stronger, but his need was greater, so in the end it equaled out. He came out with the upper hand, though barely. He was still amazed at himself. He defeated a granolith!
`Yes, but it was nearly pointless. When you were out, you weren't exactly calling out for Mama, were you? It's lucky that they mistook "Liz" with "Is", and called me immediately, or you would have betrayed yourself.` This has taken away some of his self-indulgence.
`Oh,` that was all he managed to say.
`But why were you battling the granolith in the first place? Couldn't you just ask it?`
`There were other things, things I had to keep for myself.`
`Like what?` She couldn't imagine anything that was more threatening or illegal than their bond.
`I can't tell you. You'll be reporting to the granoliths too. There is no sense in fighting the same battle twice.`
`Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.`
`It's okay, I'm used to it,` he tried a feeble joke, but she wasn't in the mood for petty squabbles.
`Anyways, this was a close save.`
`But there are no other's like this on the horizon. Or at least I hope so. I’m not sure that I could win again. At least, we'll have the granoliths' support.` It was clear, that by "we" he meant him and Liz.
`And what will we tell the others when they ask what happened?`
`That I've fought the granolith and I bent it to my will. We won't tell what was the source of the confrontation. It never hurts to have a little personal fame.` Isabel sat in silence for a while. She’d agreed with Michael that they'd talk to Zan, but they never got down to it.
`You'll need as much personal power as you can gather to carry this through.`
`That's what I've thought too.`
`You should gather the intermarried ones.`
`Hm?` He wasn't paying too much attention.
`Those who have bondmates from other races. You could trust them to support you.`
`You know what? This is actually quite a good idea. Make some of them advisors, support them in pursuing political carriers, promoting intermarried officers...`
`This isn't exactly legal...,` Isabel tried to warn him, but the idea already set roots in his thick skull.
`You know what I've learned from humanity, is that the end can justify the means. If Liz is ready to deceive the whole humanity for us, then I can help a few antarans to get into positions. I can't change the laws until I'm king, but I plan to gather a decent power base. Machiavelli had some pretty decent essays on the topic. Will you help me, sister?` He looked at her, and she felt a shiver run down on her spine. "Stand in my way and I'll destroy you.", that was what his gaze suggested. There was nothing malignant in him, he just knew his priorities. She felt her blood chill as the realization hit her. If she ever forced him to choose between Liz and his race, he would choose her. Luckily, she hadn't planned to turn against Zander.
`Of course little brother,` she said, wondering on the wisdom of her choice.

Author's comment: Thank you guys for all the feedback! It's nice to have a warm welcome back!

[silverofroswell]

