Roswell Fanatics

Title: The Power of the People

Author: pooklette

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Category: CC

Rating: Teen

Summary: Third installment of the “Power of Love” series. It’s 2006 and the Royal Eight are finally enjoying the lives they’ve fought so hard for. On August 1, 2008 they are supposed to return to the Alpha System to free the people of Kivar’s tyranny but that still seems like a lifetime away. Their alliance with the US government has held strong thus far but could the threat of danger change all of that?

A/N: I recommend you read “Power of Love” and “Power of Eight” first, if you haven’t already, otherwise you’ll be hopelessly confused. This fic is very Candy, Dreamer, Gazer and Alleyleader (Kyle/Ava) friendly. I have no intention of breaking up our favorite duos.


Chapter 1: Kindred Spirits

Wailing could be heard in the background. People were rushing around, trying to find a safe place to hide until it was over. The footsteps of the enemy could be heard, racing down the empty hallway. With each step, the fearsome adversary came closer and closer to its prey. A light bulb overhead exploded just as the secure room was breached.

“Michael! My God…I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Isabel gasped.

Michael flinched as Isabel fixed him with a scathing glare. Max and Alex both broke out into fits of laughter when they saw the fear on Michael’s face.

“Go away Isabel. We’ve got this covered.” Michael mumbled.

“You most certainly do not have this covered! You’re barely dressed! Come here…let me fix your tie.” Isabel scolded. She delivered an icy look to the other men in the room and they immediately started straightening their own ties.

“I’m a grown man, Iz. I can fix my own tie, thank you very much.” Michael mumbled, batting her hands away.

“The ceremony starts in less than thirty minutes and here you are hiding out in the broom closet! If this is just wedding jitters Michael, get over it because I want this day to be absolutely perfect for Maria. You and your crooked tie are not going to ruin this…do you understand me?!” Isabel ranted, in full wedding shrew mode once again.

Michael batted her hands away once again. “I am not having wedding jitters Iz. I’m more sure of this than I have been about anything else in my whole life. And we’re not hiding! The reason we’re all congregated in this particular closet is because we were looking for…a thing…here…in a place you wouldn’t find us…. Now please just go away before you make me nervous.” Michael stammered.

Isabel looked hurt. “You don’t want me here? You’re like my brother…how can you say that?”

“Oh crap…no, that isn’t what I meant. It’s just…well you know…you’re so…” Michael floundered around trying to undo his latest faux pa.

“Whatever Michael. I’m leaving. Just remember…if you mess this up for Maria, I’ll kill you.” Isabel said with a frightening smile.

As the door swung shut behind Isabel, Jim stepped out from behind the supply shelves and cautiously looked around. Finding that Isabel was gone, he waved his hand and Kyle stepped out behind him.

“Wimps!” Alex laughed, watching the two men come out of hiding. “I can’t believe you guys are actually afraid of her.”

“Dude…are you serious?! She’s your wife! How you’re not terrified is beyond me.” Kyle said.

Jim looked over to Michael and saw the young man shaking. “Hey, you OK over there, son?” He asked.

“What? Oh…sure…fine. So is it bad if you can hear your future mother-in-law bawling at the top of her lungs on your wedding day? Because I’m pretty sure that’s got to be some kind of sign.” Michael muttered distractedly.

The others laughed. “No worries Michael. Think about it…Her only child is getting married in half an hour. They’re happy tears.” Max explained gently. Michael looked at him blankly.

“It’s a girl thing.” Kyle clarified. Michael’s eyes widened and he nodded in understanding. The guys laughed again.

“Let’s get out of here and finish getting ready. We have to be up at the alter in ten minutes and Isabel will literally kill us if we forget to shine our shoes or something. Oh…and Michael? Spit out your gum before we get out there. Remember the lecture I got from Isabel for that one?” Kyle cautioned, reminding them all of his wedding day.

Just down the hall, Liz was trying to calm down a hysterical Amy Valenti while helping Maria into her dress. Liz offered Amy a glass of water with one hand and zipped Maria’s dress with the other. When the girls heard the door open, they collectively flinched, knowing it was Isabel.

“Michael’s still here, right? He hasn’t made a run for Mexico or anything yet?” Maria asked nervously.

Isabel smiled. “Of course not. The guys are almost ready. Oh damn…I forgot to do a gum check. Oh they’ll never remember it on their own…the wedding video will be full of men chomping away like horses! I’ll be right back girls!”

Liz and Maria laughed as Isabel rushed back out of the room. Even Amy stopped crying long enough to laugh about the panic the guys would no doubt feel when Isabel found them. This was the group’s fifth wedding now and each one was the same. Isabel terrorized the entire wedding party to the point of madness. The only one who came out of these ordeals unscathed was the bride. She always went easy on the brides because she said it was ‘their day’.

Liz could remember her wedding as though it was yesterday. Everything had been so perfect…

(Flashback to December 23rd, 2003)

Max and Liz were cuddled up in front of the fireplace. He was fidgeting, obviously distracted.

“Isabel went to bed already Max. You don’t have to worry about being caught idle. The tree is beautiful, the decorating is done, and the food can practically cook itself. She’s not going to come out here and yell at you for sitting down for a second.” Liz teased.

Max chuckled. “I know that. I do…” Max paused nervously. “I wanted to wait for Christmas day to give you your gift but…”

Liz looked up in surprise. “I can wait two more days Max. Really.” She joked.

“I know you can but…I can’t.” Max pulled a tiny box out of his pocket and looked at it nervously. Liz gasped.

“Oh Max! Is that…are you…?”

Max got down on one knee in front of the roaring fire. “Liz, you are my life. Before I met you, I was just going through the motions. I was alive, but not really living. You make me feel like I can do anything…be anything I want. And I know exactly who I want to be now. I want to be your husband…your partner in this life and the next.” Max paused and took a deep breath. He opened the little velvet box in his shaking hands.

“Elizabeth Parker, will you marry me?”

(March 2004)

Maria bounced into the room, clad in burgundy satin. When Liz and Maria were little girls, they went through a romantic phase and planned out the perfect wedding, down to the tiniest of details. Of course, Liz had actually made lists, assuming that they would follow those plans when they were older. The dress Maria wore today was an exact replica of the dress Liz had chosen for her bridesmaids all those years ago.

“Oh Maria! Where did you find it?” Liz gushed.

Maria smiled. “I didn’t exactly find it. I remembered it. I pictured it in my mind and then let Iz take a peek. We made it with our powers. Do you love it?”

“Oh Maria…you know I do!” Liz got all teary eyed. “It’s exactly what I wanted!”

(May 2004)

Liz stood in front of the full-length mirror in awe. The dress was beautiful. Her mother had made it for her. She had spent nearly six months hand stitching all the details, trying to make it perfect. Nancy had gently woven golden thread into the gorgeous white satin; giving the appearance that Liz was glowing when she put it on. She looked positively radiant in that dress.

“What do you think honey? Is it what you wanted?” Her mother asked nervously.

Liz turned to her mother with a smile. “It’s perfect mom. Everything is just perfect.”

The whole evening had been just magical. Liz’s seven-year-old self would’ve been very proud. The best part of it was, her family and friends were all there, celebrating together. It was like the beginning of a magical new era for all of them.

(Back in the Present)

“Woohoo…Liz…Earth to Liz!” Maria chanted, waving a hand in front of her best friend’s face.

“Oh Maria, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about my wedding. Everything was so perfect that day…I just know it’s going to be like that for you.” Liz said.

“I hope so girlfriend because it’s not like we get a do-over if it doesn’t go right the first time. Spaceboy better be on his best behavior today or I swear I’ll skip the honeymoon.” Maria joked.

“Honey, you’re not going on a honeymoon. If you’re going to blackmail the man, at least use something he’ll miss.” Amy pointed out.

Maria giggled. “The honeymoon part was a metaphor mom…”

“A metaphor? For what? Oh…Oh! You know Maria…there are some things a mother just doesn’t want to know!” Amy blurted, blushing furiously.

Jim knocked on the girl’s door. He couldn’t hear Amy sobbing anymore, so that was definitely a good sign. The door opened and he gasped when he saw Maria. She was absolutely stunning. Her dress had tiny pastel flowers stitched into the flowing ivory fabric. It was so perfectly Maria. Jim suddenly felt more honored than ever that she had asked him to walk her down the isle.

“You’re going to knock his socks off kiddo.” Jim said with a smile.

Isabel was just walking back into the room when Jim made his comment. She smiled as she remembered the way Alex had reacted as her father walked her down the isle.

(Flashback to June 2005)

After all her preparations and planning, Isabel was still terrified when it came time to walk down the isle with her father. The church was so beautiful and everyone was watching. Alex was only a few yards away, but it seemed like miles. When he turned and looked directly at her, the awe on his face was almost overwhelming. As she got closer, Isabel could see tears in his eyes.

Isabel and Philip stopped at the alter. Alex was supposed to offer his arm to Isabel before they turned to the pastor, but he just stood there, staring at her. Philip smiled in understanding and retreated to his pew. Just as Isabel was starting to wonder if Alex had gotten cold feet, he took a deep shuddering breath and whispered…

“Watching you walk up that isle Iz…you looked like an angel. This, right here, is the best moment of my life. I’m almost afraid to move because I don’t want it to end.” Alex said softly.

Isabel smiled shyly. “Well that’s why we’re here Alex…today is about forever.”

(Back in the Present)

Isabel glided down the isle with a smile on her face. She was still glowing from the memory of her own wedding. Behind her, Ava walked with a similar smile on her face. Today was a magical day for all of them. It was symbolic in a way. Today was the day that the last two members of their group beat fate. There was no day like this in their last lifetime or in Future Max’s timeline either. Today was the day that Michael and Maria got to thumb their noses at fate and say, “I’m living my life on my own terms.”

True to Jim’s prediction, Michael was stunned senseless when he saw Maria walk down the isle. He wasn’t nearly as eloquent as Alex had been at his wedding, but the feeling of complete happiness was the same. Maria was like this angel, sent down from heaven just for him. This was a day that Michael would remember forever.

The outdoor ceremony was short but touching nonetheless. Amy kept her bawling to a minimum but her quiet sniffles were joined by nearly a dozen others during the reading of the vows. The weather was beautiful, and as promised, Michael was on his best behavior.

The small reception afterward was great fun for all. They had dinner and dancing on the agenda. Just before dinner, Max made a really touching toast to the bride and groom.

Max raised his glass of ginger ale. “Well, since this is the fifth wedding in three years for us, you’d think I’d be running out of material by now, wouldn’t you?” His comment was met with laughter all around.

“Michael has been my friend for as long as I can remember. It’s funny really, because we’re about as different as they come. On the surface, Michael and Maria would seem like complete opposites too. Those two might seem like fire and water, but underneath it all, they love each other with a fierce certainty we can all admire. They’re kindred spirits. Maria, I honestly think that Michael fell in love with you the day he met you. I wish you two all the happiness in the world because you definitely deserve it. Cheers!”

Ava listened in awe. Max hated public speaking but he always seemed to know exactly what to say. His impromptu speech at her own wedding still brought tears to her eyes. He hadn’t been the best man and no one expected him to make a speech but he did anyway and the words had been straight from the heart.

(Flashback to October of 2004)

Kyle’s best man, Alex, had just finished his wedding toast and there was a moment of silence as the group sipped their drinks. Ava looked around at her family and friends, feeling blessed that they were all there to share in this perfect day. Movement caught her eye and she was surprised to see Max standing up to deliver a short speech of his own.

“Alex’s words moved me to say a little something of my own to the bride and the groom.” Max began.

“Ava and Kyle were the last two people to join our rag-tag little crew. Just a few years ago, I don’t think either one of them would ever have pictured themselves here, like this. I am happy that they found us and, more importantly, found each other. The people in this room are all very special to me and Kyle and Ava are no exception. Tonight, we are here to celebrate Kyle and Ava, but more importantly, we are here celebrating life. A few years ago, if someone mentioned the word ‘destiny’ I would probably have run from the room. Now though…I believe that this moment, this kind of happiness, was our destiny all along. Congratulations Kyle and Ava. I know that this union will bring you a lifetime of happiness.”

Ava’s heart swelled when she heard Kyle murmur, “It already has, man…it already has.”

Kyle and Ava had always been unsure of their place in the group simply because they had been such outsiders in the beginning. Kyle had been Liz’s meddling ex and Ava had been forced to battle against both her past and Tess’. It had been a long road for both of them but Max’s words explained exactly how they felt that night. It was the best day of their lives and they were thrilled to be able to share it with true family and friends.

(Back to the Present)

After the scrumptious wedding feast that was painstakingly prepared by Nancy and Amy, Alex fired up the special sound system he had rigged up especially for the outdoor wedding. He had spent weeks putting together mix CDs filled with songs that Michael and the parents both could tolerate. It had been quite a challenge. He programmed his computer to control the order of play as well as the sound clarity. It had been a fun experiment for the self-proclaimed computer geek.

Michael danced without any complaints that night. Isabel thought for sure she was going to have to club him and drag him to the dance floor but surprisingly coercion wasn’t necessary. Unbeknownst to all, Michael and Amy had been working for weeks to tame his abnormally clumsy dancing feet. He had approached Amy nervously one Sunday afternoon and after nearly two straight minutes of stuttering and mumbling, he managed to ask Amy to teach him to dance. Amy was so touched that he came to her; she couldn’t help but say yes. For the last two weeks, he had spent every free minute he had struggling to learn to dance on his own feet instead of his partners. Tonight, it seemed, the lessons had finally sunk in. He made it through the entire night without crushing Maria’s toes once.

Maria had the time of her life. The whole affair had been completely flawless. That in itself was an absolute miracle. The fact that they were all there, celebrating together, just made the day even more magical.

The gang enjoyed dancing the night away with Michael and Maria. Ava and Kyle made special arrangements to spend a few nights in Max’s house, giving the newlyweds a few days of total privacy. It was as close as they were going to get to having a honeymoon for now.

When the dancing ended and the party died down, Michael and Maria excused themselves and retreated back to the comfort of their home. Unbeknownst to them, the girls had sneaked into the house and decorated their bedroom for the occasion. Maria gasped as she opened the bedroom door and was greeted with the beautiful, romantic scene. The room was illuminated by soft candle light, there were flower petals scattered everywhere and the windows were draped with an iridescent mauve fabric that made the whole room seem to shimmer. Maria threw her arms around Michael with glee.

“This has been the best day of my life Michael. Thank you.” She fixed him with an innocent smile and batted her eyelashes. “I’m really glad the night doesn’t have to end quite yet though…” She purred.

GLCW2 - I'm glad you liked the first part! That chapter was really fun to write.

Roswell3053 - Thanks! It's always fun to start off on a happy note, right?

tequathisy - I couldn't resist getting a little creative with the whole wedding montage. Things move so fast in Ros-world I figured it was only fitting.

Timelord - Thanks! Michael and Maria got cheated out of a honeymoon because everyone is trying to just lay low now. They've got vague privacy at the ranch and they're safe as long as the general public doesn't figure out who/what they are. None of them is quite ready to test the generosity of the gov't by insisting on taking some all expenses paid vacation either. None of them have paying jobs in the public sector anymore. (Plus - I don't think I could write a truly steamy love scene to save my life... )

Redrumm - Thanks! I hoped people wouldn't feel cheated if I didn't show each wedding in detail.

kittens wrote:How did they put up with Wedding-Nazi for 3 years of wedding plans??? You would think they would have had 1 multi-wedding, just to save their sanity

Now you see why Kyle and Jim were hiding behind the storage shelves in that closet. The poor guys are traumatized.

Dream Weaver - You are right, of course. If the podsters got to live happily ever after already, the story would be very short. The proverbial stuff will hit the fan big time, very soon.

sylus27 - Thanks! The gang will get a little down time but as we all know - things always seem to go wrong when the gang least expects it...

Jennifer24 - Glad you loved the weddings! It's nice to see the gang at peace for once, isn't it?



Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 2: Life As We Know It

In the weeks following the wedding, life started to settle back down to the usual routine again. Once a week the whole crew met with members of the FBI, CIA and the Department of Defense. These meetings were part of a larger effort to keep all members of their ‘intergalactic alliance’ in the loop. They would discuss recent UFO sightings, international intelligence and satellite data. The goal was to keep two steps ahead of Kivar and his minions. None of them were naïve enough to think that sending the dupes back to Antar had ended his interest in the royals or Earth.

The special FBI team that had been assigned to investigate the Roswell crew was reassigned. Most of them were still somehow involved with the gang, but snooping was no longer their mission.

Serena’s new assignment was quite unique. She was no longer a field agent, or a traditional profiler for that matter. Now, she was basically the top liaison between extraterrestrials and humans. In the event friendly new visitors came to Earth, she would be the one to make first contact. Her assessments of the Roswell crew and the dupes had been dead on, and her skills would be invaluable if the situation ever arose again. Over the last few years she had grown very close to the Roswell crew and they were starting to feel like a second family to her.

John Harrison was reassigned to research duty, an assignment he truly loved. His partner, Josh Meyers, was one of the top mechanical engineers in the country. Together, they worked with the podsquad to develop new technology based on what was left behind in the crash of ’47 and what little the royal soldiers had brought with them. After repeated assurances that the government wasn’t just fishing around for intel on potential weapons, the podsters agreed to share what limited information they had. Thus far, Harrison and Meyers had discovered a way convert organic materials to useable fuel thanks to an in-depth study of the royal soldiers’ ship. The implications for the auto industry, air travel and the environment were going to be monumental.

Agent James Ford was now in charge of coordinating all new alien intelligence data from the states and foreign countries as well. His duties carried him slightly past the jurisdiction of the FBI but in light of this new alien alliance, many of the agents who were ‘in the loop’ had become considered extended members of the executive branch of the government. On the surface they were FBI agents but if you dug down deep enough, you’d discover that they now reported directly to the President. It was subtle and somewhat misleading, but it was necessary to protect the privacy of the Royal Eight.

Angela Garrett now spent the majority of her time in a secure laboratory, located less than 15 miles from the pod squad’s ranch. She was in charge of evaluating evidence from other reported UFO sightings all over the US. Liz had the privilege of working with Angela twice a week. Initially, Liz began working with Angela in an effort to lend some insight where possible and to stay in the loop scientifically, but over time Angela became like a mentor for her.

The parents found life at the ranch to be ideal. It was almost like winning the lottery. They were basically all in early retirement now. The couples suddenly had all this time on their hands to pursue hobbies and interests they’d never had time for before. Life in their home was quite content now that they didn’t have to spend so much time worrying about the kids.

With the parents all sharing the largest home on the ranch, the podsters had to divide themselves between the other two homes. Max, Liz, Isabel and Alex shared one and Michael, Maria, Ava and Kyle shared the other. It was sheer coincidence that the homes were divided equally between the newest generation of the Zandros and Rathemere clans. Max and Isabel were siblings so they were used to sharing a home. It was a forgone conclusion that Alex and Liz would choose to stay with the Evans siblings so, the two royal families ended up split evenly.

Thanks to their new alliance with the government, the gang was able to reclaim their lives and their education again. They spent most of their time secluded at the ranch however; everything they needed was right at their fingertips. There were many things they’d need to know when the day came for them to go to Antar, but they each had their own strengths and interests to consider as well.

Maria and Ava were able to continue their Criminology studies under the expert tutelage of Serena. Liz was learning more about microbiology everyday through her trips to Agent Garrett’s lab. Max and Isabel partnered experience with individual tutoring sessions from various high-level politicians to continue learning about leadership and politics. Michael kept most of his studies secluded to the massive library in his home. He read nearly every book on history, warfare and modern law that he could get his hands on. Alex studied microcomputer technology in depth with the royal soldiers and Kyle learned as much as he could about alien transportation and architecture from them as well.

One sunny Tuesday, after a long morning of tutoring and study, Alex and Kyle decided they needed to have a little bit of spontaneous fun. They dismissed their royal soldier tutors and went in search of the others.

“Avaaaaa! Mar-eeeeee-ya!” Alex called in a singsong voice.

Ava and Maria looked up from the case files they were studying to see Alex and Kyle bouncing on their heals in the doorway of the library. The men were looking expectantly at them.

“No more studying today girls.” Kyle said. “Come play outside! We have all this freedom now…let’s enjoy it for once!”

Ava looked at Maria and smiled. “It couldn’t hurt…just this once. Right? It’s not like this stuff won’t be here when we get back…”

Maria laughed. “Do you honestly think I would pass up an opportunity to ditch class?”

The girls abandoned their study materials and followed Alex and Kyle outside to round up the others. It wasn’t long before they conned Michael into joining their merry little troop of rebels. It took a bit of prodding to get Max, Liz and Isabel to agree to come join the party but as soon as Kyle threatened to come back later with water balloons, they caved in.

“What exactly did you two have planned for us this afternoon?” Isabel asked nervously.

Alex smiled. “Nothing. That’s the beauty of our little plan. There is no plan.”

Isabel looked dumbfounded. “You pulled Max and I out of a meeting for…for nothing?!”

“Exactly!” Kyle said proudly. “See Alex? I told you they’d love the idea.”

The gang looked around at each other in sudden silence. It had been so long since they had just dropped everything to hang out together, as friends, they couldn’t think of anything to do.

“We could go to that lake down the road. Serena said it’s on our property so we’d be all alone out there. Just us, the sun, the water…” Ava suggested. Maria clapped in excitement and the others nodded in agreement.

After a short drive, the gang found themselves staring at a beautiful blue lake framed by a white sandy beach. It was at that very moment they realized that in their spur of the moment decision, no one had thought to bring swimsuits.

“Oh that’s not going to work at all…” Max muttered.

Isabel smirked. “I can fix this. Just hold still while I…” She trailed off as she started swiping her hands over the top of her clothing. Where her casual suit had been, there was now a stunning red bikini.

Isabel moved over to Maria next and after shooting a knowing glance at Michael, she transformed Maria’s outfit into an itty-bitty black bikini. Maria started to protest the serious lack of fabric until she saw the intense look of lust on Michael’s face. She smiled at Isabel in thanks and bounced away to show off her new suit.

After Isabel transformed Ava’s outfit into a sparkling blue bikini, she moved on to Liz and gave her a red one similar to her own. Once she finished with the ladies, Isabel stepped back, gave the guys a once over and prepared to have some fun.

She closed her eyes and pictured them all wearing yellow polka dot Speedos. When she opened her eyes, the men immediately started hollering in protest. Maria burst out laughing and started singing a merry chorus:

“He wore an itsy bitsy, teeny weenie, yellow polka dot bikiniiiii…”

Isabel let the men whine for nearly five minutes before she would change her creations into something a little more suitable…no pun intended. After a bit of water fun, the gang hunkered down in the sand to relax.

“So what do you think life was like on Antar before Kivar ruined it?” Liz asked out of nowhere.

Alex looked up in thought. “We know practically everything about Antar’s history thanks to Larek, and the soldiers have filled us in on a lot of the general details but it’s kind of hard to picture what it was really like. Was life fast-paced like it is here? Was it always go, go, go, or was it more laid back and simple?”

“I got the impression that it things were pretty laid back. They had jobs and families just like we do but the palace provided a lot of the basic products and services they needed for daily life. There wasn’t a whole lot of hustle and bustle to make a fortune and buy expensive toys like there is here.” Ava said.

“You know, every time I picture Antar, I have this image of a beautiful tropical utopia. I mean, socially, the people were all on fairly equal footing. There weren’t countries at war or starving people in the streets. The Royal Families always made sure that kind of thing wouldn’t happen. It kind of makes me sad to think that all those things are gone now. I highly doubt Kivar has been paying any attention at all to the quality of life on Antar.” Isabel said sadly.

“What are we going to do if we get there and find that there’s nothing left to save?” Liz asked.

“Kivar was scared enough to send the dupes back here to get rid of us. That implies that something on Antar is valuable enough to keep his interest. If there were nothing left, he’d have no reason to fear us.” Kyle pointed out.

“How do you defeat someone like that though? The Alpha System has been his playground for ages. How can we just expect to show up and make everything better when we’ve never even seen the place?” Liz asked in concern.

Michael startled them with a single question. “Do you have faith in me Liz?”

Liz looked at him in confusion. “Of course Michael! You’re one of the most trustworthy people I know…why?”

“Do you have faith in Max?” Michael asked, without answering her question.

“I married him…do you honestly have to ask me that question? And before you decide to keep going with this, let me point out, I have faith in every one of you here. You guys are the kindest, smartest, most genuine people I know.” Liz said, hoping Michael would make his point soon.

“There are about a million reasons why you guys should’ve run the second you found out about us. But you didn’t though. Why?” Michael asked, still being vague.

“I couldn’t just run away from you guys like that! There’s no way! Even when Future Max came to me with his stupid plan, I still couldn’t stay away. He told me I had to but I just couldn’t. It…it just didn’t feel right.” Liz argued, getting a little upset.

“Hey Michael, is this going somewhere?” Max asked, playing referee.

Michael turned to Kyle. “Why didn’t you head for the hills after Tess mindwarped you? She made a real mess of your head and no one would’ve blamed you for a second if you had decided to keep your distance. You didn’t stay away either though. Why? You didn’t even like most of us back then…”

Kyle shrugged. “The bad guys weren’t going to go away just because I joined a different social circle. I was already in it neck deep…and I knew who the good guys were. If I have to fight, I might as well be on the right side.”

Michael looked at Maria. “Isabel and I scared the daylights out of you…on purpose. When you first found out about us, we literally terrorized you. Why didn’t you sing like a canary when the Sheriff had you in his office that day? Why did you protect us?”

“Don’t get me wrong…at first, I wanted to tell. I really did. You guys were mean and you scared me. I didn’t though because something told me that I needed to protect you right then. I don’t even know why exactly. I just needed to. Once I got to know you guys, I could see what made you so special. I was glad that I had kept your secret.” Maria answered honestly. She too was dying to see where Michael’s whole line of questioning was going.

“Alex, after the way Liz and Maria treated you when they found out about us, why did you forgive them? And later, when Isabel spent months purposely ignoring you, how did you know that her whole Ice Queen thing was an act?” Michael plowed on.

“I forgave Liz and Maria because they’re my best friends. I knew their secret had to be something huge because we never kept secrets from each other…ever. Then, when I found out what was really going on, it didn’t take long for me to understand why you guys were such a big part of their lives. As for Isabel…I always knew that she wasn’t anything like the person she showed other people. That icy indifferent act never fooled me. We all have our masks...”

Michael nodded in satisfaction. “All of your stories have something in common. Any guesses as to what that is? Maxwell, you’re the one who’s supposed to be so good at this stuff….”

Max looked away in thought for a moment. “Faith. That’s what all the stories have in common. All of them, for one reason or another, had faith in us even when they probably shouldn’t have. They didn’t even know why…they just did.” The last part was said in a whisper because he was so moved by the realization.

“And we’ve always had faith in them too. If we really thought Maria was going to tell that day in the Sheriff’s office, we would’ve been on the next bus out of town before she even got a chance to tell us what happened. Max trusted Liz to keep his secret despite our die-hard pact never to tell anyone else. The fact that we’re all sitting here together now shows that we trust them just as much as they trust us.” Isabel pointed out.

“That’s exactly my point. The people of Antar already have faith in us just because of who we are…or who we were anyway. Blind faith in each other has kept us alive over the years. What I’m trying to say is, when things are at their worst, sometimes all you have left is faith. Whose side would you want to be on? Ours, or Kivar's?” Michael tried to explain. He knew the concept all too well thanks to his life with Hank. If he had lost faith that there was something better out there for him, he would’ve been dead long before now.

“As easy as that huh? The people have faith in us, so they follow us into battle and by majority rules, we win?” Alex asked, appreciating what Michael was trying to say, yet doubtful that it would be that easy.

“There will be nothing easy about it. You heard the prophecy. Those people take it as a forgone conclusion that we will beat Kivar. That’s where the fuzzy feelings end though. The prophecy doesn’t say anything at all about us being any better than him. Sure, it says we’ll beat him and then there’ll be peace but it doesn’t say anything about us being the peacemakers. If we want the people to believe in us after Kivar is gone, that’s where the real fight will come in.” Michael said bluntly.

“You think they’ll believe in us the same way we believe in each other though, don’t you?” Ava asked curiously.

“I think that we make a damn good team. I think we will win because there’s just no way the people will let Kivar stay on the throne. Beyond that, nothing we do or don’t do can possibly be any worse than what has gone on under Kivar’s reign.” Michael added.

“I think that the House of Rathemere will kick Kivar’s ass and the House of Zandros will pick up the pieces and create a home for the people again.” Maria said with conviction.


Coming in Chapter 3: "Ladies and gentlemen, we've had a confirmed event..." Special visitors are sighted a little too close to home and questions begin to fly.

Thanks for the thumbs up on last chapter! I'm thrilled that everybody liked Michael's impromptu little speech. It's very unlike the predictible, crass Michael we watched in seasons one and two but a guy's got to grow up eventually, right?

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 3: Spies in Our Midst

The gang’s little trip to the lake served to renew their sense of purpose. They wanted to be the best leaders they could be but none of them were naïve enough to think that it would be easy. They had accepted their paths long ago, and the next few years were going to be all about learning to walk those paths.

“Maria!” Liz called, poking her head into Maria’s bedroom. “Find Michael and come straight down to the briefing room!”

Maria looked up at Liz in confusion. She had been flipping through some of Serena’s old case files, piecing together the profile of a suspected murderer when Liz burst into her room. Liz’s order to head straight for the briefing room, the library in the ‘Zandros house’, could only signal bad news…very bad news.

Maria found Michael in their own library and when the two of them rushed over to Max’s house, they found it full of people. The briefing room was crowded with representatives from the FBI, CIA and the Department of Defense. They were looking intently at papers spread out all over the large mahogany table.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve had a confirmed event. Last night at 0200 hours, our satellites picked up an object entering Earth orbit. The vessel didn’t attempt to enter our atmosphere however; it stayed in orbit for nearly six hours. We have no indication that they attempted any kind of communication while they were up there. As abruptly as the ship arrived, it left.” Agent Ford said, getting right down to business.

Alex rushed out of the room, leaving the others in confusion. Isabel explained that he was probably just going to get his new laptop. He and Connor had written all sorts of programs that would help them track activity in the immediate vicinity of Earth.

Maria mentally called out for Kaden, one of the royal soldiers. He materialized into the room, shocking the few government representatives that had yet to see teleportation first hand.

“Kaden, if Larek was sending someone here he would’ve warned us first, right?” Maria asked.

“Yes Ma’am. King Larek would never send soldiers down here without alerting you. Earth was considered a neutral planet until its government pledged alliance to the Royal Eight. Now, according to the ancient Zandros Pact, any representative of the Alpha System seeking access to Earth must first secure the permission of the Royal Family.” Kaden explained.

“Whoa… Are you telling us that if someone from the Alpha System wants to come here, they have ask us for permission first?” Kyle asked in shock. His eyes narrowed when he saw a bunch of suited men whispering amongst themselves in the corner.

“Precisely. Kivar will not honor that tradition, of course, but those still loyal to the Royal Antarean Empire will. If Kivar is defeated, all will seek your permission before entering Earth’s atmosphere.” Kaden added.

“How would they get our permission though? If someone wanted to come here, how would they ask without actually entering Earth’s atmosphere?” Isabel asked.

Alex rushed back into the room and fielded that question. “They’d have to use a secure digital signal. I’ve been working with Connor to learn more about Antarean technology and he helped me write a program capable of picking up digital communication from as far away as Mars. It works by bouncing the digital signal off several old, abandoned spy satellites. If they got past Mars, my computer would’ve picked up any efforts at communication. As Agent Ford said though, the people in that ship never tried to contact us. They made no attempts at all.”

“Is it possible that your people would try to contact you in a psychic manner? Maybe they’re not aware that the can use the digital signals to get through.” A high level CIA agent suggested.

Kaden shook his head. “Protocol requires that they try the most common method of communication used on the planet in question. The digital signals on Earth would be highly accessible to a ship in orbit so that would be the method they would try first. Psychic attempts are generally frowned upon because they can be considered personally invasive to the Royal Family. Only someone very powerful and very close to the Royal Family would make such a personal attempt.”

“So it would not be rash to assume that whoever was on that ship was not attempting a friendly visit. That begs the question…why did they come here? Why enter orbit just to turn around and leave right away?” A tall man from the Department of Defense asked.

“Could they have been from somewhere outside of your Alpha System? Perhaps from a planet that isn’t aware of your Zandros Pact…” Agent Ford suggested.

Kaden shook his head vehemently. “Word of the Royal Eight has spread throughout the universe. There are very few planets with intelligent life that don’t know about the return of Antar’s Royal Families. Those who don’t know are not technologically advanced enough to get here anyway. Those that do are not willing to risk the Master Commanders’ wrath by coming here without permission.”

Nearly everyone in the room looked to Michael and Maria in surprise. Apparently the universe feared their displeasure and they never even knew it.

“Gee, don’t I feel special…” Maria muttered. “So basically, the only person in the universe dumb enough to risk pissing us off is Kivar then. Right?”

“That would be my assessment Ma’am.” Kaden answered.

General Moore, the US Army representative in the room, added his two cents. “It would seem that Kivar has decided to go on the offensive. It’s textbook behavior, really. Stake out the enemy, find their weaknesses and then exploit them.”

“We need to know everything you can tell us. We can’t stay a step ahead of this guy if we don’t know what he’ll consider ‘weakness’. I think it’s about time you tell us more about this guy. You’ve told us the history, but we need to know the rest. What makes this guys tick?” Agent Ford pressed.

Max sighed. It was going to be a very long day indeed. To be honest, he and his friends didn’t know much more than the humans in that room. They knew the textbook history, thanks to the CD diskettes Larek sent to Earth with the soldiers, but that was about it. It was time to call in the rest of the soldiers and lay all the cards on the table. All except one, that is. It wasn’t quite time to mention the Granilith yet.

Max asked General Moore to have his men take over perimeter duty so that the royal soldiers could join the meeting. Liz paged Serena, letting her know that she was needed in the briefing room. Soon, the number of aliens in the room almost equaled the number of humans. There was a quiet anticipation as everyone waited to hear about the infamous Kivar.

“I’m sorry to ask you to do this but…we need to know everything about Kivar and the situation on Antar. We’re looking for the kind of information you won’t find on those CDs Larek sent for us…the kind of thing you won’t find in a textbook.” Max addressed the soldiers.

Connor stiffened. “Kivar craves only one thing…power. He seeks dominion over land and people equally. It is all about the thrill of the win. In the days of King Zan and Master Commander Rath, our star system was at peace. They were held in the highest regard throughout the system. Kivar envied their position. He believed that the key to their popularity was absolute power.”

“As the Earth phrase goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely. That concept is very true. Zan and Rath understood that but Kivar never did.” Kaden added.

“Kivar stole the throne on his own planet long before he turned his sights on Antar. He was born a Duke. His father was the King’s brother. The King of Eros never had a son and Kivar assumed that fact would automatically make him the next heir to the throne. Six weeks after he found out that he wasn’t to be the heir, his parents suffered a mysterious, gruesome death. The King and Queen of Eros took him in, and as the newly adopted son of the King, he again assumed he would become the heir. The King died on Kivar’s eighteenth birthday. He was poisoned. Kivar ascended to the throne but the people thought him ruthless. They didn’t love him as they did the former King. His people turned to the Royal Antarean Empire for assistance. That was when Kivar set his sights on Antar.” Dillen explained.

“Even after Kivar took over the Empire, the people hated him. He was a tyrant in the worst possible way. Free speech does not exist on Antar anymore. Any citizen who dares to utter a disloyal word about Kivar is immediately executed. His body is left in the streets as a message to the rest of the populace.” Connor said.

Kaden closed his eyes in sadness for a moment. “Many families are trapped on Antar. Their loved ones on Saria and Thalos are powerless to rescue them because ships cannot breach Antar’s atmosphere without being detected. Kivar massacred thousands of citizens the last time we tried to send rescue ships for our families. We managed to save a handful of people but in retaliation, he killed thousands.”

“He has our wives, our children and our homes. If we try to rescue them, they’ll be killed before we get anywhere near them. If we leave them there, we’re signing their death warrants just the same.” Connor whispered.

“You still have family trapped there?!” Alex gasped.

Off Connor’s pained look, Michael paled. “You’re wife…she’s trapped there, isn’t she?”

“He killed my mate but my daughter is a prisoner in one of the regional work camps.” Connor said bitterly. Michael’s temper flared and books flew off the nearby shelves.

“If so many people hate him, why haven't you all banded together to take him out?” General Moore asked, ducking a flying book.

“Kivar has the strongest mental powers in the galaxy. Most of the soldiers call it, ‘the power of suggestion’. He can mindwarp with ease and when that doesn’t work, he basically hypnotizes you and plants suggestions in your subconscious that makes you do things you don’t want to do. He has made entire armies turn on each other in the middle of battle. One second you’re fighting the enemy, the next you’re fighting your friends.” Kaden explained.

“If you really anger him, Kivar will make you turn on your family. It’s just another game for him. He shows his dominion over you by making your hurt your loved ones. Later, when you realize what you did, it destroys you. That’s why we haven’t been able to defeat him yet. There are few people strong enough to block his powers and most of them are in this room.” Jonas said, bringing silence to the whole room.

“OK…I’ll bite. Which one of us can block him?” Kyle asked.

“Michael and Maria can block both the warps and the suggestions on their own. Ava and Kyle should be able to block the warps. The Royal Eight or the individual foursquares should be able to block out any of Kivar’s powers.”