Chapter 2
The quiet before the storm

Part 3

Liz
`Do you want to talk about it?` I know he means well, but talking about it won't make it go away.
`Thanks, Alex, but no. It wouldn't help.` He is just looking at me questioningly.
`Sure,` he says. The silence settles between us. It's a quiet weekend evening in his house near Athens. We've been working like dogs all week, arranging the refitting of my fleet. It's been three weeks since he left and the pain of his absence hasn't eased one bit. After two minutes, I can't take the silent treatment any more.
`It's like my other half is missing.` I gather my thoughts slowly. It's hard to put into words, there are no words in the human language for the connection we share. `It aches and tingles like an insect bite, just I can't scratch it. I got so used to his presence in my mind, that I didn't realize what we had until it was missing. I just long to reach out for him, for his advice, for his comfort or simply for his warmth, but I can't. He is too far away.` I'm not used to being so open about my feelings. `I'm not making much sense, am I?`
`I... I don't claim to understand, what you are going through. But it sounds amazing. You should feel lucky that you found him, I think.`
`I am, Alex, I am. I thank Providence every day for him. But sometimes it's so hard... And it will be years before it gets easier.`
`You'll see him in a month.`
`That will be the hardest part. His people's reaction to their crown prince marrying a human, would be quite the same as most human's. We can't use our link when any of his people are near.`
`Will it be that hard?`
`Try to go around hopping on one leg, without blinking, only breathing through your mouth while counting two up, one down for five minutes without missing a single number, and then multiply it by a thousand. I don't know how will I be able to look at him, and not reach for him.` I see he has no answer to this.
`Is there anything I can do to help you?` He knows that I'll probably say no, but he asks anyway. He is a true friend.
`Actually, yes. You could represent me and deal with Max, while I could negotiate with Isabel or Michael.`
`I see. This would allow us to keep control of the talks and still minimize the chance of you two meeting.`
You know, the problem with my addiction to him is that time won't heal it. He does not know how it could have happened, but somehow, we bonded without conscious decision. We declared our love for each other, but that was all. In theory, there should have been a ceremony of sorts, and an exchange of formal vows. We suspect that human hormones made a strange mix with antaran ones and this accelerated the bonding process. Of course we are glad it happened.
One thing what you should know about life-bonds, is that you never ever regret them. Afterwards, it always seems that it was the best decision of your life, even if it wasn't your decision. I know I used to be more reserved and closed off, and I'm sure that if someone told me that I would make a life long commitment to someone I've known only for weeks, I'd had laughed at them. But now, it seems natural. I feel fuller, more myself, more alive. Despite all the problems and threats hovering above us like the sword of Damocles, I'm happy. The sheer thought of seeing him again sends shivers down my spine.
They say, being in love is the best thing in the world. They are wrong. Being loved is the best thing in the world. I know, without doubt that I'm the sole focus of his thoughts, every minute of every day, just like he is mine. But I'm afraid for him. Terribly afraid. Of duty and love... No. I won’t think about that. It is not possible to send thoughts in the future. No one can have such power. No one. I will not allow anything to happen to him.
In the last weeks, my abilities have been multiplying every day. It's like I've been trying to watch the future through the keyhole, and now I found the door handle, and my mind is yanking the door wider and wider every day, dragging me kicking and screaming with it.
I'm changing on the inside. I can feel it. Not my blood or cells, I'm checking them regularly, but my spirit.
I know things I shouldn't. I've lost the control over my visions, I can't grope ahead for a certain thing or person, but somehow, I know this is only a temporary blindness. Like when climbing up in a tower. Now, I see only the inside of the staircase, but I know, that soon, I’ll run out of stairs, and the world will lay at my feet.
`Liz?` I realize that I’ve been staring into nothingness in the last minutes. I never used to space out before. Before his departure.
`Sorry. I’ve been… thinking. `
`So it seemed. What about calling it a day?`
`Well, I’m tired. I just keep getting more tired and tired every day. It’s like a drug. I’m addicted to him, and I’m suffering from his absence.`
`I don’t know how to say it, but there just seems to be too much trouble with it. Is it really worth it?`
That was never a question.
`It is, Alex. It is. `