“How do you know that? We’ve never faced Kivar directly in this life. How can you be sure that any of us can block him? We certainly didn’t do a very good job of it last time.” Isabel said sadly. Alex wrapped his arms around her in comfort.

“I know for a fact that Michael can because in his former life as Commander Rath, I watched him do it. Kivar tried to make him kill King Zan but he wouldn’t. He fought through the warps and the suggestions and went after Kivar instead. Michael is even stronger in this life than he was in the last. Because Michael has bonded, his mate, Maria, can do everything he can…including blocking out Kivar.” Kaden said.

“You said ‘most’ of the strong people are in this room…who are the others?” Liz asked.

Maria frowned in disgust. “Rath and Tess. It’s them, right? If Michael and Ava can block him out then the dupes can too.”

Off Kaden’s nod, Max snorted in irritation. “So they’re evil just because they want to be. They can’t even blame their actions on Kivar.”

“So back to the topic at hand, what would Kivar want with Earth? It’s too far away from the Alpha System to be of any use to him. What are his intentions?” One of the CIA agents asked.

“His representatives were kicked off the planet and then your government aligned with the Royal Eight. Do you honestly have to ask why he’s shifted his focus here?” Dillon asked incredulously.

“So you’re telling me that our alliance with these eight kids puts our entire planet at risk?!” The DOD representative barked at Agent Ford.

“Let’s not get hasty. We’re not here to question our allegiance to each other…we’re here to get a handle on the situation.” Ford barked back.

Max stood up and captured the attention of the whole room. Something in his demeanor had changed. This wasn’t Max Evans of Roswell, New Mexico standing before them…It was King Maxwell of the House of Zandros.

“Now is not the time to question our alliances. That is exactly what Kivar wants. If he can destroy our trust in each other with one brief flyover, then I don’t know what we’re doing here. We need to work together to keep him away from this great planet. I am not willing to watch the Earth fall under his dominion. Earth belongs in the hands of her people and I intend to make sure it stays that way. Now, since my friends and I seem to be the best source of protection you have at the moment, why don’t we all try to stick to the problem at hand and come up with a plan?”

The government representatives silently listened to Max’s speech with a sense of foreboding. Max was right. He and his friends were the best source of protection and information right at the moment. That put them in the unique position to take control of matters if they wanted to.

The rest of the meeting was fairly uncomfortable, yet they got a lot accomplished. Alex was going to work with Connor and Agent Meyers to set up a computerized ‘early warning system’. It would use existing satellite technology to patrol the skies a little closer.

Ava and Maria would turn their attention to finding Kivar’s weakness. For now, their study sessions with Serena would end and instead they’d use the time to meet with the soldiers for more Kivar story time. If they could put together a useful profile of the man, perhaps they could find the chink in his armor.

Michael and Kyle pledged their time to flight lessons with the soldiers. The Sarian ships were still here on Earth and they were rigged with better defensive technology than Earth aircraft offered. It seemed only prudent to use the ships to patrol the upper atmosphere for more visits from Kivar’s men.

Michael and Kyle’s mission left the others with damage control duty. The Sarian ships were only capable of flying undetected for so long. If people were looking hard enough, they’d find the ships eventually. That would lead to rampant UFO reports, of course, which could potentially blow the cover off the whole Roswell Incident for everyone. Now was not the time to create a panic. Damage control was going to be necessary in more ways than one.

Coming in Chapter 4: The gang wants to get in touch with Larek but how are they going to accomplish that without dragging poor Brody out of Roswell again? There must be someone in their 'in-crowd' who would be a suitable host. And how exactly will the twitchy government guys react to the whole sordid process?

Thanks to everyone for the encouraging feedback. I had this long, personalized response to everyone typed out earlier but the computer ate my post so now I'm just going to answer one little question and then submit this quickly so I don't have to do it again.

Adrianneleigh wrote:Very interesting, so what was the mysterious visitor ship looking for? And what has become of the space ship Kivar has sent? Was that it? Or a scout perhapts?

The mysterious visitor was a scout ship sent by Kivar. The pod squad doesn't quite understand why Kivar would go to the trouble of sending a ship all the way out to Earth just to turn around and leave, but they will quickly start to figure it out in this chapter and beyond.

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 4: Thinly Veiled Kindness

The next few weeks brought more visits from Kivar’s ships. As before, they entered into orbit and then abruptly left without any indication of why they came. The ‘powers that be’ in the government were getting quite edgy about the situation. To make matters worse, reports of missing persons and alien abductions were on the rise. With each ‘visit’ at least a dozen new abduction claims surfaced. Unfortunately, none of these 'abductees' had actually been returned yet.

In a tense meeting with the government representatives almost two weeks later, the gang came under serious fire. The officials were starting to panic about the thought of invasion.

“How the hell is it that you guys are cruising around up there in your high tech ships and not once have you managed to deter our little 'visitors' from coming back?” A CIA agent barked to Michael.

“Would you prefer that we shoot them out of the sky and provoke a war? Because we can if you’d like, but I guaranty that you’re not going to like the results.” Michael answered sarcastically.

“They’re taking people! You never once told us that they could do that! We can’t possibly work together if you don’t come clean about everything.” The man snarled.

Before Michael could launch into an argument with the man, Max interrupted. “We aren’t working together. My friends and I are busting our butts trying to figure out what Kivar is up to while you guys sit around and try to decide if you should kick us off the planet or not."

Gasps of surprise reverberated around the room. Max smirked in satisfaction when he saw a few of the men look away in shame.

"Don’t think we don’t know you've been thinking about getting rid of us for days now. You think getting rid of us would solve all your problems but it won’t.” Max added, driving his point home.

“Where would you get an idea like that?” The hostile CIA agent asked, looking around at his comrades indignantly.

Isabel smirked coldly. “If I knew I could trust you, I’d teach you how to keep your thoughts hidden from a room full of psychics. You may as well have walked in here with a neon sign on your forehead.”

The agent paled. The President was going to have his ass for sure over this one. The President still stubbornly trusted the Roswell gang, despite the many people who had started airing their concerns about their rivalry with Kivar. He was just so sure that these kids were the key to keeping Earth protected.

“Don’t worry…we’ll assure President Clark that his trust is much appreciated. You on the other hand, need to start looking at the bigger picture.” Alex told the man with a secretive smile.

“Look, I apologize for my rudeness today but I will not apologize for being concerned about these latest developments. People are being taken against their will and we’re doing nothing about it. We don’t even know where they are and I will not apologize for wondering why that is.” The agent conceded, barely.

“Well finally we have something we can agree on. I want to know where those people are just as much as you do and I’d like to find out soon enough to get them back.” Max assured him.

“And how exactly are we going to do that?” Agent Ford asked, sensing that Max had a plan.

“We are going to contact King Larek. He is the leader of the second largest planet in the Alpha System and as it turns out, he’s on our side. I think it’s time we get some answers from the inside so to speak. There’s just one catch though…” Max trailed off in concern.

Noting the others were waiting to hear the catch, Liz tried to explain. “Larek can’t just teleport in here like the soldiers do. The distance is just too great. He’ll need to have a host...a person to act as a physical receptor for his psychic communication.”

Agent Ford looked dumbstruck. “That sounds an awful lot like possession. Are you telling us that this guy would basically take control of his ‘host’ and talk to us?”

Off their nods, Ford asked the million-dollar question. “I don’t suppose he can use one of you as a host, could he?”

“Nope. The host has to have a very specific series of biological mutations to allow the transition. We aren’t made that way.” Liz added bluntly.

“What are the odds that someone in this room would even be suitable? Not to mention the invasive nature of the situation…” One of the Department of Justice men commented in concern.

“We’ve already discussed this with the one person in this room who is physically compatible and she is willing to act as host if you are willing to let her.” Max said.

“She? Who…” Ford looked around at the men in the room in confusion. As soon as his eyes fell on Serena, he knew.

“You’re OK with this? Are you absolutely positive about this?” He prodded.

Serena and James were close…very close. Their relationship would have been frowned upon within the ranks of the FBI but with their new positions, they had enough freedom to explore things further.

Serena smiled. “I’ve had time to think about this and I’m OK with it. I don’t know that this Larek fellow will love the idea of using a woman as a host, but I have no doubt that I’ll be fine.”

After much hemming and hawing, the government representatives could see that Serena was determined to go through with this regardless of their opinions in the matter. After a couple of long, brooding minutes, they finally agreed that contacting Larek would be the best option. Now, the only question was, would Larek be able to come through with answers?

The podsquad gathered in a circle around Serena and joined hands. They shut their eyes in concentration and mentally called out to Larek as they had done so many years ago in Roswell. After nearly ten minutes of tense silence, one of the FBI agents spoke up.

"I don't think it's working..." He said, looking to his comrades in confusion.

Ava looked over, her eyes black as night. The whites of her eyes were completely obscured and there wasn't so much as a sliver of blue left. She impatiently shooshed the man but it wasn't really necessary because he had already gone mute with shock. Less than a minute later, Larek made his appearance.

“I must confess that I am a little uncomfortable with using a female host Max. This is highly unusual.” Larek complained.

“I apologize for the sudden interruption Larek but we have a bit of a situation here and we were hoping you’d have some answers for us.” Max said, glossing over the male-female issue.

Larek suddenly became very serious. “A situation? Are you in danger?”

Isabel sighed. “When aren’t we in danger? Seriously though…we think Kivar has been sending spy ships out here to Earth. Humans are disappearing and we know he’s connected somehow. Do you have any idea what he’s up to?”

Larek’s face fell. “I feared as much. Things have been unusually quiet since you sent your doubles back to the palace. As you can imagine, quiet isn’t necessarily a good thing here. Generally, it indicates that Kivar is planning something big…and he’s keeping it tightly under wraps. We’ve detected increased traffic in and out of Antar within the last few cycles. We knew his ships were leaving the system, but we never imagined they were headed for Earth. Kivar is so paranoid about losing his position here, we never thought he’d turn his attention elsewhere.”

“Well it certainly seems like he has. What would he want with humans? They have no powers for him to manipulate. He hasn’t made any demands to ensure their safety. What is he doing?” Max asked.

“I couldn’t even begin to guess. Were these humans tied to you? Were they relatives or friends?” Larek asked in concern.

“No. That’s the weird thing. We’ve never laid eyes on these people before. It’s very random too. There is no connection between the people at all. They’re from different geographic regions, backgrounds, religions…you name it. There are no commonalities at all.” Kyle added.

“I must go meet with my advisors on this matter. This is very serious indeed. We will try to locate your missing humans. If we can return them to you, I promise, we will.” Larek pledged.

“Wait! Before you go…obviously this is Serena’s first time acting as host. If you need to contact us again soon, will it be safe for her or will you have to wait?” Liz asked in concern.

Larek smiled. “This young lady will feel a bit drowsy when I leave, but aside from that, I think she’ll find that she feels better than she has in a long time.”

With that, Larek released his hold on Serena and she stumbled to the floor. The genetic anomaly Liz had mentioned earlier was a red herring. Serena had something much more serious than a random genetic mutation. Max detected it one day when healing a particularly nasty cut on her hand. Until that day, James Ford was the only other person who had known.

James ignored standard protocol and rushed to Serena’s side. He looked up to Liz with unmasked desperation on his face. The implication of Larek’s comment was almost too much to bear. He loved Serena and the thought of losing her had been weighing on his mind for months.

“Did he heal her? Is that what he meant about her feeling better?” James whispered thickly.

Liz nodded. “Max and I tried to do it ourselves but we weren’t sure how to safely eradicate the tumor. We didn’t know if Larek would be able to either but we had to try. He helped an old friend of ours from Roswell so…”

Realizing that the others were staring at them in confusion, Max suggested that Ford take Serena to the guest bedroom to lay down for a bit. She was so drowsy she could barely follow the conversation. Ford tenderly picked her up and carried her out of the room. Liz waited until they were gone and then she explained the situation to the others.

“Serena had cancer. She had an inoperable brain tumor to be exact. Cancerous cells are kind of naturally mutated and they allow Larek to access his host. I don’t completely understand how it works yet, but I know that he is somehow able to heal his host either during or just before he makes contact with them and from that point on, the person is a compatible host.”

"So a person has to be ill first but then Larek heals them so he can establish contact? Pardon my ignorance but, why can't he just use a healthy human if he needs his host body to be in top form?" One of the CIA agents asked.

Max shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Our current theory is that has something to do with the human immune system. Perhaps he needs the person's immune system to be compromised first so that he can 'get in' and then once he's established contact he can repair the damaged cells."

“He fixed her? Just like that? He didn’t even know her but he fixed her anyway?” A general from the army asked in shock.

“If you could, wouldn’t you?” Liz asked.

The CIA agent who had argued with them so much earlier looked at the gang in awe. “This whole show had nothing to do with getting answers, did it? You were all in on it. This was about making Serena better…” He said.

“You’ve got it half right slugger.” Maria said with a grin. “We were hoping that Larek could make her better but at the same time, we also wanted to let him know what’s going on here. Two birds with one stone and all that.”

Agent Ford strode back into the library. “The doctors gave her less than six months when they found the tumor. That was almost a year ago…and she’s still here.” He turned to Max and Liz.

“You’re the reason she’s still with us, aren’t you?” He asked bluntly. “I always wondered, but she would never talk about it…”

Liz shot a quick look at Max and decided to let him answer the question. Going into all this, they knew that Serena would recover somehow. She had to survive because in Future Max's timeline, Serena was still around years from now. At some point, Max must have healed her or she never would've been around to help him rig the Granilith for time travel. Because he didn't know exactly how or when his former self had healed Serena and he certainly couldn't tell these edgy men about the Granilith just yet, he opted to tell them most of the truth.

Max sighed. “Serena didn’t want to tell you about our weekly healing sessions because she was afraid it wouldn’t work. Healing is tricky and meddling with the nervous system is even worse yet. We couldn’t risk making an error so we had to take things slowly. We hoped Larek would be able to speed up the process.”

The goverment men looked stunned. "You've been working with her for months now? What - you guys shrunk the tumor little by little?"

Liz nodded. "Reparing damaged cells that replicate faster than the blink of an eye is obviously difficult. The fact that those cells were deeply seated in her brain just complicated things further. We're talking about a person's mind here. We had to be extremely cautious."

James marched up to Max and stuck out his hand. As the two men shook hands, James leaned close and whispered, “Anything you guys need…all you have to do is ask. I mean it. Anything.”

While Serena slumbered in the guest bedroom and the rest of the government agents strugled to wrap their minds around the things they had just seen, Michael tried to steer the group back to the problem at hand.

"If you guys are done trying to plot our expulsion from the planet, we should get on with the show. Maria and Ava might have found a couple of Kivar's weaknesses and I assume you guys will want to know..." Michael said bluntly.

"Yes - if you have any ideas about how we can take this guy down - we're all ears." A Department of Defense representative said in relief.

Maria snorted. "First of all, I don't think we ought to be planning Kivar's death just yet because we still don't know where he's keeping the missing humans. Second of all, these are just rough suggestions based on a profile we put together from secondhand witness accounts."

Alex looked over at his quirky friend in pride. Maria had actually sounded like a real bonafide grown-up just now. He and Liz had always known that she was more intelligent and mature than she let on but it was nice to see those characteristics shine through for others to see too.

"Kivar is most likely a classic sociopath. He is a predator who uses charm, manipulation and violence to control others. He probably has no conscience to speak of and he basically only yearns for things that would seem 'forbidden' or a challenge." Ava summarized.

Maria nodded. "In other words, Kivar wants what he can't have and he'll do anything to get it. If 'evil' had a definition - it would definitely be Kivar. On the plus side, his unrestrained greed can probably be exploited. On the down side, he won't be open to any form of negotiation."

"He wants what he wants and nothing else is good enough." Ava added. "As soon as he gets what he wants, he's bored and he finds something new to want. That's it. He lives to serve his own needs and cares nothing about the consequences or the people he steps on along the way."

Agent Ford frowned. "I appreciate the research you've done but I have to say...I'm not sure I like the results. I mean, how do you deal with a man like that without..."

"Without killing him?" Michael interrupted. "We try not to provoke him until we're ready. We let our spies on the inside to find those missing humans before we go off half-cocked and shoot his ships out of the stars. We gather as much intel as we can and then we bury him with it."

Alex nodded bravely. "It sounds like his biggest weakness is his need for absolute power. When the time is right - we'll exploit that weakness to the fullest."

"And how exactly do you intend to do that?" Agent Harrison asked, already dreading the answer.

"There are only eight people in this entire universe that he considers a threat to his cozy little dictatorship. All eight of those people are standing in this room. If we have to challenge him directly...we will." Kyle said.

The room erupted into shouts of protest. Some thought the idea was suicide. Others were afraid that if the Eight moved too soon, it would bring the full extent of Kivar's wrath down on the innocent humans of Earth.

"That is exactly why Michael and Alex said we have to wait until the time is right. If Larek can find those humans for us, we'll find a way to get them home. Rescuing those people quickly will buy us some time to figure out how to deal with Kivar without risking the safety of Earth." Isabel pointed out.

"And until Larek pops back in here with some news, we'll just have to do our best to make sure that Kivar can't get his hands on any more humans. He doesn't get to keep the ones he took and he doesn't get to take any more. Nobody says we have to play by his rules." Michael said, driving the point home.

Coming in Chapter 5: Larek pays another visit to deliver some very disturbing news about the 'abductees'. Max and Michael threaten to pull rank on an important ally and in the process, the US government boys learn the last of the gang's secrets...the secret of the Granilith.

I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. Thanks for reading! As always, things are going to start getting complicated from here on out. I hope you like!

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 5: King of the Universe

Michael and his soldiers decided that they’d have to make sure Kivar’s guys knew they were serious about protecting the humans. There had been no further ‘alien abductions’ now that the Sarian ships were openly threatening to fire upon Kivar’s scout ships in the outer atmosphere. It was a very risky move but given that these scout ships seemed to travel in singles or pairs, the ‘intergalactic alliance’ was confident that they’d have enough firepower to deter any kind of immediate response.

After Agent Garrett pronounced Serena one hundred percent cured, the government agents reassessed their concerns. They found themselves remembering why they had supported the alliance in the first place. If the gang thought things were tense at their last meeting with the government officials, they were about to see that things could get much worse. Thankfully, this time the anger was not directed at them.

“This might seem a little left field, but we’ve been detecting some really odd weather patterns since the last few ‘visits’ and I’m starting to wonder if they’re connected.” Agent Harrison mentioned.

“Odd how?” Ava asked.

“Well, two weeks ago Hurricane Marjorie made its way up the entire eastern coast before swinging around and making a complete mess out of the UK. The damn thing never dropped below category four even after it spent all that time over land. Then there was that freak snowstorm in the Midwest last weekend…”

“Now that you mention it…that one was uber-weird. How the heck does a snowstorm hit in the middle of July?” Maria asked.

“In the last month we’ve seen more hurricanes, mudslides and tornadoes than we’ve seen in the last five years put together. Add to that the severe drought here and the flooding in the Midwest and you’ve got a really strange situation. I’m not sure what to make of it.” Harrison added.

“You think Kivar has something to do with all this?” Alex asked. “Couldn’t it just be one of those El Nino years or something?”

“Well, ocean currents are showing some highly anomalous temperature shifts but they’re nothing like we’ve observed during El Nino events in the past. This is just too extreme.”

“Do these temperature shifts coincide with the visits? Do we have anyone tracking that?” Max asked.

“We do now. We weren’t focusing on that in the beginning but going back over the data, there does seem to be a correlation.”

“Why would Kivar want to bother with the weather though? None of this adds up. He takes people right out of their beds in the middle of the night, changes our weather patterns…why?” Kyle asked in confusion.

“He’s sizing us up.” Michael said bluntly. “He’s systematically finding Earth’s weaknesses. First, he starts with the people. That’s why he took so many and why they were all so different. Then, he moves on to the planet itself. He toys with it just to see what will happen. It’s like one big experiment.”

“God, that makes so much sense…but it’s really bad news though. That means he definitely wants Earth.” Maria added.

“The question is…why? What would he do with it? It’s too far away from the Alpha System to be of any use to him, so what’s the point?” Isabel asked.

Max flinched when the realization hit him. “The point is that he’s an egomaniacal bastard who wants to be King of the Universe. We pissed him off when we dropped the dupes on his doorstep empty handed and now we’re threatening to shoot his lackies out of the sky. He doesn’t like to lose so he’s going to kick us where it hurts.”

“Max!” Ava gasped. She’d never heard his thoughts come out in such an angry, uncensored way before. It sounded more like something Michael would say.

“You thinking what I’m thinking Maxwell?” Michael asked cryptically. “He’s messing with the entire planet now…”

Max looked away in thought for a moment. “I don’t see how we have any other choice…” He muttered distractedly.

Serena had been standing on the other side of the room, watching the scene unfold with horror. She knew enough about the two men to understand what they were really talking about here. Before Serena could utter a word of protest, she felt her head begin to spin and her world went black.

“Please do apologize to the young lady here for my abrupt entrance, but I have vital information that could not wait.” Larek announced through Serena.

“Larek! Does it have anything to do with Kivar monkeying with Earth? Because we’re all over that one already...” Maria blurted in her customary fashion.

“Monkeying? Oh yes…slang.” Larek muttered, momentarily distracted.

“Your news Larek…what were you going to tell us?” Isabel prodded.

“My operatives are reporting some very disturbing occurrences at the palace. They have informed me that the prison has suddenly become off limits to all but Kivar’s most trusted advisors. They were told that it is ‘under renovation’. If that isn’t the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard…” Larek murmured in distaste.

“Do you think that’s where he’s keeping the humans he took?” Alex asked in horror.

Larek looked away nervously. “That would be the best case scenario. I don’t know that we can be optimistic about this anymore. Kivar has begun recruiting scientists from all over the System for a very well guarded project. These men are being paid very handsome salaries for their work too.”

Kyle quirked an eyebrow in confusion. “Not to be dense, but…how exactly is the dungeon or whatever a best case kind of thing? And why do I have this sinking feeling that you’re using the scientist thing as a really morbid segue?”

“Kivar does not pay is men. They are expected to serve the palace for the honor alone. Utter nonsense! The fact that these scientists are drawing a salary for their work can only mean that they are being paid for their silence. I do not know what the scientists are working on yet, but their presence does not bode well for your missing humans.”

Liz gasped. “Are you implying that Kivar is using them as live test subjects?!” She looked to Max in horror the second the words came out of her mouth.

Max paled. “Of course he would…of course. It’s just like Pierce. God, they’ve been trapped there for so long already…” He muttered, his face a mask of anguish. He knew all too well what those people must have been going through.

“If we could get there, could we stop this?” Isabel asked bravely.

Larek’s head snapped up. “Antar? You want to go to Antar?!”

Alex was remarkably unphased by his wife’s suggestion. He knew the second Larek mentioned the scientists that something had to be done. There was no way they could sit back and do nothing about this. The time for preparation had ended. There was an unspoken mental agreement throughout the group. It was time to make a move.

“If we reset the timer on the Granilith, will it take us to you?” Ava asked, showing her support for a decision that had already been made. There were murmurs around the room as the government agents tried to figure out what a ‘granilith’ was.

“It is not your time yet! I cannot allow you to do this!” Larek sputtered.

Michael frowned sadly. “Please don’t make us pull rank Larek.” He whispered. “I think maybe we were friends in that other life. If we were, then you’ll understand why we can’t let Kivar do this…”

Larek, as Serena, stood at attention. Although he was the King of Saria, Max and Michael were the rightful rulers of the Empire. They clearly outranked him and they knew it.

“These people are strangers to you. You would risk certain death to save them?” He asked.

“If you have to ask that, perhaps we were never really friends at all.” Max answered.

Larek nodded resolutely. “Then I stand corrected. You are ready. The Granilith will take you directly to the Queen Mother, Kira. I cannot tell you how to adjust the timer. Only descendents of the Houses of Rathemere and Zandros know how to operate the device.”

Alex shot a furtive glance over at Agent Harrison. “I think we can figure the timer out on our own. Would the trip be like traditional space travel or would it be kind of an instantaneous thing?”

“The Granilith is not a ship. You would arrive at your destination in less than sixty Earth seconds. It is imperative that you get the timing just right. Anyone in the immediate vicinity of your Granilith chamber would be transported with you. If the timer goes off earlier than intended, it could be disastrous for anyone in the chamber.” Larek cautioned.

“Disastrous? Humans can survive in the Alpha System, right?” Alex asked in concern.

“Of course. Humans would find the atmosphere here is quite compatible to Earth’s. My concern is that those of you who do not intend to find yourselves suddenly thrust into the middle of a war, would be sent anyway if the timer goes off before you get a chance to leave the chamber.”

“Will we end up on Antar or Saria?” Ava asked.

“I apologize Lady Ava but I cannot reveal that information at this time. The location of Kira and Rayna is one of our most highly guarded secrets. It is never spoken aloud.”

“We kind of need that information so that we know what to be ready for when we land or whatever, Larek. If we end up on Antar, Kivar will probably sense our seals immediately. We’ll give away the hideout for sure.” Maria prodded.

“The second you arrive at your destination, the entire System will sense it. You will be far enough away from Kivar to avoid compromising your exact position however; word will spread quickly once the people feel the return of the royal seals.”

“Will the Granilith allow us to bring any supplies with us? Or is this a ‘just the cloths on your back’ kind of thing?” Liz asked, already preparing a mental list.

“Anything on your person will be transported. The land features nearby will remain on Earth…the soil, the plant life, et cetera. The Granilith will seek out the organic life forms for transport. If you intend to bring supplies, you must make sure that you are physically carrying or wearing them when the timer goes off.”

“On those little CDs you sent for us, I saw that Antareans rarely fight with actual weapons. They generally prefer to rely on their powers. Is that still the case?” Michael asked.

“That is accurate, yes. I must warn you though…Kivar is quite competitive, as you know, and he would not hesitate to use weapons if necessary. Also, the Antareans with more passive abilities have taken to using weapons for defense…though it does them little good.”

Larek looked around anxiously. “I must leave this host now. Her body has not yet adjusted to my ‘visits’ and if I stay any longer, exhaustion will set in.”

“I have one more question before you go…and please don’t think this is an easy request for me either.” Isabel said nervously. Off Larek’s curious look, she continued.

“Can you spare a few soldiers to create a distraction at the palace? It might take us a few days to figure out the timer and we don’t know if those people in the prison have that much time left. I’m not asking you to send soldiers to their deaths, but can you find a way to distract Kivar just long enough for us to get there?” Isabel asked in a rush.

Larek thought on it for a second. “I suspect that my men could cause enough trouble in the outer regions to draw Kivar’s attention away from the palace for a short time. Yes, I think that could be arranged immediately.”

There were a few hasty good-byes and then Larek was forced to release his hold on Serena. Her newly healed body simply hadn’t had enough time to adjust to the strain of acting as host. The second Larek was gone; chaos broke out in the briefing room.

“So which one of you is going to tell me what a Granilith is? And while you’re at it…maybe you could explain why you failed to mention this thing earlier.” A grouchy man from the Department of Defense asked.

“There are a lot of reasons it hasn’t been mentioned. Namely, we don’t honestly know what to tell you. We don’t really know what the Granilith is. We just know that it is very powerful and it was sent to Earth with them for their protection…or maybe for its protection. Probably both.” Liz began.

Alex looked Agent Harrison dead in the eyes and elaborated. “We do know that the Granilith is probably the greatest source of energy this planet or any other has ever seen. It has the potential to be very dangerous in the wrong hands, so we chose to keep its existence a secret. Can you imagine the nightmare if the wrong people heard about this?”

John Harrison was speechless. He knew exactly what Alex’s intense look had meant when he called it “the greatest source of energy.” This was the device that had allowed the mystery man to travel back in time. The pieces were all starting to come together. In that future timeline, Serena must have befriended the aliens. At some point she must have enlisted his help rig this Granilith thing for time travel. If he could figure the contraption out then, he could do it now.

“I suspect you’ll be needing my help to reset that timer.” John said quietly.

Coming in Chapter 6: Anybody wondering where the heck Courtney went? Why the heck is she so bitter and what is her part in all of this? As the gang prepares to travel to the Alpha System, we'll get a glimpse into these mysteries...

Hello all! Thanks for all the great comments on Chapter 5. I had hoped to update this at least once a week but my schedule lately has made that difficult. Thanks for being so patient with me.

I hope you like this part. From here on out, things are going to move very quickly.

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 6: Take Me To Your Leader

Courtney opened her eyes and sighed in frustration. It was so much harder to trace the Royals’ movements now that they were holed up in the mountains. The ranch was outfitted to prevent even the subtlest of intrusions…including the surveillance devices she had been using the entire time the group was on the run. Now, she was forced to rely on her powers to find out what the Royals were up to and it was becoming increasingly frustrating.

Courtney had a gift similar to Liz’s remote viewing. She could always get a clear picture of the Royals but her visions were silent. She couldn’t interact with the people she saw or hear any of their conversations. Over the last few years, she had become fairly adept at reading lips but because she wasn’t skilled at using this power, she usually couldn’t maintain the vision long enough to learn anything helpful.

Courtney was well aware that Kivar had something up his sleeve. She knew all about the ‘visits’ and the missing humans. She didn’t have to rely on random intel from the government to know that Kivar was meddling in things he shouldn’t be. She had her own satellite data, intercepted from the very same government satellites the Royals were relying on.

She sat in her tiny motel room trying to process the meeting she had just witnessed. The Royals had been in yet another one of their long sessions with the government when she mentally peeked in. This meeting appeared to be emotionally charged, judging by the looks on all of their faces. She was able to follow very little of the conversation because, as usual, they all seemed to be talking at once.

“All right…think Courtney…think.” She muttered, trying to picture the scene in her mind’s eye again.

“First they were talking about the weather…I know that much. It’s about time they figured out Kivar was behind all that!” She mused.

“What else was there? Larek, palace prison, scientists…” Courtney kicked over an end table in frustration. These vague snippets weren’t getting her anywhere.

Courtney’s eyes lit up in surprise. “They said something about the Granilith! They’re so blinded by their Earth culture, they couldn’t possibly know how to operate it. If they did, they would have gone to free their people by now..."

Suddenly, her face distorted with rage. "Their missing humans! If Kivar is keeping them at the palace…would the Royals really go there? Of course - they're only interested in saving their precious humans...”

Courtney rummaged around in her duffle bag for a moment. She pulled out a change of cloths and hastily threw them on. If the Royals were going back to Antar, then she was going with them. She was furious that the Royals hadn’t thought of going back for their own people but they would make the journey for humans they didn’t even know.

Courtney stood in the center of the room and struggled to slow her breathing. There was no time to waste. She knew exactly where they were and making the trip by car would just take too long. She was going to teleport directly to the compound and make the Royals listen to her.

**********************************************************

The gang was gathered in the main house with their parents, trying to explain why they had to leave. The parents were horrified when they heard that the gang planned on going back to the Alpha System earlier than planned. There had been no warning that this was coming so the news hit like a ton of bricks.

“No way! You’re not ready!” Jeff Parker sputtered in shock.

“Dad, we’re as ready as we ever will be. This is the way it has to be…” Liz protested.

“No it most certainly isn’t! You have options…there are always options. Why can’t you send the soldiers to gather more information first? You don’t have all the facts. You guys might be walking right into a trap!” Dianne argued. Isabel put a comforting hand on her mother’s shoulder and was stunned when the furious woman shrugged it off.

“You can’t just tell you’re leaving and expect us to be happy about it guys.” Jim added. “I know you’ve been training for this for years but you were never in any real danger during your training. Facing Kivar will be completely different!”

Philip nodded. “Kivar has a lot to lose. Don’t think for a second he’ll show you one ounce of restraint or mercy. His goal will be to kill you. No amount of training can make you ready for that.”

In a flash of light, Courtney suddenly appeared in the room. There was a split second of silence before she found herself surrounded. She slapped her hands on her hips and glared at each of the Eight in turn.

“Oh knock it off. You’re false bravado doesn’t scare me.” She barked. “I think you’ll find that I have some very valuable information for you.”

Michael mentally alerted the guards. All but Kaden were to stay at their posts around the perimeter. Kaden on the other hand, immediately appeared in the living room in front of Courtney.

“Cortenya…” He snarled. “You are not welcome here.”

“Kadolen…or is it Kaden now? Long time no see. I come to offer my assistance for this mission.” Courtney sneered without backing down.

“Excuse me blondie? And what mission would that be?” Maria bit out sarcastically.

Courtney turned up her nose in irritation. “Do not mistake my loyalty to my people, as loyalty to you. The eight of you are headed to your deaths, and you know it. If you want to live, don’t be so quick to dismiss my offer.”

“They do not need you, Cortenya. This is the Royal Eight. You of all people should be thankful for their return.” Kaden barked.

“Thankful? You think I should be thankful that these children are only planning on going back to Antar because their precious humans are trapped there? Or perhaps I should be thankful that they ignored the plight of our people for so long that there might be nothing left to go home to?” Courtney spat.

“You know nothing of the efforts the Royal Eight have made to free our homelands! Their loyalty is sincere…which is more than I could say about you Cortenya. You would know nothing about such things.” Kaden fired back.

Courtney stiffened and her voice became icy. “Perhaps it is you that knows nothing about loyalty Kadolen.”

Maria waved her hands in the air. “As interesting as it has been watching you two trade barbs, I think it’s time you tell us who you really are.” She said, pointing to Courtney.

“I am Cortenya of the House of Delacor. I am the leader of the Eros Resistance. Kivar tortured our world long before he moved on to the others. My people have been waiting too long for the right opportunity to take Kivar out of power for good. It would seem obvious that the right opportunity has just presented itself. You’re going back to Antar, and I’m coming with you.”

Liz’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Kaden how is it that you never mentioned Courtney…I mean, Cortenya’s true identity to us before now. All those times we saw her in the Crashdown. Why didn’t you say something?”

Kaden bowed his head in shame. “I had thought I felt her presence…but I thought it impossible. I never saw her in your restaurant, ma’am. I swear, I would’ve alerted you immediately if I had.”

Kyle smacked his forehead in realization. “He never said anything because he never saw her there. The soldiers rarely came inside the café and when they did, Courtney conveniently had the day off or something.”

“See? I told you guys I didn’t trust her. I told you we should check her out but nooooo…Maria’s just being paranoid. Maria is just having a bad day. Maria’s jealous. Well let me be the first to point out…I told you so!” Maria ranted.

“If you hate us so much, why did you save Mr. Parker’s life?” Max asked bluntly.

“He didn’t deserve to be another one of Kivar’s random victims. You were irresponsible for bringing this many people into a war that was never theirs to fight. Someone had to help him…because you guys certainly weren’t around to do it.”

“How dare you! What gives you the right to come into our home and insult our family? You don’t know anything about this. I’m glad they came to us. I’m glad they finally explained everything. You have no idea how much it hurt to see our children struggling against something we couldn’t see…couldn’t understand. You can’t possibly know what it’s like to feel that crushing sense of guilt that you’re failing the people you love!” Amy shouted.

Courtney turned on Amy in anger. She fixed the woman with a look so cold it could’ve rivaled anything Isabel dished out during her Ice Queen days. Alex stumbled backwards from the force of Courtney’s raging emotions. He immediately got sucked a vision that was so heartbreaking, he would never forget the images as long as he lived.

A young girl was balled up, shivering, in some kind of closet or cupboard. On the other side of the door, a man and a woman were arguing in some foreign language. The girl leaned her face forward to peek through the crack in the door. She saw the man caress the woman’s face tenderly. The woman flinched and pulled away. She moved to the other side of the room, as though luring the man away from the girl’s hiding place. The girl turned white as a sheet as a whimper escaped her lips. Her trembling increased and she turned her face away from the door. As her head swung around, Alex could clearly see that the girl was a young Courtney. She whimpered a foreign word sounding much like ‘mother’. The man must have heard her cries because his head whipped around and he lurched for the closet door. Courtney wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her head in her knees. The woman outside the door was shouting now. She was obviously trying to keep the man away from Courtney. “Kivar!” The woman yelled. Kivar stopped in his tracks and turned on the woman with a feral grin. With one hand, he whipped open the closet door and with the other he viciously strangled the life out of the woman before him. Courtney launched herself forward and flailed at his arms with her fists. Kivar released the woman and she fell to the floor. With a strangely contented sigh, he smiled at Courtney and left the room. Courtney dropped to the floor at her mother’s side and wailed in anguish. Suddenly an explosion rocked the house.

Alex was abruptly kicked out of the vision. He looked around in confusion, thinking that he must have been out of it for ages. In reality, no more than three or four seconds had passed.

“You think I don’t know guilt?! Kivar’s reign started on my home planet! We could have stopped him…before he got so strong. If I had just been brave enough to…” Courtney trailed off. For one fleeting moment she had given in to her raw emotions and almost said too much.

“Look…we both have the same goal in mind here. You want to save your people, and I want to save mine. To do that, you’re going to need my help.” Courtney said stubbornly.

“Not a chance stalker girl. You’ve been following us for how long now? You never once revealed yourself to us in all that time. Why is that?” Maria asked snottily.

“Your complete incompetence against Kivar’s underlings reminded me how very unworthy you are of your titles. Did it ever occur to you that there are some of us who don’t want to see you reclaim the throne? The Royal Four had every resource in the System. They could have neutralized Kivar a thousand times over, yet they did nothing! They practically gave the throne to that monster! I never revealed myself to you because I do not respect you and I certainly do not trust you.”