A conference room, aboard Destiny
`Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for coming today. I’ll try to be quick and sketch the plans. The Fourth Human Fleet will leave Earth in four weeks. Those four weeks will be filled with combat exercises, practice battles, simulations, and drills until every new maneuver is honed to perfection and every new weapon is tested to its limits. The Alliance, to show their goodwill, provided us data on its own technological arsenal. Though we are regarding the information with outmost suspicion, the data seems to be more or less sound. So any sudden changes in the weaponry of your craft might be a result of our analysis. `She was speaking as confidently and fluently as ever. She spoke to them as it was only a routine meeting, not a secret gathering of the elite and, by the gods, it worked! They were drinking her words like sponge drinks water, and taking every one of her lies as sacred truths. These people were hers, she saw it clearly. But she did not know, how far she can press them.
`But most importantly, the Alliance provided us with data on a third party, the one they call talronids. It seems to be a space faring race with no real planets and an extreme hate to all other life. The Alliance has been waging war against them for hundreds of years, but they are like the Hydra, impossible to destroy, because they have no planets, no nests, no real targets to attack. We will, of course, test the verity of what they told us before we act, but currently it seems that we might have a common enemy. I’ve confidence in the goodwill of the Alliance, and I’m preparing my fleet primarily to face the talronid threat. Of course, I’m not leaving gaps in our defenses for the Alliance forces to exploit, should they turn cloaks, but I interpret the race of talron as our likely opponent. This is why AG shields are strengthened at the expense of EM barriers, and that’s why I ordered the recycling of a few older weapons.` That was enough real information, no she had to give them some agit-prop bullshit.
`Our first priority is to ensure humanity’s safety and I don’t expect any hostilities during our next mission. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry. There is a war coming up. It’s likely that it will be against the talronids, but the opposite is possible too.` She hated when she had to suggest that attacking Alliance ships might be a possibility, but she couldn’t appear to sure of the situation. Even claiming to have data from the Alliance was a bit risky, and she couldn’t afford to appear too eager to side with Draconis.` While the two empires are locked in a deadly battle, we can turn up and use our fresh forces and unknown technology to destroy at least one of them. We are a wildcard for them, an empire turning up suddenly from nowhere. I suggest we use this element of surprise while we can. They know nothing of human technology, so if we ally with one side, we can completely eradicate the other.
So we are heading for a neutral system, where we can meet the envoys of the Alliance and begin the negotiations. Why am I telling you this? This is high politics. You have nothing to do with it. Even I have nothing to do with it. But you have a right to know. It will be you, risking your necks out there, not the Councilors, not the politicians, but you and me.` Her voice became more fiery when she spoke words she really meant. She was an excellent speaker, but actually believing what you are saying always helps a great deal.
`Our fleet is a virgin one. We’ve never been in any real battle, our blood has never been shed. I can only pray that it never will be, but we must expect losses in a war. I’ve trust in my fleet, but the sad truth is, that we can not know how will we act when the threat to our lives is real. So I want you to think on it. We are soldiers, and we are earning our keep by protecting our race. You all knew, that your blood might be spilled one day. You asked for it, when you applied to the Navy. So I want you to work twice as hard as before, and make your crew and those around you double their efforts, for your lives depend on it. Every one of our lives depends on it. Humanity’s fate depends on it. That was all I wanted to say today. You are free to go.`

[silverofroswell]