Ava cocked her head in confusion. “Which begs the question…why are you in such a hurry to join us now?”

“It would be an arrangement of convenience, nothing more. Like I said before…we have the same goal.” Courtney said, as if that explained anything at all.

Michael grunted, clearly unimpressed by her bravado. “Hey Kaden…take her someplace where she won’t be in the way. We don’t have time to argue with her about the future of Antar. There are more important things to do right now.”

Courtney shot a scowl at Kaden but for some reason she allowed him to lead her out of the room. Alex was watching two aliens intently and couldn’t help but notice the look of anguish on her face when Kaden touched her. He could sense that there was more to Courtney than met the eye and he wondered if there would be a role for her in this fight afterall.


Maybe since you waited so long for an update, I'll post the next chapter right away...

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 7: Confessions of a Madwoman

Alex couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer. He excused himself from the family meeting, with muttered words about a ‘bathroom break’. As he crept down the hall, he could hear Kaden and Courtney arguing in the library. Finally, maybe he’d be able to find out what exactly it was that he saw in his vision.

“You should not have come here Cortenya. Your services are not necessary to the Royal Eight.”

“And what services would you be referring to here Kadolen?” Courtney asked with a hint of hurt in her voice.

“Don’t play coy with me. You know exactly what I am talking about. You will show no more loyalty to the Royals than you did to your own family.” Kaden answered crossly.

“Why is it so easy for you to believe such lies? There was a time that I thought you were the only one who would understand. I had so much faith back then…” Courtney trailed off.

Alex could hear nothing but silence for a moment. It was obviously an uncomfortable silence. He could feel the tension all the way out in the hall.

“What is there to understand?! We were to be bonded! The seer told me before I was even old enough to understand what a mate was! All that time…I believed she was right. I will never understand how you could choose him.” Kaden said in anguish.

“You knew me better than anyone Kadolen! How could you not understand that he chose me?!” Courtney spat in anger.

“Don’t lie to me!” Kaden shouted furiously. “Everyone knows what happened! You fell in love with King Kivar but he didn’t love you back. He loved Princess Vilandra. When you found out, you went into a rage. Your family tried to stop you from taking your anger out on the beautiful Princess so you turned on them instead. You killed them all in cold blood, Cortenya! How could you?”

Courtney gasped so loud Alex could hear it in the hallway. Something in Kaden’s rant struck him as odd. Aside from the fact that Kaden’s version of the incident didn’t even come close to what Alex had seen in the vision, there was something else niggling at Alex’s mind about what was said. It took Alex a few seconds to figure out exactly what it was that had sounded so off about the whole thing.

Suddenly it hit him. Kaden had called Kivar, King Kivar. He referred to Vilandra as the beautiful Princess. It was so wrong. Kaden never spoke of the Royal Four in such a familiar way and he certainly never referred to Kivar as the King of anything. Alex threw open the door, shocking both Courtney and Kaden at the same time.

“You just called Kivar the King. You hate that guy, Kaden! Why would you say that?” Alex asked.

“King? Sir…I swear…I would never see Kivar as my King. He is a monster!” Kaden protested nervously.

“It’s OK Kaden…really. I think I know what’s going on here. If you guys will just humor me for one second, I think it’ll explain so much.” Alex said patiently.

“Humor you? Is this a joke?” Courtney sputtered in irritation.

“Courtney, you said that Kivar chose you. I believe that you’re telling the truth. He chose you but your family knew what he was really asking for so they tried to protect you. Kivar doesn’t like to be challenged. He killed them, didn’t he?” Alex prodded.

Courtney’s tough exterior shattered. “How could you know that?! Did you read my mind? It is rude to go rifling through a person’s mind uninvited! There are some things that are better left a secret!”

“To be honest, it hit me earlier when you popped into our living room and started arguing with Kaden. One second I was standing there watching the fur fly and the next second, I’m watching…well, you probably know what I saw. I don’t purposely intrude on people’s private thoughts. Sometimes they just hit me out of nowhere and I don’t know how to stop it.” Alex explained gently.

“Kivar wasn’t asking so much really. I didn’t understand. If I had known, I would have…I would have…” Courtney looked away in shame.

“He was asking for too much. He wanted something that wasn’t his to take. It wasn’t your fault, Courtney.” Alex said quietly. He turned to Kaden and fixed him with a concerned stare.

“Kaden, that story you told a minute ago doesn’t jive with what I saw earlier. You know, the one where you said everyone knows how King Kivar didn’t love Courtney so she conspired to kill the beautiful Princess Vilandra. Does that mesh with the Cortenya you knew? Would that girl ever have done such a thing?”

“Never! She was the last person who would ever turn on her family! That is why I don’t understand…” Kaden’s eyes lit up with hope. He whirled on Courtney.

“Did Kivar make you do it? Your father was Kivar’s number one opposition on Eros…of course! He used his power of suggestion to make you kill them…didn’t he?”

Courtney looked away sadly without answering Kaden’s question. He still believed that she was responsible for the death of her entire family. If anyone else had made such an assumption, she would have been able to brush it off. But Kaden…when the hurtful words came from him, it was crushing.

Alex shook his head. “Courtney wasn’t the one Kivar warped. Think about it for a second, Kaden. When you tell that story, you call him the King. You speak of Vilandra as though the sun rose and set in her very name. You talk about things your beloved Cortenya would never have done. Kivar warped you. He manipulated you.”

Kaden grunted in disbelief. “I beg your pardon Sir, but if what you say is true, then Kivar must have warped literally everyone. Cortenya’s betrayal is common knowledge throughout the System. Her father was the only man brave enough to challenge Kivar when he stole the throne on Eros. The people were heartbroken to hear of his death.”

“How did you hear of her supposed betrayal?” Alex asked curiously.

“I was at the training academy. We were in class and then…and then…” Kaden scratched his brow just like Michael does when he’s nervous. “I remember going home that day and asking my father about the news. He forbid me from ever seeing Courtney again.”

“You don’t even remember where you heard the news, do you? You know that you were told, but you can’t remember who said it, right?” Alex prodded. Kaden nodded in confusion.

“I’m going to tell the story as I understand it and then you can just confirm or deny, OK Courtney?” Alex said gently. Off her hesitant nod, he continued.

“Cortenya’s father was the only man who dared to oppose Kivar as heir to the throne of Eros. After Kivar killed his uncle and took over as King, her father openly protested. At some point, Kivar must have decided to hit Cortenya’s father where it hurts…his family. He decided that Cortenya would make the perfect child-bride and the fact that her father would be furious only made the idea more attractive." Alex paused as Kaden let out a growl of outrage.

"Sir, I really don't see how..." Kaden began. Alex raised a hand and cut him off.

"No offense Kaden, but I'm going to have to pull rank this time. We need to get to the bottom of this. I feel like this has to come out before we leave for the Alpha System." Alex said, frowning apologetically. Seeing that Kaden wouldn't interrupt further, he continued.

"When Cortenya’s family tried to block the union, Kivar got angry. There was an explosion that was supposed to kill the whole family but Cortenya survived, so Kivar had to do damage control to protect his reputation. That’s why he pinned the whole thing on Cortenya. It would cover his own hide and discredit the only family on Eros brave enough to publicly renounce his rise to power.” Alex said boldly.

Courtney shifted nervously. “That was fairly accurate. You’ve missed a couple of key details though.” She paused uncomfortably. Alex believed her…she could feel it. She felt an unwelcome surge of gratitude.

“My father was the King’s best friend…his second in command, basically. The King never had an heir so he was forced to choose one outside his immediate family. Kivar always assumed that it would be him simply because he was the nephew of the King. When he found out it was to be me, he was furious. It would have been the first time in the history of Eros that a King purposely chose a woman, outside his immediate family, as heir…” Courtney paused uncomfortably. She wasn’t used to being so open about her life or her loss.

Alex smiled sadly. “I bet your father was very proud…” His comment was met with silence as Courtney struggle to contain her whirling emotions. Finally, she shook her head as if to clear it and continued.

“After the King was murdered, my father was very outspoken about his opinion that I was the rightful successor, not Kivar. Many of the citizens privately shared his opinion so Kivar assumed that if he made me his bride, the people would finally accept his position as King. That’s why he came after me and that’s why my family was murdered. It was all just a sick power play.” Courtney confessed sadly.

Alex’s eyes bugged out in surprise. “If you’re the rightful ruler of Eros, what are you doing here?!”

“I was the chosen successor but after Kivar warped the people into believing I slaughtered my family, I had to go into hiding. The people on Eros despised Kivar enough to understand that the story was pure rubbish, but the rest of the System bought it hook, line, and sinker. Eros would have been completely alienated from the rest of the System if they had put me on the throne.”

“So you just stepped down and left Kivar on the throne? How did that help your people?” Alex asked.

“You have to understand; Kivar’s reign crippled Eros very quickly. The people were cut off from food and supplies from the other planets almost immediately. It would’ve been even worse if I, a supposed murderer, was on the throne.”

“So you stepped aside and watched the downfall of your people…helpless to stop it.” Alex concluded, frowning in sympathy.

“Those were very dark days. Kivar knew that he would never have the people’s love and respect, so he decided to aim higher. He thought the key to securing his position in the System was power. Who had more power than the leaders of the Empire itself? When things went sour for him on Eros, he built an army and took the throne on Antar just to make a point. While he was building his army, I was building mine.” Courtney explained.

Alex sighed sadly. “I think I get it. If you can’t be the ruler your people need because of Kivar’s lies, at least you can make sure the Empire itself finds the leaders it needs. You’re just trying to help your people by taking out the root of the problem.”

Courtney nodded. “It’s my burden in this life because I failed to kill Kivar when I had the chance. The Empire will never accept me as Queen of Eros now but they know that Kivar is not fit to rule either. If we can get rid of him, then we’ll finally have the freedom restore the System to its former glory. I want to give my people their lives back.”

“And because you can’t do that as Queen, thanks to Kivar, you’ll do it as a soldier instead.” Alex finished.

“Absolutely. Whatever it takes. “ Courtney said with conviction.

“So this whole time you were here on Earth, you’ve been sizing us up, haven’t you? You couldn’t afford to lead your people into an underground alliance with Royals that couldn’t get the job done. If the people put all their faith in a bunch of incompetent children and it got them killed, the System would be done for good. And in the end, you feel like it would be all your fault because it started on Eros…with you.” Alex summed up sadly.

Courtney looked away in shame. “I should have killed him that day. He invaded my home and threatened my family. If I had not been so afraid, I could’ve stopped him before he built his army and took the Empire.”

Alex looked at her with sympathy. “You were a child, Courtney. He was older and more experienced with his powers than you. If you had challenged him, he would’ve killed you or he would’ve taken you against your will. This is not your fault. He did this and he’s the one who’s going to have to pay.”

“All these years…so many wasted years…” Kaden murmured, clearly confused and distraught.

“We should have Max check you over, Kaden. When Tess mindwarped Kyle, she nearly killed him. Turned the guy’s brain into swiss cheese-” Alex was abruptly cut off by Courtney.

“Oh no you’re not! It’s bad enough Kivar toyed with his mind…there’s no way I’ll let Max fish around in there too!” She blurted protectively. She might feel a new sense of respect for Alex, but his friends were another story entirely.

“Max doesn’t fish around Courtney. With Kyle, Max was able to do sort of physical brain scan. He didn’t purposely access Kyle’s thoughts; he just fixed the neurological pathways and stuff that were damaged. Healing is totally different than mindwarping or that suggestion thing Kivar does.” Alex insisted.

A rustling in the doorway startled al three of them. Courtney stepped in front of Kaden, as though the tough alien needed her protection. Alex blushed and tried to figure out how to get Isabel to understand what was going on.

“I wondered how long I would have to wait to find out what that vision was all about.” Isabel commented. Off Alex’s surprised look, she sighed. “Did you honestly think that you’d get hit with a vision like that without me getting sucked into it too?”

“Iz, we have to get Max to check out Kaden’s head. Er…his mind, rather. I think Kivar warped him and-“ Again Alex was cut off by an impatient female.

“I need to ask one thing before we get Max involved in all this.” Isabel said, staring defiantly at Courtney. “In the Alpha System, do rumors circulate through society the same way as they do here?”

Courtney looked startled. “What does that have to do with anything? Of course! Any species capable of verbal communication is prone to spreading rumors. Why?”

“I asked because it was a little hard for me to believe that Kivar single-handedly warped the entire Alpha System against you. I can, on the other hand, believe that Kivar would be able to warp just enough people to let the rumor mill do his dirty work for him. If he focused his energy on the people close to you…the people who would know the tale was a complete lie, then the rest of the populace would be forced to believe. Why wouldn’t they believe the words of the people who knew you best?” Isabel explained calmly. She actually felt sorry for this sullen woman because she knew what it was like to feel that the whole world thought you were a traitor.

Courtney’s gaze softened a bit. “You would understand about that, wouldn’t you? I know this probably doesn’t mean much but…my people never believed that you betrayed them. The Resistance believed in me and knew my story. When we got the news that the palace was in the hands of Kivar, we knew all those other tales about Vilandra were just more of his lies.”

Isabel shut her eyes in relief. “Thank you for telling me that. I think you can understand how much it means to me.”

Courtney looked at Kaden nervously. He was clearly still trying to process everything he had just learned. Because she still loved him after all these years, she decided maybe it was time to give his Royals a chance. This wasn’t something she could handle on her own.

“Do you think Max will be able to heal his mind after all this time?” Courtney asked quietly. “Is there any hope that his true memories will return?”

Again, rustling in the doorway caught the group’s attention. Instead of one nosy onlooker, this time there were six. All six of the remaining royals were huddled outside the library doorway trying to hear the tense conversation.

“Do you people ever separate?!” Courtney barked, trying to cover her embarrassment.

“I couldn’t get rid of these bozos if I tried, believe me. I tried once, but then this crazy lady mindwarped me to hell and back and Saint Max here had to fix me. Trust me, you learn to keep your friends close when half the universe is trying to kill you.” Kyle explained with a grin.

“What Kyle here was really trying to say is…we’re family, so we stick together. Long before we were family, we were friends…and before that, we were allies. We’re just better together.” Liz explained.

“You said you wanted to be our ally for this mission…if you really meant that, then you can start by stepping aside so that I can help Kaden.” Max added.

“Not until you tell me why. Why is it so important to you? Is it because you need him? Or maybe because you want to make sure Kivar hasn’t programmed him to betray you…or is it just because you want to see which one of us is telling the truth?” Courtney challenged. Her bitter heart was telling her that she shouldn’t risk putting her trust in these people but her instincts were screaming for her to back down.

“If Isabel and Alex believe that you’re innocent, then so do I. I’m not concerned about that. I am concerned that Kivar has done irreparable damage to Kaden. He and the rest of the soldiers have been there for us through thick and thin. They are friends, as well as allies. We just need to know that he’s all right. That’s all.” Max said gently.

Courtney looked at him suspiciously. After years of psychological torture from Kivar, she had lost her faith in people. She knew first hand that they could lie, cheat and manipulate others just to get what they wanted. It was very hard to blindly trust the words of a man she didn’t really know. Regardless of the fact that the man in question was supposed to be one of the saviors of her people.

“Courtney, you have to trust someone. You can’t take Kivar down on your own. If you can’t trust us to heal Kaden, then how could you ever think you could trust us in battle?” Ava pointed out.

Kaden stepped forward and took the decision out of Courtney’s hands. It was his mind that had been violated after all. He trusted the royals and he hoped after today, Courtney would be able to as well. If Max could return his true memories…if he found out that he had truly abandoned Courtney when she needed him most, then he intended to spend the rest of his life trying to make up for it.

“Sir, I would like to know the truth now.” Kaden said.


Coming in Chapter 8: The gang makes final preparations for their 'trip'. Isabel comes up with a 'Plan B' if things don't go well on Antar. One last trip back to Roswell sets all their plans into motion...

Hello all! Thanks so much for being patient while I was gone. It's been a tough holiday season, to say the least. My father has been in the hospital for weeks now and it's been a real rollercoaster ride so far. He had open heart surgery the day before my birthday and a series of setbacks during recovery have really made things rough. My dad has had health troubles for a while but this time, for the first time, he was really afraid. I can't even describe how unnerving that was. I'm a tough cookie but right about now I could use a really good distraction...so here I am, posting another chapter or two for your reading pleasure.

Thanks a bunch for the kind words on the last few chapters. I hope these next few are as much fun as the last.

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 8: All Paths Lead to Home

After Courtney’s abrupt appearance, the depth of Kivar’s treachery became more obvious than ever. Max and Liz were able to help Kaden recover most of his true memories but they were afraid that in doing so, they’d done more harm than good. From the moment they began peeling back the mental layers of Kivar’s deceit, they could feel Kaden’s growing anguish. The room was immediately charged with an air of heartache that was almost real enough to touch.

*********************

A smiling young Kaden was strolling down a marble walkway, headed toward a massive stone building that looked very much like a medieval castle. Surrounded by a series of circular half-walls, the castle’s beautiful gardens were just barely visible from his position. As Kaden approached the arched entryway to the gardens, he stooped down to pluck a yellow flower from the grass. He looked around as though waiting for someone and spun the flower nonchalantly between his fingers.

A man appeared at Kaden’s side, seemingly out of nowhere. Apparently this kind of thing wasn’t terribly unusual because Kaden just smiled politely and nodded a greeting. The dark, handsome man stared deeply into Kaden’s eyes and said nothing. Kaden’s smile dissolved into a puzzled frown. Then, a flash of disbelief crossed his features.

“Draxnya alah profeo nee” Kaden blurted with a scowl. “Traytalo Cortenya nee!”

The man said nothing, but he reached forward and grabbed Kaden’s arm, pulling him closer. He continued staring into Kaden’s eyes, ignoring his angry Antarean protests.

Kaden tried to wrench his arm away, muttering, “Cortenya nee.” The harder he struggled, the harder the stranger gripped his arms. Kaden struggled to turn away but the man seized the sides of his face like a vice and stared into his eyes with such determination, his brow broke out into a sweat.

Kaden’s nose began to bleed and his entire body shuddered violently. His words of protest trailed off as his legs gave out and he slumped to the ground. As though someone had flipped a switch in his mind, Kaden stopped struggling. The yellow flower tumbled out of his limp hand and his face went blank. The man smiled and waved his hand casually over Kaden’s face, removing all traces of the blood. With a content sigh, the stranger stood up and walked away. He never uttered a word.

The castle scene abruptly vanished. Now, Kaden was stomping angrily through a busy marketplace. Tiny Antareans bustled through the streets, eyeing goods at the brightly colored market carts. Kaden was accompanied by a young man with a shocking mane of black hair who had a strangely regal, yet dangerous, look about him. A woman’s voice rang out over the din of the busy market.