Part 4

Same room, an hour later

Liz

This meeting is much more to my liking, more informal. A dozen people or so are sitting in a circle of drawn-up chairs. I’ve called together the inner circle of the conspirators to discuss the real course of action. The talk was mostly about the new policies I wanted to introduce, based upon General Rath’s advice, though the last part was not advertised even among the inner circle. I wanted a more cautious approach to fighting and much tighter Rules of Engagement. They need to grasp the fact that we won’t necessarily always win and that many good people will die mostly for nothing. They’ll fight in the first lines, figuratively speaking, and I don’t think that they’ve understood that most of us won't live to see the end of this war. I’m not even sure whether I want them to realize this.
Instead, I explained why the weapon modifications were really necessary and what to expect from the talronids. By now, my part was mostly over. My fellow conspirators are discussing the new information I gave them, and I can just lean back into my comfy chair and watch them. Alex and Serena are handling them just fine, steering the conversation without them realizing. It might seem that we are using these people, that I am using these people to achieve my own ends, but it’s not how it feels. I’ve been manipulating everybody around me in the last months and I was surprisingly good at it. Sometimes it felt really bad, lying shamelessly to the face of my friends, but it doesn’t matter what I feel. I know that I’m doing the right thing. It is my duty. The killing must be stopped at all costs. One race can not destroy all the others. If it means that we must stop existing as a species, then so be it.
But it won’t come to that. We will side with the Alliance, and we will join the crusade against the talronids. He showed me flashes of them. They are like a plague, an all-consuming nightmare, an infinite swarm of locusts destroying everything in their path. There is no reasoning with the talronids, no truce, just endless war to the last man. They don’t need planets, they don’t need systems, they are just destroying everything in their wake for the sake of destruction itself. They are what humanity was becoming. They are what I’ll fight until I draw my terminal breath.
I watch withdrawn how the dispute goes. There are so many details that need attention, and I’m only one person. I have to trust these people that they’ll take care of them. That’s is the hardest part. Giving up some duties to others. What if they are not up to the task? What if they make a mistake? People will die because of it, and it will be my fault, for trusting the wrong man. It all comes down on me. The base of the pillar, it is what the antaran word for king truly means. Power is responsibility, and the more power you got, the greater the responsibility is.
The meeting goes on for about an hour. Alex is leading the conversation, but Serena is helping him. She is growing fast into leadership. I made the right choice when I included her in the conspiracy, even if she was but a captain at that time. Not even a month has passed since she became the leader of the Phoenices, but she already proved herself to me, and more importantly, to her people. After their victory in the simulated battle, they’ll follow her to the deepest pits of hell. They all perished in the attack proving that a cruiser has nothing to do in a high-speed assault, but they’d helped the rest of the Doombringers to reach the target.
I noticed her early on. She was the first in the Academy who used my tactics to defeat the Cyclops simulation. The Cyclops is supposed to be the toughest exam you can get from Tactics. The theory is that you are dropped into a random tactical situation, without any preliminary information, against overwhelming odds. The reasoning is that the flagship of the tactical group was just destroyed, leaving you as the superior officer on the battlefield. This is of course a stupid story, but the simulation itself is rather good. The expected result is that you save most of your craft when you pull back, but even defeats are acceptable if the examinee took the necessary measures to prevent it. The Cyclops is a random simulation, and if a cadet is unlucky, she can get a really raw deal.
When my time for a the Cyclops came, I was already aware of my abilities. It was the first time when I let my prescience control my actions. Instead of running I went on offensive. It was hard to choose the right path for victory, because the random numbers generated by the computer to decide which shots hit are not truly random, but I managed to defeat my enemies, even if with enormous losses. I was the first one ever to win. It made James Valenti notice me. He paid a closer attention to my career from that time, helping me whenever possible. I was already friends with Kyle at that time, but my success against the Cyclops opened Jim’s heart for me.
After the news got out that the simulation could be defeated, there were always those who tried to repeat my performance, and some even succeeded, though usually only due to extreme luck. Nevertheless, I’ve watched all of the replays. Serena was the first to understand that the simulation was designed especially against the tactics taught at the Academy, and only against those. So if you come up with new, even if slightly less efficient maneuvers, the simulation will react in really stupid ways. I’d never grasped this, I just walked in and done whatever was necessary to win, but she came prepared for the unpredictable. But what she had done was surprisingly close to my seemingly random orders. I instantly noticed this when the Academy sent me the replay of her victory. At first I thought that she is like me, but a few careful tests proved to me that she wasn’t, or if she was, she hid it very well. I’ve never made her aware of my attention, but I put in a good word or two for her whenever possible, and I took great care to guarantee that she came to my fleet and when the Phoenix group was created I’d made her the captain of one of my ships.
Not just her achievements, but even her psychological profile resembles mine. She is the sister I’ve never had. I look at her and I see what I could have become without the questionable blessing of prophecy. I look forward to the day when she will be among the highest ranking officers of my fleet. When the war begins, there will be ample opportunities for me to promote her. Hell, if I have to choose someone to guard my back as the Admiral of the Third, I’d choose her. She doesn’t believe that she could do it, I didn’t believe it either until time had proven me wrong. The girl has it in her, what it takes to command tens of thousand people and uncountable weapons of mass destruction in war and peace. It remains to be seen how we all do in real battle, but I think that she will be able to cope with the pressure. But that’s the song of the future. We have to first survive this day to see what the morrow holds. Or as my case shows, not necessarily. .
They are currently discussing new, tighter formations for the fleet, when I suddenly feel a rush of danger. I try to quest ahead, but my abilities betray me. I can’t see what lies before me, but the danger is terrible. I jump up to warn the others, just to collapse down onto the floor when I feel His pain.