“Kadolen!” She cried. “Wyche Kadolen! Sero-”

After it became obvious that ignoring her would not work, Kadolen and his friend Sero stopped in the middle of the street and whipped around. The woman, a very young Courtney, squirmed through the crowded marketplace and rushed up to Kaden. She almost seemed to be pleading with him.

Kaden would not look her in the eye. He stared stubbornly over the top of her head and ignored her words. Each time she took a step toward him, he took two steps back. Sero made no attempt to hide the look of disdain on his face as Courtney cried. After a few long minutes of this charade, Sero began to tug at Kaden’s arm and muttered something that made all the color drain from Courtney’s face.

“Draxnya alah profeo,” Sero said, pointing at Courtney. She murmured in protest and he lurched forward, shoving his finger in her face so hard it made her stumble backward. “Traytalo!” He shouted.

Courtney turned to Kaden, her voice hysterical this time. Finally, Kaden looked down at her, scowling with such force that it actually made her take a few more steps back.

“Draxnya alah profeo,” he snarled loudly. Without another word, he turned his back on her and walked away. Passersby stopped and stared at Courtney in contempt.

*********************

When Max and Liz finished removing the last traces of Kivar’s mindwarp, they immediately wished they’d left well enough alone. Kaden took a step back and stared at the floor, his mouth pinched into a tight grimace. He shot a furtive glance at Max but immediately looked back down to the floor before their eyes could meet.

“It wasn’t your fault, Kaden…” Max said softly. “Kivar distorted your thoughts…your memories. You didn’t know…”

Kaden sucked in a shaky breath and turned to Michael. He studied Michael’s shoes for a minute, as if they could somehow tell him what to do next.

“Why don’t you go check the perimeter defenses? I’ll call off the alert and let the other soldiers know that Courtney will be coming with us…” Michael said, assuming correctly that Kaden needed a moment alone. He hadn’t witnessed Kaden’s memories like Liz and Max had, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that this moment was not a happy one.

Kaden stood at attention and gave Michael’s shoes a curt nod before marching out of the room. He didn’t dare glance in Courtney’s direction on the way out. There was a moment of tense silence as the door closed behind him.

“He couldn’t even look at me…” Courtney whispered. “He remembers now and he can’t even stand to look at me.”

Liz turned to Courtney. “What does, ‘Draxnya alah profeo nee’ mean?”

Courtney looked as though Liz had slapped her. “Draxnya alah profeo roughly translates as ‘deceitful assassin’. It is similar to the concept of a cold-blooded murderer…only worse. ‘Nee’ is basically Antarean slang for no, or never.”

Max sighed. “He tried so hard to resist the mindwarp. He kept muttering ‘Draxnya alah profeo nee’ and ‘Cortenya nee’ over and over. I think if he had held out much longer, it would’ve killed him.”

“I failed him.” Courtney murmured. “That’s why he can’t look at me. I should’ve figured it out. I should’ve known that he had been mindwarped. Now he knows that he fought for me, but I didn’t fight hard enough for him.”

Liz looked away sadly. “That’s not it at all. Kaden knew that Kivar was killing him. Forced to choose between betraying you or death, he wanted death. Now that he remembers what really happened, he thinks he failed you. He never expected you to fight for him…he thinks he didn’t fight hard enough for you…”

*************************************************

Things were chaotic at the ranch for the next few days. Kaden avoided everyone; the soldiers avoided Courtney; and the rest of the gang struggled to keep the whole crazy ensemble together long enough to come up with a coherent plan for their journey to the Alpha System. Maria pulled out all the stops and somehow managed to get Courtney and Kaden speaking again. According to Alex, Kaden and Courtney had a nice long talk after Maria locked them in the bathroom and electrified the door. After that stunning act of diplomacy, there were no distractions left and the crew was able to dedicate all of their attention to the upcoming journey.

Larek had insinuated that the Granilith would not be taking them directly to Antar. That made a big difference as far as strategy and preparation was concerned. The soldiers pointed out that the Granilith would most likely take them to a highly secluded place, since it was essentially programmed to drop them wherever Kira and Rayna were. The woman would have to be in a secure location otherwise Kivar would have found them by now. Apparently, their location was so secure, the soldiers didn’t even know where it was.

The group sat through endless meetings with government officials, briefing them on what little they knew of the Granilith and what to expect on Earth after they were gone. Courtney insisted that Kivar would likely take his wrath out on Earth and the Alpha System alike when he finds out that the Royals have returned. The remaining meetings involved basic intelligence strategy. The government officials needed to know exactly how to tell the good aliens from the bad if Kivar was bent on retaliation. At the very last meeting, Michael and Maria shocked everyone with their plan for helping the government with any potential ‘new visitors.’

“You’re not going to know if they’re the good guys or not. We’ll have to leave a few people here to help you figure it out.” Michael said bluntly.

“Excuse me?! None of us are staying behind Michael!” Isabel insisted immediately. “We have to go together. The power of the combined foursquares might be the only thing that will work against Kivar.”

“I know that Iz. I wish you guys could stay here, but that just wouldn’t work.” Michael said.

“Well then who is staying? Courtney will never agree to stay here…you have to know that.” Alex added in confusion.

“Guys! If you’d just stop interrupting for two seconds we’d tell you!” Maria said in frustration. “We’ve decided that it would be best to have five or six of the soldiers stay here. First of all, they can protect our parents while we’re gone. Kivar might go after them first just to make a point. Second of all, they’ll be able to tell friend from foe. They can act as liaisons to the government in our absence.”

Max looked surprised. “That’s actually a very good idea. Aren’t you concerned that we’ll need their expertise when we get to Antar though?”

Michael shook his head. “We need people here…people who know the reality of what Kivar is capable of. Once we get to the Alpha System we’ll have Kira, Rayna, Larek and Courtney…not to mention all of the other resistance fighters out there.”

“I think you guys are forgetting one important detail here…” Courtney interrupted. “The people know all about the Royal Eight prophecy, but that doesn’t mean they’ll welcome you with open arms. The Eros Resistance will join you because they trust my judgment. That’s where the trust ends though. When you show up there, especially with me, there will be doubt amongst the other leaders. You’ve never set foot on any of the System planets in this life. I know for a fact that will make them doubt your loyalty and abilities.”

“You doubted our intentions at first too, but now we’re working together. That’s all we’re asking for. We don’t need these people to worship the ground we walk on…we just need them to work with us for now. After Kivar is gone, then we can deal with the bigger issues.” Maria said with a shrug.

Isabel decided now was the perfect time to ask the million-dollar question. It was something that had been weighing on her mind for days now. If things didn’t go as planned and Kivar won, he would punish the citizens brutally. Things could end up even worse than they had been to begin with. Where would the innocent go to escape the violence?

“I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to be very honest with me.” Isabel addressed the President directly. “If things don’t go as planned, will you grant any of those people the same asylum you granted us?”

The President sighed. He had been waiting for that question all morning. “Well Isabel, I can honestly say that I’ve looked into the possibility already. According to my advisors, this planet cannot support all of the survivors…not even half of them. We could build new cities of course, but in global terms, the world would never allow their existence to stay a secret. Economies, religions, governments…they would all be shaken by the knowledge. You know as well as I do that these people are better off in their homelands if at all possible. We will try to help but please understand that we don’t have anywhere near the resources they could have out there.”

Isabel nodded. “I understand your concern. I’m hoping it never comes to that, but thank you.”

The meeting droned on for another hour or so and then the top brass left to resume their own strategy sessions at the White House. Soon, the gang found themselves alone with their families, the soldiers, Courtney and a handful of FBI agents. In a matter of hours, they would be leaving for Roswell. There, Agent Harrison would see the Granilith for the very first time. They were praying that he would be able to figure the thing out soon enough to help them save the missing humans.

*****************************************************

Max, Michael, Kyle and Alex got to work loading the battle supplies into the trucks. They had no choice but to drive back to Roswell because military helicopters and the like would draw too much attention. The goal was to slip into the Granilith chamber unseen, hopefully make their journey undetected and then land safely wherever Kira was. The fewer ‘cover-ups’ the US government had to come up with to conceal their mission, the better.

“You let Maria do all the packing, didn’t you?” Alex asked with a grunt. The black duffel he just slung over his shoulder must have weighed at least twenty-five pounds.

Michael rolled his eyes. “That one has the guns, so be careful.”

“Maybe now would be a good time to tell us what’s in all these packs.” Max prodded. He looked around at all of the backpacks, waist pouches and duffel bags in concern.

“The backpacks are for the essential supplies. They had to be light though. Each one has a bottle of water, food rations, basic first-aid supplies, ropes, pocket-sized flashlights - what? Why are you guys staring like that?” Michael asked in irritation.

“I would’ve never thought to bring ropes. You guys really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?” Alex asked in admiration.

“Kyle’s the one who thought of the ropes.” Michael said with an embarrassed shrug.

“So what about these? The little belt-pack things…what are they for?” Max asked, waving a little fanny pack around.

Maria popped up out of nowhere and fielded that question herself. “Those cute little guys serve two purposes. For now, they’re how we’re going to get our basic personal hygiene supplies to Antar or wherever. Later, they can be used for lightweight supplies in the field. It wouldn’t make much sense to wear our backpacks in battle but these little babies can go anywhere.” She said with a proud smile.

“You expect us to show up on battlefield wearing purses around our waists?” Alex asked in horror. “Don’t you think…well, aren’t you worried that might ruin our credibility a little bit?”

Kyle slapped Alex on the back and laughed. “You’ve spent half your life answering to the nickname, ‘girlfriend’, and you’re just now worrying about your credibility?”

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be loading all that stuff into the trucks? Standing around talking isn’t getting the work done you know.” Isabel pointed out smugly from behind Maria.

“If this duffel has the guns, then what’s in the other duffels?” Alex asked nervously, ignoring his wife’s mocking.

“Unless you plan on running around naked, you’re going to be glad we brought those. They have one extra outfit for each of us, those cute little walkie talkie-translators, more food and water…” As Maria rambled on, the guys tuned her out and resumed packhorse duty.

The ‘cute little walkie talkie-translators’ Maria mentioned were arguably Alex’s most impressive new creation. He and Connor had worked together to build the devices. For all intents and purposes, they looked just like Native American necklaces. They were subtle enough to be worn by both men and women. Each couple had their own unique stone on the front that concealed a tiny microchip. The chips served two important functions. They were capable of translating any Alpha System language to English, via a tiny matching earpiece inserted in the ear. They also translated English into more than a dozen different alien dialects to enable the gang to communicate with others. They could also serve as high tech walkie-talkies in case the gang ever found themselves separated. Maria’s unique name for the devices was a literal reflection of their purpose.

“Speaking of your nifty little invention Whitman…how’d you pick the colors? The first time I saw those necklaces; I almost pulled your man card right there. I mean, Max gets red, Michael gets black and then you pick pink and purple for us? I’m seriously concerned about you man. Pink and Purple?” Kyle whined.

“The colors were Connor’s idea. Apparently they’re the official royal colors. Max gets red because it’s the color of the Zandros clan. Isabel had to have fuchsia because it’s a lighter shade of red. It’s to convey status or something. Michael got black because it’s the color of the Rathemere clan…hence the purple for you. The dark purple is sort of a lesser black. I don’t understand it all yet but Connor said it would follow Antarean tradition if we did it that way so…we did.”

“Oh! So my purple necklace thing is going to tell people that I’m one of the military brass? They’ll see it as a sign that I’m one of the tough guys? Well then that’s fine.” Kyle conceded with satisfied smile.

“Wait a minute Kyle…so if the Rathemeres are the tough ones, then what does that make the rest of us?” Max asked, baiting Kyle to stick his foot in his mouth.

“Not going there, dude. I’m not even going there…” Kyle said with a smirk.

*****************************************************

After the rest of the supplies were loaded in the cars, the group took one last tour around the ranch compound to say goodbye. They didn’t know if they’d ever get to see the place again.

An hour later, they quietly climbed into the trucks and set off for Roswell. There was a whole processional of cars heading down the highway. The podsters lead the pack but their parents, Agent Harrison, Serena and Agent Ford, followed close behind. The soldiers and Courtney would be teleporting directly out to Pullman Ranch to secure the perimeter. They didn’t know the exact location of the Granilith, but they knew it would be nearby.

Nine long, cramped hours later, the crew arrived in Roswell. The CIA had taken the liberty of manufacturing a bogus toxic spill story that forced the entire city to evacuate. The gang was able to drive straight into town without being seen.

In Michael’s truck, Maria sighed sadly when she saw the Crashdown sitting abandoned and empty. It just looked so utterly wrong. So much was lost when they left Roswell, and yet so much more was gained. It was a bittersweet return.

“Do you miss your dingy old apartment even a little bit Michael?” Maria asked as they passed by.

“Not really. I was alone, miserable and broke back then. I had to work my ass off for every little thing and it never really got me anywhere. The day we left this place was the day I finally felt like I could be someone. Not just Michael Guerin, ‘the screw up’ or Michael Guerin, ‘dirty hoodlum’…outside Roswell, I could be whatever I wanted.” Michael said with stunning honesty.

“I need you to not do that again Michael.” Kyle sputtered. “My entire world view just shattered. There is a certain order to the universe and all it’s creatures. Heartfelt confessions from Michael Guerin don’t fit anywhere in that natural order. It’s just…just so wrong…”

Ava thumped her husband on the back of the head. “Don’t listen to a word he says, Michael. I love hearing how happy you are now. I would feel the same way if we were in New York. Sometimes when they say you can’t go home again, they’re right.”

“I didn’t love Roswell either but at least it was predictable. Antar is going to be a whole new world…literally.” Maria pointed out.

“Predictable? You call Roswell, alien capital of the world, predictable?! Maria, have you completely forgotten our entire junior and senior years of high school?” Kyle sputtered.

“You know exactly what I mean doofus, so knock it off. Whenever things started to feel too big…you know, when we felt like we couldn’t deal, we always had the option of asking our parents for help. Even when we were too scared to ask, the option was still there. On Antar, we’re going to be the ones that people look to for help. We’re supposed to be the ones with all the answers now.” Maria said.

“Well thanks for making me feel just a little bit more terrified than I was a minute ago. Really…thanks. I needed that.” Kyle murmured. He understood exactly what Maria was saying because they’d discussed the very subject dozens of times over the last few years but he was desperately trying to keep it together in front of the others.

“We haven’t discussed this since the day Larek explained our true destiny…” Ava began nervously.

“Oh no you don’t! Don’t you dare ask if we want to sit this one out Ava Valenti because there is no way that’s going to happen. I am going…I’m just not quite ready to declare this mission an easy victory yet.” Maria said, reading Ava’s mind.

“What my sister here is trying to say is: Of course we still want to go to Antar. We would be honored to help in any way we can. We’re nervous as hell, but it will pass.” Kyle said, hoping to reassure his wife.

Surprisingly, Michael didn’t cut in with one of his macho ‘you guys are staying behind for your own good’ speeches. He could understand their fear. They had trained for years but Jim was right when he said that training for battle and waging a war were two completely different things. He couldn’t bear the thought of letting the people down any more than Kyle and Maria could.

“Hey, if we stick together we’ll be OK. I really believe that. Look at all the crap we had to get through to reach this point. We made it this far because we are a great team. Kivar doesn’t have what we have. He might have an army of followers but you guys know that his people aren’t loyal by choice. He’s either bullied them into submission or they’re strictly in it for the power. If any of those people think there’s even the slightest chance that we’ll win, they’ll turn on him in a heartbeat.” Ava said with conviction.

Kyle smiled. “That’s one of the things I love about you Ava. You can find a positive side to just about anything…”

In Max’s truck, everyone went silent the second they passed the ‘Welcome to Roswell’ sign. Liz sighed sadly as the truck approached the abandoned Crashdown. Isabel broke the uneasy silence when the UFO Center came into view.

“I still can’t believe you worked there for so long Max. The irony alone should’ve been enough to make you cringe…and the uniforms! Don’t even get me started on those!” Isabel said, eyeing the UFO Center.

“Hey! It wasn’t that bad.” Max argued. “We got a lot of valuable information from that place. Plus, can you imagine what life would be like if we had never met Brody? Who knows if we ever would’ve found a way to contact Larek on our own…”

“That was just dumb luck Max. The biggest reason you took that job was because it was across the street from your favorite waitress… I mean, restaurant.” Isabel teased.

Max blushed. “I seem to remember a girl who spent nearly every afternoon in that same restaurant eating plate after plate of french fries just because she wanted to see if a certain computer wiz was going to show up for a burger…”

Liz laughed and looked at Isabel. “You’re aware that the only reason Alex spent so much time at the Crashdown was because he hoped he’d see you there, right? Your teenage romance practically kept us in business all by itself.”

Alex smiled in remembrance. “The first time you guys invited me to sit at…” he made air-quotes with his fingers, “your booth…I nearly had a heart attack on the spot. It was like ‘wow,’ now I’m part of the ‘in-crowd’.”

“I remember that day. You were shaking so hard, I thought you were going to spill your orange soda all over me.” Isabel laughed.

Liz stopped laughing again as they approached the city limits. “Promise me we’ll never stop doing this.” She said.

“Stop doing what?” Max asked in concern.

“I don’t want us to ever forget these things. These quirky little things that made us happy…made us sad…the things that made us strong. There are a million reasons why I’m proud to call you guys my family. Let’s promise not to let Antar change who we are.” She explained.

“I don’t know if that’s a promise we’ll be able to keep, Liz.” Isabel murmured. “We’ll stay strong and we’ll give it all we’ve got because that’s what we do…but I don’t know if it’s possible to fight a war without losing part of yourself in the process. We’ll probably have to fight tooth and nail to get the people to trust us. Michael and Maria will have complete strangers’ lives in their hands. I don’t know that we’ll ever be the same after this.”

“We’ll find a way to get through this together. We always do. The people will join us simply because we can help take Kivar down. If it's him versus us, the people will choose us. We already know the ending to this tale guys…we win.” Alex said.

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 9: Timing is Everything

The Granilith chamber looked as though it had been untouched for years. That was exactly what the gang was hoping for. As they entered the cave, they were relieved to see the Granilith’s old familiar glow.

“I was a little worried that we’d get here and find an empty room. We were gone for so long…” Ava confessed.

“Me too girlfriend! Me too.” Maria said, eyeing the glowing device in awe. She had a sudden irrational urge to walk up and touch it, just to make sure it was really still there.

The royal soldiers stood at attention in the presence of the Granilith. They had all heard of the device but none of them had been privileged enough to actually see it in person. The moment rendered them speechless.

The parents hovered around the perimeter of the group, not all that eager to stand too close to the device. To say that they were wary of the Granilith’s power would be an understatement.

“Well, this is it. Don’t ask us where the timer is or how it works because we honestly don’t know any more than you do about the thing.” Kyle said nonchalantly.

Serena stepped forward and studied the device in awe. It was absolutely stunning. The unnatural glow, coupled with the knowledge that this device was capable of both time travel and space travel, made it all the more overwhelming.

James Ford eyed the Granilith nervously. He knew deep down that Serena would try to find a way to hitch a ride if she could. He knew she wanted to leave with the Roswell crew, if only to help them defeat Kivar. The thought of her leaving made him almost resent the glowing orb in front of him. As if it was the Granilith’s fault somehow.

John Harrison was nearly giddy in that dark, dank cavern. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. Right in front of his very eyes was possibly the most powerful source of energy in the universe. And he was going to be the one to figure out how the marvelous thing worked. Feeling almost like a kid in a candy store, he cleared his throat in anticipation.

“Um…there are some symbols over here. I think it’s like a control panel or something.” Michael pointed out.

“Can any of you read these symbols?” John asked, studying the panel intently.

The gang crowded in closer. The soldiers peered at the symbols from a distance but didn’t recognize any of them.

“Those look just like the ones from the book!” Liz gasped. “I can’t believe we never noticed that before!”

“The symbols in the book were some kind of Native American hodge-podge though, weren’t they? Why would this ancient alien artifact be covered in symbols created on Earth?” Max asked.

“Kira and Rayna made the book. They were also the ones who programmed the Granilith. Maybe they were able to coordinate the symbols somehow so that you’d be able to figure out how to fire it up if your protectors weren’t around.” Maria mused.

“You know, that actually makes sense.” Alex said, dodging a swat from Maria. “Seriously! They went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure you guys would have access to the information you needed in case your protectors didn’t survive the journey. It stands to reason that they would give you a way to use the Granilith in that situation too.”

“Well, since none of us has a handy-dandy super computer hiding in our back pockets, how are we supposed to translate the symbols?” Kyle asked sarcastically.

Serena had been studying the panel intently while the conversation took place. “I think those markings in the upper left-hand corner refer to space travel. Literally, they would translate as ‘passage to the heavens’. The three adjacent symbols reference something about the cycles of the moon…”

“Oh my God…you’re her. You’re really the Serena.” Ava gasped in shock.

It all made so much sense now. Of course Serena would be familiar with the Native American symbols. Over the years, she would have studied countless different early American societies through her interest in sociology. That was how she was able to help Future Max work the Granilith. His crew never translated the Book so he didn’t recognize the mysterious symbols…but Serena did.

“I suppose you’re right…” Serena murmured, still studying the symbols. “Those four markings, right there…they’re the ones you’re looking for.” She said, pointing at the control panel.

“What do they say?” Liz asked in wonder.

“They mention the appearance of ‘the blood moon’ coinciding with rise of Sirius B in the house of The Great Hunter. Generally, ‘the blood moon’ refers to a full lunar eclipse because it makes the moon look bright red. ‘The Great Hunter’ is the Orion constellation. I’m not well versed in astronomy, but I’d say the information might be specific enough to point to an exact day at the very least. Whether we can pin down a definite time of day from that, I don’t know.” Serena explained.

“I don’t suppose physicists know anything about astronomy, do they?” Kyle asked sheepishly.

Harrison smiled. “I’m not well versed in telling time by the position of the stars, but we just happen to have a very bright amateur astronomer right here…James? Can you use this information to come up with the exact date and time the Granilith was originally set to go off?”

Agent Ford nodded. “Absolutely. Since we already know that the timer was originally set to go off on August 1st in 2008, I can use that information to confirm my calculations. Once we verify the astronomical data, we should be able to manipulate the settings to activate the Granilith earlier. If everything checks out, I might be able to help you reprogram the timer as early as tomorrow morning.”

James wasted no time hustling out of the cave to retrieve a laptop. He wasn’t thrilled about Serena’s intention to go to Antar but he couldn’t let his fears stop him from helping the rest of them complete their mission. Someone had to go and in the end, James would just have to pray that Serena would stay safe…no matter what planet she chose.

When Ford returned with the laptop, Serena was waiting outside the cave for him. She looked concerned.

“I know you don’t want me to go with them James, but I have to.” She began.

“No, Serena, you don’t. You’re a trained field agent, but you don’t have powers like they do. What if our weapons don’t work on their enemies? I know you want to help, but I don’t know that you can.” James said while setting up the laptop.

“That’s not why I’m going and you know it. These guys know nothing about their people…not really. They know the history and they know the things Larek was able to put on those little CD tutorials but that won’t be enough. It just isn’t the same as learning through life experience. One wrong move, one innocent misunderstanding, could get them all killed.”

“But you don’t know their people either! I know you’ve got this sixth sense about people and it’s never failed you before but…”

“It’s not a sixth sense James. I’m a trained observer. It’s what I do. It’s like when you’re watching one of your football games. You know that a play isn’t going to work before the teams even line up on the field. You’re watching from a completely different perspective so you can see the end result more clearly than they can sometimes. That’s how it is for me when I observe groups of people.”

“I understand that, Rena, but you’re forgetting that you’ll be an outsider there. Those people might not allow you to observe anything. This isn’t a democratic society. They’re not going to take a popular opinion poll on their war and they’re not going to be open to ideas from complete strangers.”

“Did it ever occur to you that Kivar might have spies planted in the resistance forces? Are you really okay with the idea of sending these guys in there blind? They are the most capable, caring group of people I’ve ever met but this is a huge undertaking, even for them. In the beginning, there will only be a tiny group of people they know they can trust…and billions of people they can’t.”

James sighed. “I’m not keen on them going in there blind. You know that. It’s just…those people have powers we can’t even begin to understand. They can make you see things that aren’t really there. They can probably make you feel things that aren’t true. If that happens, and you get hurt…”

“You could come with me.” Serena suggested suddenly. She didn’t want to leave him, but she couldn’t turn her back on the Roswell crew either. She didn’t want to have to choose at all.

“I can’t do that, Rena. I’m needed here. Once you guys are gone, Kivar will catch on he’ll be pissed. He will retaliate. Courtney told us as much earlier. It’s my job to make sure we stay one step ahead of Kivar for as long as possible so that you have something to come home to.”

“This is so much bigger it seems, James. Don’t you see? I’m the woman who helped them travel through time once already. I supposedly did this almost a decade from now. I must have had cancer in that timeline too, yet I survived at least long enough to help them. How? In this timeline, it’s come back around full circle. I feel like there has to be a reason for that. They probably saved my life in that other timeline and they certainly did in this one. I have to see this through. I need for all of us to get a happy ending this time.” Serena pleaded.

In a whisper she added, “I have to go…”

James looked away sadly. “And I have to stay.”

The conversation came to a lull after that remark. Each of them had made their intentions very clear. Serena was determined to go to Antar with the others and James was staying on Earth to protect the only home they knew. They both had an important part to play in this war but unfortunately, to play those parts they would have to let go of each other.

James spent the next few hours hacking into various astronomical databases around the world. Once in, he used what little pertinent data he found to plot the exact location in space and time that the timer had originally been set for. Agent Harrison spent a good amount of time reviewing Ford’s findings and scribbling calculations of his own. He was trying to get a handle on exactly what configuration he would need to use to reset the timer, based on the distance they would need to travel and the speed at which the Granilith would take them there. If either man made an error, the Granilith could go off without warning, or worse yet, it could fail to activate at all.

*******************************************************

Back in the cave, the pod squad was pondering their impending journey. No matter how things turned out, their lives would be changed forever. The parents were each trying to spend as much time as physically possible with their children while they still could. While the gang split off into small family units one last time, Michael and Ava found themselves temporarily left out.

“We’re going to meet our mother soon…” Ava said, sitting down next to Michael. He barely grunted in response.

“What do you think she looks like?” Ava prodded.

Michael shrugged. “Don’t know. Never seen the woman.”

“You don’t have to act all tough and macho with me, Michael. I’m scared too. What if she doesn’t approve of us? What if we let her down because we’re not the same as the Ava and Rath she knew?”

“We can’t be those other people. If she doesn’t like the person you are now, then it’s her loss. She left us alone on this planet. We were forced to fend for ourselves for a long time and if she has a problem with how we turned out then maybe she ought to rethink her parenting skills.”

Ava gasped. “Is that how you really feel, Michael? She thought we were safe! You heard Larek…she was heartbroken when she found out what it was really like for us.”

Michael rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. “I’m not good with this stuff…you know that. Of course I want her to like us. I want her to be part of our family. I’m not comfortable putting myself out there like that though. I mean, do you have any idea how much it will hurt to finally meet her and then have her look down on us?”

“Yes, I do. I know exactly how much it will hurt because I’ll be feeling it too. I desperately want her to like us but I don’t know anything about her. Is she brave like you? Is she sensitive like me? I have no idea but the scary thing is…I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me because she’s my mother and I’ll love her no matter what. What if she doesn’t feel that way about me though?”

Michael threw his arm around Ava’s shoulders. “You’re starting to sound like Kyle and Maria now. They’re afraid that our mother won’t approve of them because they’re different. They’re afraid the people won’t accept them and we’ll be ashamed.” Michael said.

“Kyle never told me that! I can’t believe he never said anything! Of course the people will love him. He’s kind and caring…he’s brave, even when he’s scared. I could never be ashamed of him! Why didn’t he ever tell me he felt that way?”

Michael shrugged. “Maria never told me either, so don’t feel bad. Sometimes I can feel what Maria is feeling so I figured it out a while ago. I didn’t push the issue because you know she’ll kick my ass for prying into her thoughts before she’s had a chance to tell me herself. That’s really not my point though. What I’m trying to say is, they’re just as freaked out about this as we are…and we already know the people will love them.”

Ava smiled. “Yes, they will. Thanks for telling me that Michael. Somehow it puts things into perspective a little.”

“Good. Want to practice teleporting while we wait for Harrison to figure out the control panel? I think it’ll come in handy if we can figure out how it works before we get to Antar.” Michael asked, abruptly changing the subject. He hated touchy feely conversations, especially when they revolved around his deepest fears.

“Sure. Why not? It’ll be a good distraction I guess.”

While Michael and Ava struggled with their still unpredictable powers near the back of the cave, Isabel and Alex sat near the Granilith with their parents. Charles was marveling over how much things had changed in the last few days.

“I can’t believe my son is actually leaving the planet. You know, when you were little Alex, you wanted to be an astronaut. You were going to be the first man to set foot on Jupiter. I didn’t have the heart to tell you that was impossible.” He pointed out with a smile.

“Well, you know me dad. I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drummer. Why settle for a rickety old space ship to Jupiter when I can use a mysterious alien artifact to fling me out to a planet no one has ever heard of in an uncharted part of the universe. Really, this is more my style, don’t you think?” Alex quipped, trying to cover up his true jitters.

“Yes, I suppose it is Alex. Now, I don’t have to tell you to be careful out there do I? That kind of goes without saying but…” Charles shrugged, at a loss for words. “You will look out for each other, right?”

“Always. I know this is probably scary for you because honestly, I’m about ready to develop a nervous twitch myself. I have to do this dad, but I promise I’ll be as careful as I can.”

“Scary isn’t the word, honey.” Gloria interrupted. “You don’t have children yet so you can’t possibly understand how difficult it is to let go. The thought of you going to a planet I’ve never seen isn’t really what scares me, although maybe it should. It’s the thought of losing you…anywhere…that’s the problem. The thought of losing a child…” Gloria shivered and trailed off.

“I swear to you Gloria…I’ll do everything in my power to bring Alex home to you.” Isabel said, feeling guilty and uncomfortable. She didn’t want Alex to go anymore than they did but on the flip side, she couldn’t imagine going without him either.

Gloria smiled sadly. “I know you will dear but please remember that we are scared for you too. You became a member of our family long before your wedding day and it would break my heart if either one of you got hurt out there.”

While Isabel accepted a warm hug from the Whitmans, Max nervously approached the Parkers. He was positive that Jeff was going to hate him forever for dragging his only child into the middle of a war.

“You’re wearing your defeated mask already Max. That concerns me.” Nancy remarked, noting the weary look on her son-in-law’s face.

Max sighed heavily. “I don’t know what to say to either of you right now. I know that I’m probably your least favorite person right at the moment but I hope you understand that I never wanted to put Liz in danger. That probably sounds ridiculous in light of our current mission but...”

“We’ve been through this already, Max. Liz is living her life on her terms. We don’t resent you for that so please don’t you start either. You guys are a team and you’re not afraid to fight for what’s right…I admire that a lot. You stay that way and we’ll be fine. If you admit defeat before you even get out there, we’re going to have words…” Jeff cautioned gently.

Jeff was unnaturally calm. He seemed to be oddly at peace with the whole situation. Max had no idea what to make of it. Liz approached with Max’s parents in tow.

“Dad! Did you just threaten my husband?” Liz asked in surprise. She had only caught the tail end of Jeff’s words.

“Your father just told Max he admires your strength…the way all of you are willing to fight for the important things in life. Perhaps you should reserve judgment until you’ve had a chance to eavesdrop on the entire conversation young lady.” Nancy lectured. Liz looked up at her mom in shock and noticed a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of the woman’s mouth.

“That’s not funny mom! What was all that ‘we’re going to have words’ stuff about then?” Liz asked in confusion.

Max smiled in embarrassment. “Your dad was giving me a pep talk. It was his way of saying that he doesn’t hate me for dragging you off to some strange planet to fight a war. He won’t be forced to kill me unless I give up on Antar without a fight. Since I have no intention of doing that, I think your dad and I are going to be OK.”

Maria peeked her head around a rock outcropping. “Don’t worry chica. I heard the whole thing. Max was wearing his injured little boy face because he thought your parents were going to flay him alive for getting you into this but then your dad explained that you got yourself into this and he’s OK with it. Everything is fine so just smile and nod a bit and then move on to the hugging part.”

There was a moment of silence as the others tried to assimilate what Maria had just said. Liz began to laugh and soon, the others joined in. Then, true to Maria’s words, they shared a group hug.

“It isn’t polite to listen in on other people’s conversations Maria. You’re lucky they weren’t mad that you butt in.” Amy lectured from the other side of the rock outcropping.

“Oh who are you kidding, mom? All four of us were eavesdropping and you know it.” Maria pointed out, gesturing to herself, Kyle, Jim and her mother.

“Eavesdropping is like an art form really. Why stifle your true creative talents?” Kyle quipped.

Amy grinned. “We are quite good at it aren’t we?”

Maria shot a secretive grin over to Kyle. “Care to practice that other thing we’re really good at?” She asked cryptically.

“You mean the thing where we put people on the spot with a question they can’t possibly answer and then back them into a corner until they confess all? That thing? Sure…sounds like fun.” He answered.

Amy blanched. “Just who are you planning on backing into a corner guys?”

Maria turned to Jim. “So Jim, care to tell me why you aren’t getting all concerned and fatherly yet? You do know that we’re leaving the planet within the next day or so. Don’t you have any of your famous words of wisdom for us before we go?”

“Maria! What’s gotten into you?!” Amy gasped.

“I’m really surprised by how well you’re taking this, Amy. Your daughter is preparing to go to war and you don’t seem terribly concerned about it yet. Why is that?” Kyle challenged.

“All right…that’s enough now guys…” Jim started.

Maria cut him off. “You two wouldn’t be operating on a contingency plan of your own now, would you?”

“Perhaps you thought you’d just pop back into the cave right before the Granilith goes off and hitch a ride with us? That certainly would explain why neither of you seems to be all that sad to see us go…” Kyle added mischievously.

“Yeah…and mom? The combat boots kind of gave you away…” Maria pointed out.

Amy blushed and prepared to lie through her teeth. She and Jim had been planning this move for days. There was no way they could let the kids go without them. Not only did they fear losing their children on some distant planet they’d never be able to find, but also, they genuinely wanted to help in whatever way they could.

“I can see it in your face mom. I know what you guys had planned, but you’re not going. We can’t risk losing you out there. There’s going to be so much going on as it is…we can’t worry about extra people too.” Maria explained gently.

Just as Jim was preparing to add a few comments of his own, Agents Harrison and Ford rushed back into the room. They were waving fistfuls of paper triumphantly.

“We’ve got it!” Harrison announced. There was a quiet murmur between the soldiers in response.

“That was so fast!” Liz gasped. She looked nervously at Max, wondering how soon they would be leaving.

“We were able to learn enough from Serena’s translation to pinpoint a specific set of instructions that would be compatible with that control panel. Unfortunately, we weren’t given many options as far as the departure date is concerned.” Ford added.

“You’re going to have to translate that for those of us who took remedial science class.” Maria said.

Harrison looked away in thought for a second before explaining. “The four symbols on that control panel represent the sun, the moon, Sirius B and the Orion constellation. That means we can tell the timer when to go off by telling it how those objects should be aligned from this exact position in the universe. Basically, the stars will be like numbers on a clock and when the hands of the clock line up just right with those numbers, the timer goes off and your Granilith is activated.”

“Why don’t you look happy about your results, James?” Ava asked in concern.

“Our instruments on Earth aren’t as advanced as your mothers’ would’ve been. We can’t plot the exact alignment of those four celestial bodies nearly as accurately as they could. We will be forced to reset the timer to a moment when the objects in question are lined up in almost perfect symmetry from our vantage point. As you can imagine, moments like those are rare…” He answered, clearly stalling.

Michael grunted. “Let me guess…we’re not going to get that kind of symmetry for another year or so, right?”

Ford shook his head stiffly. “Tonight. If you still want us to reset the timer, we’ll have to set it for tonight.”

Coming in Chapter 10: Departure...In a blinding flash of light, everything will change. While some embark on the journey of their lives, others are left behind. Two very influential people will join our merry little cast of characters.

Thanks for hanging in there for a month between chapters. Shortly after my last post, my father passed away. My world has been a little upside-down since then. I am an only child and let me tell you...cleaning out his apartment has been a very bittersweet experience. I've learned more about him in the last few weeks than I ever knew when he was alive.

My dad was kind of a mellow, even-tempered fellow. (And also the smartest person I've ever known.) He really didn't discuss himself or his feelings much but he loved his family and we knew it although he didn't say it outright. Since he was never an overtly emotional or sentimental man, imagine my surprise when I discovered that he kept literally every single award I'd won as a child, pictures I'd drawn, and stories I'd written. My favorite stuffed animals as a child were all carefully packed away in a closet, along with my favorite books, toys, etc. Things I had forgotten about decades ago were still there because he'd saved them all. He was a lot more sentimental than he ever let on and I'm sad I didn't get to know that sooner.

And...I found the sci-fi novel he had been working on for years. How's that for irony? I knew about the book before but he didn't want anyone to read it until it was finished. It isn't finished and I haven't read it yet, but I will someday. I don't think I truly appreciated the irony that we both enjoy writing sci-fi tales until now. (Neither one of us would be pegged as creative types at all by people who know us in real life.) I always knew I was a lot like him in some ways but now it seems that we have a lot more in common than I ever realized. Sigh.

So, thanks for waiting so patiently for the last few chapters. I really did intend to update this story weekly, maybe even a couple of times per week. I've handled my fair share of curve balls in the last few months but things are slowly calming down and I hope to start updating here regularly again. That said...I hope you enjoy these next few chapters!

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

(Previously, in Chapter 9)

“Our instruments on Earth aren’t as advanced as your mothers’ would’ve been. We will be forced to reset the timer to a moment when the navigation stars are lined up in almost perfect symmetry from our vantage point. As you can imagine, moments like those are rare…” He answered, clearly stalling.

Michael grunted. “Let me guess…we’re not going to get that kind of symmetry for another year or so, right?”

Ford shook his head stiffly. “Tonight. If you still want us to reset the timer, we’ll have to set it for tonight.”


Chapter 10: Departure

They had all known that this departure was inevitable, but none of them had pictured it coming so soon. There was just no way to truly prepare for something like this, no matter how many plans you think you’ve made.

There was a flurry of activity in the cave as the gang rushed around, double checking their supplies and reviewing their ‘post-departure’ plans. The soldiers stood by helplessly, waiting for orders of some kind. Harrison and Ford were busy recalibrating the Granilith’s timer while Serena quietly watched their progress.

“Larek told the moms that we’re coming right?” Maria shouted above the chaos.

“Yup…where’s the bag with the weapons?” Michael answered distractedly.

“Dunno…I think it’s still in the truck. Who has the extra food?” Kyle said.

A quick look around the cave reminded them that most of the supplies had been left in the trucks. They hadn’t anticipated such a rush at the last minute. A few of the parents volunteered to go grab the remaining bags while the gang finished taking inventory of the goods.

Ford put two fingers to his lips and let out an ear splitting whistle. “Listen up guys! I need your attention for a minute!”

After the chamber fell silent, Ford continued. “We can’t be 100% sure what time this thing will activate. I’m a little out of my league here…so be prepared to leave at any time. That means if you’re not going, you need to leave the chamber now. I’m going to check my figures through one more time and I’ll be right back.” With that, Ford rushed back out to his computer.

The gang looked nervously around at the few parents left in the room. A thick layer of tension hung in the air. The soldiers seemed to be on high alert in anticipation of their departure.

“I love you guys but it’s time to go.” Liz said sadly. She stepped forward and gave her parents a big hug.

“Not to be rude, but hug quickly and then strap on your supplies. We can’t risk leaving all this stuff here.” Michael reminded the others.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and the Granilith shot a jet of light toward the rocky ceiling. The cave walls seemed to come to life as the light danced across the ceiling. It was surreal, the way the shadows deep in the cave almost looked like they were reaching out to the frightened group.

Jim knew it was time. He grabbed Amy’s hand and stood his ground. Jeff and Nancy clasped hands and looked to the Granilith with worry. Agent Harrison backed up a few paces and took a spot next to Serena.

“You guys have to leave!” Michael yelled. His voice was silenced as the Granilith shot out another stream of blinding light. The terrified faces of his friends and family were illuminated behind his tightly closed eyes.

One second there were frantic screams echoing around the room and the next second there was nothing. No sound, no light…nothing. It was like being sucked into a complete void. There was no time to think about the lack thereof surroundings because the experience ended almost as quickly as it had begun.

With a thump, the whole ragtag group was flung unceremoniously to the ground. As they looked around in amazement, Alex could be heard muttering in the background.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto…”

***********************************************

(Granolith Chamber, Earth)

Five people stood outside the cave wearing looks of complete anguish. The Granilith had departed in a streak of light before they’d even had a chance to say goodbye.

Gloria hugged a backpack full of supplies and fell to her knees. “It’s too soon…they weren’t ready yet,” she whispered.

Charles just stood there, wringing his hands until his knuckles turned white. “The last thing I said to my son was, ‘be careful’…like he was going on a road trip for God’s sakes! That’s…that’s not what I meant. I should’ve told him…” He trailed off, lost in a fog of all the things he should’ve said.

Dianne glared down at heavy duffle bag at her feet and swallowed a sob. As she turned her eyes toward the dusky sky, Philip pulled her into a tight hug.

James Ford slammed his laptop shut, as though he was punishing it for the gaping hole in his heart. Serena was in that flash of light when it disappeared into the skies. She had never left the cave. Ford looked around in alarm, suddenly aware that Serena wasn’t the only missing person.

“Oh my God,” he sputtered. “We’re the only ones left…”

Philip looked around in shock and then rushed back toward the mouth of the cave. He found the inner chamber completely empty. As Philip trudged back out of the cave shaking his head, Dianne gasped.

“That’s why Jeff and Nancy were so calm today…they were planning on going with the whole time!” She said, frowning up at the sky again.

Charles sighed. “I won’t pretend the thought didn’t cross my mind. But honestly now, what good will a bunch of middle-aged humans be out there? They might have done more harm than good…”

“How can you say that?” Dianne asked in surprise. “If anything, they’ll be there to provide moral support. We’re stuck here without a clue about what’s happening!”

Gloria wiped a stray tear from her eye and finally stood up. “We’re not stuck anywhere. We’ve still got the royal soldiers and they have ships. If we don’t hear from the kids soon…”

“Speaking of the soldiers,” Philip interrupted. “I know it’s a long shot but…do you think they’d be able to sense-”

“The seals! I wonder…” Charles’ eyes flashed with hope.

As the parents left behind on Earth debated over leaving Roswell, the ones who escaped with the Granilith were receiving the tongue lashing of their lives.

*************************************************

(Saria, Alpha System)

“What were you thinking?! We specifically told you guys to leave the chamber.” Kyle ranted, pointing at his father.

“This is not the time Kyle…I think we’ve got bigger things to worry about right now. Namely, figuring out where we are, and why Kira and Rayna aren’t here.” Jim cautioned.

Maria shot her mother a vicious glare. “I can’t believe you did this.”

Jeff and Nancy were looked at the gang in surprise. “We just wanted to help,” Nancy said, crossing her arms defiantly.

Alex leaned forward and tried to explain. “It’s not that we don’t want your help…really. The problem is, we’re probably going to be forced to make some decisions we’re not proud of before all this is over and having you here, watching the whole thing in live technicolor is going to make it so much harder.”

Courtney cut in and explained bluntly, “We’re marching right into the middle of a war. Your kids have one shot at earning the people’s trust or they’ll be forced to take on Kivar and his entire army alone. They’re going to commit themselves fully to the cause. Do you understand what I’m telling you? They’re going to battle. They told you not to come because they weren’t prepared to hand over your lives to the cause too. Now, you may have given them no choice…”

Those words effectively silenced the stowaways. Before any of them could form a coherent response, there was a commotion on the other side of the room. They suddenly found themselves flanked by no less than fifty armed soldiers.

The gang quickly formed a tight circle around the parents and Max threw up his protective shield. As the other seven joined hands, his shield became a solid wall of crackling energy. The royal soldiers strained to see who was flanking their charges, just beyond the shield, but they couldn't see a thing through the protective tangle of light. A woman’s voice interrupted the tense scene.

“We are not here to harm you, my children...”

Max looked at the others in surprise. Could this be his mother? Perhaps Michael’s mother? He didn’t know what to do. If they dropped the shield and it turned out to be a ruse cooked up by Kivar, they would all die. If they didn’t drop the shield, they would risk alienating the very people they had come to meet. He resisted the urge to look at the royal soldiers from Earth for guidance, although every fiber of his being was screaming for their help.

Isabel sensed her brother’s fear and it chilled her to the bone. Because she rarely let her guard down enough to unleash her full potential, Isabel still had no idea how strong she really was. Overcome with a desperate need to protect her family, she dropped her mental defenses and opened her mind like never before. As wave after wave of disjointed words and images rolled through her consciousness like a freight train, Isabel began to cry.

{A man and woman stood shoulder-to-shoulder, cooing proudly over two tiny squirming bundles. The peaceful scene was interrupted as one of the bundles began to cry. Right on cue, the other bundle began to wail too. The proud father chuckled lightly as the scene faded.}

{Two little boys were roughhousing in a courtyard of some kind. With a flick of the hand, the dark haired boy knocked his friend to the ground, time and time again. “You are not trying, Rath! How will I learn to defend myself if you will not fight back?” The other boy, filthy and obviously cranky by this point, got back up and shook his head defiantly.}

{A little girl was gliding down a lavishly decorated hall, poking her head into each doorway, one after another. Finally, she skidded to a stop and grinned from ear to ear. “Lady Nora asked me to help develop a mentoring program, father! I can help people, just like you!” A man’s gentle voice floated through the doorway and the little girl grinned even bigger than before.}

{A beautiful red-haired woman stood silently in the doorway, smiling as she watched a young man pretending to draft a very important document at a desk that was much too big for him. “You look just like your father, working so hard at that desk,” she said fondly. The young man looked up with a start and blushed. “He makes this look so easy. I have a lot to learn. We should be thankful he has a long time to teach me…”}

{A man, probably very handsome at one time, lay in his bed, writhing in pain. The red-haired woman sat beside him, wiping at his brow and crying silently. Beside her, a pair of frightened teenagers hovered over the broken man, their hands glowing in an attept to repair the wounds. After a moment, the teenagers collapsed but the wounds remained. With a hitch in her voice, the red-haired woman turned to a sullen young man across the room. “Please send for Lady Ava… only she can ease his suffering now…”}

{A young man was marching somberly down an impossibly long aisle. On either side of the walkway, hundreds of people were assembled. As one, the masses bowed and the red-haired woman waiting at the end of the aisle struggled to hide her tears. She held a glowing crown in her hand.}

{Thundering explosions shook the stonewalls of the palace. Two tiny women pushed their way through a crowd of soldiers. One of them, the woman with the red hair again, clutched a delicate marble box in her hand as though it was her most precious possession. The soldiers looked away as she knelt by the crumpled forms they had failed to protect. Her companion, a slight woman with shocking white hair, gave the soldiers a fiery glare and said, “Leave this place… go protect the people. There is no one left to save here.”}

Isabel was ripped out of the mental journey by Alex. As the images disappeared, she blinked in confusion and realized that Alex was calling out to her. His face was white as paper as he mentally pleaded with her to come back to him. She gave him a slight nod to indicate that she was all right but in mid-nod, she began to understand what she had just witnessed. In this moment of clarity, she wrenched her hands out of her friends’ grasp and broke the union of their double foursquare. The shield flickered, but it held strong.

“That’s our mother Max.” She whispered. “We’re on Saria and that’s our mother…”

As the others registered Isabel’s words, they let the shield drop. They knew that Isabel would never make such a claim unless she was absolutely sure. The mystery woman had to be Kira. As the shield fell, the alien soldiers got a good look at the ‘intruders’. As one, the soldiers dropped down on one knee and bowed to the Royal Eight.

Kira was a tiny woman by human standards. She stood barely five feet tall and had a long mane of shocking red hair. Between her long flowing hair and startling hazel eyes, she was absolutely stunning. If you looked close enough you could see a vague resemblance to her in both Max and Isabel. Their human donors were clearly not solely responsible for their good looks.

“I see your powers have grown very strong indeed. I have longed for this day since your pods left for Earth…” Kira trailed off, looking at each one in turn with an expression of growing confusion.

Liz suddenly realized that this woman had probably never seen her children’s human faces. Her heart ached for the woman as she watched her look from one person to the next, to the next. Kira’s children were standing right in front of her but they were strangers. To ease the tension, Liz decided to introduce everyone as subtly as she could.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Ma’am. My name is Liz.” She started pointing to each of her friends in turn. “The man next to your daughter, Isabel, is Alex Whitman. Over there by Ava, we have Kyle Valenti. The young lady standing next to Michael is his wife, Maria Guerin.” Liz desperately hoped that the woman would recognize their human names.

The tiny woman smiled gratefully at Liz. Without warning, Liz could hear Kira’s voice in her head. {That was very kind of you. Your essences are so intertwined, you feel as one to me. Thank you for sparing us the discomfort of further introductions. My son has chosen his Queen wisely, I think.}

Liz gasped. This woman’s voice was almost like music in her mind. It had a rhythmic quality that was oddly soothing. She felt so honored that the woman had acknowledged her as Max’s wife. Kira didn’t seem to mind at all that Max chose a human mate.

Kira smiled. “May I presume that the nervous couple you took such pains to shield a minute ago is your parents Liz?”

Nancy cleared her throat nervously. She suddenly felt very out of place, surrounded by Kings and Queens, Commanders and soldiers. She didn’t know the customs of this planet and wasn’t sure whether to bow to this woman or not. As they say though, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. She bowed quickly as she had seen the soldiers do when Max’s shield fell.

“I am Liz’s mother, Nancy Parker. This is my husband, Jeff.”

“It is an honor to meet you Nancy Parker. You have a fine daughter…I can see that much already. I thank you for making this journey with my children. I can imagine all of this must be quite overwhelming,” Kira said, sensing Nancy’s discomfort. Her eyes scanned the group again briefly and she flinched in surprise when she saw Courtney.

Alex knew that the people were going to be weary of Courtney’s presence but in the interest of keeping this first meeting a neutral affair, he quickly redirected Kira’s attention to himself.

“It just occurred to me…you are speaking flawless English. At first I thought that our translators were just working overtime but then I realized that the Parkers and Valentis aren’t wearing translators. Is everyone fluent in English here?” Alex asked innocently.

“You will find that English is not a common language in the Alpha System. Rayna and I learned the language solely as a means to communicate with you. A select few representatives of the other planets have also become fluent in English through their host travels on Earth.” Kira explained.

“Host travels? Oh! You mean like the way Larek communicates with us through a human host body?” Nancy asked.

“Precisely.” Kira said with a smile.

Maria noticed that Michael and Ava were struggling to keep their composure. They were trying to put on a happy face for Max and Isabel because they finally got to meet their Antarean mother but underneath it all they were devastated that their mother wasn’t here too. They both flinched in anticipation Kira said Rayna’s name. Maria, never one to mince words, decided to take matters into her own hands.

“Your Highness? I don’t mean to interrupt but…will we be meeting Michael and Ava’s mother too?” Maria asked.

Kira smiled. “Lady Maria, please call me Kira. And yes, Rayna will be joining us shortly. She had to secure the area in lieu of your arrival. The people will feel the return of the royal seals and come flocking if we don’t take proper precautions. Rayna insisted that she personally would see to the arrangements. What is that Earth phrase? Mother wolf? No, no…mother bear! She’s like a mother bear protecting her cubs.”

Ava was so moved that she nearly burst into tears. She just couldn’t help it. The thought of Rayna going into ‘mother bear’ mode over her and Michael was a complete shock. Kira smiled sadly at Ava, almost as though she could sense the girl’s thoughts. She reached out to Ava but upon seeing Michael flinch protectively, she lowered her hand and addressed him directly.

“When Larek told us of your struggles on Earth, I had to restrain your mother from redirecting all of our resistance forces to Roswell. Your mother wanted to personally vaporize a few of your more troublesome humans herself,” Kira explained with a twinkle in her eyes. Despite her nonchalant tone, it seemed as though she meant every word.

“You hear that Spaceboy? Sounds like you get your temper from your mother!” Maria said with glee.

A tiny woman with shocking white hair and sparkling blue eyes entered the room and worked her way to the front of the crowd. She looked at each of the Roswellians in turn but her eyes quickly settled on Michael and Ava. Judging by her striking resemblance to Ava, this woman was obviously Rayna.

“I would recognize the two of you anywhere. Hello Michael…Ava.” She said nervously. She looked over to Kyle and Maria next. “And you must be Kyle and Maria…Larek has told me so much about you.”

Kyle grinned. “Hopefully only the good stuff.”

Ava elbowed him and he bowed clumsily. “I mean…It’s nice to meet you ma’am.”

Rayna suddenly broke into laughter. “I’m going to like this one, Kira. He’s spunky.”

There was silence as the gang tried to adjust to the sudden change in atmosphere. Whereas Kira had this serene calming presence, Rayna was bright and lively. They were like night and day. It was almost symbolic of their current group dynamics. Where Max’s crew was cautious and deliberate, Michael’s was volatile and animated.

Rayna approached Jeff. “ Are you are the sheriff who helped my son?” Jeff shook his head and pointed toward Jim.

Jim took off his hat and did a clumsy half-bow. “I’m Jim Valenti and this is my wife Amy.”

Rayna’s eyes brightened at the mention of Amy. “Are you the Amy who threatened to…what is the word…castrate? Did you threaten to castrate the man who hurt my son?”

Amy blushed. “I may have expressed some anger when I learned about Michael’s past…but I am not usually a violent person…not really…” Her comment was met with some pointed coughs and a few poorly concealed sniggers. Amy turned on the group and stomped her foot in frustration.

“Oh come on, you guys! A person gets arrested one time for threatening an intruder with a frying pan and nobody ever forgets…” Amy glared pointedly at Jim.

“Not to be fickle or anything but, you can’t really call the meter man from the electric company an intruder, Amy. He was just trying to do his job,” Isabel pointed out with a smirk.

Amy crossed her arms in a huff. “He was creeping around outside my house and I was just trying to protect my daughter. That is my job, you know.”

Rayna seemed to enjoy this revelation a lot. “Now I know I will like you very much,” she quipped. She suddenly turned very serious. “I cannot thank you enough for giving my children a place in your home. I should have been there and I take comfort in the thought that they had you.”

As quickly as Rayna’s serious side emerged, it disappeared again. Apparently she was just as uncomfortable with emotional scenes as Michael was. It was clearly a family trait. As she took a good look at the group in front of her, she too seemed to be concerned by the presence of Courtney. Isabel made a mental note to explain the girl’s presence to Kira and Rayna at a more appropriate time.

“Shall we find a more appropriate place to talk?” Rayna said. “I imagine we have a lot to discuss and our loading dock seems like an uncomfortable place to begin. The Granilith will be safe right where it is. If you will follow me, we can move this gathering to the dining hall. We have arranged for a private dinner and it should be ready shortly.”

As they filed out of the bare room, they realized they were in some kind of underground compound. After following an impossibly long hallway, they reached a set of stairs that took them to yet another hallway. Three flights of stairs later, the Roswell crew was starting to wonder just where this ‘dining hall’ was.

“This compound owes its security to the fact that it was built solely underground. There is no evidence of its existence whatsoever from above. There are no entrances or exits to the surface. This piece of land is framed by mountains on three sides. Since we couldn’t expand outward, we went further down instead,” Kira explained.

“There are nearly ten thousand refugees living within these walls,” Rayna explained with a look of triumph that seemed quite out of place.

“Ten thousand?! How do you provide enough food and supplies for that many people without going topside?” Jeff asked in horror.

Rayna smiled. “We have our ways. We do not need doors to leave the confines of this compound.” She said cryptically.

Maria clapped with glee. “You teleport? Is that how you get in and out? That’s so clever! Oh wait…oh…that’s going to be a problem…”

Rayna laughed. “Not for long dear. Trust me. I could feel your strength from the moment you arrived. Even without your powers, I don’t think these walls could hold the Royal Eight for long.”